Adventure Socks

I started these socks last month to keep me occupied while The Bearded One and I drove around Atlanta. They came with me on a road trip to Mississippi. They hung out in my purse while I ran errands and wandered around town. They showed up at knit night. Now, in a great bit of timing, the pair is bound off and ready to be worn on my next big trip to Denver, CO. From henceforth, these socks shall be known as The Adventure Socks.  The Driving Atlanta title just isn’t cutting it anymore.

Adventure Socks

Yarn: Cascade Sassy Stripes - 714 (discontinued)

Needles: 2.25mm circulars

Dates: Aug 31 - October 23, 2012

@ravelry

These socks were such great company during my travels because the pattern was so simple: toe-up, 3x1 rib, a few calf increases, and an afterthought heel. As a true testament to the simplicity, I finished knitting the last rows on the second sock, bound off, put the heel stitches pack on the needles, cut open the heel, and started the decreases all while walking around the mall. It helped that the mall wasn’t crowded that day, but still, simplicity rocks. Self striping sock yarn is good stuff too and I’m glad I’ve got several more pairs worth in the stash.

Now that these socks are going to be on my feet and off the needles, I need some new travel knitting. Another pair of simple socks might be just the thing. Also, anyone have recommendations for fun stuff to do in Denver?

Incremental 5K: Week 3

Last week was full of the usual routines - walking, trying to run, knit night, wasting time on the internet, etc - and one brand new thing. Bright and early on Saturday morning, I headed into Birmingham for the Komen Race for the Cure 5K.

I joined Team Boobapalooza with a few friends from knit night and it was the first time I’ve walked in any kind of organized 5K. Wasn’t really sure what to expect but the place was packed and covered in pink. I arrived early enough to find a parking space which meant I spent a lot of time waiting for the walk to start. Thankfully, Team Boobapalooza was pleasant company.

To be honest, I’ve never really understood the whole “let’s walk in a big circle to support X” concept until now. How is my walking going to cure breast cancer, or stop ALS, or fund a library? It wasn’t until  I was walking down 20th and saw the thousands of people ahead of me and the thousands behind me that I began to understand. There is strength in numbers and power in a common cause. Walking isn’t medical research or the cure for breast cancer but it shows strength, camaraderie, and influence.  It is a celebration of the people who are still with us and a remembrance of those that we’ve lost. When people join together there is hope and movement towards a better future where people don’t die from cancer.

Afterthought Heels the Cat Bordhi Way

It’s only been a month and a half since I cast on for these socks in Atlanta and the pair is almost finished. The first sock, in all its toe-up, self-striping, 3x1 rib glory, is bound off. The second sock is not. The first sock has a heel. The second sock does not but soon will thanks to an awesome technique called the Afterthought Heel.

When it comes to socks, I’m usually a big fan of the gusset and heel flap since the combo fits my feet really well; however, the socks I’ve made from Cat Bordhi’s Personal Footprints for Insouciant Sock Knitters have shown me that I don’t need a gusset to have a well fitting sock. So, when I started the socks and wanted even stripes all the way up, I decided to try an afterthought heel with 3x1 ribbing on the instep to help the fit. The rows would stay the same width, and I wouldn’t have to worry about where to start the gusset increases or measure the sock every 5 minutes while stuck in Atlanta traffic. I could just knit and put my mind on other things. 

Most afterthought heels call for knitting in a half row of waste yarn where the heel should go which leaves a gap in each of the corners. In Personal Footprints, Bordhi has a great alternative that prevent gaps and is very easy to knit from. You just can’t be afraid to cut your knitting. Honestly, it’s not as scary as it sounds.

When you reach the spot for the heel (Most patterns mark this as 2” or 2.5” less than the total length but I only needed an 1.5”. My sock came out .5” short but still fits well so the measurements are forgiving.) or come back to it after a few more inches of knitting, thread a lifeline through through the sole stitches on one row of the sock and the sole stitches two rows up.

Come back and slip your needles back into stitches on the lifeline. Pull out the lifeline.

Pick a stitch in the middle of the middle row and snip.

Unravel the remaining middle stitches but leave the last 2 at each corner. They prevent those annoying gaps. You’ll knit the corner stitches just like normal stitches.

With new yarn, start knitting a toe. I went for a standard wedge toe and to help the “toe” fit better I decreased on the last 2 rows to round out the shape. Then, I grafted the remaining stitches. Feel free to drop in any toe you like. 

Cat Bordhi has a great video demonstrating this technique on a pair of Houdini Socks (Afterthought Legs!) that I highly recommend.

Sock one is all finished and I am in love. The stripes are even, the heel looks great, and the fit is wonderful. Now I just need to finish up sock number two before the weather turns much colder.

To Adventure

Last weekend was filled with adventure. On Friday, I took a trip up to Springville, AL for the Homestead Hollow Harvest Festival. I indulged in meat on stick (which is always a good decision) and funnel cake. I bought some awesome soap from Earthstone Soap Company which I can’t wait to try out. I fell prey to adorable pottery and took some home. I heard about spinning demonstrations but saw none. Made me wish I’d brought my spindle and acted as an unofficial, walking demonstration.

On Saturday I headed over to Atlanta for food, fun, and general goodness but not before stopping by the fiber guild meeting. The fiber guild cannot be denied, after all, and October’s program was all about rug hooking. The first thing that came to mind when I heard “rug hooking” at last month’s meeting were those fuzzy latch hook kits I’ve seen in craft stores and usually with kittens, or lighthouses, or Homer Simpson (not that I don’t love The Simpsons) on the box. Turns out, latch hooking and rug hooking are not the same thing. When I saw some of the amazing rugs the teacher had made, I signed up for the class.

When I arrived on Saturday with an embroidery hoop, I got a cute, little kit to make a pumpkin coaster. The teacher showed us how to move our hands, start the loops, turn corners, and follow curves. Then she set us loose with strips of wool and hooks. I managed to finish the pumpkin’s outline before I left and added a bit more over the weekend. Eventually, I’ll fill in the pumpkin, surround it with black loops and turn the whole thing into a coaster.

Even after years of knitting, months of spinning, and a burgeoning crush on cross-stitch, I am still amazed at the possibilities created by yarn, fabric, needles, hooks, thread, and a little bit of patience. I want to try out and learn about as many of these “possibilities” - like rug hooking - as I can, even if just for a few minutes each. I’ve got to expand my post-apocalyptic skill-set, you know. Seriously, it’s easy to joke about but this urge I have to learn and make stuff is hard describe. What I can say is that I never want to lose it. So, I wish you all the best while you learn, and experiment, and adventure and make stuff, and try new things.  

Incremental 5K: Week 2

​Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Last week I was all gung-ho about starting training for some far off 5K. Then I got sick and just standing up made me tired and wobbly. So, walking was out and tiny amounts of running was definitely out. So, the goodness that is 5K training starts this week instead.

I might be even more psyched out to start running this week than I was last week because I really wanted to start last Monday. I have a new pair of toe shoes and a Couch to 5K app on my iPod. Plus, once I was feeling better, I went to a festival and indulged my love of meat on a stick and funnel cake. I’m ready to get moving. 

Anyone have any tips about what you would have loved to know when you first started running?

Relaunch!

Over the past two months and especially during the last couple of weeks, I’ve been doing a lot of work on something not strictly related to yarn - this site, studiostrategos.com. The name and the address will stay the same but there’s a whole new look and layout. I could not be more thrilled and I’m excited to finally be able to share this with you. Please take a look around and let me know what you think.

Along with the site’s brand new look is a brand new RSS feed (though it looks like the old one will still work)- click here for the link. The link, along with a few other ways to stay connected, are also located in the “Follow” tab up top.

​Oh, and just because today is “I Love Yarn Day,” here’s some cushy yarn goodness. I’ll be back next week with talk of 5K training, knitting, and lots more yarn.

​Araucania Coliumo Multy - 23

From Fiber to Yarn

I’m still fighting the good fight against the first and, hopefully, last cold of the season. So much for going for a run or even standing up for long periods of time. Thankfully, handspun yarn doesn’t need me to stand vigil while it dries or my latest skein would still be wet. Since it’s all new, fresh, and pretty, it gets to do the talking today. Take it from the top...

4 oz of Gale’s Art Polworth 85/Silk 15 (Indian Corn)

Split into quarters

Spun into 2 long singles

Wound into a plying ball

Plied on a drop spindle

In the bath

Almost dry

Glamour Shots!

All finished, the yarn weighs in at 396 yards and about 11 wraps per inch. It’s also wonderfully soft and bouncy. The colors are amazing and didn’t spin up anything like I thought they would. When I split the fiber lengthwise, the color repeats seemed really short so I expected to see short bursts of color. I was so wrong and could not be happier about it. The yarn has long dark, muted sections and long, bright, perky sections. I can’t wait to see what how it knits up. 

While I was spinning this, the plan was to knit the finished yarn into a hat for a christmas present but 400 yards is a bit of overkill for a hat. Even for a giant, extra long stocking cap. Any suggestions for 400 yds of 2-ply goodness? 

Incremental 5K: Week 1

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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Ever since I decided I wanted to able to run a 5K, it seems like races have been popping up out of no where. Just this weekend I saw posters for three different races scheduled during the next few weeks. Not that I’m going to participate but I still think it’s funny that I’m hearing about all of them now. The logical answer to this phenomenon is that I’ve started looking for races instead of just skimming over the news boards. It’s probably not all that different from my ability to pick out yarn shops from 30 paces once I started knitting.

As for the actual running and training part of Couch to 5K, that didn’t really happen last week. I only managed to walk on 2 days due to a perfect storm of timing and laziness. Mostly it was the laziness but Sunday’s walk through 50° temps re-motivated me for some strange reason. Let the training begin in earnest!...just as soon I get over this cold.

Surprise Shawl

Nothing says “Why don’t you wind some yarn and cast on for that shawl you’ve been dreaming about for months,” like hearing about a surprise road trip first thing in the morning. So, I wound 2 skeins of yarns, printed the pattern, got presentable, and hit the road. 

The shawl in question is the Stripe Study Shawl which Ravelry tells me has been in my queue since February 19, 2011. It took me ages to finish other shawls I had on the needles and then pick the yarn. The blue is Plucky Knitter Primo Fingering (Tavern on the Blue) which waited patiently for me to decide on Madelinetosh Merino Light (Antler) as it’s partner. I love how the two look together and how much the cream is starting to pop against the ever widening blue stripes. 

For the next few months, this shawl is going to be selfish knitting, pure and simple, since the birthdays and holidays coming in full force. A few short rows here and some stripes there should take the edge off.   

On Stash and Storage

I was updating my Ravelry stash page yesterday and was feeling rather pleased with myself that I hadn’t acquired much yarn in the last few months. Cold sheeping, and all that. Then I realized that I had switched from yarn to spinning fiber as my acquisition of choice. Oh well. I’m not going to feel guilty about it since I’m buying things that I like, that I’ll use, and that support people I like. As much as I toy with the idea of only buying fiber/yarn when I have a project in mind, I like having a fiber stash to inspire me and pull from when the muse strikes. Plus, it’s nice to bury my head in all that lovely fiber when I need to hide from the day. 

The latest addition to the collection is 4 oz. of Blue Faced Leicester from The Copper Corgi. I’m rather smitten with all those blues and especially the bright green. I have visions of bright green popping out from a swath of dark blue. Maybe 2-ply or maybe 3. I haven’t gotten that far yet. I’m still in the middle of spinning a polworth/silk blend which means the blue/green vision will have to wait in storage. 

Fiber storage here at Chez Strategos is both digital and physical. Digital storage is means that the fiber(or yarn) is photographed and said photographs are uploaded to the fiber’s very own Ravelry page. All pertinent information - breed, weight, color, dyer, price, etc - is included. Before I pull every bin and bag out, I like to peruse the stash through photos and choose my options. The physical side of storage is a giant bag left over from buying a bedding set. It’s see through, zips closed, and  has a very convenient handle. For the moment, it’s just the right size for all of my fiber so long as I keep spinning.

I’m really curious how you store/organize your fiber stash. Is it photographed and up on Ravelry? Does it have it’s own trunk? Or does it roam your home like a lion on the savannah? Any tips or tricks?

September Walking and Incremental October

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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In the beginning of the September it took me 20 minutes to walk 1 mile around my neighborhood while dodging cars, avoiding dogs, and climbing hills. I eventually switched to a park near my house and started walking 2 miles a day. There were no cars, the dogs were friendly, and I walked a mile in about 17 minutes. I kept going to the park and started walking 3 miles the next week. The last week had a bit of a locational transition but I found two new parks and got back to walking. Now, I am so close to being able to walk a mile in 10 minutes. Just have to shave off that last 30 - 40 seconds. 

All totaled, I managed to walk about 30 miles in September and I want to keep going. If only I wasn’t wearing the soles off my 5 year old shoes. 

So, walking in September was a success. It got off to a slow start but I quickly found my groove and started enjoying my daily walks so much that I made the time to go every day. No excuses. Even on the days I took to rest, I wanted to go out and add a few more miles to my tally. My legs are really happy I didn’t. Going for a walk let me get some exercise but I was also able to blow off steam, day dream, plan my to-do list, and keep motivated. I recommend it.

I’ve been thinking about October’s Incremental project for the last week. Should I focus on the holiday crafting? Should I learn to spin yarn on a rented wheel from the fiber guild? Should I focus on designing and getting all these knitting patterns out of my head? I wasn’t really sure until I started typing this paragraph but October’s goal (and November’s too) will be the Couch to 5K program. 9 weeks to start running 5 kilometers (or 3.1 miles) at a time. I’m ready and I’ve got a new pair of shoes. 

So, It Begins

Last Saturday, September 22nd, was the Fall Equinox and the official start of Fall. Not that you could tell from the weather around here. Yesterday was a bright and sunny day with a temperature of 84° (29° C) which doesn’t seem like Fall to me in the least. Cooler temps or not, I’ve decided to suck it up and start with the dreaded Halloween, Christmas and Birthday Season making or, as I’ve come to call it, The Gauntlet. If you’re trying to hide from this bit of crafty timing, I apologize.

I’m starting off The Gauntlet this year with a bit of creepy cross-stitch for Halloween and working out the crafting plans for the rest of the year. Anyone else starting the holiday making with me or am I just the bearer of bad news?

Getting To Know Each Other

Now that the commission yarn is finished, I’m taking the time for a little selfish spinning. I raided the stash and pitted the fiber against each other until there was a clear winner. I pulled them apart just short of felting. What came out on top was a lovely polworth/silk blend from Gale’s Art appropriately named Indian Corn. I had the loose idea of spinning a worsted weight 2-ply yarn. The colors get to do their own thing since the real purpose of this yarn is for me and my Jenkins Swan spindle to get to know each other. I’ve only spun a tiny little mini skein so far and it’s time that changed.

When I started spinning this single, my hands were still in lace weight mode and it took me a while to reset my fingers, so to speak. The spindle kept dropping but at least the singles were getting a decent thickness. As I was working and adding more singles to the arms, the spindle started to spin differently. It would still spin for a long time but at a much slower speed than when the cop (Is the collected yarn on a turkish drop spindle still called a cop or is that just on whorled drop spindles?) was smaller. I’m going to chalk this phenomenon up to the extra weight on the spindle from the singles and physics. Blast you, you increasing moment of inertia!

I really need to figure out how to build a cop upward on a turkish spindle instead of just outward. Any pointers?

A turkish spindle is comprised of 3 separate parts: the shaft and 2 arms. I knew this and, yet, didn’t expect the arms to get stuck on the shaft because of how many times I dropped it. A high number that. Anyway, when I was unwrapping the spindle for the first time, there was a little slip of paper from Jenkins Woodworking that came to my rescue:

Ed’s Unique Compression Fit Shaft: Vertical slits for releasing pressure if the shaft becomes stuck when dropped. If the shaft seems impossible to remove, place the entire spindle in a plastic bag and place in freezer about 30 minutes. 

So, that’s what I did except I was distracted by the internet and left if in for another 15 minutes. The spindle still popped apart without any difficulty and none the worse for wear. 

Compression slits, you are both gentlemen and scholars.

I’ve only just started spinning the second half of my fiber but I’ve already learned so much. How building a cop affects rotation and speed. How much fiber I can comfortably pack on. How to rescue my singles if the spindle ever acts stubborn. What might be most important is that the pair of us will be spinning yarn together for a long time. Hmm, I think he needs a name now. 

Walking: Week 4

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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The last week of September is finally here and so is my last week of walking as a September project. I’d be sad to see it go if I didn’t know for sure that I was going to keep this daily goal going. After walking 6 days a week for the 3 past weeks, I’ve rather come to enjoy the process. I don’t have to bargain with myself or promise sugary goodness to rack up a few more miles. I just make the time, put on my shoes, stretch, and start walking. 

Unfortunately, unexpected schedule changes throw me for a loop on occasion. Last Wednesday, for example, going for a long walk just wasn’t in the cards. I made up for it the next day by walking 3 miles and making that my new daily goal. 3 miles is doable but a challenge if I keep a brisk pace. Plus, it’s fun. Never thought I’d see myself type that out.

Walking all those miles will give me time to contemplate my next incremental project. Something crafty or Couch to 5K? Both?

Finished and Delivered

I burned a lot of the midnight oil but it was totally worth it to pass along this finished yarn at knit night. Seriously, the skeins finished drying in the car and I tied on the labels right before I walked in the yarn shop. Good times. 

The fiber, Chameleon Dyeworks Optim, was given to me spin by a friend at knit night. I picked the Optim over an alpaca blend because I thought it would be easier to spin. Now, I doubt this was the case but foresight is always 20/20. Optim is Merino wool which has been processed to have the look, feel, and behavior of silk. Sometimes, I was able to develop a rhythm and the yards just seemed to fly through my fingers. Other times, I might as well have been trying to draft water but I pulled it off. Finishing these 2 skeins make me feel like I’ve leveled up as a spinner. Now I want to grab the silk and alpaca that have been sitting in my fiber stash because I didn’t have the confidence to turn them into yarn.

The original plan for this yarn was to make a 2-ply, self-striping, fingering weight yarn but the colors just didn’t want to match up. Chain-plying to the rescue. The final result is 2 skeins of fingering/sport weight yarn totaling 545 yards at about 18 wraps per inch.

Oh, can’t forget this cute little test skein. It’s 29 yds of 2-ply goodness. 

The Plying Part

Last Friday, I wrapped 4 oz. worth of Optim singles around origami stars for plying. Saturday, I got a few yards on the spindle. Sunday was a total wash. Monday saw some very early morning progress though it wasn’t until yesterday that I buckled down and finished plying every last yard. Episodes of Cast On, Knit Picks, and Spin Doctor kept me moving and reminded me to stop for a break before pressing play again. I exercised my fingers playing the updated Ocarina of Time on the Nintendo 3DS and, so far, my childhood remains unscathed. My night owl self skeined and put the yarn in a bath while my kind of awake in the morning self hung it up to dry. Fans, get to work!

While prepping the plying balls, I couldn’t help but notice that their final gem stone shape which is both entirely fitting - shiny 100% wool for the win - and completely awesome. 

Incremental Walking: Week 3

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started.

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I have a new favorite spot at a local park but I don’t stay there for very long. The new spot is a few hundred feet of serpentine asphalt surrounded my trees, cool air, shade, and tweeting birds. If I look to my right all I can see is a wall of green and, when it’s quiet, I can pretend there aren’t 3 baseball fields to my left. What might be best of all is the complete lack of snarling dogs. Or it might be the pocket of crisp, extra - oxygenated air. I haven’t decided. 

Last week’s walks have all been taken in the afternoon so that cool, little pocket of air is much appreciated since it’s still in the 70’s and technically summer. Hurry up, Fall Equinox. The first week I walked a mile. The second week I walked 2 miles. This week I’m going to push for 3 and maybe there will be a little jogging if I go in the morning. Plus, I’m going to try to get my time down closer to a 10 minute mile. Wish me luck. I’ll see you after the third lap.

P.S. My to-do list still quakes in fear when I walk up.

Origami for Plying

Since I started seriously learning to spin, I have been monogamous spinner. Just one bump of fiber on the spindles at a time, thank you. I don’t want to confuse my hands with wildly different fibers and jump between lace and worsted weight all in the same day. So when I pick some fiber to spin, I see it through to the end and don’t start something new until the yarn is drying on the rack. For the past few weeks my default spinning project has been a lovely bunch of lace weight singles which are be chain plied for some self-striping goodness. The time had finally come to ply the first singles a few days ago but I only had one plying ball and two singles. I didn’t want to wrap both singles around the same ball since I wouldn’t know where one ended and another began. One single went on the ball and I wrapped the second around a box of sewing pins. That box kept the singles orderly but it wasn’t quiet about it. “Oh, you need more singles? I shall play you the song of my people.”

Until I get around to knitting up a few more plying balls, origami to rescue. I love making modular origami where a bunch of simple folded pieces combine to create something wonderful and complex. Stars are a particular favorite. In the rare moments of silent plying, I remembered the Gudrun Star over on GoOrigami.com. I’ve made them before and they seemed perfect for holding bits of handspun. The stars are simple to make, easy to memorize, and don't take up much space. I made these units listening to podcasts and watching movies.

I know I could have just cut out a few squares of card board instead of folding stars but there is a method to my madness. The extra points make it easier to wrap and secure the yarn. Plus, I’m going to be using these stars a lot and I’d rather look at them than a drab piece of cardboard or an advertisement on the back of a cereal box.

To make your own stars, you’ll need the Gudrun Star diagram from GoOrigami.com and a sheet of scrapbook paper cut into 2 x 3” rectangles. Scrapbook paper is thicker than origami paper but still easy to fold and makes a sturdy star too. One sheet is enough to make 3 stars 3.25” across. FYI, the diagram is in German but the illustrations are clear without the words. Don’t forget that Google Translate is your friend if you need it. 

Once you’ve made your stars, they’re ready for yarn. Hold the end in a valley and wrap the yarn around the opposite side of the star 3 or 4 times. Rotate and repeat. When you can’t see the points anymore, you can wrap the yarn just like on any other ball.

Wrapped and ready to go! Time for some plying that won’t outdo the television speakers. 

Cotty Socks

Finally, these socks are purse knitting no longer! I knit them on a road trip through Georgia, running errands around town, in restaurants, in bars, at knit night, and even in front of the television. Now I can wear them and keep my feet warm while knitting something else. Must implement this plan when it actually feels like Fall.

The Cotty pattern had been in my knitting queue for ages before I found just the right yarn. It had to be bright and variegated to counter the simplicity of stockinette and the tiny bit of lace. Hello, Yarn Pirate Merino/Tencel. The colors pooled more than I usually like but it doesn’t hide the pattern and is fairly consistent. Plus, the yarn has a wonderful sheen which only highlights the lace.

Most of my usual sock mods went into effect: toe up with a tighter gauge, finer yarn, and more stitches. I also tried out a new heel idea inspired by the greatness that is Cat Bordhi’s Sweet Tomato Heel but more on that later. The biggest change I made to the socks was the top edge since the original picot edge is just a bit too girly for me. A K2, P1 rib is more my style, matches the lace pattern, and is quite stretchy. Full technical details over at Ravelry. 

Happy toes!

Walking: Week 2

Every month I’m picking one skill to practice everyday for a month and updating my progress every Monday. I call it Project Incremental. Read up on how it all got started. 

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I’m going to spare you the pseudo-inspirational picture of the view from my front door this morning and get straight to the point. Now that I’m back on my home turf, September’s walking project is going strong. I’m waking up earlier than I have in months to go for a walk in the cool morning air. My legs have gone from outright rebellion to only occasional complaining. My lungs don’t hate the hills as much either. I want to push myself farther, take side trips off the beaten path, add more milage, and go exploring. The lovely, cool weather just encourages me to go further though I could do without the barking, growling dogs that follow.

What’s surprised me most about the past few days of walking wasn’t the improved physical strength,  or even the barking dogs (those I remember from previous walks), but how energized and prepared I’d be for the rest of the day. When I get back home, I’m ready to crush my to-do list. It’s a completely different mindset than when I just wake up, make tea, and sit on the computer all morning. These morning walks are doing more for me than that cup of morning tea ever has.