Black Dog

Yes, I’m knitting garments and things other than socks right now, but……..the last couple days have been consumed by sock knitting. YES! I love a good sock pattern and nothing says “quick knit” to me like a sock, as they’re typically pretty instant gratification on my needles. And of course, I get to call it “test driving new yarns”. Mwahahahah.

We received a nice shipment of HPKY fibers last Friday, including some of this

That’s their 50/50 merino and tencel that works up at 7-8 sts/inch on 2.5mm to 3mm needle, 416 yards in a 4-ounce skein, for $23.25 a skein. BEAUTIFUL lustre and amazing drape, but still good for socks. I’ll testify that after working with it, it’s NUMMY. Check out the cuff

of my latest sock in progress. I show you the cuff because that’s the best color representation of what I’m knitting right now. I say that because while this is a great picture

I took it in evening sun on purpose, as a way to show off the shadows and highlights of this phenomenal pattern–Pomatomus, by CookieA.

There have been others capturing my attention as well. This is where my Luxury sock was as of Tuesday evening

which captured the color almost perfectly, but didn’t reveal the texture quite as well, so we shot this picture, too

to show off the great detail in the patterning. It’s a pattern I discovered in a stitch dictionary, so starting from there, I’m working a sock design out of it to be made available shortly (as soon as I finish this pair and someone else tests it for me….any takers? slip me an e-mail–but I warn you, the pattern won’t be available for at least a couple weeks).

I got addicted to the pattern and had to work the heel flap, turn the heel, and then work down the gusset….and of course had to finish the gusset decreases, too

so that’s what it looked like when I went in to work yesterday around 2 p.m., after a morning of knitting and then catching “Needle Arts Studio with Shay Pendray” yesterday afternoon. I had to watch, as it was going to be about the market floor at Stitches West 2008. Basically, Rick Mondragon (editor of KNITTER’S magazine and staffer at XRX Publishing) took Shay on a tour of four different booths at the market, showing off various projects at differing skill levels. I couldn’t take my eyes off of the train wreck that ensued…..and I discovered we have a new fiber for knitting called (sic)Polidamide……rhymes with thalidomide. (do polygamists knit with polidamide?) Personally, I think it’s the same as polyamid(e), but I’m just a bitch…you know that.

I’ve got tons more to share with you, but it’s Thursday, which means it’s our day off. I’m outta here to go spend some time with Matt. I mean, who could resist this face (and LuAnn’s)

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