You might have heard about this thing that’s been going on for a little over a month now. It’s called the Summer of Socks 2009. It’s this little thing where you knit socks during the summer right along with a bunch of other people.

Heard of it?

Probably not much if you’ve been hanging around these parts. Somehow my sock knitting mojo has not exactly been on fire. But at least I finally have an FO to show.

Leyburn Socks

Pattern: Leyburn by MintyFresh
Yarn: Socks that Rock mediumweight in Purple Rain
Needles: US 2
Knit: June 21-July 24, 2009

Yep. It’s taken well over a month for me to get one stinkin’ pair of socks done for SOS this year. This has nothing to do with the pattern. The pattern is lovely, well written and actually goes along quite quickly, especially on sport weight yarn. The problem resides solely with yours truly who has been distracted by about eleventy billion different things this summer. I mean, it’s pretty, it’s a sock, what’s not to love?!?

*sigh*

I’d finished at least two pair by this time last year and more than that the year before. Ah well. Just remember the mantra!

NO STRESS!!!

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go figure out what the next distraction will be.

Thanks so much for all the kind comments on my little sock pattern. I’ve gotten a lot of nice comments and seen it show up in a few queues in Ravelry and I’m very pleased. If you knit it, please let me know! I would love to showcase your socks here.

So I’ve had a lot going on lately despite the fact that I’m supposed to be “resting” on these days I have off from work. I’m not sure I know the meaning of the word. There’s just too much dyeing and spinning and knitting to do while I have the time!

I don’t seem to be knitting as much as I’d like lately, but then again I also haven’t been on the train as much as I usually would be. My first SOS’09 Leyburn sock is coming along nicely though.

I’m nearly ready to do the ribbing and cast off this one. You’ll also notice that it has a new home. When a deal for SOS members was posted I just couldn’t resist getting myself a Stitched by Jessalu bag. Not my usual colors, but I guess I really needed something bright and happy and this one definitely fit the bill. It’s quite lovely and well made. Thanks Jess!

I’m having a hard time believing that in just a few days it will be July already! Time to get ready for the next installment of the Tour de Fleece!

I joined Team Crankypants because, well… I think I’ve had a reason or two to be cranky lately (don’t even get me started on how I’ve been jerked around at work)!! Zarzuela’s Fibers is also donating a prize.

Speaking of prizes and spinning, you’ve got a few days left to join the next Zarzuela’s Fibers spinalong for a chance to win 6 oz. of custom dyed roving! You might even want to pick up some new fiber for your spinning pleasure.

Any of these 6 oz. quantities of merino tencel would make a lovely Quant or Button-up Neck warmer. Check out the latest issue of Spin-Off to find my inspiration for the spinalong.

As for me, I’ll be spinning up these little beauties for both TdF and the spinalong:

I took 4 oz. of merino that I had dyed in my Cloudy Day colorway and carded it together with a metric buttload of angora (that crazy bunny keeps making it no matter how much I tell her to slow the heck down so I figure I better get to spinning some of it!). The warmth factor went up about 11 million percent! I’m hoping to have enough yarn for a matching set of a Quant and Button-up Neck Warmer, but we’ll have to see how the yarn comes out. Even if I only end up with one of the two I’ll be very cozy come winter!

One last thing before I close for now. If you want to hear me briefly chat about SOS’09 and a couple of other knitting/spinning related topics go check out the latest episode of The High Fiber Diet. I was very flattered when Bams asked me to come on the show to explain what SOS was all about. I think I even managed not to make a total idiot of myself. So go have a listen! It’s a fun podcast and there’s also a fascinating interview with a Michigan shepherd on this show as well.

A lot of people have been talking about how motivating they are finding SOS this year. They are getting old socks finished, exploring new patterns and having a lot of success so far. I’d definitely count myself among them since I’ve finally finished up an old project that I started last year myself!

Piscean Socks – An Original Design!

Pattern: My Piscean Socks – available for purchase on Ravelry now!
Knit: June 5, 2008 – June 22, 2009
Yarn: Tess Designer Yarns Super socks and baby – 2 skeins
Needles: Size 2 US

I’ve written this pattern with a toe up heel flap construction. While written for a size 11 US woman’s foot, the pattern is highly adjustable because of the nature of the fish motif. It’s easy to add or subtrack rows in the body of the fish or to narrow them as well. I’ve also written the pattern for the magic loop technique, but it could easily be knit on DPNs or two circular needles.

The suggested yarn from Tess Designer yarns is a joy to knit with and works great for colorwork. You’ll find it in a variety of fantastic colors or you can use any other fingering weight yarn that will give you the appropriate gauge.

I hope you’ll knit a pair for the favorite Pisces in your life! Then again, who couldn’t use a pair of fishy socks?!?

Tags: Piscean Socks, Socks, SOS'09

I went back to work today for the 1st time in 6 weeks. Oye! In some ways it wasn’t as bad as I thought it might be. My desk wasn’t buried in stuff and things seemed to be pretty calm. The real drag was that our computer system is in the process of being changed to a new one and basically I got to work no longer knowing how to do my job. Fun! So I spent the morning catching up on e-mail and trying to get up to speed so I could actually do some work. It wasn’t awful, but by the end of the day I was more than happy with my decision to go on a M/W/F schedule for the next two weeks. I’m sore and tired and happy to be home!

I’m still unable to carry a backpack (the shoulders are still too sore) so SOS couldn’t have come at a better time. What lighter and more portable project for train knitting than the ever trusty sock?! Here’s the one I decided on as my first official SOS project:

This is Leyburn in STR mediumweight, colorway Purple Rain. I’ve had this in the stash for quite a while at this point and when I went looking for my first SOS project it just about jumped off the shelf at me. The colorway is fabulous (of course) and I could use a little of the semi-instant gratification of a sport weight sock project.

Of course there is another pair of socks on the needles that I really need to finish. And I suppose if I’m going to do that I should get away from the computer. I’ll tell you more about them next time, but until then, just think FISHIES!!!

Tags: Socks, SOS'09

announcements!!

First, thanks to everyone who let me know the blog was working ok. I’m fairly comfortable with computer stuff most of the time but I find these upgrade nerve wracking as heck! I must say, the Mac and the Fios combination made it pretty easy this time! Love!! Anyway, on to the announcements!

Zarzuela’s Fibers is open again for business!! You’ll find a lot of the same stuff you love and some new things as well! I’ve added a bit of Finn top to the mix which is a lovely, soft and wonderful fiber to spin.

I’ve also add another new product as well! Luxury Sock Batts!!

These batts are a new product I’ve been working on for a while. I’ve used BFL as the base wool, then added some hand washed, picked, carded and dyed mohair locks (from a prize winning fleece I purchased at the last Rhinebeck) and a touch of tussah silk all blended together in a batt that will have excellent strength for your handspun sock yarns as well as a softness and luster that your feet will adore! These babies are a bit labor intensive, so there’s only one listing in the shop right now, but expect to see more in future updates.

One more bit of shop news, I’m hoping to start a new spinalong very soon. Come check out the thread in the Ravelry group for more information!

In Summer of Socks ’09 news- We’re getting ready to kick off a new year on Sunday! You’ve got just a few hours left to enter the Button Contest. We’re also going to be having a special contest to celebrate the release of “Socks from the Toe Up” by Wendy Johnson (yep, that Wendy!) where you could win a copy of the book! Check out the details on that contest here. And finally, to get things started right I’ll be hosting a live webchat on Sunday morning. We’ll all get together and count down to 10am when we can all cast on for our first SOS’09 sock together. Check out the details here.

And on a personal note- I had a follow up with my surgeon yesterday and I’ve been cleared to start driving and go back to work. I’ll be doing a m/w/f schedule for the next two weeks to ease me back into the real world. I also started physical therapy today. I’m really looking forward to the day when this will all be a distant memory. Thank you again for all the continued good wishes! I am still overwhelmed by how supportive y’all have been in the last few months and I so appreciate it!

I’ve probably got another announcement or two, but how about we save something for another day? So what will *you* be casting on this weekend??

Tags: health, SOS'09, Zarzuela's Fibers

I’m back in NJ again and ready to share the crafty stuff I’ve been doing lately with y’all.

First off, on the way down to camp we stopped in Roanoke, VA for the night. To my surprise, DPUTiger was working an event nearby and asked if we could do dinner or something!

We had a great dinner at a downtown BBQ joint that we had been to before and then took an adventure out to find ice cream. The place was rather charming, what with the Big Ass Umbrella and all.

See? I wasn’t kidding. It was huge. HWJF couldn’t resist a picture (even with the iPhone at night). The ice cream he had was of similar size. I do believe a fun time was had by all and I was glad we could spend some time with Amy considering it was her birthday and I truly believe that No One should have to work on their birthday!

At bassoon camp, I mostly spent my crafting time spinning. I’m starting to think about fall shows for Zarzuela’s Fibers (which I hope to open again sometime this week!) and making samples for display in the booth. With that in mind, I took some of my “Blue Jeans and Leather Shoes” colorway in superwash merino and spun it up into a two ply yarn.

I sent this yarn and one other home with our friend Gerry who is a wonderful knitter and will be knitting up a sample for me in this yarn.

The other spinning project I worked on was sort of a test run for a new colorway and a return to making a true three ply yarn.

It seemed to take forever but I’m very happy with the results. It turned out to be a good solid sock weight yarn, which was exactly what I was going for. I’m not sure how many more skeins of this there are in my future, but I’m pleased with how the colors worked out in this merino-tencel fiber. What do y’all think?

There was also a bit of knitting on the trip. I’ve been in a “finish old projects” mood so I took this pair of socks with me that had been on the needles since last August!

Narraganset Bay Socks

Pattern: Narraganset Bay Socks from “A Fine Fleece” by Lisa Lloyd
Yarn: Brown Sheep Nature Spun sport (2 balls)
Needles: Size 1 knitpicks
Knit: 8.27.08-6.7.09

I really love the end product with these socks but knitting them felt like it took forever and a day. I thought the pattern would be interesting to knit, but either I just wasn’t in the right mood or knitting and purling just wasn’t enough to keep my attention.

The yarn was a bit splity and the needles quite sharp so that may have had something to do with it. Still, I’m glad I made them. I think they are quite pretty and will be a good addition to the winter wardrobe.

Lest you think that I’ve turned into a slow sock knitter, I spent the last week while I was home with my parents making up for my failure to get my Mom a pair of socks for Mother’s Day (nevermind that my surgery was the next day and I was a bit preoccupied ).

They’re just a plain old pair of stockinette toe up socks using my usual construction. I knit them in two different colorways of Blue Moon’s Sock Candy, alternating the yarns every couple of rows to blend the colors. Mom has wide feet in a size 10, so I was worried that I would have enough yardage to get a complete pair out of them.

I really had no reason to worry because I ended up with plenty left over. I knit these in about 7 days. Much more reasonable time frame there. I finished them just before we left for me to come back to NJ yesterday. Perfect timing.

Getting back to the actual trip away, no vacation would be complete without at least a little stash acquisition. Believe it or not, it took until just about our last day on the road for me to buy yarn. I looked in some of the usual places, but I think I’ve honestly gotten to the point where if the colors don’t call out to me or there isn’t something really special about it, I’m just not too anxious to buy yarn. I have plenty of stash to work through at the moment and with job concerns and hospital bills still possibly on the horizon, it just doesn’t seem that important. But we stopped at two yarn stores on our way back through Roanoke and I came home with these three yarns:

From the top they are:

Blue Ridge Yarns Kaleidoscope
Wendy Happy
and
Cherry Tree Hill Supersock

Not sure if I’ll knit them up or something else during SOS’09 just yet, but they’ll wait for me no matter when I use them.

So I think that just about covers it!

I’ve got grand plans for this (hopefully) last week that I’m off work. We’ll see how much I actually get done. I just want to thank you all again for all the well wishes I’ve received on my recovery. Things are going well and I see my surgeon on Thursday to find out if I can drive again and go back to work next Monday. I’ll keep you posted!

Finally, make sure you go check out the SOS’09 group later today. We’re gearing up for the start this weekend and I hope to have a good announcement or two to share. See you there!

Tags: knitting, Spinning, Travel

Yes indeed friends, we’re going to do it again!

The Summer of Socks 2009 will run from June 21st at NOON EDT to 10 pm September 1st!!

This year, our new mantra is LOW STRESS! Even before my current medical situation I had begun to feel as though SOS has, in recent times, gotten away from the original spirit of the thing. The purpose of SOS is to HAVE FUN knitting socks with our fellow knitters while learning from each other and sharing each other’s company. It’s not about competition. It’s not about who is faster, who is better, who is smarter. It’s just about HAVING FUN KNITTING SOCKS!

Therefore, there will be a couple of changes to the line up this year. Here are the highlights:

- SOS will take place exclusively on Ravelry. There will NOT be blog sign ups. Please join the SOS2009 group to participate.
- There will be one main contest and that will be the Socks on Vacation contest (see rules in the Ravelry group page).
- Depending on sponsorship, there will be a couple of raffles for those who complete a pair of socks during the summer. Details to follow!

That’s it! Easy peasy! So what do you need to do to join?

To be a PARTICIPANT, head on over to Ravelry and join the SOS2009 group. If you were a member of the group last year and didn’t leave it, you are already a member.

If you would like to be a SPONSOR, please send an e-mail to summerofsocks [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject SPONSOR – [YOur business name] and the following information:
1. The name of your business (again)
2. A link to a website for your business
3. A description of what you would like to donate

A list of sponsors will appear on the Sponsor page in the Ravelry group. Sponsors will be required to send their prize donation to me immediately upon confirming sponsorship. You will receive that information when you are confirmed as a sponsor. Sponsors will also have a dedicated thread where they may advertise specials for SOS’09 participants. Moderator Anne has agreed to handle the coordination of sponsors while I take care of my health. Thanks Anne!

WANTED: Postage donors!
Last year I had a few problems with sponsors getting their prizes to the winners, hence the change of all prizes coming to me first. However, this means that I will need to send out what could potentially be a very large prize package to the Socks on Vacation contest winner along with the raffle winners. As we all know, the world is in a difficult economic situation at the moment and I am not immune. Therefore, I’ve decided to ask for donations to cover postage expenses this year. If you would be willing to contribute, please send an e-mail to summerofsocks [at] gmail [dot] com with the subject POSTAGE. No amount is too small and I thank you in advance for your help!

That’s it!! Say it with my now, “LOW STRESS!!” Ah! Isn’t that better?!? If you have questions or concerns, please leave a comment. Otherwise, I’ll see you and all your socks during SOS’09!

P.S. Is there interest in a blog button? I might be able to swing a contest for a blog button design if there is enough interest.

Tags: SOS'09