More Boxer

So, I was told in no uncertain terms that my last post contained "too much knit, not enough boxer". Since I had more knitting to share this time, I thought I'd incorporate the boys in the photos...hope that appeases the crowd!




While down in Mystic the other day, I stopped in the yarn shop to check out their sock yarns, of course I couldn't leave without a couple of new additions to the stash! (Maybe next time I'll share a pic of the sock yarn stash.....maybe, maybe not, I'm not sure I want you all to see it!) These are Opal in "Ladybug" from the Rainforest Collection and Lana Grossa Meilenweit Fun & Stripes in a neat combo of muted tones, really like that one. (Don't remember the color number right now...) Both of these will make great stripey plain 'ol stockinette socks, gotta show off those cool stripes!





I have one fan who likes to give all the new yarn a good sniffing. I'm sure it's very important that he knows exactly where the yarn has been and who has handled it along the way.









Current sock progress:
I completed my first toe-up sock! No, it doesn't yet have a mate, but I am very proud of my first attempt with the short-row toe and heel. The yarn-over cable pattern gets a little lost in this yarn, but is pretty neat when it's stretched out on my foot. I'll do a better pic when I complete the pair. Below it is my next sock, a basic one for Alex. Yarn is Paton's Kroy in Denim Jacquard. I'm doing a plain stockinette, ribbed cuff, and am trying the forethought heel again, just because it looks really good with the self-striping yarns. I'm finding I have the most fun rotating the socks I'm working on - finish one, then go to the first sock of the next pair, finish first pair, and so on. Keeps me more interested with the change in the yarns and patterns.




And the Bearfoot socks? Done and done! (yeah, yeah, still have to weave in the ends...) This yarn is awesome! So cushy and soft, a little sheen and slick texture when knitting. Colors are great too. Just love it! I tried taking the pic of the socks on my feet to better show off the Garter Rib pattern. Pretty cool!

The only concern I had about the Bearfoot? As I was working on the second sock, my ball of yarn was getting dangerously small! I thought for a bit that I wasn't going to make it, but I just barely did. I wanted to show how little yarn I had leftover but needed a reference so you'd get the idea:

The Return of the Sock

or "Okay okay, Michelle wins and I update my blog"

So, long time no blog. No good excuses, unless you consider laziness to be a good one. My knitting has pretty much been reduced to socks-only. There's some good ones though!

Here's a couple of regular pairs, my usual pattern (all these still need to have the ends woven in) - the left pair is Paton's Kroy in Krazy Stripes, and the right pair is KnitPicks Simple Stripes in Crayon:



This is the now-famous Jaywalker sock pattern, done in KnitPicks Simple Stripes in Sunset:


I had to make the first one a couple of times to tweak the pattern to fit well - apparently the small size was too small but the larger pattern would have been too big. These are just right! (Note the matching stripes!)

On to my work-in-progress socks...

This is the Welt Fantastic pattern (from Sensational Knitted Socks) done in Paton's Kroy, Hip Hop Jacquard colorway. I made this sock three times before it fit properly, so I'm not in too big of a hurry to make a mate for it. I'll get around to it soon I hope. I was sure the pattern wouldn't fit according to the sizes listed and fiddled with it, turns out I should have used the size in the book all along.....oopsie! Check out that forethought heel - how cool, huh? This was my first venture into a different type of heel or toe and it's a great choice for the self-striping yarn.

Okay, the current piece de resistance....when Michelle was here a couple of weeks ago, we headed down to the yarn shop in Old Saybrook and I splurged a bit on this yarn. It is Mountain Colors Bearfoot, and now I know why so many people have been raving over it's greatness. It isn't outrageously expensive, but more than what I've been spending for sock yarns. I finished the first sock last night and it is so yummy! This color is called "Elderberry", the right pic is a closeup of the pattern, Garter Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks.


Just today I started a new sock and....drum roll please.....it is my first attempt at knitting a sock toe-up! I'm using the short-row toe pattern from SKS and will attempt the short-row heel when I get there. For the patterned top, I'm using the Yarn Over Cable pattern from same book. This is Knitpicks Sock Memories in the Grandma colorway. (They apparently are discontinuing several colors of their Merino sock yarns, so of course I had to order several at the clearance price...) Look at that - it's a toe!


Michelle asked how I like the sock book that I have - I guess the fact that these last three socks are from there says something... :) I think it's pretty good, lots of various patterns for solid and variegated yarns, and some good options for self-striping ones. I'm just starting to branch out and see how I like some different types of toes and heels, and the book has lots of options. I like how she gives the patterns according to gauge and foot size and not based on a particular yarn weight. So, I'd say so far so good! I have also heard good things about Folk Socks and Socks Socks Socks! so I'll have to look into those sometime.

In other news around here, that flowerbed we cleaned up and planted last fall is now in full bloom! I took a few pics a couple of weeks ago, now there are lots more tulips blooming but this gives you a good idea of how it's looking:


We also have these super neat red and yellow tulips in the flowerbed up by the house:

And how are the boys? Take a look: