Old habits die hard

I'm beginning to think that it is impossible for me to knit justone  pair of socks at a time. I really don't think I can do it. The gorgeous and yummy sock yarn calls out to me like the sirens of ancient times. That is not enough to get me to cast on yet another pair of socks. What gets me every time is the pitiful cry of poor naked DPN's shivering from the cold. Can't have that! Clearly they've figured out how effective the guilt angle works as they get me every time. I think they've been talking to my kids.


If this was a dinosaur, I'd have to call it a riposaurus. I've ripped back twice now and am hoping third time is a charm.

What can I say,  but sometimes a gal just needs bright and sunny.













These ones are for someone I call Mr. Amazing.

These socks will be my will be a sight to behold when finished. They are for my DD #2, who is now a teen and a giant fan of Dr. Who. She is looking forward to her Tardis socks.













Last and certainly not least, I present a second sock. The first sock of the pair seems to be missing and I am royally freaking out mildly concerned. I knew where is was but not where it is. I really don't want to think about the possibility of the first sock not turning up. One can only handle so much tragedy in a life time.












So there you have it....my to do list.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Self Knitting Socks

Socks that knit themselves you say.....yes I say....believe it or not.

In fact, these socks knit up so fast that they didn't even get a chance to aquire any mojo.

WHAT? NO MOJO you say in horror. Yes, I'm afraid that I did wrong by these socks. What makes matters worse is that they were traveling socks, destined to be a gift. Let me explain and maybe you'll understand.

It all started, as all socks do, with sock yarn that I fell in love with.

Please Stand By Yarns came up with this very yummy skein of yarn. I saw this skein at the vendor's night one guild meeting. It was love at first sight. Apparently it was a good choice as it caught the eye of someone else when I flaunted my yarn booty of that night graciously let someone pick the yarn for their next pair of socks, from my purchases. 

If this person wasn't so amazing I would have chosen another yarn. Who is to say that this person would have remembered choosing this yarn even if it does have a really cool name.

Yes that is what she named the yarn. I'm beginning to think that I want this woman to be my new best friend.

In March I went on vacation...are you jealous yet? If not you soon will be. I left during a snow storm and arrived to sunshine and 25 degrees. I told you that you'd be jealous.

So through the air I flew and I knit along the way. I arrived at my destination and I knit, watched tv and I knit, took the train and I knit. There were road trips, a Stichnn'Bitch, alpaca petting, camping, wine tasting, fishing, movie watching and I knit through it all. The holiday was 2 1/2 weeks long but for some reason I found myself with a finished pair of socks well before the holiday was over. 

Seriously what is up with this? Somewhere in my archives you'll read a post about how slow I knit. I even wrote a song about how slow I knit!

UMMMMMM.......

I have a confession......even though these were supposed to be my traveling socks....

I couldn't resist starting them well before my trip started and the momemt I stepped on the plane, I was working on the heel of the first sock. The colours mesmorized me and I couldn't stop myself. I was a machine, a wild and crazy sock knitting machine. I don't know how it happened, it was like a scene from Harry Potter. The yarn just flew around my needles and didn't stop until.....

Good thing I brought a second pair of socks to knit.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

My secret super power

Yeah, yeah, I know. It's been.......a while.  Ok so saying that it's been a while is like saying that Niagra Falls is merely someone with a leaky faucet.

My son likes the latest Hobbit movie as much as I like chocolate which is why we've seen it FOUR times. (yes you read that right) During the third viewing, the guy sitting next to me discovered my super power.

Man sitting next to me : "what are you knitting?"
Me : "socks"
Man sitting next to me who is about to get punched for talking during a movie : "I'm impressed. "

Seriously.....??????

There are a few things I want to know.

1) who starts conversations with the person sitting next to them in a dark room?
2) who starts conversations with the person sitting next to them during a movie?
3) who starts conversations with the person sitting next to them during the Hobbit?
4) who starts conversations with the person sitting next to them during an IMAX version of the Hobbit?

Did this guy not realize I was there to watch the version of the film that costs extra to see? He was lucky that he did not try to keep the conversation going......I can be dangerous with my DPNs

While this stranger (with a death wish) thought he discovered my super power (knitting in the dark), he didn't realize just how powerful I truly am. Just think how impressed he would of been if he had know I was working on the instep of this sock.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic 

Still here...but barely

Helloooooooo?

Is anyone out there?

Oh yes I see you in the back. Make some noise or even move so that I know you're alive......

Oh wait that would be me. Rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated. How can I cease to be when there is still a blankie to finish.

I may not have much free floating money but I was smart enough to stock up in the good times as I am now in the bad. I am rich in stash so life is not all bad.

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Four Years in the Making

Christmas has come and gone. Presents have been wrapped and the paper has been ripped off. The tree went up and recently came down yet I am still singing I want a hippopotamus for Christmas.

Christmas means many different things to many people and since I spent last Christmas experiencing shell shock I thought that this year I would look at creating new holiday traditions for me and my kids. My budget is small but I didn't want that to affect what my kids found under the tree. Fortunately I've discovered that one of the editors for the The New York Sun back in 1897 was right about there being a Santa Clause. My two youngest had a few freak out gifts under the tree and that was all I could hope or ask for this year.

The day was spent watching new movies, reading books and playing games. I spent the day enjoying having the kids around and basking in the love that surrounded me. But let's go back a few weeks......

The exchange of gifts......

What do I get for HIM......????

I was already knitting a pair of socks (from stash) because I know that he likes them and will wear them but what else should I wrap up for this man. My sister encourages me to take the high road and my mom says to just put the love out there and it will come back to you somehow. I say "let's think this thing through to match my budget and temperament."

Four years ago I started a sweater and finished the sleeves and the back up to the arm pit. Remembering this, I put it to the suitability test.

1) Is it practical and not too personal? Mostly
2) Is it cost effective? Yes (wool was bought long ago so no money out now)
3) Will he wear it? Possibly (He was seen wearing another sweater twice this winter that I knit....he didn't wear it at all last winter)
4) Will finishing the sweater put a hole in your stash that you can justify filling at a later date when things are better? Absolutely

Without further ado, I give you the sweater that was four years in the making.




Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Built into the leg

In case you were wondering, updating my blog is what I do while I put off writing an essay.

Usually I just knit, but today I thought that's I'd try this instead. What is it about knitting socks? I love the yarn, the colours, the texture, the feel...the everything. They are the perfect traveling project and go with me every where. Among knitters, the traveling sock seems to be an icon, or a statement of "I was there."

In March 2010 I found myself on the journey of a lifetime. If you recall my unfinished blog entries, I travelled to New Zealand and Australia and of course I brought a socks to work on. For some strange reason I put them away and forgot about them until I started going through my stash of the more yummy yarns. Lo and behold....tadah!!!! My lovely Lorna's Laces socks.

It took me a few tries along with some ripping out to come up with a pattern to use with this yarn but on a trip to Sandbanks Provincial Park, it came to me. Here I am almost at the end of the second sock about an inch from starting the toe. A very exciting moment indeed. I should also mention that this sock yarn is as nice to work with as it is gorgeous.





But wait what is this???? A hidden treasure???? Nah...I just discovered that when using sock yarn that comes in 50g amounts, the leg of the sock makes a wonderful ball holder even when there is not much left. The ball is generally tucked up into the leg but is at the cuff for the picture.



Could anyone blame me for putting off essay writing when I have this temptation sitting next to me???? I can only resist so much for so long.....ohhhhhh is that Malabrigo Sock Yarn....no!!! MUST WRITE ESSAY.........just dont look at the Koigu.....oh no....I looked.....

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic

Sock yarn only a mother would love....

Or subtitled......yes I am back and of course I am still knitting.

A couple of years ago I went to Rhinebeck and did some stash enhancing. I would called it having S.E.X......but that just attracts the wrong type of crowd. Before going to this fab event, I did my homework. I found out which vendors I should hit first as they were the ones to sell out of the good stuff. (sounds like I was there to buy drugs....doesn't it?) I went straight to a certain retailer to purchase sock yarn that I couldn't get locally (why can't I resist sock yarn???? I may have to work on that weakness one of theses days. But not today!)

This sock yarn is very well known and has been widely publicised by a certain very popular knitting blogger. Needless to say I was quite anxious to buy a skein....or two....or five. Some time ago (as this is a blog post that has been on the back burner for quite some time) I started to knit a sock with said sock yarn. I have never been more disappointed in my life.....BLECH!!!!!

I couldn't believe my eyes.....this was going to be a sock that would never see the light of day. I would never wear these socks nor would I make them for anyone else. I must have been blind when I bought the skein...no wonder it was on the seconds rack.

I call this ball of ugly sock yarn.....



I call this beginning of ugly sock.......



Those who have been reading my blog for some time, know that I have been working on the sock yarn.....and despite what I said about the sock yarn.....



doesn't it look great in the blankie????

Until next time
Yours in Yarn,
The Fibreholic