Socks, socks, and more socks!

I routinely listen to Christine's podcast, Pointy Sticks. If you knit and have never listened, I highly recommend her. She is fixing to celebrate her one year podcastiversary! Congrats to Christine!! For the anniversary, she is running a contest and we, as her listeners, are to blog/chat/comment on knitting socks. I found this a great blogging opportunity to talk about sock knitting and my place in it. So, sit down, grab a glass of wine....wait, go get the wine and THEN sit down 'cause it's gonna be a loooong post...I mean night.

First, for the knitties out there, a little sock yarn pr0n:

First, the Lorna's Laces bunch:MMMMmmmm......Lorna's Laces.............

Next we have som luxury and handpainted yarns:

From L-R, Top-bottom: Zen String, 2 Fearless Fibers, Claudia Handpaint, Koigu, and 3 skeins of Schaefer Anne

And last, but certainly not least:

...the rest: Row of Trekking (including the infamous 100), Wildefoot, Fleece Artist, Knit Picks, Regia Bamboo and Color, Plymouth Sockotta, Lang JaWool, and Cestari Farms.

Yeah, I like socks. I like them so much, guess what my first project was?

Yeah, I made a little square, about 4"x4" and then I casted on a pair of socks......out of Red Heart. Yes, yes, I know, but that was before I knew any better!! Have I worn them? Yes,...but mainly around the house. When I finished the first one, I remember running around the house with it on. I remember casting them on, finishing the first one, then realizing I needed a second one. :-) One of the most solid memory I have of these socks was working on them with my grandfather right before he passed away. I remember sitting with him while we watched the Master's on TV.

I think that is why I love crafting so much. You are able to make an object and have it be a tangable object that can help you to remember certain points in your life. I help to perpetuate this by making things for others, especially my little cousins. I want them to look at these things later and say, "hey, Auntie Jennifer made me that." I have such objects from my younger days and my current ones.

As many knitters will confess, we do not necessarily buy sock yarn with a project in mind. See Leigh's Blog for details. However, there are a few that I have purchased with a purpose in mind. My blue Lorna's is such a yarn.

When I was younger, I wore Keds....all of the time, everyday. I think this stems from my inability to find shoes that fit. Parents, don't ever let your kinds walk on their toes. Trust me, I was subborn. Alright, back to the subject. When we moved back to Texas, I wanted a pair of boots. My mother said I could get some if I never wore the Keds again. I agreed. Fast-forward to five years ago. This was when I started what I call "The Bridesmaid Era". I think it is something you are required to go through in your twenties. So, while doing these weddings, I determined that I was going to wear sneakers at my wedding...and not just any, Keds! Becky as already claimed the right to decorate them with lace. What do you need with wedding sneakers? That's right, blue socks. Now, I just need to find a husband......

Bunny soakers!!!

Catchy title, huh?

Ok, so here is the pair of soakers that I made for Miss Elizabeth, modelled by the lovely Hermione:

Pattern: Fern and Faerie pattern

Yarn: Plymouth Encore in pink

Needles: US 8

Mods: I did a hemmed edge at the top and put in elastic instead of the ribbing and a "rolled brim" on the legs instead of the ribbing. Can't you tell how much of a fan of ribbing I am? :-P

These were SUPER quick to knit (like a full day) and are knit in the round, which helps with the quick part.

Granted, they are a plain Jane pair, but once I check size, she will be to hippest girl on the block. Fair Isle here I come!!

BTW, check out Leigh's blog. This is how it happens people, I swear!!

General Recap
Well, not much to report on this front. Yes, I have been doing some knitting, but nothing to really report. I have several projects that I have been finishing, including an EZ Baby surprise (which just needs buttons) and some soakers for Miss Elizabeth (which just needs the other "leg" done).

Elizabeth's big brother Noah has his third (I think!) birthday coming up in March, so he is in the works as well. But I am gonna keep quit about it 'cause I know his momma and nana are out trolling my blog! :-P

February is coming up and so are my February Socktopia socks. Where are my January socks you ask? Do not speak of them...they are in time out at the moment....right now it's playing with the Icarus Shawl. I have several naughty projects at the moment.

I would also like everyone to know that I have created a monster. When we got to Kerry's house, after spending the afternoon at Simpatico Yarns, she requested some help with organizing her stash. Ok, Mom, you think I am bad? I have never seen so many needles and so much yarn for someone who has only been knitting 3-4 months. Granted, I probably have 4 times as much yarn, but have been knitting 10 times as long.

I was so proud...I teared up a bit...no, wait, that was from the cats....

Ahh...finally back to a Texas winter. Today was a nice 55 degree day. I almost put shorts on....almost.

However, we did get a bit of weather and rain, so I did a bit of dyeing! My lovely WinterSP Momma-Monkey sent me some KnitPicks Bare that I have been meaning to dye, so a cold rainy day seemed a good day to do it.

This time I used Wilton cake dyes. It was available and I was interested to see the rumored splitting of the colors (i.e. the purple splits into red and blue).

So, I went with a red/blue/purple varigated scheme and made my BIG fifteen foot skein, cleared off the table and got to work and here is what I got. No, I can't play the "stupid camera" card. That is the color the red came out. I even doubled the amount of red just cause it didn't look right in the bottle. BTW, the color is "Chrismas Red - the red with a blue tone". Let's take a closer look:

Yeah, that had to go. So, I got out some good ol' Koolaid and overdyed the red portion (2 black cherry and 1 regular cherry). Much better.....here, look!

That is RED!!! It's exactly what I wanted. I SOOOOO happy! I think it will end up being some cool, funky hat for myself. Yes, for ME!!! :-)

"I wonder if 'freezing your ass off' would be considered a good idea for weight-loss."
"I dunno, but I am going to go plop my ass on the pavement."
- actual lunch conversation

Ok, so that's the fun part.

This is what happens when I get optimistic. Murphy comes up to bite me in the ass. Yep, I failed my 6010....but I can retake in the Fall.

So, what do you do? RETAIL THERAPY! Luckily, I didn't have a close-by LYS or I could have done some major damage (Kerry, quit laughing!) I did have a little luck, though, and found Family Circle Accessories and VK Accessoried on the SUPER clearence table fore $5/piece and one of their nice canvas (knitting) bags for $2.

Then went by the grocery store and got a Sara Lee Caramel Applenut Pie. Think apple pie with walnuts and it comes with a nice big packet of caramel to drizzle all over it. Was I supposed to eat it? No. Did I feel better afterwards? Oh yeah.... Come, have some pity pie....

On a lighter note....(make sure it's for 1/17/07)

Yeah, it really happens that way......in the minds of our advisors

Brrr...

I have had some requests about the outcome of my 6010 that (finally) got taken on Monday. Yes, that Monday.....the one with all of the ice.....the one where every other sane person was at home not sliding all over the road. Luckily, I took my time and no one slide into my car while I was up at school, since it was parked on the street. So, did I pass....

...I don't know. However, my boss did give me and another of his students, who also took the test, a conversation along the lines of "we are going to assume you passed." I am going to be an optimist for a while and say "no news is good news." Plus, I wasn't at work today, so I didn't get a chance to ask.

For those of you not in Texas, pretty much the whole state has been under this "winter weather advisory"....which is Texas terms can be anything from snow to really bad icy roads. It tends to vary. We currently have on in effect until Saturday night. That's THREE days people!! So, maybe I will get another day off....get some dyeing done!

Good part is that I have gotten some knitting done. Nothing completed, but progress, none-the-less. The only thing I cast on this week was for a baby surprise sweater by the lovely EZ. I finally got the Fiber Trends clog pattern, but I am trying to be good and wait to cast them on until my January socks are finished.

Well, we are supposed to get another wave of weather late tomorrow, so here is hoping for another day off for knitting!!! :-P

C is for Crazy

...because that's how I feel right now. Yesterday, I learned that my entrance 6010 was going to be Friday morning (see previous post). I then commence to freak out and pull all study material to my house, take the day off work/research, and study till my eyes bleed. I haven't even knitted...that's how serious it is.

I stop for the evening to cook dinner a relax a bit and go check email, blogs, etc. to see what's been happening in the world while I have been in my study cave. Luckily, I brought a glass of wine. I check my email to find out that the test has been pushed to the end of next week. Here is where the wine came in handy.

Now, some would say that is a good thing, seeing as I will have more time to study. True, but that doesn't get me back my sanity....or what little of it I had left. Plus, he made me put aside knitting...and that's just wrong.

So, on to happier things!!

I will admit, I asked to be pegged with a meme by Turtlegirl76. The object is that the sender gives you a letter and you share a bit about yourself using that letter. She lovingly gave me "C"... maybe forseeing me needing something easy...so, on with the show!

C...is for CHEMISTRY!!!
Ok, yes, I am a big old GEEK. I am a nerd. I accept and embrace it. I have loved chemistry for a long time. My dad is a chemist and ran the NMR lab in his undergrad. I am a chemist and running the NMR lab at my grad, and a little at my undergrad. See a trend?
I have a thing for periodic tables. I have a huge one on my bedroom wall. In fact, that's where I came up with my Knitty/Blog name: YArN KNiTa is a combination of the atomic symbols for Yttrium, Argon, Nitrogen, Potassium, Nickel, and Tantalum.
See, I told you I was a nerd.

C....is for CRAFTY.
I have always been into crafts. I have done everything from pottery, painting, sewing, quilting, carpentry, knitting, crocheting, and on and on.... My parents insist that I certainly didn't get it from them, nor from my grandmothers. However, both my great-grandmothers at least crocheted (and maybe a little knitting) and my grandfather is in the construction biz.

C.....is for COOKING.
...and I mean cooking, not baking. I really like to cook and like to play in the kitchen a bit. Becky and I were roommates for a few years in college. She was the baker. She even makes her own piecrust with no effort at all. But I digress....we were known in our CO-ED dorm (an all-female dorm has WAY too much concentrated estrogen) for housing a ghastly amount of cooking and baking paraphernalia. When we both get rich and can do what ever we want, we plan to open a resturant/yarn shop. Knitting at the table will be encouraged.

C....is for CAFFINE
My favorite molecule....hey, I told you I was a nerd. Like most of the world, I am addicted to caffine. It usually takes the form of Diet Dr. Pepper and coffee. A few years ago, I tried to give it up for Lent. I was told by one of my professors not to do it again because I was too....we'll say disagreeable.

Well, that's all I have got. If you wish to be apart of the meme, leave me a comment and I will send you a letter!

Shhhh....pretend I am not really here....if they come looking for me, I'm not here....

I'm currently procrastinating studying for a while. My "PhD cumulative exams" (we'll call 6010's) are starting soon. When you dream up the hair-brained scheme of getting your PhD, one of the things you have to do is take a series of exams to show that you have learned everything. This is what I call another "weeding out" point in the grad school gauntlet, the last one being writing and actually defending your dissertation.

As some of you know, I switched from Inorganic to Organic chemistry. (If you don't know why, buy me a beer and I will tell ya about it....it starts with boys are stupid.) The first of these exams is to judge your worthiness to take these (stupid) tests. I have learned that my is Friday.....and I learned this TODAY!!! Granted, I will be plenty prepared, but it does cut you up a bit short to learn that this "all important" exam is in three days.

So, I am blogging....mainly because I can type without looking, seeing as my eyes have gone to pot from reading too much organic chemistry.....the chemists understand.

Well, I returned from crafty weekend at Becky's and I only bought 4 skeins of yarn. Hey, that's pretty good for me. I spent the weekend knitting my January socks for Socktopia. (details)

They are actually more blue than green, but that's the camera for you.

Becky finished a quilt wall hanging and it really got me wanting ot quilt again. Yes, I do more than knit! I do a bit of sewing too. I have done quilts, decorations and a bit of clothing.

Well, off to bed....

Happy New Year!!

Ok, so I am a little late. Luckily, one of my resolutions isn't to be more punctual. Unlike most people I have noticed, I don't really have any resolutions. I probably should...but I don't... :-)

As for knitting, I have joined the STR club and Socktopia so that I can get some sock making done. Hopefully, you will be seeing some more FO's on the blog.

Tomorrow, I am off to crafty weekend with Becky, so I am sure I will have something to show off when I get back!!