Frozen Peace Fleece, Anyone? (No? How about some Lorna’s Laces…)

OK, please be honest. Am I the only knitter (AKA: stasher) who takes preventative anti-moth measures?

What you’re looking at are three skeins of Peace Fleece, which I bought at Eco-Green, a local shop that specializes in organic, green, fair-trade products.

Why are they in the freezer, you ask? Well…because I’m sick. I literally dream about finding moths in my home (more of a nightmare, really). So whenever I buy yarn from a store that’s an “unknown quantity” I pop it in the freezer for a couple of days to kill any fabric bugs/eggs that might be hiding in the depths of my new wool-babies.

The red yarn and pretty needles are going to be the Knitting Needle Bag from Bag Style. You can also download the pattern free at Knitting Daily.

Here’s how the freezer trick works: You put the yarn in the freezer for 24 – 48 hours, which either kills the little buggers or puts them into dormancy. They think it’s the deep freeze of winter. Then, when you take the yarn out of the freezer, they suddenly think it’s spring! You give them 24 hours in the warmth of your kitchen, and then–this is the evil part–pop the yarn back into the freezer for a day or two. This kills the little guys who made it through the first freeze.

Three skeins of DK-weight Peace Fleece I bought at Eco-Green earlier this year…They’re going to make some hefty boot socks to keep Chris’ little piggies warm!

But I want to get back to my question: Do you ever take preventative anti-moth measures? Or do you know anyone who does? I need to know. Maybe, if I’m not alone, I won’t feel so OCD! Do you think it’s weird?

An orphan skein of Claudia’s HP, rescued from Stitch DC last spring. Too pretty to pass up, don’t you agree?

SWAP, ANYONE?

Last fall I bought five skeins of Lorna’s Laces in Gold Hill, which I thought would make a really pretty leaf-patterned autumny wrap. But they’ve sat in my stash for the past year, and I’ve finally come to terms with the fact that I’m probably not going to use them.

Help us fulfill our destiny!

I know, I know, I could make socks with them. But I wasn’t particularly happy with the pooling in my Waving Lace socks (made with LL in Watercolors). I like how the yarn feels, and I like the solid colors, but the multicolored LL yarns aren’t my top choice.

So… If anyone would like to buy them, or swap for them, please drop me a line at knitsix@gmail.com

Happy knitting!

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One sock, two sock…

I promised photos of waving lace, sock #1…

As I’ve said, I finished this sock, then needed to cast on for a gift (which you’ll see below). These are made with Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Watercolor. Overall impressions after my first sock with this yarn: I miss the glossiness of most other sock yarns–LL is very “matte.” But it’s also incredibly comfortable because it’s stretchier…kind of hugs your feet.

As for color, all the LL colorways are delicious, but the striping and pooling drives me mad. I know, I know, I’m supposed to switch from one ball to another every couple of rows to prevent that, but this is a “purse project,” one I’ll knit on the bus, in the park, during spare minutes here and there. Not only would switching balls be inconvenient, I just don’t have the patience to fiddle around like that. I’ll definitely use LL again, but probably in a solid or semi-solid colorway.

Here’s a top-down view next to the little invalid.

To be honest, I’m really concerned about Maggie. The vet said that if she continues to have these “attacks” of rasping open-mouthed breathing, the next step would be to sedate her and go down into her throat for a look. Antihistamines seem to have helped, as does running the A/C to clean the air (we don’t have an air cleaner yet), so I was hopeful that it was all allergy related. But early this morning, at 3:30 a.m., she came up to my pillow purring loudly and breathing through her mouth again.

The purring might seem to be a good sign, but it’s not. Cats purr for many reasons, including when they’re sick or injured. And I know Maggie well enough to tell one purr from another. Also, the look in her eyes isn’t right. I hope I’m wrong, but we’ll probably have to take her back to the vet. OK, if I keep writing about this I’m going to cry, so I’ll just change the subject and keep you posted.

So. Let’s get back to socks. As promised, here’s the Gentleman’s Sock with Lozenge Pattern I cast on last weekend for my step-dad…

The yarn is Schaefer “Anne,” and I love it! The transluscent color, depth of shades, mohair and nylon content (for strength), washability (it’s superwash wool!), delicate weight, and generous yardage (560 yards in each skein). Anne does have a tendency to split if you’re not careful, but I love it, so it’s worth a bit of vigilance.

A POLITICAL ASIDE (Stop reading here if you’re easily offended.)
Speaking of vigilance…You know, ever since Sept. 11, 2001, that guy in the White House says Amerrkins need to “be vigilant.” (Oh, how I wish I could WRITE the inflection he uses when he says “vigilant.” But I’ll have to trust that to your imagination.) As does the Dept. of Homeland Security (ugh!) and every other official administration under the sun. Vigilance, vigilance, vigilance.

The administration is trying to make us feel “empowered,” so we’ll believe that, as individuals, we have any measurable control over maniacal attacks (key word: measurable…I know we’re not entirely powerless). Well, in my opinion, we don’t. Somewhere, sometime, something is going to happen, and there’s probably not a whole hell of a lot the person like me, sitting on a Metro bus to Georgetown, can do about it, unless I spot a suspicious package that turns out to be more than someone’s discarded water bottle.

Well…Ever since I met Chris, he’s always said, “I love you. Be careful,” when I go out. Now that I’m working from home, he’s the one leaving the house early in the morning, and if I can drag myself out of bed, I’ll lock the door behind him so I can give him a kiss goodbye. But these days, our exchange is a little different: “I love you. Be vigilant.”

Strange how that came to mind while describing sock yarn! But maybe there’s an important lesson in there somewhere…I may not be able to stop some crazy person from doing the unthinkable, but by being vigilant I can sure as hell control whether or not my size 0 needles split my sock yarn. Suddenly, I feel so empowered.

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Feeling Pretty

Mmmmmm. Pretty colors…

I promise to talk about something else after this, but I just had to share my recent sock yarn madness. This is the stash accumulated, mostly, during the past month…Largely rewards for meeting a goal I set for myself :-)

The two “cakes” are Lorna’s Laces Watercolors and Neighborhood Fiber Co. (NFC) Brightwood. The skeins, clockwise from the top are: Claudia Hand Painted Chocolate Cherry; Sundara Yarns’ Cherry Blossoms; NFC’s Brookland (teal and purple); a gorgeous cranberry-colored semi-solid from NFC (I forget the color’s name!); and Claudia’s Pink Dot.

And, to quote Basie, “once more once,” before they head to the post office today–the oh-so-pretty Orchid Socks (AKA Simply Lovely Lace Socks in Koigu KPPPM)…complete with sewn-down picot edge.

Please be advised: These socks are meant for far smaller feet than mine! (As you can tell.)

Finally, because Maggie’s been getting all the attention lately…

This is Katja, looking pretty and pensive. Despite her precious “Fancy Feast” appearance, she’s actually a hellion–a wannabe barn cat. We love that about her.

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Sock Yarn Love!

OK, you just have to see this gorgeous hank of Neighborhood Fiber Company yarn that Karida delivered a week ago…I can’t get enough of these colors:
It’s named “Brookland.” Teal-green and purple sock yarn–lovely, stretchy, puffy superwash merino sock yarn! (Yes, it’s Gems Fingering, my utter favorite.) Thanks, Karida!

And, speaking of sock yarn, I received my Cherry Blossom yarn from Sundara yesterday!!! It is SO luscious, I could absolutely EAT it! No photos yet, but soon, I promise. (Since every hank is a little different, I think a picture is in order, just to celebrate the pink prettiness sitting on my coffee table, don’t you?)

All of which leads me to socks…
This is about 10 rows short of where I currently am on Waving Lace (first sock), from Favorite Socks. (For more, check out the Favorite Socks KAL…)

The Lorna’s Laces is working out nicely with this pattern, though the yarn’s natural stretchiness may be exaggerated by the stretchiness of this particular lace. At any rate, I tightened up my knitting a little bit, and was happy with the results.

Have I mentioned that It’s hard to find a true US #1 circular needle these days? (I haven’t been feeling so great, and so can’t remember what I’ve said lately.) Well, most #1 needles are actually US #1.5, but are not labelled that way–kind of irritating, actually. I wish we could get needles in UK sizes.

Measuring needles in millimetres instead of random numbers allows a broader range of sizes. I know I can go to DPNs, and I have many #1 sets, but I wanted to do magic loop so I could carry these in my purse without losing needles. Plus, I was craving the mindlessness of it.

So here you have it: Yummy new yarn and a new pair of socks in a really fun pattern.

Life is good.

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Orchid Socks: Finis!

I cast off on Sunday, and blocked them to make sewing the picot edge at the top a bit easier. Trying to wrestle a rolling edge into a nice, neat hem is a real pain. Sewing will probably happen today, but in my book this is now a finished project!
Pattern: Orchid Socks AKA Simply Lovely Lace Socks (IK Spring 06)
Yarn: Koigu (Can’t find the band, but I’ll try to remember to look up the color #)
Needles: Addi Turbo 32″ US #0 (magic loop method)
Mods: None! This was a simply lovely pattern, and came out perfectly!

I must say, I really enjoyed knitting these. The stitch pattern is SO easy to remember, so you can just relax and knit. They were a wonderful project for knitting in public, since I love people-watching and don’t like to have to watch my knitting instead. Of course, I keep a close eye on what I’m doing, too…Dropped stitches aren’t a disaster, but they slow you down!

Last Friday I found myself in Georgetown after a doctor’s appointment, waiting for my husband to meet me for dinner at Old Glory. BUT I’d forgotten to put my knitting in my purse! Oh, my God, what an emergency. And it was such a beautiful day. All I wanted to do was find a garden bench at the Old Stone House and knit in the sun. So…I made a quick trip to Stitch DC, spent money I couldn’t afford to spend, and emerged with two skeins of Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in Watercolor and a rather cheap set of DPNs (US #1).

I cast on for the Waving Lace socks, which you can see on the cover of Favorite Socks. I chose to do a twisted 1×1 rib instead of the prettier pattern shown in the book’s photos. Ribbing is just more practical for me…I like pretty socks, but they have to stay up or I know I won’t wear them.

(Maggie’s feeling MUCH better–YAY!)

Waving Lace sock #1 is much farther along now, so I’ll take more photos today and get them up here. Meanwhile, you can also follow this project at the Favorite Socks KAL: Just click on the button in my sidebar.

Have a great day, everyone!

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