Synesthesia Socks

A while back a got some lovely yarn in a cotton/wool blend in a Karma Swap on Ravelry. When I saw the yarn I thought I would knit a pair of socks for my friend Val. While checking out her queue to see what might take her fancy my attention was drawn to the Synesthesia Socks.

Why might you ask? Well of course because its a pretty pattern but also because its an interesting condition. According to Wikipedia it is "a neurologically-based condition in which stimulation of one sensory or cognitive pathway leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sensory or cognitive pathway". I recall the little daughter of a friend of mine once remarking upon hearing a piece of classical music "that tastes green!" I think that illustrates the condition rather nicely.

So here are the socks. The yarn is Brown Sheep Cotton Fine and the needle size 2.25.




I have also recently had a birthday and was taken to Bendigo Woollen Mills on the day. This is my haul.


Not a bad way to spend a birthday.

Decision time again

Before talking about my need to make decisions, I want to show off my new socks.



These are the Trail Socks designed by BadCatDesigns and are part of the Summer Swatch Me project. This is such a good KAL. We are knitting a sampler and have reached week 7. Each week, in addition to the sampler pattern, there is also a pattern for either a hat, mitts, socks, scarves or bookmarks or any combination of the afore mentioned. Treat yourself and go and check it out if you haven't yet.

I knitted these socks using Little Lotus bamboo sock yarn on 2.75mm needles. And note that the socks are mirror images!

Now for those decisions. I am about to leave for warmer climes. We are heading for the sub-tropics for three weeks to escape the last of the winter. So what do I take with me to knit while I am away? I'm thinking maybe socks (I have yet to knit both my July and August Personal Sock Yarn Club socks), or a scarf or maybe another Featherweight cardi or some combination of these. What would you recommend?

And now for some knitting

While on Kangaroo Island I managed to complete two projects and start a third. First off the rank was a Saroyan shawl.

Ever since I saw a picture of this shawl I have been itching to knit it. And I found the perfect yarn for it, Bendigo Woollen Mills Persian in Silky Berry (another backroom find). I modified the pattern only slightly by knitting seven instead of six leaves on the increase and decrease sections. I'm so pleased I did because I managed to use up the entire skein.

The blocked shawl measures 203 cm x 40cm. I know the colour of this photo is all wrong. I think the sun decided to disappear at this stage.


The second project was a pair of CookieA socks, the Cubist socks. I do like her patterns and really should knit more of them. This pair was knitted with Ripples Crafts Hand Dyed sock yarn in Jess.

I was rather taken by the heels in these socks.


And finally I started my Summer Swatch Sampler. BadCatDesigns has come up with a great KAL because not only do you get the patterns for the sampler but you also get patterns for socks, mitts and hats that utilise the sampler patterns. It's a great idea - go and have a look.

I'm using some 3ply yarn I picked up at the Australian Country Spinners Millshop in Wangaratta. So far I have completed the Peacock and the Lotus patterns.

This stole calls for a provisional cast-on and I decided to try Judy's Magic Cast-on using two KnitPicks cables. This means that I can leave the stitches on a cable ready to be picked up when needed. I've done this once before and it worked a treat.

From Kangaroo Island

I had started writing this post before I left home just over a week ago and it has taken more than a week to get back to it. I'm on Kangaroo Island at the moment with a rather intermittent internet connection. But the views more than make up for the lack of internet.

Before leaving home I managed to finish these socks. They are Bordhi's Bartholomew's Tantalizing socks using her Sky architecture. The yarn is the lovely sock yarn I got as a present from Val. Although I like the look of the socks I am a bit disappointed with the fit. They don't fit as snugly as the other socks I have knitted using Bordhi's other sock architectures. I think it might simply mean that Sky architecture is not meant for my feet.





I have also been mulling over what yarn to use for my Summer Swatch Sampler which is due to start soon. I ended up paying an unexpected visit to the Australian Country Spinners Millshop in Wangaratta and picked up some pure wool 3 ply there which will probably do the trick. And here is my swatch.




And finally here is a little fellow I met on my walk yesterday morning. In fact there were two of them lolling on their backs right up against the rocks.



Apologies for the lack of links but my connection is just too slow and my patience far to thin to sit around waiting!

Meet Gail

When I opened my little project bag to see what it contained for my May personal sock yarn club I was delighted to see that it was the yarn I had chosen to knit a Gail (aka Nightsongs) shawl with. I have wanted to knit this shawl ever since I first saw it but somehow never got round to doing so. My personal sock yarn club is really paying off. Mind you, it helps to have a bad memory because so far I have received a lovely surprise each month! This is my fifth shawl in 2010, so I am half way towards my goal.



The yarn is The Knittery 4ply Sock: Merino Cashmere (OLD) in Warm Pinks. When I first felt this yarn I knew it was far too good to become a pair of socks. Unfortunately this yarn is no longer available.



Once you get your head around the chart then this is an easy shawl to knit. You just keep knitting leaves until it is big enough(or you run out of yarn) and then knit the edging chart. I misjudged my yarn a bit and was unable to knit the final two rows of the edging chart so did a bit of a fudge and managed to have enough yarn to cast off.



I have recceived a lovely skein of Spacefrog yarn from Val. She sent this as a thank you gift because I knitted her this scarf. Its a lovely colour and I have already cast on for Bartholomew's Tantalizing Socks.

Finishing and starting

I finally got round to finishing my Luminare socks. These socks have been on the needles since February but I just didn't get the chance to finish them. Once I finished my mother's cardis I picked them up again and zoomed through to the end.



I knitted these with some of Ms Gusset's hand dyed sock yarn. This yarn was given to me by a friend without a label so I have no idea what the colourway is. I made one modification to the pattern. I only cast on 64 stitches rather than 72. I found that even with the correct gauge 72 stitches was just too big for me.



As soon as I finished the socks I delved into my personal sock yarn club and came up with the Raha scarf pattern from Knitted Lace of Estonia. I'm knitting this in Empire 4ply Luxe. And, yes, strictly speaking it's not really sock yarn but as it was part of my 4ply stash I included it in my sock yarn club.



It's great to be knitting socks and lace again - I think I am going to stick to this for quite some time.

Wips and more wips

All I seem to do these days is cast on. I have nothing else to show. So I thought if I air all my wips I might be able to organise myself sufficiently to get something finished.

So here is the list.

I'm still busy with my Snow Queen. Only 10 rows to go to complete Chart F and then there is only one more chart to go. I am enjoying every stitch of this shawl - even the nupps!

I have also started my March Personal Sock Club project. I am knitting the Luminare socks with Ms Gusset's hand dyed sock yarn but unfortunately the label is lost so I don't know the colourway.



Next on the list is another pair of Dzonba slippers using left over yarn. The yarn is Ripples Crafts Hand Dyed sock yarn in Primrose.



And finally I have started the Farmer's Market Cardigan for my mother. The yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 10ply, colourway Ghost and is sheer heaven so work with - it just slips through your fingers. I have promised to knit my mother 2 cardigans while she is visiting me. I hope I haven't bitten off more than I can chew. It also means that all the other projects will not be getting a great deal of attention over the coming weeks.

Finish Line

I finished my Traveling Woman for the Short Track Shawl Event in the Ravelympics a few days ago but I hadn't got round to blogging about it until now. So here she is.



The yarn is sock yarn from Ewe Give Me The Knits. But unfortunately I don't know what the colourway is.



This is a very quick and easy knit - a real pleasure.




I also finished my Jeweled Steps using the Flat Feet sock yarn. I like the colour but I did find knitting with such crinkly yarn was hard on my wrists and I had to keep a close eye on my tension.



Here is a close-up of the steps. Wrapping the stitches with this yarn was not ideal.



And for the first time I tries my hand at EZ' sew cast off. I've never bothered in the past but decided to give it a go and I was surprised at how easy it is and I'm pleased with the smooth finish.

Beginnings

I seem to have started (and continued) a few things of late but I don't have much to show for my efforts.

Firstly here is my Snow Queen shawl. I have completed the first three charts and chart D now awaits my attention. I noticed it has a lot of nupps in it so I am going to get plenty of opportunities to conquer this technique.



Secondly I have started to knit a pair of Jeweled Steps. I'm knitting with Flat Feet for the first time. It is a strange experience. I like the colour changes but its a little awkward knitting with crinkly yarn. And the knitting looks a bit bumpy as well but I'm sure that will smooth out once the socks are washed and blocked.



And finally, I have opened my February Personal Sock Yarn Club and the yarn is from Ewe Give Me the Knits. This is destined to become a Traveling Woman.

FO: Angee

I have finished the first project in my personal sock yarn club. Angee by CookieA.



These were knitted two at a time on 2.25 circular needles and with Opal yarn in solid blue. I'm getting a bit better at moving the stitches around when knitting the gusset (something that is never a problem when knitting a Cat Bordhi pattern). I did have to redo the heels because I hadn't arranged the stitches properly and so when continuing the pattern across the top of the foot the pattern didn't align properly. Fortunately it wasn't difficult to redo the heels and rearrange the stitches correctly.



I have finished clue 4 for my Panama Shawl but there is really not much to show at this stage. I think my shawl may well be large enough by the time I get to clue 6.

I am also keenly anticipating the start of the Snow Queen KAL. BadCatDesigns has started to prepare the ground with a few tutorials on her blog. Very, very useful.

On the needles

Only two projects on the needles at the moment. On Christmas day I cast on for the Panama Shawl KAL. I zoomed through the first two clues and then a few rows into the the third clue I realised I had made a major boo-boo. I had only knitted half the shawl! That's what happens when you get over confident and think that you don't need to read the instructions closely but can just go straight to the charts and start knitting. So I had to frog the lot and start again. Now I'm back on clue 3.



The yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mills 3 ply and the needles are 3.5mm.

I also opened my first project in my personal sock club. The yarn is Opal solid and the pattern was CookieA's Vilai from Sock Innovation but when I sat down to cast on I realised that I would have to use TWO cable needles while knitting these socks. I was in no mood for such a fiddly pattern so I paged to the next pattern in the book and settled for Angee.



Ah this is much better. Enough of a challenge to maintain interest but not too much to become taxing.

I've been seeing quite a few Traveling Women around lately and I'm tempted to cast on. But then again I also have my eye on an Aestlight shawl and I really must try a Swallowtail........

Off the needles

I finished these projects a little while ago but I've been a bit tardy posting about them.

First I made this reversible egg and nest for young Daniel and it was a great success.



He loved the way the egg transforms into a little bird.



The pattern is from itty-bitty toys.



Next I finished these lacy anklet socks for a special person and they will be winging their way to her shortly. I know she occasionally looks at my blog so I don't want to spoil the surprise completely. The yarn is Patonyle - lovely and soft. The pattern is from an old Creative Knitting magazine and unfortunately I now longer have the issue details. Oh and note the lovely sock blockers - this is their maiden fitting!




At the end of last week I received the Tofutsies from J. Thank you so much! They arrived too late to be included in my personal sock club but I already have plans....

Socks and lace

I have finished the Kai-Mei socks. Unfortunately they are not for me. The yarn is Tofutsies and I have to say its a lovely yarn to work with. It also feels good on the feet. I've made a couple of pairs of socks out of this yarn and I find they are ideal for those slightly cool days.



Its rather difficult to bring out the lovely sweeping design without a pair of feet in them!



I've succumbed to my KAL addiction yet again. This time it is another KAL from Knit & Knag designs called Silvester.



I've already completed 2 pattern repeats and I started on the third repeat last night. Talk about instant gratification - this is a really fast knit. The yarn is Bendigo Woollen Mills 2 ply lace. No idea of the colourway because I found this yarn in the magical backroom at the Mill itself. I suspect it is one of their colour experiments. Its a marled yarn made up of a deep red and a gorgeous blue.

Breaking from the edge

I really should be finishing the edging on my Dark Star but every now and then I need a bit of distraction and lets face it, when it comes to knitting distraction abounds.

So I decided to join a friend on Ravelry for a quick KAL. We knitted the Rosebud Neckwarmer. This little scarf is meant to be knit in two pieces and then sewn together or grafted at the end. I decided to use Judy's Magic cast on and then just leave one half of the stitches on a cable while I knitted the other half, like this:



Once I finished the first half I just joined the yarn to the stitches waiting on the cable and knitted the second half. The pattern calls for plus minus 5 repeats. I thought my scarf would be too short so I knitted 6 repeats plus 10 rows. In hindsight I should have knitted 5 repeats and 10 rows because after blocking I think the scarf is just a touch too long to qualify as a neckwarmer.



The yarn is Morris and Sons Empire 4 ply merino in Luxe.



But, as if the scarf wasn't enough of a distraction, I also cast on for a pair of Kai-mei. And the yarn is Tofutsies.



And the week ended on a lovely surprise from Kelebek who sent me this lovely yarn which she dyed herself for my birthday. She calls it Kremali Gilek (strawberries and cream). And now I'm itching to cast on again!