The Odds

Last Tuesday registration opened for Sock Summit 2009. If anyone hasn't read the Yarn Harlot's post on this yet, go check it out. It's pretty mind-boggling.

I was on top of this one. I had gone through the class list the night before, picked out the 3 that I wanted and wrote everything down. Then at 9:55 am I was on the site waiting for the registration to open up. At 10:30 am I had to leave to do the carpool for my son's class and got home at 11:45. I tried to sign up again but no luck. The classes were totally full and I had to resolve that it just wasn't meant to be for me this time.

I've read that classes may still open up but I'm pretty much okay with it. I wasn't sure how I was going to get there anyway, where I was going to stay, and all of the details. But that kind of stuff would've fallen into place if I had just been able to get into the classes.

I guess I can say, at least I was one of the 30,000 that helped crash the server! :) And by reading some of the comments in the Yarn Harlot's post, not everybody who wanted to register was on right then. That means there were more than that! Sock knitters unite! Crazy...

Oh Come On!

Is this some sort of universal bet to see how many socks I will cast on at once? Even I wouldn't bet on that one. If all of these cute sock patterns and this beautiful sock yarn keep finding their way to me I will be forced to take advantage of the situation.

And I'm even feeling proud of myself for knitting this hat in less than a week for a friend who's going through chemo. I'm going to sit down this weekend and write her a letter and send out a package next Tuesday after Memorial Day.

Name of Project: Shedir
Yarn: Rowan Calmer, one ball
Needles: Size US 2 Knit Picks circulars
Estimated Time to Complete Project: almost a week
Pattern Notes: I skipped some of the plain knit rows at the top to conserve on yarn. I didn't think the ball was going to make it for the whole hat and it seemed big enough anyway.

I am going to try to finish one of the sock I already have on the needles before I start these but I've already got them prepped. Pattern is copied (I don't like to mess up my original), skein is wound, and the needles are ready.

Rogue Roses

Second shipment of the 2009 Rockin' Sock Club has been completed! And before the next shipment came too...
Name of Project: Rogue Roses
Yarn: Socks That Rock Medium weight, colorway Gertrude Skein
Needles: Size US 1 (2.25 mm) Knit Picks dpns
Estimated Time to Complete Project: 6 weeks
Modifications: Did not include the yo "bubble trail" increase next to the rogue roses chart. Instead I did a mother/grandmother increase so that it wasn't visible. Also I did not carry the purl background all the way to the end of the toe.

I think these came out beautiful (finally) and after a few small hiccups (my own fault) they went very smoothly.

Other project updates:

I've finished clue #4 on my purple hooter socks from the Knitters Brewing Co Mystery Sock KAL and those are looking very cool!
The very cool part about this knitalong is that none of the clues have been a repeat of what you have done before in the pattern. You started with the toe and some lace for it, and instead of just more of the same for the instep, it was a fun butterfly with beads! I such a sucker for anything with butterflies and adding the beads to it gives it that extra bling (that I always love). So I am very excited about the next 3 clues. It also gives me an excuse to have multiple socks on the needles at the same time. I can't go anymore until I get the next clue, better have something else to work on!

The other socks I have going are His Worthiness socks. I decided to name these for my husband because he's been so deserving of a gift like this.

One project that has jumped unexpectedly into my WIP's is the Shedir hat. I've found out that a friend that I used to work with is battling lung cancer and I wanted to make her something. Janelle told me she has made several of these for friends in similiar situations and has gotten back positive reviews about the pattern and yarn.

I'm hoping I can get the hat finished in about a week so that I can give it to my friend as soon as possible. It's going pretty smoothly so far, so I don't think it'll be a problem.

Priorities

I started a pair of socks for hubby last night. He was walking around barefoot, saying how nice it would be to have a pair of hand knit socks for his cold feet, like everyone else in the family has. I had to drop my project I was working on and start something right away. I mean, how does it look? The man that buys me my sock yarn not wearing any hand knit socks. It's just not right.

I immediately pulled out my box of sock yarn so he could pick out his yarn.

This is what he picked out:

It's Berroco Sox number 1425 John Moores color. This is one of the reasons I love him. He bypassed a plain blue, a grey and a few other really boring colors and picked this one. He's always had a great sense of style and color. I don't like to go shopping without him because when he's with me, my clothes we pick out together are always my favorites. I will definitely have fun knitting these and I think they will go relatively fast (considering his feet are size 13). I'm going toe-up, probably with a short-row heel, then ribbing up the leg so they stay up nicely.

Queen of Beads

Name of Project: Queen of Beads by Sivia Harding
Yarn: Socks That Rock lightweight, colorway: My Blue Heaven
Needles: Size US 0 (2.0 mm) Knit Picks dpns
Pattern Notes: The hardest part about these was stringing the beads on.

I love the way they turned out! The pattern has a really nice fit and they look stunning on. On to the next shipment, Rogue Roses.

My Purple Hooter

The Knitters Brewing Company is having their first Mystery Sock Knitalong and I'm ready! The details can be found here. Beaded sock kits are available on the website, mine is the Purple Hooter.

I'm going to try and finish my Rogue Roses before the mystery starts on May 1. So excited!

Bunnies and a gift

I've got some sort of wicked flu/cold thing and have been feeling horrible since Friday afternoon. It was a real pick-me-up when my husband brought me this package while I was laying in bed. A tote bag, a skein of yarn, a pattern and a letter from Mountain Colors. The letter expressed appreciation for my entry into their category in the Think Outside the Sox contest. Now I don't feel like such a loser! I've met Diana and Leslie a couple of times now, and they've always been so friendly and enthusiastic. It's awesome to see these ladies that really love what they do. Thank you guys so much!

I've been wanting to make these Knitted Bunnies ever since ItShe made some last year for her nephews. I put my socks aside for a little while and finished a couple. I still have a few more to finish, but that's the easy part. Actually, it's all kind of easy. What a great pattern!

I have to admit I did cheat a little. I used my knitting machine to make the square and only hand knitted the ears.

But, if you're way lazier than I am, and don't even want to knit your own, I have an alternative for you. There is a wonderful lady named Kathy that I first met at Stitches West 2009, then found her at the Vista famers market off of Melrose on Saturday mornings. She has some of these made up and for sale at her booth, made out of her own animals fiber. If you live in North County and haven't made it to the farmers market in Vista yet, make the effort. They have a really nice selection of food, plants, and many other things.