You know where you are with the clap

I currently only have the second toe up sock and a (stalled) jumper for my sister on the needles.*

So tonight, as a reward for my domestic goddess run, I'm going to start something new. Only, I've decided to stick with what I know, and cast on yet another clapotis.

Shh, they're great gifts, and there's not really anything else urgent that I should be doing.

Oh, and I'm going back to work next week after an extended break, so it will be good to have a no-brainer bus project.

* the crochet blanket is on a HOOK, therefore it just doesn't count. Oh no

What have I been up to?

toe up sock 2
Originally uploaded by celestine_e2

The last few days have been something of a musical frenzy for us.

Friday was Amy Winehouse at Somerset House (no knitting, it was dark), and then we had the Lovebox Weekender in Victoria Park.

When it all got a bit too much, we'd find somewhere comfy (usually the Pimms garden or the chai tent) and revive ourselves with a drink a some knitting.

This is my second toe-up sock, using the magic loop technique. I started these on a whim last Saturday (at midnight, while watching Law & Order actually) and the chunky yarn made the first one fly by.

Even the afterthought heel was stress free.

Oh, and in the interest of consumer research, I can confirm that Addi lace circulars are now officially my favourite needles to use.

Sorted!

I bought some cardboard storage cartons at the weekend, as I'm tired of not being able to find the yarn I'm looking for.

There'd be no sense in throwing everything in pell-mell though, so today was yarn inventory day. Oh my, there's quite a lot of yarn in my house.

Being a bit of a nerd, it's all* recorded on a shiny spreadsheet, which I'm hugely proud of (did I mention just how much I hate spreadsheets?), and the boxes are marked with numbers for easy cross-referencing purposes.

As I was on a roll, I decided to count how much my stash weighs. This was probably a mistake, as it sounds REALLY horrific when you talk about how many people you'd need to get in a room to represent your stash. Oh well, I'll use it eventually.

*When I say all, I'm not counting random single balls, partial balls or my Colinette throw kit, but it's not cheating!

Scandinavian Knitting Design

mollysocks
Originally uploaded by celestine_e2

Hmmm, anyone thinking that I might be on commission for these people?

I swear it isn't true, but I had to spread the news that their lovely sock yarn is reduced to £1.50 per ball until July 31st.

These socks are a gift for my eldest niece. She was the intended recipient of the Thujas that I blogged about a while back, but her feet are still growing, so her sister got them instead.

I'm informed that these ones fit perfectly, and are suitable for a 10 year old diva-in-training.

Yay! Boo! Yay!

lace socks
Originally uploaded by celestine_e2

Aren't these socks pretty? They're my first lace pair, but they very nearly ended up as a tangled knot of yarn in the bin.

The yarn was my first package from the I Knit Sock Club, and I was compelled to wind it immediately.
In the next hour, the following occurred:
- the skein got horribly knotted around my swift
- the yarn broke in 4 places
- my ball winder died

Once that was dealt with, I started to knit away merrily, following the sombrero lace pattern provided. About 20 rounds in, I noticed a problem. Pooling.
The white section was forming a horrible column. Luckily, wiser heads advised that changing the number of stitches would make a difference, so I switched from 64 stitches to 60, then decided that I'd go all-out on the lace.

The pattern is (loosely) Hedera from Knitty, and the seocnd sock was the quickest one I've ever done.

Tidying up

iansocks
Originally uploaded by celestine_e2

I've set myself the challenge of blogging every other day for 2 weeks, as certain people have been grumbling about my lack of updates (Hi, Jenny!).

It's odd, I find myself dismissing crafting as "just something I do", but then I'll happily spend an hour trawling other people's craft blogs for ideas/inspirations/yarn porn.

So, on to the FO, the first pair of socks for the husband. The pattern is a freebie from Spun magazine, just a very basic ribbed sock. The yarn is from Scandinavian Knitting design, (I swear they must be a front for organised crime, how else could they sell 50g for under £2?) but please note that the socks DO NOT match, because life is too short.

I have another entry brewing about the myth of Second Sock Syndrome, but that one can keep.

noro shrug

noro shrug
Originally uploaded by celestine_e2

Every now and then, I need some (almost) instant gratification. Yes, those ambitious lace items and new techniques are all well and good, but from time to time, all I want to do is cast on 45 stitches on a circ and set off.

So I did. It couldn't be easier, knit until it reaches your underarm, start working back and forth for the width of your back, then join into a tube again for the other arm. Once that's done, pick up around the opening and rattle through 4 rows of k2p2 rib.

This was made with the Noro Gerbera I picked up in Tokyo - I love the muted shades being so abruptly broken up with the acid pink.