Process
I am a firm believer in order of operations. Having a set of steps (and then following them) helps ensure things get done the right ways and that things don't get missed. Given that, it should come as no surprise that the books (or at least the patterns for the books) follow a set process. Step 1 is picking the yarn. Step 2 is swatching like a fiend. Step 3 is making myself a page of charts and notes (on graph paper, it has to be graph paper, I don't know how anyone writes on lined paper) for each pattern. [...]
One Down
The first sock is done! See? All the way done, right down to the pretty little toes. And don't worry, the little bars of yarn all lay a bit straighter when my foot (as opposed to the blocker) is filling the sock out. That's String Theory Merino DK in Didgeridoo. Now, 1 skein of that yarn has 280 yards. Knowing that I have big feet, and knowing that I wanted to make socks from this yarn, I bought two skeins. When I finished up the first sock (after the requisite amount of preening), I popped it on the scale. It [...]
Scoundrel
And now, the result of yesterday's little adventure (that is, the pretty pictures that will likely show up in some format in the pattern, as opposed to the one that shows off the moment of 'look, train!' that yesterday's post featured). And just so you know, these socks will be part of another mini book (something on the scale of Rabble Rousers). It should be out this fall in both paper and electronic versions, and will have 6-7 patterns (some socks, some accessories). These socks are going to be called Scoundrel, and they will be on the cover (it's about [...]
I Play Chicken with the Train
I'm not sure what you were up to at 6:45 this morning. If you are a sensible reasonable person, you were likely tucked up in bed, sound asleep. If you are one of those alarmingly industrious types, you might have already been on your way to work. If you are, by some unlikely chance, someone who writes knitting books and thus needs to take a lot of rather peculiar pictures (or the astonishingly accommodating spouse of such a sort), you might have been perilously perched on the side of a railroad track, racing against the rising sun, snapping sock pictures [...]
Because Math is Fun
If you've been around for awhile, you may recall that a scandalously long time ago (back when Silk Road Socks was first up for order), I went on Lara Neel's charming podcast, Math4Knitters. Well now that there's a new book, it seemed only fitting to swing back by and chat with her again. You can listen to it over here. Fair warning, we totally ramble! Also, some day I will learn to talk more slowly...but that day has not yet come. And also in the category of fair warning, the eversion of Knitter's Curiosity Cabinet, Volume II goes out tomorrow. [...]
Remiss
Yes, yes indeed I have been remiss. My magical socks? The super fast ones? Well they are indeed quick, but they are not quite self knitting. I'll likely finish up the first one this weekend. In the meantime, I think I've figured out why this yarn seems to be magic. When you look at it straight on, it is blue. Blue and purple and green. But still, the predominant color is totally blue. See? Ok, when you turn it and look down the sock, you'll see the yarn has a bit of a halo. That halo, quite perplexingly, is not [...]
Sockupied
Some time last year, the charming Anne Merrow, editor extraordinaire of Interweave's Sockupied, got in touch and asked if we could hatch a plan. Um, yes. The answer was definitely yes. So we plotted and planned. Swatches were made, yarns were procured, patterns were written, and socks were knit...all in breathless secrecy. Some time last September the socks and pattern went off to hang out with the folks at Sockupied, and I got back to my regularly scheduled programing. Then, earlier this month, I got to see the socks again...all laid out and with absolutely adorable photos (I swear Interweave [...]
Unabashed
You know how I said each book ends up with its own distinctive palette? Well, all the yarn for the next book (yes, yes I am already deep into the next one, that's how it works) is here now, and it appears the colors for this one are sherbet crossed with Rainbow Brite (what can I say, I'm a child of the 80s, I think I had Rainbow Brite sheets). All I can say in my defense is that I was picking these yarns in the middle of February and it was gray. I promise they actually work beautifully with [...]
Promising
I'm unreasonably taken with this sock. Let's get a picture up to show you what I'm talking about. The yarn is drop dead gorgeous. It's String Theory Merino DK in Didgeridoo and I love it to distraction. It's a smidge more purple in real life, but it was early in the morning when I snapped this and the light was all glowy and yellow and I do not love you enough to either retake the picture later in the day or muck about in photoshop to fix it. This is one of those magic color changing yarns and it plays [...]
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