Mystery Sock Madness

I am officially out of the Sock Madness competition, and I must say that is was an eye-opening experience. I learned many valueable lessons.

On Sock #1, I leared how to do an afterthought heel.

On Sock #2, I learned how to do Fair Isle colorwork.

On Sock #3, I learned how to cable without a cable needle on 2.25mm needles.

On sock #4, I learned the importance of loving the yarn that you use for a project.

So, while knitting my Ishbel Shawl as therapy, I decided to peruse Ravelry and came across The Mystery Sock from The Knitter's Brewing Company. Mystery Sock KAL details can be found HERE! I couldn't resist. I casted on on May 5th. The second portion of the pattern was released on the 5th, so I figured I wasn't too far behind, and with all that Sock Madness bootcamp training, it would be a piece of cake. Yeah, right!!!

Problems have arised, but I am determined to work through it.

First of all, the sock has 99 beads attached on each foot. So, I sorted through my bead collection to find some beads that were supposed to be part of the "Secret of the Stole" KAL from eons ago. So, I got the pretty beads, and matched it up with some stash yarn. Lo and behold, I find some Socks that Rock mediumweight in Cobalt Bloom. Yippee!! It is a harmonious blend of tans, purples, and pinks. The beads are pinkish and have a pearlescent tan shimmer, so it is perfect. Or, so I thought.

I rush to cast on, and grab a needle that I thought was a size 0. It turns out that it was a size 1. However the pattern calls for a size 1 needle....I keep reading.. the sock is 66 stitches. Well, I used a 0 on my sock madness #1 sock, and it worked out fine with my Socks that Rock. OK... cast on. (At this point, I still don't realize that I am using a size 1 needle).

26 rows later, a row away from the end of clue #1, I decide to try on the sock. It is way too big and I am astonished. So, I check my needle stash again. Duh!!! I finally find the size 0 for real this time. RIIIIPPPPP!!!! Cast on again.

So, I am happily on to Clue #2 today, and I figure that since I have a longer length of the sock, that it is worth giving it a try. Here are my results.

Not quite the fit I wanted, and the yarn feels very stiff. I double check the gauge. I get 9 sts per inch. The pattern calls for 36 sts/4 inches. Ummmm.. last time I checked 36 divided by 4 is 9. What is going on? So, I feel like I am about to cry, and wonder if I have any MMMMMMalabrigo sock yarn that will do the trick, since it is really soft, and thinner than the STR Mediumweight. Then I remember.... tadaa!!!.... I have some Archangel that has been sitting in my stash.

I hold the beads up to it, and look at how lovely it glistens.
So, I am about to embark on another casting on journey. Since the pattern calls for 66 stitches, and there are holes and lace, I have decided to use my size 0 AGAIN!!! Three times better be the charm. The 3rd clue comes out on Saturday. Eek!!

On a better note, I recently received a yarn order from WEBS. When I went to the actual store a few weeks ago, I took a pair of shoes with me to match up to any worsted weight I could find. I got the exact color in Madelinetosh's Worsted. The colorway is called Norway Spruce. I am thinking that this will be a Francis Revisited, and the leftover yarn will make a shawl. Possibly, a Springtime Bandit, unless I fall in love with another pattern. I need to have two options to wear my pretty shoes. Sadly, the store didn't have 8 skeins in the showroom, so they made a special order for me. I am so happy. My sock blues are a thing of the past.

On to some more fun news.......Yesterday I attended the Veet Spray On Sioree Summer Kick-Off event. I decided to enjoy a little facepaint since Veet's slogan is "What beauty feels like". Here is a picture. Of course, you know they had to decorate the place pink to match my personality. I loved it!!

The Fiber Fix

On Friday, I woke up to this lovely sight.

I received my package from The Fiber Fix. They have MMMMMmmalabrigo on sale!! Woohoo!!

I ordered Stonechat Worsted to make Springtime Bandit. I ordered Solis to make Ishbel. After I saw Sharon's, I fell in love. I decided on the Solis Colorway because I wanted it to match a jacket that I have.
So, before I go on about my knitting I just want to talk about Vanessa from the Fiber Fix. A little over a year ago, she became my Ravelry Buddy because she had a few questions about the Central Park Hoodie. She has since made a second one from the top down. She has somehow figured out the secret to converting bottom-up patterns to top-down. She has also made a top-down Vaila that is awesome. So, now a year later, she has opened an online yarn store. Her customer service is amazing and she goes above and beyond to ensure that her customers are happy. I was confused about which color would match my jacket. She sent me a picture of the skeins that she had and let me choose the exact skein that I wanted. It is a perfect match! I also got my yarn in 3 days. The Fiber Fix is awesome. She also let me in on a little secret. She will have a few more yarn brands appearing soon that are just as delicious as Malabrigo. But, I am sorry. I can't divulge the information. I have been sworn to secrecy. So, you will just have to visit the site to check it out. Haha!!

As for my Sock Madness socks, it was brought to my attention that I did the wrong cuff. I did a K2P2 when the directions clearly stated K1tbl, P1. I must have been really tired. So, I had to redo it on Friday. Arrgghh!!! Thankfully I kept my spot in the competition.

I was also able to finish the Peapod Baby Sweater in time for the baby Shower. I made the hat the day of the shower. The shower started at 5. I showed up at 6:15. The mommy-to-be showed up at 6:45. Whew!! That was a close one. She absolutely loved the outfit! She said that she knew she had to get something handmade from me.

Here is a picture of the hot mama!!

An angel wing caught in a WEB!!!

Sock Madness 3 is in full swing, and I have made it through to the third round. The name of this pattern is Talia's Wings (Ravelry link) . I am using Colinette Jitterbug in the FIRE colorway. The pattern calls for size 1 (2.5mm) needles for this project.

I am a bit on the fence about this pattern. When I first got it in my mailbox and saw that it was toe-up, I was super excited. I like to try on as I go along because it is very gratifying. However, I have been on Ravelry all day yesterday and minute after minute mistakes in the pattern were being discussed in the group. There were a bunch of silly things that could have been fixed if the pattern was thoroughly proofread. For example, what was in the written instructions did not match what was illustrated on the chart. What is up with that?

What makes it worse is, that the pattern had a test knitter. Doesn't that mean that the kinks should be worked out? At this stage of the game, there are 20 people in each of 4 divisions. Only the 12 people who finish first in each division will carry on to round 4. So, that means that the pattern designers had at least 1 month extra than the Round 1 designer. So, why all the mistakes? We are supposed to be running neck and neck in this competition and knitting to the finish. Not stopping a nd ripping back, and being confused about important directions. Arrgghhh!! Whar would have happened if I had not seen the Errata on ravelry? What if I didn't have a chance to log on to the internet? OK... I just had to get that out.

I still think that the pattern is gorgeous. It is just that the execution needed a little more fine tuning when it came to writing it down. That said, here is my progress as of this morning. I finished 1 pattern repeat on the foot. 2 at a time magic loop, baby!

I also made progress on the Peapod Baby sweater. I completed the sweater portion, and just have to sew the shoulders and add a neckline. I also started doing the sleeves, and am about halfway done. But, this sweater has to be put on pause so that I can continue with sock madness. Will is be done in time for the baby shower this weekend? We will see. I also have to do the hat to match. EEK!!! Well, at least I have enough yarn.

So, in other knitting news..... I went to WEBS this past Saturday. I went with Tawana as well as a few friends from the Park Slope Knitting Circle (Liza, Marci. Katherine, and Shannyn). We had such a blast. When I walked in the store I took a deep breath... the I got an instant headache, because I wanted it all and didn't know where to start. LOL!! It was very overwhelming.

I ended up buying some Malabrigo Sock in Tiziano Red, Cascade Eco + in a Burgandy color, Filatura Di Crosi Zara in Raspberry, 2 skeins of Austermann Step, and a discontinued Rowan Cashsoft DK. Everything was in the pink/purple/red family. Don't worry.. I have plans for all of these yarns.

• Malabrigo Sock will become the Ishbel Shawl or a pair of socks from Cookie A.'s book
• Cascade Eco + will become a Sylvi from Twist Collective
• Zara will become Shirley Paden's Interlocking Cables pattern
• Rowan Cashsoft DK is an extra skein bought for my in-progress Snuggle sweater
• Austermann Step... I just wanted those and the were on sale. I suspect they will become Cookie A. socks.

So, Sunday I look at my receipt and see that the 25% discount that I received didn't include the Cascade Eco+. Apparently, some of the colors were on sale, and had no further discount, but these skeins I picked up were full price. So, I called WEBS on Monday, and the Customer Service rep was able to look my receipt up in the computer, comfirm that my skeins of yarn were actually discountable, and he credited me back the difference to my card. WOW!! Great Customer Service!

OK, enough of me talking. Here are some pictures from WEBS.

Outside

Just walked through the door

Malabrigo Sock and Silky Merino display (I scooped up the last Tiziano Red on display, hence the empty rack next to the Terracotta)

View of the back of store near the warehouse entrance

Warehouse views

Rhinebeck - When it's nice, do it twice!!

Last weekend I went to Rhinebeck for the second time, and it was such a blast.

So, I was told by the lovely weather people that it would be 56 degrees out. I remember that I wore my Central Park Hoodie the year before, and although I had a sweater to wear already, I was set on trying to finish my second CPH just in time for the festivities.

Here is a picture of it in pieces, laid out on my hotel bed. My buddy Deborah told me I was crazy, and that I surely was.

I pulled an all-nighter to seam the shoulders, finish the hood, and create the buttonband. I got halfway through the buttonband, but had no time to seam the sleeves. I also did a 3-needle bindoff for the hood, as I was in a rush. Now that I look back at it, I don't like the seam in the middle of the hood, so I will rip it out, and kitchener the hood. No matter how many times we hear this saying, we seem to never learn this lesson "Haste makes waste". Enough said.

So, as bleary-eyed as I was, I still managed to wear my Wicked sweater. Here is a picture of me wearing it, accompanied by Tawana in her Juliet sweater. The photo is a little slanted, but I think it looks cool. This photo was taken at the ravelry party. It was a lot of fun, but the weather was sooooo cold. I spent most of the time in the heated tent, except for when they were calling out raffle prizes. But, I didn't win :-(.

I spent some time with Deborah, who I barely get to see as much. We used to have knitting lunches all the time, and then I had to change my hours at work, so that doesn't happen anymore. But we got to spend an awesome weekend together, and kept saying "Let's not talk about work". Here is her getting some affection from a llama.


And here petting some yarn. She plans to make this a future purchase, once she finds the right pattern. It was super expensive, but super worth it. There was enough to make a sweater entirely on one skein. Anything that minimizes weaving in ends is a winner in my book. Yet, it is only truly worth it if you had the right pattern already chosen and ready to be swatched. And based on the fact that we are planning future yarn purchases, this sign couldn't be any more appropriate.

Here are some new friends I made, along with Deb and Kim. We had a blast gushing over yarn, and tasting all that wine and cheese.
Ravelry Name Rollcall - Angelny29, Boringknitter, Smush, YarnyOldKim, Craftivore.



And a good friend that I hadn't seen in a really long time. Sahara!!

And best of all, here are all of the goodies!!! Yarn, dessert wine, natural soap, maple sugar cotton candy, maple peanut brittle, honey roasted almonds, and more yarn.

Closeups of goodies.

MMMMMMMalabrigo Silky Merino in Dill. Last spring I bought a pair of slacks for work, and haven't worn them yet because I didn't have the perfect sweater to wear with it. This is the exact color of a pinstripe in those slacks. I bought a sweater's woth, with plans to make Victoria from Twist Collective. I know I sound super anal about being matchy matchy with my yarn and wardrobe, but hey, I got this for about $9.95 a skein, so I had to make sure it was well worth it. (Bargain Alert!!!!) I have to thank Tawana for pointing out the shop that sold it. I had blindly walked past it on day 1, and made sure I didn't miss it on day 2.

I also picked up the color Amoroso to make a nice cowl for myself.

And some in the Viena colorway to make a Crofter's Cowl for mommy.

Another booth that was not-to-be-missed was The Fold, where there ws a plethora of Socks That Rock.

I picked out Mossy to make some socks for my mom. Hmmmm.. maybe she will appreciate knitting more after she slips into some cozy socks. Hopefully we will be able to convert her in a few months.....or years.....it's taking a while. aarrgghh!!!

I also got this Rare Gems color. It looks like a Raven Color that went wrong. I don't care. It is still gorgeous. I can't wait to see how it knits up.

Here is a Raven Color that went right. LENORE. I love the bit of purple that peeks through. I am thinking of Pomatomus, but I am not sure yet.

Also, there were some discounted mill ends, that were for sale "as is". I found my favorite color combo, pink and gray. Yay!! I already have a pair of Air Max '95's from eons ago that they will match. I know, there I go being matchy-matchy again. I can't help it.

And, last but not least, I got 3 skeins of this gorgeous Decadent Fibers Creme Brulee. Silk and Merino. MMMmmmMMmmmmm. I plan to make Wisteria out of this. This too, is from the Twist Collective magazine.

Don't miss the last few days of my contest. There is stills some time to make a comment for entry.!!!

Hooked on Glitter Alpaca

I decided to frog the hat from the previous post, and start all over again. This time, I followed the instructions properly. I would like to thank Chante for watching my every move and making sure that I did everything correctly. I am sure that Deborah is excited as well. So, here is my progress. I completed all of the increase rounds, with a perfect stitch count of 96. Woohoo!! So, now I just have to knit 6 rows as the pattern states, plus an extra 3 as per Deborah's request. She wants the hat to cover her ears, and I don't blame her. New York is still experiencing a little chill.

Also, I did a little shopping. I was trying to keep this a secret but I couldn't. I bought sock yarn from Seaport Yarn. A friend of mine had a negative experience there, and I told her that I would just look and for her sake, not buy... because I would vicariously hold her grudge for the malady that had occured in the past. But..... the yarn fumes swarmed me, and I couldn't breathe... the next thing I remember, I was leaving with a shopping bag. Sorry....I just couldn't control it. It was overbearing.

Acquerello, a new addition at the Seaport. Wait does that tag say 436 yards?? Do I see really high socks in my future that I can wear with my boots next winter? Any pattern ideas??? I am thinking "Queen of cups", but I feel that I may be able to get away with something a bit longer.

This is Raphael. I have been looking at him for a long time, and I just had to have him in my stash. Not sure what pattern he will be paired up with just yet, but I know that he is a keeper.

Next up, is my Knitpicks stash addition.

Since I bought the 2-at-a-time sock book, I figured that I would buy 40 inch circulars from sizes 0 to 3 just in case I have to make an emergency sock. I do have a lot of sock yarn in my stash, and need to get rid of it. I also got the needle tips in sizes that I was missing. One will be used for my Gathered Pullover once I decide to cast on (hurry up and get other sweater off of the cord).

Here are some more skeins of sock yarn. I plan on making some Jaywalkers. The pattern can be downloaded from Ravelry, since Magknits has ceased its operations. Thank GOD for Ravelry!!! The colorways are Mixed Berries and Firefighter.

I always wanted to make a variegated pink shawl. Now I have just the yarn to do it. Not sure what pattern it will be just yet. I love this colorway, and the fact that it was on clearance makes it even better.

Here is a blast from the past. My Central Park Hoodie #2 WIP. I am almost finished with the back. Just a few more rows to go before the shoulder shaping. I want to try to wear this before it gets too hot in New York. I know, it was supposed to be completed by last Thanksgiving, and I was on the monogamous knitting road for a while, but my Knitting GPS wasn't working, so I had to reset the battery. Now I am somewhat on track again.

So, the day I made my last yarn purchase was on April 2nd. I will attempt to go 100 days without buying yarn. My stash needs to be trimmed, and I don't feel like giving anything up, so I will be knitting like a fiend, as long as time permits. So far it has been 8 days. OMG!!! I feel like I am on one of those 12 step programs. LOL!!! How many FO's can I have in 100 days?? Let's see.

My new addiction is Pinkberry. My favorite concoction this week is original with pineapple, coconut, and mango. It remind me of fun times in Trinidad swirled with healthy goodness. I have made a knitting date with Saunielle to go to The Point this friday. Now, I feel as if no trip to The Point is complete without a short walk to Pinkberry. I can't wait!!!

Yarn Crawl!!!

This past weekend, I went to Montclair with my knitting buddy Deborah to meet up with Kim for a long overdue yarn crawl adventure. Usually, we meet once a week if our schedules allow it, and we get to sit down for 30 minutes during our lunch breaks to talk, eat, and knit. Every day we leave, we are saying that we need to spend some time together that is not controlled by Corporate America. So, this past Saturday was that time. We ate at Raymonds, then went to Modern Yarn and Stix N Stitches.

I was super-excited to FINALLY go to Modern Yarn. Walking in there was so serene, calm, and beautiful. The people were very friendly, and the atmosphere was just warm and inviting. Kind of like a knitting spa.. LOL!!
I was looking at the website and drooling at the iKnit T-Shirt. They had it in light pink, but when I asked for it I was told that my size only came in Fuschia. Yippee!!! That was even better. Also, I saw the yarn that I was longing for. Manos in Mulled Wine (#118). I had bought the last skein at Brooklyn General a few months ago, then I decided that I wanted to make a raglan Cardigan out of it after I saw how beautful Mary Beth's was. However, I did decide to make the whole pattern with Manos, instead of just the yoke. Hence, the need for more yarn. I also bought some sock yarn for a swap gift that I am knitting. Lorna's Laces in Bittersweet. I think that colorway is gorgeous. Hmmm... I may have to get another pair just for myself. The best part is that the impending sweater will match my T-shirt that I love so much. Woohoo!!

So, as I was calmly knitting my vest, I hear someone say "Shameka, you don't know me but I love your blog". I am like "me???". I was taken aback, and delighted at the same time. I didn't know that I had fans out there. So, I finally got to meet Blog-Free Kelly, from Kim's blog. It was such a pleasure. She made me laugh so hard, and had such wonderful stories. Here is a picture of her and Kim Together. Gabriel is there in the corner, refusing to have her picture taken.

However, Deborah "accidently" caught her in the background of this pic. Honestly, I don't know if it was intentional, but she still got the shot. Great job, Deb!! Here I am in the picture, holding my vest. I had just finished putting the neckline on waste yarn, so that I could work the last section before seaming.

Here is a picture of Kim working on a sock for a little girl that is gonna be so happy. The girl's favorite color is orange, so she should be very delighted.

Here are the three knitting Divas of the financial district!!! Oh, yeah... I am responsible for the cookies on the table. I can't help it if I have a sweet tooth. We also split a Red Velvet cupcake, and it was sooooooo good.

So, our second stop was Stix N Stitches. I had to pry myself away from the sock yarn. I was so tempted to buy some Austermann Step. I thought that this store was bigger and a lot roomier than a lot of other stores that I have seen, so I decided to capture the moment. Yes, I think I have finally mastered the Self-portrait. LOL!!!

So, here are my spoils. I have wanted to make the Gathered Pullover since this magazine came out. I have a pair of boots, and a bag to match already. The Berrocco Ultra Alpaca is just soooo soft. I cannot wait to dig into it. More on the actual knitting progress tomorrow. I also have plans for an A-line baby dress for a long-time friend. She is having her first baby girl, and I need to get rid of some of my stash. The vest did not use as much yarn as I originally calculated. So, I will be making it with the same Jaeger Baby Merino DK yarn. I will be using a pattern from "Knits, Knots, Buttons and Bows.. Projects for Babies" by Lynda Schar.