WIP: My 1st Handspun Socks

In the last few weeks I tried to refrain myself from knitting. Knitting is too addictive and I get too many readings and assignments.

(I did allow myself to spin because I can't really overdo it. Thanks to RSI (!), spinning has become self-regulatory. My thumb starts complain by agonizing itself after at most an hour or two... groaning....)

But after a very frustrating day full of stress and tensions, I reckoned I need some "knit therapy". I had an unexplainable urge to do something soothing and fulfilling...



That's why I cast on a plain vanilla sock using SPIN014 last night. Full of thicks and thins, this yarn can't be the best candidate for my first pair of handspun socks. Indeed I first cast on a Chevron scarf with it. After knitting for about 20 rows, I still could't picture myself wearing these vibrant colours around my neck. It's simply not me! I frogged it and cast on 64 stitches again. The yarn is crying to be socks instead of a Chevron scarf.



Very uneven stitches. But who cares?

FO: Green Marlene Socks

Another FO off the needles in January!



My knitting goal for 2011 is to knit 12 pairs of socks (well, my real goal is to knit 20-24 pairs... but it may be too ambitious to voice out). The project information can be found at the bottom of this post. For more detailed (and boring) progress notes, click here.



In short, it's an enjoyable pattern. The lace pattern is easier than it looks. The only problem is its lack of elasticity. The twisted rib makes it not too stretchy. If I made this pattern again, I'd definitely cast on 4 or 8 more stitches to expand the lace panels and give more leg room.



Project name: Green Marlene
Pattern: Marlene by Cookie A (can be purchased at $4 on Vogue Knitting Online Store)
Started: 9 December 2010
Completed: 29 January 2011
Needle: US2 (2.75mm) Knitpick Symfonie.
Yarn: Wollmeise Sockenwolle 80/20 Twin
Colourway: WD Frosch (it means Frog in German)
How much? 0.54 skeins = 251.8m (275.4 yards)

Hola 2011!

Belated Happy New Year!

Ahem... I know... It's really embarrassing to say Happy New Year in the third week of the year. I wished I could have written my first blog earlier but I have many good excuses reasons for that.



We went to Egypt for 9 days. It was awesome! I was deeply impressed by inspired by the Egyptian Hieroglyphics. The trip was full of fun even Egyptians basically don't knit and I couldn't find any souvenir yarn to take home.

After I came back in early January, I started studying and working on my Computing assignments. I am taking 4 courses this year. Three of them have monthly assignments. They are not impossibly difficult but there are quite a lot to read, research and write. Anyway, after working quite hard for 10 days, I managed to finish and hand them in last weekend. Yeah!



We then went to buy some skiing apparels for our skiing trip. I did skied twice or thrice in Japan and indoor sites. But they were all half-day trips. This is going to be my first skiing holiday. We will arrive the French Alps on Sunday noon and stay there till Friday afternoon. Hope I am not going to break my legs or arms... fingers crossed.



I also went to see a GP for my thumb, which I hurt a month ago. It still hurts. Any attempt to straighten my right thumb only results in agony. No. I meant AGONY. The doc has written me a letter to refer me to a hospital clinic for further consultation. Haven't picked up my letter yet. So don't know how long I have to wait though.

At the moment, I try not to spin. Or not too spin too much. I had been a good girl and stayed away from my wheel for quite a while, until...



... a beautiful maple lace weight spindle from Wildcraft arrived. The shaft is made of maple timber. A piece of red maple leaf is embedded in the resin in the top whorl. Simply gorgeous. I couldn't spindle.



I took a few grams of Corriedale (or maybe Falkland?) scraps out and spun right away. The spindle is so feather light (about 24 grams) and spins like a breeze. Great balance. If it was my first spindle, I probably wouldn't have bought my wheel out of frustration.



Last but not the least, I finally cast on my first project in 2011. It's a Hedera in Wollmeise Twin WD Kornblume (it means Cornflower) for the Knit Love Sock knitalong on Ravelry. My green Marlene was almost done, but I wasn't too happy about the size so I will rip off the toes off to reknit and add one more pattern repeat. Will try to do it later though. Now I am feeling like to start a new project! :)

A lovely week

Just opened the 13th window of my advent calendar. Christmas is less than 2 weeks away!

I had a very lovely week:

(1) I had all the parcels sent out to my in-laws in Hong Kong and Australia. Two scarves and one shawl, if you cared to ask. It's a pain to meet the seasonal deadline. I swear I'll start doing Xmas knitting earlier next year. Maybe June or July.



(2) My Lopi Sweater is done! Have been wearing it for days. Love it. I call it Icelandic Michelin because of its bulky appearance, although it's quite light with only 370 grams in weight. A bit itchy but it's ok as I usually worn a turtle neck base layer underneath. Very warm. Very very warm. Will write a better FO post soon after I have chance to take some better pics.



(3) I went to Bristol last Wednesday to visit Cynthia (CrochetCynth). It's the first time we met in person after many months of messaging and talking on phone. Interestingly we did go to the same univ and we shared some common friends, but we didn't know each other till we met on Ravelry. We went to yum cha, which literally means "drink tea" in Cantonese.



(4)  We visited a farmers' market and bought some cheese and fresh pesto. Then Cynth brought me to Get Knitted, a lovely LYS located in the outskirt of Bristol. It's a lovely shop, with friendly staff and a VERY wide range of yarn collection from workhorse yarn to handpainted yarn. I am quite proud that I was quite well behaved and came home only with...



(5)  ... a ball of Flying Saucer plus a tiny bottle of sock stop.


(6) My reason for being able to stay frugal is... DH just got my a wonderful Christmas pressie: Blue Moon Rockin' Sock Club 2011. The photo below is a skein of Blue Moon Socks That Rock medium weight in my stash. Isn't it amazing? There will be 6 lovely skeins and 12 matching patterns arriving at my door next year. Awesome!



(7) And the legendary Cookie A's new book is finally here. It's one of the most beautiful knitting books I've ever seen.



(8) Some patterns are obviously too challenging for me, but I am very determined to finish at least 4 pairs from the book next year. Yes yes. I'll write it down in my Kniting Resolution list next week.



(9) At the moment, I am working on Marlene, another design by Cookie A. Have had lots and lots of frogging due to my exceptionally tight gauge -- I usually got about 8.5 spi with Wollmeise Twin and 2.75mm needles, but this time I got 11.5 spi. Lots of problems: Leg being too tight, heel flap being too long, heel fabric being too loose blah blah blah... But glad it's alright now. I have turned the heel and finished all gusset decreases. Guess it only need 3-4 more repeats before decreasing for toes.



(10) Ahem... although I've been quite successful in my yarn diet so far, I am not that good at keeping my fibre stash under control. A kilo of spinning fibre is coming on the way. There will be 64's Merino, Merino/Silk, Baby Alpaca, Shetland of 4 different natural colours and Massam. All are natural-colour ones from World of Wool. Very reasonable prices -- £19.4 for all 1000 grams of fibres. I got lots of plans with them. You'll see later. :)



 (11) Last but not the least, it's a sunset I saw the other day when I was walking back home after grocery shopping. The Winter Solstice this year will be on December 21. Hang in there! We've almost done half of the winter. There will be longer daylight hours afterward.

FO: Köln Socks (with a hole... doh!)

Come to meet my very first pair of socks. Nah. It's actually not the first pair I finished but the first pair I cast on.



A pair of very simply vanilla socks. The yarn is ONline Supersocke 100 Sport Color. I bought it along with two more skeins of ONline Supersocke in Christmas Market in Cologne, Germany last December. I cast on right away on the very next day when we got back to London. However I got distracted after one and a half sock...

I was knitting another pair of socks (Cookie's A Angee with Wollmeise Twin, if you asked me) last week. Unfortunately there was some problem with the yarn -- Some breaks were found. I still can't confirm if it's really moth or not. But it's better be safe so I put it in freezer now. It forced me to put this project aside, at least for a while. Running out of project ideas, I dug this long lost pair out from store room after leaving them alone for ten months.

Anyway my Köln socks are here. I love to call it Köln because Cologne makes me think of the male perfume. And I love how my tongue rolls when pronouncing Köln.



I had been wearing them EVERYDAY. Yes. Literally everyday. I hand-washed and then tumble-dried them thrice. After seven days, the first hole appeared.

I don't know why. The yarn looks tough and rough so I didn't expect to see any hole so quickly. Maybe it's because I didn't trim my toe nails often enough? Or the new pair of leather loafers I wore last night got rough inseams tearing off the yarn? Or it's the wooden sock blockers with rough edges and spikes? Or it's simply because my gauge wasn't tight enough to make durable fabric?

I don't know. I really don't know.

I am sad. Of course I am!

But I know I love socks and I love knitting socks. This little hole shouldn't stop me from knitting more. After all, I can darn the socks right? I don't know how to do it yet but I am sure I can find some useful tutorials on Youtube.

Anyway next time I'll make sure my toe nails are well trimmed and I'll never wear any hand knitted socks with new shoes again.