King Charles Brocade

I finally finished these socks for the S(ock) K(nitters) A(nonymous) January challenge.



The yarn is KnitPicks Essential Solid in Pine and the beads are something I picked up a long time ago when I must have been dreaming of beaded socks. They aren't the greatest, but they certainly did what they were supposed to do.

I have two other variations on this theme which I will be finishing shortly and putting into the pattern. The King Charles stitch was easy to remember once I had the rhythm in my head - all I had to remember was that whatever I did needed to add to twelve, and that was about it.

(And I won't get the sock yarn review socks done this month. Too many distractions with the Olympics and too few days. At least it's getting warmer and brighter.)

Oh, my ... some progress

February is supposed to be such a cruel month, but it flies by like nobody's business. And here's me with not enough work done, not enough knitting done and not enough quilting done. Who's got time to get a life?

Some progress. I decided against all odds that I would do a Ravelympics project and cheer on Team Canada, so I thought - socks are small. I can design and knit a sock within 17 days. Sure.

Here's the start - JL Vinca, on 2.25 mm needles - and a mini-cable leg.



And here's the first sock. One sock. Only enough for one leg. And as I look, I still have two. (And thankful for two.)



The Vinca is a very loose twist and a fine fingering, so I have taken care not to split the plies. I'm not sure I'd use this for socks that were going to get a lot of wear, but I do like the colour changes, so I'll put up with it not being the best yarn I've ever used.

And did I mention I have to write the pattern as well?

Some progress

Not a lot of knitting this past weekend. We had a doozy of a snowstorm - no not nearly like what the Eastern United States had, but lots of wind and snow nonetheless. If I had nothing to do, it wouldn't have blinked. As it was, I was due in Winnipeg for Saturday night, so that meant a two and a half hour drive in and a five hour drive back. Me and Jiles, our Lab/Border Collie cross.

Thank goodness for small motels just when you need them. Jiles and I had a good evening and Sunday morning we had only to deal with the wind and the blowing snow. You see, it's not that we get so much snow - we don't - but what we get simply refused to stay where it falls. And it's not at all sticky, so the minute a slight gust of wind takes it, it's off. It's pretty when it writhes across the roadway, but it does make telling the difference between the shoulder and the highway a titch difficult at times. As it was, we had both - lots more snow and all of it blowing. And when the wind hits the big flat, there's nothing to stop it but miles and miles of miles and miles.

Progress picks:



We're started. This yarn is 55% merino, 30% silk and 15% nylon. I can really feel the silk in it. I like the feel, but I'm not sure how it will wear.

And the bright pink is very bright. Very bright. My toes will need sunglasses.

February Sock Yarn Review

February's yarn is Shaeffer's Heather in the Simply Sock Yarn colourway. This yarn was dyed specifically for the company to celebrate its fourth anniversary.



This yarn has 30% silk content, in addition to superwash merino wool and nylon. It appears to be a mid twist - a bit like Mama Bear's porridge - not too hot, not too cold. I'm a sucker for the colourway, having always liked rose and brown together.