Knitting Passion

Yes, you read the title right . . . it’s a Sock Summit! Held in Portland, Oregon August 6-9th at the Oregon Convention Center. There will be socks and socks galore . . . in fact, even the Big Sock might be there - that’s in the process of being arranged right now.

If you like to knit socks - if you like to talk socks - if you like to dance at a Sock Hop (ouch! that is an old, old, OLD term - but one I remember well) - then this is the place for you.

You could take classes while there: 2 at a time socks, crocheted socks (for those who would rather hook than play with sticks), learn to make beautiful beaded baby bootees . . . you have a class in mind? There is likely one there for you.

Of course, this isn’t cheap. On top of airfare to get to Portland (or fuel if you’re able to drive there from wherever you are), and hotel rooms, the registration costs follow:

Prices:

$70 A three hour half day class.
$140 A six-hour all day class.
$15 A “one hour wonder” featuring small techniques that can be learned in an hour.
$35 Lectures (Barbara Walker, Anna Zilboorg)
$25 The Luminary Panel, on Sunday afternoon, featuring Priscilla Gibson-Roberts, Anna Zilboorg, Nancy Bush, Judith MacKenzie-McCuin, Deborah Robson, Barbara Walker, Cat Bordhi, Lucy Neatby and Meg Swansen, with Tina Newton and Stephanie Pearl-McPhee moderating.
$20 The Sock Hop on Friday night.
$22 A ticket to the opening reception on Thursday evening.

Students will be able to sign up for as much or as little as they please, and materials fees for the classes will be extra—and optional, as much as we can. (We want you to be able to stash-dive to save money where possible.)

They are developing a Sock Museum as well - and for those of us who cannot travel to the summit . . . it is available online - and there’s a KAL, too! Check out how you can help build the museum (so to speak) with your sock knitting capabilities.

There’s a Sock Summit group at ravelry, too. Waaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy too much fun, yall!

So much to talk about - so little time. I know, how can that be? But I find that I either have the time to knit - or the time to write - but really, not enough time to do both some days. So, I’m (quite) a bit behind here. Seems like the 451Press peeps are pretty forgiving of me right now and I am thankful for that, but I don’t want to abuse the system, so will try to do much better.

Today is World-wide Knit in Public Day! Did you know that? I didn’t find that site soon enough to register our little group of Soldotna knitters - but then, we don’t really need an excuse to get together and knit in public.

I discovered yet another person I knew BEFORE Ravelry in today’s group. She shied away from the camera when I took the obligatory picture, though. And the other BR(before Ravelry) person I knew wasn’t there yet. The ladies you see in this picture all gave permission to post it - but I’m not going to give their names. If they want to add them via comments that is cool with me.

Don’t they make a lovely group of knitters? Many others coming into Mugz also thought so as they stopped to admire the various works in progress and to ask questions. We invited several to join us in future meet-ups. We may have to move a couple of tables together next time.

Several of the ladies are taking part in the Rockin’ Sock KAL (knit along) and today we had a glimpse of the current pattern - one pair of socks finished and on foot, the other pair almost finished and still on needles. Nice work, ladies. Beautiful socks. The Raveler wearing her socks said she loves them - they are super comfortable. They are lovely, too!

hubby’s socks were big . . . now I’ve discovered the BIG SOCK project.

Imagine, if you can, 1500 stitches cast onto several (I think I read there are 13 needles - something like that, anyway) circular needles and then sent around the world for different knitters to knit a row, or two, or ten, or more . . .

According to the big sock website the current record holder for the largest handknit sock which measured 4.95 x 4.3 x 1.9 meters is held by the Sheep Farmers Association of Austria. THIS sock hopes to measure 7 meters (22.96 feet) in diameter and is expected to be 4 meters (13.12 feet) long before the heel is turned.

I found out about this project on the Ravelry forum boards - and, doggonit, I wanna play, too. I’ve posted that I would love to see the sock come to Alaska where we could play with it for awhile.

Surely the Kenai and Soldotna area knitters (Ravelry and otherwise) could have fun with it for awhile and then I could get it to Anchorage for the local yarn stores to play with, too.

Can’t imagine how much the postage would cost to get it from place to place - that thing is getting pretty BIG! But, if everyone chipped in a buck or so, it wouldn’t be such a big project or drain on the purse.

And, wouldn’t it be fun to say you had a part in making some Guiness World Book of Records history? And, you know . . . any excuse for knitters to gather and party - ANY excuse! I’ve left messages on the ravelry board and on the website - hopefully Alaska will get to see the giant sock.

I am hoping to meet up with some of the Ravelry knitters this morning - from the Alaska Knitters group. We will meet at a Soldotna coffee shop.

Of course . . . . THIS is what Alaska threw at us this morning . . . so . . .

a nice fresh spring snowfall - about 3 1/2 inches or so - and, on the day AFTER I changed over from winter studded tires to summer tires. Bwahahaha! Alaska has such a great sense of humor.

Will a measly 3 1/2 inches stop us from getting out and meeting for coffee? Well, I can’t answer for the rest of the folks, but it won’t stop ME!

In fact, I will be meeting a second group - of dear friends - at 2 this afternoon at another coffee shop for a love-fest of coffee and laughter and hugs.

Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhlaska!

By the way - for those of you who like to do yarn crawls while on travels . . . here is a GREAT place to visit FIRST - America’s Knitting - just go to the state and town you are planning to visit and you can find most - if not all - of the local yarn shops listed there.

I wish I had found it beFORE going to Ohio in March, but at least I have it for the next time. And, check out the projects page to see a pair of my socks featured. That pair is now finished and I am working on the baby socks. Hope to have them done by Monday to take to the pool to give to the mama. She only has a couple weeks left in this pregnancy and I’m not sure how much longer she’ll be coming to the pool for her lap swimming.

thanks, Mary!

Hope you are all enjoying a snow free day. We got OUR snow for free! lol

You’ve got the cutest little baby socks . . .

All right, I know that is not how the song goes (Baby Face . . . you’ve got the cutest little baby face) But it fits, okay?

See, I told you - they are just cute! (click for larger view)

I sent the orange ones and the ones with yellow and purple off today for my friend’s grandbaby to be in England. The white with pink, blue and yellow splashes and the blue stripey ones are for a yet to be named new mama - a friend of my youngest daughter’s. A girl could wear either pair, but as they fit a 3-6 month old, a little boy’s daddy might think twice about the pair with the pink splashes, I guess.

So, now I’m working on another orange pair. They really work up quickly and I’ve figured out one problem with the pattern so that they seem to go together fairly well. I hope the new mamas like them.

The pattern is from a calendar - a box of patterns, one per day - that my friend gave me for my birthday last January. Well, I noticed a blog address on the page so went looking - just for you, my faithful readers - and voila! The pattern is available on the web!

Baby Socks Trust me when I tell you just how easy they are to knit and how quickly they use up those leftover bits of sock yarn you have hither and yon. I don’t care if you are sick to death of knitting socks and want to NEVER knit another sock again - these are FUN and you will enjoy them. Please write and let me know you’ve done some - and send me pictures - I’ll post them with your blog address - or at least your first name (if you don’t blog).

Came home from work early again today - each day I make it just a bit longer, but really get pooped still! I am not used to not having my body do as I tell it, by the way. Fell asleep in my chair again - saw bits and pieces of different junk tv shows - but was reduced to tears by a rerun on Rachael Ray. The story about the wedding being planned secretly by the groom - well, I just thought that was the neatest thing. Good for you, mister!!!!!

So, I’ve been watching way too much trash tv - lots of court stuff - judge judy, divorce court, judge hatchett . . . do these people get PAID to go on tv and act the fool? Or are they just like that for free? Oh, my, some of the stuff they come up with.

Hope your first couple days of 2008 have brought you everything you could desire - see you soon!

. . . towards 2008 - still half an hour away Alaska time. However, I am here to wish you

That’s my alter ego, of course -the moose of a certain color, that is. It would seem the PurpleMoose and his cohorts got into somebody’s stash and have been having a high old time - and they couldn’t even go out and get party hats . . . instead they raided my newly finished knit baby socks and put them on their racks!!! There is no shame in the moosie family, I’m afraid. (hahaha- 2008 is gonna be another laughing year, yes?)

In the meantime, while I was looking for another 451 Press link to publish here, I thought - HEY, they must CERTAINLY have a city link to Columbus, Ohio, right? Well, it turns out they do. Tadah! (they are 4 hours ahead of us, so have been snoozing into the new year for better than 3 hours now).

I will have to keep up with this blog over the next couple of months as hubby and I are taking our oldest granddaughter to Columbus in March. We met there (I was born there) and were married there and had both of our daughters there. I have only lived in two states - AND two towns - in my whole life! (sad, huh?) 28 years in Ohio and nearly 30 years now in Alaska.

Granddaughter and I were to have gone to Washington, D.C. with her history class over spring break, but her teacher had to cancel the trip. Hubby and I didn’t want to see her miss out on a trip (her brother and I went on the D.C. trip two years ago), so the three of us will be going back to our old stomping grounds.

We will show her where we went to school, where he gave me my first kiss (behind the mummy which was at that time in the museum on OSUs campus - but is now in the Ohio Historical Society museum on the fairgrounds), where we were married and where her mama and aunt were born. We will also introduce her to my aunt and his aunt . . . give her a little sense of her own history.

I am hoping to give her a journal to keep while we are traveling - and her mama is giving her a digital movie/still camera for a digital journal. We are all looking forward to it.

Hope you all have a safe and sober new year’s eve - and a wonderful 2008!

This is not something I have tried, but I thought I would check it out over at the YouTube sites.

A friend of mine gave me a pair of heavy knitted sock-booties today at church. She made them on her loom - now, I don’t know if she has the elongated one like in this video - or if she used a round one. I didn’t really know that there were different kinds.

But I am thankful for the booties - they were made with love and affection based on a long-standing friendship and Christian sisterhood. That makes them very special to me.

I will be putting them to good use as I expect to have some time on my hands in the next couple of weeks.

And, that reminds me, folks. I am still looking for some guest bloggers over the next week. If you are interested, drop me an email to santasue AT hotmail DOT com and I will get right back to you. Please do it by this evening, though. I go into the hospital first thing tomorrow morning.

Don’t worry - it’s only supposed to be for a couple of nights, but I will likely not feel like sitting up to the computer for long periods of time for a little while, anyway.

Have gotten all of the grandbabies’ Christmas gifts wrapped. Ladybug’s gift is completed, but not wrapped. Lessa’s gift is on the needles now - I may or may not take it to the hospital with me to work on - probably not - I doubt I will have wits enough about me to do the pattern correctly.

But, Lessa - it WILL get done - hopefully beFORE Christmas.

So, the socks I started while at the Writers Conference? The ones I put on the needles for Knitting in Public Day? Yeah, those . . .

I’m using a pattern designed by the owner of the LYS in Soldotna - it’s actually the pattern I used for my first ever pair of socks. Christmas a few years ago all of the grands got a new pair of socks. These will likely go to the youngest girl - and I don’t think that the youngest boy received a pair - he was too little. So, I have some bright green that I think he’ll like.

Yes, it is summertime - but it is summertime in Alaska - tootsies get chilly and need to warm up in nice stretchy socks. That’s where this Gramma comes in.

This is the first sock - should be able to finish it in a couple more evenings and get the second one put onto the needles.

I’m just your basic plainjane knitter - I pretty much stick to patterns and do basic stitches. One of these days . . . I might break out and do something more daring.

or not . . . guess we’ll just have to wait and see if that ever happens.

So - what is on YOUR needles at the moment? Fun socks? Fun felted objects?

I must remember to tell you (note to self and all that) about a trick that a woman I met at the writers conference uses - it’s not a new trick or anything like that - but it could be useful.

But, I’m going to be all mysterious and leave you with those thoughts . . . what in the WORLD was that knitting passion person talking about?????

socks, fun, grandbabies, gramma, knitting, needles, wip

. . . mmmmm-mmmmm-mmmm
But before I go there - many thanks to Miss Mairiah for being the guest blogger for Take our Kids to Work Day! Good job, Ms. Thang!

on to the men who knit . . .

Along with the videos I showed you a couple of days ago I found this one: Real Men Knit. They’re just going back to the way it was . . . “men were the first knitters - they used it to mend nets . . .”

To go along with the theme, as I was digging through Knitty.com I discovered that David Demchuk from Toronto is a contributor. Why did I not know this before? Well, probably because my mindset wasn’t there. Hey, any excuse will do. It doesn’t really matter, because, Hey! I found him. Right? Right!

So, David has a presence on knitty - and he also blogs at Knit Like a Man. You can find links to all of his entries at knitty listed on his blog. I’ve read a couple and I have to say - I like this guy’s sense of humor. He also does some pretty neat knitting. Go on over and say hello.

His spring column is interesting and I have to say that after reading it I may be doing my granddaughter and her friend a disservice - maybe I should be challenging them to something more than a scarf?? We’ll see.

Also found at knitty is Bobby Ziegler whose pattern for Thuja socks I think I’m going to try. Yup, I frogged the toes up socks - maybe I’ll try them again another time. Just couldn’t figure out where I was in the pattern and it didn’t look right to me. Maybe the yarn I’m using was too dark. I might try it with a lighter color next time.

And, Bobby blogs as well. He sounds like a busy young man - going to school, working, and he just lost his Grandma.

Then there is Yarn Boy’s (Jesse Loesberg) Yarn Boys in History . Good stuff here.

Do you know of other knitting men out there? I have a feeling there are more than we might think.

by the way - a long time ago in a land far away (Ohio) my hubby knitted me a sweater to match the sweater I knit him. Blue variegated yarn in a knit two, purl two patterned pullover. We wore them out - they kept us warm when we moved to Alaska and went out into Cook Inlet halibut fishing. Memories.

AND . . .
It’s not too late to cast your vote.

and, while you’re at it - toss a vote Lessa’s way, too.

real men knit, male knitters, men who knit trailer, yarn boys, briar fiber, thuja socks, knit like a man, You Tube, sweater, yarn, knit two, purl two, pullover, Alaska, halibut fishing

With apologies to the song writer (knees up Mother Brown . . .)

I have begun my first pair of toes up socks. Oh, my!!! Getting started was quite (QUITE!) interesting. I think I had several false starts before getting the stitches onto the needles and getting the first row done. But, finally got it done and have now gotten past the toe increases.

So far, so good. I had help from two web sources:

Knitty.com to the rescue for the “magic” cast on approach. Whew! Great pics - and, really, once you get the hang of it, it works like a charm!

The pattern is from knitty.com as well - Widdershins. I’m doing the plain sock this time. Maybe I will advance to the cabled sock next time - once I get both socks under my belt - get both cast on correctly this time - maybe then I can move on to the cabled sock. It IS pretty, though I think I would stick to a non-patterned yarn like pictured. I think the pattern in the yarn I’m using right now (Supersocke 100 from Turkey) would be competing too heavily if I tried the cable with it.

I’ll share pics tomorrow of my sis receiving her socks for her birthday. Happy, happy, joy, joy. She is looking forward to her feet staying warm in her apartment.

Also working on the scarf for the veterans page I shared last. How are you all coming on yours?

toes up socks, knitted sock patterns, free patterns, warm feet

Ah, yes . . . sock knitting - it can become a compulsion. In the past four weeks I have finished three pairs of socks - not too bad considering I also work full time and am a gramma who spends as much time as possible with her grands - that, and being a helpmeet to my hubby and being involved in church functions and also writing a weekly column for our local paper . . .

WHEW!

But seriously, socks are great fun. And, once you get into the rhythm of them quite easy. But, I’m not telling you anything you didn’t know, right?

The best thing about knitted wool socks in Alaska in winter? Your feet stay warm EVEN when you are showing off said socks in your summer sandals.

I wore these to work one Friday - even in our busy office we have a sort of dress down on Fridays if we so choose. I so chose that day.

On that day we had 3 inches of new, fluffy, white, COLD snow! I wore the sandals anyway. And, you know, my feet stayed nice and toasty warm all day long. Gotta love it.

Now, while I enjoy knitting socks and all that, I don’t think I am quite ready to try knitting two socks at the same time - one inside the other. Have any of you out there tried this method? Drop a comment and let us know how you found it - easy? hard? never again?

knitting, socks, two at one time socks, sandals and socks, warm feet, free sock pattern

Well, it seems as though Providence has taken issue with my “Sock Issues.” Sock Issues is the title of a draft of mine, in which I describe all the different problems I’m having with knitting socks, as of late. And it seems like there are many… but every time I go to write something, my camera batteries die, and I can’t upload my latest pictures. Or my internet goes down, so I can’t access my blog. Or even worse, my kids get strep throat and I can’t get at the computer at all! (Marie has it now. Kyle is pretty much over it.)

I have been stealing seconds between doses of antibiotics and refills on the humidifier to try to write *something* so that I can maintain my 1 blog a day quota, but even still, I have fallen behind. We’ll just say I decided to take the weekend off, winkwink.

That said, I have lots of pictures of my WIPs to show you. As soon as my camera batteries are done charging, that is.

knitting, socks, sick kids

I came across this blog: Arabian Knits, and have decided to participate in the Color Swap for February, where the theme is brown and tan.

The basic idea is that you receive stuff from someone and you send to someone else. (PS: My Sender designed the buttons above! I’m so excited!) There is a $25 “limit” although if you go over it’s on you, but you’re not supposed to expect the other person to spend more than that, including shipping. I’m thinking it’s going to be very fun!

So I’m supposed to put this survey on my blog, to show my Sender what I’m into. So here it is.

Color Swap Survey
In order to help your partner learn more about you, please post this survey and your answers to your blog:

1. Are you a yarn snob (do you prefer high-end/natural fibers)? Do you avoid Red Heart and Lion Brand? Or is it all the same to you? I LOVE natural fibers, but rarely can afford them. I usually buy yarn at Wal-Mart or Joanne’s.

2. Do you spin? Crochet? I’m mainly a knitter, but I crochet a little, and am still learning to spin. I love them all though. (Just knitting the best, heeheehee.)

3. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? I love making things with my son. I also love to garden and cook. Two things I absolutely *cannot* do are draw and scrapbook.

4. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? Hmmm…. I guess anything soft that won’t give me yarn-burn.

5. What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? You know I still haven’t tried them all. I guess if it’s yarn… then it’s good.

6. What is/are your current knitting obsession/s? Socks. And knitting books… muwahahaha!!!

7. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks. Really anything small and quick. I’m not all that patient, really.

8. What are you knitting right now? Guess? Ha! Socks! Also see this entry.

9. Are you a sock knitter? No not really, why do you ask? (Man, I’m funny!)

10. What’s your favorite color? Or–do you have a color family/season/palette you prefer?Are there any colors you hate? Blue is my favorite. Yellow… mmm not so much.

11. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? No but that’s a good idea!

12. Do you have any allergies? (smoke, pets, fibers, perfume, etc.) Work!

13. Do you have any religious prohibitions or restrictions? No coffee, tea, tobacco or alcohol.

14. What’s your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products etc.) Rain or fresh linen.

15. Do you burn candles?Not usually.

16. Do you have a sweet or salt tooth? Hmmm… nope.

17. Do you drink coffee, tea or cocoa? Cocoa sometimes with my son.

18. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Married. 7 year old boy, almost 10 month old girl. A dog named Weena, a toad, a gerbil, and a bunch of fish!

19. What are some of your favorite things? Raindrops on roses - oh wait… Avatar the Last Airbender, sheep, and books.

20. Is there anything that you collect? Sheep. (Not living of course, but how cool would that be? “Where’s your collection, Keri?” “Oh, they’re in the backyard grazing…”)

21. What is your favorite holiday? My birthday! (I’m not good at holidays…)

22. What is your birthday? (You don’t have to tell the year) 10/25/81 (Makes me a 25 year old Scorpio.)

So there you go! Hope that’s informative, and not too distracting!

Well, I’m just having a bad knitting week apparently. I finished the sock for Marie last night, but it doesn’t fit. It’s about the size for a newborn, actually. Dang it’s a cute little sock, though.

So I’m going to start over, but I don’t think I’ll be using the pattern in the book any more. I really don’t like this book, and will be returning it today to the library. Thank Heaven for the library!

I know I have a sock book somewhere around here that I actually bought, but I have no idea where it is. Well… I have some idea. It’s in the garage somewhere. In a box perhaps. Maybe a large bag.

I haven’t been having the greatest “life” week either, although my sister coming over yesterday was definitely a high point.

I’m thinking I’m just going to start over tomorrow.

PS: I’ve also been thinking about doing another podcast… or at least submitting the first one to iTunes…

knitting, library, sock book, bad luck

I have officially begun my first sock made with actual sock yarn. I am also using a pattern from a book called Knit Socks! (This book is so cute! It’s shaped like a sock. It’s set up pretty nicely, too, with charts depicting the directions so they aren’t that intimidating. Although I think there should have been more than one tech editor. The directions aren’t always clear, and sometimes make no sense whatsoever.)

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