Ta-Da! Handspun Sock

Note I didn't say "socks." I'm only 50% finished with these. I posted earlier about spinning for this pair of socks, but just to show the difference between the fiber and the finished product:





I used 2 plies from the Louet Northern Lights top (Picasso colorway), and added a strand of bright blue wooly nylon, courtesy of Janis. I just adore the result. The sock reminds me of some of the colorways available in sock yarns when I first started knitting socks in the mid-90's. I made no effort to control the color, I just took what I got.

The yarn is about 12 wpi (sport/dk range), knitted at a fingering gauge (8.25 st/in) on 2.75mm double points. It's a hefty sock. Now to cast on the second one......

I've Been Knitting - Honest!

You don't need yet another inside-out photo of the green vest in progress. But be assured I'm making progress. In the meantime, I finished these:



This is a little cotton/silk top made from STASH yarn!! Whee, I used some of it up. Yarn is Misti Cotton, pattern is Jaunty Jane by Carolyn White.



This is a PAIR of socks. Dobby socks for sure. Although the same color and dyelot of Twin Twist from Wool in the Woods, it's hand dyed. As usually suggested when working with yarn like this, one should alternate the skeins every couple of rows. But for socks I won't do that. It interrupts the flow of the colors for one thing, and it's just plain annoying to me. But then, I don't mind the "fraternal twins" nature of the socks. And unlike a lot of people, I really like color pooling. I think these pooled quite nicely on the 2x2 ribbed legs.


Kari asked about what I was holding in front of the Bison sign, so here's a better photo. It's "Loopy" mascot for The Loopy Ewe. Sheri asked her customers to take Loopy on vacation and send in photos. So Loopy went to Idaho and back with me.

New Year's Tradition

I'm starting a new tradition. I'm going to begin a pair of socks for myself on the first day of the year. That's easy. The second part is that I must finish the pair before the year is over. Now let's see if I can pull that off! Here's 2007's entry, the first annual Sandra's New Year's socks:



Yes, yes, I KNOW they're a shameless knock-off of Stephanie's socks (see her Dec 2, 2006 entry). Hers were just so appealing that I had to make a pair for myself. I graphed my own design, though. It's similar to hers, but I didn't actually copy it. The black yarn is Knit Picks Essential, and the pastel is Fleece Artist Merino in the Easter Egg colorway.

I'm kinda liking this black with variegated thing. I think I may try this again! But first I'll finish these.

Here are all of my girls, sleeping it off. They must have had a secret kitty new year's party after we went to bed last night.

See y'all when I return from the family visit to Oklahoma.