2008/10/27

Billy and Nancy

(Heelless) Sleeping Socks

(Heelless) Sleeping Socks
by Nancy Bush
Pattern source: Knitting Vintage Socks / Nancy Bush
Yarn: The Yarn Yard Hug, in shade Gaskell
Needles: 2,75 mm

Confession time: my biggest celebrity crush ever was Billy Idol. Oh was I sweet sixteen! Thousand times, over and over again, I listened to that song. At that time I was also madly in love with a boy who looked a lot like Billy. (That, surprisingly, didn't work out. I was too shy to let him know about my undying love for him.) Well today Billy Idol is 52 (yikes!), and I'm a knitting lady approaching her forties who is clearly in need for a more suitable celebrity crush.*

(Heelless) Sleeping Socks

I don't think Nancy Bush should actually be afraid of me, but I've definitely developed some sort of obsession for her work. Take these socks for example: is it healthy that I was more excited to have another one of her patterns done and added to my "I love Nancy Bush" album over at Flickr than of the socks themselves? I'm reluctant to choose patterns from other designers because that would take time away from Nancy-patterns. I'm collecting her socks – there are times when I think that knitting every single sock pattern she has ever designed is entirely possible and totally reasonable. I'm not kissing her photo every night before going to bed, yet, but I'm reading her sock patterns more often than I'm willing to confess.

… and now I've read that last chapter again and I'm thinking that maybe some hobby other than knitting would do me good for a change. Unless you all keep posters of Elizabeth Zimmermann and Kaffe Fassett on your walls and just don't tell. Am I crazy, or are we all?

(Heelless) Sleeping Socks

A few more pictures of the socks, and some information about my modifications, here on Flickr.

*I still have the hots for Daniel Craig.

2008/10/18

SIPs and the Stash

Heelless Sleeping Socks

I was trying my very hardest to have these socks done by this weekend, but alas, it did not happen. Almost there though. With bigger needles and yarn than what I normally use, these have been a breeze to knit. The pattern is Heelless Sleeping Socks from Knitting Vintage Socks, and the yarn is The Yarn Yard Hug. I got it from Lin – I won a contest on her blog, and she sent me the most awesome package ever. Thanks again Lin!

I could have had a finished pair to show today had I not cast on for two other socks at the same time.

Two-Yarn Resoleable Socks

This is the Two-Yarn Resoleable Sock from Favorite Socks. I'm knitting the cuff and instep in my godmother's naturally dyed handspun yarn, and I'm gonna use a sturdier wool for the heel and sole. I'm pretty excited to see how the two parts of the sock are going to be joined.

Flammegarn Socks

Here's the third project, Flammegarn Socks from Folk Socks, in Fleece Artist Merino Sock 2/6. Nothing much to say about this one just yet, except that I'm really loving how the yarn and the simple slip stitch pattern look together.

So, lots of sock knitting going on here! I've done 13 pairs this year so far, and for the most part I've been knitting from the stash. I was starting to feel like there's not that much sock yarn left anymore…

sock yarn stash

… but turned out I still have yarn for 18 more pairs! It's funny that two years ago my sock yarn stash was about the same size as it is now – this must be a good amount for me. What do you think? What would be the ideal amount for you? And how much sock yarn do you have? I would love to know.

2008/10/11

Let the festivities begin

Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch

Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch
by Nancy Bush
Pattern source: Knitting Vintage Socks / Nancy Bush
Yarn: Handarbeitskram by Selana Handpainted sockyarn (overdyed with food colouring), Patons Patonyle for the stripes
Needles: 2,25 mm (2 mm for the heels)

Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch

It's Socktober, so here's a pair for you. I'm thinking about knitting only socks this month, but we'll see how that goes… every time I publicly announce something here in my blog, the next day I find myself wanting to do the opposite. Like, during the first Socktoberfest, while knitting a pair of baby socks with very little motivation, I wrote: "Now I know for sure that I don't like knitting socks. But I'm trying to finish these by Christmas, and then I can forget the sock knitting for forever." Tee-hee.

Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch

These socks are for my dad. It's a good thing I love him so much, because otherwise I would be very tempted to keep these myself… but that would be kinda wrong seeing that I already have a drawer filled with unworn hand-knit socks. There's just something about those cute stripes that makes me feel very Gollum-like. I love Nancy Bush's gentleman socks, the simple knit and purl patterns are so beautiful, and the patterns usually have calf shaping which I think all sock patterns should have.

Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch

The yarn was a Ravelry-trade. Although it was not the softest sock yarn I've tried, I really enjoyed knitting with it, and most importantly, my wrists liked it too. The more tightly twisted yarns, like Koigu and Jitterbug for example, though lovely and soft and bouncy, make my wrists act up pretty soon. And these socks definitely feel soft enough when worn. I love them! Let's hope my dad likes them too.

Gentleman's Sock in Railway Stitch