Twinkle-y

I guess they are more like toe cozies at this point.



Close-up (you can just barely see the beginnings of a pattern):


The lace pattern is really easy so I only have to glance at the chart every once in a while to figure out where I am. Although I attempted to start with the Figure 8 cast on, it didn't look right and I couldn't get both socks started at once (I had to work a few rows of knitting before it felt stable enough to do the cast on for the second sock). I wound up frogging it and doing it over using the Magic cast on instead. It worked pretty well and I could start both at the same time. I can tell where I started since it seems to poke out a little there but I think after blocking you won't be able to tell.

The cables on these needles are annoying, they keep getting in the way as you can see in the picture. I tried the hot water trick and that straightened them out for a bit but they've started to curl again. I guess with time they will get better. It is very obvious that the stitches don't really slide along the needles but right now the excitement of knitting socks is enough to get over the hurdle. I'll have to see if I can find plastic needles in smaller sizes to try out as well.

I blame it on Cookie

Cookie A. that is. I don't know what has come over me but the combination of stumbling across her website and her appearance on Knitty Gritty, I am completely obsessed with socks... at least in theory. I have not actually started any socks and my previous sock experience is limited to Fuzzy Feet.

I had purchased some Opal sock yarn without really knowing what it was destined to be. Well, last week I decided that the Caffe Au Lait color was destined to become some Twinkle Toes socks. OK, I had a pattern and some yarn, but no needles. Well, at least not the needles I wanted. (I find that metal needles are a little too hard on my hands so I *had* to buy new needles.) Since these are toe-up and the Opal has a little more yardage than the yarn in the pattern, I wanted to do them at the same time. For me that means two socks on two circs, except I don't have circs in the size I need. (Its not the point that I have never done two socks on two circs before....) I desperately contacted Pam to see if she could keep a look out at the Stitch DC sale this past weekend for appropriate needles. (Yes, I know she would still have had to ship them but that was besides the point. She understood the need to start the socks ASAP and would have shipped them to me.) Sadly, they didn't have any for me so I wound up ordering them from WEBS on Sat. They only just shipped today. argh. Do they not realize that I've been waiting to cast-on for days?!

In the meanwhile, I decided that perhaps the black Opal didn't really want to be a scarf and instead might want to be Clessidra socks instead. Let's ignore the fact that I haven't worn knee-socks since grade school. They are just so cool.

I'm also thinking that my Sweet Georgia yarn just wants to be plain stockinette socks. Gotta be able to show off the colors, you know? I'm so sad that I didn't order some more when I had the chance since she is now off traipsing the world and there is no more Sweet Georgia yarn to be had (at least not for quite some time).

I have actually been knitting. Let's just say that undoing the tubular cast-off has been a huge pain. It also looks like I don't have enough of the Peacock to do all the ribbing in blue either. argh. Well, I decided that I would do the ribbing at the fingers and thumb in alternate colors so it will look like I did it on purpose. Plus it will help tell the right from the left mitt, right? I should have those ready for a photo shoot this weekend.

Oh yeah, while inhaling those sock yarn fumes I also signed up for Sockapalooza 4. Not sure what I was thinking but at least there was a section where you could indicate that you were a novice sock knitter.

Must...resist...

It was so close to being done, I just couldn't stop myself. I finished the first Endpaper mitt. Although I was feeling a little better, the knitting has set me back again. However, isn't it great? (Of course, I need to weave in the ends and block it but I think it looks pretty good.)




(Its pretty hard to take a picture of your right hand with your left hand when you are right-handed. Stuff like that must be really annoying for left-handed folks since the button is the "wrong" side.)

I learned the tubular cast on and cast off for this and I have to say that I am pretty please with how they look. I also practiced weaving in the ends as I went, using the Philosopher's Wool method (you should try the link in IE to see the video). Other than where I did the purl stitch for the phony seam, the floats are small and even. I totally want to start the second one but I know that in the end it will only make things worse so I must continue to avoid the knitting. Maybe I can crochet instead?

Also, have you seen this site? I've seen Cookie A.'s designs on Knitty (here, here, here, here, and here) but these are even better (I think). I am seriously tempted to buy the German Stocking (the Yarnharlot beat me to it), and the Rhiannon. Wouldn't it be cute to make the Rhiannon for my niece, Rhiannon? Too cheesy probably but still tempting...