Knitting

May has been a blur.  For the first two weeks, we were on vacation – an amazing vacation in which I did little knitting, until the end of the trip and the flight home.  But once we got home, I was happy to pick up my knitting again!  I have many WIPs to tell you about so let’s begin! Blumenwiese Socks Google tells me that Blumenwiese means ‘flower meadow’ in German – and that is very appropriate for this yarn color – a pale green with all kinds of lovely speckles.  Herbstblatt Regina, the dyer who created it but who is no longer dyeing, was very talented and I treasure the few skeins of yarn I have from her.  So I’m enjoying knitting these socks! Cornflower Socks Just the other day, I cast on another sock, which I meant to start on 5/26 for the start of The Crazy Sock Lady’s Summer Sock Camp.  Though a few days late, I’m happy to have more socks to knit on.  Yes, I’m crazy about sock knitting!  This Cornflower colorway is from The Cozy Knitter.  Selbu Mittens Now that my Land of Sweets cowl is done, this has been my 30-minutes of knitting each morning.  I’m all the way to the decreases on one mitten and am close to that on the second.  It’s so nice to be making progress on these! Long Summer Cardigan I’ve spent a bit of time on this but since the month has been insane, I haven’t done as much as I’d hoped.  This cardigan, from Joji Locatellii, will become my Saturday knitting project, just so I can make some good progress. Battenberg Blanket I haven’t made many squares for the blanket this month, mainly because I was focused on other projects.  But I’ll get back to this soon! Lava Lake I’ve made some good progress on this shawl!  Now that I’m on the decreases, I hope this gets faster and faster as I go along!  Now that I’m almost done, I already want to start another Stephen West shawl.  Ha! FOs A few days ago, I finished my Potion Socks – which I adore!  The Plaza Lights colorway from Potion Yarns is absolutely stunning!  I’m hoping to squeak out another pair of socks with the yarn leftovers! What’s Next More socks!  I’ve never participated in Summer Sock Camp, but for some reason, I’m motivated this year, probably because I’m so obsessed with socks!  So hopefully I get a few done this summer!  

Helen Stewart of Curious Handmade has released another Handmade Sock Society Collection!  She’s on her 5th collection and I couldn’t help but buy the patterns in the pre-sale….because I love Helen’s patterns.  If you haven’t heard about this charming pattern collection, keep reading! What It Is The Society works like this….  You pay a flat fee (a very reasonable price) to get six sock patterns, released throughout the  summer (unfortunately, this pre-sale has ended).  You can buy the patterns later, individually, but for a higher price than the pre-sale bundle.  This is the fifth  season of the Sock Society and I’ve loved every collection Helen has put together! This isn’t technically a KAL but there’s a Ravelry page for the group where the community can share tips, tricks, and progress. The Style If you like patterned socks, this collection is for you.  Helen’s patterns are never overly complicated, but they’re different enough to keep you engaged with your knitting.  There’s lace, delicate patterns, and more traditional patterns as well.  There’s always something for everyone in The Handmade Sock Society collections! Joining In I haven’t tried to knit all the patterns since the first Society I purchased, which was Helen’s second, I believe.  I knit two patterns from that one, each of which I adore.  I knit others from the various collections that followed.  But lately, I’m in desperate need of vanilla socks.  So I’ll see which of Helen’s patterns catch my eye and cast on as I get the urge to make more intensive socks.   Conclusion If you love knitting socks, these patterns are for you!  Helen is such a fantastic designer and her patterns are some of the best and most clearly written out there.  You can’t go wrong with anything she designs! 

My last pair of kids socks – for now.  The last of my BFF’s family that required socks was baby Jack, though he’s not quite a baby anymore at 2 ½ years old.  Since I knit all of his sisters socks, he obviously required some as well!  And I had the perfect yarn….which became my Winter Boys Socks.   Let me tell you more! The Yarn I knit a hurried pair of socks for my mom in January because I just had to knit with this yarn from the Yarn Bliss Box – Winter Wonderland.  This is such a gorgeous color – a light grayish blue with subtle speckles.  It is truly winter in a color.   And just like for the original socks, I had some more Madelinetosh to use for the cuffs and toes. The Pattern  Once again, I turned to my new favorite pattern from Kay, the Crazy Sock Lady, except that I used circular needles.  For the sizing of these socks, I relied on my beloved Charlene Schurch’s Sensational Knitted Socks book that I cannot knit socks without! Details Pattern:  Vanilla Socks on Magic Loop by  Crazy Sock Lady Designs Yarn:   Speckled Finch’s (Yarn Bliss Box) Hearty Sock in Winter Wonderland; Contrast: Madelinetosh Twist Light in Ceremony Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) Made for: Jack Time to Completion:  1 week Most importantly, these socks fit!  Yay!  I was nervous about these as they seemed too big….but I trusted the numbers and the math and just knit.  These were so much fun and even thought I’ve now used this yarn twice, there’s still a lot more left of the skein! Technical stuff….  For the cuffs, I did my usual 2×2 rib.  I made the leg a bit shorter since we do live in Texas.

It’s time for another pair of kids socks!  For my BFF’s youngest daughter, Jill, I was even more apprehensive about sizing.  Ha!  But just like the other socks I’ve made for this family, it was so much fun going stash diving and finding fun yarns for these socks!  This yarn, in the colorway Barrakuda, was so cool! Let me tell you more! The Yarn This yarn, Schopple-Wolle Admiral Bambus Plus, came from Estes Park, Colorado. It was actually free!  The shop was giving out free grab bags of yarn with any purchase – and there were three skeins of yarn in each bag!  Crazy!  The three colors were actually coordinating, so that was nice.   Since I’m not a big green person, I didn’t know how I’d use this skein of yarn, yet I couldn’t part with it.  So when I learned that Jill loves green, I thought this skein would be perfect!  Then, I found a purple and teal mini skein from my Advent swap that was the perfect compliment! The Pattern  Once again, I turned to my new favorite pattern from Kay, the Crazy Sock Lady, except that I used circular needles.   Details Pattern:  Vanilla Socks on Magic Loop by  Crazy Sock Lady Designs Yarn:   Schoppel-Wolle Admiral Bambus Plus Cat Print in Barrakuda (2158); Contrast color: Yarnable Mermazing Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) Made for: Jill Time to Completion:  3 weeks Jill wears a size 13….and again, I was surprised by the stitch count that I calculated.  But I went with it.  And these socks fit!  I was so happy!  These were a delight to knit.  Since I don’t usually knit with green, these were definitely fun! Technical stuff….  For the cuffs, I did my usual 2×2 rib.  And I made these socks shorter, though they are a bit taller than the previous two for this family.  For the heel, I did my favorite Eye of Partridge, which I love to do for female sock recipients.

April sure flew by!  I had a big work conference and presentation – which was a whirlwind week!  To have that behind me is such a relief.  Even though I was super stressed all month, I still got a lot of knitting done on my WIPs – and I finished a few projects! Let me tell you more… Potion Socks I started these socks recently because I needed an easy project when I was super stressed out.  And this yarn, from Potion Yarns, is amazing!  It makes me unbelievably happy.  If all yarn was like this, I’d be one happy knitter! Selbu Mittens Now that my Land of Sweets cowl is done, this has been my 30-minutes of knitting each morning.  I only do about three rows every morning – sometimes more – because it is difficult to do stranded colorwork. Long Summer Cardigan I’ve spent a bit of time on this but since the month has been busier, I haven’t done much.  Joji Locatelli’s pattern is lovely and I really want to finish this….but it won’t be anytime soon. Battenberg Blanket I haven’t made many squares for the blanket this month, mainly because I was focused on other projects.  But I’ll get back to this! Lava Lake I’ve made some decent progress on this shawl!  I’m now past the center point and am decreasing stitches.  The challenge now is doing all the color changes in the correct spot!   FOs Kids socks!  Two pairs!  I finished my Barrakuda Socks – or teal socks – for my BFF’s daughter.  I loved these!  The second pair, the Winter Boys Socks, were knit in a week using yarn from The Yarn Bliss Box in the Winter Wonderland colorway.  Look for a post on both of these socks soon. What’s Next I’m loving my Potion socks and I’ll soon cast on another pair of socks that will be a gift.  Socks are easy to knit when you’re stressed out.  And we have vacation next month and socks are easy to pack!

Today I’m sharing with you another pair of socks that I knit for my BFF’s daughter.  I really enjoyed knitting Josie her Leftover Lights Socks and were ecstatic that they actually fit.  But Juliette, the second-oldest daughter, also needed socks.  And this is where I got really nervous about sizing.  The Hoop Skirt Socks were great fun to knit but…..  Well, you’ll see! Let me tell you more! The Yarn I used this yarn, initially, for my mom’s birthday socks in 2022.  But I love this colorway from Big Sky Yarn Co and was only too happy to use the leftovers for a special knit.  And since Juliette loves blue, this seemed like the perfect choice. For the pink bits on the cuff and toes, I used leftovers from two mini skeins.  And I think they coordinated perfectly! The Pattern  As per usual these days, I used my new favorite pattern from Kay, the Crazy Sock Lady, except that I used circular needles.   Details Pattern:  Vanilla Socks on Magic Loop by  Crazy Sock Lady Designs Yarn:   Big Sky Yarn Co Star Sock in Hoop Skirt Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) Made for: Juliette Time to Completion:  3 weeks Juliette wears a kids size 7 shoe so when I looked to see just what that meant as far as size, it seemed it wasn’t that far off from Josie’s stitch count.  Which made me nervous as Juliette is a few years younger than Josie.  So I cut back on stitches.  And that was a mistake.   These socks were too small for Juliette – so frustrating!  At least they will fit her younger sister, at some point.  They definitely won’t go to waste! Technical stuff….  For the cuffs, I did my usual 2×2 rib.  And I made these socks shorter, just like the previous pair, since we live in Texas.  For the heel, I did my favorite Eye of Partridge. 

On a recent call with my BFF, I mentioned my sock knitting and how much I enjoyed knitting socks for others….though I don’t know that many people who would appreciate handknit socks.  She reminded me that she has four kids who could wear anything I make.  Ha!  And so I went down the rabbit hole of knitting socks for kids.  This was a total guessing game – based purely on shoe size.  The first pair I knit, the Leftover Lights Socks were a success, at least! Let me tell you more! The Yarn Josie loves pink.  And considering how much I adored Plank and Stella’s Twinkling Lights colorway, I decided to use the leftovers I had from this skein.  I pulled a random pink mini skein to add to the cuffs and toes of these socks.  And I was very happy with the results! The Pattern  Once again, I used my new favorite pattern from Kay, the Crazy Sock Lady, except that I used circular needles.   Details Pattern:  Vanilla Socks on Magic Loop by  Crazy Sock Lady Designs Yarn:   Plank and Stella 4-ply Sock in Twinkling Lights Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) Made for: Josie Time to Completion:  2.2 weeks Josie can now wear her mom’s shoes and mom wears a size 7.  So I knit just a few fewer stitches than what I do for her mom, knowing that kids feet are probably still a bit smaller in diameter than an adult’s.   And they fit!   Technical stuff….  For the cuffs, I did my usual 2×2 rib.  And I made these socks shorter since we live in Texas.  For the heel, I did my favorite Eye of Partridge. 

So many Advent calendars are already popping up for next year.  Unbelievable!  And so exciting!  I’ve already used up one of mine from last year and I couldn’t be more pleased!  I’ve had the Land of Sweets Cowl favorited in Ravelry for so long and now I finally got to knit it with a lovely 12-day Advent!  Let me tell you more! The Yarn Last year, I bought a 12-day Advent calendar from British dyer Lay Family Yarn.  I’d always wanted to order from them and an Advent calendar seemed the perfect way to try out their yarn. And it was a lovely calendar!  Lightly speckled mini skeins and a few variegated colors…  I really enjoyed opening this every day!   The Pattern  Helen Stewart (aka Curious Handmade) released her Land of Sweets Cowl for Knitvent in 2017. Knitvent is something Helen does pretty regularly…  She releases patterns leading up to Christmas that are easy to knit for gifts….or that are perfect for Advent calendars.  So many of my favorite patterns from Helen come from these Knitvent collections.  They’re definitely worth your money!   Details Pattern:  Land of Sweets Cowl by Curious Handmade Yarn:  Lay Family Yarn 12-day Squiddle Village Advent (Soft Sock base) 2022 Needles: US 4 (3.5 mm) Made for: a gift Time to Completion:  2.75 months I got into a great routine with this cowl…  I would knit on it before work each morning and, each week, I would get through one mini skein.  It was great for early morning knitting as it was relatively easy (though the lace required more attention).   This is the first Christmas gift I’ve finished for this year!  And I hope the recipient really likes it.  These squishy cowls are so warm and cozy!  If you’re looking for a pattern with which to use those Advent mini skeins, I highly recommend Land of Sweets!

March was an interesting month.  In some ways, it flew by but….there were certainly times it dragged on and on.  I made some good knitting progress….and finished some projects.  I’m still anxious to cast on more and more socks, but I’m also trying to finish some WIPs, too.   Let me give you the rundown…. Teal Socks I’m almost halfway through a pair of socks for my BFF’s daughter.  I have to knit four pairs of socks and this is the third – so only one more to go!  For this green-loving girl, I’m using yarn from Schoppel-Woolle….and a purple/teal mini that I couldn’t resist! Selbu Mittens Now that my Land of Sweets cowl is done, these mitts will be my morning 30-minutes of knitting until they’re done.  I really want to finish these and I’m hoping the short timeframe each day will help me not get discouraged by how slow I knit this complicated colorwork!   Long Summer Cardigan I’m trying to spend more time on this cardigan – and I’ve succeeded.  Joji Locatelli’s pattern is lovely but the twisted rib is not the easiest thing.  I’ll get this done – someday! Battenberg Blanket I’m still making my little squares….  But this is going to take a loooong time to make!  Thankfully, I love making these little squares. Lava Lake This project is what I work on during weekend TV time.  And I’m now past the halfway mark!  I’m making this even bigger than what Stephen West’s pattern calls for. So it’s going to be big! FOs I finished my Land of Sweets Cowl using Lay Family Yarn’s 12-day Advent calendar.  It’s so lovely!  This will be a Christmas gift, which makes me extremely happy! (Yay, early gift knitting!) And I finished my second pair of children’s socks, the Big Sky Socks – for my BFF’s kids.   The sizing is interesting so I really hope they fit! What’s Next I have one more pair of children’s socks to make.  And I need to seriously think of what to take on our long vacation at the end of April.  I’m thinking two pairs of socks instead of anything bigger.  Hm…..   Two transatlantic plane rides means I’m breaking my no-knitting-on-vacation rule. That’s what I have going on!  Whatever you have on the needles, I hope it’s bringing you joy!

I fell head over heels in love with the yarn from November’s Yarn Bliss Box.  The colorway and box theme, Winter Wonderland, was just wonderful!   I knew I had to knit with this yarn right away and my mom’s birthday – and her love of blue – meant I had the perfect person to knit for! Let me tell you more about these socks! The Yarn I’m really enjoying the Yarn Bliss Boxes from Speckled Finch Studios.  The themes and colorways are always such a delight!   Though I don’t usually gravitate to blues and greys, the Winter Wonderland colorway just fascinated me!  And I knew my mom would like it! And because she loves blue, I decided to use some leftover blue yarn for the toes and cuffs.  I think this complemented the Winter Wonderland perfectly! The Pattern  Once again, I used my new favorite pattern from Kay, the Crazy Sock Lady, except that I used circular needles.  Using two needles, instead of three double-pointed needles, makes knitting socks so much faster!  I love it! Details Pattern:  Vanilla Socks on Magic Loop by  Crazy Sock Lady Designs Yarn:  Speckled Finch Studio’s Hearty Sock in Winter Wonderland (Yarn Bliss Box, November 2022) Needles: US 1 (2.25 mm) Made for: me Time to Completion:  2 weeks The idea to knit these for my mom’s  birthday was a bit last-minute so I spent a lot of time in January getting these finished.  And they were so much fun to knit!  I love speckled yarn of any kind, even subtle speckles like these!   For the heel, I did my favorite Eye of Partridge, which is just so lovely.   My obsession with sock knitting continues!