Unfinished Objects — Confessions of a Sockaholic

There is Something About Christmas Knitting…

by Kristin Page on December 7, 2011

Every year I insist that Christmas knitting starts September 1st. Sure 116 days seems like enough to get the Christmas knitting done. This year, with the wedding, job and everything else going on with life I decided it was best to wait until November 1st and just have a very short Christmas knitting list.

Somewhere I forgot that without fail I add in a number of last minute knitted gifts (yes that is the name of a book, no I am not knitting from it).

Something about Christmas knitting that makes me want to cast on every thing in the world that I don’t normally knit. Let’s ignore the fact that I already have 15 projects on my needles, 6 of them have tight deadlines ranging from December 19th (in hopes that the post office plays in my favor) to December 24th.

In the past three weeks I’ve managed to add four “sets” of knitted gifts to my Christmas knitting list. Forgetting that there are 3 items on the list that are not even completed yet, one of which hasn’t even been started.

Yet somewhere in my mind I refuse to believe that we are really 18 days away from Christmas. There’s more time….

Right?

In that case, let’s not talk about that sweater for myself I cast on last week….

How is your Christmas knitting coming?

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Dear Java Socks

by Kristin Page on April 3, 2011

Dear Java Socks,

I think it’s time you and I had a serious discussion. I think we need to take a break from each other… It’s not you… well okay maybe it is you, but it also has to do with my lack of patience.

You see, when I first saw your pattern and fell in love, I knew I immediately had to cast you on. I quickly dyed up some yarn and printed your pattern off of knitty.com.

What I didn’t realize was that with your hundreds of beautiful (but little) cables, there would be no end in sight. Is it really necessary that you only grow 1/4 of an inch for every 15 rounds I knit?

I had hoped to finish you by March 31st, I must have meant 2012. For now, you aren’t even one single sock.

Don’t worry, I’ll be back, but for now I’m breaking up with you.

Sincerely,
Kristin

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Fingerless Mittens… I’m Falling in Love With You

by Kristin Page on March 15, 2011

The obsession has officially hit. On Saturday I quickly finished up the Quilted Lattice Mitts because I couldn’t wait to wear them. I was tired of looking at them and I haven’t taken them off since! They are so warm. As we are slowly (and I mean slowly) starting to see spring creep up in Northwest Indiana, it is perfect weather for fingerless mittens!

This pattern was so fun to knit and went so fast. I did do the colorwork version of it. I originally was planning on doing it out of a completely different yarn but as soon as I picked up the pattern I knew these two colors would be perfect. They didn’t quite work out as socks, but that doesn’t mean they can’t still keep me warm!

The best part is… I’m on track with the Rockin’ Sock Club shipments! Who knows, I might even keep up this year

Project Rundown:

Yarn: Bluemoon Fiber Arts Medium Weight – Rockin’ Sock Club January 2011 Colorways of Pinkie Swear and Aubergenius
Needles: Size 3
Pattern: Quilted Lattice Mitts
Inspired By: Laura’s Quilted Lattice Mitts

Oh, and that pretty yarn I showed you a few days ago… it may be a fingerless mitten and a half already… hopefully by the end of the week it will be two

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Obsessed? Who Me?

by Kristin Page on March 9, 2011

I mentioned the other night that I have a problem with fingerless mittens. I don’t know if it’s because I wear my fetchings all day long or if 2011 is the year of the fingerless mitten. For some reason this winter, I have been obsessed with finding patterns for them.

Have I finished a pair? Of course not!

The other night I did some Barns and Noble knitting with a friend. (coffee, knitting, friends, books… all a good mix). She was working on a pair of the Quilted Lattice Mitts. They were cute, and I wanted a pair.

Sunday night, I cast my own pair on. It’s the perfect project to use up some of my yarn from the January 2011 shipment of the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin Sock Club.

I’m in love. I’m obsessed. I can’t wait for them to be done. Aren’t they pretty?

Now, if only I could find time to knit the other 15 patterns I’ve downloaded this winter… do I really need 15 pairs of fingerless mittens?

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Oh Look… YARN! (A Dilemma)

by Kristin Page on March 7, 2011

Have I ever told you how much I love the process of spinning? Right now my wheel and I are on the “love” portion of our “love / hate” relationship. That’s okay though.

The spinner in me still wants to believe that spinning a whole fleece is the best way to spin and that I would love a hand knit sweater out of yarn that I started out processing, spun up, plied, and then knit. The a-d-d knitter in me loves color. Unless sheep are starting out in blues, greens, and purples… the ideal of me and the fleece is slowly drifting away. At least for now.

About a week and a half ago, Leslie posted a link to the Wool Gatherings etsy shop on Plurk. (Somebody please go buy the rest of the fiber in her shop before I do!) As it was a Friday at lunch, and my paypal just HAPPENED to be hooked up to my etsy account… I had a “fall-down-go-boom” moment… and ordered some fiber. The colorway doesn’t have a name but it was 4oz of 100% Blue Face Leicester. My goal… sheep to shoe… in other words I wanted to spin my own sock yarn.

This seller shipped FAST. The following Monday (yes, three days later) the fiber showed up in the mail. It took me all of 3.2 seconds to split it into thirds and start spinning. This yarn was also going to be my first 3-ply.

I have been in love with this fiber since the moment I started spinning it. It spun up so well, was so nice to spin and was just plain pretty. Last night I finished each of the individual bobbins. Like a good spinner, I let my yarn sit over night.

After a bad start to the day (involving ice, a car door handle, and my pointer finger) my goal was to get this fiber plied up and ready to go.

These pictures were before I soaked it and set the twist, so please ignore the twist quality here. The final count is 241 yards. There is a tiny bit left over that I’m going to use to teach my self to Navajo ply.

Here is the dilemma. Remember when I said that I wanted to make socks out of this yarn? My other option was fingerless mittens (an obsession we won’t even get into right now). The yarn came out to be fingering – sport weight, not quite enough for a full size pair of socks. As I plied the yarn up, I realized that no matter what I do with this if there is two of it they won’t match.

I’m having a horrible time deciding but want to cast this on because it is so pretty… I just can’t decide. I need your help!

Leave a comment with your vote… ankle socks? or fingerless mittens?

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Maybe Next year

by Kristin Page on December 22, 2010

At the start of this year, I made a new years resolution. I was going to knit for myself this year and finish a bulk of UFO’s that have been sitting in my pile of knitting. I moved to a new house in May, a friend got engaged, other friends had babies, and then it was time for Christmas… Looking back at the list, I didn’t get very far.

July 2009 Rockin Sock Club

Blues and Purples Blanket

March 2009 Rockin Socks

Frosted Flowers

Big Purple Blanket
Elmo

Italian Shawl

2009 Socks

Pretty Colors Blanket

Leftover Sock Quilt

Fair Isle Scarf

Grandma’s Afghan

Whoops! Someone once said that January is selfish knitting month. I like that idea and I may have started a little bit early, since my Christmas present knitting is done. There is one “post Christmas present” that needs to be knit but as far as the rest of the knitting… it’s done.

I have been working on the Breakfast at Tiffany’s sweater on and off since Stitches Midwest in August. I finished the back a few weeks ago when I was taking a break from the Snow on the Swingset socks. I originally wanted to have it done before Christmas as the colors are green and blue in the sweater.

Needless to say, that isn’t going to happen. The November Rockin’ Sock Club shipment came in the mail and last week after I finished the Snow on the Swingset socks… I caved and cast on the Canopy Socks in the colorway “the skein with no name”.

Aren’t they amazing? I’m in love with the colors in this yarn. Don’t get me wrong, I love all of the yarns from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. This is by far my favorite that I’ve ever received. I’m enjoying knitting for myself while working on these socks… so who knows…

Maybe next year will be the year I knit for myself.

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A Mismatched Pair

by Kristin Page on September 6, 2010

I’ve been joking a lot lately that I’ve actually finished a pair of socks, they just don’t match. It’s about how my knitting has gone this summer. A lot of unfinished things.

I started out with the Slip Jig Socks from Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin Sock Club… I love these socks. They are such and easy knit and I want to keep going on them and finish them up soon. They are in the colorway “My Wild Irishgirlie” and are in the Socks that Rock medium weight. While the cuff is a little bit longer than I normally make my cuffs, it is working up a great pattern!

The only problem is, I declared September 1st the official start to holiday/baby/other people knitting.

Whoops!

Glynis Socks

That brings me to the second pair of socks. I started this at the beginning of the summer hoping to jump in on the Cookie A KAL with Round the Twist. Unfortunately the socks are way to small so I’ve later decided they are going to be a Christmas present. For now they are sitting to the side as I knock out the rest of the stuff I need to get done!

These socks are the Glynis Socks knit with the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Rockin’ Sock Club January yarn, which is the colorway “Firecracker”. I wasn’t a huge fan of either of the patterns that came with it and decided it was perfect to knit up Glynis in.

In the future with Cookie A patterns I need to make sure I get a better gauge that will fit me! These are nowhere close but they will be a perfect Christmas gift for someone else.

In terms of what else I’m knitting for Christmas/Baby, etc. I can’t really talk too much about it. Over the next few months I’ll slowly post about what’s finished and has been gifted / given and at that point the giftees will already know about it.

So for now… Knit On!

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47"

by Kristin Page on March 15, 2009

As of tonight I am at 47” on the blanket! I have a picture of 46.5” but i since have knit another half inch. Which means i have 13” to go, which means i very easily could be done in the next two weeks with everything but the border!!!!! I’m so ready to move onto something else, the white is getting to me… lol