FO: Science Geek socks

Pattern: Biological Clocks by Janel Laidman, from The Eclectic Sole
Yarn: Araucania Ranco, 1 skein
Needles: US 1/2.25 mm
Gauge: 9 sts (!)/12 rows per inch
Comments/mods: These socks have been on my list for a while now, and I finally cast on for them in January. With one thing and another, the knitting was finally done on the last day of February, but I did not get a chance to sew down the cuffs. So here they are for March.

I did change the pattern a bit from what is in the book. First off, the pattern in the book is written for a smaller foot then mine. That wasn't so bad for the circumference of the sock (62 stitches), but the number of increases for the gusset was a bit wonky. I forged ahead, continuing the increases to what I thought was a reasonable number for my foot, did the heel, got through 3 of 4 charts, and then bowed to the inevitable realization that the sock was too big. So I ripped back to the midfoot and used Cat Bordhi's Riverbend sockitecture for the rest of the foot, did an eye of partridge heel and went on with the charts. This worked much better, and they fit great!

I really enjoyed this yarn - it's got a very nice, substantial feel to it but is plenty soft enough for next-to-skin wear, and the colors are just lovely. I can't really justify any more yarn purchases (look for a dramatic update on the amount of Knit Picks Palette I own in the near future), but when I get back to that point, I'll get some more of this.

Heh heh...I have DNA on my feet...what a geek!

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Book update for Feb/March:
16. Whiskey and Water - Elizabeth Bear
15. The Alton Gift - Marion Zimmer Bradley and Deborah J. Ross
14. Dragon Singer - Anne McCaffrey
13. The Bull from the Sea - Mary Renault
March
12. Careless in Red - Elizabeth George
11. New Amsterdam - Elizabeth Bear
10. In the Moon of Red Ponies - James Lee Burke
9. A Different Light - Elizabeth Lynn
8. Little Brother - Cory Doctorow
7. Darwinia - Robert Charles Wilson
February
6. Undertow - Elizabeth Bear (I needed some aliens to recover from the overload of teenage vampire hormonal angst and wizard vs. werewolf shenanigans)
5. Fool Moon - Jim Butcher
4. Breaking Dawn - Stephanie Meyer (phew!)
3. Eclipse - Stephanie Meyer
New Moon - Stephanie Meyer
1. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Steig Larsson, translated from Swedish by Reg Keeland.
January

Four years

Devil -

At this exact moment 4 years ago, I was lying in my hospital bed thinking "You have got to be kidding me," while my OB/GYN called over yet another of the ten people at the foot of the bed saying "Come here, you have to feel this." Ah, the joys of giving birth in a teaching hospital. Twelve hours later I was sitting in a rocking chair in the middle of the night, trying to nurse you and getting distracted by the perfection that was your left foot. Who could have imagined that something so small and tiny and perfect had been lurking inside that big bump? Everything had changed in that short span of time, and even then I really had no idea how much the axis of my world had shifted.

This past year has been a challenging one, for so many reasons, but it has been so phenomenal at the same time. I looked in on you yesterday while you napped and laughed out loud - you had fallen asleep in mid-fidget, with your knees bent, and one leg propped over the other, just like you were leaning back waiting for the show to start. And I wondered where on earth you came from and what happened to that tiny baby?

In the past year you have just become such a fabulous, difficult, endearing, infuriating presence.

I think maybe part of the challenge for me is that we share some not-so-endearing traits that I have trouble dealing with in someone else. It's best if we don't speak to you in the mornings, and I am counting the days until you are old enough that CPS won't lock me up for feeding you coffee with your breakfast so that we can have a conversation without you snapping off someone's head.

Like me, if you are feeling a bit put out about anything whatsoever (aka Boo is looking at you and you want her to stop), you absolutely do not want to speak about it or interact with anyone - Greta Garbo has nothing on you kid.

But when you are in a good mood (or have gotten enough sleep!), you are one of the sweetest people I have ever known. You have a gift for defusing your sister's intractable tantrums, and will go out of your way to take care of her. You are fiercely protective of your family, and are not shy about drawing a line in the sand if you find it necessary.

You are a complete goofball, with a wicked sense of humor and an even wickeder smile.

And watching you run is watching pure joyful energy take flight.

Nothing has ever changed me so much as becoming your mother, sweetheart. Thank you.

Olive juice,
Mama

FF: Spinning bulky singles

Last week, I posted about my infatuation with the animal that produced this,

My infatuation has now expanded dramatically, since I have transformed 4 oz of crimpy gorgeousness into this.

I really wanted some bulky singles from this fiber, but my default spin when I'm not actively trying to do something in particular is about 28-30 wpi. So this one took a bit more thought.

First step was to strip the top lengthwise. I figured the less drafting I had to do the better, since then I wouldn't have the opportunity to get too thin.

Then it was sitting in front of the wheel (7:1 ratio), don't draft too much, don't pinch out the air, don't smooth! Phew.

The singles ended up puffy and fluffy and squooshy,

and fairly unbalanced, not surprisingly.

A fulling finish later, skeins were balanced and lovely. I was expecting a dramatic shift in the wpi from pre-bath to post-bath, but it didn't change as much as I thought it would. Went from about 10-11 wpi to 8-11 (I guess I drafted a bit too much in some sections, hunh?).

So now it sits on my countertop, beautifying my house and waiting for me to finish one or two other projects before I cast on for the cowl.

This stuff is impossible to photograph well - the colors are so subtle that they tend to get lost. 

Maybe I'll figure it out eventually...

Final specs:
Fiber: Briar Rose Fibers BFL, colorway "Ply by Night"
Spun at 7:1, Lendrum ST
No plying!
Finished hot/cold/hot/cold/hot/cold water with some agitation
Final wpi: 8-11 (bulky weight), ~230 yds/4.5 oz. I love the yardage from not plying. Plenty for the cowl and maybe something else!

And a funny video for anyone interested. Do you think PETA would approve?

I can die happy now

Crewbies on dooce.com

La Nadadora

Last spring I was swimming one day, getting all woozy from the sun shining through the water and refracting along the bottom of the pool, when I had the inspiration to try to recreate that shimmer in a pair of socks*.

What? That doesn't make perfect sense to you? Come on!

In any event, I dashed home and perused multiple websites, looking for the perfect semi-solid colorway. After much searching, I found it, along with a couple of others. I ordered (too much) yarn, stalked the post-person (sometimes male, sometimes female, so I'm trying to be inclusive here), swatched, knit deliriously, swooned over the yarny beauty, started writing a pattern, swore, pulled out my hair, threw my calculator out the window**, wrote some more, took some photos, put everything together, submitted, got rejected, got a test knitter, revised pattern (changing the entire heel construction), resubmitted, got rejected again, and decided to offer the damn thing for sale myself. So here it is.

La Nadadora
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight
"Blue Moonstone" and "In the Navy"

The pattern is toe-up and includes charts for the tile pattern on the body of the sock and on the heel. Sizes include women's S, M and L (~7, 8 or 9 inches around). Size L (pictured) used less then one skein of Socks that Rock lightweight in the main color, and about 80 yds of the contrasting color.

Enjoy! And let me know if you have any problems (see contact info in sidebar).

* Since then, I've noticed that I get lots of design inspiration while I'm swimming. Must be the lack of brain input...
** Not really.