New widgets for knitting

For my job at the library I'm participating in More 23 things on a stick. It's designed to help those of us who are technology challenged. I just learned that on Google Gadgets you can get a widget for announcing new knitting books as they come out. What a great idea. I love knitting because I'm not very techie and knitting fills my creative outlet, but now I find that techie things can also relate to the knitter in me.

Favorite yarn shops

I went to see the movie Confessions of a shopaholic with a couple of friends the other day. At first I had trouble relating to what she was going through. I don't speak Prada, Gucci, or Dior. Then I noticed that the main character's roommate had on some knitted socks with pom poms. Then I understood. Although I don't do pom poms I am addicted to sock yarn.

I have two favorite yarn stores. Knitters Palette in Lakeville is owned by Pam. She has nice neat shelves of yarn in colors, weights, and fibers that are truly seductive. I do speak Debbie Bliss, Hand Maiden, Noro and Art Yarns. I love silk, bamboo, alpaca, seasilk and wool. Knitters Palette has a great selection of all these yarns and patterns to go with. Pam knows the lure of having samples of the newest sock yarn make up. We are after all fiber fondlers. She also has spinning wheels and roving. I love going to her shop just to set on the couch and knit with fellow knitters and watch the spinners work their magic on the spinning wheels.

My other favorite is the Yarn Garage in Rosemont owned by Steven. His shop is a little overwhelming when you walk in. Yarn is floor to ceiling and looks like yarn heaven. Once you get over the shock you realize that there is semblance of order. Steven and his crew can find you just about anything you need and more. They have many items on display to show off the many ways that yarn can be used. He has corner with lot of yarn and idea for children's sweaters, great lace for shawls, creative ideas for felting and lots of original designs.

I can understand the shopaholic when I apply it to my love of yarn. I have enough sock yarn for many many pairs of socks but the seductive charm of the new sock yarn is always there.

Socks over the years

I decided to put the socks that I have made and kept for myself in one picture to show that I am a serious sock knitter (or maybe just obsessed with knitting socks). I figured that with the socks that I have given away I have made 27 pairs since my first sock class in 2004. I have started out using double points, then moved on to using two circular needles, Magic Loop, and now two socks on one Magic Loop.
I like all the different ways of making socks. My friend the Princess won't use double points. "No way, No how, Never for anything. Why when there is Magic Loop. Are you out of your mind". Oh well I guess she can't be good at everything.

I own more books on socks than I care to admit. I like the ones that show you how to made the socks your own. They have stitch dictionary's to help you figure out other designs you might want to use with their basic patterns. Sensational Knitted Socks, More Sensational Knitted Socks both by Charlene Schurch and the Vogue knitting's The Ultimate Sock Books are two good ones.

For different types of sock knitting I like Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi. Socks Soar has a really good basic sock pattern that can be used for two circular or one long needle.

If you like to do two socks at one time The Magic Loop by Sarah Hauschka and Knitting Circles Around Socks by Antje Gillingham would be my choices. Magic Loop is about doing one or two socks on one long 40" needle. Knitting Circles is about using two circular needles about 12-16" long to do two socks at one time.
I forgot there is a way to do two socks on one time on double points but I don't have a book on that. I guess it done with one sock inside the other.

You can check your local library for sock knitting books. Check them out and work with them. It's the best way to see which one you want to buy.

Feb Socks II

These are my second pair of socks for February. I felt guilty because instead of trying to us up all my sock yarn I bought new sock yarn for two pairs of socks. So I figured if I was going to reduce by stash I was going to have to knit 14 pairs of socks instead of 12. My friends know what a hardship this will be:)

Norwegian mittens

Here is a picture of the start of my second pair of 2 Star Mittens.

I loved my Norwegian mitten class so I picked up some books on color work mittens.

Selbuvotter by Terri Shea is an excellent book. While working at The Nordic Heritage Museum in Seattle Terri discovered these wonderful mittens and decided to chart them and duplicate them. Along with the patterns you get the history behind the mittens and what the different symbols on the mitten patterns mean.

Favorite Mittens by Robin Hansen is a collection of patterns from Maine that were passed down by verbal instructions. She decided that these patterns needed to be written down and lucky for us she took the time to write them down and publish them.

Another book that I discovered is Latvian Mittens by Lizbeth Upitis this is the most intimidating of them all. The color work is amazing and the patterns are endless. I just have to take a deep breath and give them a try.

I took a Norwegian Mitten class at Knitters Pallet. The teacher Diane was great and I loved the class. Here are my 2 Star Norwegian Mittens in dark brown and light brown Cascade 220 superwash wool.

Here are my February socks. You can't really see the lacy pattern in the picture. The yarn is Koigu. The pattern is Sailor's Delight from 2-at-a-time socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes.
2 months down 10 to go.