SIPs

SIPs = Socks in Progress

I have been sorting out my socks. Since starting the 12 pairs in 12 months challenge I have become rather fixated on socks. Planning what patterns and yarn to use. Casting them on, admiring them, having fun. The problem is that I have not always completed each month's challenge, the end of the month comes round and I have to start new ones for the new month.

This means I have lots (more) unfinsished socks. I have begged them all up to try and shame myself into finishing some. But - it's the beginning of the the month again and a new sock needed to be cast on - shame on me!

So - let the shaming begin (this has become quite a theme of my blog...)


Yarn: Opal
Pattern: Plain 2x2 rib
State: Approx 60% through Sock 1


Yarn: Regia (I think)
Pattern: Vanilla
State: One complete, one not started


Yarn: Not sure
Pattern: Vanilla
State: Sock one approx 40% done



Yarn: The Yarn Yard
Pattern: Vanilla
State: Sock one complete, approx 25% of sock two


Yarn: Schoppelwolle
Pattern: Vanilla with stocking stitch curl top
State: Sock one complete



Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug
Pattern: Vanilla
State: Sock one 50% complete


Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug
Pattern: Vanilla
State: Sock one complete, sock two - 30%


Yarn: Ermm - pink shiny stuff
Pattern: Baby
State: Sock one complete, sock two - 20%


Yarn: Remains of schoppelwolle flying saucer
Pattern: Baby
State: Sock one complete



Yarn: Colinette Jitterbug
Pattern: Vanilla
State: Sock one complete - but I think a small child has worked on it so need some darning


Yarn: Yarn Yard Clan in Daffodil
Pattern: Vanilla
State: Sock one complete


Yarn: Lorna's Lace
Pattern: Vanilla
State: Both socks complete but one toe has come undone - so need to fix it - not even worn them yet!


Yarn: Yarn Yard - Magic Carpet
Pattern: Vanilla
State: About 50% of feet done



Yarn: Schoppelwolle
Pattern: One vanilla with a frilly top, the other circle sock
State: Sock one complete, sock two - approx 30% - going to have to buy another ball or have mismatching socks - whoops.


Yarn: Sassy Stripes
Pattern: Vanilla
State: Sock one complete - sock two cast on - but may frog it and restart so it will count as a 12 in 12mths sock


Yarn: Yarn Yard - Cairn
Pattern: Toe up gansey sock
State: About 30% through sock one


Pretty shocking line-up huh? The awful thing is I have a few more somewhere and it does not include the first of this month's socks - a Leyburn in Regia Kaffe Fassett.

12 Pairs in 12 Months - June

As I mentioned in my last blog I have decided to do 12 pairs of socks in 12 months in the Shed. I know I've planned to do things like this before - but I really, really will try this time - honest ;-)

So - it started on June 1st and I cast on my second sock in my Mojo pair.

Here - a week later it looks like this:

So probably about half way there - not too bad but I think I do need to pick up pace. I do keep getting distracted with other projects.

I am still trying to decide on the second sock for the month. I could do a second nutkin but I quite like the idea of casting on something new.

This arrived yesterday and I love it:

It is the May 2010 Yarn Yard Club Yarn. Natalie felt inspired by the Royal Mail - probably linked to the amount of time she spends at the Post Office ;-)

When it is opened up you can see that half of each round is black with the red and white taking up the other half.

It's really unusual and typically for me I wanted to cast it on straight away - so I wound one of the skeins tonight and have just cast it on. I have a few ideas for socks and may just play a bit and see what works. I was thinking of the Diversion Socks but the lovely Eskimimi was having problems with speed on hers - so now I'm not too sure. They did look super pretty when she was under full steam though.

I'm also considering a lizard ridge sock. The original lizard ridge is a blanket published on Knitty and I have done a couple of squares of the blanket and love the idea. The sock version is here.

Lots of thoughts and lots of playing ahead - but I have to finish another sock by the end of June - so must press on.

Jar of Shame

What's a jar of shame? This is a jar of shame:

It contains all my single socks, mittens and gloves.

I am about to start a new project - 12 pairs of socks in 12 months. Simply - I have to make two socks every month, starting in June. Note the careful wordinig there.... It means I can *finish* some of those pairs where I already have one.

Here are the rules:

• Knit 12 pairs of socks in 12 months, or 24 odd socks if you have lots of WIP socks you want to make into pairs.
• This challenge starts on June 1st.
• You could have seven pairs by Christmas. Some of the socks to be knit in the yarnyard yarn

Continuing the shame - here are some of the singles:

From left to right:

Purple sock in Yarn Yard Clan - think it's a toe-up

Schoppel wolle yarn - toe up with an odd cast off.

Brown banboo yarn - plain vanilla sock

Colinette jitterbug - vanilla sock - too small - now frogged.

All of these may end up being frogged as I have no notes on needle sizes or patterns (a lesson in here....)

I also have single gloves. This first one is for Ruaridh - rainbow gloves in schoppel wolle reggae - now where did I put the pattern?

Then we have *two* left-hand Fetchings - not much use really...

I have a single Noro fingerless mitten:

Here is my garter stitch mittens in Rowan Tweed - almost there...

And finally - Orla's Tomten jacket that I never finished. It is now being frogged and will go towards a lizard ridge. It's proving hard to frog though - very sticky yarn that Kureyon :)

So - lots of frogging to do and some already done. I am now left with lots of ideas and plans for the 12 pairs in 12 months. Here is my basket of sock yarn:

My clan yarn is kept in my secret draw:

If you are on Ravelry you can see my planned socks in my special queue. The queue (like all things in my life) is a work in progress ;-)

Oh and some good news - I actually finished a pair of socks - for Orla:

Clan Obsession

I'll skip past the usual apologies for not posting for a while and move on to some knitting.

What do you think of this?

It's the start of a fairisle sock using the wonderful Yarn Yard Clan in Soot and Saffron.  Lovely to knit with and I am loving the contrast.  Can you see the problem?  Probably not as you have no sense of scale from that shot.  Well - for some unknown reason I cast on the same number of stitches and used my normal size needle (2.5mm) and expected them to be a good fit - yeah - well that didn't work out at all well.  The sock has been frogged and now been cast on again with lots more stitches (72 - but maybe it should be 80?)  Re-thinking the pattern too.  The one above was corrugated rib and then a pattern taken from Alice Starmore's Fairisle book.  Now I am thinking of doing Stained Glass Window Socks which look lovely - but just with the two colours.  

In other sock news I have finished ONE - a mojo sock.  Do you like it?  It was a fun knit - and I must cast on the second one soon before it gets added to the single sock jar of doom.  Knitted using autumn-coloured Yarn Yard Clan.

Such a cool sock - looks great off the foot too - all wibbly wobbly.

Also on my needles are some Slip-Stitch Socks in yummy daffodil coloured yarn.  This yarn was especially dyed for me by Natalie from The Yarn Yard on what was otherwise a very blue day. (Huge thanks to Judy who insisted that I got some new yarn - what a lovely lady - do check out her blog!)  Natalie asked what I would like and I roamed away from my normal colour range and looked out of the window onto some flowering daffodils - and this is the yarn to match.  Isn't it gorgeous?  And isn't Natalie talented?  Oh yes!!  

Excuse the blurry shot:

Oh this one is in focus:

Do you think I have a small Yarn Yard Clan obsession?  Maybe a little ;-)

Here's my secret Clan stash (with a little Natural Dye Studio hidden in there):