Tag Archives: WIP

Cast On: Electric Mayhem Socks

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My flow of webex meetings and conference calls is not slowing down anytime soon. So I know I needed more purse/backpack knitting after having empty sock needles. And because I have been storing up a well curated stash…I know I could just go shopping through my lovelies!

Because of my baby brain and current complete lack of energy I knew the perfect sock skein to grab. And by perfect, I mean already caked up in a matching set….no winding up required! This is my Electric Mayem color from KnitCircus Yarn on their Greatest of Ease base. Literally I only had to grab a project bag and some empty needles.

I hope to get these cast on today during my webinar. My plan is to get started on a 68 stitch toe-up vanilla sock and knit the tube until I run out of yarn. This is their 75 gram set  so that should be just about the right amount of yarn for my size socks while not having to stop before the gradient is done. I will use my big box store workhorse yarn to put in afterthought heels in a solid black.

This is one yarn I’m not concerned about saving scraps for my memory blanket. I want to get every bit of delicious color gradient into the sock. I am so giddy to get these going and watch those electric colors transition!

Happy Knitting!!

The Memory Blanket Rides Again

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While waiting for inspiration to strike….I pulled out my trusty memory blanket!

This just makes me so happy! I’m two squares away from squaring this off again. I don’t even care how hot this is on my lap while I knit, that’s how much I love this!

I did fall down the Etsy hole and may or may not have ordered a large project bag to contain this beast. Right now it lives in a plastic sheet set bag with the zipper that’s wearing out. I feel like something this beautiful deserves proper storage! I’ll share my bag once it gets here….teeehee….

Happy Knitting!!

Drunken Watermelon Heel

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I managed to meet my goal of working through the Drunken Watermelon heel yesterday!

I do admit this was quite a bit of knitting for me, especially given I am working a 72 stitch sock and gusset increases can feel like FOREVER.  But I’m pleased with my progress and gusset heels just fit me so nicely. Now I only have 13 pattern repeats or 52 rows of leg knitting to get to the ribbing.

Not going to lie, the weather is improving in Kansas and between conference calls and outside playtime for Jellybean……I’m interested to see how far I can get today and tomorrow on this….

Dare I dream that these are a FO by the weekend?

 

WIP Wednesday: Drunken Watermelon Socks

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In a fit of pregnancy nesting I have been steaming through some of my languishing WIPs in my UFO bin. This week’s project is my Drunken Watermelon socks.

Last I shared about this project I was at the progress keeper shown hanging out at the toe. And for this week’s webex and webinar craziness, I worked on this project. I mean it’s just criminal to let Miss Babs yarn sit hibernating for almost a year!

I cruised through the rest of the foot and started the gusset increases. I have set a personal goal to get through the heel by tomorrow. The good news is that I have the first sock to compare to and it’s easy to count my rows/stitches so that I can make equal sized socks!

Now The Toes

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My web-ex and conference call work time continues apace. I literally spent all day yesterday and will have many hours today in meetings. The silver lining….I have one of my Smooth Operator Socks almost to the toe!

(Dex and I enjoyed some quiet time this morning before everyone else woke up this morning.) I’m really hoping to get the second sock to this point today and work on toe decreases! I only need a nine inch foot to fit my tootsies.

And because I’m working cuff-down, I used my Soxyzz ruler to measure my progress! The ruler fit nicely into the heel and tells me exactly where I am. I was suitably pleased and it was much easier than managing the sock with a traditional tape measure.

Wish me luck today….happy knitting!!

SOS Heels

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The heels were a success! Jellybean and the husband had some Lego adventures last night and I was able to work both heels on my Smooth Operator Socks!

The heel came out to roughly two inches which should be good fit for my robust heel and arch. But I have to knit the rest of the feet to find out. As you can tell, I went with the grey contrasting yarn. This was largely motivated by my pregnancy laziness that didn’t want to fuss with pulling from the outside of each ball. It was just much simpler to work from an already wound contrast skein, lol.

I worked the heel exactly as written and I have one reservation. This is a very ‘pointy’ heel for me. My heel is very wide and typically I Kitchener before I get this narrow so that points are not physically under my heel. But I wanted to give this pattern a true test and do it like I’m supposed to.

Now I have some foot knitting to do! Happy Knitting!!

First Smooth Operator Heels

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Working socks in tandem seems to be really working for me lately. I have been knitting my Smooth Operator Socks in tandem on two separate 9 inch circulars.

I split the skein into two balls and I’m working on trying to keep the socks matching. I think I’m maybe one or two rows off, but it’s close enough for me. I worked these socks for six inch legs and then knit the tube past that point a couple more inches. I went ahead used the scrap yarn instructions in the SOS pattern. Now I’ve gotten my needles installed and I’m ready to install the heels. I plan on doing the no gap heel variation from the pattern update that Susan B Anderson added.

I plan on doing some pondering today. Do I use the stripes for the heels….or do I use contrasting grey? Right now it’s a 50/50 tie!

Happy Knitting!!

The Second Heel Goes Slowly

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I have been on FAR TOO MANY webex meetings lately. But the upside is that no one can see me and therefore I can knit while I listen. My pregnancy nesting is starting to pick up some steam and I feel the pull to finish some WIPs before PB gets here. The combo of these two has led to some progress on my Vacation Vanilla Socks that I started in the summer of 2017.

I’m finished with the foot and I’ve installed the toe up gusset heel on the second of these socks. I follow Wendy D Johnson’s instructions for those with inquiring minds. It’s Tuesday morning and I have approximately 7 hours of remote web meetings left this week. Fingers crossed that I can just zoom up the leg and be finished really really soon. One way or another PB will make her debut on or before May 30th…so I only have a little over a month left!

Happy Knitting!!

Wow Those Are Stripes

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My Smooth Operator Socks have been my bedside knitting here lately. My baby bump has made it increasingly hard to be both comfortable and knit at the same time. I pretty much only feel comfortable laying down at this point. Which obviously makes knitting not always possible.

Despite my physical limitations, I have made a good bit of progress. Self striping always has that effect on me….just one more color change and then I will be don. And these colors…well they sure are vibrant and springy! The color is called Bam! Zap! Pow! and I think that’s apt.

I’m at about 6 inches of leg and I can’t decide if I want to put the afterthought heel in yet or not. I may go ahead and start the second sock to work in tandem until I can decide. I have another size 1 circ needle empty so it would be easy peasy to totally procrastinate that decision.

Happy Knitting!!

Socks In The Wild

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I spent some time stomping around my hometown with Jellybean visiting Papa and Grandma last weekend. It was a crisp 40 degrees Fahrenheit but that didn’t stop Jellybean from convincing Papa to play at the park. I played chauffeur.

I wisely chose to sit in the mini van with podcasts (and heat) while Papa chased Jellybean. I had my Vacation Vanilla Socks tucked into my backpack and when I examined them I realized I was ready to start the heel! I improvised some fancy stitch markers from scraps of yarn scavenged from the bottom of my knitting bag and off I went with a standard toe up gusset heel.

This is the second sock and i’m secretly hoping to finish them before PB’s arrival. We shall see…

Happy Knitting