It's Soktober... Do you know where your DPNs are?

First Off, a bit of fall fun with these Felted Pumpkins. Overall a fun, quick knit. I knit them in the round avoid seaming and purling. The lighter yarn is some yarn I dyed a while back with Koolaide.



Now, on to Soktober. It all started well and I finished my Jaywalkers. The second one seems a bit tighter than the first, but hopefully it will loosen up with some time on the blockers. I really enjoyed the pattern, very easy to work on and remember and the results look great, especially given how easy the pattern is.



I used Regia Strato Color, and it wasn't exactly my favorite yarn. I liked the color, and it looks great knit up, but there were some random stripes of a maroon/burgundy color which just didn't really seem to fit in with the other colors. I think the yarn will produce a comfortable, long wearing sock. However, it really irritated my index finger as the yarn coming from the ball crossed over it; at one point the skin on that finger was peeling from the irritation. I don't think it was an allergy, but more that the yarn is a bit rough and just the constant rubbing was bothering the skin.



So, the Jaywalker's finished, I moved on to some Giftmas sock knitting. I have two lovely colors of Koigu KPPM destined for gifts, but I wasn't sure on the patterns. I finally decided on Monkey Socks for one of the colors. And that's where the problems started. I really hope I haven't caught kbrow's Koigu curse. First problem was that somehow, about half way through the cuff I must have switched directions. With normal 1x1 ribbing this would have been nearly unnoticeable, but with the twisted rib it was noticeable because the twist showed up only on the top or bottom half depending on if you were looking at the inside or the outside. Knowing full well that this is one of those things only knitters would notice, I almost let it go. But since I wasn't that far into the sock (and I'd also accidentally started knitting from the outside of the yarn), I figured I'd just restart.

So, I started again, still keeping with the bamboo size 1s (2.25 mm). I did the ribbing, and the first pattern repeat. About half way through the second repeat I was starting to get very frustrated with the blunt tips on the needles and how bendy they were. So I decided to switch to some of my Knit Picks Nickle Plated DPNs. Somehow, I then decided to use the 0s 2.0 mm). I don't really remember how I decided to go down a size, but I think it was because the metal 1s I had were actually 2.5 mm needles (silly Americans and their reluctance to use the metric system).

All I can really tell you is that it was a bad decision. I finished the rest of the leg, and got partway down the heel gusset before I decided to try them on. Now, these are destined for gifts, and the intended recipient has smaller sized feet that me, and much smaller ankles and calves, but they are just way too small, the calf part is extremely tight around my foot and there's no way they'd fit over the heel.

So, now it just sits there, taunting me. I know I need to rip it out and start again, but I just can't bring myself to do so. it is just so pretty, I'm loving the colorway and the pattern, but there's no way they are going to work. Yesterday was the first day in weeks that I haven't knit at all.

Sock Progress...

I'm back from my trip, and there was a lot of shopping, but not much yarn (and it was all sock yarn, that's not stash, right...?). However, I've made up for that since then with a trip to Isle Knits and an order on Elann.com. I think this might be the first yarn I've purchased in at least a year and a half. Though I may have bought something last year to finish a specific Christmas present.

Most of the rest of my trip was rather relaxing, which meant lots of time to knit. On the flight I had cast on for the Circle Socks, but, as previously alluded to I wasn't happy with yarn/pattern combination.

I just don't really like how there are stripes within the circles. I love the pattern (other than all the purling on small needles), but it needs a more solid yarn or one where the stripes are wider.

So, that was ripped, and I switched to the ever-popular Jaywalkers. This seems to be the perfect pattern for the socks.

I managed to finish the first one while in Washington, other that the Kitchnering the end, which I wanted to wait to get home to do. I knit the suggested length, but I kinda wish they weren't so long. I could rip out a few inches at the top, pickup the stitches and knit the cuff like a toe-up sock, but I'm having a bit of indescision about that. So, while I try to make up my mind, I've stalled a little on the second until I figure out how long to make it.

The first:


Second, in progress:


I do have a few other things going on, and I'm trying to figure out what to do next. What I'd like to do is knit a top for myself, but I should work on Christmas knitting. I'm hoping to get a pair (or two) of socks done and a few felted items, so I should get working on it.

Los Angeles Food Report and a Few Random FOs

Due to my new found (and hopefully relatively short-lived) freedom from the confines of a J.O.B. I decided to make a little trek back California and up to the Portland area. I was having a hard time planning the logistics of the trip because I was trying to coordinate with a variety of other people's schedules, but I bought a ticket on Tuesday and left the next morning (using miles which meant not paying crazy amounts of a last minute ticket). I don't actually have a ticket back yet, but I promise I'll be back.

I'm in Los Angeles now, and wow, I missed this town. Thanks to my wonderful host, In the first 36 hours of being here I manged to get three of the top 5 or so (food) things I've missed. First it was Casa Bianaca for pizza (mmm... sausage). Then Din Tai Fung (at the fancy new location) the next day for dinner, oh how I've missed those little baby dumplings! And Pinkberry, can't forget the Pinkberry (I tried the "seasonal" lychee topping, which was okay, but I think I'll stick to mochi puffs, kiwi and raspberry (or sometimes mango).

Tonight I met up with my two foodie law school friends and we had dinner at Father's Office (yummy burger and sweet potato fries but it was really hot and loud inside). Then we headed to Scoops for dessert; I think I'm in love. After sampling a ton of flavors I had Lychee Jasmin (which was vegan, but very creamy)and Pineapple Hibiscus. Other flavors were Raspberry Balsamic (yummy, but not sure what to mix it with), Salty Chocolate, Salty White Chocolate, Chocolate Jasmin, Maple Oreo, Basil Ricotta, Kola Nut, Coconut Cardamon, Brown Bread (vanilla with grapenuts), Raspberry Orangewater, and so many more (the flavors change everyday). I think I'm in love (whoops, did I say that already).

Food aside, since this is ostensibly a knitting blog, I'll post a few of the FOs I've managed to pull together in the last few weeks. Other than the socks, nothing very noteworthy, but here they are:


Embossed Leaves (aka, My First Socks)


Reverse Bloom (This was knitted years ago, but somehow I never wove in the ends. I actually though I wasn't finished with the knitting, but when I pulled this out to finish it last week it turned the weaving in was all that was left.)


Ball Band Dish Cloth (A quick knit when I was waiting for Knitting Olympics (that I didn't end up doing)).


Fishy! (The knitting has been done for months, but he needed guts and eyes.)


I've also got a few new things on the needles, but I'm not sure about the either's chance for survival, but that's for another post.

Just a little bit of fun!

Found him!

Noodle Knit

From The Scent on Green Bananas

Cookies

So far I'm enjoying my little freedom. I haven't done any knitting yet, but am going to try to swatch for the Diagonal stitch Top later today. I did bake some cookies (oatmeal cranberry) this weekend, but I think I've lost my baking skills, they just weren't that good. We ended up not baking the rest and just eating the dough, which was much better than the finished product. So, no photos, but I thought I'd share this video.



I've been reading food blogs like crazy and saving a ton of recipes. I've really missed cooking, so I'm trying to get back into it more. I want to tackle pie and making some cheese.

Moving on...

My first pair of socks is officially finished! And I managed to make it in under the two year mark. No pictures yet because I didn't have time to get pictures during the good light, but I'll try to get some soon.

In other news (that I think most of the few readers I have already know), I recently resigned from my job. I don't have a new one lined up yet, but this means that I should have plenty of free time to participate in the Knitting Olympics. Now that I've finished the socks, I'm trying to think of what project I want to tackle. I think a whole sweater is a bit ambitious, and I'd like to do something other than socks, so I'm thinking a sleeveless or short-sleeve top. Right now, these are my top contenders:

Diagonal Stitch Top is probably at the top of the list right now.

A sleeve-less version on the (rather boringly named) "Short Sleeve Top #5 from Vogue Knitting Summer/Spring 2005 is also a top contender.

The next possibility is the Flower Back Sweater (I think I'd do the high back version).

Another possibility is Rusted Root, but I actually think I like it better in the long sleeve versions. If I do a short-sleeved one I think I'll do the modified neck as the really high neck usually isn't very flattering on me.

I'd love to knit Coral, but I don't think there's an English version of the pattern out there yet and I don't know anyone who speaks Danish.

I hopefully I'll be able to knit from my stash (the whole no job thing and all), so that may dictate which one of these gets made. I need to do some looking and some swatches.

Anyone else planning to participate in the Knitting Olympics? What are you planning on knitting?