Roza!

I have a FO to present to you:



Pattern: Roza's socks, by Grumperina. Pattern in the Spring 2007 issue of Interweave Knits.
Yarn: Fearless Fibers sock yarn, in the Raspberry colourway.
Needles: 2.25mm bamboo dpns

I LOVE THEM! They fit perfectly, they are incredibly soft and just perfect. I will definitely buy Fearless Fibers yarn again (and I still have a skein in green for another pair!)

Odie asked me in a comment if I had received my Knitpicks book order. Well the answer is yes! I got them on Wednesday but I wasn't home so I had to go and get them at the post office and I was finally able to do it today. I got Folk Socks and Knitting Vintage Socks (both by Nancy Bush) and the first volume of Vogue Knitting Stitchionary. I only looked at them a little bit but I think I'll really like them.

Sock a Month Knitalong 3 is coming to an end and I signed up for Sock a Month Knitalong 4, which starts in August. I didn't knit a sock every month during SAM3, unfortunately, but I still enjoyed it very much. I encourage every sock knitter to join!

Weekly WIP Report

After a week off, I'm back with the Weekly WIP Report (after having drank way too much wine. Any spelling mistake must be forgiven. Thanks).

I have made great progress on my two favourite WIPs this week. First, Isabella.



The knitting is done, the shoulder seaming is done and one side seam is done. It looks like it will fit but I'm still unhappy with the seaming. I really need to find a seaming class or teacher because I really suck at it. I still have the picot edging left to do and I'll admit it scares me a little.



Roza's socks are going fantastically well. I finished sock number one and I'm about midleg on sock #2. The yarn is beautiful and soft and I want to buy many more skeins.

I'll also take this opportunity to admit that I'm totally addicted to Ravelry and that it made me add a million projects to my queue. Like the Endpaper mitts. I had seen them before but now I've seen more FOs and I really want to make them, even though my first attempt at fair isle didn't go too well. Also, in an attempt to destash a little, I've added Coachella and the Odessa hat to my queue. Will they ever make it to my needles, only time will tell.

Now, my goal is to finish both Isabella and Roza's socks this week (hey, it could happen!) and then move on to the Kiri shawl, a shrug and a pair of socks.

Weekly WIP Report

I haven't worked that much on Isabella this past week. But I'm happy to say that I'm almost done with the left front. I probably won't be finished by next week like I hoped I would, but that doesn't mean I won't try.



I neglected Isabella because I felt like working on the sock. I turned the heel! The sock looks pretty narrow on the pic but it stretches well enough to fit my big calves.

I realized that working on only a couple of projects at a time means that I'm always showing you the same WIPs. Sorry about that. But while more projects would mean more diverse WIP pics, it would also mean FO pics would come even less often. And I don't know about you guys, but I prefer to see FOs. So this is my goal : to finish Isabella in the next two weeks (I can do that) so I can show you a FO. And then I'll have new WIPs (or old ones that I'll pick up again) to show.

I must say that I've wound the alpaca my secret pal gave me into a ball. I have a few ideas for it. We'll see.

I also sort of want to make a very simple scarf for my mom. She gave me yarn last Christmas and hinted that she'd love a scarf made with it. Only problem is, it's acrylic and I know I won't LOVE working with it. But I know she'll love the scarf so I'll make her one.

Weekly Week Report

It's now my favourite part of the week, the part when I realize I really am a slow knitter ;)

Seriously, I feel like I've progressed with my two regular WIPs this week. First, let me present you the pink sock:



A.K.A. Roza's sock. I have about 2-3 inches more to knit before I start the heel flap. Somehow, I doubt I'll finish them in time for the end of June, but we'll see.



I've also made some progress on Isabella. I'm now at the neckline, at the part where you work half the stitches. It's going pretty well. I was hoping I could finish it before going to my mom's on Friday, but that just won't happen. I know I won't have time to finish the knitting AND seam it. I could if I spent all my free time doing that, but I won't. I need me some Internet time :)

(I'm interrupting this blogging to mention that I currently have a bad case of the hiccups. It's very annoying.)

I'm sure you've all heard about the big Knitpicks sale. I hesitated a long time, and then I decided I should get me some yarn to make Tubey. I chose Andean Silk, and then I realized that the colours on sale weren't my favourite. I finally settled for Leaf. I put 10 balls in my "stash" (i.e. cart), I added two sock books. And then I decided not to order. I don't know why, I just wasn't sure anymore. And now I'm happy I didn't get the yarn because I find that I would prefer a Chocolate or Pool Tubey. Or something else entirely.

Since I can't make up my mind, I decided to try and find projects for the yarn I already have. I found a lace scarf pattern for the yarn my Secret Pal gave me (it'll be a mini-scarf, I'll just go for as long as I have yarn). And I found a shrug pattern in a past issue of Interweave Knits that would look good with the alpaca I got from a previous Secret Pal thing.

But that Knitpicks Andean Silk is still tempting. I have a colour card and I keep touching it. It's so damn soft. The sale lasts until Friday (if they don't sell everything by then) so who knows. I may change my mind again.

Weekly WIP report

I'm keeping with my new tradition (can you say "new tradition"?) and posting a WIP report.



You can see where I am with Roza's socks (though they are NOT that bright in person) and Isabella.

I've mostly worked on Isabella this past week because I'm really looking forward to finishing it. Of course, after the knitting I'll need to seam it. Hopefully, it won't take me as long as the blue cardigan. God I hate seaming. I really should ask the owner of Effiloché if she gives finishing lessons. I want beautifully seamed sweaters dammit!

I'll leave you with a link to Mona's blog, where you will find the great new sock pattern that she designed. I think it'll be next on my sock list.

Weekly WIP report

I'm totally stealing this idea to do a weekly WIP report from Dim Sum Knitting. It should be a good way to make me update regularly. I tend to think that if I don't have FO pics to show, I don't have anything to blog about. But unfortunately, I don't finish things that often, so...

WIP report time!

I'm working on many projects, but these two are taking most of my free time. First, I don't know if you remember these knee socks:



Well they are no more. I frogged them when I realized my legs would never look good in them. If I ever lose weight, I'll make knee socks to reward myself. In the meantime, regular socks will do. Therefore, my Fearless Fiber sock yarn is being turned into:



Roza's socks, from the Spring 2007 issue of Interweave Knits. I was just flipping through my mags, trying to find the perfect pattern for the yarn and when I saw them, I just had to cast on. I'm only at the cuff, as you can see, but I plan on starting the brioche stitch part tonight.

I'm also working on Isabella. Now this is a boring project to show off because I'm making it in black, so all you see on the picture is a black blob, but you can kind of spot the beginning of the lace part (follow the green arrow!):



This is a very simple project, even though I'm (finally!) at the more "complicated" part. But it's easy lace, really. I'm working with Katia Mississippi 3, which is a cotton/acrylic blend that I had in the stash.

So that's all for the WIP report.

Last Friday, my friend Dominique asked me if I wanted to go to Effiloché with her. I don't think I hesitated even for one second, especially since it's now so close to my appartment. Touching cashmere and silk is always a good way to spend a Friday afternoon, if you ask me. I did not buy these luxurious fibers, though. I have a little bit of self-control. I only got a few skeins of sock yarn.



Two skeins of Regia in green that I plan to use either for the Cablenet or the Bayerische socks. And a skein of Austermann Step, just because I love it.