but who cares—they’re done aren’t they? the second ones should go fast and soon i’ll have two pair. now a few of you may remember that i originally started the brown ones for my brother. heh. yeah, i had to guess at the width, and once i got down to the foot i realized that even he, with his freakishly narrow feet, would probably find these tight. so, i made them into girl-sized socks which i will either keep, or give as a gift at some point. they are really REALLY nice—knit with the softest merino sock yarn from fearless fibers in the thoroughbred colorway. the yarn is fine, but when knit on a size 0 needle it makes a nice dense, flexible, cushy fabric that will work well for warmer weather.
the navajo ones (on the right) are MINE—all mine. MWAH-HA-HA-HA!
i won’t even try to hide the greedy i feel toward these socks. no one else can have them but me.
period.
i love knitting up the yarn i spun from spunky eclectic BFL. it’s finer than i usually spin for socks; about as fine as the fearless fibers above. but it’s knitting up plenty sturdy. these socks feel like a million bucks. and well, they probably ARE worth that much after spinning 700 yards of yarn, and hand knitting them on toothpicks.
guess what?
our book project is done. the last books went to print today.
six volumes, 6 to 8 books each volume—finito. we even had no work today becasue we got everything in yesterday. we just had to sit here, being available til 6pm in case something went wrong. a good chance to do some sock knitting.
we’ve been working on this project since september, and it was challenging, both in its production and in tems of deadlines. being a lead person on this project was sometimes stressful, particularly in the beginning. but i feel that taking on this role changed the way i am viewed at my job, in a good way, particularly by my boss. not that he ever thought poorly of me—no way!
it just gave him a chance to get a better look at what i can do. he’s fairly new at being our manager, so this was our first time working closely on something together. i feel i’m viewed as a more integral part of their staff now, rather than an adjunct.
so last night, since i didn’t have any work to take me past 6 pm, i put in several hours knit time on the starlight wrap. it’s getting long! you can’t see how long in this picture
but maybe i’ll get a shot of that tomorrow. i’m hoping to get down to the large-motif band tonight, but i have to admit, that is being very ambitious. i started working on the pattern, too, but haven’t gotten too awfully far with it. i felt a little scattered today without the structure of my usual day’s work.
i did manage to purchase some new software for making charts though. i’ve been looking at knit visualizer for a while and contemplating whether i should get it, and then realized hey! something that saves time, works on mac, and makes better charts than what i’m using now? why are we even thinking it over? plus, i can christen it by using it in the starlight pattern and see how it goes.
i would love to just shut myself in and knit all weekend. well, actually i would LOVE to just shut myself in and spin all weekend, but i am SO behind on knitting that i feel almost obligated to do mostly that for a few days.
but before i even do that, i have to get ready for my date on monday with my tax guy. which means lots of sorting and adding figures for a day or so theis weekend to get ready.
now, don’t yell at me for this, but i am terribly remiss about getting myself on a computerized bookkeeping system, which makes getting ready for taxes rather annoying.
i don’t have to worry about owing money, thank goodness, thanks to my paralyzing fear of owing money (don’t ask). i send the government payments whether i really need to or not. it’s just a question of how much we are going to get back, the answer to which we await with the bated breath of children on christmas eve.
recently a friend helped me set up that “quick” software for bookkeeping that everyone uses, so hopefully, going forward, i will be more organized. once i’m past monday, i am home free and can pay more attention to that. i am generally very good with money, if a bit cautious. i just don’t really have any system in place for dealing with it quickly and efficiently. i don’t understand bookkeeping, and how the heck to keep track of all the different things we pay for. but worse, i have an awful dread that i will forget Something Important, thus sending me into financial ruin. or an audit.
oh god, i have to stop talking about this now before i scare myself—i’m feeling a little weak and dizzy.
i’m MUCH more confident with this
thinking up something wonderful for this yarn. it’s Wistful from Briar Rose Fibers, a merino/alpaca/silk blend, in a DK weight. chris sent me a bunch of it to make a shawl, and i’m starting to swatch. can i just say—mmmm-MMMM. wow. this yarn is luscious.
i’m curious though—what do you think of a shawl in DK weight yarn? i have several directions i could go in. i could make something on really big needles that would create a very open fabric and knit up fast. i could make something on a medium-big needles that would be super-cozy and cuddly. i could make a triangle, a rectangle, or a lap throw. i could not make a shawl at all, but a little capelet, instead. if you have a yen for something that you haven’t seen out there yet, let me know—i’m all ears.
23 thoughts on “two socks do not a pair make”
Even if it’s not a matching pair, at the very least they are two finished useful objects on their way to being pairs of socks very soon! I think it’s great that you and you alone are getting those beautiful spunky socks! My brain is on socks right now anyway, as for your shawl question–I’m not sure, maybe a capelet.
Please, please, please, a snuggly shawl knit on medium large needles. I simply won’t live long enough for a laceweight shawl, your designs are so lovely, I know you can do a beautiful heavier weight shawl. 🙂
They are beautiful socks – I totally covet your navajo socks (guess I’ll have to spin myself some…) The wrap is looking good – I’m enjoying seeing it progress. As for a dk weight shawl, I just finished one in sport – dk handspun, with a fairly tight knit, and it’s so nice to wear mornings and evenings in the house… Almost like a sweater, but more elegant.
The navajo sock is absolutely beautiful! Oh how I wish I could spin …
Beautiful socks! I’m so jealous….especially after casting on my jaywalker socks 3 times tonight!! As for a dk weight shawl….something warm and cuddly. I want something to wrap around my shoulders in the evening when I’m hanging out or in bed while I’m reading.
Hi Anne,
Did you see my Shetland Triangle at SPA? Check it out. I think that yarn is practically DK weight. It is larger than expected for me, but very scrumptious.*
Yay for finishing early and having some much needed down time. The socks look great.
I say go with a lap throw. That would be so nice to cuddle under.
Those Spunky socks are really beautiful. How thin was each single, estimated?
Beautiful socks. The Navajo ones are da bomb baby!
I struggle with what I consider greedy knitting too. But now my motto is “It’s my hobby!” If I paid for the materials and spent my time on it, then I’m not being greedy it keeping it for myself. I being generous if I ever give one little bit of it away!
You could start a new trend — non-matching socks on .. ummm … Fridays! That Briar Rose looks yummy!
My “Hypoteneuse” is working well in DK weight yarn, but it’s going to be a bit weighty when it reaches its full five feet. (That’s fine, because it’s for a guy–it’s “man lace”, after all.) Thus, for your upcoming DK project, I’d vote for a cuddly capelet or shoulder shawl. If you go for a larger openwork shawl, I know that I’ll like your design, but I hope that you’ll use the smallest possible needles. I really dislike (1) working with large needles, and (2) the look of fabric knit with large needles.
Hello Anne, the socks are lovely. For the shawl in DK, if it was me doing it I’d go for medium-big needles and super-cozy. I think a capelet is a great idea. It could be very practical for work! Can’t wait to see what you turn out 🙂
Folk Shawls is full of heavier-weight shawls, and I personally love them! My first shawl ever was the Highland Triangle, and I keep meaning to make another one, for ME. 😉
Thicker yarn means the shawl is a) warmer and b) faster to complete–it’s a win-win situation.
LOVE the idea of a rectangular shawl on size 6 or so needles, something snuggle-able!
Those socks are fabu, if lonely for their mates-to-be. I’m sure you’ll rectify the “to-be” part soon, though.
I have a similar picture on my weblog from about a week ago of non matching socks. Their mates are in the works and I should have one matching pair by tomorrow night! Yours are beautiful. I can’t help with the shawl bit, I am in sock mode. Good luck with it and glad you finished the books!
You’re a brave soul asking for opinions! Good luck finding a consensus. 🙂 The yarn looks lovely.
I’m looking forward to seeing Starlight when it’s done. I’m more of a rectangle/wrap girl.
I thought of you yesterday when we had such warm weather– it would have been a great day for bike riding aside from the enormous amount of water there is everywhere. I spent an entire week home working on the new house. Yay!
Your socks ROCK!
I simply love the shape of the toe section. I am completely new to sock knitting and just had my first sock class but it is a pattern knitted down and the way the toe is shaped is not to my liking.
What pattern did you use?
The Navajo is enviously beautiful 🙂
a snuggly shawl sounds deliscious.
I’m using Briar Rose, I think Grandma’s Blessings on a pair of Jaywalkers and I love the hand. Your socks look great, and I love your attitude – your halfway to 2 pair of socks!
The socks look really great!
I have been doing a lot of thinking about shawls/wraps in DK weight yarn lately, so I was excited to see that you were going to create something out of that GORGEOUS yarn! I live in the Central Valley of California where it doesn’t get very cold. So I have been thinking about knit wraps that could be paired with a jean jacket or corduroy pea coat to help keep the neck and shoulders warm. Bigger than a scarf and heftier than a lace/fingering weight shawl (but perhaps not as big).
YAY! Nothing like having a big project out of the way. Such a sense of satisfaction!
I think something warm and squishy suited to that beautiful yarn. Definitely bigger than a capelet. Somthing more ruana-esque?
matching or not – still a pair! 🙂 congrats on having the big project done and gone!
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