FO Friday - another long awaited item

The sock decided since it had traveled this far across the country that it would stop for a dip. It was enjoying the warmth compared to its birthplace up in the cold wet pacific northwest. Here in Texas it is pleasant and warm. It makes a wool sock feel that it is not needed so it can have a life of leisure.

This life of leisure means sunning itself beside the pool. It made sure to drink enough water so as not to dehydrate its wool parts. It thinks, "people should treat me with respect and love me for who I am, I am a wool/silk sock with bold-jewel tones and a complicated lace pattern."

This big headed sock saunters over to the pool again. This time it wants to do a fancy dive into the pool, but wait it sees a sign that warns of head damage if a dive is done. The sock shakes its wee little head and climbs back on its pool chair. As it is taking a swig of its lemon spiked water, some evil person grabs it and sets it next to a bunch of stuff to be stuffed in a box for a long trip to ......

Pattern: Pomatomus by Cookie A Raveled here
Yarn: Great Adirondack Yarn Co Silky Sock 1 skein 100g/ 360 yds (70% wool, 20 % silk, 10 % nylon)
Needles: Knitpicks circular US 1 (2.25 mm) & Us 1.5 (2.50mm)

Mods: I knew I needed to shrink these socks from a US 9 woman's foot to a US 2.5 foot. The method to my madness was to take a yarn that knit up in a micro gauge and just knit the pattern as written. I knit the lace rib portion in a US 1.5 and the sole of the sock in US 1. It turned out perfectly and it fits over my foot a bit snuggly so it will fit perfectly.

Facts to remember: Check your gauge and don't get so high and mighty. I thought I could shrink it by using this skinny yarn and US 0 (2.00mm). That for sure turned out too tight at a whopping 5" circumference it was a no go. My second attempt came up preschooler sized. The third attempt fit but it was a snug fit. I was not prepared to send someone a sock that needed to be tugged heavily on especially one with a small child. At this point I knew that whatever I did next it would fit. So my fourth attempt came out just perfect.

Things I Love: The yarn frogged like a dream, which must mean it will wear beautifully. It never saw signs of distress after all those repeated froggings. The colors pooled just right. A perfect sock in my mind.

Reaction of the recipient: All that is left is to find out my pals response. She should be receiving them soon.

WIP Wednesday

I have now cast-on for Alisa. I need one that matches the pattern now that it has become a fully polished pattern. My prototype sadly is not exactly like the Alisa. I am loving the knitting. It is going so smoothly and I can't wait to wear it. I am pushing for a finish while I am in Texas. Maybe I can get some shots on the beach to add to the pattern pages. The colors kind of go with this segment of PS3: Earth. The linen color is a browny white so Brown it is.

The second sock is chugging along. The goal is to be done on Friday or before so I guess my needles need to click along for the next two days.

Well I am in the midst of packing, I already packed for my retreat weekend. I drop that off last night at my meeting. Once I leave for Texas, I don't come back home till after David even though I leave Texas a good 12 hours earlier. I am headed to a retreat with a group of women that I lead. I am not the only knitter but I am a bit of an oddity because I don't care if people see me knitting. I have had so many women ask if they can sit with me and knit because they don't feel weird since someone else is doing it.

I have several bloggers that I will get to meet up with while I am in Texas. Plans are finalizing because I don't want to fill my time with knitter meet-ups all the time, but I would love to. Now what knitting to pack to impress the other knitter's. What kind of knitting impresses another knitter? What kind of knitting impresses you? Do you even care?

Look for a new weekly post tomorrow.

WIP Wednesday - a sad day

I was so excited to blog today. I was going to babble on about my mittens and socks that had progressed so far over the weekend.

Tuesday afternoon found me frogging my mitten back to the yarn. I love the pattern. I have named the pattern. People who don't knit have been asking me if the pattern would be good for a beginner to learn. Such high praise for mittens not yet sent. I Rippit because I was not happy with the decreases and the detailing was roughly thrown in. I needed to refine the pattern so I did. I wrote up the Firebrick mittens last night in a fit of Insomnia.

Then this morning, I received a call from my friend to tell me about my the socks that I had sent her way yet again for her daughter to try on fit but were really snug. Well yeah, but my pal really would rather be a bit smaller than snugger. So I frogged that yarn all the way back to two small balls. Good thing the yarn frogs repeatedly like a dream. If you intend to knit and frog alot and want a fancy yarn then silky sock is your yarn. I am shelving the socks until after I finish the mittens

Must knit not blog

Excuse me while I knit like a crazed person that hasn't knit in a while. I have been too busy with a lot of things. The picture is of a sock that I started for a swap that I am participating in over on ravelry. It is Pomatomus by Cookie A done in Silky Sock. It glows. I am sorry that you can't see a color pic but my pal knows who I am since she is the hostess. I seem to keep getting the hostess in the small swaps I have been doing.

Ok I am off. Wish my hands speed so I have stuff to show you.