Monster socks and spinning

Hello everyone! Sorry for a little absence. I celebrated my birthday a few weeks ago, and I never quite know how to talk about it! My birthday is February 29 and it never came this year, so that in itself is kind of strange! I spent several days with family and friends to celebrate, and it was really nice. I have to share this story: Scott gave me yarn but hid it all around the house. When I came home from work, I found skeins in my slippers, in the coffee mugs, under my pillow...they were everywhere! It was really sweet :)

Ok, things to share. You might remember I started a cross stitch sampler of fairy tales; here is my progress:

I finished February! It is a very cute project to work on but it takes a lot more concentration than knitting.


I am also working on a pair of Monster socks:

I meant to blog about them sooner!! The socks are part of a KAL with Sheralynn from the Fibre Pigeonhole Podcast (it runs the month of March and it's not too late to join the KAL!)

Katie has already finished her pair and they look awesome! I am partial to purple so I loved them right away :):)

Monster socks are basically socks made from your yarn scraps. I decided to limit myself to six different leftovers, and made a magic ball:

I used the Russian join method and I have to say it works very well.

The pattern I am using are Hermione's Everyday socks and a Fish Lips Kiss heel. I considered using an afterthought heel...maybe the next pair. And yes, I have ideas for another pair of monster socks using self striping yarn!

I also cast on March socks, but I am feeling a little iffy on them:

The pattern is Shur'tugal; it's nice but a little challenging! I am on the fence about the yarn choice however. The pattern is not standing out so far (I have knit about another inch further than this, and it still seems unremarkable). For those of you who have knit this pattern, did the twisted stitches stand out right away or did it take several pattern repeats to notice them? I might frog this and find another pattern for this yarn!


I did finish a pair of socks:

The yarn is Zwerger Garn Opal Vincent Van Gogh in the Red Vineyards at Arles colorway. I like 64 stitches on 2.25 mm needles, and I used a modified Eye of the Partridge heel, which I also really like. This formula seems to fit me so well, so I use it all the time :) I am pretty happy that this is my seventh pair so far!


Ok, how about some spinning?

I purchased the Rambouillet roving from Dag and recently spun it up.... aren't the colors amazing?! It was my first time Navajo-plying and I really enjoyed it!

I also started spinning a batt from Moonrover:

It is a really fun assortment of fibers and I am enjoying every bit of it.


I hope everyone has a relaxing and happy weekend :)

ssksk12in12: 7 finished!

Two pairs are finished! These are the Brown Socks and the Scrappy Socks, and I realize they have very creative names :)

And, more for my own record than anything, the information:

Brown Socks
Yarn: Regia Silk (from Christmas)
Needles: 2.0 mm
Stitches: 64, I think
Toe up

Scrappy Socks
Yarn: Regia Silk, Berroco Sox, Alpaca Sox, and a little Cascade in Sweet Stripes
Needles: 2.25 mm
Stitches: 60 sts
Toe up 

And here's the pair on the needles now:

It's Knit Picks Felici in Rainbow. So happy!! I'm calling them the I am Happy I am Elate Socks because they make me so happy, and the crazy, laughing yoga guy makes me so happy too.

Happy Tuesday, everyone. I'm in the middle of washing/drying my fabric for the quilt!

News

The other day I wrote a post and it did something funny to the blog layout, so I ended up deleting the post. If you happened to see the post before it was deleted, it was about the cutest dinosaur, aka Terence the Tap Dancing T-Rex! (pattern by Rebecca Danger). Only something this cute could interrupt my sock knitting. Seriously.

Yarn for the dinosaur is Araucania Nature Wool Multy, and it's knitting up so beautifully! So far I have knit the body and am just closing the head. I am already dying from the cuteness. Pictures soon!

Araucania Nature Wool Multy...all caked up

I am still knitting these socks but not at full force. I just finished the heel flap and only have the leg left. Progress:

I received some bad family news yesterday, and depending on what happens, I may be less present here in the coming weeks. But I am praying for the best.

I hope you all are enjoying the end of your week :)