Tag sock club

FO Friday: Wavelength

remilyknits 1 Comment

This year, I am 3/3 for finishing sock-club projects for the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Notorious Sock Knitters club! 🙂  This is the not-sock pattern from March:

IMG_4295

Project: Wavelength

Pattern: Breaking Waves

Designer: Carson Demers

Available: sometime after March 2013

Yarn: Socks That Rock Lightweight in “Wavelength”

I am always interested to see how variegated yarn knits up.  Check out this comparison of the skeined yarn …

IMG_4006

 

…with the full shawlette:

IMG_4292

 

This pattern used an interesting technique to warp and ruffle the top part of the shawl.  The ripples are achieved by working stockinette stitch for a spell, then on a “pickup” row you knit the stitch on the needle together with a stitch from a previous row.  Very cool textural and 3-D effect!

IMG_4293

 

Although many club members chose to knit an additional repeat of the feather-and-fan bottom edging, I decided to knit the pattern as written — I like this compact scarf/shawlette size.

IMG_4294

Advertisement

Cast-On Monday: Socks That Rock (May 2012 Club Shipment)

remilyknits Leave a comment

The odd-numbered months bring YARN in the mail! Specifically, gorgeous hand-painted sock yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts, from their sock club line.  Yay!  I think we’re still in the spoiler period, so I will follow rules and say only that the colorway is beautiful (stash page here), and that I’m doing the not-sock pattern (project page here).  If you click on links, that’s up to you — spoilers abound!

CO Monday: Emperor’s New Mitts, March 2012 RSC Socks, and Tute Catkin

remilyknits Leave a comment

Last week I received the latest shipment from the BMFA Rockin’ Sock Club! The March 2012 yarn is to DIE for.  Can’t share photos yet, of course, but I will soon!  I’ve decided to make the sock pattern this month — it’s perfect for the yarn.

I also cast on for my very own Catkin! I’ve loved this pattern for quite some time, and I think it will be stunning in Mad Tosh Light in “French Grey” and “Byzantine.”

IMG_3577

I hope everyone in the knitting world took time to cast on yesterday for Louise Zass-Bangham‘s new design, The Emperor’s New Mitts. I did, and I don’t regret it one little bit! I elected to use the recommended yarn, Rumplestiltskin (100% pure spun gold), Unicorn (100% rainbow), and Jason (golden fun fur).  Of course it took extra care and time to place the 3000 gold beads, but I think you would agree that the results are worth it!

Here is Julian modelling my new mitts — very pretty, no?

0918 J blocks photo

Cast-On Monday: Parseval in the Clover, Ashton Sweet Pea, RSC Jan 2012 Not-Sock

remilyknits Leave a comment

Here I go, casting on new projects like a crazy person.  I had a good reason though! I’m sure I did. I think.

First up: Parseval in the Clover

IMG_3472

I finished the knitting on a sweater-for-me project, and although it was blocking and lacked three buttons, I gave myself permission to swatch for my long-planned Parseval.  Except, I wanted to swatch in the round, because the garment is worked mostly in the round … and when I decided how much to cast on, I realized that it was almost enough for a sleeve … so in a way, I’m not swatching.  I cast on for a sleeve willy-nilly with just a guess at the correct needle and garment size. I will wash & block the sleeve when it reaches 6 inches or so, but this is unsteady ground for me.  I have learned, however, that flat swatches aren’t necessarily accurate when planning in-the-round garments, so there it is.  I love the yarn (Gloss DK), and the pattern isn’t too terrible (4×1 rib, mostly).  I really want the finished sweater, and all the knitting becomes interesting towards the end, so I should be good to go.

Next up: Ashton Shawlette

IMG_3480

I love this KAL choice — it’s the Feb project in the Beginning Lace Knitters group. There’s nothing super-special about the pattern, but it is well balanced and extremely well written.  The designer has written a lovely tutorial that new lace knitters should find exceptionally helpful, and she’s providing it for free.  I’ve already used it to help a new-to-lace knitter get started.  For my own Ashton, I’m pleased to say it seems like my unloved ball of Sweet Pea (from the 2010 Socks that Rock sock club) has finally found its true calling as a simple lace shawlette.

Third, I also cast on the “not a sock” pattern from the first shipment of the 2012 Socks that Rock sock club.  This year, the good folks at Blue Moon Fiber Arts are providing two patterns (as they have for the last two years), but one of the two patterns is not a sock!  Due to spoilage issues, I can’t say any more about the pattern or color, except that I am IN LOVE with both. Of course I had to cast on.

FO Friday: July 2011 STR Socks

remilyknits Leave a comment

IMG_2906-1(rev 1)

I continue to enjoy my Blue Moon Fiber Arts sock club socks.  This yarn is deceptively pretty, with purples and lime greens hidden in the foilage.

IMG_2911(rev 1)

Project: July 2011 STR Socks

Pattern: Fences

Designer: JC Briar

Available: sometime in July 2012

Yarn: BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight

Pattern was great, quick and easy knit.  I shortened the toe (as I almost always do) to fit my squared-off Dutch feet.

IMG_2909(rev 0)

IMG_2900(rev 1)

FO Friday: Electric Kool-Aid Acid Socks

remilyknits 3 Comments

1930 STR March 2011

The March 2011 Rockin’ Sock Club kit from Blue Moon Fiber Arts was extremely colorful, to say the least!  The colorway had a great name: Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test.

1932 STR March 2011

Two great patterns, as usual, made it extremely hard to choose … but ultimately I decided on one and got to work.  I love how the basic p1, k3 rib can get so excited with a slipped stitch here and there.

1956 Intrepid Traveler socks

Project: Mar 2011 RSC Socks

Pattern: Intrepid Traveler

Designer: Gail Marracci

Available: to club members now (join up! it’s fun!) and to the general public in 2012

Yarn: BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test

I’m proud to say I finished this kit’s socks *before* this month’s kit has even shipped!  Even though they weren’t a “priority” project, they trucked right along.  Inexplicably, the two socks pooled and flashed differently. This colorway is so wild, it really doesn’t matter.

2357 Electric Kool-Aid Acid Socks

FO Friday: Rockin’ Socks in Firecracker

remilyknits Leave a comment

This week I finished a pair of socks!  My Firecracker Corners are on my feet as I type, and I love them.  The yarn and pattern were part of the July 2010 shipment of the Blue Moon Fiber Arts (aka BMFA)  Rockin’ Sock Club. There were six shipments last year, and (alas) until this week I’d only completed two pairs of socks!  For Christmas my dear sweet husband who knows and loves me well gave me a membership in the 2011 Rockin’ Sock Club, and I’m expecting the first shipment soon … so I thought I had better get my rear in gear and finish the pair of socks I’ve had on the needles since July (gasp!).

1339 firecracker socks

Pattern: Dusty Corners

Designer: Linda Welch

Available: to 2010 Rockin’ Sock Club members only for now (available to the general public sometime after July 2011)

Yarn: BMFA Socks That Rock Lightweight in Firecracker (a club colorway)

1337 firecracker socks (close)

As usual with any socks that I’ve let languish, when I finally pick them up again I’m done so quickly I can’t quite believe I let them sit so long.  Something about the purple-red with surprising bits of pale blue really made me happy as I knit along.  The pattern was simple, but attractive. I especially appreciated the contrast between the 1×2 cable and the larger mostly-stockinette waves within the variegated colorway.  I did get a bit of a self-striping effect on both socks, but not so much as to detract from their overall beauty.

I wanted very badly to cast on a new pair of socks as soon as I finished these, but I managed to refrain.  (Honesty moment: I did wind yarn for a rogue pair of socks! But I didn’t cast on.) Given that I’m planning to join a Mystery Sock-a-long that starts in just a few days, and of course I’m expecting the January shipment from BMFA … I really shouldn’t put needles into ANY socks just yet.  Instead, I’ve picked up a few other sad WIPs that are in need of attention. With any luck, I’ll get to share them here on a future FO Friday.