Birthday Socks for H.

I actually finished these socks months ago (sometime in November), but since they were a gift for H around the same time, I haven’t had the chance to take photos of them until now! This pair is another from Tanis Lavallee’s Business Casual pattern, which I’ve made once before. I really love the cables on these socks and the pattern is a free download!

The yarn is Patons Kroy Sock, from a big bag of this colourway that I got from a sale last summer (that’s probably why the socks don’t quite match… different dyelots?). I’ve made a few pairs of socks out of this yarn for myself as well, and it’s a bit thicker than most sock yarns, which makes it quite robust.

(Rav link)

I hope you are all having a lovely weekend… I’ve completed 2 of my 4 finals so I’m almost done!

One Less Hour.

Getting up on the first Monday after the time change, even after sleeping in a bit, is pretty painful. Nothing lots of tea can’t fix!

Knitting a pair of Saartje’s Bootees (Rav link) because I needed a break from all of my long-term projects and these are a really quick knit. Finished pictures coming tomorrow or Wednesday!

I’m still deciding what I’m planting in my garden this year… it’s only 6′ by 5′, so there isn’t a whole lot of space. So far, perusing the seed catalogue, I’m thinking cherry tomatoes, bell peppers, peas, beans, cucumbers, butternut squash, zucchini, iceberg lettuce, and spinach. Spinach and zucchini would be new ones for this year. Any advice?

I hope you are all having a tea-filled Monday!

More Vanilla.

I mentioned last week in my post about my Vanilla Latte Socks that I was working on another pair of Vanilla socks… and here they are! These are the Plain Vanilla Socks in Patons Kroy Sock. I really like how these turned out- the length of the leg is perfect and they fit well. The only tweak I made was to use 1×1 ribbing for the top cuff rather than 2×2- I find it doesn’t stretch out quite as much that way.
(Rav Link).

These socks are my second pair this year, so I’m on track with my goal of finishing 12 pairs this year! I’m going to start another pair this weekend, so I can get a head start on next month’s socks!
(And that book I’m reading in the background? The Time Traveler’s Wife, by Audrey Niffenegger. Great so far!)

I also have a quick announcement today… a bunch of designers, myself included, are doing a little donation drive during the Olympics and Ravellenic games to voice our support for those whose human rights are being oppressed in Russia. From tomorrow (Feb 7) to Feb 9, I’ll be donating 50% of my total pattern sales to Egale and for the remainder of the games (Feb 10-23) I’ll be donating 25% of my total pattern sales. Any of my patterns are eligible. If you’d like to see the other designers participating, Bristol Ivy has compiled a list on her blog. Thanks for your support!

(And I’ll see you again tomorrow for the 2014 Ravellenic Games cast-on… go Team Canada!)

I’ll be linking up (a bit late) with KCCO and Yarn-Along as usual!

Vanilla Latte Socks

This week…

Knitting :: Finished my Vanilla Latte Socks in Patons Kroy Sock (Rav link). I love how they turned out! These are my first pair of socks in my challenge to knit 12 socks in a year! I’m working on my Plain Vanilla Socks now, in the same yarn. Apparently this week is vanilla themed!

Reading :: The Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories (selected by Jane Urquhart). This is for a Canadian Literature course that I’m taking and we’re reading selected stories from this (giant!) anthology. (Goodreads link).

Mockingjay (by Suzanne Collins). I finished Catching Fire this week so that I could see the movie, and it made sense to just finish the series. I enjoyed the first book, but the next two in the trilogy aren’t quite as good. I’ll probably finish this just to find out what happens. (Goodreads link).

Watching :: The fifth season of Community (so good now that Dan Harmon is back!) and the second season of New Girl, which was recommended to me by a friend. I am enjoying way it more than I expected… the characters are great and it’s quite funny.

I hope you are all having a wonderful week – let me know in the comments what you’re knitting, reading, and watching!

I’ll be linking up with Yarn-Along and KCCO as usual.

Socks, socks, and more socks.

Socks are a pretty big part of my knitting plans for 2014. I have a ton of sock yarn stash to use up, and I also got some new winter boots which fit best with thicker (read: handknit) socks. I don’t like wearing socks in general but if I have to wear them, I’d rather they be warm and wooly.

To start off, I’m using of some more of my Patons Kroy Sock from this summer’s tent sale to make the Vanilla Latte pattern. I like this pattern a lot, it’s very easy to memorize and it looks great. I’m about halfway through the foot of the first sock, but it’s only taken me a few days to get that far so these should be off the needles (and on my feet!) soon enough.

(Rav link)

I’m thinking about trying to make a pair of socks every month this year, but I’m not sure I’ll be able to make socks when it’s plus 35 in July!

What are you planning to knit in 2014?

Linking up with KCCO and Yarn-Along as usual!

Socks Again.

It seems to me that every time I need a portable project and don’t have one immediately at the ready, I just start another pair of socks.

I was headed out to visit my grandparents yesterday, which means a couple hours in the car…

Now I have another pair of WIP socks. I might have a tiny problem. But I will have very warm feet this winter!

These ones are knit with more of the Patons Kroy Socks from the tent sale earlier this summer. The pattern is a slightly different one because I wanted top-down stockinette socks this time.

(Rav link)

The yarn is some of what I picked up at the Creativ festival this weekend… more on that later this week!

Linking up with KCCO, Yarn-Along, and WIP Wednesdays.

Yarn-Along

Knitting:: Glenna‘s sock pattern in Patons Kroy Sock, mystery colourway. Just turned the heel so the rest should go pretty quickly. I’m hoping to have lots of handknit socks before the weather gets chilly again! (Rav link)

Reading:: The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. I’d never heard of this book or author (it’s her first novel) but I saw it on the shelf at the library and it looked interesting. It tells the story of Hattie and her 12 children, from 1923 onwards. It’s good so far but I wish there were more time to develop each character, since most are only present for 1 chapter.

More of what I’m knitting on Ravelry and more of what I’m reading on Goodreads.

I hope you’re all having a great week (and be sure to come back on Thursday for a Raspberry Limeade recipe!)

Linking up with KCCO, Yarn-Along, and WIP Wednesdays.