Last FO of 2009

Happy New Year Everyone!

As usual, I finished my December SAM 8 socks about 11:30 pm. I only had a toe to do, but procrastinated all day.


I started sock 1 in March for our Monkey's for March KAL at SAM 8...what month is it now? Lately my goal is to get a few of those unfinished socks done. All I have left for socks is a pair of cuffs and like 4 rows started of another, that will be frogged and restarted. So I'll start off 2010 sock wise a lot better than last year. (no we aren't going to talk about the other Wips are we ;)


Picot cuffs..

Which I don't mind, but after 3 pairs in the last 6 months, a bit tired of them now. The left sock was started in March on 2.75mm circular, a bit loose, but not too bad. I had also knit the entire cuff with the same needles. The right sock I started a week ago, knit only on 2.5mm. Darn, I like how the colors work better on that one....sigh..what a difference .25 can make.



Toe Pic!


So I tried them on to see if I could make the yo's open up a bit and see the pattern.

yeah, not too bad..

The yarn isn't too bad, pretty soft actually. The only beef is some unspun areas, which I noticed more on sock 2. The yarn comes in 2 skeins so maybe it was just that one skein.

The color is pretty good, better on sock 2, no huge pooling of colors either. Just maybe should have picked a different pattern.

Anyhow, glad they are done! Onward to 2010


No purl Mini-Monkey Socks
Pigeonroof Studios Superwash Merino Sock
Loganberry Colorway
2.75mm & 2.5mm circ, Magic Loop
Started March 20, 2009
Finished December 31, 2009

Oh, FYI if anyone wants to join us for SAM 9, come on over!

Big Red Stripes Socks

Lookey here! Christmas socks early!

Posing on Holly bushes....


Heel pic!


Of course the toe pic!

Since the bottom toe was cast on a year ago and the tail woven in, I had to gestimate to start the top one. Not too bad....

My newest bind off...

Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off (Youtube link) to be known as JSSBO (knitty link), much easier to say...let alone do! There is also a cast on...will be using that for the next pair of cuff downs too.

I've seen a few others use it and thought..hey, although I don't mind the kitchner bind off, with a 3 x 1 rib, I knew the K-bind off wouldn't work for this pair. I researched to see if you had to have a 2 x 2 or 1 x 1 rib to do the JSSBO, didn't see anything and thought...what the hay...worst case scenario, I'd have to pull it out and do over. Not like that doesn't happen at least 2 times when I do a sewn bind off.

I just love this bind off. The only thing that makes it a bit slow for me is remembering which way I do a YO...yes, them damn YO's, a bain of mine in whatever I'm doing... It is so stretchy and fits well. I look forward to trying this bind off on something other than socks too.


My own sock recipe (see Cristi...I can knit without a pattern...sorta ;)!!)
Toe up, afterthought heel (the only one to use on self striping IMHO), 3 x 1 rib, JSSBO

Started: May 2008---These were car socks for a long while... Sock 1 has had many a different needle used. All done magic looped but I tried those square circs...ugh!! I really liked the needle, it was the cable that made it so hard to move along and knit. Then I went to my Inox, then to my beloved HiyaHiya's...
Finished: Sock 2 started November 23rd and both finished November 29th.
sKNITches Syncopation in Loopy's Red Socks (limited LE colorway, not sure if it is still available)
2.5mm circular, magic looped

Very soft yarn. After soaking, even softer. I have about 1.6 oz left as I only knit 4.5" of cuff. Great yardage in this skein, you may see a pair of footies someday.

1 week for a sock is a record for me. Hubby was recovering from gall bladder surgery, so I had lots of down time babysitting nursing him ;) He's doing good, and back to work tomorrow. 1 week out, times have changed for this surgery...

Pumpkin Mystery

****** THROUGH THE LOOPS MYSTERY SOCK 09 SPOILER ALERT********


Don't look if you like the Mystery and haven't finished yet :)
















I really love this pattern! I can't believe I knit them as fast as I did. Yes, it did take the whole month, but getting parts of 2 socks knit mostly each week helped a lot.


The slouchy effect ;)

Heel Pic!

I love how the patterning goes down the side of the heel.


Toe Pic!

I wanted you to see it up close and personal ;) The decreases are done from the center and so cool! The darker color you see in this toe, looks kind of red from here, but it is really pumpkiny!!


Back Pic!

I think I really am going to like this ribbing. I may have to use it on another pair.

Strike a pose!

I asked my darling model to pose the way I like it, she went immediately to this one. Got her trained right huh...well you know, only for this...now if I can get her to clean her room...

Started October 1, 2009
Finished October 31, 2009
Mystery Sock 09 by Kirsten Kapur
The Plucky Knitter Superwash Merino Wool Handpainted Fingering Weight in Pumpkin Latte
US 2.5 circulars, magic loop style

Cotty's O'Lapis

*insert Irish dancing music here* heck, I don't know what to say... I just figured this was a good name for them!

Well it could have something to do with the designer ;) Hey, btw, aren't these nice colors?



ooh not too bad huh ;) Taking sock pictures at twilight is a lot easier than during the day around here.


And a toe pic for you know who, it's all her fault we like them!


Yeah, I knit another pair of them :) What can I say but this is a great pattern to have no pooling with. Perfect for those variegated yarns. While most of the BMFA yarns do stripe like this, some don't.

Cotty Socks by Irishgirlieknits
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Candy in Lapis Colorway, that was a gift from Cpurl17 eons ago!
US 1.5 (2.5mm) Magic looped
Started July 1, 2009 and frogged. You see I figured this yarn to be sportweight, so I had only brought a 2.75 mm on vacation with me, and I was knitting the SW sock size...um..nope, it's not a SW yarn. Had to wait until I got home to restart.
Finished September 29, 2009

Don't run to the link above to find this colorway should you like it in Sock Candy (it is still around in other fibers unless it's on vacation). It is no longer dyed in variegated colors, only solids. It comes in 2 separate skeins, you can see a slight variation in each sock, but I'm fine with it, I'm just happy for no pooling! :) Sock Candy is 96% cotton and 4% elite, similar to elastic. It is quite different than knitting with Cascade Fixation though. It could be that I knit this yarn with smaller needles then I do with the fixation. So between these and the twin Boheme's, I need a cotton yarn break!

The yarn itself is very soft and smooth to knit, can be a bit splitty, but not too bad. You'll be seeing more in the future as I have about 4 pairs of socks worth from gifts and destashes. They are comfy on so far. Actually perfect for the weather around here, I'll let you know as I'm wearing them to work today :)

Prickly Ribs

Well, after knitting a stockinette pair, and another patterned pair, I just felt the need for some ribbing.....

As the end of the month was getting nearer, I knew a quick pair was needed.


With this pattern (see link below) it has you continue the rib down the heel flap.

Heel Pic! It was nice to knit a heel flap again. I still like knitting them.

Toe pic!

I like how the exact center of the toes are different.


Shades of green, brown, and cream, nice colors I say! Hardly any pooling except in the gusset area, which a lot of variegateds do.

Evolution Ribbed Socks
Scroll down mid right hand sidebar for the pdf link if you want it.
Cider Moon Glacier in Prickly Pear (no link as the company no longer exists :(
US 2 (2.75mm) circs-2 circ method...darn where is my magic loop one..oh..right..car..door..must replace!
Started August 21-Finished August 31

The yarn is a teensy, weensy bit splitty, which really could be me. It's a heavy sport/light DK weight but I still needed size 2's to knit the socks. I really like the colors. It's pretty soft and I'm sure will be even softer after their bath. I have a few other skeins of this weight I've been lucky to get in destashes. I look forward to knitting with this yarn again!

I only got to knit 2 pairs for Summer of Socks 09, but that's ok. Onward to a certain Lady that has been waiting patiently in the wings, but has told me under no circumstances is another sweater to be started until "she" is done ;)

Luxury toes

I should call them vacation/emergency knitting socks though. I started them a few days before we left for vacation. Knit on them a bit on and off during the 2 weeks.

I was almost to the cuff before our extended vacation started. Glad I had them, especially during the first day or so, just plain knitting was soothing.


Started sock 2 on the day we got the van back and I admit, the foot is a bit tighter in tension due to our tenseness in getting back on the road. They fit fine and that's good.

A new technique for me.

Kitchner bind off and it is awesome! I saw Cristi using this technique and had no idea it existed.
I love it and it will always be my bind off for toe ups. If you already hate the dreaded K'stitch, don't bother, if you don't like it for less then 10 sts..um..you aren't going to like it for 60 or so!

Toe Pic


Afterthought heel, my heel of choice from now on with self-striping. I was originally going to use a heel flap pattern, but I didn't like how the striping was coming out and yeah..I like things to match as much as possible.

An afterthought one is so much better. The yarn is soft and squooshy. My first Yarntini yarn I've knit with too. (must knit, not collect!)


Luxury Toes
Yartini Sport in Luxury Colorway
US 2 (2.75mm) on 2 circulars
Started June 22, 2009 - Finished July 30, 2009