{The Conversation}

I just got through listening to an NPR radio piece called The Resurgence Of Knitting from On Point with Tom Ashbrook, which can be found here: http://onpoint.wbur.org/2011/02/15/knitting-resurgence?autostart=true.  Definitely worth a listen.

my first afterthought heel sock, in progress

knit from Sock It To Me

I love the conversation about why knitting has been enjoying a resurgence in the last decade or so.   For me, knitting is all about creating something from yarn... which in and of itself isn't a very useful item.  Spending the time to create practical pieces of clothing, combined with the art involved with choosing yarn and matching it to patterns is just so enjoyable and yes, at times, relaxing.  I do feel a connection with past generations, in specific my grandmother, when I hear the click of the needles and I feel such a pride when I get to tell someone "I made that."  But knitting is more than that too.  It's self expression and a kind of rebellion against all things modern that seem to take us further away from one another.  It's all about the community of people I don't even know, but with whom I share the common bond of knitting with.

Why do you knit?

{I Have A Designer Crush}

Have you ever just been browsing Ravelry or the intra-blog-webs lazily, only half reading or seeing what you're clicking, when all of a sudden you see something new that makes you perk up?  I was on the blog Hoxton Handmade (which I adore) when I came across this design, and sat up a little taller, for sure!  So I clicked on over to the blog linked (babycocktails.blogspot.com) and could not believe my eyes! Gorgeous, practical, wonderful design after another! I thought to myself "I want to knit this, and this, and oh THIS!"

 Shiraz

 Collins

Dark and Stormy 

 Irish Coffee

 Egg Nogg

And before I knew it, I was deep in a designer crush with Thea Colman, aka Baby Cocktails on Ravelry.  I pretty much want to knit every sweater she has ever designed ever.  Isn't she gorgeous?  She also seems so super sweet and cool on her blog, which I spent a good amount of time reading from beginning and going back.  And just as a side note... maybe the nail that sealed the coffin of this crush... almost all these sweaters are top down. *SWOON*!

I commented on one of her patterns and she's going consider giving me a bulk discount on these patterns.  That's not weird or creepy of me to ask, right? hehe

These photos were mostly taken by Caro Sheridan aka Splityarn. 

You can find her at www.splityarn.com 

@2010 Splityarn.

{A Valentine's FO}

Happy V-Day to you all, whether you're celebrating with a lover, friends or family.  I'm not big on valentine's day, myself. Neither is Mr. Pie. He makes me super special and loved EVERY day of the year, so we don't worry about over priced roses or trying to get a dinner reservation.  We just cuddle and kiss like normal. hehe (did anyone puke?)

Knitting! I have an FO to show you! I even took the picture all by myself. hehe

This is another pair of the Mock Cable Socks from the Socks from the Toe-Up book, this time in Pagewood Farms sock yarn.  The colours they have are SO LOVELY!  I used just a little over half the skein.  I definitely need to work on my patience for doing the leg. hehe 

Otherwise they fit nice!   I did something different this time - I cast on for the toe with just 8 starting stitches for each side (a total of 16) and it looked so funny on the needles, but the toes fit really nice and snug.  I think I'll do that always from now on. 

I have more sock yarn I need to match up with  patterns!  I recently bought some Knit Picks Stroll and am very anxious to give it a try. I LOVE the colour! It's called  Kindling Tonal.

I'm not sure whose socks these will be yet.  Hmmmmmmm....

{Socks Finished, More Started}

Here's the socks I finished in the Lorna's Laces I bought:

  I'

I'm actually not super stoked about them.  Whenever I do lace socks it seems like I make them a little large for my feet, and they don't fit my ankles really well either. 

The Lorna's Laces was wonderful to work with and they make a solid feeling pair of socks, but I wasn't as thrilled with the colour.  They're a little too muddy for me.  But I dig the subtle blue stripe, so I didn't think it was worth just not knitting them.  And I DO like the ankle sock length too.  It's good to know that I can get a pair of socks out of one 50 g skein.

I've cast on and frogged one sock already this week because it was too small.  Now I've decided that I want a pair of socks I don't have to concentrate on too much.  I've cast on a pair of Mock Cable Socks in my new Pagewood Farms purple yarn.  I'm lovin' them! I love the ones I made Mr. Pie in the Zen Yarn Garden last summer, but they're too big for me, so I want my own pair now.

I also think I'll cast on this scarf Just Enough Ruffles  in my handspun alpaca that my Mum got me for Christmas, and then after that maybe a simple triangle scarf in some black alpaca and the suri silk.  So... to cast on something new, or keep working on what I have goin'? hmmm....

{A Weekend Of Knitting}

I've had such an amazing lazy weekend with lots of knitting and lots of time with Mr. Pie.  He's back on his rotating shift schedule, so we'll only get one weekend together a month again. A far cry away from every weekend like we've had for the last 6 months. 

And it turned out to be very productive in a knitterly kind of way.  I finished my Pipit Sweater!

The construction was super interesting in this one, but the knitting itself wasn't too intriguing - pretty much all stockinette.  But you start at the back of the neck and knit down one sleeve, then (if you've done the provisional cast on, as stated, unlike me) then you just pick up your cast-on stitches and knit down the other sleeve.    This turned out exactly how I wanted it to!  A flattering but super duper comfy weekend / school sweater.  It's easy to wear, form flattering if not form fitting, I think.  The pattern doesn't call for any shaping at all, but with my body that doesn't work so I put in a little bit. 

The fact that it's knit in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino doesn't hurt either. ;)

You'll also notice that my sleeves and neck are rolled, unlike the picture of the pattern.  I have no idea how they got theirs to NOT roll since it's just stockinette bound off.  The pattern also gives instructions for a kind of baseball jersey shaped bottom where it dips down in the front and back a little bit.  I was running short on yarn so I skipped it, just doing a bottom trim like my last sweater where I did one purl row, knit a few more rows and then bound off, tucking the bound edge up under.  I like how it looks nice and finished.  OH, I also knit the sleeves in the round so that there was ZERO seaming and/or finishing! Woo-Hoo!

So what do you think?? I'll have another FO to show you tomorrow, too!