socktoberfestiveness

Now I know that knit-bloggers are quick to find the newest, hottest pattern (uh, February Lady Sweater, anyone?!?) but it seems that there are two brand-spankin' new commodities: Toast and the Socktoberfest Mystery Sock KAL.

Toast is a classically simple pattern put together by the talented Friend that lots of us know about.  If you're looking for this year's fingerless mitt, Toast is it.  The pattern's free and anyone can knit it!  I haven't cast on for a pair, but it's something I'm keeping in the back of my mind for holiday gift knitting.

The Socktoberfest Mystery Sock KAL comes our way via Through the Loops and Ravelry.  Also free, this sock pattern is written for many sizes and many skill levels.  Each Wednesday in October, Kristin will reveal the next clue to the pattern.  I have been participating and find that when the second clue came available last Wednesday night, I stayed up and knit way past my bedtime.

I would have liked to knit the cable pattern, but this particular skein of The Plucky Knitter Single Ply Merino (Green Tea) is really quite variegated.  When I realized just how much variegation there was, I decided that I'd knit the basic version.  

My mindless knitting for TV watching has been the TechGuy Socks for the husband.  I'm past the heel of the second sock and looking forward to giving them to him.  I had to re-apply the Apple logo on the first sock because I'd measured wrong and duplicate stitched it too far off center.  It was a blessing, though, because I learned a valuable lesson: when duplicate stitching, start at the bottom and work up.  I did that the second time around and had a perfect Apple, with every duplicate black "v" completely covering the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock pewter "v".  Now, I'm pleased!

My perfectionism reared it's ugly but honest head today.  I frogged the Hedera sock I had completed, along with the cuff of its mate.  This is the second attempt at knitting Hedera and the second time I've frogged it.

Hedera was supposed to be a Christmas gift for mother-in-law, but she wears a size US6.5 wide and these fit my size 10 feet.  The idea of giving socks that may be so misfit weighed heavily on my conscience and also squashed the motivation to knit the second sock.  I was also extremely disappointed with how my tension in yarn overs was off and my execution wasn't nearly as nice as others.  This Dream In Color Smooshy in Gothic Rose will go back into the stash for another time.

Hooray for finishing socks! Pomatomus is off the needles and on Laurel's feet. She's super happy to have another pair of hand-knit socks and is now lobbying for a pair of shoes like mine in which to show off. Her birthday's coming, so I may oblige her request. If you're well-versed in sock yarn, you can probably spot that this is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight. The colorway is Puck's Mischief.  

Happy Socktober to you!

happy fall y'all

Here in California, unless you live in the highest elevations, you'll hear folks say that there are no real seasons.  We have summer (especially inland) and we have rain.  If you don't care for snow, California's a great place to live, but if you like to see a visible change in weather, head elsewhere.  But October is here.  Autumn, by all accounts, has arrived.  We wake in the mornings with a chill, the air brisk.  By midday, we might woe the long sleeved shirt and pants we decided on in the early hours of the day.  In the late evening, we'll wish we hadn't changed to shorts and a tee, and we are plain lucky if we've got a hoodie in the car.

Unlike other areas, our leaves are only just changing. There is a handful of ash leaves in my front yard, but the major unloading of leaves won't be through until early December.  Halloween is the very first day of sweater weather, and sweater weather will be over by early March if not February.  Fall blurs into winter, the only marked differences are the holiday decorations.

But really, these months are my favorite time of year. The kids' birthdays span from September to October, then there's Halloween and Thanksgiving and The Nutcracker performances and Christmas...  

It's a busy but joyous time and it's always the perfect weather to knit!