Empty Needles

From time to time, I have knit socks for my sister-in-law. She has small feet, it’s a quick project.

Her mother, who I have also known for most of my life, has admired Erin’s handknit socks. And asked me to knit a pair for her.

In August, I took my stash of STR-Mediumweight in colors I didn’t love up to the lake. And had Marianne pick out a skein she liked.


I essentially cast these on over Labor Day weekend. They took a few good long snoozes.

Shortly after I started knitting, I decided that a pattern would both add to the stretchy-ness of these socks and help keep me entertained. So that makes this my third pair of Holidazed socks, a Rockin' Sock Club pattern from (I think) my first year in the club.

Toe pic!

I used my favorite garter toe, knit for an inch or two, then was off to the races.

Marianne has extremely narrow feet and a high arch. These socks are funny-looking (and slightly overstretched on my sock blockers), but I just hope they fit properly.


I used New Pathways along with the pattern stitch, as usual. And once again, I’m happy with the results.

This leaves me with precisely ZERO active knitting projects. Really. It’s a strange feeling. I know the next pair of socks that I want to cast on, but if I’m going to do a “12 in 12” sock challenge, I need to wait a week before I cast those on. But really, it’s kind of nice to have a little bit of relaxation this time of year, isn’t it?

These socks are not a Christmas gift, so the timing is coincidental, not planned. But I’m really just happy to have another project finished. That’s a good feeling these days!

Marianne’s Socks

Pattern: Holidazed by Anne Hanson
Yarn: Socks that Rock Mediumweight
Color: Bumbleberry
Quantity: I’d guess about 2/3 of a skein. I have a lot left!
Needles: US 2/2.75mm 16” ChiaoGoo red lace circs (which I love, by the way)
Started: 2 September 2011
Finished: 23 December 2011
Mods: Plugged the pattern stitch into a New Pathways/Riverbed Master architecture

WiP Wednesday

Another boring knitting week. I actually didn’t do much knitting at Maryland Sheep & Wool, a trip that I’ll recap tomorrow. Meanwhile, back at WiP Wednesday …

My plain vanilla Miss Babs socks are chugging right along, but since I haven’t started the heel turn, they still look exactly the same as they did last week, so no new picture.

Shortly after taking last week’s WiP Wednesday photo of my giraffe, I went to knit night. While there, I finished the Giraffe Torso:


Yeah, it looks like a pear. I’m sure it’ll improve in appearance as soon as it has limbs and a head. Actually, that’s the back of its head on my DPNs to the right there.

In the car on the way to MDSW, I actually was a passenger rather than the driver, and did a little knitting. Sadly, my Chart Tracking System for the BFF socks is small-notation driven. I struggled through about 10 rounds, then got massively frustrated and gave the hell up. Still, some progress!


I have a sweater vest I should start. I’d give just about anything to show you even one warp thread’s worth of progress on the rep weave placemats, but there just isn’t time. Speaking of which, I need to get back to the writing gig.

MDSW recap coming soon…

WiP Thursday

Holy week that sucks. Tons of stuff to do before I leave for Maryland Sheep & Wool. Running out of hours to get them all done.

And yeah, I’m a day behind on WiP Wednesday. Sorry about that. These photos were taken on Wednesday morning, though, just like normal. Here’s what I’ve been up to:

Itty-bitty progress on the Miss Babs socks …


Another tiny little chunk of progress on the BFF socks …


A giraffe tush … yeah, you heard me. I finished it at knit night on Wednesday night. Now it looks like a gigantic pear. Started its head Thursday night …


And, finally, I managed to start warping the loom. Hallelujah.



This is going to be my first Maryland as a weaver. I hope I find some cool stuff and can stay within a reasonable budget. So I can have leftover cash for my weaving class next month. Geez, that’s right around the corner!

WiP Wednesday

Well, hello there!

First I was busy. Now I am sick. The Hubster was kind enough (?) to share the Epic Cold that he had the week before I went to Indy for the w’s hoops championship. It started with me on April 2. It exploded when I got home late on April 6. I’m still recovering.

And really? I haven’t knit a stitch since my running buddies and I were parked in Media Hospitality drinking beer during the men’s championship. Two Mondays ago.

Not only were “other Amy” and Katy super cool about me knitting while we watched hoops, they were kind of fascinated by it, which was kind of awesome.

So yeah. I can’t remember what Margarethe and the BFF socks looked like the last time I showed them to you, but I’m guessing it was a lot like this …


… and this …


All of the extremely scarce knitting time I’ve had in the last two weeks has gone into the Miss Babs socks. Three cheers for simple knitting. This is why I always have a plain stockingette sock on the needles. I love having simple to work on whenever I have a spare minute here or there.


So that’s about it. I’ve nearly slept through the night the last two nights (this is a Major Accomplishment), so there’s hope that I am finally on the mend. Here’s hoping I’m right, and the z-pack worked.

WiP Wednesday: Progress!

Hi! Two weeks ‘til I get my life back. Yay!

Meanwhile …

Got in a bunch of theater time on ye olde plain vanilla sock last week


Yay for moving right along.

Most of my knitting time went to Margarethe


Well, until Sunday when I managed to drop stitches while moving my lifeline. Oops. But after a trip to the Lace Hospital (my LYS, where lace knitters live and work!), it’s back and doing just fine. I have four patterned rows left before I’m in the Land of Stockingette. I’m actually really looking forward to that!

And, between when I had to put down my shawl and when I was able to pick it back up, the BFF sock got a bunch of air time. Yay, Progress!


As you can see, I got a couple inches past the lifeline for the heel. And in case you can’t see the actual change in pattern on the left-hand side there, here’s a closeup


Yay, progress!

WiP Wednesday

More short bursts of waiting time have let me finish the heel turn and flap on my Miss Babs socks


I did throw the heel lifeline in on my BFF sock, so there’s progress being made there as well.


I was chugging along on my Margarethe shawl until Friday night, when I had to fudge to finish Row 9. I took it with me to work, where Michelle diagnosed my problem. On Row 1. DOH! I ripped back to the garter stitch and went back to work. So far, so good. I’m through Row 14 and chugging right along. It’s almost time to start decreasing! On Sunday it was really feeling like the shawl was knitting me, but I’m getting better. And faster!


And now, back to the writing. Three more weeks. I’m almost there!

WiP Wednesday: Dear BFF

So there has been significant progress on my plain vanilla sock. Waiting for things here and there equals progress. I’ve finished the heel turn, now I’ll be decreasing away as time permits.


And my BFF socks got some air time at my two knit nights last week. On Friday night at my Borders group (soon to be moved. Store is closing. Sad panda!) I was cranking along, and I’m finally within a few rounds of putting in the lifeline for the afterthought heel.

I was certain I’d be cruising on the leg shortly after I got home from the store on Saturday night. Well …


But then I went to work on Saturday. And we hosted the lovely and talented Courtney Kelley and Kate Gagnon Osborn of Kelbourne Woolens (distributors of The Fibre Company yarns and authors of the amazing new book “Vintage Modern Knits”) for two classes and a book signing/trunk show.

The trunk show was my downfall.

They had every finished project that appeared in the book as well as a few others of their patterns. All day Saturday, Kate was wearing her Margarethe shawl. It’s a Faroese style shawl and it DOES have some lace, but it’s pretty minimal. And I just fell in love with the thing.

So I spent the afternoon and evening ringing up tons of Fibre Company purchases four our wonderful customers. As I kept watching the various colors of Road to China Light walk out the door, I realized that my options for colors for the shawl kept dwindling. As the evening came to a close, we had enough stock in one color that I loved to make the shawl. (Oh. I kind of wound up playing "let's make a deal" with a customer so she didn't sneak three skeins out from under my nose, but everybody left happy, so it's OK!) So I jumped on it!

I got home, wound two skeins, swatched and cast on 410 stitches. (Well, OK. It was supposed to be 411, but I fixed that before it was too late)




So, Cristi, I got a little sidetracked. I promise I’ll get back to task very soon. But last weekend? That shawl was calling my name. Sorry!

WiP Wednesday

I am not trapped under something heavy. I was just way, way beyond busy all of last week. If it wasn’t optic yellow or covered in dirt (translation: softball-related), I just plain did not have time for it last week.

As expected, I did not take one single stitch during my trip. I know some knitters are crazy-productive on the road, but I’m not one of them. I get on a plane and I want to read or sleep. That’s it. That’s the list.

So that actually makes it a little good that I didn’t have time to WiP Wednesday last week. Otherwise I’d have nothing to show you today!

The BFF socks are coming right along. With a little luck, I’ll throw in my lifeline for the heel at knit night tonight.


And then I will feel less guilty that Cristi is a Speed Machine.

The plain jane Miss Babs socks are cranking right along. They’re perfect for brainless knitting, which everyone needs every so often.


You may have noticed that those socks are no longer on DPNs. We went to see “Hair” at Heinz Hall shortly before the big trip, and one of my Signature DPNs tried to make a run for it. Thankfully, it got stuck one row in front of my seat. Which was good. I was picturing myself trying to explain to the Hubster why I was crawling under seats at Heinz Hall for an hour after the show. So those bad boys went back on my circs almost immediately.

That’s about it from here. I’m still super busy (but in much better spirits!), so I have to get back to the writing that pays the bills. Later, taters!

WiP Wednesday

I’m quite sure it doesn’t look like it, but I have been making progress on the mug rugs.


Yeah. One mug rug looks just like the other mug rugs. But the big news is on the back of the loom.


I’m running out of warp. Finally! HOORAY!!!

If you read my good friend Cristi over at Turtlegirl’s Bloggy Thing, you know that she and I are doing a KAL with one of the patterns from the January Rockin’ Sock Club. My favorite thing about the RSC is the Dyer’s Notes, and the notes this time around really did bring me to tears, since a lot of it was about best friends. Of course, Cristi was pestering me the the whole way through my reading of the notes trying to convince me that we should do a KAL. So I caved!


I cast on at Hurricanes last Wednesday and got some good knitting done during that game on Sunday.

However, I needed something that I could take with me when Hubster and I went to the Penguins game with my parents on Friday night. So I busted out a skein from the stash and was off to the races.


It’s Miss Babs, purchased at Maryland Sheep & Wool last May. The dyer herself helped me pick out the base yarn. I love it so far, and you can’t see it from the pics, but it’s on my Signature DPNs. A very enjoyable experience all around. Let’s just hope they don’t take as long as my previous pair of plan vanilla socks!

How Many Months …

… does it take to finish a pair of socks? In this case the answer is, apparently, FIVE. This may be a new record for me. I swear, it didn’t even take me this log to finish my first few pairs!

Full disclosure, I did knit an entire different pair of socks while these were in progress. Those were the Holiday Holidazed I knit for my sister-in-law for Christmas. But yeah. These socks were in progress for.ev.er.


I got this yarn and pattern from the July 2008 Rockin’ Sock Club. When I opened the package, I probably literally said “Crap. Pastels.” But I decided I was intrigued a bit by the Gumdrops pattern and the colors were just strong enough that I wasn't going to loathe them.

Cat Bordhi Riverbed architecture. Arch increases on the sole of the foot, New Pathways heel.

Then I saw Cristi’s Gumdrop Socks that she did for her sister. Toe-up, Riverbed, and she loved them. So I figured I’d take a hack.


Cristi got to put up with me while I brain-farted my way through getting started on the pattern. Fortunately, Teh Stoopid didn’t win and I was off to the races. Think Tortoise, not Hare.

This pair got bumped back up to the top of the rotation when I decided that Pavillion was inappropriate travel knitting for the Mississippi trip. Fortunately, they have rekindled my sock knitting mojo.

Toe pic!

There is certainly a rhythm to knitting this pattern. I may knit them again, someday.

Gumdrop Socks

Pattern: Gumdrop Socks by JC Briar (July 2008 Rockin’ Sock Club)
Yarn: Socks that Rock Lightweight, Goody Goody
Needles: US 1.5/2.5mm Hiya Hiya 16” circs
Started: 4 November 2009
Finished: 30 April 2010
Mods: Knit toe-up in Cat Bordhi’s Riverbed architecture from New Pathways for Sock Knitters. Assist from Cristi/Turtlegirl76 for her toe-up chart.

WiPing as Fast as I Can!

Hi there! Time for the one bit of weekly blog fodder I can count on in my exceptionally boring life!

Pavillion got a lot of good work Wed/Thu of last week. I’m a cable cross away from dividing for the neck, but I haven’t touched this since I got home (except for getting it out for its WiP Wednesday picture). I know I’ll get back to it soon, but the mojo is elsewhere at the moment.


After an exceptionally long hibernation, my gumdrop socks are back in the rotation as my primary knitting. Most of Bill’s female gameday workers made some kind of comment about the socks, and the TV talent for Friday’s rained out game asked WTF I was crocheting during the two-plus hours between when we were supposed to throw the first pitch and when we were officially rained out.


Of course, I corrected the boys in as smartass a fashion as possible, then explained what I was knitting. I learned long ago that if you’re knitting two of something and the first one is finished, keep that first one in your project bag. It helps the muggles figure out what the heck you’re talking about when they can see the finished first sock (or mitten or whatever).

Shortly after taking the above photos, I did a little more writing for pennies, then finished the heel turn on the sock you see above. I’m now back to the pattern and tapering away. If I remember correctly from Sock #1, this pair should fly from here.

Another Wednesday, Another Boring Post!

Hi! My life is boring and I have no blog fodder. Well, I have a tiny bit. I finished the gift for my niece with an assist to Sandy at Bloomin, who helped me muchly with the picot crochet edging. A FO post for that one will be coming once I get the ends woven in and the buttons sewn on.

Which means I’ve gotten back to knitting Pavillion!


I finished the second sleeve during the early parts of the Duke/Butler game on Monday night and was on to the 2x2 ribbing of the back by the time things got really interesting. Which was perfect, because what’s better for tense knitting than a nice simple 2x2 rib?

I’m also hauling the gumdrop socks around. They have seen very little action since you last saw them at the end of January, but here’s a new photo anyway:


Yeah. Exciting stuff there. But still, I’m going to get going on these again so I can move onward and upward to a happier pair of socks. Hooray!

Work the Formula

What do you get when you add:

Need a Christmas gift + SIL with ittybitty feet + Pattern you know is fast + STR Mediumweight

The answer? A damn quick pair of socks!



These are a “redux” of the sock I knit for myself back in May. I liked the Holidazed pattern that came with the November 2008 Rockin’ Sock Club and it went very quickly on Socks that Rock Mediumweight.



I “mirrored” this pair just like I did with my own pair


Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-Off

I knit the first sock in three days. Sock #2 had a Hippo-sized break between cast-on 12/13 (I knit to the start of arch expansion, then put it aside) and when I picked it back up last Thursday (12/17). Very quick, so it was just what the holiday-oriented knitter ordered!



Heel brought to you by the Riverbed architecture in New Pathways for Sock Knitters (surprise!)


Toe pic!

This yarn was a mill end I purchased in Maryland this past May. It had two ginormous knots that I untied and wove in. Hopefully those extra ends won’t bother Erin’s feet. Again, it’s a great pattern and I can see myself knitting it again. Maybe the next time I need a quick pair of socks!

Holiday Holidazed

Pattern: Holidazed by Anne Hanson
Source: Rockin’ Sock Club, November 2008
Yarn: BMFA Socks that Rock Mediumweight
Source: The Fold, 2009 Maryland Sheep & Wool
Color: Mill End (no colorway name offered)
Needles: US 2/2.75mm Hiya Hiya 16” circs
Started: 9 December 2009
Finished: 20 December 2009
Mods: Stitch pattern mirrored for second sock.
Plugged into the New Pathways Riverbed architecture.

Oh Hai!

Hi there! The trip to Arkansas was good and fairly low-key. Sorry the blog has been so quiet. There really wasn’t much of anything else blogworthy on the trip, although I did start and finish one project and get a good chunk of knitting done on a second project. And since we got home, it's been two days of running around like a crazy person trying to get caught up.

Obviously, there’s a little bit of super sekrit crafting going on. I figure that’s true for many people this time of year. It’s certainly true for me!

But here’s what I can show you:


OK, so I haven't taken the time to figure out how to widen my blog to 500 pixels yet. You can click the photo and see the whole thing in Flickr. If anyone with blogger experience can give me baby steps, I'll give the format change a shot!

After starting and finishing the simplest project I took on the trip, I needed something else to work on. Since there’s not much that I make that is more compact than sock knitting, the Gumdrops got some serious time. Arch increases finished and cuff started. I’ve even phased out three gumdrops worth of pattern on the back of the cuff.

Of course, that wasn’t the smartest project to crank on in December, but I hadn’t figured out this next project until Monday night, so it really wasn’t in a start-able place when we were packing a week ago.



This is a STR-Mediumweight mill end that I got in Maryland last May. I can see why the skein is a mill end since it has a few underspun sections, but it’s nothing that I’m going to worry about.

This is going to be a pair of Holidazed for my sister in law for Christmas. I hope. Wish me speedy knitting on this project!

I have photos taken for a parade of finished projects. If I can get my blogging act together, there should be plenty of content over the next few weeks!

Sleeve Island

Another thrilling week here at Chez DPUTiger.

There has been a tiny bit of sock knitting



Yeah, that’s the Gumdrop pattern from the July 2008 Rockin’ Sock Club with the kit-provided yarn. I’ll bet you never thought I’d knit that yarn/pattern, huh? Well, I saw Turtlegirl’s and decided I kinda liked them. Once Cristi helped me through the massive brain cramp on the first patterned row, I cruised right along on these socks. Until I put them down in favor of a sweater-finishing marathon.



Welcome to the knitting of the third sleeve on this sweater. By the way? The short row cap sleeve takes for-freakin-ever. ::sigh:: Once I’m done with the cap, though, it flies.

Oh, and why are my needles working on the third sleeve?



Because Hubster didn’t want to be a Pirate (think Seinfeld). Yes, he was wearing the sweater version of The Puffy Shirt (as pictured above) when I forced him to try on the sweater on Friday night. The next morning, nearly two full skeins (130 yds/skein) of knitting were wound into a nice little (big) cake as that disasterville sleeve was frogged away.

A word to the wise? When this pattern tells you to pick up what seems like a crazy-small number of stitches for the arm? Do it. I literally picked up 1 st per 2 rows between the armpit and the saddle, but it needed to be done that way to avoid Pirate-land.

I will close with a quick (but sincere) thank-you to all who have served in the U.S. military. Happy Veteran’s Day!