I took these while out at the Forest Preserve today. It is so nice outside! 85 degrees!! My day was spent eating lunch outside at Mickey Finn's, followed by a short walk in Independence Grove. It has been fabulous!
Next I was hoping to show some pics of the completed Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl. But, alas, it has been raining for a couple days and I want good outside pics. I certainly was not going to go out there today. So, maybe this weekend. I think it is supposed to be lovely outside.
I wanted this yarn for one reason--the name. This summer I am going to the Smoky Mountains to stay here, and I needed some appropriate socks to be knitting. Cabin Fever seems about right. I also got some Apple Laine sock yarn in the Painted Daisy colorway.
It's the typical sock yarn colors I like.
What a nice-looking heel (please note the non-wonkiness of the heel...it's a miracle!):
I really liked the toe-up sock now that I was successful at it. I had some binding off issues, but I resolved those. At first, I tried to do a regular bind off and tried to "work in loosely." Uh, that so did not work. So, I ripped it out and used a method I saw on Wendy's blog. You can find it here.Wow! That was sock overload! And now, ladies and gentlemen, what do we have here? Oh, It's a Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl!
This was my first real attempt at blocking something, so we will see how it turns out. 
Here it is in all it's blocking glory (please note the shadow puppet of a rabbit...that was Alex being crazy):
So, once that is done blocking, perhaps I will take some artsy pics. We will see.
The Specs:
Yarn: Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Wildflower. I used one skein. There is very little left over. I thought about going two more rows on the edge, but it would have been too risky. I love this color, I love this yarn.
The Pattern: Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl (click link above). I added a couple extra pattern repeats because I went down a couple needles sizes.
Needles: I used a Size 5 circular. The pattern calls for a size 8, but I decided to use a size 5. No real reason other than I thought the size 8 was looking too loose. I was able to get it to the right measurements when blocking. Lucky, really, because there was no gauge swatch. Sometimes I like being a "Fly By The Seat Of Your Pants Knitter." It's fun. :)
Results: Uh, I need the thing to dry faster so I can wear it!
So, that's it. The Kool-Aid sock is in my locker at work, and will hopefully be done by the end of this week. I have another sock that needs finishing, but I can't get into it. So, I just started yet another sock.
I also bought another pattern, which looks just beautiful. You can find it here. I don't have the yarn for it, so it will have to wait. I may have had a moment of weakness and bought some sock yarn from The Loopy Ewe on Friday. Bad knitter!
Whew! I had a lot to say. Hope you had a good weekend and had lots of awesome weather like we did here in Chicago! It is currently 75 outside at 8:45pm. I love it!
. . . .a hole. The sock knitter's enemy. I mean, I know socks wear out and this was cheap yarn knit on size three needles, so I can see that this was bound to happen sooner rather than later, but it still hurts. It's the first pair of socks I knit for myself. I am emotionally attached to them. I may try to fix them, but I am not sure how. Anyone have any ideas? I have some ideas, but I am not really sure how to make them happen. Anyway, any suggestions would be helpful! :)
So, needless to say, the Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl is coming along nicely. I frogged it on Friday because I had dropped some stitches, couldn't find my place in the pattern, and was generally confused. So, I cast on again and I started knitting. And knitting. And knitting. Still not done, but getting there!
Oh, I so ordered myself a subscription to Interweave Knits. I love it! I plan to read that while eating the last of the Peanut M&M's so kindly sent to me by my Secret Pal. Then, later on tonight there will be shawl knitting and 2.5 hours of reality television (American Idol, Dancing With the Stars, and Real World/Road Rules Challenge). Uh, for those of you who don't know, I love bad MTV reality shows.
Hope everyone has a good week! Happy knitting!
Thanks Secret Pal!!!
Now some people around me were interested in my knitting. The guy behind me (who was in ski gear complete with goggles) asked if they were mittens for him. He put my sock on his hand and said that it was looking good so far. Kool-Aid sock felt a little abused, but she knew it was all in good fun. The guys in front of me wanted to know if it was some kind of testicle cozy/warmer. They had had many beers.
Well, look at that! It is a toe-up sock with a mostly ok-looking heel. That heel was made at 3:15am Sunday morning. I guess all problems I encounter in knitting I should just stay up late and they will all be worked out! I think a couple more tries and I will have this toe-up thing down!
Kool-Aid sock enjoyed her journey out in the country. . . . 
. . . .but Kool-Aid sock was starting to get a little angry when after an hour and ten minutes she passed this sign:
For those of you who do not like math, that's an hour an ten minutes to go three and a half miles. That is a bunch of crap. The traffic eventually started moving right before the exit and we were off the expressway and enjoyed some time driving through the fine Illinois countryside.
Finally, after almost two hours, we were there! Hooray!
The Fold is most excellent. I highly recommend that if you live in the Chicago area or you ever come to the area you make a trip out there if possible. I was in absolute heaven. Everyone was so nice! And, it's like Blue Moon Fiber Arts land out there. After much petting and sniffing of yarn (that does sound gross, but when at a yarn shop it must be done), there was a great deal of stash enhancement!
Then there is a skein of Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Yellowstone. I have been wanting this colorway for awhile. I went to Yellowstone a couple years ago on the greatest road trip ever taken and I loved it out there. And this yarn really does remind me of that place. So I had to have it.
Then I wanted to get some sock yarn that I have not knit with before. Gotta keep things interesting. So this is Gypsy Girl Creations in Watermelon Tourmaline. The yarn is very much like STR, so I think it will knit up very nice.
Finally, there is the STR. I wanted to buy one of everything, but I had to make some attempt to control myself. So I have three skeins in mediumweight. We have Harlotty on the left, Nodding Violet in the middle, and Henpecked on the right. All colors I have been wanting!
So I got home, took a little nap (all that yarn shopping wears a girl out), and then sat on the couch and started knitting.
It's my Gypsy Girl yarn. I now have an unprecedented three different socks that are being worked on. Not my usual style, but I know two pairs will be done in the next week or so. I mean, when you get new yarn you have to start something immediately, right? I think it's a rule! I am going to try toe-up again. We will see. I figure the only way I am going to be successful in toe-up sock knitting is to keep trying until I get it right.
Here is my sister pretending to be excited about being at a knitting event. She did not bring any knitting, but I had shoved some needles and some dishcloth cotton in my bag before we left because I didn't want her to feel left out. Note the garter stitch goodness. Someday, yes someday, I will make this girl a sock knitter.
After everyone went around and did a show and tell of their knitting (which was most excellent, by the way), the Yarn Harlot came out and took pictures of the crowd with the Travelling Sock:
Got to love all the knitters/bloggers taking pictures of the Yarn Harlot taking pictures of them. After a very nice talk about knitting that had me laughing quite hard, it was time to wait in line to get our books signed. While in line, my Kool-Aid sock did a little perusing of the DVDs:
Then, I met her!
Oh yes, I touched the Travelling Sock, people. It was awesome. And, when my sister made mention of my blog, Stephanie asked what my blog was and when I told her she said she knew it. She's like, oh yeah, you leave comments on my blog. I have to say that may have made my week! :) My sister ended up having a lovely time, and while she did not quite understand my excitement (I think I caught an eye roll), she does accept it.
So, that's all. It's past my bedtime, and I am not even a little bit tired. I am totally on a Yarn Harlot high right now!
* Please Note: I did have other clothing on besides the handknit socks!
In other things knitty, here is the start of my Forest Canopy Shoulder Shawl. I have not been working on it much since things have been crazy around here with hat knitting. Also, I found it difficult to knit this while watching tv, which is usually when I knit. This is requiring a lot more concentration then a lot of other things I knit. I love it though. I think it will be beautiful when it is done!
That yarn is Mountain Colors in Wildflower.Finally, while shopping for Yarn Harlot books today I totally bought this:
It's Modular Knits! I knit that coaster above using that technique, and then I was reading Sarah's blog today and she has it, and I got knitting book envy. So, when I went to the store and saw it, I don't know, somehow it just ended up in my arms! I have some other things I want to knit first, but I am sure I will be knitting out of this book very soon.
Anyway, that's all for now. I am still working on some socks, but those have taken a back seat to hats and shawls and things. This week is very busy with the Yarn Harlot tomorrow, the taping of a League of Women Voters meeting to be played on public access at a later date (hell yeah I can make my own shows and put them on public access) on Wednesday and a Snow Patrol concert on Thursday! Oh socks, when will you ever be done!?
And, now to cook some dinner!
