novamade

my new favorite socks

It's a shame that I didn't finish these socks sooner.  They are fabulous (if I do say so myself)!

I figured with the big goodbye to Magknits, it was time to put the Snickets to bed.  The fact that I started them last July was also a factor.

I knit the first one fairly quickly (for me).  But the second one lagged.  I have noticed that I procrastinate finishing projects when there is something about them that I dread.  Oh, have you noticed that too?  In any case, with these socks, I was not particularly excited about the short row heel.

This is my first (and probably last, if I can help it) short row heel.  Like Opal, I am a heel flap kind of girl.  But I figured that I would at least give it a try so I could say I did a short row heel and give myself ample justification for complaining about it.  That being said, these are still my newest favorite socks. 

The pattern is great (hopefully the designer will offer it through Ravelry or elsewhere); but, the yarn....well, it's out of this world, people.  They are nice and cozy...just in time for summer.  These socks will probably see the most action after summer (the season that hasn't quite arrived in my corner of the woods yet) wraps up.

So when fall rolls around again, I well be suitably prepared.

I will post details on the Rav (Ravelraiser, are you in the know?) and in the gallery for those who are not yet Ravel-ing.

i, pomatomus

They are complete.

I am not sure why it took so long to finish these socks.  No, actually I do know, I got tired of the pattern after the first sock (it doesn't make for good television knitting).  But you can't just wear one, not really.  So with Phase I of the Christmas crafty done (yay for blocking!) I thought I would take an opportunity to finish some of my own knitting.

I like the way they came out; but, mostly, I like that they are done.  I love that they are made in Koigu, though I think one sock is a smidge darker than the other.  It's not really noticeable when the socks are worn though.  Such is the art of working with Koigu (or handpainted yarn in general, I suppose).

Just before the snow/sleet storm.  Goodbye fall.

I will get a good amount of wear from these socks, I am sure.  But they are a lot lacier than I would like.  I had to go up to size 2s to knit the socks because I would have run out of yarn on size 1s.  Because Koigu is the yarn of so leetle yardage...

Not even enough for one baby sock, much less a pair.

But it's good to be able to cross off another knit-in-in progress from the list (of oh-so-many) as well as add another pair of handknit socks to the sock collection.

Pomatomus

Pattern: from knitty by the uber-fabulous Cookie A.

Yarn: Koigu, 2 skeins of  KPPM in colorway P859 B (yellows, oranges, hints of green and brown)

Needles: US 2 dpns (grumble)

Mods: Needles and yarn, followed the pattern as written

For all the lag time involved (6 months!!) with this pair of socks, I do like them.  I don't have occasion to wear yellow often, but I will find ways to sneak them into my wardrobe. 

I have already marveled at the genius that is Cookie A. so I won't go there, there isn't much to say abaout the pattern that hasn't already been said (thorough,well written, easy to understand, etc.), these socks have been knit by many before me and many will knit it after (come on Stacey, how 'bout it?).

Okay, back to work.  The Christmas Crafty is calling me, can you hear it?

hello, pumpkin

While watching Pushing Daisies this evening (entertaining and educational!), I learned that there exists something called "World Hello Day."  It was last Wednesday; but still, World Hello Day.  Hello!

Little Sir likes to say "hello" to people (so for him, every day is kind of a "hello day").  When I pick him up from school, I usually say, "hello, Pumpkin!"  Recently, his response is to "hello, pumpkin" me right back.  It's very cute, I think.

So today's theme is "pumpkin."  The gourd, the color, the pie...  That's right, pie. 

Today's Pie Hole Wednesday submission is the Brown Family's Favorite Pumpkin Pie.  I don't know the Browns, but 554 reviewers can't be wrong, right?  Pumpkin pie with nutty topping? You betcha.

The pie is fantastic.  I used my go-to crust (pate brise pastry crust from The Joy of Cooking).  Everything else was as directed by the recipe.  It's pretty yummy, this pie.  You know what else is yummy?  My new pumpkin socks (segue much?).

I heart them.  They are simple stockinette socks (the horror!), but I fell for the intense orange-osity when I saw it at Knitorious is St. Louis (back in August).  I think it was this particular incident that sparked my interest in orange and all of its fabulousness.  These socks became my travel socks, but then I just wanted them done, so I finished them.

I actually had to cut the sewn toe off of the first sock after Lolly realized that it was too small for either of my feet.  I am not going to dissect that statement, I will leave that for you.  Thank you, Lolly.  You are so observant; and, now I have a really cute pair of socks (that fit!); and, they look even cuter in really cute shoes.

Pumpkin Socks

Pattern: Beginner Lightweight Socks by Knitting Pure and Simple

Yarn: Trekking XXL, I don't know the colorway, sorry... it's orange (pumpkin, actually)

Needles: Bamboo DPNs, US1 and Us2

Modifications: Used US1 needles for the ribbed cuff

I know I said that I was done with Trekking sock yarn; but really, how could I resist this orange?  And have you seen the purple?  There is this really nice purple that... I digress...

So now, back to the Christmas knitting (with personal knitting breaks sprinkled in for sanity's sake).  Insanity, anyone else?

 

i like pie

Real pie.  The kind with a pastry crust and some sort of filling smooshed between.  An open faced pie would be acceptable as well.  I think it's all about the crust though.

Just because something is baked in a pie tin, doesn't necessarily mean it's a pie.  Take for instance the "pie" baked for today's Pie Hole Wednesday (I know, I am showing you a pie on Wednesday, what a novelty!).  It's Miss Milton's Lovely Fudge Pie.  I have no idea who Miss Milton is.  Is it lovely?  Perhaps (though I am convinced that well-placed raspberry coulis can dress up anything).  Is it fudge-y?  Definitely.  But a pie?  I don't know.

It definitely falls into the chocolate chip pie category.  A pseudo-pie, if you will.  I was lazy and didn't allot for time to make a crust tonight and decided to make this pie...because it is Pie Hole Wednesday (so there must be pie). 

Mostly, I wanted to try my hand at making the coulis.  Straining raspberries, it's cathartic.  In any case, I loved the coulis.  Special K liked the pie; but, I was not blown away by it.  I think you could have gotten the same end result (maybe even a better one) by mixing up a box of fudge brownie mix and tossing it in a pie pan (seriously).  I think the fudgeiness would be dependent on the brand you used (I am partial to the Dough Boy's traditional fudge formula, but, there you are).  So yes, good; but, not great.  Definitely not worth the Scharffenberger I used to concoct it. To be fair, my standard is high.

The raspberry coulis (red and yummy) did remind me to share a package I recently received though. 

One of my favorite knitting foodies, Rangsiwan, sent me a great book and a fantastic sock.  An absolutely perfect Uptown Boot Sock from IK's Favorite Socks.  I love it.  And the fit?  Perfection itself.

My desire to cast on for the mate of this sock is driving me to bring my Pomatomus closer to FO status.  This sock was just what I needed for motivation.  And cheeriness.  Sure, I have an ear infection (yay!); but, with a rockin' Rangsiwan-knit red sock, and raspberry coulis (and pie) how can I be sad?

disappointments of everyday life

I can be a pretty pessimistic person.  But lately, I find myself trying to make lemonade from lemons.  I attribute the change in perspective to motherhood (sure Little Sir is a challenge sometimes...but at least he is cute--his new haircut, not so much...). 

My last 24 hours have been filled with a few little (tiny, really) disappointments. 

I was determined to start my second Pomatomous, then I knit the cuff and my excitement was kaput.  Second sock syndrome, it does exist.  The bright side, there aren't really that many pattern repeats to do to count this sock done (sure, the pattern repeat is 22 rows long; but, whatever).

There was no Pushing Daisies broadcast last night (many of you were aware of this).  But really, did you all think my Wednesday would go pie-less?  It is, after all, pie that puts the pie in "Pie Hole Wednesdays." 

Also, I did promise that I would come back with pie.   I hinted that the pie involved rum, for the curious...

The pie is Rum Raisin Apple Pie.  I made my usual pate brisee pastry crust (from the Joy of Cooking(JoC), 1972 reprint).  I am not usually a fan of raisins; but, if they are rum soaked, well that is a different story all together.  I really liked the pie, it was a nice (subtle) departure from my usual apple pie (made following the JoC Apple Pie II recipe).  And the rum-soaked raisins were really a nice touch.

So while there was no new episode of Pushing Daisies last night, there was still pie.  And I did actually watch Pushing Daisies while making the pie, it was just last week's episode (which I recorded--somehow, pie-baking during the CMAs didn't have quite the same appeal).

And then this morning I woke up feeling lousy.  Miserable even.

My doctor told me to have a bowl of chicken soup.  This made me wonder what vegetarians are told to do when they have bad colds and are miserable (how do you cure what ails you?).  So after going to work and canceling my appointments and picking up work to do at home, I came home.  If I don't feel better tomorrow, we may end up postponing our New York trip...bummer.  I guess the bright side of all this is that I have time to knit.

But, I think I am going go get some sleep.  Quiet house with no cute toddler talking about trains non-stop in a very loud voice...nap time, definitely.

crazy train, one ticket, please

So I turned all my baby sock singles into pairs.  And though I am perfectly aware that I could have knit three pairs of socks for myself with the energy exerted to knit these tiny ones, I would totally do it all over again.

It all started innocently enough with two pairs of socks (which, coincidently, are not pictured as they have already been gifted).  A pair for a friend wanting socks that her daughter couldn't kick off; and a pair for new feet miles away. 

Julie is right, baby foot attire is addictive.  Before you know it, you're done with one and then another and then another...and so on and so forth. 

I started going through my stash of sock yarn remnants and knit that up.  I quickly contemplated buying sock yarn for the sole purpose of knitting a pair of baby socks, but this seemed counter-productive in some way. So then I started knitting up sock yarn that I wound with no original purpose.  After that, I sent out the call to a few knitters who are more prolific (as in, they actually finish pairs) in the sock department than I.  Beth and Stacey were really generous about sharing their sock yarn remnants (thanks again for the enabling!). 

 

I didn't get through all of the yarn.  I figured that it was time to stop the craziness when I bought all that yarn in Maine last weekend (at least for now, I reserve the right to go crazy with the baby socks again, but maybe next year).

But I have to admit, every time I see fingering weight yarn now, my first thought is "I wonder how that would look as a baby sock."

Come on, you know you want to knit a pair (or 12).

The Great Baby Sock Project of 2007

Pattern: Mim Felton's Baby and Toddler Socks (the link may be wonky for a while, she is working out some bugs)

Yarn: Various and sundry fingering weight yarns (mostly Koigu, with some J. Knits, Cherry Tree Hill, Sundara and Wollmeise thrown in for good measure)

Needles: US 1/2.25 mm Susan Bates aluminum DPNs

I had particular babies or mothers in mind for three pairs of these socks, the rest were just knit because it was fun, addictive, and I was really curious to see how the yarn would knit up.  I guess I have baby shower gifts at the ready.

I plan on getting on to the knitting of socks for adults now; but, before I get involved in that, let's talk pie, my other little obsession.

I had a bunch of pears and Wednesday rolled around before I knew it...

Raspberry and Pear Pie, a la mode.  I was intrigued, as I had never heard of pear pie (though I have made a pear tart with walnut pastry which is excellent). 

I think Ned and Chuck would approve (I am so glad that it's not just me).  I heartily recommend this pie, should you feel a little fruity.  The crumb crust is, well, crumbly; so, your slice may not be picture perfect.  But the pie is going to taste unbelievably awesome.  Don't forget the vanilla ice cream though (cuts the tartness).  So yes, make the pie; and, join me in my "Pie Hole Wednesday" ventures.  Also, I need some company on the crazy train.  Go ahead, snag a ticket.  I hear the train engineer is a dreamboat.

All aboard!

I hope your Halloweens were ghoulish, zany, cute, or whatever adjective you were hoping to tag the day with.

obsessions, healthy and otherwise

Is it just me, or is it easy to catch a little bit of crazy without realizing it?  Just me?

So you know how I "like" (or obsess over, you pick) Pushing Daisies?  Apparently, the show has been picked up for the rest of the season.  To celebrate, I have instituted "Pie hole Wednesdays" (I know this is a Thursday post; but, the pie was made while watching Pushing Daisies...on Wednesday, as it were).  Leslie has her "cookie of the week", and so, I will have my pie...sure I am more of a cake person, but Ned is a pie maker and not a cake baker, so there you are.  First pie (which, truth be told, isn't really a pie at all)...

Chocolate Chip Pie.  Humongous chocolate chip cookie baked in a pie pan?  You betcha.  I encourage you to catch a little of the crazy and make the (pseudo) pie too, seriously (4 fork rating, people!!).

And then there is the single sock thing.  When Megan started the whole movement during the summer, my initial reaction was, "now that is a bandwagon I can hitch a ride on..."  But here is the thing...socks, they really are meant to be worn in pairs. 

My sushi sock roll post told you about the socks that I had waiting for mates and how I was going to try and finish them by the end of November (right...) .... However, I failed to mention the likely obstacles to achieving this goal (I mean real obstacles, my inherent laziness doesn't count).  So yes, one obstacle that was not addressed... a sock I had not (at the time) started.  A sock for someone else who would probably like to see the sock sooner rather than later.  Well, I started it.

I really like the pattern, horseshoe cables and eyelets...in Shibui sock yarn (which isn't pooling at all, Ashley...it's striping, in a serendipitously engaging way--given the spiraling eyelets--or am I just telling myself that?  Is it pooling in some obvious way that I am blind too?  If it is, someone please say something.).

And then, yes, there are these...

single socks and sassy clutches

Thank you all for your your compliments on my--perhaps not so loser-y, but decidedly boxy-- sweater.  You guys know how to make a girl feel talented and cared for!  I was trying to think of something fiberliciously good today...does this count?

Single sock sushi rolls...

I figured it was time to at least mention socks during this month of sock knitting madness.

My goal is to finish the mates to all of these socks by November's end.  The self-imposed deadline is more a matter of not wanting to look at these socks for much longer than anything else.  The yellow Pomatomous haunts me in my sleep, so surely it needs a mate so it can rest easy.

I really like the color array though; and, it just happened this way, I didn't plan it.  And even though I thought the yellow would be anomalous, I think it kind of goes with the whole "hey, it's fall" theme my single socks are screaming.  So yes, socks.

I finished up the black/brown sock last night and felt like doing something besides knitting, so I brought out the sewing machine. 

I pulled out my Bend the Rules Sewing book (awesome) and whipped up 2 clutches in absolutely no time at all. 

I love Amy's book, the projects are great, and I feel like they would be excellent projects for a beginner to tackle.  I have sewn very few things that are not quilts (Little Sir's Christmas stocking doesn't count...it was quilted!  And there were the pajama pants I made, but my mom laughed at them so, mostly I stuck to quilts in the past).  But seeing projects from the book and then reading the book made me feel like I could branch out.  It was fun, and the best part?  Two gifts to pass along to friends!

One of them is wrapped, packed and waiting to be shipped to Japan...the other is going to wait a while longer to go to its new home.  I definitely see more of these in my future.

Details on the clutches in the gallery for 2007...which actually has sewn stuff now!

If you are going to Rhinebeck, maybe I will run into you.  I will be there tomorrow before heading up for some fun in Saratoga Springs.  If you see me, say hi!  I will be with my boys.

Happy weekend all!

what's doing? who's winning?

I have been a little absent around these parts; but, I have been up to quite a bit.  I weaved in the ends of the Sienna sweater, it's blocking.  It's been blocking for 3 days.  It should be dry tonight and I can finally get around to giving it the button treatment (and having a finished knit, everyone together now, "it's about time.").

I went to a conference for academic archivists over the weekend.  Pretty local.  Even though UConn is only 50 minutes away from me, I got lost and it took 2 hours to get home on Saturday.  There was very little knittng time at the conference, so while I didn't get any knitting done, I got a cute little desk for Little Sir for $2.00 while I aimlessly drove circles around various hinterland locales of Connecticut.  Even trade.

I even had some fiberlicious fun...

And I did some quilt planning, inspired by the blank canvas that is Little Sir's new toddler bed (the transition of which is getting better, by the way).

Speaking of blank canvas, I have contest winners...  Using a random number generator (I love these things, no cutting of paper slips!), the comments of Kirsten and Fricklet's mom were selected.  I will get in touch with you shortly for some coordination.  Thank you all for your loser knit stories, it makes me feel just a little bit better about my sweater...which, I am sure, will be a loser-knit.

And lest you think there is no knitting happening around these parts...

It is Socktober, afterall.

So, what's doing with you?

on the color orange

These days I am all about the color orange.  There was a time when I thought orange a rather harsh color, but no more.  Some would say I am a little orange obsessed right now (they would be right).  I will spare you the ridiculous total number of projects I have in progress at the moment and just limit this post to the orange projects (that are actually on the needles).  It's not so bad in those terms...

A sweater in some red-orange wonderfulness from Beaverslide.  I am going to be so ready for fall.  Oh, Beaverslide, how I love thee.

Here is my "take it with me, you never know if you'll have some dead time to kill" knitting.  It's a sock, nothing uber special...besides the color.

This sock was actually done for about 24 hours and then Lolly saw it and mentioned how small my feet were...no, my feet are not as small as I hoped they were when I "finished" the sock.  So I ripped out the toe... That's okay, it just means that I can work some more with the orange goodness of this yarn.

And then there is my absolute favorite thing (at this particular moment)...

This burnt orange coloring in this absolute perfect yarn (which I was pretty much blissuflly unaware of until Ashley dangled the carrot (or icicle) in front of blogland.  Sea Wool...I want every color I can get my hands on.  So soft...so pretty...so perfect.

And not in the realm of orange...I will be blocking something that is red tonight.  A finished something, it's about time. And I am going nuts considering the possibilities for this little bit of lovliness. Ashley, why do you torture me with your creativity?