Still Knitting Rainbows

 Well, the household goods have been packed up and shipped out, so I'm left with the yarn I put aside.  So far, I am past the heel on my second attempt at the Mary, Queen of Scots by RedScot.  These socks require attention, however, as there are three sections that have different repeats.  It is a 24 row repeat overall, but one section repeats three times in those 24 rows, another every 3 rows, and I forget the third.  Which is to say that I have no idea where I am without a row counter, so the knit companion app has been proving worth its weight in gold. 

I am back to knitting plain stockinette socks as well, but the yarn more than makes up for the boring aspect of stockinette.  You'd think that having knit two pairs of rainbow socks for men with GIANT feet - size 10 and 12, US - I'd be tired of rainbows.  Nope.  Still loving the rainbows.  Yarn is Martian Rainbows by Must Stash Yarn.

Being me, I had already accepted I would knit the heel of the first sock twice before I even cast on the sock.  First time to figure out how many colors were used and over how many rows (though, I am SURE there is a mathematical formula to figure out how many rows will happen if you are doing short-row heels), second time to make sure that the number of colors is split evenly across the heel.  It does mean more ends to weave in, but it makes me happy.

If I were knitting socks for feet smaller than mine, I would seriously consider trying to do stripes of every single color over the course of the heel, but that would be a lot of ends to weave in later and use up a lot of yarn.  But it could be absolutely worth it.  

In other news, we took a long walk with the dog to a localish pub and had sticky toffee pudding and a pint or three in the garden, before walking the 3+ miles back home.  Hard to feel as guilty for that meal for lunch when it is bracketed by 3 miles of walking.

I need more boring sock ideas

I have been doing online trivia with friends on Saturdays since sometime in 2020, who knows exactly when as time has no meaning anymore. The important thing is trivia and friends and Saturday, because that combination requires brainless knitting.

Which is why I think most of my recent sock projects have been started on a Saturday afternoon. It reminds me of the days when I hand-wound yarn in the car prior to seeing a movie in a movie theater. (I knit a two color striped scarf in a movie, once. I am sure I made mistakes, but worth it.)

Most recent is a pair of what I call boring man socks, as they must be neutral colors and nothing too fancy pattern-wise.  And while there are many variations to ribbing, eventually, they all blend together.

See? Boring. Marbled Black and white yarn, with a mix of cotton and nylon and wool. Perfect boot socks with a k3p1 ribbing.

I find it highly entertaining that I used to hate knitting socks toe up and now I convert patterns into being toe up. It allows me to try socks on and to use my sock ruler, which I am slowly figuring out. And it means I can use alllllll the yarn.

It also allows me to do things like change the increases on each and slightly shift the ribbing from one side to another. For this sock, the ribbing starts with p1 and ends with k2 across the top of the foot. For the second sock, I will reverse it. I am fairly certain that the recipient will never notice but it pleases me as I knit. 

But even now, with a large number of toe up socks completed, I find starting toes fiddly. I like a round, star toe, so starting with only 6 stitches means things are fiddly and DPNs often fall out. But with only 6 stitches to start, it doesn't frustrate me as much to rip it all out and try again when I have issues.

I expect to start the second sock on or before Saturday, so the cycle shall repeat itself.

3 months is about 12 weeks, so I will need at least yarn for 6 pairs of socks. Just in case. 

Advanced Planning Is My Forte and Yet..

 I am prepping for a transatlantic move this summer and that means being separated from my household goods for about 3 (or more) months.

Which requires careful planning, so that I have plenty of knitting to occupy me for those 3 months.  This is a tall order!  I've been avoiding (mostly) buying yarn because I have so much good stuff that I want to use.  So sticking to my goal of cold sheeping and carefully plotting knitting seems required.

I have my standard yearly knitting obligations - socks for my mother and for the Weirder Half's parents.  I often try for socks for his sister and brother-in-law as well. Unfortunately, I've already finished socks for his father (and sister).  

I pulled out two yarns for socks for me that I'm super excited about.  Must Stash Yarns Stripping Sock in Martian Rainbow, because some days you need some color in your life. 

 

And what is happier than a bright rainbow, I ask you?

I've also a skein of Katia Sock Seta Tweed II, which I used last year for GiftMoose socks and rather liked.  So the Weirder Half is getting a pair of socks in that in the very excited color of .. dull red.  It is improvement over neutrals, so I am still looking forward to it.  Men's 10.5 socks tend to take a little longer.

I also have a sock blank from the amazingly talented dyer Alexandra the Art of Yarn in a gray gradient that I am looking forward to playing with.  I just need to figure out how to wind the yarn, since it is two strands knit together for the blank.  That one is gonna be for me.

Way in the before times, I started the Mary, Queen of Socks from RedScot.  I knew I didn't have time to finish them by the test knitting deadline, but I made it to the heel of the first sock.  They are intended for my mother.  I started them in some Socks that Rock lightweight and having picked them back up again, I don't think it is a good match of pattern and yarn.  So I started again in some West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4-Ply and it is much better.  Unfortunately, the size large is too big in that yarn, so I need to frog and re-knit from the toe.  And since there's a lot of cables and the like, I am not looking forward to it.  However, those socks should take a while due to the cables and patterning.

Which leaves me with a sweater.  For me.  I think I have it narrowed down, but I am not 100% certain yet.

I am also debating a black, grey, and white hat from some of the left-overs from the Star Wars hat from last GiftMoose.  Must ponder.

I have a month or so before the stash is all packed up, so I just need to make decisions and be sure to wind the relevant yarn by that point.

FO: Boring Man Socks, 2021 Edition

First 2021 giftmoose present is completed!

Pattern: random ribbing with garter

Yarn: Alexandria the Art of Yarn's Diamond Lake in Chocolate.

Needles: US 1.5

Size: mens 10.5

Started: Feb 18, 2021

Finished: Feb 28, 2021

Yardage: 386, or 103g

I used the vast majority of the skein. Not a huge fan of the color, but I know the indended recipient will like them! Love the yarn - soft and squishy, and the resulting fabric is nice too. 

They knit up pretty quickly, for men's 10.5, at least. 

Things Renting Have Taught Me

Drawers, rather than just cabinets with doors, are immensely useful in a bathroom.

Being able to control water pressure/volume separately from water temperature in the bathroom shower/tub is also greatly useful.  

Paint on walls ought to be washable, rather than water-soluble.

Butcher block countertops near a sink are a Terrible Idea in a rental.

No floor vents for HVAC.

Long hallway for toddlers to run.