Monkey Saga

So I really like the monkey sock... I've started it 4 times in different yarns now.

First time:

monarch sock yarn in Nasturtium. Love the yarn, love the colors... but it's a thicker sock yarn so the sock was too big.

Second time:
some green hand dyed yarn that was too fine and therefore too small.

Third time:

I should have stopped here (the cuff was pretty tight getting the sock over my heel. But I kept going thinking "no it's fine.. I can get it over my heel if I work at it".

I actually got the heel flap all done before I ripped it out.
Claudia's fingering weight in chocolate cherries (love the yarn and color).

Ok Fourth time seems to be the charm:

Sundara sock yarn in sweet brier rose. I cast on more loosely and changed the rib to 2x2 rather than single and twisted (got the idea from Mrs. Octopus Knits). It seems to be ok... we'll see if this is it. Luckily the pattern seems to knit up pretty fast. Going quicker than my jaywalkers (although both are awesome patterns)


whew... with all this monkey knitting I should already have a finished pair... sheesh :)

Really Really 100% finished Jaywalkers

this one has more accurate color:


Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock
Color: Martha's Vineyard
Pattern: Jaywalker from Mag Knits
Needles: Addi Turbo #1
Yarn Quantity: about 350 yards

These are my first knitted socks. I've knit scarves, sweaters, mittens, hats, purses, toys.... just never socks till now. Which is odd. I love socks and I really enjoy knitting them! Now I just can't stop making them :)

I love these even though I knit them just a tad big.... I'm even working on a second pair :) The Lorna's Laces Flamingo Stripe just begged to be jaywalkers:

Jebus! more socks I just HAVE to make

Spindle Socks

Bayerische Socks

BFF Socks

there are just sooooooooooo many socks out there.

And I picked up a copy of Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush and there are a ton of cool socks in there too. Perhaps I need to stop looking for patterns (or reading peoples blogs... that is where the 3 socks above came from).

more interesting sock patterns

http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTclessidra.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTdiamante.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTfallingleaves.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring06/PATThedera.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTkew.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTmanresa.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTmonkey.html
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTpomatomus.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEspring07/PATTquilllace.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall06/PATTredherring.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTrpm.html
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter02/PATTstraightlaced.html
http://www.knitty.com/ISSUEwinter05/PATTthuja.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEwinter06/PATTtwinkletoes.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTuniversalsock.html
http://knitty.com/ISSUEsummer06/PATTwiddershins.html


I posted some of these before.... but I'm going to remove that post.

it's like getting all new knitty's for me. When these first came out I hardly looked at the socks because I didn't plan to make them.

joined the sock knitting club

I love socks. I've always loved buying fun socks. But I've been knitting for almost 5 years and have never knit socks. I've even bought sock yarns.... just didn't get around to knitting them. But after knitting 2 pairs of endpaper mits (I'll get photos posted this weekend) I discovered that I love knitting small projects on tiny needles. So I cast on for Grumperina's Jaywalker socks a couple days ago. I'm to the heel flap on the first sock. LOVING it! This is a pretty easy pattern so far. 2 row repeat that goes pretty quickly. We'll see how I do with turning the heel and doing the instep stuff. But I think if I just follow the directions I should be ok. But I do see how the sock knitting could be addictive.... if I didn't have yarn for so many other projects I might have been in trouble :) And I'm using some Cherry Tree Hill Supersock yarn I bought about 3 years ago for this pair. I don't have the yarn label in front of me but the color is like a tropical oil puddle. Charcoal, dark brown, bright blue, teal, and mossy green.

oops bought some yarn

but it's not just any old yarn. It's Sundara Yarn. I resisted the Little Knits Noro sale (it was close... I filled a shopping cart and then closed the window).

I bought 1 ball of :

Curry over Breeze sport merino
Sweet Brier Rose sock
Sangria over Garnet sock

But other than those 3 balls of yarn I've been really good since stitches in February. I've even been diving deep into the stash for projects. Yarn that I bought quite awhile ago is finally getting used. It feels good to finally get to some of the older yarn in my stash. I have a bunch of great yarns... just wish there were more time for knitting.