Finished Object, Really This Time

I can't believe it.  I knit a pair of socks in less than a week.  And these have 23 cm legs (9 in)!  Although they are only size US 7.5, so the foot is about 21.7 cm (with .9 negative ease)  or about 8.1 in.

I guess when I am monogamous, I can actually finish things.

Except that I wasn't totally monogamous.  I knit one row of my Echo Flower Shawl.  Had to knit something different!  And when I was riding the exercise bike at the Y, I knit on my Better than French Vanilla socks.  I don't need a pattern for those, so they make much better bike knitting.

These are for the Orange (July) challenge with SolidSocks, and the designer is Claudia Eisenkolb, one of the featured designers for the Sock Knitters Anonymous July Challenge.  The yarn is Flock Sock Sock Yarn by Holiday Yarns and the color is Mango Tango.

I finished the heels on Saturday (2 days ago).

Knit the gussets

and the feet down to where the foot chart started Sunday (yesterday)

I actually knit about 4 rows of the foot chart before I got too tired and went to bed.

Today I knit the foot and toe charts.  These go right up to the last row.

I finished listening to A Tale of Two Cities on CraftLit while I was kitchener stitching the toes.  And, yes, I got teary eyed.

They need to be washed and blocked, but I am amazed that I can finish a pair in a week.  I was about to say that I had no life this week, and that helped me finish, but I actually had a tiny bit of a life when I went to the movies then out to dinner at a friend's house, so, I must be getting a bit faster?

Something like that.

Well, when I wasn't knitting these socks for Moogie, I was either sleeping or at the Y knitting on my Better Than French Vanilla Socks.  Considering I really only work on those for the 30 minutes of biking every day, they are making decent progress.  The legs are finally about 4 inches, and I am thinking that I might go ahead and just knit the heels.  Or not.  I can't decide if I should give them normal length legs.

Anyway, I did make it to the Y today.  So...

Where in the World is f1bercat?

I knit for 6.6 miles this morning, then walked for another .27 miles.  This puts me at 291.63 miles total on my trip.  Wow, I am getting close to 300 miles.  I should hit that on Wednesday, if I am good and go tomorrow and Wednesday to the Y.


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I have made it to Eugene!


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California here I come.  Sort of.

Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet with a daughter with 2 pairs of handmade socks

Socks Update

Why is it that  some patterns just seem to fly, and  others crawl.?

I loved knitting my Circle socks.  I love the yarn.  I love how they look.  But, the last 3 inches of the feet took forever.  I would try them on and think, ok, about 3 more inches until I can start the toes.  Then 2 hours later, try them on and think, 3 more inches until I can start the toes.  Two hours later, I still needed 3 inches.  I am not kidding, it took me a full day to knit about 3 inches.

I kept the circle pattern going down the foot, tapering it off into a point as I neared the toes.

It's not that the pattern was so complicated that it took a long time to knit, either.  This is a fast, easy pattern.  I'm not sure if it is all of the slipped stitches, pulling the fabric back, or what.  But it just took forever.

However, I am finished, and I love them.

They fit beautifully, too.

Now that I have finished, what am I knitting?  Why, socks of course.

I cast on a pair of socks that will double dip for both SolidSocks (they are orange), and SKA (Sock Knitters Anonymous), as they are designed by Claudia Eisenkolb, and called, "Makiba."

Since the SolidSocks color for July is orange, I bought some beautiful mango colored Flock Sock yarn from Holiday Yarns.

The color is Mango Tango.  I bought 2 skeins because these socks are for my daughter, Moogie, and she likes the legs of her socks to be more like knee socks, and I don't want to worry about running out.  However, since the yarn is hand dyed, the balls are subtly different!  They should be an interesting look.

The pattern is not difficult, but there is a bit of lace and some cables.

Well, I can't decide if the pattern is easy, or it's just that I am getting better?

I love how they are coming along.  The leg pattern is 45 rows after the ribbing, and I am on 35.  (this photo was taken at 25, but now the light is gone.)

 As Moogie is down in California, helping at my brother's house, she won't be able to watch the progress of these socks.  I plan to post a photo every day, so she can "watch" them grow.


Where in the World is f1bercat?

I knit another 5 miles today, and walked .7.  I am happy that I am starting to walk a bit more.  I have downloaded audiobook version of the Eyre Affaire, by Jasper Fforde through our library system for free, and am listening to it while I knit/ride the exercise bike, and also while I walk on the treadmill.  I am enjoying this book a lot.  I heard about it on the 2 Knit Lit Chicks Podcast.  At our neighborhood Independence Day party, one of my friends told me that she likes to download audio books for free from the library, and how to get started.  Wow!  I couldn't wait to try it out.  And I am loving it so far.

Anyway, while listening, and knitting on my Better Than French Vanilla Socks, I made it to:


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Basically, I am north of Eugene, in the middle of nowhere.


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Every 5 miles gets me that much closer to my goal.

Stay safe and well.

Yours,
f1bercat
shaping the planet while missing my Moogie