(mis)adventures of spindlerose

12 Projects of 2008, Part 12: Memory Scarves

Two More Striped Silk Garden Scarves
Pattern: 1 x 1 ribbing, change colors every two rows. The top one is 45 stitches wide and the bottom one is 35 stitches wide.
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden, 226 and 268 for the top scarf and 251 and 270 for the bottom one, purchased at Knit Happen the day after Thanksgiving
Notions: 4.5mm bamboo circ
Time: Top: November 30 to December 5, 2008. Bottom: December 6 to 31, 2008.
Comments: At the end of November, I needed some comfort knitting. I picked Silk Garden colors that reminded me of Nonny and knit scarves for my cousin and my sister.

12 Projects of 2008, Part 11: Falling Leaves Socks

Falling Leaves Socks
Pattern: Falling Leaves by Jessica Landers from Knitty, Fall 2005
Size: Mine (US Women's 6.5 D)
Yarn: Socka from the depths of the stash. I think I purchased this yarn at Dee's Nimble Needles, Walpole, MA, back in December 1997.
Notions: 2.25 mm Brittany DPNs
Time: Sometime in 2005 or 2006 to December 30, 2008. I rescued the nearly finished first sock from the bin of unfinished socks in mid-November.
Comments: This makes 10 pairs finished in 2008, and I finished the year with 1 or 2 fewer pairs on the needles than I started the year. This is an easily memorized pattern. I suspect that I put them away before we moved and got distracted by all the other lovely sock yarn and new patterns. I'm happy I pulled them out and finished them. In knitting this pair, I discovered that I'm not a fan of using a short row toe for toe up socks—the wrap bumps on the outside of the toes bug me and I do not enjoy doing a provisional cast on for socks.

My only knitting goals for 2009 are to finish 12 pairs of socks and end the year with only one or two pairs on the needles. I intend to alternate knitting a pair of new socks with finishing a pair from the odd sock box. That also means that finishing 12 pairs will mean knitting 18 or 20 socks.

12 Projects of 2008, Part 10: Serendipity Socks

Serendipity Socks
Pattern: Serendipity by Adrienne Fong. This is the first kit from the 2008 Rockin' Sock Club. The pattern will be available to the public later this month.
Size: Mine (US Women's 6.5 D)
Yarn: Blue Moon's Socks That Rock Lightweight in Dragon Dance
Notions: 2.5 mm Brittany DPNs
Time: May 28 to December 21, 2008
Comments: The only 2008 sock club kit I started; at least I finished it. I'm a little surprised at how much I came to love the orange yarn. I modified the pattern knitting a heel flap rather than a short row heel to better fit my high instep.

12 Projects of 2008, Part 9: Mom's socks

Mom's Green Socks
Pattern: Cookie A.'s Baudelaire from Knitty, Summer 2006
Size: Small with the large instep modification
Yarn: Socks That Rock Mediumweight in Falcons Eye purchased from The Fold at MD Sheep and Wool, 2006
Notions: 3.0 mm Brittany DPNs
Time: September 8 to October 18, 2008
Comments: This is another pair that turned out too big for me. They fit Mom perfectly, and now maybe she will stop begging for handknit socks every time I talk to her (and finish the pair she has on the needles). Someday I will master toe up gusset construction; I forsee spending some time with Cat Bordhi's book and experimenting with other sock construction methods in 2009. The most interesting thing about these socks is the way that the light and dark colors striped on the foot (over 60 stitches) and pooled on the leg (over 68 stitches). It is a little difficult to see in the overexposed picture; one side of each leg is clearly darker green than the other side.

12 Projects of 2008, Part 8: D's Striped Socks

D's Striped Socks
Size: US Men's 7 EEE with shaped toes
Yarn: Regia Mini Ringle in 5220 (Navy, Royal, Green stripes) that I swapped for in 2002.
Notions: two 2.5 mm KnitPicks Harmony circulars. Yes, I knit a pair of socks on two circs because all my 2.5 mm DPNs were occupied.
Time: August 30 to October 13 2008
Comments: I improvised this pattern: cast on 72, k2p2 ribbing for a few inches, traditional gusset heel, and shaped toes. D says they are too short for flying and a little loose around the top. He has requested that I knit long, over the calf, legs on his next pair. I guess I need to start buying 3 balls of "boyish" sock yarn. I'm not one to turn down a stash purchasing opportunity like that. If I knit another pair of short socks for him, I will start with fewer stitches or on smaller needles. I may also try a star toe to see if he likes the way that fits since keeping track of the decreases for left and right toes is a pain.

Happy 2009!

Happy New Year! And thanks for visiting in 2008 despite my sporadic posting schedule.

I am happy 2008 is over. It was a rough year in my extended family and for many people I know. Some good happened (D's airplane, success at work), but when I look back over the year, it is the rough stuff that jumps to mind.

I usually set some goals at the beginning of each new year. This year, I am trying to be more like Claudia. I set a few achievable goals several weeks ago and started acting on them immediately rather than waiting for the magical date of January 1 to start eating better and exercising more.

My only knitting goal for 2009 is to finish 12 pairs of socks. I came close, finishing 10 pairs, in 2008. And I finished 2008 with fewer pairs on the needles than at the beginning of the year.