Apparently I've been living under a rock. Thank you Turtlegirl for making me aware of the mystcal circustances. Never knew that the company called "Mystical Creations Yarns" got itself in big trouble. Stories of bleeding yarn, orders being late or not filled at all, felting and tangling.... Just check out this thread on ravelry.

I'm taking the MCY out of the drawing, but I do have something in it's place:


Opal Hagebutte. I got two by mistake :)

a brighter note

After a couple of busy days, I have a promiss to keep. I'd like to give some yarn away.

Regia 4-fädig Nordic Color nr. 5510. Bought it with my dad in my mind years ago (ahum) and forgot all about it. My dad likes blue better.





These two balls were purchased on Etsy. They are of a brand called Mystical Creations Yarns, colorway Golden Sierra. I've tried many differfent kinds of socks, but they were not meant to be my socks. Maybe you could make a nice shawl out of them?








Leave a comment and tell me which one you'd like. I'll draw a winner on... next Tuesday

burden

I had my birthday Tuesday. Couldn't blog about it untill now - too much to do, too little time - but it wasn't really something to brag about either. On the one hand my friends - the ones who actually showed up - were great. Didn't get a yarny gift, but hey, I have plenty-o-yarn at home.

On the other hand - or other side of the room - my mother sat moping and groping, ignoring a particular person in the room. The one I've been sleeping with. The one with three (lovely) kids. The one with the divorce. The one who's 12 years older.

My mother was a 10 year old Tuesday. I can't really blame her for her behavior, but I do blame her for the burden she has put on my shoulders. I can't make her happy.

Tomorrow a more cheerfull post and a yarn giveaway....

Nice things

Done.



specs:
- Noro Kureyon Sock yarn and Regia Solid Black
- Spey Valley by Nancy Bush (but with a twist cause I casted on too many stitches for the third time)
- 2.00 mm needles
- 72 stitches for size EU 44 feet

The start of this project was a bit of a pain ( check this post) but was soon forgotten. It took a while to finish these socks - there were many time-limited-projects in between - but since there's no rush to finish them I took my time.

The Yarn
The reviews I read on ravelry rave about the colors of this yarn and I agree. The shifting colors are so well picked and put in a sequence. And the rural look is something that appeals to me. I hope these socks will last long, eventhough there are uneven spun parts and it doesn't seem very strong (you can pull it appart without using a lot off force). I can recommend 2mm needles. Making these socks took some persistance as the yarn is rough on the hands (but really softens up after washing!) and has little give. Hope that the ribbed pattern will keep the socks up nicely. Tried elastic thread on the cuff but I HATE KNITTING WITH ELASTIC THREAD.

The Needles
Knitpicks metal needles.... a dream for this yarn! Smooth, but not slippery. Good hold, but bendy however. I squeeze needles.

The Pattern
I just used half of the pattern and it was okay. I do tend to be cautious with the sizing of Nancy Bushes socks. Either her models have big legs, or mine are thin. They are usually too big for me so I choose a smaller needle size.

These socks will be given on a special, very special occasion. They have a lot of love in them and I know that the recepient knows their significance.

We're having a baby!

Me and my appletree, that is :)



My dad got this tree from a befriended fruittree-cultivator (really don't know the right word for 'person who grows trees for a living', boomkweker). It's an offspring of Newton's gravity theory tree and this is it's first apple. A little miracle considering there isn't another fruittree in the area and bees are just not interested in this area considering the current trent in gardening.

Meanwhile, I've chosen to knit on the Spey Valley 'with a twist' socks. Getting closer to the toe of the second sock...

After finishing the last two pairs of socks I really felt divided between two urges. Casting on a new pair or go on and finish some other things lingering in the WIP-bin. In my 2009 stash basket there's a pair of Rivendell socks waiting to be cast on in Aracunia yarn. There's a pair of Cookie's Ornette socks in Lang Jawoll. Just needs to be knit. My fingers were itching, but...

No. I'm going to clean up the project in progress pile a little first.

There are four pairs of socks in my stash that need attention. First I grabbed the pair of flickering flames socks in Mystical creations yarn. Knit a row. Knit another row. No. I don't like it. Not even a bit. So I ripped it. I'll either give away the skein or try something not-sock with it. Maybe try to get the colors to pool on scarf? It's just not ment to be socks.

Then, I picked up Lorna's Laces in Flames. Yes, this is going to be just perfect for working fair isle with black yarn on the leg. (The Flame colorway on it's own is just not my thing) But where's that skein of black regia gone to? Ow.... that's right. I'm using this for the heels and toes on the Noro socks.

Wat is wijsheid? How to proceed now? Should I finish the Noro socks first (they are for a friend, thought he won't get them untill fall this year) or have a go at the fair isle socks first? Why did I stop knitting on these socks after casting them on, giving them my time for a while?

Men, and the socks we make them

After a long period of not finishing anything, I finally got around to finishing two projects I was working on. Both of them are presents for men that had their birthday weeks ago, but they will be well received anyway.

The socks on the left are for a dear friend who's been nagging about getting a pair of pink socks for his bigfoot feet for ages.

Yarn: Scheepjes Noorse sokkenwol and Bravo acryllic by ????

Needles: 4mm Size: EU46

Then, the next finished pair of socks is a really simple pair of stockinettes for a smaller footed boyfriend of a best friend. A simple knit, but so satisfying. I did break 4 bamboo needles on these, though. I sat on the project once (and broke 2 needles) and two snapped in my hands.

Trekking Ombre in a Dark Blue colorway. 72 stitches on 2mm needles (I actually thought I was doing them on 2.25mm needles until the first two snapped :).

What to do next? I still have 4 pairs of socks on the needles, a pair of fingerless gloves and two sweaters. Hmm. Maybe cast-on a new pair of socks?