sock porn for knitting voyeurs.

Monday, September 11, 2006

i went to see the yarn harlot and all i got was...

clogs

A pair of clear clogs! :)

I have to say that Hollis and the staff of Full Thread Ahead really really REALLY did well in their hosting of Stephanie, you know... the yarn harlot :) From their odd sounding but fair check in system that gave you an idea when you could get your book signed (among 300+ people, this is a good thing!), to having plenty of chairs, setting up a "concierge" to hook people together, lists of eateries and just all around good planning-- oh yeah, and I'm not just saying all this cos I won a pair of clear clogs or anything ;)

Actually it was my socks but not my feet that won them-- the owner of my rainbow trekking 100 pomatomus socks won them in one of FTA's unnecessary but absolutely fun giveaways and graciously gave them to me (they didn't have honking men's sizes, i think he has more handknit socks to show off than i do!). I dunno, they're fun but will I wear them "out"? Not that I like to hide my socks or anything, but I just don't see myself wearing them much :) I loooove my socks, but mainly peeking out the tops of my cons. Maybe as the weather cools and I'm forced out of my stinky tevas (why i wasn't wearing handknits saturday! i'll be wearing them til there's frost in the afternoon, til i can stand it at least), I'll look to buy a pair of "girl's shoes" or something I can wear with a (gulp) skirt... I have lots of long socks on the brain for the cooler months ahead.

Proof I was there...

YH

More proof? Perhaps you were one of the kind ones who didn't bodily turn around when they heard the braying donkey laugh behind them. I admit it, I laugh like a donkey... not all the time, but as I get going I don't realize it til I see people turning around, wondering who is choking on a chicken bone in the back rows. I forgot to bring a camera, glad I did... I think I would have just had a cf card full of tiny dogs and beautiful women from Los Altos on it to sort thru today.

Instead, I have some of the spooky, hippo spawn roving instead...

roving1

roving2

Loribird and Rachel suggested using stockings for dying the roving, which I will be forever grateful for and never ever would have thought of myself (the merino superwash is so soft, it just wants to float apart). I used the only stockings I had on hand, black thigh highs of course (not those, silly!), so I couldn't "see" the dye in the pot-- quite fun to open them up like christmas morning or that First Time with the one you love. I was glad to see the white as I always hope for some variegation when I dye "solids".

A little of it spun up....

beret

Delicious. I felt myself squirming with "raspberry beret" playing in my head watching it work up... Prince makes me squirm, I admit. So does spinning from the fold-- there's no real "white" sections this way, just light cranberry and awesomeness. There's about 200 gm of roving that I'm going to attempt to spin thin and 2-ply for socks, maybe enough for long socks even :) We'll see.

knucks

I finished one "knuck" listening to Stephanie and half of one on the train ride home, they're going to be much shorter than written (pretty much the length you see here, I've run out of yarn-- not a big deal, its below the wrist, so its fine). The orange is the navajo plied merino superwash I showed last time-- it's quite dense and is making a very very dense fabric, much too much for the 3.0mm needles I'm using but in a good way. I had to put them down as my hand started to cramp a bit, being so tightly knit. I was going to save the orange yarn for October; did I tell you I'm going to only knit with orange yarn in October? It's my birthday month and a perfect present to myself, I think.

I'm debating on what to put/embroider on them... I don't want anything like "sock pr0n" or "knit xxxx" just cos. I'm really liking the idea of the word "make" but can't think of what to pair with it. I also like "hand made," really embracing the idea of that lately. What would you put on your pair of knucks? (If you're thinking about making them, do it! It goes really fast, is well written, and they're really cool. Pamela has a space on her forums just for knucks, a great gallery, and suggestions for knuckle words. There's also the Knucks KAL for inspiration. I did use glove length needles for the fingers, which saved my sanity a little bit.)

One more thing that made my Saturday spectaular (at least one thing I can share!!)

threadless

I received my threadless "recycling" tshirt! :) Socks, sheep, argyle y lightning... I love it. I also love all of yall that ordered thru my threadless affiliate link (there it is again, I admit!)... is it weird to order another of the same? For you know, when this one falls apart? :) They still have "plenty in stock" in my size... ahem, women's XL if you were curious. Killer thing? I ordered another shirt that was only available in men's sizing, that size? M. Its the same pretty much, women's fits better as its not a straight body and isn't as long, but still! Women's XL = men's M?! I hate shopping for clothes, I'm built like a linebacker around but I never feel like one til I have to go shopping.

have a week that was almost as good as my Saturday, and send me "finish your stockings" vibes! :)

28 comments:

Melissa said...

Love the shirt. Go ahead and get another one. You know you want to.
Glad the Harlot trip went well!

Unknown said...

Hey, I'm getting that shirt too! And the same size and everything. those girlie Ts are ridiculously small.

And I love the clogs, congrats!

tatjana said...

Your roving looks so yummy! Glad you had a good ol' Harlot time, and I checked those t-shirt sizes (heck, I want one too now) and them's is made for mighty small wimminfolk. I'm almost always a small in t-shirts, but I'd get a large there.

Liz K. said...

I love the continuing debate among sock knitters about what shoes do you wear with your handknit socks. I think the cons are an excellent choice.

Anonymous said...

the roving turned out so well! and men's medium is my very favourite size shirt :) I hope you finish your stockings - I can't wait to see them.

Anonymous said...

cute shirt! i was pretty close to buying that one but i held my ground. the knucks look great, too. is it blasphemy to {gasp} not embroider anything on them? i think they're fab on their own.

hillary said...

The t-shirt is great. I'm really tempted. Perhaps I'll just drop hints wildly to my husband for my birthday - which is also next month. The roving looks great and so do the knucks. Do you think that pattern would be difficult to size down. My daughter wants a pair.

lexa said...

Great looking knucks! Love your T-shirt, too. (That's the same size I would need.) Your finished spinning products look like you've been spinning for years!

I've seen those clear clogs and rainboots, but I can't see me ever really wearing them, either. I don't have anything that really shows off my knit socks.

Teri.p said...

Oh oh, I have clear clogs too. They're fun to wear, but not in the least bit comfortable to walk in. Distances, I mean. They're great for around the yard slogging, though.

Jennifer said...

That is an awesome shirt!

HPNY KNITS said...

I am waiting for crocs to come up with the clear version. I like the dorky look of it with cool hand knit socks...
for the knucks only one version for you:
SOCK DIVA!!

Dave said...

The raspberry roving/yarn is gorgeous. I'm glad you were able to leave some variation in the colour -- leaves a nice, rich finish, I think.

I'm looking forward to Orange October!!

soapy said...

love the shirt great roving love the raspberry

Karen said...

Cool shirt!! And I would love to have a pair of those clogs. Knit Knit Knit...Knit Knit Knit...Knit your stockings... Knit your stockings...KC and the Sunshine Band have nothing on me!!!

Lisa said...

Wow what a post! So much good stuff going on for you. Love the orange, the shirt, the clear clogs and the Harlot! Lucky you on all of them!

Stacey said...

The roving came out beautiful - great tip on using a stocking!!!

Did they have more clear clogs - I'd love a pair as we can wear pretty casual to work....perfect for showing off all my neat socks!

The knucks look great - I really love that color! maybe a trim in blue or a constrasting color to make them a little longer if you want? (I'm into contrast right now - not sure why...)

FairyGodKnitter said...

"Make Nice" might work. Orange is my favorite color. The sweater that was my "return" to knitting is out of orange Kid Classic. I'm looking for another orange fall project now.

Sarah said...

Love the shirt!

Nice hippo roving and spin!

wooo!

And Harlot!

what an excellent post!

Susan said...

Lucky you seeing the harlot. Great T-shirt, the colors are my favorite. Sending good mojo for finishing socks. I think we all need to pick up some autumn colors for October cause fall is here.

Vik said...

Love the knucks!
About to try a pair of my own.
You don't necessarily have to embroider anything on them, they look pretty great the way they are!
And thanks for the comment on the blanky!

Jeanne said...

The roving is beautiful! Its going to make beautiful socks. Glad you had fun with Harlot.

Rachel said...

wow, awesome knucks! that handspun looked so pretty in the skein but i think it looks even better knit up as gloves.

Chris said...

I hate women's sizing in t-shirts. I'm a size 12. I don't think that should translate into an XXL! :)

SpindleKnits said...

Your dyed roving is fabulous! and can't wait to see the orange in October. I think all us October b-day people are bitten by the fall/halloween bug. :)

Oh, and finish those stockings..!:)

Anonymous said...

I love the hippo spawn yarn. Raspberry beret indeed!

Finish your stockings! They're going to be so awesome, you know you want to...

I don't normally have my socks showing, but I think with knee highs or stockings a skirt is definitely in order. If you're going to wear cons, have you considered a pair like this?

Anonymous said...

Oh, your dyed roving looks delicious, indeed! Love the shirt! And so jealous of your meeting with the Harlot. *sigh*

Anonymous said...

Cute knucks! I have that shirt, too. Wearing it right now, in fact. I cut the neckline and part of the sleeves off to make it more of a ballet top.

kitkatknit said...

I love Knucks! I've done a couple of them already and have a few handspun knucks on deck. Plus the black angora ones my best friend wants for Christmas. Your orange ones are toooooo yummy!

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