I've been MIA

But in my defense, I did get my invitation to Ravelry. My name on Ravelry is Tigerlilly for anyone already a member.
I have more of my finished projects with yarn, needles, and pattern info.
I also added more pics to my Flickr, finished objects and my current WIP.

I have 3 new colorways from Blue Moon...

I frogged the cabled sock, several versions of the Black & Gold Steelers sock, and have been swatching (without any interesting results).

Here's my latest Blue Moon sock (Med weight "Socks that Rock"yarn in Gingerbread Dude:Pattern: Blue Moon Toe-Up Socks That Rock

Here is the latest on the Tiger's Eye Socks That Rock:Pattern is improvised -- my sister wants Toe-less socks. Great for winter pedicures... :)

So that's it. I'm a bad blogger, but aspire to improve! And I actually have a comment from one of my posts! Very encouraging, so thank you!

Long, long weekend

Spent the long weekend in Florida with my family. Vacation was great, as usual, but the tennis is never-ending! Ugh! As I typed that, Nadal just lost his match. At 2am. :( No more Nadal is disappointing, but no more tennis for a bit is a good thing.

But, upon my return this evening, I found my Ravelry invitation! Very exciting. I added a few little things already, but there's much to explore... Already, I know I love it. I can visualize my stash, projects, my needles... Add order and plan new projects without dragging out the stash, books, & magazines constantly.

Must get around to going to sleep very soon. First day back from vacation will certainly be a busy one.

In my knitting news:

• I am about 80% done with my second try at the Iron City Socks. Looking good, so I'm pretty happy. Looking MUCH better than the first "experimental" version.

• I started the Tyrolean Stockings, from Interweave Fall 2007. I'm using the Blue Moon Art Fibers - In the Navy - Heavyweight yarn. LOVE the yarn.

• I finished the 1st sock from the Blue Moon Mediumweight - Tigers Eye - yarn. It's a slouchy and stripey sock that ends just before her toes - so that she can wear flip-flops w/ them. Think "Pedicure Socks" from knitty.

Two of my favorite obsessions...

Knitting and information technology.
The latest preview of Ravelry is truly impressive.
AND
I only have 635 people in front of me. I can't wait to leverage their motivation/structured ideas to keep track of all my knitting projects, stash, queue of projects yet to be... not to mention the ever-growing knowledge-base of other knitters' trials and errors!
Wow. Great achievement.

Updates...

I have since abandoned my first Socks that Rock - Started a generic top-down pattern in simple st-st. I just really love the colorway and every pattern variation I try only results in a visually chaotic piece of fabric -- difficult to appreciate the yarn or the pattern used.

Some more detailed photos show - the Old Norwegian Cast-on - which I was practicing for the new cable-sock pattern in Fall 2007 Interweave Knits magazine. I really like the edge it produces. I tried it out on the Blue Moon yarn (heavyweight) I was swatching earlier this week...

My updated Flckr WIP photoset shows the results of my first couple "Old-Norwegian Cast-On" attempts and a few more shot of my current Blue Moons Socks.

The heavyweight blue semi-solid is going to become these..

Interweave Knits Fall 2007
Tyrolean Stockings

Ann Budd

And last, but not least, here are some pics of the Iron City Socks, Version#1 (aka: the ugliest sock in America) and the beginning of Iron City Socks v.2.

There appears to be promise for V2, of the Iron City Socks, but using size #0/#1 seems to be the only option to see a nice, thin striping pattern. And without a fun stitch pattern, etc.... these could take a VERY long time to complete. All the experimenting in V1 was fun. But that is one scary mess of a sock! :)

FINISHED

No, I didn't finish a sock. But I did finish the GMAT.
I am feeling very relieved since I can now dispose of the 8-10 study books I have accumulated over the last several years. When living in NYC, this is a big deal...

Sorry for the non-knitting related post, but it's a big deal in my small world. :)
And I'm pretty sure this whole blog thing is mainly a selfish outlet at this point - an aspirational one nonetheless, but probably not much more.

And so I will indulge just this once...

I am making...

the ugliest sock ever.

I finally received my Sockpixie yarn in the mail. Since football season is quickly approaching I am compelled to make my Iron City socks as #1 priority. With my Black & Gold yarn, I started out with the Jaywalker pattern. Somehow along the way, I not only changed needle sizes, but then modified the patter to see how it would look. Then decided, having already made some silly looking changes, to go ahead and test out a few other stitch patterns.

On a side note - the Latern Moon Sock Six I bought from Little Knits are great. I wanted Ebony, which were sold out in all sizes except #4. So now I am trying to find yarn which can be used to make socks with #5 needles. I think the reason I like these needles so much is that they are nice and short (much easier to manage) and the wood is really firm and smooth. After snapping one of my #1 Clover Bamboo needles this week, the fact that the needles don't give too much is much appreciated. Plus, when I switched over to the Sock Sox to test them out on my WIP, the knitting was clearly moving along much faster.
And so, until the inevitable happens - I buy Sock Stix in #2 at least - I'll continue trying to find a pattern/yarn combo that works on the ones I have already.

I'm already making the heel flap, and I have enough of this yarn for at least 2 pair. I may as well finish this one sock - see how the seams turn out. See if I can truly use #4 needles w/ this yarn. So far so good, but I'm afraid once I got to pick up the stiches I will end up with a "holey" mess.

But, I can honestly say, this is one of the worst looking socks I have EVER seen. And I've seen more than a few socks online that, well, aren't quite my taste.

By the way, the Jaywalker portion of the sock, really reminds me of those zig-zag pattern pants from the '80s - the ones that Cincinnati Bengals fans would wear in Orange & Black. Maybe Steeler fans had them too and I've just blocked out memories. No doubt some Steeler fan donned them in Black/Gold, but in my mind, they're always Orange/Black and on a Bengal fan...

More with the Blue Moon sock yarn...

I have started the socks over - not a surprise. Not that I don't like the pattern, or the yarn. It's just the combination wasn't quite right.
I'm trying out the prolific Jaywalker socks... But my first pass has been disastrous. Even though I'm using #1 needles, the top of the sock is HUGE. Now, I know that I am smaller than the average woman. But I usually knit tighter than a pattern calls for, blah, blah, blah...
My fault for not reading the entire pattern before starting, swatching in advance, etc...

So, again, I'll be starting over. Must size down the pattern first. I do like the pattern w/ the variageted yarn. And it's because I like this yarn so much - must make something worthy of keeping. And that's not my excuse EVERY time I unravel my projects.

Does anyone know of a cure for this knitting "perfectionism" that plagues me? Oh well. It's the process, not the product, right?

Alright. Now that I am contradicting myself every other sentence, I think I will go try out the Jaywalker: take#2. Wish me luck! Where would I be without this outlet for my creativity and excess energy???

Blue Moon Socks - half of one sock already done!

I've actually alrady turned the heel, BUT of course, last night I dropped a bunch of stitches on the pattern side... So take a good look, b/c this yarn is about to become either a JAYWALKER sock or a CHARADE sock.
Regardless I love the yarn, the colorway, and can't wait to start again with a better suited pattern. The lace, while I like it, is a little distracting from the colors.

So here we go again! :)

Blue Moon has arrived -- Charade sock progresses

It's here! Check out my 2 picks from Blue Moon - they included a cute sticker in the package, too... Colors look great. Exactly what I expected based on the pics. Very pleased with my purchase!!

Not allow to start with the new yarn until I at least turn the heel of current sock.
The status of the Charade sock - a little pooling, but I can't let it both me and and continue to use variegated or self-striping yarn. So... I will live with it to some degree.

To Do List...

Interweave Knits Fall 2007 - Bryant's Slipover is a definite possibility... Maybe with the Ginger & Champagne Euroflax??


I've also been wanting to make the Nantucket Jacket from the Winter 2006 since I first saw it.

Progress is good...

I am still working on the Lacey "Nightie" in Cotton Classic. It's knitting up quite well. I've been kind of creative following the lace pattern. In the interest of finishing before Christmas, I'm letting it slide. Chances are it won't leave the house (if it survives at all). Odds aren't great in in my project bin...




I frogged the spiral boot sock the other night. It was going to be too big anyway. Now I'm on to the Charade socks with the same Lorna's Laces yarn and #2 needles. I really like the result so far!

The yarn is holding up really well considering how many times I knit and then unraveled. :)

Ravelry check: 2969 ahead of me. Shocking the volume on their site, considering it isn't even past Beta!!

In other news: Took a practice GMAT yesterday and actually got a score I can live with! Started filling out my first B-school app today, reviewed all the deadlines, etc. Looking good to apply for Fall 2008...

The Stash

Off the top of my head, here are all the yarns waiting to become something special... :)

Blue Sky Alpaca/Silk - 7 hanks in Black
Blue Sky Cotton - 3 hanks in cream
Blue Sky Alpaca Sport - 1 hank in cream (left over from striped scarf gifted in 2003)

Euroflax Sport
Goldilocks - ~1.5 left over from Lacey Tank project
Ginger - 2 cones
French Blue - 1 cone & 2 hanks
Champagne - 1 cone & 1 hank

Louet KidLin
Smokey Grape - ~1.25 left over from Montego Bay Scarf

Habu Textiles Silk A-4
Walnut - 4 hanks


Elsebeth Lavold Silky Wool 6 hanks in 01 Ecru (think there 2 diff dye lots - been stashed for at least 4 yrs!)

Mill Ends called Casablanca (Content: 100% Nylon Weight/Yardage: 50gm/110 yards per ball Gauge: 5 sts = 1" #9 ndls, Worsted) variegated
1 bag (10 balls)

Koigu
baby pink - 3 hanks
variegated - 2 hanks
terracotta "ish" red - 2 hanks

Lorna's Laces
self-striping in Brick - 2 hanks

Regia Jacquard
2 hanks each - red/black/grey combo & blue/purple black combo

KFI King Tut Cotton Emerald Green 3 hanks

Ravelry

3190 people are ahead of me in line...
Friday I was 3414, so that's actually good news! :)

Improvements...

Tonight I've added links to pics of a few of my FO's, WIP, and swatches...
Also links to the sites where I made my most recent purchases. Pics and reviews to come...

So I had better be a born-again sock knitter...

Because I may have bought more sock yarn this morning.
Innocently browsing a few of my daily reads, I clicked through to the SockPixie website.
One of my favorite colors - which I keep seeing in all the new fall fashion reports (I work in retail, I can't avoid it) - is cobalt blue. Or as my recently purchased sock yarn is named - Peacock Blue.
And then, there was a Black & Gold combo, named Bumble Bee. In honor of the Steelers, I feel I need it. And just in case, I figured I should buy enough to make my sister her very own pair of "Iron City Socks." It's only fair.
Nice. Iron City Socks - I love it.

I just remembered that one of my Pgh friends is pregnant and due in the Fall. This is very exciting to me, as now I have a purpose for that baby pink Koigu yarn!! No babies in the fam or the circle of friends, so tiny, baby knits aren't normally on my to do list. Fun. This is good.

This week I discovered the "Find your place on the Ravelry waiting list."
The Good: Everytime I check, there are nearly 100 more people on the list.
The Bad: There are still 3400 people in front of me. A fact which hasn't changed despite my frequent status checks.
The Ugly: I keep checking anyway???

The Sock Knitters

As I've been exploring the world of knitting bloggers I've noticed the overwhelming number of sock knitting enthusiasts.
At first I just kept clicking, barely pausing to take note.

I went through a sock phase - I really enjoyed it. Until I realized my tendency to buy beautiful, variegated sock yarn, and make ONE sock. Or two socks - with 2 different patterns to see how they would turn out.
The variegated yarn is ever so tempting. It's so fun while you're knitting. Constantly holding your attention - the socks are the same way. The shaping is nearly constant, so it almost instant gratification.
But unless your gauge is perfect, pooling has always frustrated me.

Point being, I haven't made a sock in a few years. And I have resisted buying sock yarn for at least a year and a half. Lorna's Laces in Brick Stripe being my last indulgence. Until this week.

I started reading all these blogs and looking at all these fun sock yarns and I couldn't help myself!! So 2 different yarns on the way from Blue Moon Fiber Arts.
And I can't help thinking that if I just find the right yarn... Ha ha ha. Well. I guess I'll wait and see. And I bought some Lantern Moon Sock Needles. You know, for extra motivation.

Just when you think you're out, they pull you back in.
Yes, I am a total nerd. I freely admit this. With football season just around the corner, I feel my knitting karma is good. Possibly the stars have aligned and my sock knitting will prove successful this season.
The Steelers new coach will take them back to the super bowl.
All will be right in the universe.

How's that for optimistic?
I'll settle for winning my fantasy football league. And finishing a PAIR of socks.

Fifteen beginnings and endings later...

And I'm not being THAT dramatic.

I started my top-down customized raglan. Using Berrocco white crafting cotton (bought sheerly out of amazement at the prices in JoAnn Fabrics while on vacation).

Not that there is anything wrong with the fabric knit with this yarn. But my hands were hurting so much after the first few hours that I had to put that project down. It just doesn't move well on the needles.

So then I attempted to swatch the Lion's Brand "soft" microfiber in a cobolt blue - purchased on the same shopping trip. Again, unsuccessful. It was so splitty that I gave up after an hour or so of experimentation w/ different patterns/needles.

Basically re-illustrates that my attempts to be frugal usually end up as purchases I shouldn't have made in the first place - added clutter that only serves as a reminder of 1) I have too much yarn already 2) I have too much clutter in general
It dares me to create something, yet - on a positive note - it supports my conviction that buying better yarn is a good investment.

After that fun experiment, I began the SPIRAL BOOT SOCKS from Spring Interweave 2007 3 times. Again, trying to use the Koigu PPM, Koigu Semi-Solid (in a horrid baby pink which has been haunting me since 2004, and then in Lorna's Laces Self-Striping.
All of these yarns have been something at some point - and been frogged at least once.
Yet they sit there - and I LOVE working with them. I love how they feel - how elastic they are and the beautiful colors. Yet I HATE everything I make with them for some reason or another.
It's maddening.

So I finally started my second Lace Nightie - again Spring 07 Interweave Knits.
The one I made in King Tut was pretty nice, but the fabric was a little stiff and the fit was a bit off. So of course I frogged it to my friends and family's shock and awe. :)
I'm going with the Tahki Cotton Classic in the bizarre mint green color I bought when Last Minute Knitted Gifts first came out. I made the Hourglass Sweater. Which was adorable. For a pre-teen. So I frogged it.
Ok, I'm seeing a pattern here. I am a bit of a perfectionist. To the point of being counterproductive. Hmmm. Will have to try and work on that.

Anyway, there's a swatch already up of this yarn in the lace pattern. It has a nicer drape since it's finer than the yarn from my first try... So here it goes!

Swatching...

So, I've been swatching. After weeks of looking for the perfect sweater pattern for my next knitting pattern, I finally gave up. And found a few blogs that helped me to write my own customized sweater pattern.
After a few geeky hours of plotting out my dimensions, calculating lengths with triangle ratios, and other funny things I never imagined I'd be doing (in my downtime at work much less) I discovered a newfound reason to actually SWATCH.
I mean, beyond a few rows.

And so after much deliberation...
Yeah, I still haven't decided. But at least I know what my goal is. And I'm getting closer...

Soon to come: pictures of my ever-growing stash.......

New to the blogging world...

Hi!
I'm Stephanie. I've been knitting for... WOW. 10 years! Ok, that is suprising to me. I taught myself to knit from books my sophomore year in college. I'm going to try to teach myself this blogging thing next...