Fall is in the air and on my feet.

Wow I completely suck at blogging. I’ve had a few posts in my mind for a while now and I have yet been able to sit down and write them up. So how about another finished object!

Right before Rhinebeck I finished up Embossed leaves socks so I could wear them to the festival. I started these on my way to Rhinebeck last year in the car and when I got home they sat in the back of a draw waiting for a heel. I couldn’t decide what kind of heel I wanted, did I want the pattern to flow down, or did I want to do a slip stitch heel? Good thing I did wait because when I tried them on again they were a bit snug getting on so I ripped them back to the first pattern repeat and switched to a size 2 needle instead of 1s.



I knit the heel as written except for breaking the yarn; I didn’t feel like weaving in more ends because I’m lazy. I love these socks! Ever since I saw Kristy knit these, I knew that I wanted a pair exactly like hers. I waited until Autumn was available from Blue Moon Fiber Arts to knit this beautiful pattern. I was lucky enough to finish just as the leaves started to fall so I could do a similar shot to hers. At first Scott though I was a bit insane sitting in the middle of a pile of leaves but then he got into the photo shoot. The first shot is his.



Pattern: Embossed Leaves
Needles: US size 2.5 and 2
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock lightweight in Autumn.

While they do slouch a bit, which is what I was trying to avoid with the smaller needles, I prefer the fit much more where the gusset is. These were my only successful pair of Socktoberfest socks. I had such grand plans but they faltered into a mess of half finished socks. At least these beauties are finished!

Socks Swaps

Can anyone tell me where the hell October went?! Socktoberfest is almost over; I will be taking full advantage of the last few witching hours left in attempt to finish a sock. Meanwhile there have been some finishes over here just in time for the deadlines. I finally finished a pair of socks that needs to be in the mail today. I do not want to show them just yet since this pal is not so secret and might take a peek before they reach her door. I had a lot of fun putting together this Hogwarts Sock Swap package for her and I hope she enjoys it as much as I did. She already sent my package ahead of the deadline so imagine my surprise when I came home one night and my sweetie says that I have a really cool package waiting for me!


Really cool indeed! I am keeping this box because it is so pretty.

Inside was some Burt’s Bee’s Wax hand cream, cinnamon red hots (which are gone), some yummy tea (also gone), Knit Picks Harmony DPNS in US1(now my new favorite needles because they are so smooth and pointy), beautiful stitch markers (I forgot to take a picture) some Gypsy Knits yarn( I want to say it is “Parti Gras”):


and some wonderful socks!

These are “Aurelia Socks” by Elizabeth Manning in Cherry Tree Hill Sockittome “Wild Cherry.” I am in love! She has better pictures of these on her Ravelry site.

I have discovered a new yarn that I absolutely love; these socks are going to be hard to send to my friend.

This single sock is “Drunken Bees” in Yarn Nerd’s 900 MHz sock yarn “Red Wine.” After I washed this sock the already soft yarn softened up even more, I think that my next project will have to be a pair of socks out of the “Pine Green” I have in the stash. I hope my friend has just as much fun knitting the mate to this sock as I did.

I Read Banned Books

This week is Banned Books week. I strongly believe in the Freedom to Read, nothing should be censored. As a librarian I do have to keep in mind the community that my library serves but at the same time I do not and should not keep a title out of the collection because it might upset someone. As S.R. Ranganathan says ‘every read his or her book and every book its reader.’

These are some of my favorite books and they have all been challenged or banned. Click on the picture to read the titles.

Yesterday my Yarn Nerd order came and I’m in love.



These two colors are beautiful and after much consideration I think I finally decided that I am going to keep the Pine Green for myself, the Cable Net will look better in red.

The weather finally cooperated with me and I was able to take a picture of my Bayerische Sock.





I love how the pattern looks in this color yarn (STR lightweight in Sunstone), it also matches Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
~C

Socktoberfest

Well if it is October then it must be Socktoberfest! Normally I set these crazy goals for myself that I could never dream of reaching, so for this socktoberfest I have four main goals:
1. Finish the second sock for my Hogwarts Sock Swap Pal.
2. Finish one crazy (Cable Net) sock for another pal.
3. Finish my Norbert socks and write up the pattern for everyone.
4. Knit a pair of knee highs.

Here’s a peek at my sock for my Hogwarts Sock Swap Pal:


I’m waiting on the yarn for my other pal. I ordered some yarn from Adam for this swap; I think that I’ll use the green for my pal and the red for a pair of Baudelaire.


This will be used for the knee highs. I’ve been sitting on this yarn since last Socktoberfest, is it a 500 yrd. skein of Scout’s Superwash Merino in “Socktoberfest.”

If I can finish any of these I’ll be happy.

“Fawkes” in STR “Firebird”


Merino Lace Socks in STR “Midsummers Night”


Bayerische socks in STR “Sunstone” which is actually finished but I haven’t been home when it has been sunny. Hopefully tomorrow afternoon I’ll get a good photo.