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! 

USA: The Stash

Believe it or not, I was pretty restrained.  There was one yarn shop in Washington DC, which I didn't visit, as I knew there was more to explore in New York.

On my first night, I found Knitty City

Now, because that photo was taken after the shop closed, it doesn't show the baskets outside with the yarn on sale, or the boxes of books, or even the lady sitting outside knitting and telling me that all the books were free.

Oh dear.

Clockwise, from top left: 

• Intermix - Stacy Charles
• Kristin Knits - Kristin Nicholas
• Hat Couture - Theresa Silver
• Backyard Silk Blend Collection - Manos del Uruguay
• Vogue Knitting: Teen Knits on the Go
• Gotham - Stacy Charles
• Curvy Knits x 2 - Jillian Moreno
• Funky Knits - Carol Meldrum & Julie Marchington

I wasn't completely sure if I had enough weight allowance to bring back all of these books (let alone the space), so I had to go shopping for a new suitcase to carry the extra books back.  What started off at RRP of $170, was in the sale at $85.  The cashier who ran the transaction asked if he could try a mystery coupon to see if it made a difference.  Final cost, $46.40, including taxes! 

I will admit that the constant declarations that things were made the US, or the proliferation of flags got a bit irritating.  I get it, you're proud of your country/ isolationism!  However, when it came to yarn 'made in the US' is exactly what I was looking for! 

The first skein of yarn I found:

Knitted Wit Victory Sock
Colourway - Grand Canyon

Then I saw this one:

Knitted Wit Victory Sock
Colourway - Everglades

Then I saw a third one.  I wasn't sure if I could really justify a third skein.  However, I'd been sitting in Central Park listening to a guy playing his guitar and singing, including songs by REM, so I had to get it, given their song of the same name.  

Knitted Wit Victory Sock
Colourway - Cuyahoga Valley

I had a few hours to kill on the Saturday morning, and wanted to go to Lion Brand Studios (mostly because I knew they had a sale on, and the thought of getting some of the nicer yarns for a reduced cost was a tempting one).  In the end, the shop wasn't open at the same time I was free to visit it.  I also had Purl Soho on my list.  I've seen a video of it, and it looks like nothing on earth!  I'd planned to visit on the way back from Liberty and Ellis Islands.  However, I took more time than expected, by which point the shop had closed. 

Returning from Ellis Island

I have a very bad picture of me sitting inside Knitty City, in front of the bookshelf.  I hadn't even given it a glance!  I did have a plan to go back on the penultimate day I was in New York, but I decided that I'd done enough walking on the day in question, so didn't return after all.  

After walking to find the Alice statue, I didn't have the energy to return to Knitty City

Whilst I never went back to Knitty City, a couple of people had recommended Strand Books to me - and oh boy, was it a good recommendation!  The shelves for knitting and crochet were floor to ceiling; I had to borrow a ladder to peruse the top two shelves.  There was another lady looking for crochet books; every time I found one on the knitting shelves, I'd pass it down to her, just in case. 

Clockwise, from top left: 

• Knitting in America by Susan M. Strawn 
• The Best of Vogue Knitting: 25 Years of Articles, Techniques and Expert Advice
• The Knit Generation, ed. Sarah Hatton
• Knitting from the Centre Out by Daniel Yuhas

Knitting in America is one I saw at Knitty City; after looking it up online, it seemed right up my street - so I was very pleased to see it on the shelves at Strand Books.  (Ravelry page here).  Knitting from the Centre Out looked like an interesting way of approaching patterns and The Knit Generation featured designers I liked. 

They were also selling the famous Vogue Knitting Book - both the old and new editions.  I really wanted to get one of them, but didn't know if it was cheaper than in the UK, nor whether I'd have enough space in my luggage.  Despite the extra suitcase, books are heavy!  There was one by Amy Herzog which also had to go on the 'maybe later' pile.  

The last book from Strand Books, was one that is mostly intended for my very good friend and knitting mentor who had a baby, whilst I was in West Virginia.  If she likes the book, it's hers.  If she doesn't, I'll keep it.  Either way it works out, and some of the dresses are adorable. 

Also, in the knitting related purchases:

I first read about Kool Aid as a dye in Stitch and Bitch.  I couldn't quite get my head around the idea of using a drink powder to create a permanent colour to yarn.  I'm still not sure I've got my head around it, but with some packets of dye, space in the kitchen and an internet tutorial or two, I'm sure I can work something out.  

The final thing were a couple of bracelet charms which were on reduction at Girl Scout Central - the Manhattan shop for the Girl Scouts.  I thought they'd do quite nicely as stitch markers.  The one on the left is to celebrate 100 years of selling cookies; the one on the right is a Brownie elf.  

I'm due to go back to the US next year for a Scout camp, with Mr Knitty joining me afterwards for a holiday.  I'll either be going back to places I visited this year, or go somewhere new, with new yarn shops to explore.  It's a win-win.

What have you been up to this summer?

Once Upon a Sock: August

I recently came back from the US.  My plan was to have two completed pairs of socks on my return. Ha, ha, ha.  On the plus side, the rainbow socks I was knitting last month are now finished.  (Photos to be added when it's not late at night and I can take some decently lit photos).

What I have nicknamed my 'sunset socks' kept going wrong and have been ripped out at least three times. (The third time, I realised I hadn't ripped back far enough, so I had to rip back even further.  I don't know if that counts as four times?)  It's getting a bit boring now.

The socks, on leaving Paris

The socks taking in the view at Hartsfield-Jackson airport, Atlanta (the busiest airport in the world)

The socks, coming in to Charleston WV

Recovering from jetlag on my first day in the US. 

At this point in knitting, I'm at the heels.  I wanted to try a short-row heel, using slipped stitches - as shown by Arne and Carlos in their video here and in the pattern for the Lifestyle Toe-up Socks.  I don't like short row heels, as they don't fit my feet too well - so I've done a gusset increase.  It could work amazingly, or it could end up a mess.  I've put lifelines in, just in case.  Past experience says that things are more likely to go wrong without a lifeline, so I'm optimistic.  

Whilst I didn't finish the socks by the time I got home, they did get a good view of New York.  One of the things on my list of things to do was to find the John Lennon memorial in Central Park.  There was a man there with his guitar, so I took half an hour to knit and listen to him singing.  Then I walked to Knitty City where I joined a group of ladies who were knitting hats for charity.  It was the perfect way of finding balance in the big city.  We talked about socks and ways of knitting - and they let on that Mina Philips - aka The Knitting Expat used to visit there, when she lived in New York. 

The Imagine memorial to John Lennon

Inside Knitty City - I was very restrained in my purchases! 

I have another pair on the needles - which will also need a lifeline before turning the heel - and once both the current pairs are off the needles, the next pair are queued for cast-on!

On the first Thursday of each month - a group of us all get online and blog about socks.  Paula's blog has the explanation - and the link-up of blogs is right here if you want to read more about socks - or would like to join us.