FOFri #40: Just In Time To Be Late

Posted on May 8, 2015 by shoelaceswitcher

I finished my mom’s Mother’s Day socks just in time… to arrive one day late in the mail. Oh wells, they’re done! Can we take a moment to appreciate that they’ve technically been on the needles since 2013, however, I had only knit one leg until I picked them back up again on 4/28. Which means that I knit about 80% of a pair of socks in just under 10 days! That has to be some kind of record for me.

These is the Flocked Sock pattern by Sara Morris. It’s a nice, simple sock with a fun little slipped stitch repeat framed by garter stitch columns. I added 2 sts to each garter stitch strip so that they were 6 sts wide, and I did my own thing for the heel and the toe, otherwise they are unmodified. I used Miss Babs Yummy 3-ply sport weight sock yarn in the Autumn Forest colorway. This yarn is so squishy and delightful, it was a joy to work with. If the socks look a bit big in the photos, it’s because my mom has longer feet than me. I knit the feet to about 10″ and had a golf ball sized bit of yarn left. If your feet are any larger than that you might want a shorter cuff (mine were about 6″) or a second skein.

I also finally (finally, finally) finished the knitted jewelry frame that I started for myself after making 6 of them for my bridesmaids and then losing the project bag containing the final one for 8 whole months. Man, it feels good to finish that thing, and I love how organized my jewelry is now. I went all #KonMari uncluttering on my collection, too, so that feels good.

All in all, it’s Friday, the sun is shining, I went on a nice bike ride yesterday, I have a massage and a spinning event to look forward to tomorrow, I’ll likely go for a hike on Sunday, and I finished some socks in record time. I’d say things are looking up! Happy Friday, friends.

Decluttering Like A Boss

Posted on April 27, 2015 by shoelaceswitcher

I tackled my most difficult #KonMarie decluttering session yet over the weekend. It was, in fact, the whole reason I started cleaning stuff up in the first place: my knitting WIPs and notions. I keep most of my knitting needles, notions, and assorted paraphernalia in 2 small plastic drawers and a basket, all of which were crammed tight and overflowing.

All of my WIPs are kept — honestly, all over the place, but theoretically organized in another set of plastic drawers. I had them sorted by year started (which was super depressing) but then shuffled things around into three categories: socks, shawls, and ‘other’ (encompassing mitts, cowls, scarves, a blanket, etc.). And most importantly, I ruthlessly frogged things that no longer sparked joy.

Which means I spent many, many minutes ripping back, untangling, and winding yarn back up but man it was worth it. You might be thinking, “Oh my, how can she handle ripping back 5 partially-finished pairs of socks?!” Have no fear, I still have 12 sock WIPs hibernating and 2 that I’m actively working on. I do not lack for sock projects. But at least now I know where they all are, what state they’re in, and where the heck all my needles were hiding. (I will soon be destashing a bunch of needles because I apparently just bought more when I couldn’t find some… woops. My yarn destash is still ongoing.)

I have to admit, decluttering feels really good, and it’s helped me re-focus my knitting efforts. I picked up an old sock WIP that had just one leg done that I’d like to finish by Mother’s Day (one of my Second Quarter goals), and I’m already at the heel on both socks. Turns out, socks are super speedy when you actually work on them. WHO KNEW?!

Speaking of actually working on projects, check out my top 5 ways to procrasti-knit over on Stef’s blog!

FOFri #39: Socks, and a Plan!

Posted on April 24, 2015 by shoelaceswitcher

Praise be to the wooly higher-ups, I’ve finished a pair of socks… FOR ME!

The last time this happened was over a year ago, in March 2014. I hesitate to say that my sock mojo is back, but it is certainly once again on the rise. Knitting these suckers ‘simultaneously’ (by alternating between socks after each section) made the process go much more smoothly for me, and eliminated most of my sock-stagnating hangups.

The yarn is the January shipment of the Rockin’ Sock Club, BMFA Socks That Rock Mediumweight in the colorway Feelin’ Groovy. The pattern is from the club a few years ago, Intrepid Traveler by Gail Marracci. I borrowed the stitch pattern but used a square heel from Sock Architecture and a toe that I winged. The stitch pattern was lots of fun and makes for a nifty effect with highly variegated yarns. And yes, these are the brightest socks I own!

Ambition is my middle name!

And now, for my plans. We’re nearly through April already and I have yet to set any Second Quarter goals. In truth, there are just so many things I want to make, it’s ridiculously difficult to narrow things down. Here, I’ll attempt to list one project per somewhat arbitrary ‘type’:

Old sock: Mom’s Flocked Socks (ideally by Mother’s Day… ha)
New(ish) sock: Camelot Monkeys
Old shawl/scarf: MalMarch Sundry
New shawl/scarf: Silky Shallows (for the IndieUntangled Q2 KAL)
Hat: Norby in BMFA BFL Tipsy
Handspun: It’s high time I put some of my handspun to use, I just need to nail down the pattern, maybe one of the Curls or The Way From Brighton? (inspired by the #handspunchallenge over at WithWool)
Garment: Whenever spring rolls around, I wish I had a poncho or a cape, something substantial that I could throw on over my clothing without having to actually wear a jacket. I really love Manteau, and I even have some yarn for it, so I’d love to make this happen (you know, before it’s 90 degrees and humid as all get-out).

I have finished 6 projects so far this year, so listing 7 above is likely ambitious, but I like having specific goals to work towards. I think the projects above represent enough variety that I shouldn’t get bored and should have a knit for every situation (some simple, some interesting). If I can finish them all, awesome. If I can’t, well, then I’ll just have some more WIPs and I’ll see what’s still inspiring me when the third quarter rolls around.

How do you plan what to knit next? How do you choose? I find it extremely difficult, especially when I keep acquiring pretty yarn in stash. I WANT TO KNIT THEM ALL!

Linking up with Freshly Finished Friday.