Being house-bound with sicko kiddos at least had one benefit...time to quasi-catch up online. The kids are happy with movies under blankets on the couch, the baby is happy to snuggle on my lap (OK, let's be real..."refuses to leave my lap, grows claws when removal is attempted, and howls like a banshee when floor contact is made"...much more accurate), so I'm happy to surf. Perusing some of my fave blogs I stumbled across post after post about SOS 2007. And the vague recollection of having heard about it on Lime and Violet. And an even more tenuous memory of rushing over and joining up. Did I really do something so foolish as to put MORE on my plate? Checking the SOS blog, yep, seems I did.
Missed the kick-off by a cool 2 1/2 weeks too. So, after checking to see if I was still in the game, not banished for life for being a total and complete dunderhead, with much catching up to do, I pulled out the hooks. It's not "sock" yarn, but I decided to use some of the Cestari cotton/wool stash to whip up some comfy crocheted house socks pronto. All things happen faster with DK weight, right? And let's face it folks, crocheted socks aren't terribly shoe friendly anyway, so might as well make the most of what they are, which is super warm and squishy. Since Wednesday, I have 1 down, 1/2 to go:
Using the lace pattern out of the crocheted sock bible: Crocheted Socks! by Janet Rehfeldt and Mary Jane Wood. Some tweaking of heel and toe required with the gauge change, but with trying it on frequently that just kind of works itself out as you go along.Normally I prefer an elastic yarn (like MegaBoots Stretch or Cascade Fixation) for crocheted socks. By it's nature crochet has little "give" and the stretchy yarn makes up for it a bit. So, these are getting a bit stretched out as I pull them on and off veeeeeeery gingerly, but I think it will all be OK. The finished one is a treat for the feet. Now if we only hand snow and icy hardwood floors....SIGH, winter's so far away!
My plan is to be working on one "challenge" sock and one "easy peasy" sock at a time. For now, crochet will hopefully help me make up for lost time. I want to design a ripple sock too. Maybe granny if I can figure it out. Whee! On the knitting front, this shall be my grand opportunity to make a pair of Jaywalkers and I have my heart set on the new Bellatrix and Fawkes patterns on Socktopia if I can manage them. Even have a skein of Lisa Souza Earth Birth that will be perfection for the Fawkes.
Socks may just save the summer.
...and my secret pal must have been reading my mind. My last package was laid in my grateful little hands by my smiling post-woman this very morning, and here is what I found:
WHOOT!
2 sets of Susan Bates DPNs (a little leery of the metal, but hey, I'll give it a whirl) in the perfect sizes to make the most of my new sock yarn! 2 skeins of Dreams in Color! 2 Skeins of an Italian wool blend that I am too lazy to walk downstairs to find the name of but promise I will put it in next time! The colors are great, so great in fact that I think I shall have to make the Dreams in Color in to an abbreviated Clapotis. Can you imagine breezing through next winter with the yarn equivalent of the Caribbean wrapped around you? I can now!
SP Miranda, you are the greatest!
4 comments:
Ooooh! Crochet socks :) I've been wishing something like that came up on my list for some time now, nice.
If you go and check out last weeks link of the week on the SOS blog, you'll even see a sock pattern in crochet designed to be comfertable to wear in shoes, just to tip you off on that ;)
and lastly, I'll might steal your idea and make the fawkes pattern in some earth birth in my stash, pretty pattern, gorgeus yarn, think it will be a good combo.
I have found myself highly amused by your blog and am almost ready to add my name to the secret pals thing. I also am a stay @ home mom and an insane crafter. I can't keep my crafting to one type but I am obsessing on crochet right now. Hope the kids feel better soon.
Love the SP package and color of that sock yarn! Had to laugh out loud at your comment about the baby "growing claws" when you try to get up - you are so funny!
I have the same crocheted sock book, and it's great. So many ideas! I've been reading the SOS - how on earth are people keeping up the pace?!
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