Summer of Socks 2011

It's that time of year again!  Summer of Socks starts tomorrow, June 21, and runs through September 21.  It's all about knitting socks, baby!  The festivities can be found on Ravelry at Summer of Socks 2011.

Speaking of socks, I have finished a couple of pairs recently.  Let's call it the warmup for SOS2011!

This first pair is for my self-imposed sock club (SISC).  This yarn is surprisingly awesome.  It's Debrah Norville's Serenity sock yarn (it's a combination of merino, bamboo, and nylon) in a colorway called Tanzanite.  I did a pair of cuff-down anklets.  Love!

The next pair is from an unknown yarn, but I just love the colors.  I named these Candy Corn.  I did an afterthought heel, which is quickly becoming a favorite of mine.

Let the summertime sock knitting begin!  ;)

Rainbow Skittles Socks

My second pair of toe-up socks!!!  I am officially addicted to Wendy's gusset toe-up socks.

The yarn is Regia Ringel and the pattern is called Hermione's Everyday Socks by Erica Lueder.  Very simple pattern that really gives great texture.

My next Self-Imposed Sock Club yarn was chosen by my hubby, and he chose....

 It's Debrah Norville's Serenity sock yarn in a colorway called Tanzanite.  I am going to make some simple toe-up socks again since this yarn is so wildly variegated.

Sock Obsession

I have been completely obsessed with knitting socks lately ... even more than usual. 

First, these socks are my very first completed pair of toe-up socks.  I am IN LOVE with them.  The yarn is Trekking, and the construction of the pattern is the toe-up gusset sock pattern from the book "Socks from the Toe Up" by Wendy Johnson.  The cuff pattern is Blueberry Waffle.  I love everything about these socks!

My husband picked the yarn for my next pair of socks for the Self Imposed Sock Club, and he chose some Regia striping rainbow yarn.  YAY!  I can't wait to cast on!

Next, these socks I named Green Lollipop socks.  My husband got me the yarn for Christmas 2009, and he loves the color green and loved green lollipops when he was a kid.  The construction of these socks is the generic cuff-down pattern in "Sensational Knitted Socks" by Charlene Schurch.  The yarn is Wisdom Yarns.

I have two pairs of socks in progress.  First are for the Sock Knitters Anonymous group on Ravelry for the May challenge (beaded socks).  I am recycling a $2 purse from Goodwill that had bangles all over it.  They are so crazy, and I know they will be fun to wear.  The construction is a cuff-down tube with an afterthought heel.  This pair is going to be called Bangle Socks.

Lastly, I have an awesome sock out of these wonderfully bright colors.  I am calling them my Candy Corn socks because they sort of remind me of those colors.  The construction is also a cuff-down tube with an afterthought heel.

Summer of Socks starts on June 21 and ends on September 21.  Basically, we try to knit as many socks as possible and show them off.  I can't wait!

It's All About the Toes Today

I finished three socks today, so I have 2.5 pairs of socks to show you ...

First, I finished my Lace Rib socks by Charlene Schurch (from Sensational Knitted Socks).  They are much more lime green than the picture shows.

Then, I finished my vanilla Kiss in the Rain socks. I LOVE this yarn! (Opal)

And lastly, I finished the first sock in a pair that I started ages ago. This is a vanilla sock that I have named Green Lollipops. The yarn is Twin Cities by Wisdom Yarns.

Since I finished so much, I had Joe pick a bag for my Self Imposed Sock Club, and he chose this yarn for me. LOVE!

This pair will be my first pair of toe up socks.  I am going to do the Gusset Heel Basic Socks by Wendy D. Johnson's book "Socks From the Toe Up."  (I have knit a couple of toe up socks but I ripped them out.  This will be my first finished pair.  I want to master toe up as well as I have cuff down.

Self-Imposed Sock Club

Last night I took all of my self-striping yarns and laid them out on the bed. I have enough yarn for 22 pairs of socks!

(Sorry the picture is a little blurry.)

Then I put them all in brown paper bags ....

So, as soon as I finish a pair of vanilla socks, I will have hubby pull a bag out of the pile for me. I can't wait to see what I get to knit! Thanks to the Yarn Harlot for this idea.

Also, I found a Self-Imposed Sock Club group on Ravelry, so of course I had to join. ;)

Knitting Plans

I have been obsessed with knitting socks for about three years now.  I have purchased a bit of sock yarn, and several friends have also donated to my stash.  I do like to KNIT fancy socks, but I prefer to WEAR plain vanilla socks, or at least socks that have little or no patterning on the foot. 

I ALWAYS have a pair of "vanilla" socks on the needles and usually also have a fancier pair going simultaneously (along with my myriad of other WIPs).

The Yarn Harlot has a "Self-Imposed Sock Club," and I think this is a brilliant idea.
http://www.yarnharlot.ca/blog/archives/2010_01.html

She took 12 baggies and placed in them 12 balls/hanks of sock yarn.  At the start of each month she pulls out a bag randomly and knits that pair of socks.

I am going to do something similar, but I will use all of my self-striping yarn that I LOVE and put them in brown paper bags.  As I finish each vanilla sock, I will pull out a bag (randomly) and knit whichever yarn is in the bag.  This will be such fun!

I will take a pictures of the process when I do this (over the next few days).  I can't wait to see what I pull out first.

Another thing I will do is put some WIPs in the bags and force myself to finish them as I pull them out.  I currently have 2 pairs of socks that are in progress (barely started) that I can do that with.

Last night I started my first sweater.  It's the Ano sweater by Berroco.
http://www.berroco.com/292.297/296/296_ano_pv.html

I won the sweater kit last summer as a door prize at the Knit 'n Knibble birthday bash.  I would never have picked this color, but it is really growing on me as I knit it.  The yarn is a little splitty, so I have to keep an eye on my stitches.  This will be my first sweater, and I know I am going to learn a lot.

Here's my progress from last night: