Once Upon a Sock August

A week ago, I was at the closing ceremony of the 24th World Scout Jamboree in West Virginia, USA. It's possibly easier to do a separate post on that, otherwise this is going to get looong!

Our team colour was orange.  I had all sorts of ideas on how best to express that creatively.  In the end, the scrunchies didn't have enough material in them and kept pinging off, the earrings got stuck to the paper on which they were drying and I ran out of time to make the sunhat.  Still, it's the thought that counts, right?

Quick summary: 

• I was deputy of the skateboard park. I think I was pretty supportive.

  

• I have a bucketload more badges left to sew on to my camp blanket.

• I'm part of a leadership team talking Guides to the European Jamboree Jamboree next year. Thinking about all the things we need to keep the girls safe scares the £@$& out of me.

• Our IST (international service team) who staffed the event were awesome. 

Mr Knitty and I are now in NYC, where I have a lot more time (and air con) to knit.  I want my current pair to be completed before the flight home, as I've got yarn for at least one more pair with me.  Yesterday I found another knitter on the subway.  He didn't seem in the mood for a lengthy chat, so I didn't ask if I could take a photo of the socks he was knitting.  They were long and stripy and being knit continental style.

We're almost at the end of the Summer of Socks KAL run by Nikki of the Tea and Possibilities podcast.  It's been pretty good for my sock knitting; I'm almost up to 7 pairs of socks this year, five of which have been knit over the summer.  I want to do a round up post next month.  These are the current pair on the subway yesterday:

Yesterday was also Knitty City day, the only yarn shop I visited when I was in New York last year. (It's not the only shop I plan to visit this year!)  I was after a small Knitty City project bag, some darning needles (I left mine at home) and green sock yarn.

Whilst Mr Knitty may not agree, I was pretty restrained.  I got the bag like I wanted, some green sock yarn like I wanted and some Christmas sock yarn that was an impulse buy.  I've got some white yarn with me, left over from the socks I finished on my journey to America, so that's the backup yarn, if I knit all the rest up.

Today I went to String Thing Studio, and joined in the men's knit night.  It's a very small shop and only open a few days a week.  Because it was so small, there wasn't a large amount of sock yarn that I couldn't get back in the UK.  Luckily, there was a few skeins of yarn from a recent Lola Bean Yarn Company trunk show. 

I also found out some incredibly cute stitch markers from a maker in Brooklyn, going by the name of One Geek Craft - although I can't currently find their Etsy shop. 

Later this trip, I want to visit Brooklyn General Store and possibly Purl Soho.  Tomorrow, String Thing Studio has a bigger knit night; the socks and I have both been invited! 

If you like knitting socks, there is a group of us who blog about socks on the first Thursday of each month.  If you want to join us, head over to Paula's blog where she hosts a link-up for everybody's blog.  We would love you to join us and see what you're knitting! 

Once Upon a Sock - July

I fly to the USA in just under a fortnight, and I am both massively excited and also slightly scared about what awaits.

I'm sure that you are aware of Ravelry's recent decision to ban overt support for Donald Trump.  The response from some right wing knitters has been eye opening.  I am cautious about knitting during my time in the US and having people feel they have the right to tell me how wrong and discriminating Ravelry's decision was. Yes, the risk is probably small, but, given how loudly certain people have been behaving on social media, I would be naive to think there was no risk.

The first part of the trip is at the 24th World Scout Jamboree.  This is an event held every four years for teenagers aged between 14 and 17.  The idea is that every young person will only ever be eligible for one World Scout jamboree, making it a once in a lifetime opportunity.  When I was a Brownie (or possibly a Guide), I remember reading about the World Scout Jamboree and thought it was the only jamboree that existed in the world.  I thought it sounded so fantastic that when I got older I wanted to go to a World Scout Jamboree.  This will be my third! 

Larry and I overlooking the New River Gorge WV, last year.

My friend Larry, who will also be my boss, has agreed to be a yarn mule.  There are several companies in North America, from whom I want buy stuff.  However, sending stuff to the UK incurs a higher postage fee and a customs charge.  I thought I could get round this by sending stuff to Larry.  For some reason, his ZIP Code has not been recognised by any website. I've tried to buy from.  It didn't bother me much, until I couldn't get my hands on the last skein of  Dark Side of the Moon, by Must Stash yarns. Now, I'm taking it personally. 

Instead, let's share some finished socks - actually quite a few this month. 

The first pair were actually finished in May, for my husband's birthday last month. However, I wasn't going to share them here before giving them to him.  Frustratingly, despite me putting ribs on both the front and the back, they still don't really fit.  I think I may have to find a better heel.

Vanilla ribbed socks, with fish lips kiss heel.
Main yarn is Regia Denim, with Regia Colour as a contrast. 

The next two pairs were both cast on and cast off in July, almost unheard of for me! They are being knit as part of the Summer of Socks KAL, run by Nikki from the Tea and Possibilities podcast. 

The next pair was the first pair I knit last month, and were in progress at the beginning of last month:

Ribbed vanilla socks. Main colour West Yorkshire Spinners Signature 4 ply
 in colourway Pheasant.  Contrast Colour is Nutmeg. 

The second pair was also completed last month:

Vanilla socks with fishlips kiss heel. Yarn is Christmas Grinch by The Yarn Jar. 

There was something rather subversive about using black yarn on a Christmas pair of socks. I think I need to find an excuse to do it again.  Whilst knitting this pair, I made a new-to-me mistake, namely putting in a random YO when knitting the toes.  I can sew it up when I weave in the ends, so it's not a massive issue. Fun fact, if you're weaving in the ends of black yarn, you need really good light! 

The current socks on my needles are also Christmas socks. Sock one only needs a cuff; sock two needs a leg and a cuff.  I'm hoping to have these finished by the end of the week. 

Vanilla ribbed socks, with fishlips kiss heel. Main yarn is Vintage
Christmas by The Yarn Jar. Contrast heels are JaWool. 

I'm going to be in the US for a month in total; this will include two trans-Atlantic flights, a four hour journey from the airport to the campsite (I may well be asleep on the return journey) and an internal flight between Charlotte SC and New York (plus shuttle buses to and from the hotel).  I'm wondering if yarn for two projects is going to be enough.  As well as the Summer of Socks KAL, I also want to try and complete the Box o' Socks KAL challenge and pick up with the Periodic Table KAL, being run by The UK Sock Knitters group on Ravelry.  If the worst comes to the worst, I'll prep some yarn and ask my husband to bring it with him, when he flies over in in August. 

This is the next yarn to be knit into socks:

One (or both of these) are for July (nitrogen).  Whilst I love rainbow coloured socks, knitting two pairs in a row feels like a total indulgence. 

One (or both of these) are for August (neon):

So, in two months time, I'll be able to share what I've managed to complete with all the yarn above.  I'll attempt to blog next month, but it'll mostly be written before leaving the UK.  Trying to blog on my phone on a campsite where several thousand people are trying to use the wi-fi has a higher frustration risk that I'm prepared to allow! (And it also makes the assumption that I'll have any battery left). 

If you like knitting socks, there is a group of us who blog about socks on the first Thursday of each month.  If you want to join us, head over to Paul's Blog where she hosts a link-up for everybody's blog.  We would love you to join us and see what you're knitting! 

Once Upon a Sock - June (AKA, the birds)

Since last month:

I've woven in the ends on at least one pair of socks:

(I think I managed two pairs, but as I didn't take photos, it doesn't count) 

And started to sort out the toe of the second of the Seaweed Socks:

I met up with Once Upon a Sock friends

From left to right: Meg, Kat, Me, Paula

I've finished the pigeon socks I was working on last month, ready in time for Christmas 2019 rather than Christmas 2018.  I promise I'll do better next time.  Mr Knitty tried them on, decided they were too small (I should have done ribbing on the back of the leg as well), and then I noticed that I'd dropped a stitch, somewhere before casting off. 

Toe up vanilla socks, West Yorkshire Spinners signature 4 ply in colourway pigeon

Then again, immediately after trying on the hand-knit socks, he put on a pair of commercial socks and put a hole through the heel, so I'm not taking it personally! 

Background fabric hand dyed by my aunt 

Once I've dealt with the errant stitch, I'm going to wash and block properly and see where we go from there.  If all else fails, I'll keep these socks and knit Mr Knitty a new pair.  I chose this colourway as a joke, as pigeons are almost the only bird that he can recognise. 

Excluding the seaweed socks, the current pair on the needles are also country birds yarn - this time in the colourway pheasant. 

I worked on sock one during the Guides meeting on Monday; I'm fairly new to the unit, so have no idea who the other leaders are talking about.  Since a Guide makes good use of her time, I spent the time knitting.  I managed about four and a half centimetres.

On Tuesday, I went to the anti-Trump demo.  I thought I took a video of the East London Knitters' banner; seems I only took a photo:

I started off with the knitters, then met up with a friend and lost the knitters.  Said friend is a birdwatcher; it was only after we parted ways that I realised I should have got him to guess which bird was represented in the yarn!  With the journeys in and out of London, the trying to listen to the speeches and a fair bit of sofa knitting on Tuesday afternoon, sock two is ready for a heel turn.  

I cast these on, on 1st June - and am knitting them as part of the Summer of Socks KAL by Nikki from the Tea and Possibilities podcast.  I had tried to do the Box of Socks KAL but have fallen way behind, so thought this would be a good KAL to join instead.  I'm working on a secret project, using another of the West Yorkshire Spinners 4 ply; there may well be enough for another pair of bird socks! 

If you like knitting socks, there is a group of us who blog about socks on the first Thursday of each month.  If you want to join us, head over to Paula's blog where she hosts a link-up for everybody's blog.  We would love you to join us and see what you're knitting!