Episode 34 Socks at Last!

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Thank you to everyone who contacted me this week.  A special thank you to The Knitmore Girls, Jasmin and Gigi, as they have mentioned my podcast several times on their show.

Nature Notes

We set a new snow record in Central Illinois.  2010-2011 is now officially our snowiest winter on record.  The previous record was 1978-79.  We are a little over 52" with a good chance of adding to that during March, our transition month from winter to spring.

The woods are bare and a lot of animals are moving around.  I've seen a coyote trot past the window by my studio and a small herd of deer.  There are fewer birds at the feeder with the snow melted but we still have cardinals, goldfinches, woodpeckers, nuthatches, and more. 

Talithia share that the local garbage dump is a good place to view wildlife.

There are flowers everywhere, for those who bother to look.

-Henri Matisse 

 We Like March

We like March, his shoes are purple,
He is new and high;
Makes he mud for dog and peddler,
Makes he forest dry;
Knows the adder's tongue his coming,
And begets her spot.
Stands the sun so close and mighty
That our minds are hot.
News is he of all the others;
Bold it were to die
With the blue-birds buccaneering
On his British sky.          ---Emily Dickinson

The Blethering Room

Faroe Islands are Scandinavian and linked to Denmark.

Fair Isle is part of Britain, specifically Shetland.

Both place names are derived from Old Norse and mean "Sheep Island".

Tip from a Pipeliner Tea aka Teacosy.  Store small stash in large glass jars.

Beautiful and practical way to store those little leftovers in your stash.

Needle Notes

I frogged the man's sock I was knitting from Toe-Up by Chrissy Gardiner.

Camo sock (toe-up version) before frogging.

 I used the Happy Feet yarn to knit a pair of socks for my size foot using The Faceted Rib Sock pattern from The Little Book of Socks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott.

Faceted Rib Socks with no pig's eyes.

Techniques learned:

• German Twisted Cast-on is a wonderfully stretchy cast on and not difficult.  The set up is the same as for the Long Tail Cast On.
• There is a technique for eliminating the pesky hole (also known as a pig's-eye) where you join the heel flap with the instep.  Wonderful!
• A new toe shaping that fits very well.

I also finished a pair of wristers "Those Mitts" by Leslie Friend with my modifications and a Care Cap for a friend who is having chemotherapy treatments.

Book and Product Notes

 

The Little Box of Socks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott.  Clever format.  Recommended.

Kollage DPN's.  I decided to try these square needles after hearing a positive review from Abby on The Knit Knit Cafe Podcast.  I am going to add more of these needles to my collection.

It looks better on the recipient.

Music is from the group Musica Pacifica.  CD Dancing in the Isles on Magnatune.   "Irish Lamentation" (English Country Dance)  Beautiful!