Society Socks at the Farmer's Market

Here's a photo of the Society Socks booth at the Farmer's Market yesterday. The weather was perfect, just a little cooler, and the market was packed with students and parents bringing kids back to college. We had a little drizzle, but fortunately a friend lent me the great umbrella. Another friend brought me the nifty foot models for the socks - aren't they great? Business was good - I think people are looking ahead to wool sock weather. My yarn inventory is way down - need to dye more.

A Job Well Done

I wound these three skeins of yarn this afternoon as I was listening to Prairie Home Companion. These are my hand-dyed skeins, 462 yards. I can attest from personal experience that the yarn winds into balls pretty easily.

More Socks

Here are the latest socks. The ones on the left are called Huckleberry Hikers, and are a cotton blend from Sockotta. They are 45% cotton, 40% Superwash wool, and 15% nylon. The yarn felt a little stiff when I was knitting them, but they are comfortably soft now that they have been washed. I really like the colors. The other pair is called Italian Autumn, and, believe it or not, they are 50% acrylic, 50% nylon - no wool at all! Great for those on your list who are sensitive to wool, as one of my sons is. The yarn is made by Berocco, is called Comfort yarn, and is very soft and pleasant to knit. It comes in several really nice color combinations.

Let me tell you about my great weekend

Last weekend Joel and I went to Portland, Oregon to watch our son, Michael, graduate as a professional librarian. Coincidentally, Portland was hosting the first Sock Summit that very same weekend. Daughter-in-law Sarah, who is also a sock knitter, and I wandered through the vendor section, with the guys trailing behind, looking at thousands of skeins of yarn and many gadgets that would make our knitting life easier. We didn't buy much, but had a great time. As you can see, I got the T shirt. Son Ian also came down from Tacoma for the festivities. He and a friend rode their bikes in the annual Bridge Pedal, a bike ride over all 11 of the bridges over the Willamette River in Portland. the ride was 42 miles, and 17,000 cyclists participated. The graduation ceremony was great, all pomp and circumstance, and Michael got a special award for academic excellence and professional promise. Sarah is next; she will be graduating by the end of the year with a master's degree in English as a Second Language. We are very proud of them all.

Recent Socks

Here are some recently knitted socks of mine. The purple and chartreuse socks are knit from Knit Picks Essential Multi fingering yarn, 75% Superwash wool, 25% nylon. This yarn is a little heavier than most fingering yarn, but is easy to knit and makes a soft, sturdy sock. I think the pattern is pretty nice - I call it Psychedelic Zebra. This is a good yarn for beginners.
The red socks are from Regia's Color series, a really nice yarn to knit. Its twist is tight enough to knit very easily without splitting, and loose enough to make a soft, comfortable sock. They are also 75% Superwash wool, 25% nylon. I have knit this color combination before; it is a favorite. These are a birthday present for a friend.
The blue striped socks are a Noro sock yarn, 70% wool, 30% nylon. The yarn is harsh feeling to knit, and the yarn varies from big slubs to very thin sections, giving the socks a nubbly texture. Knitting with this yarn is quite a bit slower than my usual pace. Once the socks were washed, they softened up quite a bit, and the texture smoothed out. Note that the socks are fraternal twins, not identical. The Noro colors are really beautiful, with long pattern repeats. These socks are called Rocky Mountain Rainbow. I think the Noro yarns should be hand washed.
I hope you are all finding time (or making time) to knit this summer.

Sock photos and praise from a new sock knitter

These photos were sent by Anne, a new sock knitter who had just finished her first sock. In her words, "I was really fearful of trying to knit socks. After returning to knitting after a 30-year absence, I felt as if I was relearning everything. Tackling the socks was my biggest challenge yet and "The Zen of Socks" DVD made it a fun and rewarding experience! I loved the way Mary Jo explained everything very slowly and clearly with close-up shots of what she was actually doing. I had the printed instructions next to me too, but it was watching Mary Jo work the pattern that made it easy to do. I did the dreaded "turning of the heel" and learned the Kitchener stitch for the toe. I now have a pair of cute socks that I made myself...with enough leftover yarn to make a matching pair for my new granddaughter!" Thanks, Anne, and congratulations on the cool socks. Best wishes for many more!

Sushi Socks

Remember the sushi yarn I dyed some time ago? The Sushi Socks just appeared! Aren't they great? It is exactly how I envisioned them when I dyed the yarn. I'll definitely try another skein. They were knit by Naomi using a toe up pattern. Good job, Naomi!.