Wrapping It All Up for Unraveled Wednesday

I am joining Kat and others today for Unraveled Wednesday, but doing something a bit different.  Instead of telling you what I am knitting and reading right now, I'm going to use this post to wrap up my knitting and reading for 2020.

Here's everything that I knit during 2020:

I will say first and foremost, that I have the Covid-19 lockdown for having so much knitting to show for one year.  I have never ever had 24 total projects for one year before, and on top of that, I not only filled my Box-o-Socks, but instead of 12 pairs, I knit 13 pairs of socks - a record for me, that's for sure!

I have to say that for the most part, these were all fun, enjoyable, and rewarding knits - I learned new techniques, tried new challenges, and sometimes just enjoyed knitting with fun yarn.  My Social Distancing Sweater (bottom right) is probably the one thing I least enjoyed knitting.  I have to say the short rows really ruined it for me, and though I will wear it, it may not stay in my wardrobe for long.  Even though I finished it in the spring and put it away until cooler weather, the couple of times I've worn it, I have not really enjoying wearing it.  I'll give it a few more chances.  But everything else I knit for myself makes me very happy, and I'm pleased that I also was able to make so many gifts (though except for the ones I gave to The Tim, the others are still sitting in Florida somewhere waiting to be delivered).

Reading-wise, I read 81 books in 2020.  If you want to see the details, here is the link to the page on Goodreads where you can dig into them.  I don't know about you, but I always enjoy seeing this, and also being reminded of books I read and enjoyed, but forgot that I'd read earlier in the year.  Again, the pandemic helped with these numbers too - let's just say that a lot of my time this past year was spent knitting and reading.  I regret nothing.  😏

I can recommend a book I just finished, which is this one:

The story of two families - a family of immigrants from Cameroon and a wealthy New York family - that takes place during the 2008 financial meltdown on Wall Street.  It is interesting, heartbreaking, and frustrating, but readable the whole time.  You can read what I wrote about it on Goodreads here.

And with this post, I have been able to wrap up my activities for 2020 - a terrible year for the world, if a good year for some things.  I would prefer that Covid-19 never happened, or at a minimum, that our leadership would have done more for all of us so it would not be still rampaging worse than ever, but writing this post, I realized that this was the way I did my best to make lemonade out of the lemons that were last year.

FO Friday - The Last of 2020

I know that plenty of people have moved on from 2020 big time, but I still have a tiny bit of housekeeping to do before I can completely get into the new year.  (And frankly, it seems like it's still 2020 in lots of ways in my opinion.)  In any case, let me share with you my final FO of 2020.

Project:  Christmastime Shortie Slipper Socks (Ravelry link)

Pattern:  From my brain, based on a vanilla sock

Yarn:  Plymouth Encore Worsted (top sock = Christmas Red, and Peppermint; bottom sock = Christmas Green, and Candy Cane colorways)

Needles:  US size 5

Modifications:  I've made three pairs of these for The Tim, but the only modification I did for me was to cast on fewer stitches.

Notes:  I saw how much The Tim liked and wore the pairs like this I had made for him, and I decided to use some of my Encore stash to make a pair for myself.  I can attest to the fact that these are cozy and warm (we have hardwood floors with rugs here and there, so the floor is always cold in the winter).  They also wash up with no problem, and as a matter of fact, I just threw this pair of mine in the wash today, after wearing them all week.  I know that next year when I get them out, they will bring a smile to my face.  

If you have any interest in making shortie slipper socks, I would encourage you to do so, especially if you are using worsted weight yarn - they truly knit up so fast that you have a pair in the time it would take to knit one sock (well, at least if you are me) of a fingering weight pair.

And thus endeth my knitting for 2020.  I finished these on December 22, and decided that rather than start something else, I'd just continue working on the sweater I've been knitting through the end of the year, and start something new on New Year's Day.  The nice thing about that decision is that I made a lot of progress on the sweater!

Due to the fact that I was at home most of the past year, I did manage to get a lot of knitting accomplished, which was at least a good thing in a year where so much else went wrong.  I'm glad that I found a way to do something useful as well as enjoyable at a time when it was hard to find an outlet for so much sadness and frustration.  Not quite lemonade out of lemons - too much else happened - but a way to keep my mind from sliding too far downwards.

FO Monday : Know Your Roman Numerals Socks

I finished these about a week and a half ago, but kept forgetting to post until now.  Partly because I got involved in other things, and partly because it was hard to photograph them successfully.  But anyhow, here you go.

Project:  Know Your Roman Numerals Socks

Pattern:  I made this up and will probably write it up for myself, and for anyone else who may be interested

Yarn:  Puff the Magic Rabbit Superwash Sock in the colorway It's the Great Pumpkin, Mephistopheles

Needles:  US size 1

Modifications:  None, since I made up the pattern

Notes:  This yarn has been in my stash for while.  The dyer is a friend of mine, and sent it to me as a gift a few years back.  I finally decided it was time to knit with it, and though I had one thing in mind, I started fooling around and did something else.

It's a simple and easily memorizable pattern, and I really like the way it all turns out.  I realized not far into the knitting that it would probably show up better on a tonal or solid yarn, but I was on a roll and liked the way it looked, so I carried on.

I am really pleased with the way they turned out.  I call them Know Your Roman Numerals Socks because I regularly see/translate Roman numerals at work (it comes with being a rare book cataloger) and most people I work with have no clue what they are - and as for students, well, forget that!  Anyway, this creates a V-shape, and V = 5 as far as Roman numerals go.  I kept thinking of that while knitting these.

I'm really pleased with them, and love the yarn, both colorwise and how it feels.  Mindy's yarns come in such lovely colorways, and are always so soft!  If you want to try some yarn from an indie dyer new to you, here is her website.

They seem especially appropriate to have knitted during the end of October into November, don't you think? 

It's Wednesday, So How About an FO Post?

I realized the other day that I had forgotten to do an FO post for a couple of things, and needed to play catch up.  So without further ado, here you go:

They're finished at last!  Not that they took that long, but I kept getting interrupted with other things while knitting them, so I would think, "Let me get back to that pair of socks."

Project:  Yukon Cornelius Socks

Pattern:  One I made up, but that I'm also fairly sure is not unique

Yarn:  Sweet Sparrow Yarns Nuthatch Sock Yarn, in the Yukon Cornelius colorway

Needles:  US size 1

Modifications:  Well, none I guess since I made up what I was doing ...

Notes:  These were so much fun to knit!  You may recall that earlier this year, I completed my Rudolph and Clarice Socks for myself; well, this Yukon Cornelius colorway was purchased at the same time, with the intention of making a pair of socks for The Tim.  Now I've finally done that, so we can wear our companion socks for Christmas! 😊

I wanted to knit something with texture, but that wouldn't require close attention to the pattern.  I thought about another pair of waffle socks, but decided since I had recently made a pair using that pattern, I wanted something else.  So I devised a  similar but different pattern and decided to give it a try.  After a few rows, I knew I liked it, so I used it for the entire leg of the sock.  

Row 1:  Knit 1, purl one

Row 2:  Knit all stitches

Row 3:  Knit 2, purl 2

Row 4:  Knit all stitches

That's it, and you end up with a nice textured pattern that works just fine with self-striping yarns without looking too busy.  

These will be a gift for his birthday in November, so he'll have them for Christmastime.  I really like the way they turned out, and they feel like they have some stretch but will also stay up when you wear them.

And best of all - as you can see here - they are Pip approved!

When I put these down to take the photo, he immediately jumped up to sit on them.  After I snapped this, he got up, and re-positioned himself to curl up and sleep on them for a couple of hours.  Which means that they are pre-embellished with cat hair ... 😜

All the better to keep The Tim's feet warm, right?

How About Another FO?

You may have noticed that I was MIA last week.  I was sick, the kind where you can't really concentrate, you have a slight fever and are miserable, and any food goes ZIP right through your system.  Ugh.  I am feeling better enough to function, and the good news is that at least right now, I do not have Covid-19, as my doctor feared; I had a test and it was negative which was a relief all the way around.  So I'll take that and just hope I feel completely better in the next few days.

I was planning to post this FO last week, but well, see above.  So you are getting one today, to start this week.

Project:  Budgie Socks

Pattern:  Blueberry Waffle Socks, by Sandy Turner**

Yarn:  Hedgehog Fibres Sock, in the colorway Budgie

Needles:  US size 1

Modification:  I only knitted the pattern on the leg, and knit the foot plain.

Notes:  I am so very happy with these socks!  I've had this yarn for a while, thinking I'd save it to make something special.  But in the end, I decided it should be socks.  I remember buying the yarn because of its name as much as the color.  I had several beloved budgies (parakeets in the US) as a kid, though they were not blue ones, and my sister had a blue budgie for quite a few years which her kids just adored.  His name - unimaginative but truthful - was Budgie.  

At first I tried to find some kind of pattern that evoked birds, or feathers, or something like that, but in the end, I decided on the old favorite, tried-and-true waffle pattern, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results.  

If you have never tried this pattern, you should because you always end up with squishy, lovely socks and the pattern is an easy (and free!) one.  I've never been disappointed in the results.

Here's a slightly more closeup photo:

Happy socks, happy me!

**this is a link to Ravelry - I wanted to let people know so that they can avoid clicking over if it causes problems for them

Another Friday FO! Plus, Leaving the House!

At the beginning of December 2019, I started a pair of Christmas-themed socks for me, knowing that with everything else happening during Christmastime, it was likely they may not be finished.  And by the time the holiday season was over, I had one sock completed.  Which was fine with me, I figured I'd start sock #2 sometime around November 2020, so they'd be completed for that holiday season.

You know, thinking 2020 would be pretty much like any other year.  And we all know what *that's* taught us! 😲

Project:  Rudolph and  Clarice Socks
Pattern:  Vintage Fairy Lights, by Helen Stewart
Needles:  US size 1
Yarn:  Sweet Sparrow Sock Yarn, colorway Rudolph and Clarice
Modifications:  I knit the foot of the sock plain, rather than continuing the ribbing.  I remember that when I was knitting the first sock, once I got past the heel, I forgot completely about the ribbing, and got to a certain point and just figured I'd go with it.
Notes:  Thanks to Christmas in July, now both socks are finished!  The second one took longer than I expected because I had just started the foot when I realized that after the patterning at the top, I'd stopped doing the ribbing at all!  So I ripped back because I knew that it would bother me (particularly on a pair of Christmas socks!), and re-knit in the ribbing until the heel flap.

I've had this yarn for a couple of years, and if you have read my blog for any amount of time, you can surely understand why I purchased yarn in a colorway called "Rudolph and Clarice."  The pattern was well written and easy to figure out (I have since noticed that this is the norm with Helen Stewart patterns), and the yarn was lovely to knit.  It was fun watching the "fairy lights" start to show up, and I would definitely knit this pattern again. 

Now I have a finished pair of socks for July, as well as a finished pair of Christmas socks.  Plus, a reminder of my very fave Christmas show.  Who knows, I may just get them out and look at them every year instead of wearing them! 😉

******

This is supposed to be another hot and steamy weekend here in Philadelphia - you know, the kind where you wonder why you bothered to even shower since you don't really dry off the whole day.  I want to do a couple of organizing projects on our third floor, which has an air conditioning unit, so there may actually be chance they will at least get started ... but the most exciting thing coming up for me is that TOMORROW I AM GETTING MY HAIRCUT BY AN ACTUAL PROFESSIONAL!!!!!  Don't get me wrong, I've appreciated The Tim's willingness to do what he could a couple of times, but I'm looking forward to an actual haircut by someone who is trained to do just that.  When I made the appt soon after it was announced that salons could open, I made sure to make it enough in advance so that I could determine if it seemed like a good idea to go.  Lately there has been an uptick in Covid-19 cases (don't go there with me), but most have been traced to restaurants and bars in the area, none to hair salons.  I checked on some local websites, and it sounds like the place where I am going (which is new to me, because of course) is doing an excellent job of cleaning, social distancing, etc. and receiving excellent reviews.  So I'm gonna give it a try.  As I told The Tim, from everything I have heard and read, they seem to be on the ball.  He says that as I am a person who is so abundantly cautious, he feels confident it will all work out.

And of course I want it to, because this is a huge venture for me at this point.  But if the worst happens, at least my hair will look better ... ?

Friday FOs - Two, Count 'Em, Two!

Before I completely melt today and lose all interest in anything, I have two finished objects for you - yes TWO.  Granted, neither one was a major undertaking, but they are still both finished, and that counts!

First up, the shortie slipper socks I knit for The Tim:

Project:  Same Mother Shortie Socks
Pattern:  Just a plain sock, turned into a shortie sock
Yarn:  Plymouth Encore Worsted Solids, in the Oatmeal, Purple, and Orange colorways
Needles:  US size 5
Notes:  As you know if you have read my blog for a few weeks at least, I knitted the first sock, and then strongly suspected that I would not have enough of the Oatmeal colored yarn to complete the second one.  For some people, that would mean they would take apart sock #1 and do some color-blocking.  I'm not those people, and because I had not thought ahead, I warned The Tim that his socks would not match and why.  He said, "Well, if you have to throw in another color, make sure it's something that pops." And I think the orange definitely pops, right??  Anyway, these were really quick to knit, and since they are just meant to be slipper socks, it didn't bother me that they wouldn't be the same.  I called them "Same Mother Shortie Socks" because they are like family members who have the same mother, and look similar but different.  😀

The best part was that when they were finished, The Tim was *thrilled* with them, so all's well that ends well.

*****

Next up, something for the kitchen:

Project:  Leftovers Kitchen Towel
Pattern:  At Your Service Knit Cloth (a free pattern)
Yarn:  Knit Picks ColLin, in the Conch colorway
Needles:  US size 7
Modifications:  None
Notes:  I had some yarn left from my Down the Shore Shawl, and decided to give this pattern a try, since we use these kinds of hanging towels in our kitchen all the time and they are not that easy to find in stores.  The pattern was overall easy and pretty quick to knit, but in my heat-addled brain, it did take me a few times to get the decreases right.  In the end, it turned out just fine, and I see many more of these in my future.  The Tim thinks they would be nice Christmas gifts, but I'm not sure that people would enjoy that kind of gift.  Then again they might.  I'll have to give it some thought.

Both of these projects were from stash yarn, and that always pleases me - the button for the kitchen towel is also from a stash of buttons that I have, so no extra money at all was spent for this project, which is even better! 

******

Before closing, I wanted to remind anyone who is interested that you have until one minute before midnight this coming Sunday, July 5, to comment on this post and be in the mix for a giveaway. 

And finally, tomorrow is Independence Day here in the U.S.  This country is far from perfect, but if we can get back on track, I really believe that things could move forward and we can be what we wanted our country to stand for.  It's still better than lots of other places.  So, if you celebrate, have a lovely day, and remember to VOTE in November!!

And for everyone, I hope you have a good weekend no matter how you decide to spend it.  See you on Monday for the announcement of the giveaway winner.

This Particular Monday is for an FO Post

This weekend was vastly different than last.  The protests continued, with more people and more meaning, and they were completely peaceful, which was good all the way around.  The weather was OK on Saturday, though a bit humid, but Sunday was PERFECTION. 

It was also different because I finished one of my projects!  Recently I showed you this:

I'd been working on it much longer than I'd wanted to, and though I was pleased with the result, I was annoyed that it took so long.  I've been doing pretty well with my self-imposed-in-my-brain plan to knit a pair of socks each month, and May was nearly over.  I decided that instead of switching up on my projects somewhat equally, I would give sock #2 more attention. 

Project:  Sousa Socks
Pattern:  adapted by me from the Stars and Stripes Socks, by the Sockguy (from the long ago Sockknitters listserv)
Yarn:  Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, colorways Navy and Glory Red
Needles:  US size 1
Modifications:  The whole project was a modification!  (Also, the colors in the first photo are actually closer to how they look in real life.)
Notes:  This pattern and kit was from a very long ago offering and had been in my stash since not quite 1776 ... seriously, though it has been there a LONG time.  I started following the pattern as written, and it seemed so fiddly to me that I just gave up.  But then I decided to put my own spin on it, and see what happened.  I named them the Sousa Socks because John Philip Sousa wrote "Stars and Stripes Forever," and I was still trying to go with the theme.  I kept the stitch and row counts of the original pattern, and just changed the combination so that it was much less fiddly. 

I really do like the finished socks.  The heel construction was new to me, so that was also interesting, and in some ways much quicker than the regular heel and gusset construction, though it ends up looking much the same.  The second sock, needless to say, knit up much more quickly, since I wasn't starting from scratch with what I was doing.  They will probably be way too warm to wear on July 4th, but maybe they will work for Labor Day some year??

This is only the second time I've ever knit with Lorna's Laces yarn, and this is old - when Lorna herself was still the dyer.  It is soft and lovely to work with. 

Now onto another pair.  I'm voting for plain vanilla this time.  😜

One of My Quarantine Projects - Finito!

Hooray, hooray, hooray!  Today is a very pretty, sunny day, and I have an FO to show you.  Both are equally as pleasing to me.

Here is the completed pair:

Project:  Easter Egg Scrappy Shortie Socks

Yarn:  various yarns - leftovers and some from an Advent calendar a couple of years ago

Needles:  US size 1

Pattern:  Improvised

Notes:  These were really fun to knit - the "let me do just one more color" syndrome helping me finish them pretty quickly.  If you look very very closely - and to some degree, even I can't distinguish - you'll notice that the heel flaps and heels are slightly different colors.  I ran out of the first deep red on the first sock, and used a slightly more deep brick red on the second.  And only once they were nearly finished did I realize that I had switched the shades of green after the gold-speckly stripes.  I don't care, and should anyone else mention it, my first question would be 'Why are you that close to my feet??"  But I'm including the info here in the spirit of full disclosure.  😊

For anyone interested, I will tell you how I made these.  The basic idea was to do eight rows of each color that I was using (I chose the colors but did not organize them ahead of time; I started these shortly before Easter, so had Easter egg colors on the brain).  I knew that I would use one color that would be more than eight rows for the heel flap and heel turn, so I knew that would be different.  

I cast on 60 stitches, and did 8 rows of 2 x 2 ribbing with the first color; then 4 more rows of ribbing with the second color, followed by 4 rows of stockinette with that color.  Then I started the heel flap and gusset, then continued on with 8 rows of stockinette each time.  When I got to the yellow, I decided that I would like the toes to be yellow, so I did 4 rows of stockinette, and then started the decreases for the toe.  

After making the first sock, I was out of the red used in the heel flap and turn, so I found another leftover that was close, but a little bit more of a dark brick red for the second sock.  And also on the second sock when I went to add the second green stripe, I realized I'd already used the shade I wanted.  No way was I going to rip back, and besides they are socks, and socks for me, so it was all good - I just used the other green shade.  I like to tell myself that they are like nearly identical twins, that have a couple of things allowing their families and close friends to tell them apart.

I am really pleased with how they turned out, and they just look like very happy socks to me.  Also, I'm pleased that I finished them before April was even over.  Now I just have to decide what socks and what yarn will be next ...

Kinda Sorta Tiny Needle Tuesday - An FO Post

I know that Tiny Needle Tuesday is actually about other kinds of stitching - embroidery, counted-cross stitch, etc., but since I used tiny knitting needles for this project, I'm crashing the party with this post.  :-)

Back at the end of January, my friend Andrea and I decided to have a socks KAL during March.  We decided to knit the same pattern, and see if we could do it within the month.  This is the kind of KAL I can do - informal and not involving lots of other people!  It meant that I actually knit the project, instead of losing my knitting mojo altogether.

And here are my socks, finished only three days after the end of March!

Project:  Clarkle Sparkle Socks
Pattern:  Clark  Socks, by Jaclyn Salem
Yarn:  Black Bunny Fibers Stella, colorway unknown (this yarn has been in my stash for a while, I have no idea where the ball band is ...)
Needles:  US size 1
Modifications:  None.
Comments:  I have been wanting to knit this pattern ever since it came out.  I am a big fan of cables, and I love that the main cable is in the front rather than on the sides.  There is also a small cable that runs down the back of the leg, but I could not contort myself to photograph that! 

The yarn was lovely.  The color is kinda close in the photo, but in person it's actually a celadon green shade, with an occasional wash of blue and purple; it also contains stellina, so the socks have a little bit of sparkle!

Because I was trying to follow the pattern exactly as written, I went ahead and did the short rows/wrapped stitches heel.  I am trying to learn - or at least try - new things when I come across them.  The heels don't look great, and I don't know if they will wear that well, but I did manage to get them done according to instructions.  Needless to say, if/when I make this pattern again, it will be with a heel construction of my preference.

That part aside, the pattern is fun and after the first pattern repeat, it's very memorizable.  I am a huge fan of cables, so I'm glad I got to knit a pattern that includes them!

I recommend this pattern - it's well-written and very clear, and once you get set up and started, it goes really quickly. 

Now on to an April pair - TBD!

A Very Fast FO

I must admit to surprising myself with how quickly I finished this project!

Project:  Goth Kitty Socks
Yarn:  Knitpicks Felici Sock Yarn, colorway Goth Kitty
Needles:  US size 1
Modifications:  None
Notes and comments:  These took me exactly two weeks' worth of knitting time to complete, which is really fast for me.  Sadly, I don't get large, uninterrupted swaths of time to knit, so it generally takes me a while to finish even a simple project like these. 

Anyway, this is just a generic sock pattern, with a broken rib heel flap, which was part of another pattern I knit last year sometime.  It was something a bit different, and also seems to hold up well with wear.  Since this yarn comes in 50g balls, I was able to knit them both at the same time - i.e., the cuff on one, the cuff on the second, and on throughout the sock.  Between that and the fact that the yarn is self-striping, I think I was able to zip along and get them knit ("Let me just do one more colored stripe").  I suppose it also helped that I didn't have any other major projects going at the time, but nonetheless here they are, ready for my 2020 Box o' Socks.  And in case you are wondering (and since someone at our craft group at work asked), no I don't mind that they do not match perfectly. 

One thing I did that was different with these socks is that I tried knitting the "plain" parts on a 9-inch circular needle.  I had watched a video from Very Pink Knits where she tried them, and compared different brands.  I decided it was worth a try, and ordered some ChiaGoo from evil Amazon.  Since I had not used them before, I didn't want to fool with the ribbed cuffs, or do the math and maneuvers for the heel and toe, so those were on my regular double-pointed needles.  At the end of it all, I decided that the 9-inch needles were nice, particularly from the standpoint of taking your knitting with you out of the house.  No more worrying if you drop a dpn, and/or how retrievable it may be.  They took a bit to get used to, and admittedly because they were metal and I usually use wood needles, I dropped some stitches while I was zipping along, but it was easy to notice and then fix the next time around.  They weren't terribly hard for me to adapt to using, as I think I must hold my dpns in a similar way so I didn't have to retrain my hands or anything like that.

This was my first time using Felici Yarn, and I thought it was really nice, particularly given the price point.  It felt nice while knitting with it, and was not likely to tangle into itself.  I don't have any idea how well if will/will not wear, but at this point, I think I'd be inclined to try it at least once more, as the colors were great as well as the price.

Next up, some repairs on a pair of socks I knit for The Tim, swatching for a sweater, and getting ready for my March Sock KAL with my friend Andrea.  We are planning to knit the Clark Socks by Jaclyn Salem (Brooklyn Knitfolk podcast).  I've wanted to try that pattern for a long time, so it should be fun!

A Finish, a Good Book, and No Unraveling!

It's been too long since I joined in on Unraveled Wednesday, hosted by Kat!  I always enjoy hers and others' posts, talking about what they are reading and making.  So I am making sure that this week I can be part of the fun.

I'm feeling quite proud of myself, because this past Sunday, I finished the second slipper sock of the pair I was making for The Tim as a Valentine's Day gift.  Here they are, ready well in time for the day, and it's a bonus that they are made with yarn from my stash.  YAY!

Now, granted these are worsted weight, but I am still surprised at how quickly I got them finished.  It was a good way to start the year, and my 2020 Box of Socks. 

Reading-wise, I'm currently about halfway through this book.

The Tim gave me this book for Christmas, and it has been my lunch hour reading so far this week.  Elaine Stritch was quite the character, and learning the details of her life is really interesting, and often funny.  For instance, I found it amusing that the playwright Noel Coward said that the best martinis were made of gin, "and then you held the glass in the general direction of Italy before taking the first sip."  Stritch's career was mainly on the Broadway stage, but if you watched the TV show "30 Rock," you would have seen her playing the role of Jack Donaghy's mother (his character played by Alec Baldwin), and she was perfect for that.  I'll probably finish this over the weekend at the latest, and part of the reason this is currently my only book is because I'm in one of those I-want-to-read-everything-but-also-not-anything moods.  So hopefully this will be my palate cleanser, and I'll be ready for something else.

And that's it for today.  Hop on over to Kat's blog (link above) and see what she and others have to say!