Sunday, August 17, 2008

Boston's Last Socks and Cheese Parties!

Today was my last Knitsmiths and they had a cheese party for me. See, a couple of weeks ago I was joking about a cheese party for my goodbye, and of course my fellow knitters made that dream a reality. ;)



Knitting, cheese, friends, and presents - what could be better? I've been going to Knitsmiths for a few years now and I will really miss all of the awesome people there.

Also, I finally finished something:

sistersocks

Pattern: my standard plain socks
Yarn: Opal Crocodile
Started: 7/4/08
Finished: 8/17/08

I think I set a personal record for the longest it's taken me to finish a pair of socks once the toe decreases are started - usually I'll forgo sleep, food, and anything else important once I start the toe decreases. This time I started the decreases (barely) one night, went to bed, and didn't bring the socks the next day because I didn't want to have to bring two projects. I did a few more decreases the next day and left them with literally one row to go. This morning I knit the final row and kitchenered one sock before leaving my house with another knitting project. And finally tonight the socks are finished.

The yarn was a gift from Amanda. When I was visiting my little sister in Portland we saw a very similar yarn from another brand and she asked me if I would buy it and knit her some socks - I immediately thought of this yarn that I had at home and said I would knit her socks with some yarn I already had. Now they're done!

The pile of boxes in my living room is growing and a week from today I'll be on the road west. Stay tuned for updates on my road trip and the socks that will inevitably accompany it.

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Sunday, August 10, 2008

Ready for a road trip?

I've been neglecting the blog due to the fact that I'm getting ready for my cross country move slash road trip. Since I've decided that I'm going to blog about it whenever I can find internet, here's the cast of characters.

me, of course

Since you're reading this you probably know about me, so I'll just move on.

my mom

momknits

My mom is lovely enough to come out and do the drive with me, so she'll be in on the adventure too.

Java

Java

She's wondering why I keep putting all the fun stuff in those cardboard boxes and arranging them in the living room instead of playing with her.

Pan

Initially Pan was not available for comment since he was busy hiding under the bathtub due to thunderstorms.

hidden Pan

But tonight he came out for a brief break from the hiding. He is a little scared but ready for the big trip since he hears Seattle has less thunderstorms.

Pan

the iPhone

iPhone

My new iPhone has agreed to lend its services, including Google Maps, to make the road trip less likely to end in disaster when my mom tells me we're going "in the right general direction".

CTHGSY



Yes, my sock yarn boyfriend is still around and will be moving out west with me.

So, with less than two weeks to go, I'm frantically throwing everything in sight into boxes. The yarn is already packed save a few balls for socks on the road and a couple of WIPs. I packed my books too so my choices of socks to knit are limited to the internet and Knitting Vintage Socks.

I can only hope you're all looking forward to my trip as much as I am. The current plan is to hit the following states: Massachusetts, Connecticut, New York, Pennsylvania (day 1), Ohio, Indiana, Illinois Hi MJ! (day 2), and then in some combination of not-yet-planned days Iowa, Nebraska, Wyoming, Utah, Idaho, and finally Oregon.

If anyone knows any good yarn stores in Omaha or Salt Lake City let me know! We'll be on I-80 most of the way, I think, so if there's anything good near I-80 in Wyoming let me know about that too - I don't see any cities labeled on the big Google Map.

Listening to: 1979 ~ Smashing Pumpkins, Credence ~ Opeth

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Sock Yarn

    A quest to use sock yarns:

    Yarns I've had:
    * means I really liked it

    4-ply Soft
    A Piece of Vermont*
    Alpafina
    Artsygal*
    Artyarns Supermerino*
    Austermann Step
    BMFA Sock Candy*
    Black Bunny Fibers*
    Brown Sheep Naturespun Sport
    Chinese Mystery sock yarn
    Claudia's Handpaints
    Conjoined Creations Flat Feet
    Crystal Palace Maizy
    CTH Supersock
    Dicentra Designs
    Dorchester Farms
    Fabel
    Fearless Fibers
    Fixation*
    Gloss (KP)
    handspun
    Inspinknity*
    Interlacements Beibi Seda
    Interlacements Tiny Toes
    Interlacements Toasty Toes
    Jarbo Raggi
    JKnits*
    Jojoland Melody
    Koigu*
    Kona Superwash
    KP Essential
    KP Merino
    KP Palette
    Limbo
    Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock*
    Macek Designs
    Madelinetosh
    Magic Stripes
    Mega Boots Stretch
    Microspun
    Nature's Palette
    Noro Kureyon Sock
    Opal
    Panda Cotton
    Paton's Kroy*
    Peru DK
    Peruvian Quechua
    Regia Bamboo*
    Regia Cotton
    Regia Strato*
    Ruby Sapphire
    Sockotta
    Socks That Rock*
    Star (Classic Elite)
    Stitch Jones
    Sunshine Yarns*
    Three Fates Cauldron Sock*
    TOFUtsies
    Trekking*
    Wick
    Wildfoote*
    Wollmeise*
    Wool Ease
    Yarn Pirate*

    In Progress:

    Perchance to Knit
    Regia
    Vesper
    Yarns in the stash:

    All Things Heather
    Ancient Threads
    Apple Laine
    Araucania Ranco
    Artyarns Ultramerino
    Autumn House Farm
    Baby Ull
    Ball and Skein
    Baywood Yarns
    Bearfoot (Mountain Colors)
    Briar Rose Fibers
    Brooklyn Handspun
    Cavyshops Handpaint
    C*eye*ber Fiber
    Cervinia Calzetteria
    CTH Superglitz
    Chasing Rainbows Dyeworks
    Chewy Spaghetti
    Classic Elite Alpaca Sox
    Colinette Cadenza
    Colinette Jitterbug
    Country Classic Yarn for Sox
    Crash Into Ewe
    Crown Mountain Farms Sock Hop
    Curious Yarns
    Done Roving
    Dream in Color
    Duet (A Swell Yarn Shop)
    Dye Dreams
    Ellen's Half Pint Farm
    End of the World Farm
    Fashion Trend Sportivo
    The Fiber Denn
    Fleece Artist
    The Flock Bransonas
    Fortissima
    French Hill Farm
    Froehlich Blauband
    Fyberspates
    geeyouknit!
    Gjestal Silja
    Great Adirondack Soxie
    Greenwood Fiberworks
    Jaeger Matchmaker
    Jarbo Mini Raggi
    Jawoll
    Jawoll Cotton
    Just Our Yarn
    Knit Purl Natural Collection
    Kona Superwash
    KP Dancing
    KP Essential Tweed
    Lime & Violet
    Lisa Souza
    Louet Gems Pearl
    Luxe
    Mama Llama
    Merlin the Cat
    Meilenweit Cotton
    Meilenweit Trend
    Mind's Eye Merino/Tencel
    Mirasol Hacho
    Misty Mountain Farm
    The Natural Dye Studio
    Neighborhood Fiber Company
    Over the Rainbow Twinkletoes
    Peterle
    Pigeon Roof Studios
    Pine Woods
    Posh Yarn Lucia
    Prism Saki
    Pucker Brush Farm
    Regia Surf
    Reynolds Swizzle
    Reynolds Soft Sea Wool
    Rio De La Plata
    Royale Hare
    Roz Houseknecht
    Schaefer Anne
    Scout's Swag
    Sheep Shop Wensleydale
    Shelridge Farm
    ShibuiKnits
    Sockenwolle Unipo
    Spirit Trail Fiberworks
    Spunky Eclectic
    Steinbach Wolle Sockenwolle
    Sundara Yarn
    Sweetgeorgia
    Tess Designer Yarns
    Twisted
    The Unique Sheep
    Universal Ditto
    Valley Yarns Franklin
    vanCalcar Acres
    White Oak Studio tvyarn
    Wisdom Yarns Marathon
    Wool in the Woods
    The Woolen Rabbit
    Yarn Botanika Radiance
    Yarntini
    Ysolda Yarn
    Zen Yarn Garden


    To check out:

    Pippikneesocks
    Sophie's Toes
    The Spinning Bunny Yarns BFL

WIPs and FOs