New knit picks loot

I got some loot from knit picks. This is my little birthday splurge for myself.




I got the 6" DPNs. I like the harmonies but my 4" DPNS are just too short, especially when it comes to turning heels. I also got a smaller needle sized circ to try the magic circle for a pair of socks in my Brave New Knits book.

As for the yarn you see there are 3 balls of Chroma, Regency, Midwinter and Mix Tape. I plan on knitting a Noro Striped Scarf with that yarn. It's SO soft and luscious. I can't wait to knit with it.The colors are really lovely. The smaller balls of yarn are knit picks shine worsted for Kevin's Christopher hat in New England Patriots' colors.

I'm still working on my honey cowl. About 2/3 of the way through it.  It's looking really great, I can't wait to share pictures once it's all finished up. Now I just have to figure out which project to start next. The socks, hat or scarf? So many choices!

I think it's official...

I've come to the realization that I am a sock knitter. You know, what of those crazy broads who has dozens of handknit socks and almost every WIP is a sock of some sort. I didn't think I would like socks that much while working on my first practice sock. I found it kind of tedious and annoying, but I really wanted a pretty pair of socks for myself. So I knit it and learned the basics and started on a real pair. I had fun knitting that pair. The pattern was easy yet interesting. But still, I thought 'oh, these are  just socks. I can't wait to knit a shawl!' I thought for sure my next project would be some sort of lace shawl or stole or scarf.

Nope. Once I pulled both socks on my feet and let the pride wash over me and basked in the glow of compliments I was hooked. I had hand knit socks and I wanted more.

I really wanted to start a new pair last night, but the only sock yarn I had on hand was some boring knit picks pallet and some fair isle striping yarn which would only work in stockinette. I didn't want to do just straight stockinette so I just worked on Thrummed Mitten #2 for a bit while watching Dexter.

Today I went to the LYS and picked up two skeins of Berroco Ultra Alpaca fine weight yarn. One in a lovely charcoal color and the other the color of...fall? It isn't really one color. It's many colors. Inside it looks kind of like a boring brown but once you get it out into some sunlight the magic happens. It's made out of yellow and purple and green and orange and red yarn. Absolutely gorgeous. And it shimmers.

See for yourselves...










(the blue is knitpicks gloss yarn in Winter Night. It arrived yesterday w/my sock blockers and I meant to take it to the LYS to have it wound up but totally forgot.)

As soon as I got home I snapped a few pictures while the sun was bright just to catch all the pretty colors. Then I sat down and cast on for a pair of Synesthesia socks using the fall yarn. The pattern is like the Spring Forward in that it's pretty simple, w/an easy to remember lace chart. It should make for good travel knitting this weekend while we're on the road to Boston for Thanksgiving. Hopefully by this time next week I'll at least have one more sock under my belt.

The gray yarn I think will become a pair of nice cable socks. Just need to find a pattern I like. The blue? Not sure yet. Maybe some Monkeys or Nutkins.

And that is my story. I am now officially a sock knitter. I think this means eventually I'm going to have to learn the two at a time method. Ugh.

Knitpicks and Adventures in Sockland

So yesterday I got the package I was anxiously waiting for. It was from knit picks and it contained a)two lovely yarns and b) a set of their harmony 4" dpns. I placed the order last week after having been bitten by the 'omg I want to knit socks!!' bug. (The yarn isn't for socks, I just liked the colors.)

I was like a little kid on Christmas, ripping open the package and feeling up the yarn and nuzzling my face in it. The pictures really don't do the colors justice at all. I got two balls of blue and two balls of a lovely sea green color. The green kept showing up as blue in every picture I took of it, but I promise, it's green.

The harmonies are beautiful. They are a wonder to knit with too. I was afraid that knitting with such tiny needles with teeny tiny fingering weight yarn would be a total PITA but the harmonies ensure that every stitch is a pleasure. The yarn slides easily, yet I have no fear of it slipping off the needles. The points are nice but not painfully sharp.

I immediately cast on for my first pair of socks, using Teach Yourself Visually: Sock Knitting as my guide.

(as you can see the poor hat I had been working on was immediately discarded)

So far I've only done the 1" 1x1 ribbing and just started on the stockinette stitches. I will never, ever do 1x1 rib for a sock again. OMG, how tedious. I didn't swatch (I never do) but I'm casting on for the largest size women's sock, w/the recommended yarn/needle and just hoping for the best (like I said before, too impatient). I'm excited about my first sock, but I can tell it's going to take FOREVER to finish the first one (damn tiny yarn!). So expect plenty of progress pictures as the knitting comes along.

And, photos of the yarn. Not sure what will become of this yarn, but it's super soft so preferably something I'll wear close to my skin.





(seriously, it's green y'all)