2015: Year of the Frog?

So far, I've had to frog something EVERY MONTH. I usually have frogging-level problems (wrong size, bad yarn/pattern match, etc.) once, maybe twice a year. This year? Six. One needle issue, four size problems, and one pattern mismatch. This month's fail:

Allgäu Socks, started April 23 and frogged May 8. The pattern says to be careful with the starting braid, to make sure that's not too tight. That part is fine. I knit the large, but the slipped stitch pattern was still too tight for me. What's with all the patterns not working? It's not like I ever used to swatch, especially for things like socks! Oh well - I was getting bored with the pattern and wanted to cast on something new anyway. Sigh.

Basic Socks

I finished these on the first day of the conference, having only half a toe left when I arrived. They're much more fraternal than I tend to like, but they're warm and that's what really counts. Also they're finished. That's important too!

Pattern: None (Ravelry)

Yarn: Patons Kroy Socks FX and ONline Supersocke 100

Needles: US1/2.25mm

Timeframe: January 14 - March 19, 2014

Mods: All of it? CO 72 sts, 2x2 rib for .5", stockinette for 6" leg, 2.75" slipped stitch heel, wedge toe.

Problems: Ran out of yarn, had to dive into my stash for another five grams.

16 more projects with me at the conference. Three more days. Maybe I brought too much?

One for Me

My last Thujas have worn through. Malabrigo Rios is a nice, soft, machine-washable worsted, but I wouldn't recommend it for house socks; the merino loses shape and therefore wears through too quickly. Time for new ones!

Pattern: Thuja (Ravelry mine)

Yarn: Lion Brand Heartland

Needles: US6/4.0mm

Timeframe: April 13 - 24, 2014

Mods: None.

Problems: None!

Black Sock Down

It's the home stretch for holiday knits. One of the last few things on my plate are socks for Lee. Nice black socks in a yarn and pattern we'd chosen awhile back that I just hadn't gotten to yet, but now, I was finally going to give him some more warm socks to wear to work.

My work computer is very, very, very slow, and decided to be extra derpy yesterday, so while waiting for pages to load and Word to cooperate (never happened!) I knit on his socks and got almost the full 3" heel flap and a good chunk of the gusset decreases done:

Guitar Man Socks. They look great but black is so difficult to photograph!

Last night, we had a work party, and since we'd be taking our shoes off, he wore the Malabrigo Rios Thujas I'd made for him a few months back. Since Rios is not a generous skein, the legs are not as tall as one might like, but I intended for them to be house socks so I wasn't too worried. Of course, he was ribbing me all night regarding the length of the socks, and we got into a discussion of the heights of the legs of the other socks I knit him.

When I first knit him socks, I noticed that he always rolled down the cuff of his work socks, so I assumed he liked that height, and when I told him I was knitting him socks and I wanted to measure it so I made them the length he liked, he didn't object. Now, I come to find out that actually, he rolls them down so the elastic isn't a problem, and also, he wouldn't mind having another half inch to an inch on the legs of the socks I'd knit for him.

Of course, I already had in my file of knit measurements that he likes his cuffs at 5", rather than the standard 6", so I have to change that. Have you picked up on the problem yet? I already knit the leg of the first sock. To 5". And my only accomplishment at work Thursday was in fact the inches of sock I have to rip out. So, now that I've also mentioned that these socks are for him (work parties are all you can drink, and the sake was pretty good!), I think they'll be sitting in the WIP basket for a bit. At least until the other couple socks I'm working on are done. He should still get them sometime this winter!

Technology Hates Me

Technology doesn't like me. I never had problems with my laptop, and then about a month after the warranty was over, everything crapped out on me. The keyboard, the battery, and it just runs slowly and is evil. I've killed every thumb drive I've bought, my large external hard drive got fried, and my cell phone has issues. Today, those issues decided to screw me over in an interview call. I had a phone interview at 10 am. The charger was plugged in, I was sitting, nice and comfy, and I was cross stitching, waiting for the phone to ring. The interviewer called late, which is okay, but my phone decided to not ring. I get a voicemail at 10:09. No call, just a voicemail. No record of the call in the missed/incoming call logs. Just the voicemail. Of the interviewer apologizing for calling late and asking to reschedule since she missed me. I of course called right back on Lee's cell phone, trying to get ahold of her, but got her voicemail. Grrrr. Great way to start a Monday, right?

Ah well. Gardiner Yarn Works, who I test knit for, has their Fall/Winter preview up. I tested the Whitecap Socks pattern, and since you can see the official sample up on the site, here's a picture of mine:

Of course, I took the picture with the jog facing right out, so it's not the best side, but I like how they turned out. VERY quick socks to knit, only took me four days from start of the first to the Kitchener of the second. And I got rid of some stash yarn, go me!

Oh Yeah...

I remembered why I do swaps. It's so someone else can knit a pair of socks for my 10" long feets, and I can knit socks for someone with something like 9" long feets. And let me tell you, after knitting socks on size 2.50mm needles with a stitch count of 80 for 11" long feets, I am amazed at how fast the Monkeys are flying off the needles.

Monkeys, taken in the beam of sunlight at work.

Remember how I said at one point that I didn't like the socks I got from the last swap I did? I brought them out again, and they're not that bad. It was a mystery pattern, and the yarn just didn't go with the pattern. It's also a weird yarn for a sock, as it's a DK weight and there's not many DK weight sock yarns out there. As everyone in the Six Socks Knitalong is finding out. Sorry! I think I will do the Sock Wars, as I do enjoy the picking out of the surprises for the other person and the receiving of random things in the mail. I'm still not signing up until the last day, if I do at all, because I'd like to know what kind of yarn is required and I want to make sure I have gotten a good portion of deadline knitting done before signing up for more.

Also, the internets decided not to play nice last night. I got three pictures of the ten-ish I wanted to get out into the ether. So, here are views of the gorgeous Cabled Baglet, a pattern I wholeheartedly recommend picking up for yourself when it comes out. Quick, easy to make, looks great, and is portable so you can take it along if you don't have a purse sock. Also great for gifts if you need last-minute ones. I'm planning on using up all of my Red Heart leftovers on these (I can get like four more done) and keeping them around to use as gifts when I need them.
The pictures: