Phase 2

I have successfully finished the first part of my latest project, which I showed you the other day. Just in case you weren't sure exactly what I'm making, here is another clue, as I start the second part.


I hope that helps clarify things for you. ;)

More Socks

The final installment of my recent self striping stockingette socks binge is this pair, made from Knit Picks Chroma Fingering weight. It is a wool/nylon single, similar to the Zauberball. I didn't go through the fuss of alternating stripes on this pair, which means I got a pair of socks that is perhaps more fraternal than identical.

One of the lectures I attended at the Sock Summit was about different types of yarns, and it was mentioned that this type of yarn is not the best for socks (since wool singles don't stand up well to pressure and abrasion, which socks receive in abundance.) I had two other balls of Chroma which I was going to make into a striped pair of socks, but I decided that they might be put to better use, elsewhere. I'll show you, one of these days.

Work in Progress

I remember being a little girl, sketching and colouring dresses, and dreaming of having a career as a fashion designer when I grew up. There were times in later years when my dreams changed and I got sidetracked by other things, but I have always loved the idea of being a designer. (My obsession with the many incarnations of Project Runway is certainly indicative of that.) Of course, in recent years, I have begun to dabble in knitwear design, with some sock patterns, and some sweater ideas, etc. Never in all those years did I imagine that I might end up designing soft toys, and I certainly never imagined I would design one that started out like this:

Breaking News

Not merely knitting news, this time, but actual real news!

Some of you may be familiar with the case of the West Memphis Three, a murder case in which three teenage boys were convicted for killing three 8-year-olds, in West Memphis, Arkansas. The teenagers, now fully grown men, have been in prison for 16 years (one of them on death row) while a growing group of supporters have argued that they were wrongly convicted, and have fought to have them exonerated. After years of legal battles, and having many DNA tests performed on the evidence (which have found DNA that doesn't match any of the convicted men) today they are finally being released from prison. As always, the WM3 site has the latest news on the case.

At this time, it appears that the three men have entered an Alford plea, which is a type of guilty plea that means that they maintain their innocence while admitting that the prosecution may have enough evidence to convict them. I have to admit that I'm still a bit flabbergasted that the case hasn't been entirely overturned, based on the lack of evidence, but at least the guys are finally getting to go home and be with their families and friends.

If you would like more information on the case, there have been two documentaries released: Paradise Lost: The Child Murders at Robin Hood Hills, which covers the flawed trial and conviction and Paradise Lost 2: Revelations, which follows up on the three men and their fight for freedom, several years into their sentences. A third documentary was slated for release next month, but I imagine the filmmakers will do some more shooting and re-editing, based on today's news.

Goes to show - what seems like an endless battle can be worth the effort. Sometimes the good guys win.

Simple Socks for Summit

Oh my gosh, it's been how long since I posted?! I guess I lost the blogging mojo for a while, there. My crafting mojo hasn't disappeared, but I haven't been taking photos, mostly, so there's been nothing much to show for it.

I went a little crazy just prior to my trip to Sock Summit 2011, obsessively knitting to try to finish my Traveling Sweater for the trip. I succeeded, but I was pretty burned out by it. Photos of that will have to be another day - suffice to say it was a hit: for me personally by keeping me warm on the plane (where I usually freeze my buns off) and also for my fellow knitters at the Summit, where it garnered a few compliments. For the record, my Honeybee cardigan was the most popular of all my knitted items at Summit - I was pretty proud to have so many compliments on that one.


Choosing a project for the trip was easy - I always choose simple stockingette socks for traveling, since they are mindless and small and portable. This time I grabbed another skein of self-striping yarn from Biscotte & Cie, and cast on. Nothing fancy, just a toe-up stockingette sock with afterthought heels. They were perfect for airport lounges, airplanes, and classes at Sock Summit. They are also perfect for sitting around, enjoying the last precious hours of my vacation.