surprises all around

Handspun American Maid socks
from Simple Socks: Plain and Fancy
Roving from dyeabolicalyarns.etsy.com
US 3, 3.25mm dpns-- 4
Started: January 2007
Finished: 24 January 2007

Were they unexpected because I haven't knit socks in so long, or for some other reason? :)

I usually do have a Simple Socks: Plain and Fancy sock somewhere idling for the right moment of spare time and stockinette crave... I was updating my Ravelry project notebook and actually counted-- there are 14 pair of socks in there based on Ms. Gibson-Roberts' heel/toe recipe, not counting times I've switched in her heel into another pattern. (!!) I have lots of knitting books but none get as much use as that one does around here :)

I'm sure I'd only knit them if I could keep spinning such striking yarn...



I still can't believe how deep the reds are in the Dyeabolical Yarns roving. I like the blue, but love red-- but I never buy red roving for fear of pink. This red didn't even run when the yarn was rinsed and set in hot water (I always abuse the yarn a little, not fearing the felt it's kinda fun!)... though I really thought the blue and red would create a line of purple somewhere between my brain-eye talk.



I've been spinning a true fingering weight yarn lately, but the dk is so fun and so fast to spin and knit that I may try and spin some heavier ones soon. At only 48 sts around, these socks fly off the needles and are a nice cushion of warm against the lingering cold.

Speaking of the cold, yall will get a kick out of this. Mom came by the other day as I was leaving to run errands... she pointed to the unoriginal (handspun) hat on my head and said (I swear)-- "Oh, and I need to put an order in for a hat, like that to go over my ears, but in black." Oy.

She is my mom though, crazy is and does all, and I can do a hat. (And goodness knows I had the yarn.)


Koolhaas hat by b r o o k l y n t w e e d
Interweave Knits Holiday 2007
Malabrigo worsted, black
US 7 & 8 Knit Picks Harmony 48" circular (magic loop)
Started: 14 January 2007
Finished: 16 January 2007

It turned out great, if I do say so myself :) I couldn't get the true black of the yarn in pictures, and couldn't capture a good shot of the top to save my life, but it was way fun and way fast. It fits well; the Malabrigo must have a longer column gauge than the listed yarn though-- I thought I'd have to add another repeat to get it stretched down over my ears, but the women's size worked just fine and would have been a little too long had the ear covering part not been requested.

I did try and eke out another toddler sized Koolhaas from the leftovers... didn't quite work for my big headed boy, but would fit a baby/2 year old. I had *just* enough yarn with 16 fewer sts, 3 repeats and a hasty decrease at the top-- no matter. Some bobble headed baby will fit in it, I'm sure :)

Speaking of... So. My family (not me!! i wish, yadda yadda) is welcoming a pair of twin boys in the near future and of COURSE I have a burning desire to knit a set of baby surprise jackets for them, even bought some GORGEOUS deeper than pictured turquoise and orangy yellow Colinette Jitterbug from Article Pract for the task. After scanning Ravelry I'm pretty sure a skein each will suffice... My problem? I was planning on doing an applied i-cord bindoff in the contrasting color on each (so, yellow will get the blue icord, blue will get the yellow) and thought that was freaking brilliant!

True to form, now I'm staring at the skeins trying to decide if it's too matchy matchy.

The colors do look great together though.

Ergh. Anyways! Have a good one, see you soon!