Hibiscus For Hope

Things you can blame on Ramona:

* The Lady's Circular Cape being totally ignored this week
* My total lack of blogging because I'm completely enamored with her pattern I am test knitting
* That everyone is going to be getting socks instead of the lace scarves I had intended
* That I now REALLY want to buy one of Cat Bordhi's sock books--which I can't have because we're still in the middle of the 90 day spending ban
* I am going to stay up WAY too late tonight knitting, making the 5:00 AM wake up call for the gym an even more hideous experience than usual.

To be honest, I think I had become a little bit bored by socks and have only made the last few pairs because they were mindless and portable. I haven't purchased any sock yarn in probably a YEAR, so my sock yarn stash has dwindled to yarn for 11 pairs of socks (from a high of 23), making it quite possibly the most "reasonable" part of my stash. I have been using the same toe-up pattern because I don't like to "kitchener" (oddest name for a crafting technique ever. I mean, does one ever dining room-er?), and I use the same pattern over & over because I have it memorized. I haven't pushed myself to try anything new because the only reason I've been making socks was because they were simple & mindless.

Now, after my first free night all week, I have this:

a not too difficult and not too simple (and not really this fuzzy) lace pattern for the foot, and am totally fascinated by this:
That is the gusset shaping, which is happening on the bottom of the foot. Totally fascinating to me. It's like a good book--I can't wait to see what happens next.

A few details:

Knitpicks Essential Solid in "Petunia," which I did have in stash. Ramona graciously offered to send me yarn, but as this is for a fabulous cause AND I am keeping the socks at the end--not to mention the fact that my stash could put a few yarn shops to shame--I declined. As much fun as I'm having knitting this, maybe I should send a few balls to her?

Comments

RobinH said…
Beautiful! It's a great combination. And, since you're using stash yarn, you can add it to your tally of yarn used! (Wasn't that why you wanted to use your own yarn? Just a little?)

I too dislike kitchenering. (It's named after a person- nothing to do with cooking. See: http://pocahontascofare.blogspot.com/2007/10/kitchener-stitch-tidbit-of-knitting.html)

And now you've reminded me that I want to check out the Bordhi book, too! Interlibrary loan, perhaps...
June 27, 2008 at 12:39 PM
Anonymous said…
Wonderful socks and pattern. I see some new sock yarn in your not-too-distant (after ban) future!

Also, I vote for one swoopie, one sock, one swoopie, one sock....

Daniele aka mscreate.typepad.com
June 27, 2008 at 4:45 PM
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