Bon Tricot

I was never the cool kid growing up – a jenny-come-lately.  So it’s no surprise that my DVR list is a bit light.  No "it" shows are in the queue.   Downton Abby ?  Nope.  Breaking Bad ?  Missed it.  House of Cards ?  Natch.    Walking Dead .  Nada.  And Game of Thrones ?  It shares the same fate as the character, Jon Snow.  But even though I’m not watching hit shows, I knit with yarn inspired by them…that should count for something, right?    And so it goes with these bad boys: These are being gifted to my mom for a belated birthday gift.   White Birch Fiber Arts in You Know Nothing Jon Snow Until next week, bon tricot !

I cast off my Harold and the Purple Crayon socks this week.  I purchased the yarn, not so much for the color, but for the book it celebrates.  While there’s nothing wrong with purple, and truth be told, I used to love that color, I have grown less enamored with it the older I get. Desert Vista Dyeworks Harold and the Purple Crayon Of course it’s not purple’s fault.   Purple’s innocent, a victim of color crime, if you will.   See, in my circle of work, people have manipulated and exploited this color to justify behaviors that, in other professional settings, would not be tolerated.   For me, purple conjures obstinacy, entitlement, and narcissism.   You may wonder what could happen to taint this color.  Well about ten years ago, a former colleague introduced me to her passion for purple pigment.  Perhaps passion is not strong enough.  She worshipped at the altar of purple.   She organized her entire life around it....

Knit-a-Longs (KALs) are great for digging into the stash, except…well, when they’re not.  I’ve been participating in Desert Vista Dyeworks’ Officially Unofficial Monthly Sock Club .  Each month, participants post a picture of their yarn accompanied by a completed pair of adult-sized socks.  The KAL began in January, but it wasn’t until late February when I had my first DVD skein in hand.     Given my exceedingly large supply of fingerweight yarn, it’s only logical to assume that I would have one, or two, or ten skeins of DVD, but I confess, I did not.  Since the KAL is structured into four quarters, I decided to wait until April to dive in.  So far, I’ve knitted Halley’s Comet, the Entertainer, and Monopoly.   Halley's Comet The Entertainer Monopoly This month, I’m quite enchanted with Harold’s Purple Crayon, and I’m surprised at how fast these socks are working up.   But the irony of expanding my sta...

I started these socks with my recipient in mind: my mom.  She requested a special pair to wear for a competitive 5K walk.  I ordered this particular skein from SimplySock Yarn Company , and I believe it was a limited edition to celebrate the store’s anniversary.   Given the walk is to raise awareness and funding for breast cancer research, I thought these would be appropriate.   But after I finished the cuff, I realized that the best way to show alternating stripes was to use a vanilla, stockinette stitch.   U nfortunately, my mom has freakishly small ankles.   Stockinette socks slide down her feet, despite casting on fewer stitches, using size 0 needles, or any other type of modification.   So these puppies will be worn on my doggies.   I love how the pink and brown pair together.   Although I must confess: in terms of anniversary yarns, I really liked SSYC's 2014 anniversary concoction.  This yarn was dyed by TurtlePur...

In all honesty, I did make an effort, twice, to be eccentric.  Unfortunately, neither yarn worked the way I hoped it would.  I’m knitting something I need, and I’ve always found that when I’m on the hunt for a particular item, I tend to leave empty handed.  The same cannot be said for things I don’t need, which appear in abundance (yes, I’m looking right at you self-striping sock yarn).  Fall has arrived on the east coast and the mornings are chilly, but not cold.  It’s a bit overkill to wear a puffy coat and mittens at this point.  But even with my coffee mug in hand as I walk the kids to the bus stop, I’m still cold and a pair of fingerless mitts would be enough, but not too much.  I have small wrists, so I knew getting the right fit would be a bit of a challenge.  I purchased some Quaere sport weight yarn in Tokyo Underground, but unfortunately, the density seemed more worsted, than sport.  After knitting up a swatch, it felt less, o...

I’m addicted to indie sock yarn, and after the success of my Missoni knock-offs , I’m excited to merge my love of handknit socks with all things Burberry.  In my search for self-striping sock yarn on Etsy, I came across TurtlePurl’s Trenchcoat colorway.  The designer’s listing states that U.K. fashion plaids inspired the yarn. I have always adored tartan plaids.  I’m particularly enamored with Burberry’s iconic Nova Check, which accents many of its designs, including the brand’s signature trench.  What I’m less enamored with, though, is the label’s exorbitant price.  So imagine my delight when I found this smashing yarn!  I paid a little more money to upgrade the yarn base with cashmere.  I justified the splurge: I’m indulging a luxury experience without the luxury cost.  In keeping with Burberry’s classic appeal, I decided to use my tried and true vanilla sock pattern – ribbed cuff, stockinette leg, foot, and toes.  I’m delighted wi...