Two socks are better than one

At least, they are more useful for performing vulcan mind-melds with your cat :)

• Sock Recipe: A Good, Plain Sock by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (in Knitting Rules!)
  
• Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Multi, 80% Superwash Wool, 20% Nylon, (215 yards / 57 g per skein), ~1.51 skeins, colorway "Vera"
  
• US 00 (1.75 mm) aluminum dpns
  

I made the first of these socks in May/June 2007 to convince myself that I would be able to produce something resembling socks for Sockapalooza 4. I made a pair of fiery looking Monkeys for my Pal in June of 2007, and... I've been intending to make the second sock (to complete what should have been my first pair) ever since.

I have been trying to put my new job's long public transportation commute time to good use, and the second sock was the first knitting beneficiary (I've also gotten more reading done than usual). I'm pleased to report that I didn't lose any of my needles on Caltrain or MUNI, and my yarn ball managed to behave itself - admirably resisting the urge to leap off my lap and go tumbling down the aisle or beneath the seat in front of me.

There's not much to say about this basic sock, except that I like the pattern very much :) I found it to be straightforward: easy to follow and to understand. I cast on 76 stitches and used teeny-tiny needles (00) to accommodate my gauge. I did make some notes in the margins of Stephanie's book, but I mainly used the first sock as a guide for the second.





Bug was game for a little photoshoot once he discovered I could itch him under the chin (albeit rather clumsily) with my toes.







Of course, he's always happy to model blanket-like objects...




I'm trying to post more often, even though I'm feeling awfully busy, and I hope to get back to more blog reading as well as I get settled into my new schedule - I am missing so much of what you guys are doing!

In the meantime, I hope you all have a great week!

In which Bug catches a swallow by the tail

or something like that...

• Swallowtail Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark (Interweave Knits, Fall 2006)
  
• My handspun yarn (made from AllSpunUp Bluefaced Leicester Roving), 100% Bluefaced Leicester Wool, (442 yards / 115 g per skein), ~0.87 skeins, colorway "Shallow Water"
  
• US 5 (3.75 mm) Knitpicks Options Circular Needles
  

I must confess that I've been pretty busy lately with a new job that requires a long, multi-part public transportation commute, so this post is a little late (as I finished the shawl about a month ago).

I followed the pattern pretty closely and didn't do anything differently (that I know of). The nupps gave me some trouble, but I got better at them with time, and I think they add a little somethin' - somethin' to the overall look, so I'm glad I did them :)

I used my handspun yarn, and the color transitions worked out nicely. Here's a refresher of what it looked like in roving form and all spun up(!), in a lovely little skein. I must compliment Kristen (of All Spun Up) on her color sense - her rovings are always gorgeous.




The leftovers:



Here the shawl is blocking...



I have been admiring Swallowtails online for quite a while, so I'm very happy to finally have my own :)




Here are some close-ups of the three main patterns, from the center outward:





I do love these colors!



Here you can see the "wrong side":




... and with light shining through:





I had to persuade Bug to model the shawl. At first he was more than a little annoyed (hello - I'm trying to nap here):



...but he warmed up to it:





In fact, he kind of lost himself for a bit:



He appreciated the lovely colors and pleasing pattern, but what really won Bug over was his discovery that Swallowtail makes an excellent curtain in a sunny window - letting through just the right amount of skin-warming light.




Happy Lincoln's Birthday (and Charles Darwin's, too)... and Happy almost Valentine's Day :)