january socks that should have been february socks

To kick off my Synesthesia Sock Club, here are my January socks (that should have been February socks).

Pattern: River Rapids Socks by Sockbug
Yarn: Fiber Optic Yarns Foot Notes in colorway Bluegrass var. 1, one of a kind BATIK
Needles: US size 1 (the needles I measured with the caliper that are between sizes 1-1.5)
Notes on the pattern: I made some modifications such as start the chart on column 2 so the K2, P2 ribbing is in line with the chart. There’s also an error in the heel turn instructions. To center the heel it should say “sl1, K17 (not K16)”. I also subbed an SSK for the K2tog in the heel turn.

I got this yarn 2 years ago at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. My friend Cheryl owed me about $20 so she bought me this yarn from the Loop booth instead. Because sock yarn is just as good as money, right? The yarn is very soft and the color is just lovely. I would highly recommend this yarn. These socks only used 81g so I have about 122 yds left.

February socks:
According to my synesthesia, the month of January is a lovely chocolate brown. I came up with this crazy Synesthesia sock club idea well into January after I started knitting the aforementioned green socks. I decided to count these green socks for January and knit brown socks instead for February. Clear as mud, huh? Therefore my February socks (which should have been green) will be knit with this lovely Madelinetosh sock yarn in Fig:

I’m thinking about using this yarn to knit the Paraphernalia socks. I’m also going to swatch some stitch patterns from a Chinese knitting book I checked out from the university library. That is, if I can figure out what the chart symbols mean. Stay tuned…

synesthesia sock club

I have come to the conclusion that I love knitting socks. They’re fun, small, portable projects. The socks I knit and give as gifts are always well received. Plus I have a thing for sock yarn. So I’ve decided this year to do a self-imposed monthly sock knitting club, kind of like the Yarn Harlot did a few years ago, but mine will have a special twist. Mine will be a synesthesia self-imposed sock club.

Right about now you’re probably thinking o.O…? Allow me to explain. There are different types of synesthesia, and I have the most common form of it called Grapheme–color synesthesia. I perceive letters, numbers, and shapes as having a specific color. When I look at my name, Susan, the S is the dominant first letter and therefore my name is bright red. Markus and the number 6 are a pumpkin orange; Doris, a ∆, and the number 3 are all a crisp dark green; Jim, the number 7 and January are warm brown, etc. So my plan is to knit a pair of socks each month in the color I perceive the month to be:

January
February
March
April
May
June
July
August
September
**October
November
December

**October is transparent like glass so it will be a freebie month. I’ll knit with whatever color I want. But not white, I mean heck, nobody knits white socks! My SnB group will get the joke…

My synesthesia sock club has three rules:
1. It is totally permissible to purchase sock yarn or a knitting pattern if I don’t have the appropriate color or pattern in my stash.
2. I must start knitting the socks in the correct month, e.g., start knitting orange socks in March.
3. I can take as long as I want to finish the socks, though ideally I’d like to finish one pair a month.

YES I’M CRAZY, but crazy makes knitting more fun, right?

A few weeks ago before I thought up this crazy synesthesia sock-a-month idea, I started knitting a pair of green socks. According to my synesthesia, January socks should be brown. So right off the bat I’m breaking rule #2. But I’ll make an exception this time and swap January and February.

So tell me, what crazy knitting projects are you working on in 2012?

baby you’re a rockstar

The socks for my mom are done! They were not finished in time for Xmas morning, but I gave them to her anyway with the needles still in them. I was able to complete the socks the following day and, ta da, they fit! My mom makes a terrific sock/foot model. Big thanks to my brother Dave for taking photos and directing the “photo shoot”.

Pattern: Improvised, based on the stitch pattern from my Dembow hat
Yarn: Miss Babs Yummy Superwash Sock and Baby Yarn (100% Merino), in colorway Rosewood
Needles: US 1 – 2.25 mm (the REAL size 1 needles)
Notes: I wound this yarn into two skeins and knit from each end. The yarn coming from one end of the skein was much more mottled, making one sock a little bit stripey. I like the mottled, stripey look, though I wish the whole skein had been like that. The yarn is lovely and really grew and softened up after blocking. The Dembow stitch is not difficult in the slightest, but I wasn’t paying proper attention (perhaps I shouldn’t watch reggaeton videos while knitting) and I messed up multiple times. Whoops! All fixed.

Now, the needles. I exclusively use Knit Picks 32″ circular needles for knitting socks via magic loop. I have 2 pairs of Knit Picks size 1 US (2.25 mm) needles, or so I thought. For a while now I’ve been suspecting that one set of size 1 needles is larger in diameter than the other. What I needed was a caliper to confirm my suspicions. I asked my dad if he owned a caliper and sure enough, he had not one but two calipers. And the calipers do confirm that I am the owner of a set of regular size 1 US needles AND a set of needles measuring somewhere between sizes 1 and 1.5 US. Gee, great. I think I need to invest in a caliper. That’s one cool tool.

dembow nemesis octopus – huh?

The Dembow hat pattern is finally done and is available as a free Ravelry download here. I’d reckon you could churn out one of these hats in just a few days. It took me 3 days to knit the light blue hat, and I happen to be the slooooowest knitter on the planet.

So my knitting group had it’s gift exchange on Wednesday evening. It was great to see what everyone made for each other. I’m finally able to show a photo of what I made for Cheryl. Ta da!

It’s a cowl based on my Nemesis sock pattern. Cheryl gave me one skein of Sanguine Gryphon Codex yarn to work with, and I think it turned out quite well!  It’s soft, squishy, and warm- just what you’d want in a cowl!

Back in the fall when we swapped yarn, I gave Gabrielle a skein of Knit Picks Stroll hand-painted yarn that I ordered over a year ago. I had no idea what to make with it and figured I’d let her decide what it should be. And this is what she came up with:

It’s an octopus knit entirely on her sock knitting machine. She used a strand of lurex held with the yarn so my little creature is extra sparkly and awesome!  We took a vote and came up with the name Jean-Luc Kitchener. Jean-Luc is now the official mascot of the Shadyside SnB. Hooray!

happy 025.431 day!

Happy Dewey Decimal System day! Today I plan on 746.432 while enjoying a hot cup of 641.3373 and listening to 782.42164097295. Yes I used to be a cataloging librarian, how did you guess?

An update on the Dembow hat- it’s currently being text knit, and I’m writing up the pattern. I was hoping to get it published on Ravelry already but you know how life always intervenes…

I’ve also been knitting some socks on my bus commute.

The stitch is a Dembow remix. The yarn is Miss Babs Yummy Superwash Sock and Baby Yarn. I bought this yarn a few years ago at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival. This poor skein has been sitting patiently in my stash drawer all these years just waiting for the perfect pattern to come along. So far I’m pleased with my remixed socks.

And if you’re wondering, yes I did make my sock blockers. It was easy as pie. I bought some plastic “no parking” signs at the home improvement store and used regular scissors to cut out the sock shape. (Please don’t use your mom’s best sewing shears to cut the plastic or she will be very upset, just saying). I made 3 pairs in sizes S M L and they work great. All for less than $10.