I haven’t gotten much knitting done this week, because I was dealing with iPhone irritations that sapped my will to live.  Fortunately, I now have said iPhone.  I completely lost track of the days, and I’ve only managed to finish one pair of socks for this second two-week period of Summer of Socks.  One of my original goals was to finish at least two pairs.  I’ve also taken in more sock yarn, but it isn’t my fault:  Lorna’s Laces just has the perfect shade of blue for tall, tall socks!  I got 3 skeins (via a destash), and I’m hoping to use as much of the yarn as I can, so I can make really tall socks.  Also, it’s been really hot, and that just makes me crazy.  Anyhow, I hope to get the current socks I’m working on done this weekend, and then I can start working on my niece’s socks.  She wants stripy socks, which I love making, so it’s a win-win.

In other news, I may need to withdraw from the Olympic Yarn Smackdown.  I didn’t realize that it coinsided so heavily with my planned vacation (GenCon), and I’m worried about how mailing things to people/having people mail things to a hotel will work.  It seems like it’s just not something that would go smoothly.  I’m annoyed, because I really wanted to take part in this, and I’m only in one event.  I’m just not sure.  If I do withdraw, I’ll probably join the Ravelympics or something, which doesn’t require any mailimg, just an impressive project.  I could try out Bayerishe, or some other equally crazy-hard sock pattern.

…and not really blogging.  I’m not really sure why that is.  To make up for my silence, look: socks!

(top to bottom: plain stockinette magic loop (Duet skinny), Merino lace socks (Koigu KPM), Embossed Leaves (Sundara)

These are the three pairs I’ve completed so far for Summer of Socks.  I’m impressing myself with how quickly I can really complete them when I put my mind to it.  I’m even more impressed with some of my fellow participants: there’s one woman who has completed something like 8 pairs already.  Now that’s leet skillz!  I’m glad I took a sock break before I started, because I had almost forgotten how much I enjoyed making socks, how portable they are, and how quick.  I have another pair on the needles right now that I’m really enjoying, and I just got some cashmere DK weight yarn that I might make into slippers…  I’ve got lots of plans.  Anything to distract me from my torturous wait until my new iPhone 3G arrives in the store. 

Summer of Socks motivation + 2 days = 1.5 socks.

I was quite impressed with myself and my work ethic.  Generally it takes me slightly longer than 2 days to finish one sock (my average is 4 days), and the second sock takes about 8 days.  My buzz was somewhat crushed, however, when I discovered that 4 or 5 people had already finished an entire pair of socks on Monday (when last I checked).  I know it isn’t a competition, but it does make me feel a little like a loser.  Still, I have high hopes, and I’m planning on trying out the 2 socks on one circular needle for my next pair.  And, man do I love Koigu!  It is awesome, and has awesome colors, and awesome stitch definition.  Maybe if I succeed in knitting up my entire sock yarn stash (which is very possible), I’ll reward myself with some Koigu.

I’m very lazy, it’s true.  This is me sitting in bed, demanding things be brought to me because I’m too lazy to get them myself.

In other news, I’m also very whiny, because I hate having to wait to cast on for new projects. I worked on my Seeded Cables cardigan (I’m done with the decreases now!) and read Good Omens, but I just could not sustain my interest. I wound some yarn for my first SoS socks, and then the brand new cashmere/silk yarn I just got, courtesy of Skein Queen. That’s for some gloves, which I can’t make until SoS is over anyway, but still. It is the softest and deepest blue yarn every. I love it, but I cannot cast on with it, because I must not start any new projects!

ETA: I actually wrote this post on Friday, but didn’t post it until Sunday, so…

Pattern: Drop stitch lace Tank, from Fitted Knits
Yarn: Sundara Silky Merino, 3 skeins, colorway Charcoal over Blue Lagoon (Season’s Club color)

My photographer (husband) wasn’t around when I finished this, so I just took this less-than-stellar picture. This is my last project that I’ve been avoiding, and the last of my goal WIP to finish before Summer of Socks begins. I was a little worried about how the yarn would hold up, if it would get all pilly after being worn for an entire day, but I wore this to work last week and it looks just as good. Plus, it’s so soft! This really is very, very stretchy, too, so I’m glad I followed the directions and made a smaller size. It’s also very comfortable.

I feel much lighter now that this is completed, and I’ve begun working on the Seeded Cables cardigan in earnest. I’m about 3 inches in on the body, and it’s looking pretty good. I’ve also been planning what socks to do first for Summer of Socks. I confess, this self-imposed “no socks until June 21!” plan has been harder than I anticipated. I definitely have an appetite for socks right now. In that vein, I also signed up for Olympic Yarn Smackdown, in the advanced sock category. That starts August 8. I’ve always been a competitive sort, but stayed away from Sock Wars because of the complexity (which now appears to have been the right decision). I’m looking forward to seeing how I do.

I forgot why I don’t like scarves.  They take forever.  I’ve been working on Alhambra for what feels like months now, and I’m only about 60% done.

It’s not a bad-looking scarf, and the pattern is really easy.  But it’s taking forever!

I finished three projects yesterday. I am very pleased with all of them, and just excited that I got so much stuff done. Observe:

This is a car shifter cover, something I just happened upon when I was looking on ravelry for a project for one skein of DK weight yarn. It took roughly two hours to complete, and is made from an unknown ball of yarn that I got in a swap. I think it might be Cherry Tree Hill sportweight. I’ve been thinking about duplicate stitching some sort of design on the top. Second:

This is a close-up of the pattern of my newly completed Old Shale smoke ring. I used Koigu Nori (50% silk 50% merino). I have to say that I do like this yarn, but I’m not completely pleased with the color. I think I should have just gone for the colors that koigu does best (the bright multi-colored yarns). Still, it’s very nice, and very, very stretchy. I don’t have an action shot of it yet, because it’s still blocking. Third (and best!):

This is a Little Silk Shrug (Pam Allen, Lace Style) made from the cursed yarn (DB Pure Silk). I am beyond thrilled with this: it’s stretchy, blue, and, well, awesome. It will go well with the many spaghetti-strap dresses I have, and allow me to wear said dresses to work. Take that, stupid dress code!

To celebrate my crushing victory over many of my outstanding works-in-progress, I immediately cast on for a new project with the leftover SweetGeorgia laceweight. Alhambra, by Anne Hanson. I love Anne Hanson designs almost as much as Nancy Bush, though I knit far fewer of them. I always love making lace, but I never wear it. Fortunately, she has many scarf/stole patterns that can work for smaller lace projects.  So far it’s looking stunning.

Well, I managed to be somewhat productive over the long weekend, though perhaps not as productive as I would have liked.  I finished both sleeves of the Seeded Cables Cardigan, and have cast on for the body.  I’m planning on knitting it in one piece, instead of the three the pattern wants me to.  I figure I’d rather just do it all at once.  I’ve been searching for another, smaller project to tide me over until Summer of Socks begins (and the old shale smoke ring just isn’t enough), so I pulled out some yarn I’ve had floating around.

Doesn’t it look so innocent?

This is cursed yarn, I swear.  It’s Debbie Bliss pure silk, and I’ve currently attempted 3 projects (Nicole, Silk Corset, Hew) with it.  None of them made me happy.  So, I decided to try the silk shrug by Pam Allen (found in Lace Style).  We’ll see how it goes.  I know I should probably finish up the other tank top I’ve been working on, but meh.  I’m still hoping to be able to get this project, the smoke ring, and the tank top done before June 21.  I have no such hopes for the cardigan.

Pattern: Flared Smoke Ring, by Jackie Erickson-Schweitzer (Heartstring Fiber Arts)
Yarn: SweetGeorgia merino lace, color Marina (used about 400 yards)

This was a blazing fast project.  I started it on May 11th, and finished it (including blocking) on May 18th.  I think it’s partly because I love lace and just can’t put it down.   I love the color variations in this yarn too, despite the fact that I was concerned that it would be too varigated and hide the pattern.  I think it turned out very nicely, and I’m currently trying to decide what to do with the other 400 yards of yarn.

(yes, I was cold.  It was windy)

The other smoke ring I started has been on the back burner, because currently my TV knitting is being taken up with the seeded cables cardigan.  I’m sure I will be able to get a lot done on said smoke ring this weekend, though, because I have at least one tabletop game scheduled.  It’s good mindless knitting.

I have started the Seeded Cables Cardigan from Sensual Knits. This is the complicated cabled pattern that I discussed a few months ago, when I also complained about the fiddly nature of cables. What better way to get over my cable irritation than working on an elaborately cabled cardigan? Nothing, says I. This also happens to be the pattern with the most errata in the book. I’ve been putting off starting this, which is fortunate, because the author just posted a PDF with the corrected pattern. Apparently the entire pattern had to be re-written, though the charts are okay, mostly. Feeling secure, I started on a sleeve last night.

I’m also using my first stitch markers ever, sent to me as a thank you for a RAK I sent someone a few weeks ago. I have to say, I’m very impressed with stitch markers. They are way more noticeable than little bits of yarn, and don’t untie themselves (like little bits of yarn). I may be converted. I’m going to plug along with this sweater until I get sick of it, or until the beginning of Summer of Socks (June 21, not June 15, as it turns out), whichever comes first.