The Zen of Socks

Continental Knitting Anyone?

2012-01-02T14:47:00.000-08:00

Here is my long promised visual explanation of continental knitting. I have taught numerous people how to knit continental way. My friends find this way of knitting very easy. One thing everybody say is "gee, this totally makes sense"! Enjoy!

Deer

2011-11-14T19:51:00.001-08:00

First snow storm. Running for cover.

Black bear visit.

2011-10-26T11:16:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we've had a unexpected visit. A young bear found its way to our neck of the woods. He must be looking for a nice comfortable place to dig his den for winter.

Artist's Statement

2011-09-14T10:55:00.000-07:00

Artists speak for themselves, usually, this is just too funny!

Evening feed

2011-08-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Enjoying hay, beautiful sunset casting last rays into the shed.

Mo Rocca eats crow ...

2011-08-26T09:32:00.000-07:00

Mo Rocca eats crow, but learns the valuable art of knitting... as long as it he doesn't confuse it with crocheting.

Sort of funny video, I like listening to the Wait, wait don't tell me, nice radio show on Saturdays.

Handspun Yarn & Felted Soap Giveaway

2011-08-19T07:33:00.000-07:00

I came across this giveaway this morning, nice yarn! Would love to have it:)
www.thetwistedpurl.com/?p=424

Idaho sheep wagon.

2011-08-15T09:51:00.000-07:00

I saw this adorable house on the Tiny house website.
Here is the link, tinyhouseblog.com/stick-built/idaho-sheep-wagons/.

Almost Ready for Autumn

2011-08-13T08:08:00.000-07:00

A new pair of socks, a few more rounds. Love the color combination, 100% wool, warm and toasty.

Cute Hat Just in Time for Autumn

2011-08-05T06:55:00.000-07:00

I found this fabulous hat pattern in Twist Collective's latest issue, twistcollective.com/2011/fall/magazinepage_012.php

Moving the office outside

2011-08-02T14:35:00.000-07:00

It got a bit hot in the last few days, so I moved my office into the wood shed behind the house. There is a nice breath and I even have a new assistant, English Patient, he is just as baffled as I am at the new websites I am creating.

Great Friday

2011-07-22T08:24:00.000-07:00

Sorry to hear about the East coast baking in that awful heat. What? Climate change? We're having wonderful days, a bit of rain last night gently watered the garden, hopefully our tomatoes will get the message and start turning fruit soon. Everything else is growing beautifully, peas, lettuce, swiss chard, my all time favorite and of course we pick strawberries every day- several cups. Thank you chickens and thank you sheep for your not so sudden contributions to our little ecosystem.

and here is a bit on fun on the set, these are the good times on the film sets I sort of miss, other then that glad hollywood days are long gone from my repertoire ...

Lazy afternoon

2011-07-04T16:06:00.000-07:00

Fleece cleaning

2011-06-20T13:29:00.000-07:00

Fleece cleaning has started.

An unexpected wolf visit

2011-05-22T07:54:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon we had an unexpected visit from a wolf. We spotted him calmly sitting on a hill above the pasture where the sheep were grazing. It was the chickens who created a noisy and loud ruckus, sheep correctly ran into their pen and we observed the wolf with binoculars. Unfortunately not enough time to grab the camera. After a few minutes the wolf slowly got up, turned and walked into the woods.
This is the closest image I found online.

Gray wolf. Photo by Flickr user Fremlin used under a Creative Commons License
Visit Center for Biological Diversity

Sheering

2011-05-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

Yesterday we sheered our little flock! I will post images later today. What an experience, I think it was more traumatic for me then for the sheep. They sure did not want to cooperate. As Martin said the more pets they are the less cooperative they are. And aren't these first class pets! All is well and they happily running around without all that weight of one year fleece. Speaking of their fleece- looks very very nice and very very soft. Now cleaning, all all the steps to turn the fleece to a nice yarn. Will keep you posted, documenting all the steps with images of course.

Spring Evening

2011-04-22T21:37:00.000-07:00

First warm, sort of, evening, sunset setting over the hills.

A Studio with a View

2011-04-20T13:06:00.000-07:00

My studio and my reliable assistants. Yes, those three wooly bears outside the window.

Spring Hair Cut ... Visit to Lee's Farm

2011-04-17T22:01:00.000-07:00

Last Monday my friend Lee had her entire flock of sheep sheered. It was rainy in the morning but soon the wind pushed the clouds and the sun came out. The sheep very a bit cold but as Lee said today they are used it by now. See more image on my flickr page.

Working in the garden, feels like spring!

2011-04-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Cat and a Dolphin

2011-04-10T07:15:00.000-07:00

I could not resist.

Easter Spring Time and Little Princess

2011-04-09T10:12:00.000-07:00

My Little Princess Lamb Note Card made it to a nice treasury.

My beautiful lichen made it to the front page of Etsy

2011-04-05T12:40:00.000-07:00

inside out

And here is the Forest Collection of lichen, moss, and twigs.

Front Page Etsy and there is one of my Artsy Cards- Cool!

2011-03-28T15:40:00.000-07:00

Here is the screen shot of a Treasury on the home page of Etsy

My art/funky/edgy card "The Rooster Calls his Lady Home" is one of the featured items.

Orphans no more and how I became a sheep keeper

2010-10-27T07:52:00.000-07:00

I was on the way home from the Saturday Farmers Market, this was last May, Memorial weekend. The pasture with the lambing ewes is located about 1/4 mile from our land. The ranchers were in the field working with the newborns. I chatted with them, as I have done numerous times during the lambing season. Early in the spring they brought 690 ewes and each had between 2 -3 babies. It was an exceptionally cold spring, rain, hail, many moms and baby lambs did not make it. I was going over there often, several times a week to help out. This rancher has (as I found out later) a common attitude towards life stock- it is a commodity.
That last Saturday of the cold and went May the guys carried three bummer lambs from the field towards the road. They put them down at my feet- Hey Lida these are for you. I resisted and asked the guys what are they going to do with them. Not saying much, they silently looked at each other. They knew very well how upset I was with all the lost moms and babies. And I knew, the lambs will be left in the field to fetch for themselves.

I took them home in the back of my Subaru, the ranchers gave me a half a bag of milk replacer and a bottle. I put them with the chickens, brought extra hay under one of the chicken coops and made them a nice small shelter to stay out of the cold rain. One was a half day old the other two, brother and sister, were about two days old. Next day we build them a little shelter in the woodshed, a couple of days later a friend drove over here from Lenore and did her vet procedures. The same day I drove back with her to pick up penicillin, looked like one of the lambs had a slight pneumonia, she also gave me several gallons of goat milk. I spend over four weeks feeding them every 4 hours, including nights, giving the sick one penicillin shots, spending countless nights in the woodshed keeping them warm on my lap wrapped in old jackets.

They thrived and as the weather warmed up and new grass started popping up they learned grazing and drinking water from the watering can. Now they have their own sheep shed, their own fenced large pen, but they still prefer to hang out in the open, play with the chickens and munch on their feed.

They are a wonderful addition to all our creatures. Everybody loves them and of course I love them the most.

A picture are worth a thousand words, check out the greeting cards I made out of the thousands of images I took and still taking. Enjoy.

Etsy new page layout

2010-10-25T09:44:00.000-07:00

just to illustrate new layout product detail page on etsy, actual size of the page is much large

Stay tuned.

2010-10-17T11:00:00.000-07:00

It has been a busy and fun summer. We have new additions to our little ranch, you see one above in the banner, Little Princess. I will soon post her entire story and the story of her brother and Lady Gaga (yes, another baby lamb). In the meantime you can see view them as beautiful note cards in my etsy shop.

I'll be back soon.

Sharpen those crochet hooks and get a goat!

2010-10-17T10:19:00.000-07:00

Getting hosed! Hand-crocheted socks for $500.
And I naively thought crocheting is boring.

Frances McCue and "The Triggering" Towns

2010-05-02T08:55:00.001-07:00

The last day of April I went to a reading at our very independent bookstore, Bookpeople. Francis McCue, the founder of Richard Hugo's House in Seattle, poet and writer was reading from her new book "The Car That Brought You Here Still Runs." Very inspiring and intense evening. Her travels following Richard Hugo's footsteps brought her all over the Northwest. One of the small 'triggering" town she visited was LaPush. I have my own connections to LaPush, a small Native American community sitting on the very western edge of the Olympic Peninsula, forgoten by our civilization, surviving barely. A few years back we, my cameraman, Katherine and the crew of Indian education project, made a short documentary there, Circle of Courage". We enjoyed soaking in local culture, eating a lot of fresh ocean goodies, discovering hidden treasures.
Seems like LaPush is the begining and the end of my Pacific circle. First time I visited LaPush was on hunt after Raymond Carver's landscapes. We spent a nice time with Tess Gallagher in Port Angeles, and continued on to LaPush. All these little connections converging in LaPush.

Later on I will post a visual poem I created about this magical, for me, place.

"Writing is a way of saying you and the world have a chance."
Richard Hugo, The Triggering Town

More on chickens

2010-04-23T10:57:00.000-07:00

The Femivore’s Dilemma

"Femivorism is grounded in the very principles of self-sufficiency, autonomy and personal fulfillment that drove women into the work force in the first place."
read more

My friend Bobbie of Spring Valley Garden in Troy, bravely sporting one of my hand knitted hats.

Happy Chickens have their own website

2010-04-18T07:48:00.001-07:00

Happy Chickens have their own online presence. Visit Buffalo Girls Farm. I will be at the Moscow Food Coop Growers' Market on Tuesday selling their fabulous, yummy, very organic eggs. Our stand will also feature my friend Bobbie, of Spring Valley Garden in Troy. She will bring a wide variety of herbs and vegetable starters. See you there!

And Growers Market is on Facebook. I worked on the "facebook logo" for the Coop website last night, I think it came out nicely.

Queen of copy

2010-04-16T09:28:00.000-07:00

Nice to have good friends. My friend of Simplicity of Form wrote a great copy for my PR postings. Thanks you Mis Queen of Copy.
"How many ways can you say adorable? Knitting theme cards, mini- heart socks that are hand knit in every pleasing color combination, Heart shaped cards form original photography, an artisanal way to say I love you. This is your place to find that perfect unique hand crafted present from one hardworking mom's home art studio."

And here is my work on a very successful blog Miss Malaprop.
Thank you Miss Malaprop.

The Art of Knitting or Knitting ART

2010-04-14T06:33:00.000-07:00

Margi Geerlinks, Untitled, 1997-1998
Photograph: Courtesy of TORCH gallery/In The Loop
Knitting has enjoyed a massive revival in the last few years, and boy, haven't we heard about it. But while the papers and glossies have been falling over themselves to report on the rise of yarn sales in John Lewis and how many twentysomethings have been seen knitting in pubs, contemporary textile designers have been busy doing some rather more brilliant things with their needles. New book In The Loop: Knitting Now by Jessica Hemmings charts their work, and Perri Lewis guides you through it.

Handmade Wedding Dress

2010-04-11T11:08:00.000-07:00

Little Bo Peep bride marries in stunning dress made of wool from her own flock of sheep

Everybody knits continues: Truckers knit!

2010-04-11T10:34:00.001-07:00

"Mr. Banks, who lives in Sioux Falls, S.D., and hauls romaine lettuce between California and the Midwest, learned to knit last year after load-volumes slowed. Creating something tangible beats sitting around the truck stop "talking about who has a bigger radio," he said. He's finished a scarf and socks, and is working on a sweater for his wife."

How cool!

Wall Street Journal

2010-04-08T07:18:00.000-07:00

Thank you Graft Gossip. What a nice write up about my Buffalo Girls Design enterprise. Traffic to the site has been increasing steadily, you'll great gifts and useful tools for knitters and art lovers.

2010-04-05T08:19:00.000-07:00

My wee teeny tiny socks are featured on Amy's Stocking Stuffers Blog. Amy has a cute tag line: Don't think outside the box, think inside the stocking!

These little socks make a great Mother's Day gift. Especially if your mom is a knitter! You can order them from my Etsy store or from my Buffalo Girls Design website.

Thank you Amy.

I am working on new Mother's Day cards. Please check back soon for new wonderful designs.

A good friend and natural dyes

2010-04-04T08:28:00.000-07:00

My good friend, Lorena, is deep into natural dyes. Here is the results of her fabulous work. She "borrowed" two skeins and created these beautiful colors. I just love the earthy look and feel. Way to go Lorena. Visit her blog to view more of her awsome artistic ventures,

simplicityofform.blogspot.com

And here is a link to Margo's blog. Margo was the teacher of the natural dyeing workshop. More beautiful natural colors, yes we do need more colors especially now, when the ground is still brownish, just a bit of grass here and there poking out. Notice a tiny bit of snow in the top right corner of the images.

My studio

2010-03-21T07:17:00.000-07:00

and here is my graphics and web design studio-
my knitting studio is everywhere, of course

Bandits Knit

2010-03-19T13:30:00.000-07:00

Police hunt 'The Midnight Knitter' wool graffiti bandit.
A guerilla knitter is gradually covering a New Jersey town in brightly coloured wool - and authorities have no clue who the rogue crafter is.

Everybody knits, and some knit for chickens!

2010-03-14T08:34:00.000-07:00

Watch this video from BBC. Knitting jumpers for bald chickens. Lovely!

I am a big fan of chickens, and actually all animals. Here is an art piece I recently created for a chicken show, Why a duck?". View larger image at my Buffalo Girls Productions website.

Our new series Everybody knits continues.

2010-03-13T12:46:00.000-08:00

Betsy Lee McCarthy who left a lucrative career as a health care executive so she would have more time to knit socks. Really.

Everybody knits!

2010-03-13T11:12:00.000-08:00

Some of us knit for real, some of us pick up the needles and use it as a prop! Way to go Kiss!

This image gives me a new idea for my knitting inspired cards.
"Dreaming of turquoise socks!"

Any other ideas?

My friend Lorena's ideas (I know she will come up with more):

"Just what every woman wants, a guy who knits."
"It is not just your grandma's knitting anymore!"

Share your heart!

2010-03-11T17:17:00.000-08:00

We created this beautiful heart out of our little socks. Just too cute.

SPRING, SPRING, SPRING!

2010-03-07T12:54:00.000-08:00

I guess I am going to be writing about spring coming till the grasshoppers come home:)) I took this picture early in the morning, I was hoping the geese will stay but they decided to check out other ponds in the neighborhood.
Yes, we have a tons of grasshoppers in summer time, they usually invade our garden at the end of July and pretty much eat everything. Now we have a bunch of very cute chickens who are already diligently working in the garden and hopefully eating the tiny larvas of the grasshoppers.
Sitting on the front deck, knitting and watching the wildlife enjoying a warm spring day!

Felted Teapot Cozy

2010-03-03T13:38:00.000-08:00

We love our tea. We go through at least two pots a day. Nice herb tea from hand crafted herbs I picked last year. What a great idea: knitted/felted tea cozy and save energy! The idea is to encourage drinkers to make tea in a pot instead of a mug or cup. This will reduce the number of times we boil our kettles, thus reducing the amount of household energy we use.

And do I need to tell you how much I love this cozy with the nice big heart?

2010-02-25T07:50:00.000-08:00

Sock mania is in full swing again. My sister and I are knitting away teeny tiny socks for our friends. Yoga and sock knitting, what a way to enjoy our time while we waiting for the sun to come out in full swing, the last of the snow to melt, mud dry out and start planting the next Victory Garden!

A couple of days ago we saw the first red wing black bird, happily chirping on the dry cattail surrounding the pond. Even a pair of canada geese has landing although briefly but with a lot of wonderful noise.

New Society Socks Logo

2010-02-22T10:02:00.000-08:00

I have been playing with the Society Socks logo and made a few tweaks. I think it looks nicer now. Check it out in the right hand column. And I also added new knitting inspired greeting cards on my Etsy shop.
Have a great productive Monday!

It's beginning to look like SPRING!

2010-02-20T11:13:00.000-08:00

I have been busy working on my clients' websites, producing, directing and editing another documentary, and knitting tiny little socks. Just having a great productive time. What a fabulous winter we've had. Hardly any snow, and now the grass is starting to show up!
Please visit my new Etsy store which I have just opened after over a year of neglect. You will find nice note cards made out of my collages, my very popular knitting inspired note cards, very natural lichen and moss freshly picked in the beautiful Rockies, our backyard!
Cheers!

Society Socks at the Farmer's Market

2009-08-30T22:23:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-23T21:19:00.000-07:00

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

2009-08-23T20:58:00.001-07:00

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

2009-08-16T21:17:00.000-07:00

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

2009-07-20T17:25:00.001-07:00

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

2009-07-15T22:39:00.000-07:00

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

2009-06-09T22:29:00.001-07:00

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!.

Society Socks has new yarn!

2009-06-05T22:44:00.001-07:00

I've just finished my first lot of yarn for the summer. You can see Miss T inspecting the most recent skeins. I've tried a technique that I am very excited about, using a variegated color and overdying with black. It has proved very popular. My business partner, Lida Saskova, says she does not have time to post our new products on the Society Socks website, so I have created a temporary website to get the yarn out for your inspection. Check it out at New Yarn. All yarn is 75% merino superwash wool and 25% nylon for a very soft, machine washable yarn that wears very well. You can purchase the yarn directly from me by e mailing maryjo@societysocks.com. Cost is $26/skein plus $2.95 shipping (and 6% sales tax if you live in Idaho). If you don't have our instructional DVD, The Zen of Socks, ($19.95) you can also order that directly from me via e mail, and I will send it with the yarn. I'm hoping that we can get everything back up on our regular website soon andPayPal will be available for purchases.

Thank you, Bob

2009-05-17T17:23:00.001-07:00

Thank you Bob!

Red sox, green sox, sparkly sox

2009-03-20T20:54:00.000-07:00

Here is the latest batch of hand knit socks. None of them were from my own hand dyed yarn, but were still fun to knit. The red socks are for a repeat customer. They are knit of Brown Sheep's Wildefoote sock yarn, not my favorite because the yarn has a terrible habit of splitting so you have to watch every stitch. However, the yarn was in my stash, and the customer liked the color, so I went ahead. The socks turned out beautifully, and were very soft after washing. These socks, as well as the other socks, were knitted with 64 stitches on #1 bamboo needles. The green socks were from Berocco yarn, one of my favorite commercial yarns. The green socks were self- patterning yarn and turned out very well. Berroco is slightly heavier yarn and makes a very sturdy, long wearing sock. The turquoise striped socks are made from Berroco metallic yarn. It has a 2% polyester yarn spun in, which gives a metallic, sparkly effect. The result is very pleasing - these socks would be great to spark up your outfit when you are wearing jeans. My stock of hand dyed yarns is low right now. I'm waiting for better weather so I can dye outside. The snowbanks are receding so that is a good sign. There are still some beautiful yarns available. I'm particularly partial to the toffee-colored variegated skeins, and of course I like the variegated purple skein as well. Check them out on the website, and watch for new yarn. It is easy to knit, and makes wonderfully soft socks. Both the green patterned socks and the sparkly turquoise socks will be for sale on the Society Socks website soon - watch for them

New shoes

2009-03-07T14:23:00.001-08:00

I have new shoes. They have windows in the top so I can see my socks. Isn't that great?

We have a new cat at our house

2009-03-07T14:03:00.000-08:00

Her name is Misty, or Miss T, I'm not sure which. She is a pre-owned cat. A friend of mine moved and could not keep the cat, so the cat came to live with us. She is used to a quiet household and being an only pet, and our busy household with a large noisy cage of birds and a big fish bowl are of great interest. Since her previous person is a knitter, she has good manners when she sits on my lap. However, she is not above making off with a ball of yarn that is just sitting quietly on the floor. She is a very pretty blue-cream dilution of a tortoiseshell coloration, and bright yellow eyes. She is now pretty accustomed to her new home, and is very affectionate. She can't really replace my dear little Gracie, but it's good to have her with us.

New socks and photos

2009-02-21T11:44:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of pairs of recent socks. The red striped ones with the picot cuff are called celebration socks. They were delivered to their new owner at an Inaugural Ball on January 21. She's happy for all sorts of reasons. The orange striped socks are called autumn leaves and are for a friend. Both pairs are knit with my hand dyed yarn. I'm sure you can see the unusual Christmas ornaments on the tree. I sent the socks to my sister-in-law for Christmas, and she sent me the photo. She also recommended my things to her friend, who bought the DVD and some yarn! Thanks, Liz.

Just in time for Valentine's Day

2009-01-31T21:49:00.000-08:00

I saw this pattern on the newest Knitty online edition, and couldn't resist trying it. It's an anatomically correct heart, just the thing for your sweetie for Valentine's Day. I like to knit three- dimensional stuffed things like toys, and this looked like a good use for leftover sock yarn. In reality, I think it took more yarn than that, but you could perhaps combine a couple of leftovers in one heart. It was easy to make for a sock knitter, being knit in the round with DP needles, and is seamless. It took me a couple of evenings - I'll definitely make another one. If you are not familiar with Knitty, do have a look at www.knitty.com. It is loaded with creative, free patterns, and has lots of interesting articles.

In Memoriam: Amazing Grace

2009-01-23T19:57:00.001-08:00

My dear old kitty friend Gracie passed away in her sleep on January 3. She was nearly 18 years old, a small cat with fine whiskers and a big purr. She had the typical strong willed calico personality and was the boss of the house. In her youth she used to visit nursing homes and move from lap to lap, purring and settling in as her admirers petted her and told stories about their own pets. She was variously known as Amazing Grace, Gracie, Gracie Poo, Poogie, or just Poo. She truly graced our home and had many friends. She kept her big purr to the end of her life. We miss you, Gracie.

Martha's first socks

2009-01-15T21:40:00.001-08:00

Martha bought our DVD, The Zen of Socks, and also some hand-dyed yarn, and this is the result - her first pair of socks, and they look perfect to me. She says they are a little too tight for her, so her lucky daughter gets them. She is already planning how to make a slightly bigger pair for herself. Way to go, Martha!

Now they can be shown!

2009-01-15T20:55:00.001-08:00

Here are my socks for Christmas 2008. I didn't want to post them earlier because I didn't want to spoil any surprises - you never know who actually looks at these blogs, do you? The green stripey socks are for my daughter-in-law, Sarah. She is seen modeling them in Oaxaca, drinking coffee on the deck Christmas morning. They are made from a really great cotton blend from Online yarns, in their Summer color series. They are 45% cotton, 40% wool and 15% nylon, and very soft. note the picot edge on the cuff. The bright blue striped socks are for my sister-in-law Liz. She lives in snowy Wisconsin and appreciates a good warm sock. These are made with Berroco Sox yarn, 75% superwash wool, 25% nylon. Berroco is made in Romania and has really wonderful color combinations. The yarn is a bit on the thicker side of fingering so makes a warm, long wearing sock. The blue lacy socks are for my sister-in-law Meg. She lives in Oklahoma so doesn't need super warm socks. These were made with a hand-dyed Lorna's Lace yarn, 75% superwash wool, 25% nylon. The lace pattern knitted up surprisingly quickly, and the tight twist of the yarn made it a good choice for a lace pattern. Click on the image to enlarge the photo so you can see the lace pattern. The last pair, also blue, are for my friend Nancy. They are made with my hand-dyed yarn, still my favorite yarn to knit socks with. I'm very pleased with the heathery look of the finished socks. These socks are super soft. This yarn is available on the Society Socks website - check out the color combinations.

This just in

2008-12-08T22:29:00.001-08:00

Are you always looking for good things to do with your extra sock yarn? Shirley made her new IPod a hoodie. Is that cute or what?

Newly dyed yarn

2008-12-07T17:22:00.000-08:00

I spent much of the Thanksgiving long weekend dyeing more yarn. Some of these are a little different from ones I have done in the past. They are variations of one color, to give a heathered look. They are great for lace patterns, but also make beautiful plain knit socks. You can see some of the variegated yarn in front of the basket. Go to the website, societysocks.com, to get a better look at these yarns. I'll bet you know someone who would like one of the instructional DVDs, The Zen of Socks, and a nice skein of yarn for Christmas.

Emily's mittens

2008-12-07T17:15:00.001-08:00

Emily is a newly graduated geologist with a penchant for working in cold climates like the Alaskan ice fields and far northern Norway. So, when she decided to take up knitting, she picked felted mittens as her first project. She knitted two strands of wool worsted together, one red and one blue, on size 10 1/2 double pointed needles, casting on 24 stitches. We sort of played the pattern by ear, and finished off the top of the mitten with Kitchener stitch. When she was done, the felting process took only about 20 minutes. As you can see, it was a complete success! She already has plans for two more pairs of mittens for Christmas presents - I'll bet she makes it.

Bug dyeing

2008-11-25T23:21:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine, who is a professor of Entomology, invited me to learn to dye fabrics with cochineal dye, which comes from bugs that live on cactus plants. It makes the red color you see in fine Mexican rugs. Of course, I jumped at the chance. You can get many different colors from just one dye bath, depending on the mordants you pretreat the fabric with. These are silk scarves. It was really fun. I can't wait to try it on sock yarn. Look for red yarn sometime soon.

The Zen of Socks goes to Germany

2008-11-25T23:16:00.001-08:00

My hand dyed yarn is getting away from me before I get it photographed for the blog. However, I did get a photo of Tibor and the yarn he bought (along with a DVD) to take back to Germany to his mother. Tibor was an exchange student 13 years ago here in Moscow, and came back to see how we were all doing. He is a corporate lawyer in Berlin now, and a charming young man. I'd like to think his time in Moscow had an influence.

New "Knitting" notes cards

2008-10-03T06:31:00.000-07:00

I do not post often because I am too busy running my web design business, BuffaloGirlsProductions, and/or knitting. But it is time to properly introduce myself. I am the producer and the graphic designer for The Zen of Socks. Not only that I created the fabulous Zen of Socks DVD, but I also designed the Society website, this blog, the store, photograph the products and create all the graphic and PR materials.

I am an avid knitter: hats (all hats have been sold) and socks and recently venturing into sweaters. And now for something new: I created these beautiful note cards with a knitting theme. Visit the Society socks store to view these original cards. Purchase one to send to your knitting buddy or purchase the set of 7 as a gift for your favorite knitting girlfriend.

Cheers
Lida

And last weekend I also...

2008-10-02T22:25:00.000-07:00

One of my husband's hobbies is to raise heirloom tomatoes, no mean feat in northern Idaho. We have an end-of-season tomato tasting brunch every year. After that, I get the tomatoes for my own hobby, making salsa. I have been trying for years to make a REALLY HOT salsa, and this year, I think I succeeded. The first batch, which had two cups of assorted habanero peppers, was pretty darn hot, but my son and I still ate it with pleasure. We named it Society Salsa - It'll knock your socks off. Last weekend, I made a batch that had THREE cups of habaneros - it is called Society Salsa - Pain and Suffering. I haven't tried it on my son yet, but I declare it REALLY HOT.

Guess what I did last weekend?

2008-10-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

You're right! I spent two beautiful fall days with my yarns and dyes and now have lots of new hand painted yarn. I have tried several that are shades of one color blended to be suitable for lace patterns - I suspect they will go fast. Check out the selection on www.societysocks.com soon for best selection. Don't forget to pick up the DVD, The Zen of Socks, if you don't already have one. Happy Knitting!

New Hand Dyed Yarn

2008-10-02T10:00:00.000-07:00

What colors! When surrounded with all these gorgeous colors use them in your creations. Ready for the coming fall evenings to cozy up and knit a pair of beautiful socks.
Mozy on over to our online store and get yourself a skein or two while they last. They do fly off our virtual shelve fast. Enjoy!
societysocks.myshopify.com/
Lida

Goodbye to a friend

2008-08-31T21:43:00.000-07:00

This is in memory of my friend, Brad Neuman. Brad died way too young in early August. He raised beautiful Suri alpacas in the little town of Troy, Idaho. Everyone who knew Brad loved him. He was the kindest and gentlest of men, and and generous with his money, attention and skills. Brad was one of the earliest people who carried our DVD, The Zen of Socks, on his website, and was generous in promoting our business and supplying us with alpaca yarn to try out our various projects. Brad moved to Troy in 2001 and immediately became an active member of this little community. He was a strong financial supporter of the public schools, and often had schoolchildren visiting on his farm. His sister, Judy LaLonde, will continue to manage the alpaca ranch, but no one can replace Brad's smiling face and big heart. Please check out their website at bigmeadowcreekalpacas.com

Naomi's socks

2008-08-16T16:38:00.001-07:00

This is Naomi's first pair of socks from our hand dyed yarn. I love the way the yarn naturally made rainbow stripes on the toes and heels (try enlarging the image). Naomi said the yarn was great to knit with. Very soft, didn't split, just the right amount of stretchiness. The yarn is 75% Superwash wool, 25% nylon. She used the DVD "The Zen of Socks"to learn to knit socks. Way to go, Naomi!

Karen's new socks

2008-07-30T20:27:00.001-07:00

These are Karen's new socks. She has MS and Reynaud's syndrome, so frequently has cold feet, but can't stand anything tight on her feet. Soft socks from our hand dyed yarn turned out to be the best thing. These socks were knit on #1 bamboo needles on 78 stitches on our 75% superwash wool/25% nylon hand dyed yarn. They have a K5P1 flat rib repeat that is very formal looking and very attractive. Karen says they remind her of socks being knitted when she was a child in Europe.

New socks from Susan in California

2008-07-29T21:37:00.000-07:00

Susan knit these socks from a skein of our hand dyed yarn. She says, "The colors are beautiful, and the yarn was easy to work with. There was more than enough yarn on one skein to make these socks following your basic pattern, using size 1 bamboo needles. I also referred to your DVD a number of times to refresh myself."
Something I did differently this time was to use nylon sock reinforcing yarn in the heel and toe. It wasn't too difficult to work with the two strands. Those sections are only very slightly bulkier than the rest of the sock.
I had two sets of needles and so worked on both socks alternately so they would finish about the same time. One sock was knit from the yarn coming from inside the ball, and one sock was knit from the end of the yarn on the outside. It was a little tricky with the reinforcing yarn involved too, but I managed to get through it without any major tangles. We've been cat-sitting for my son, and Daisy soon learned that the sock project was "paws off!" I think this is the best pair of socks I've made."

Wavy cable socks

2008-05-28T23:16:00.000-07:00

This interesting stitch pattern was done on a hand painted fingering yarn on #1 bamboo needles and 64 stitches. The wavy cables were made by knitting 4 st, 2x2 cable over 4 st, repeat around sock, for the first row, K 3 rows in stockinette, then 2x2 cable over 4 st, K4, repeat around sock, K3 rows in stockinette. Repeat these 8 rows for the pattern. I carried the cable pattern down the top of the foot until the start of the toe decreases. They are very pretty socks of a nice soft washable yarn. They are made for a woman's small foot. They are for sale on the website, www.societysocks.com.

Amanda's first sock

2008-05-28T23:01:00.001-07:00

This just in - Amanda from Wisconsin purchased our DVD, The Zen of Socks, and finished her first sock in less than a week! This from a graduate student and a mother of three! Very impressive. I see a long series of great socks from this person. Thanks for sharing your success.

2008-05-26T20:14:00.000-07:00

This is not exactly related to socks or yarn, but I wanted to share with you a photo of my wonderful family. The photo was taken in Sisters, Oregon at a mushroom foray about a week ago. I was lucky to catch all three of my men in full beard plumage. Aren't they handsome? Daughter-in-law Sarah and girlfriend Veronica are very good sports. They have already learned how to knit socks, they are rapidly becoming mycophiles and mycophagophists, and they participate with good humor in family Mah Jongg games. What more could I ask for?

Blue Socks

2008-05-25T21:12:00.001-07:00

This pair of socks is slightly larger than I usually make. It will fit a woman's foot size 9-10. It is made from Opal yarn, 75% Superwash wool, 75% nylon, so can be machine washed. It was done on size 1 bamboo needles. The yarn is a sturdy fingering size, very soft and supple. They will be for sale on the Society Socks website in about a week. A nice find for someone who has a hard time finding larger handknit socks.

More hand dyed yarn

2008-05-25T20:41:00.000-07:00

We spent the Memorial Day weekend dyeing 30 skeins of yarn. We had perfect weather for it, and had a great time. My guest dyer was my good friend Nancy Wright. Now she is totally addicted the process, along with the rest of us. She's not even a sock knitter! We got into naming the yarns. As you can see by the photo, one of my yarns is named Martha Washington after my geranium. The yarns should appear on the website, www.societysocks.com, in our yarn store by next weekend.

Susan's socks

2008-05-25T20:28:00.001-07:00

A friend's sister has bought both our DVD and hand dyed yarn from us . She sends this photo from southern California. Susan is a skillful and careful knitter, and it is great to see her progress.She has made several pairs of socks, but this is the first pair with our yarn.

Tina's socks

2008-05-19T22:56:00.000-07:00

Tina is a satisfied customer who bought our DVD, The Zen of Socks, and has just finished her first sock, and in pretty good time, too. She used the Regia silk blend yarn, 64 stitches and size 2 needles. She says her mother is already after her to knit her some socks.

A happy yarn customer

2008-05-13T20:28:00.001-07:00

Shirley bought hand painted yarn from me a few weeks ago (see the blog entry below with her photo). She recently brought in her socks to show me and they are fabulous! She cast on 64 st and knit on #2 bamboo needles. She says she made no attempt to make the socks match, but they are clearly a pair. She really loves her socks, and I do, too. I am planning to do a lot of dyeing over the Memorial Day weekend, so look for new yarn early June.

My first knee socks

2008-04-14T22:20:00.000-07:00

I got a commission for a pair of knee socks, and took it on as a challenge. I made several false starts using various cuff down patterns, and finally settled on a toe up pattern for the foot. I chose a short row heel, which was very successful. There was a lot of trying on and readjusting of the number of rows between increases in the calf area. I used a Regia 75% superwash wool/25% nylon yarn, 210 m/ball, and used most of 3 balls. I knit on #1 bamboo needles. Along the way, I learned a very cool invisible increase stitch. I was very pleased with the final product, as was my customer, and I'll probably make a pair for myself sometime soon. If you are interested in the pattern that I developed, e mail me at maryjo@societysocks.com and I will send you the pattern.

Cotton Blend

2008-04-13T13:22:00.000-07:00

Work in progress!

Alpaca socks

2008-03-23T11:05:00.001-07:00

I've just finished my first pair of socks made from 100% alpaca fingering weight yarn. Since the yarn had no reinforcing fiber, I knit it with a strand of fuzzy nylon serging thread. I thought this might be difficult, but it was surprisingly easy. I kept the yarn and thread in a ziplock bag together, and they fed out together very nicely. I was fortunate to find nylon in the same color as the yarn, and it is essentially invisible in the final knitted product. I got this yarn from my friend Brad Neuman, owner of Big Meadow Creek Alpacas (www.bigmeadowcreekalpacas.com), who wanted to see how it would work for socks. I am happy to report that it was easy to knit, is wonderfully soft, and washed well. I washed the socks on the gentle cycle of my washing machine in cold water, and laid them flat to dry. They came out just fine.
This is a 64 stitch sock done on #1 bamboo DP needles. The pattern is a lace rib, a very easy 4 row repeat. I continued the pattern down the front of the foot.

Rows 1-3: K2 P2 ribbing
Row 4: K2,YO, Slip 2, P2 together through the back of the two slipped stitches. Repeat these 4 stitches to end of row

If you are interested in knitting very soft, slightly fuzzy, very warm socks, I recommend you contact Brad through his website listed above, and see what he has available. You won't be sorry.

Yarn Feeding Frenzy!

2008-03-23T10:45:00.000-07:00

A friend asked if I could bring the yarn that I had hand painted to work one day. Suddenly my little office was filled with women with yarn lust in their eyes! They bought 8 skeins - what fun. They all promised to send me photos of their finished projects.

Socks and cats

2008-03-01T22:26:00.000-08:00

This weekend we had a visit from my son Ian and his girlfriend Veronica. After a week at Christmas breathing the sock knitting infused air here, and helping me dye yarn, Veronica decided to take up sock knitting. She is doing very well, and is nearly ready to make her first heel. This is a photo of her two cats, Tully and Toby, and her first sock in progress.

New yarn

2008-02-19T21:10:00.000-08:00

I want to introduce you to a new-to-me sock yarn, Berroco Sox. It is fingering weight, 75% superwash wool/25% nylon, and is dyed to make a Fair Isle pattern as you knit. The colors are very intense, and the interval between repeats is long. The owner of our local yarn shop says that Berroco is known for its color saturation in their yarns. The yarn was considerably lower in cost than most comparable sock yarns, $12.60 for a 440 yard ball. The yarn was a little stiff to knit, but softened up nicely when washed. It is made in Romania. I'll certainly try another ball. The socks pictured are my standard slouch pattern, 64 stitches on #1 needles.

New socks

2008-02-06T22:54:00.000-08:00

I have been fortunate to get some commissions to knit socks from our hand dyed yarn, my favorite yarn to work with. The brown socks with the blue zigzag are winging their way to Minnesota even as I write this, to a young lady who is probably standing in the snow with cold feet, waiting for a bus. You notice that the socks are photographed in the snow, with a few snowflakes for accent. The pink and green socks are for my friend Pam. She has a personality as bubbly as the socks' color scheme. She loves them. The teal and raspberry socks are mine. They go with everything I wear.

Zitron Life Style

2008-01-28T15:51:00.000-08:00

I got four balls of Zitron Life Style as a present from a dear friend of mine.
Here is the first sock and some of the second sock. I did not make the sock cuffs as long as usual because there are only 155 m in each ball. I knitted on size #2 needles, cast on 64 stitches. These socks are a bit heavier, which is great. I am rushing to get the second sock done; we are having one snow storm after another.

New socks

2008-01-13T16:55:00.000-08:00

I love taking pictures of our hand dyed yarns and then a picture of the resulting socks.
Aren't they lovely?

2007-12-31T09:53:00.000-08:00

Strikk 2 m sammen, sticka ihop 2 rm, strik 2 m sm - do you know what these terms mean?
It is "knit 2 together" in Norwegian, Swedish and Danish. You will find a handy knitting terms translator on our website.

New hand painted yarns

2007-12-29T12:33:00.000-08:00

Newly dyed yarns are ready! They should be on the website late today. Shop early for best selection. They go fast.

Tiny sox

2007-12-07T14:31:00.001-08:00

I have been using my leftover sock yarn to knit tiny socks as Christmas tree ornaments or package decorations. They also sell well at bazaars and craft shows. The pattern is quick and easy.

Cast on 20 st, leaving a long tail to crochet into a loop later. Divide 6,6,8 on three size 0 DP bamboo needles. Do K1, P1 ribbing for 4 rows, or just knit all stitches for a rolled cuff. When the cuff is 1.5 inches, divide for heel, 5, 5, 10 st on 3 needles. On the 10 stitches, knit a heel flap 10 rows long (5 long stitches). Turn heel as follows: on inside, slip 1 st, P4, P2 tog, P1. Turn. Sl 1, K2, K 2 tog, K1. Turn. Sl 1, P to last 2 st, P2 tog. Turn. Sl 1, K to last 2 st, K1 tog. Pick up and knit 6 st along heel flap. K across instep, combining the two needles with 5 st each onto one needle. Pick up and knit 6 st along the other side of the heel flap and K3 st from the heel needle. This will leave you in the middle of the heel on the bottom of the foot. Knit one row around. Decrease 1 stitch at the top of each heel needle every other row until there are 5 st left on each heel needle. Knit every row until the foot is the right length, usually 4-5 rows. Decrease for the toe, 4 st every other row, until 8 st are left. Finish the toe with the Kitchener stitch. The finished socks fit great on my cat Gracie, but she won't stand still long enough to let me take a photo.
Happy Holidays to all!

Thanksgiving and family

2007-12-07T14:17:00.000-08:00

I was fortunate to have my whole family together at one of our favorite places, Oceanside, Oregon, for Thanksgiving. My son Mike took Knitty-like photos of his wife, Sarah, in her beautiful socks that she made from our hand-dyed yarn. He posed with Sarah's latest knitting project, socks from Trekking XXL yarn. Everyone had lots of time on the beach, and we shared a big Thanksgiving dinner cooked in our tiny but quite adequate motel kitchen. What a great time!