Green Markets

This past winter, Yarn Widower discovered the beloved Floridian holiday tradition of taunting our snowbound Northern friends.  Whenever he saw that there was yet another snowstorm preparing to dump onto the Northeast, he would call up his brother-in-law and complain obnoxiously that it was so cold here that he was forced to wear a light jacket outside.  "I can't believe it!  It's 65 degrees.  I'm freezing!"

My first spring in Florida, I gaily planted herbs and veggies only to watch them wither in the unforgiving heat of Florida's warmer months.  I learned the hard way that the growing season here is backwards.  Unlike the North, it starts in October when the nights finally start to cool off and lasts until early April when everyone is chased back indoors into air conditioning.  Of course this makes perfect sense.  Why else do the snowbirds migrate here but for the balmy winters? 

It's July now.  It's hot here (as it is in many parts of the country).  Iced tea, beach trips and juicy slabs of cold watermelon.  Yeah, we got all that.  But here's what we don't have right now that I really really miss about Northern summers - Farmer's Markets.  Here, they're all closed for the summer.  It's the off season. I have to make do with fruit from California and pictures of the West Palm Beach Green Market I took back in January.

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A happy customer

My favorite veggie stand Stephens Produce

Malabrigo Monkeys

In the knitting world, there are some patterns that every self-respecting knitter knows by name: Clapotis, Fetching, Koolhaas, Swallowtail, etc.

Cookie A's sock pattern Monkey definitely falls into this category.  There are no monkeys to be found anywhere on these socks.  Apparently, they are so named because the designer was so obsessed that she wrote down the pattern just to get the monkey off her back.  Or something like that.

Pattern: Los Monos Locos by Jennifer O'Sullivan
an offshoot of the original pattern (think of fan fiction) that revises the sock to be knit toe up. Crazy!

Yarn: Malabrigo Sock (100% merino)
Colorway: Ochre
440 yards/skein (I used almost the entire skein for these mid-calf length socks)

Needles: US 1
I originally started with US2's but I wanted a tighter than normal gauge to ensure that these would wear well.

First off, I love this yarn.  It knits so beautifully.  Soft yet sturdy.  And the color is the most gorgeous earthy yellow.  I need more of it.  And yes, the pattern is obsession-worthy.  Once I had memorized the lace pattern, I found it intoxicating and hard to put down.

The heel construction was interesting.  There's short rows but no need to pick up stitches.  I've always thought short rows were kind of magical in a heel.  Not having to pick up stitches, that's earth-shattering.  Woo-hoo! 

But my favorite thing about the heel is the slipped stitch pattern called "Eye of Partridge." It's pretty.

Eye of Partridge:

Row 1: *sl 1, k1*, repeat
Row 2: knit all stitches if knitting in the round, purl if knitting back and forth
Row 3:* k1, sl 1*, repeat
Row 4: knit all stitches if knitting in the round, purl if knitting back and forth

Initially, I had some problems with it - there was a lot of ripping back because I kept getting the rows mixed up.  It's hard to tell visually whether or not I was supposed to slip the first stitch or knit it.  So I linked two of my stitch markers together (orange meant slip the first stitch of the row and green meant knit the first stitch) and just toggled the stitch markers when I slipped it for the all knit row.

Thus ends my little sock knitting adventure.  Three socks in June, spilled over a bit into July. Now it's Christmas in July.  Except I don't like to knit Christmas gifts - too much stress for a holiday I don't really celebrate anyway.  So I'll just knit birthday gifts instead... Besides, Yarn Widower's been asking for a pair of socks.

Sideways Socks

Traditionally socks are knit in a tube either from the cuff down or toe up.  Some people were clever enough to turn tradition on its head and figure out how to knit a sock from side to side; i.e. vertical striping on socks.  Intriguing.  Since this is sock month, I thought I would challenge myself by trying something new (to me).

Pattern: Sidewinders: a Perpensockular Pattern available for free on NonaKnits.

Yarn: Twinkle Toes by Chameleon Colorworks
50% Merino, 50% Tencel
1 skein (approx 320 yards) in colorway Ophelia

Needle size: US 2

The pattern is available as a sequence of blog entries complete with photos and bonus motivational pep talks.  It's comprehensive and well written (thanks, Nona!). I would suggest copy/pasting into a word processing document to make printing a heck of a lot easier.  Unless you like knitting in front of a computer.

I usually don't bother doing a gauge swatch for socks since I can just try'em on as I go and modify as needed (most sock patterns come in a limited range of sizes anyway so modifications are usually needed for a customized fit).  But this sock comes in 12! sizes and is knit in one piece flat.  And then grafted together in the back like a corset for your calves/ankles/feet.  So in this case, gauge does matter.

RS view: cuff is to the left/ toes to the right

Actually, the whole thing kind of reminds me of a flying squirrel.

WS view: a flying squirrel with a hoodie

The hoodie is where the toes go.

Grafting's a pain in the ass.  When done properly, it can be like knitting magic (no seam).  When done improperly, it just looks like a hot mess.   Trouble is, that it gets so rhythmic (knit off, purl on, purl off, knit on) that I lose track of where I am.  Apparently, there is a version of these socks that decreases the amount of grafting - maybe I'll have to try that at a later date.

Knitting Wimp Grows Up

I fear color knitting.  Intarsia, fair-isle - even the terms are kind of intimidating.  Pretty but scary.  shudder

So I've been kind of putting off the whole color knitting thing.  Later, I promise.  Well, it turns out that later has finally arrived.  It's time.  Deep breath.

My first foray in fair-isle.  Socks!

Pattern: Four Stitch Reticulated Patterns by Charlene Schurch, pattern 5 from her book Sensational Knitted Socks

Yarn: Creatively Dyed Sock Yarn (2/3 skein)
I got this as a destash so I'm not sure of the colorway; it's the magenta/pink/yellow variegated yarn
Knit Picks Risata in colorway Grass (2 skeins)

Needle size: US 2

I learned:

1. Loosen up on the tension.  I'm a "tight" knitter which usually works out just fine; I know I have to go up a needle size.  But with fair-isle, tension matters because if I pulled too tight, then the floats on the wrong side of the knitting were too short thus resulting in unsightly puckering.

Floats are those longish lengths of yarn that you carry along with the main yarn

2. Fair-isle is not very stretchy.  Again, those floats.  I discovered this when I switched from the ribbed cuff to the fair-isle pattern.  So I added a little calf-shaping to my socks.

3. Fair-isle is not that hard.  It's a great way to showcase variegated yarns.

After knitting the first sock, I realized that I had goofed on the sole pattern.  So I ended up with two different soles - who's going to see?

Well, besides you...

Beautiful Hands

and some feet

Knitting in Public

Apparently knitting is still considered a subversive art form in that some people find public knitting a notable event.  There's even a day devoted to this.  World-Wide Knit in Public Day.

 This weekend, a gaggle (pride, herd, murder?) of knitters congregated in the Boca Towne Center.  Sticks in air, yarn in hand, we were prepared to bring knitting awareness to the unwashed masses.  We're here and we're...handy with needles and yarn!

Knitters in the Wild

The Sock Guru made an appearance

Jan concentrating

Rebecca, Faith and Faith's mom

 Helen

 Caryn

 Dina and Carolyn

The Chix with Stix drove down from the Treasure Coast
Notice the matching T-shirts

Mary, Michelle, Pam and Winnie

Rebecca

Pam showing us that knitting doesn't have to be a sedentary sport - free-range knitting!

Did the public take notice? 

Caryn talking to an inquisitive boy and his dad

This dude clearly just wanted to sit next to Kerrilyn - who doesn't?

I was a little late (alright, I got waylaid at Anthropologie) so I missed the encounter with the mall police.  They'd never heard of World-Wide Knit in Public Day and were quite suspicious at first.  We almost got shut down by the fuzz (mall cops on Segways, no less)!  But after a little explanation, all was well.

Happy Knit in Public Week - go ahead, kiss a knitter!

Gratuitous Puppy Photos

Bennan is now entering his 13th month of life.  He's full grown but still a puppy on the inside.  And a devilish one at that.  He's clever and mischievous, full of fight and canine attitude.   Secure in the knowledge that he's wormed his way into our hearts, he's now testing the limits.  He can be an absolute delight.  Lately though he's more monster.

But he's our delightful monster. No other creature inspires in me such fierce exasperation and aching affection.  I imagine most parents of young children know what I mean.  One moment he is tearing around shredding my unfinished crossword puzzles.  The next minute he looks like this:

Overheard at the dog park: "Honey, God makes them cute so you don't kill them when they're bad."

What, me worry?