Denmark socks and contest winners

Someone told me a reason to like handmade socks is that, when you walk, you can feel the (purl) bumps on the soles of your feet-- a physical reminder of the effort and care that went into each, gentle vibrations against your consciousness via a usually unconscious action. I always thought I just had insensitive feet, never feeling anything odd about my handknit socks, other than they were a little heavier and a way lot cooler than 6 to a packs.

Walking around with the little one today in my new Denmark socks, I felt them too... a good thing, a sweet reminder.


Denmark socks
Started: sometime before Stitches West 2007
Finished: March 18, 2007
Socks that Rock, mediumweight-- Mist colorway
US 3 dpns, 4



Complete with nupps! I could see how these could drive a lace knitter batty, but just one round of them on the socks is a really pretty detail above the rib/cables. Cables are easy enough to memorize, though for the life of me I couldn't get the setup row right from Nancy's written dx (how many patterns do I have to knit to be on a first name basis with a designer?)... had to use the chart.



After knitting Cookie's German stockings, I remembered how much I enjoyed picking up heel stitches (I know, I know...). I didn't use the pretty ktbl pickup on the German stockings though, though here they shine. (I pick up the back loop instead of the front like Grumperina... I thought thru the back was the way Nancy Bush shows you how in all of her books, but I just checked and its not. Oh well.)



Speaking of shine, can you love STR any more? Oy. (Remember this yarn? A gift from Abigail for being her 1k commenter?) Who knew a tomboy like me could gush over pink and brown. The mediumweight just flies off the needles, and is a great fit for the pattern (thanks to Stacey for the inspiration!!) I was worried the cabling would be lost, but no... I think its just fine.

Speaking of... Winners of my etsy-based contest?
(sorry it seems early, the contest should have read the 19th for Monday)...

$25 Fearless Fibers gift certificate to Lindsey
$16 tinymeat gift certificate to Andrea
$15 LingGlass gift certificate to Paula
$10 Three Owls Knitting gift certificate to Jen
5 Creative Apples custom cards & shipping to Nad
$10 time2cre8 gift certificate to Alison
$10 zerOmarkers gift certificate to Stacey
The Friday Night Knitting Club hardback #1 to Cathy
The Friday Night Knitting Club hardback #2 to Emily
(hopefully yall have heard from me by the time you've read this! :))


phew. I need a nap. In my new socks. :)

and you've been where?

I've never been a crafty girl. (Or boy for that matter, for those of you still wondering.)



But don't you love these, too?? :) Notwithstanding their crafty aspect, even?


Closeup.

Oh, of what?! :) I've been toying around with the concept of what else could be a stitch marker (besides pearls and semiprecious stones) and have decided to branch out into something I haven't seen offered yet-- resin. I made these myself... this batch above has chiyogami (origami) papers and handmade papers encased in resin. I still need to drill the pendant placements and of course convert them into stitch markers for zeromarkers, but my goodness they're just beautiful to me. Perhaps its the work I know went into them-- they're very labor intensive (when compared to my usual marker making), but I think they'll be worth it. They're much much lighter than glass, so they won't weigh down needles even with some of the larger pieces-- and the options are endless as far as color and encasements go. I've already got some (real) cherry blossoms curing right now, as well as several cuts from the recent anthropologie catalog ("Print")... its just too fun. They won't be up in my shop really soon, but soon.


(untreated, handmade paper almost dissolves...)

I should have been a crafty grrl earlier in life. :)

So, to all of those who were kind enough to worry about me falling off the face of the earth... just been busy :) I finished up Cookie's second German Stocking as well as (gulp) near on a hundred sets of stitch markers to send to Stitches West this weekend-- you'll find all of that AND WAY MORE at Cookie's booth (Bay Area Knit Co-op)... they'll be right across the way from Blue Moon Fiber Arts and their to-be-madrushed Socks That Rock display (oh, you know who they are, yeah?) ;) I'm so going to buy a handful of patterns there-- first stop on my crazy Stitches ride :)

Speaking of Blue Moon... working on a Denmark sock in Mist (the kind, crazy gift from Abigail)...



...with a 4 repeat row counter from zero stitch markers, in white pearls and amethyst. I know some of you have asked about the custom row counters-- I'll be able to take orders say on Tuesday (convo me thru etsy or email addy at bottom of page), I should be free from my fiber coma then :) I'm *not* going crazy at the market like last year... famous last words!

I'll be on the Stitch and Ride amtrak train (#727)-- if you go too, remember to head to the *front* of the train; last year a bunch of us didn't know and they had fun and prizes without us :) Just as well for reticent me, but eh-- now you know :)

Have a great weekend!