Category Archives: WIPs

Stripes On A Plane

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I recently had the opportunity travel for a work conference. I decided to take my Celebrate The Night socks with me as my travel knitting. I had kind of a long way around to get from Kansas to Texas so I was flying for 10 hours. I managed A LOT of stripes.

By the time I touched down in Texas, I had a finished cuff on sock number one. Felt really good! I purposely used my nine inch wooden circular needles and left my DPNs in my checked bag to avoid security questions. I decided the afterthought heel was best left for my return home.

Stay tuned for my conference update and a last minute yarn shop trip. Happy Knitting!!

Trusting The Pattern

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My Catbells is growing. I managed to get both fronts added to the back section. I am not sure how I feel about how this is looking. I need to trust the pattern but I feel dubious about how this will turn into a sweater.

I am now working in the body section, but back and forth. So I get one “lace” row and one rest row of plain knit. Its close to 200 stitches in the row so it takes me a minute to get back and forth.

I’m now in the slog of 27 inches of body….I think I will be here for a minute, lol.

Happy Knitting!!

Another Set Of Stripes

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My latest vanilla socks have made a surprisingly lot of progress. I was keeping my Celebrate The Night socks for travel knitting but I can’t stop working on them!

I just completed the second progression of the stripes. Turns out my assumption was correct and these are muted rainbow with black to break up the colors. I like it, its rainbow but doesn’t slap you in the face like my Stark Effect socks.

I think I am going to complete a third progression of the colors with four increases worked in evenly. Then I’ll add the cuff in contrast color. Happy Knitting!!

Cast On: Celebrate The Night Socks

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Since my Stark Effect Socks were done, I felt like diving right back into the self striping sock yarn pool. I may have a decent stash of it, lol. I pulled a sock kit from The Cozy Knitter, a Canadian dyer, and started a new pair of socks.

This is her Celebrate The Night colorway on her 80/20 merino and nylon base. The sock set came with a purple mini and I did decide to use that for heels, toes and cuffs. I am fairly confident this will come out as a muted rainbow. So very on theme for what I have been knitting lately!

I am hoping this will be good for my upcoming travel knitting needs. Happy Knitting!!

All But The Heels

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Thanks to some TV show binging my Stark Effect Socks are complete save for the Kitchener on the toes!

The good news is that I’m getting fairly proficient at grafting. The bad news, I can’t find any of my tapestry needles so I need to either clean or buy more, lol!

These socks have just brought me so much joy to watch the bright colors pop. I did in the end decide to use the rainbow yarn for the heels. Probably would have looked cooler with black but I couldn’t be bothered to put in that effort. I just want these socks on my feet!

Happy Knitting!

I Think They Glow In The Dark

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Jellybean was was watching my finish my sock tube last night and he exclaimed “Mom, I think those glow in the dark!” And so we went outside where it was dusk….and he’s not wrong! Even in low light these puppies stood out from the grass.

Next up is to install heels and the socks will be done. I kinda want to do solid black heels, but I don’t know I have the yarn for it. I might have to just use the same self striping and manage where I start in the color sequence.

I need to ponder a minute on it perhaps. Happy Knitting!!

Knitting In The Park

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Motherhood means stealing stitches where you can. PB and Jellybean are finally old enough to play fairly independently at the park. So to celebrate seeing the sun for the first time in a week we hit the local playground. I had a large iced coffee and my Stark Effect Socks.

I made super good progress on sock number two. I am through the full tube and almost done with the ribbing. I need one more black stripe and then to knit and cast off in the dark purple. I have been knitting for 12 ish years and it never ceases to amaze me how fast self-striping yarn feels like it knits up.

Happy Knitting!!

A Second Stark Toe

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Thanks to family movie night last evening, I have a second Stark Effect Sock toe!

I always make toe up socks and start with DPNs. I work the magic 8 cast on and put my increases at each side of the toe. Once I get up to my “recipe” totale of 68 stiches I switch to my nine inch circular.

Now I’m ready to zoom right through the tube. Watching the stripes develop is super addicting so I envision this sock will go quickly as the first tube. Happy Knitting!!

One Stark Tube

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Another silver lining of COVID? I can knit one full sock leg whilst binging Netflix and isolating from my family. My first Stark Effect Sock tube is done.

I made the decision to save the afterthought heels to the very end after I knit the second tube. There should be enough yarn left from the skein after the second tube, but I want to make sure.

I worked exactly three rainbow repeats total in the tube. For the last three cool stripes I used 2×2 rib to make the cuff. Pictures don’t do this yarn justice, its so vibrant and happy! The dyer is String Theory Colorworks and she does amazing work.

Now on the second sock! Happy Knitting!!

Can They Be Socks Yet?

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Despite my choice to knit and drink wine, my Paintbox Socks, Take Two have heels that are swimming along.

The first sock heel is complete. I do a modified afterthought heel where I add extra plain rows at the beginning of the heel to add depth. I have a high instep and this extra fabric makes for a better fit. I didn’t invent this, but I have knit enough socks to figure out what works for me.

I need to finish the second heel and then I will I have a second pair of shorties done in as many days! Gotta love knitting from machine knit socks tubes. Happy Knitting!!