Simply Socks Yarn Co. Blog

What a week

After a week like this one, I sometimes think that if there was a therapist on call at a drug store, I would gladly buy an hour and expel all the stuff that's stuck on a continuous loop in my brain.  It's been one of those weeks where there's just so much to do, and not nearly enough waking hours to accomplish them all.  And there are so many ideas and projects (finished and unfinished... and unstarted) that keep rolling around in my brain like movie film that keeps going around and around on the reel.  And I don't want to burden Joe or a good friend (even though I know they would listen) with all these thoughts, because it would take forever and the half finished thoughts and seemingly neurotic concerns might make them go mad as well.  No one needs that, right?

Not that it's been a bad week, it's actually been a good one, but I am constantly tormented by the myriad of things that need to get done and aren't.  I'm just one person.

So what's a girl to do when there's not a therapist on call?  Go to the salon instead and get her white roots covered....and maybe pick up a cup of coffee on the way.  And a muffin.  Or cupcake.  (This is what my mind has been doing all week!)  At 32, I have much more white hair than I imagined I would, and it's yet another constant battle in need of a win.

And for those of you who didn't get in on the Valentine Kits, I may have a couple extra after the orders go out on Monday.  You can e-mail me at allison@simplysockyarn.com if you are interested.  I have an inkling that I'm going to get dozens more e-mails than there are kits, so if you don't hear back from me, that just means that they are gone.  It's $52 (plus 4.95 shipping), and the details can be found here.

(I just had an epiphany... maybe if I had made time to knit this week, I wouldn't feels so overwhelmed. Duh.)

Mini Mochi

Thanks for all your comments and e-mails on yesterdays post about the potty training.  You all pretty much reinforced what I was thinking- that I'm not going to push it and James will take to it when he is ready.  As long as I keep offering, eventually it will set in.  Keeping my fingers crossed that it's before he's three... 

And the horror stories, oh the horror stories.  I know someone who has potty trained too early, thus their little one became so affraid to poop that he became painfully constipated (I think that may be a phrase that's new to my blog- ha!).  I don't want to do that to James, and I feel bad for the moms and little ones that have had that issue.  It can be very hard to not listen to other mothers' prideful bragging about breastfeeding til 2 years old/potty training at 1.5 years/kids reading at age 3, but I try and just do what I think is best for my family.  And I have to admit that I'm really, really proud with the way Joe and I are parenting James.

On a yarny note- in anticipation for a new shipment of Mini Mochi (with new colors), what I have in stock is 20% off.  I don't know how long this sale will last, so if Mini Mochi is something that you wanted to knit, I recommend snatching some now.  And there's a whole slew of free pattern ideas available here. I can't think of a sock yarn that would make a softer scarf than Mini Mochi.  Shown below in color 107 using the Dublin Bay pattern (links to a pdf).  These were gifted to my mom for Christmas.  I may knit some for myself in 2010, as this is one of those sock yarns that can be a quick knit because you want to keep knitting and see the colors change.

 

More balance

I've been trying to lead a more balanced life this past week.  I'm trying to stop working in the evening and take time to knit, and I'm taking an hour in the late afternoon to prep for dinner.  I'm also spending more uninterupted time playing with James, rather than trying to return phone calls and e-mails while halfheartedly putting together a puzzle.  By the way, he's turning into a little puzzle maniac- already he's putting together several puzzles intended for 4-7 year olds.  One of them is of the US and when we ask him what it is, he tells us that "it's America" and then can point out where he lives on the map and where his Grandma in PA lives.  Everyday I think he's more fun than the last. (shown throughout drawing on his garage chalkboard)

One thing that's not fun is potty training.  I know this is a yarn blog and all, but let's just take a short minute to discuss my toddler's distinterest in peeing in anything other than a diaper.  He's 2 1/2, and since he's been two, he's shown a bit of interest in using his potty, though most of it is just sitting there and looking at books for a half hour.  If he goes #1 or #2, he gets a Kashi cereal bar (one of his favorite things) and the potty song and dance.  Lately though I've tried to force the potty issue more, and as a result his response to my potty suggestion is "NO, I NOT potty."  Then there are hysterics.  Screaming and flailing about like a spaghetti monster.

Now, I'm of the "Mom's in charge and if I tell you we are going to do something, I'm not going to give in." camp.  If I give in, my way of thinking is that he'll think that he doesn't have to listen to me.  But he's now getting really upset when I ask him to sit on the potty.  So I'm thinking that I'm going to take a break from the training and regroup in a couple months.  I'm thinking that I can either force it for two months, or just wait two months for him to show interest again, and it'll likely happen at the same time no matter what I do.  Your thoughts?

On a yarny note:  Yes, the Heartfelt Valentine Knit Kit sold out very quickly, and I know that many more of you wanted one (so did I, but I didn't even secure one for myself).  In a matter of hours I started receiving e-mails that the link wasn't working and that many of you wanted to buy one.  I am surprised by this, as I had twice as many available than I originally did the Joyeux Noel Knit Kit, and that took over a week to sell out.  Goes to show you all know a good thing when you see it!  (But I will have Sweet Georgia yarn in the store shortly and I will continue to stock the Silver Moon Studio bags) I'll do my best to secure more kits the next time I do one, but because each part is hand made and the artisans can't just devote months of their year creating things for my small store, there's a limit to that amount.  But I'll continue to do my best to provide as many of you as possible with a superb quality kit as I can.  I'm not willing to sacrifice the quality just so I can have a few hundred more made, as I'm sure you can appreciate.  I am very thankful that you all like the kits I design and continue to make my store a very busy place!

Heartfelt Valentine Sock Knit Kit

Edited to add a day later: I'm sorry to say that this kit sold out in a matter of hours.  I really had MANY kits (twice as much as I originally ordered for the Joyeux Noel Knit Kit), so this is a big, but pleasant, surprise to me.  I'll do my best to convince the contributing artisans for future kits to make more, but because every part is hand made and they can't devote all their time to SSYC, there's a limit to how many kits I can have made.  But I'll do my best for future kits to make as many of you happy as possible.

SSYC's first Holiday Sock Knit Kit received such a great response, and because it was available in limited quantitis and sold out before December even hit, many of you missed out.  So I promised you I would do a Valentine Kit in hopes that those of you who didn't get in on the Joyeux Noel kit could try your hand at grabbing one of these.  Each Heartfelt Valentine kit comes with a limited edition skein of yarn, a coordinating and fully reversible sock project bag with a retro/romantic pattern and polka dots, a set of flowered stitch markers, and free pattern ideas.  Each part of this kit is hand made, and thus I have a limited amount available. Please pre-order now to secure your space for the shipment on February 1st.  Once the spaces sell out, I won't be able to add any more and the link will no longer work. 

I love, love, LOVE the Heartfelt colorway that Felicia at Sweet Georgia Yarn dyed especially for us (February KAL anyone??).  You might remember over two years ago I tested her yarn, but when I got around to ordering for the store, turns out Felicia took a long while off to travel the world and enjoy life.  So now that she's back to dyeing her fabulous colors again, I'll be carrying a wide array of her Tough Love Sock Yarn (a lovely and durable 80/20 merino/nylon blend) in the store.  She dyed the red/violet/plum especially for this kit and you'll see many more colors in the store shortly.

Ask the Knitters

Dear Knitters,

I'm a fairly new knitter but I'm so slow.  I like knitting socks and have done about 3 pair but it seems to take me forever and I start to lost interest.  I do not know how to knit continental style and therefore I use what they call the "throw" method.  I have trouble holding the yarn in the traditional way because of arthritis in my hands.

I have investigated into "2 socks at one time" but have not have the time to work through it.  Do you have any suggestions for me to become a speedier knitter while making it comfortable for my hands?  I keep buying yarn in hopes that I will make all these socks!

Sincerely,

Slow Knitter in Selina

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Help a knitter out and leave your suggestions in the comments section below.  Do you have a question that you'd like answered on the blog?  Title your e-mail Ask the Knitters and e-mail it to service@simplysockyarn.com and your question could be chosen for the blog.

Knit One, Crochet Too Crock-o-Dye Sock Yarn

Knit One Crochet Too's Ty-Dye Sock Yarn (shown below in colors 1631, 1289 & 1767) has been popular here for quite some time now.

Recently they released another sock yarn named Crock-o-Dye, and it's a very nice wool/silk/nylon blend that is only $17.75 a skein.  Yes, it's really a great price for a silk blend sock yarn.  The colors are lovely and all very wearable for both socks and scarves and it's quite a great deal for such a nice yarn.  I've already snagged a skein of 977-Pewter for myself.  Shown below are 289-Garnet and 535-Olive.

I've finished by first Garden Party sock, and I'm really in love with it.  To me, it's the perfect color.  Like many of Pagewood Farm's colors, they are dye in short color bursts that are unlikely to pool or stripe in a weird way.  So even though there are a lot of different colors in the skein, I'm still able to knit a more complicated pattern and I don't think that the colors distract from the pattern.  I think they look really nice together.

But this yarn isn't just lovely with a great stitch pattern, but the plain ol' stockinette sole is beautiful too.  The colors are dappled and appear randomly and it's really too bad that this part of the sock will mostly be unseen while in shoes or flush with the floor.

 

K4Me 2010, second project

Thanks for your kind comments and e-mails and advice about my last post. I'm pretty much recovered and feel human again.  Life is back on track, even if the laundry isn't caught up and meals haven't been cooked.  But as a result, I can report that local restaurants and pizza places have seen a great boost in their sales.

I'm also happy to report that I have started my second "K4Me in 2010" project.  I cast on with the Pagewood Farm Alyeska sock yarn in the Garden Party colorway that was part of the last SSYC Sock Yarn Club (it's not available for general purchase, as it was a special edition colorway).  I love this colorway, and I hope that those of your who were part of the club and were able to get a skein of this  colorway really like it too.  I chose one of my favorite patterns, the Embossed Leaves socks from Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs from Interweave .  I think this may be the 4th time I've knit this pattern, though only once for myself, and that was two years ago. If you don't have this book, it's a must have.  It's likely the book I've referenced most often in the past 2 years.

I thought that I might save this project for the SSYC KAL on Ravelry in February, but I couldn't wait.  I'm pretty sure I'll finish it much sooner that though, so I'll be all set to cast on yet another project by then.  The project is knitting up much quicker than I expected because I'm knitting it on Addi US 1 (which is the same as Crystal Palace's US 1.5) because the Alyeska yarn base is on the thick side of fingering weight.

I have to admit that knitting for myself has really replenished my passion for knitting.  I know it's only been a few weeks now, but I find myself carving out spare minutes and hours to knit.  And I don't care that I have two unfinished projects for others in a cabinet waiting for me- it's almost like they don't exist because I've vowed not to knit on them this year.

In slow motion

Life's moving slowly this week.  I feel like I'm behind on everything- no meals cooked, no cleaning done, very little bookkeeping, laundry is piled on top of my dryer, my Christmas decorations are still up... it's all falling to the wayside.  Even orders are taking a day longer to get out this week.  I have a sinus and ear infection, and there's nothing like feeling like pooh-pooh to make you slow down to a molasses pace.

And while all of the above things are difficult to accomplish while you are feeling sick, caring for a toddler has to be the most difficult.  I remember being pregnant and friends and family sharing with me all the wonderful and difficult parts of being a mother.  What I don't remember anyone mentioning is how horrible it is when you are sick, and I mean really sick, and have to somehow run around after a energetic 2 year old.  I've been so knocked out by this ear infection and fever earlier this week that I was a drain to just carry James down the stairs in the morning. 

If James had the attention span to watch a kids movie, I'll admit that I would have happily set him in front of that TV for a couple hours while I dozed on the couch.  But the most he will watch 'toons is 25 minutes, so that's out.  So we've spent much of the week "playing" on the floor, which is really him playing while I try to sit up straight and at least make sure he's not doing something he shouldn't be. 

What do/did you do with your kids when you feel sick?  I often hear mothers talk about their rituals to help their kids feel better when they are ill, but I rarely hear people sharing how they cope when they are the sick ones.  Do share your wisdom.

Knitting 4 Me in 2010

I've finished my first project for 2010, and in keeping with my resolution to knit for myself, it's a colorful pair of socks knit with Opal's new Antonia collection in color 2802.  And I'm happy to report that the ball had plenty of yardage for my size 10-11 feet.  And I wasted a dozen or so yards so that I could make the pattern match for the socks, and I still had about 10% of the yardage leftover.  Gotta love the yardage on Opal.

I finished this pair in 10 days time, which is a quicker than the 14 days that it typcially takes me to knit a pair of socks with all that goes on each day here with a busy business, toddler and, well, life.  I think what helped speed me along was knowing that the sooner I finished these, the sooner I would be wearing them.  That I wouldn't be holding onto them for 11 months to eventually gift them to someone else. (Of course, I have to find my tapestry needle to bind off the toe before I can wear them.)  I also think that self-patterning yarns can be somewhat addictive.  I like watching the design evolve as I knit.  And if I'm doing a simple stitch pattern (like the 2x2 rib I did for the leg) then I may not even be looking at the sock for several rounds.  Then all of a sudden, I look down and I see that the color has changed or that I'm finally getting around to that thin green stripe that I kept waiting for throughout this sock.  Don't ask why, but that little bit of green was the best part of the sock for me. 

Diane was nice enough to e-mail me this button she designed for my resolution to knit for myself, and I encourage you to right click on it, save it somewhere on your computer, and use it on your blog's post or sidebar to show that you too are knitting for yourself in 2010.  Link it to www.simplysockyarn.typepad.com and I'll keep posting my knits and I'll link to you or show your pictures if you e-mail them to allison@simplysockyarn.com .

SSYC Ravelry Sock KAL

In the mood to knitalong with others, sharing our photos, patterns and encouragement?  Then check out the Fans of SSYC board on Ravelry to see the KAL that will start on Feb 1 and end at the end of Feb.  Want to join in?  Great!  Just join the Fans of SSYC group (you'll have to create a free Ravelry account to do so) and cast on your project with yarn purchased from SSYC no earlier than Feb 1.  To clarify, the yarn can come from SSYC at any time, but you should cast on the project no sooner than the beginning of Feb. and finish your project by the end of the month.

Here's a button to share on your blog, and you can link it to the Ravelry SSYC group so that others can keep up on the cool things we are all knitting.  Just right click on the image above, save it somewhere to your computer, and use it on your blog or website.

I haven't yet decided yet what I'm going to knit for the KAL, but the nice thing is that I have a few more weeks to hem and haw and mull it over.  Here are some of my picks, though knowing me I'll change my mind at the last minute: Alchemy's Juniper in the Clarita colorway, Simply Sock Yarn in Tuscany, or Garden Party- the special colorway from Pagewood Farm from our last sock yarn club (shown below).  What do you have stashed or in your shopping cart for the KAL?

A real treat for my feet

As a sock knitter, there a few things more frustrating than knitting yourself a pair of socks that you absolutely adore, and then washing them for the first time only to find that the design you loved is now obscured with too much of a fuzzy halo and the awesome stitch definition is, well, no longer so defined.  The socks are still perfectly wearable and in fact may even be softer, but that sharp, perfect look is gone for good.

When washing my Alchemy Juniper socks for the first time yesterday, I was worried that they wouldn't hold up as well as I was hoping.  The yarn is a bit more expensive than most fingering weight sock yarns, and to me, that kind of cost should translate into an especially wonderfully wearing sock.  I absolutely was not disappointed with the washing of this yarn.

 
 

As you can see, the stitch definition of this sock is still wonderful.  I usually wash my socks in a mesh bag and pull them out of the load before putting everything else in the dryer.  But I just threw these socks in the load and they really, really look great, don't you think?

The color is Vintage Jade (these pictures make the color look a bit more gray than it actually is), and the pattern is the Nutkin pattern(this links to a pdf).  I knit these with a US 0 needle, as they yarn is on the thinner side of fingering weight like Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock.  I added an extra pattern repeat, because after finishing most of one sock, I found I couldn't even fit the sock over my heel.  The pattern doesn't have much give to it, so I'd recommend knitting it for someone whose foot you know the exact size, or for yourself.

I finished these awhile back, but still hadn't worn or washed them yet.  Because this yarn performed so wonderfully, I've already snagged two skeins of the variegated colorway Clarita.  If you want a sock yarn that gives you a wonderful knitting experience and washes and wears wonderfully, I highly recommend Alchemy's Juniper sock, in either the semi-solid elements, or variegated colorways.

Keeping my knits to myself in 2010

Several of you have commented and e-mailed that you are on board with my in resolving to knit more just for ourselves in 2010.  While at first thought, this may seems somewhat selfish, my opinion is that it's about replenishing our own souls and sock drawers, and reminding ourselves that we not only enjoy the process of knitting, but we are worth keeping the product of it as well.  Ultimately, I am one of the few people who can really appreciate the time and energy that goes into each of my projects, and I'd like to gift myself with the final results this year.  Especially since my own feet are cold and my neck is adorned in a scarf from six years ago.

I deserve the fruits of my "labor" too.

On Dec. 31, I started knitting Opal's new Antonia sock yarn in color 2802 (though I have one 2805 hidden away for later).  Usually when choosing a project that I'm knitting for myself, I don't immediately choose a self-patterning yarn.  I'm a black-yoga-pants-wearing girl, and often, self-patterning yarns are too busy for my clothing choices. But the first thing I chose to knit form myself in 2010 is a brightly colored self-patterning yarn.  And you know what?  I finished my first sock in just 5 days.  It's like my knitting mojo is returning- I looked forward to knitting this yarn everyday, and I put aside other things all weekend so that I could knit.  I really think I might have had a work-free weekend for the first time since... well, since the weather turned cold.

This project forced me to not only knit for myself, but to take several days for myself and my family.  To put off that pesky end-of-year bookkeeping and various other projects to enjoy the view of the snow outside, a mug of hot cocoa and a few hours of the Gilmore Girls.  So not only do I get some socks out of this, but I'm also getting undiluted ME TIME.

Since several of you have mailed and commented that you want to resolve the knit for yourself as well, I thought we should come up with a catch phrase and I'd make a button that we could use on our blogs, or put with each of our blog posts when we post about a project (if you have a blog).   Any ideas for a catch phrase?  "Knitting 4 Myself in 2010" is fine, but I know many of you are creative and might have a better idea.  When we have a name, we can even post on Ravelry in the Fans of SSYC group about our project choices and with pictures, or I can share pictures of your projects here on the blog as well. I think seeing others' progress in our resolution will really be a fun and stressless way to keep this on the top of my mind when choosing my projects throughout 2010.

A resolution for selfishness

I've thought about this a lot over the weekend.  In fact, I've thought about it a lot over the past few weeks.  I always have a few projects on the needles, but when I finish them, I find that they are usually gifted to others while my own sock drawer is practically bare.  I've been without handmade socks on my feet most of this winter so far, and those that I have been wearing were gifted a few years ago in various sock exchanges.  The scarf I've been wearing this winter I knit several years ago- out of yarn I bought at the Cass St. Depot (which has now closed) before I opened my store, which means it was likely *gasp* 6 years ago. Even though there are several patterns I would like to be wearing right now, I've been gifting everything to everyone else.  It feels good to do so, but it might feel just as good to keep these and see them in the mirror everyday.

So I'm resolving this- that I will be knitting for myself this year.  I will replenish my own sock collection and gift to myself the fruits of my labor.  Ultimately, I'm one of the few people who can most appreciate the time and dedication that goes into picking the perfect yarn for the best pattern, and the time that I take to knit each stitch.

I think I will need your help to make sure that I succeed in this.  If I seem tempted to knit a shawl for my sister, please gently remind me that I'm the one that deserves to be warm this year.  And if I mention that my friend might really like the soft cashmere for some mitts, please tell me that I too like cashmere mitts.  It seems weird to try and be a selfish knitter, because by nature I think many of us are hard-wired to share our gift with others.  But I'm determined to replenish my hand knit reserves in 2010.

So 2010 is the Year of Allison.  I resolve to treat myself with many hand knit socks.  Any suggestions for patterns that you loved knitting this past year?  I'm looking for inspiration!  What are your thoughts on my resolution?  Do you think 2010 will be a selfish knitting year for you too?  Or are you resolving to to the opposite and knit mostly for others?

I started this sock on New Year's Eve.  It's a simple 2x2 rib using Opal's new Antonia color 2802- I really like the colors in this new line, but this one is my personal fave.  Hope to be wearing these socks on my feet in a couple weeks!

Opal Sock Yarn- Rainforst 6ply & Antonia

I have two spankin' new Opal sock yarn collections to share with you!  First off, I know many of you have been waiting years for Opal to turn their very popular Rainforest colors into a 6-Ply/DK weight sock yarn.  I have for you 12 colors that come from the very first Opal Rainforest collection with Tiger and Ladybug, to some of the most recent with Cassandra (a dragonfly) and Lily (a butterfly).  They are all very cool!  Snatch the ones you like now, because they are sure to be classics.  I'll do my best to keep them in stock while I can.

The second collection I have to share is the Antonia collection, and the colors are designed by a Tyrolean pop singer.  No, I've never heard of this person, and I'm somewhat shocked that he smiling face is learing at me from each label (it's odd in a funny way), but the colors in the collection are some of the nicest I've seen come from Opal.  The colors are rich and vibrant, and I'm already snagged a couple for myself.  I don't knit many self-patterning socks, but I've realized that those I do knit are the ones I definitely finish in a timely manner.  I really enjoy watching the pattern develop as I knit.