Black Sheep 2008

Sheep shearing with ye olde sheep shearing scissors. Are ya done yet??

Okay, I'm hot. Enough of this coat! I am NOT so vain.
Trying out the equipment (I didn't)

Shopping (I did)

Watching the busy spinners while I'm shopping...
Looking to buy things....
Nana and her mother, Yoko. My partners in crime.
Little girls with little sheep.

Is there anything better? Damn no! I had a great time and got some great new stuff to spin this year. How can you be in a bad mood around soft fiber? I actually bought a tiny amount of cashmere this year. Mmmmmmm.

Roses

I mean, they must be SOMEWHERE. It is the Rose Festival for God's sake. Oh, on the back of this Rodeo Queen's horse....

Then I headed over to Tom McCall Park to see Nana's Dragon Boat race...
This was their second race of the day, the first one ending in near Collision. This one they came in Second.
See, she doesn't know I'm there....
And then she does!!

Then on Sunday, day two, they got first place! Nana came by knitting in her gear just to have some happy-happy feelings....

Older

Yup, had a birthday last weekend. As usual, the focus was mainly on fiber. This year Paula was around (she's usually away on another job in the MidWest and misses it) and she made the best cake. Not only was the cake great, but it came to the celebration at Abundant Yarn with all the trimmings. Her fancy cake transporter, china plates and silverware, and the cake atop this cute old cake stand that you wind up and it plays Happy Birthday.

There was yarn and presents and my baby boy and flowers. All my favorite things....

Bigger and Better Than Ever!

Yay! Teeth! Sweater from Aunt Melissa!

Cal you all believe how much the boy Benjamin has grown? Since you've seen him he's traveled to Guatamala and Germany. At some point he may travel beyond countries that start with the letter G, but there's always Greenland and... No, he can go where ever he wants, although his mother at this point would prefer shorter airplane rides.

I had fun making this sweater for his 1st birthday and used some stash yarn and some antique plastique buttons. It just fits. I got the pattern here.

Was really fun and easy to knit and didn't take much yarn at all.

Sock Contest Winners!

Okay, the two completely random, eyes closed and picked off the list winners are....Jersey Knitter and Michele LB. I just contacted both of them. I'm afraid I don't have a picture of the yarn they've won because it's night time and I want to take pictures tomorrow in better light. But, I wanted to post this right away so ya'll would know who won.

Thank you so much to EVERYONE who entered. This was great fun and I hope you all got some more traffic to your blogs and sites and got a kick out of seeing all the collages.

Jess

I can hardly believe you are asking for this... lol! Your friends will be royally freaked out by me. lol! These are all from August onward. I have two pair I did in July, but am not sure if I need to include July... of course I'm sure this is PLENTY! lol! I didn't realize how many socks I knit... YIKES!I saw your post in the SKA group on Ravelry. I'm Itchy Fingers there.

My blog is in my siggie. :)-- JessRambling away at...http://artistjess.blogspot.com/

Cheater

Well, that's how I feel. I know it's a real method of spinning but this is what I did. I spun a single ply of laceweight merino and bamboo and then plied it with a strand of this lovely bamboo from Habu.

This is the still laceweight that I ended up with:

Maxfun

http://knitforjoy.blogspot.com/
Gull Wing lace socks, July 2007
Regia stripes, July 2007
my first Monkey socks, August 2007
Candy stripe Sockotta, August 2007
Granite Peak socks, August, 2007
WSU Cougar fair isle, October 2007
WSU Cougar stripes, November 2007
Earl Grey, December 2007
March 2008
Leafling, April 2008

Sarah

Hi Melissa-
What a fun idea for a contest! I'm eatmyoxygen on Ravelry, my blog address is http://www.eatmyoxygen.com/

sock details-
Cables with moss stitch - knit with Chewy Spagehtti
Fawkes - knit with Perfect Day Yarns
Monkey - knit with Cherry Tree Hill
Minkey 2 - knit with Perfect Day Yarns
Perambulate - knit with Zen String
Ribbed lace - knit with Zen String
Snowflake lace - knit with Perfect Day Yarns
Storyteller - knit with Knit Picks
Vicotiran lace - knit with Sknitches
Roundabout - knit with Knitting Like Crazy
Self-Striping - knit with Sknitches
Sell your sole - knit with A Swell Yarn Shop

Sarah-- http://www.perfectdayyarns.com/info@perfectdayyarns.comWe don't read and write poetry because it's cute. We read and write poetry because we are members of the human race. And the human race is filled with passion. And medicine, law, business, engineering, these are noble pursuits and necessary to sustain life. But poetry, beauty, romance, love, these are what we stay alive for. ~ Dead Poet's Society

Amy J

Finished Socks since July 1, 2007 (most recent first):
1. Seeded Ribbing by Charlene Schurch in Yarn Pirate Merino Sock in "killer bees" for my 3 year old.
2. Crosshatch Lace by Charlene Schurch in Yarn Pirate Merino Sock in "killer bees" for myself.
3. Wee Tiny Sock Swap Sock by Emily Ivey in Knit Picks Essential in "grass" for myself.
4. Fuzzy Feet by Theresa Vinson Stenersen in Patons SWS (Soy Wool Stripes) in "natural plum" for myself.
5. Pedicure Socks by Ruthie Nussbaum in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solid in gray and black for a friend.
6. Nine-to-Five Socks by Nicole Hindes in Knit Picks Essential in "grass" for myself.
7. Open Twisted Ribbing by Charlene Schurch in Patons Kroy Socks 4 Ply in "krazy stripes" for my 3 year old.
8. Lattice Stitch by Charlene Schurch in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Heather in "oatmeal" for my husband.
9. Pedicure Socks by Ruthie Nussbaum in Lion Brand Wool-Ease Solid in gray for myself.
I have two socks in progress, one in Austermann Step "nachtblau" in a simple k3,p1 rib and one that I'm designing in Crystal Palace Panda Cotton in "carib blue".I have two single socks for my 3 year old that I have no plans to make the mate to as they are outgrown.SIX partially knit and then frogged single socks:1. Broad Spiral Ribbing by Charlene Schurch in Fleece Artist Sea Wool in "seastorm"2. Monkey by Cookie A. in Fearless Fibers Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn in "wildflower".3. Barcelona Sock aka November Mystery Sock by Mona Schmidt in Fearless Fibers Superwash Merino Wool Sock Yarn in "wildflower".4. Twisted Sisters Socks by Erin Vaughan in Patons Kroy Socks 4 Ply in "winter eclipse".5. Breeze by Jennifer L. Appleby in Knit Picks Essential in "grass".6. A plain ribbed sock in Zwerger Garn Opal Magic in 1036.I'm AmyJ on Ravelry and you can find my blog at http://scatteredknitter.blogspot.com or my Etsy shop at http://prajnamama.etsy.com/

Jersey Knitter

Hi Melissa,

Congratulations on reaching your blog milestone and thanks for a great contest. Here's some photographic evidence that there really are a lot of sock knitters out there who really knit a lot of socks! (This bunch omits a few UFOs.)
http://jerseyknitter151.blogspot.com/ My Ravelry ID is also jerseyknitter.

Tiit's Socks in progress
Ruffles & Bubbles
Annetrelac Socks
Monkey Socks
Pink Queen of the Jungle Stripe
Birch Leaf Socks
Cedar Architecture Socks
Embossed Leaf Socks
Cedar Architecture Socks
Meadowlands Socks
Trekking 126 Socks
Sockapalooza 4 Socks

Razorknitgirl

I did 14 including the booties. I know there are a few pair that I didn't take photos of... holy cow do they add up!

Vicki

Hi Melissa,I just started knitting socks in October of 2007, and I've knit six pairs since then.They are attached in order as follows:

1. Jaywalkers, my first socks

2. Magic Stripes Toe-Up Socks, my first toe-ups

3. Hedera Socks, my first lace

4. Toe-Up Eye of Partridge Heel Socks, with crazy pooling

5. Toe-Up Seduction Socks

6. Kaffe Fassett Toe-Up Socks

I currently have five other pairs on the needles, and I'm getting ready to cast on more. Clearly the sock bug has bit me hard. I think this is such a fun idea, and I love looking at other people's collections.

The link to my blog is http://knit.vickilicious.com/, where I have full write-ups of all the socks I've been knitting.Thanks, and happy knitting!-- Vicki (vickilicious on Ravelry)

Angela

Angela's blog

JessicaRose

I'm Jessica (JessicaRose on ravelry) and my blog is http://pixieroseknits.blogspot.com/
My socks Since July 07
Justin's 4th pair
Justin's 3rd pair
Justin's 2nd pair
Lynette's socks
Uptown boot socks
Clessidra'sSweetheart Socks
Lenore Rose
Ugliest ever
Embossed Leaves
Amie's bday 07
Mystery socks aka Barcelona Socks
Monkey Socks
Waving Lace

Anastasia Socks

Nantke

Hi Melissa,I read about your great idea of an unusual contest on Ravelry and would like to participate :) Enclosed I send you pics of all the socks I knit since last summer. Only one pair is missing: The most boring socks ever, black socks in simple stockinette for a 75 year old man. After I had finished them I couldn't even bare to take a pic. Some remarks to the others:

1. Socks for my best friend, with the lace pattern from the Horcrux Socks.

2. Toddler socks for my nephew

3. Lacy socks from Regia Bamboo

4. Some selfdyed yarn with an improvised pattern on the cuff

5. Simple ribbed socks

6. Something lacy from a cotton blend yarn, given away

7. Simple stockinette, but strange pooling for the monsterfeet of my husband

8. Slipped stitched spirals from selfdyed yarn, given away

9. Broadripples from Regia cotton, quite colorful and given away

10. Wonderfully pooling socks for my brother, plain stockinette

11. Riper Rapid Socks, yarn is Fortissima Bamboo - these are favorites of mine

12. Thuja Socks from a cotton blend, another birthday gift

I just had to discover that I gave away 9 of my 13 pairs of the last months. This has to change. Thanks a lot for this realisation!

Best regards from ViennaNantke aka DeusXMachina (at Ravelry)

Jaimi

CONTEST NEWS AGAIN

I stated in the original contest email that we would stop when we hit 10k. I had not idea that I would have around 500 hits in three days. Crazy! It makes sense as a contest, but I'd actually like to have some more folks, considering that I'm giving away 2 prizes AND I want to see more socks. So....the contest will go for one more week. The end date will be May 2oth, 12 am, PST.

Good luck everyone and I'm loving your work.

So Close

As I write this there are about 19 more views to go until I hit 10,000. I know I'll be sleeping or something and miss the actual moment so I thought I'd write something now.

A little bit of revealing of self here. I'm a writer. I mean, I consider myself a writer. My card says, that amoung other things, I am a writer. I haven't been writing. I barely write here and in a way, I sense that my blog readers have seriously noticed this. When I really WRITE something, I get far more comments than where I post a picture or two...or ten.

So, tonight I will christen the next 10,000 moments on this blog with a departure. A poem.

Knife

Walking out onto the the edge, where all is
glitter
I wonder if I squint will I be able to
see the
drop off
the sharp dive
in the blinding light
or if I will trip
and sail over the knife
slicing
severing my attachments
dull and soft and heavy
on the way down
to the core
seeds flicked off the edge of
knife in August light
watermelon seeds black
in sweet flesh
touched by blade
this blood touched steel...
lazy wasps
gather.

**********************************
We will now continue with our regularly programmed knitting content.

Vegan Knitter (Emily)

The first sock is from a Cascade Kit. The sock is 100% cotton Cascade Elite and the pattern was called Lace Rib Socks. These are for me.

The second is a simple toe-up short row toe and heel using the basic pattern from Simple Socks Plain and Fancy with Regia Nation sock yarn for my mother, who is a Germanophile.

The last photo is newborn-size socks I made for a charity knitting event with my LYS group to raise money to clean up the SF Bay oil spill in the fall. I made 15 of them but only two were photographed.