Happy Sigh.

At the end of October I blogged about my Sock Love. My copy of Knit. Sock. Love arrived in the mail the other day! The book is lovely - even just to flip through - I love the layout and organization and stories.

Happy sigh. I want to get this image printed on a project bag or something (anyone do stuff like that? should I just go through cafepress?). It just makes me happy. That and the incredibly cool fact that I am in this book! In the back I am listed as one of the knitters for Cusp.

And just when I thought I was coming off the high of wool fumes, a sample knit arrived in the mail - I am waiting to hear if I can blog about it or not, but it is for Lorna's Laces and this yarn is a dream just to touch in the skein - I am really looking forward to even swatching this yarn!

Sock Love

I love knitting socks. An outside observer might think otherwise, given that there hasn't been a sock on my needles since September. And the fact that there are several mate-less socks in a drawer patiently waiting for their match to be made. Socks are a great way to splurge on nice yarn ($24 or so for a nice handpainted yarn, 400 yards or so, enough for a project!) and depending on your taste in patterns can provide a nice knitting challenge - just when you get really sick of one part, there is a new part to complete - cuff to leg to heel to foot to toes. Or the other way around, if you like toe-ups!

Back in June I had the opportunity to be a test knitter for Cookie A. - one of my favorite sock designers - for her new book. I finished one sock (all that was required for the testing) in 5 days!! I knit as fast as my knitting needles would go and I did it! I love this sock. I would love to wear the pair, so I really should get going on the second one, and eventually I will. Now that the book is finally available for pre-orders, I can share with you, Cusp:

The yarn is Alchemy Juniper in "Turquoise Pool" that I picked up during Team VA Weekend last year. A dream to knit with.


I have pre-ordered my copy of Knit. Sock. Love. - I will probably take it to my local copy shop and have them change the binding to a spiral one - makes the book lay nice and flat. I did that with Cookie A's other book, "Sock Innovation" (which I still dream of working my way through. A Julie/Julia thing.) There's a nice post comparing both sock books, FYI. Now I want to knit socks. But, they have to get in line behind a test knit in progress, a sweater for me, a few holiday gifts and a scarf!

Inseperable

Way back when, I bought yarn from Ruby Sapphire Yarn's etsy shop. They had so many great colorways that had people names - I had to have "Bekka" (my name, different spelling), "Kathy" (mom) and then I spotted "Hope" - my Nana's name. Fantastic shades of maroon / burgandy / pink - totally colors Nana would wear. I even ordered a custom shade, "Donald" (Grampa's name), in shades of blues-greys almost stormy ocean. Grampa was in the Navy and loved to sail.

Nana & Grampa were soulmates like no other couple I've ever seen. When Grampa passed away unexpectedly I thought I would make Nana a Chevron Scarf, sort of a memory scarf / you're always together. It took longer than I expected and sadly, Nana passed away before I finished. (Still can't believe she's been gone for 2 years, and Grampa's been gone 4. sigh.)



So it has become MY "keep 'em with you scarf" and I have knit on it for the last 2.5 - 3 years. I have knit on it while sitting with my mom at the hospital when my dad has gone for procedures. I knit on this scarf when I was in labor. I knit on this scarf while attending Rhinebeck with knitting friends (and I messed up and it got a touch of good juju from the Yarn Harlot). The scarf means a lot to me.

And finally, it's done. Last weekend, I cast off. Unblocked I can loop it around my neck and the ends still reach to my elbows. Appropriately in a strange way it was finished on the anniversary of Nana's passing.

I recently received my copy of Cookie A's Sock Innovation - what a fantastic book! I took it to a local copy shop and had them put on a spiral binding. I’m working on Glynis the Hope colorway. I think the colorway may be too busy for the pattern (it may be too early to tell for sure) but I’m sticking with it. I liked the description in the book about the “real-life” Glynis, and that reminded me of my Nana. She, a non-swimmer / non-beach person, spent 9 months on a sailboat with my grandfather back in 1993 - it was his lifelong dream and she stuck it out - but I remember the look in her eyes when we would hang out too close to the side of the boat! I plan to make the legs a little shorter as I am not sure how much I used in the Chevron Scarf, but the skeins were generous to begin with (550 yds!) I am considering an afterthought heel (it would be my first) and definitely a different colored toe (using what else - the Donald colorway).




These yarns have to be knit together. Hope + Donald = True Love Forever!