Opal silk……I can not say enough good things about this yarn! I first spotted these socks on Tracy’s website and just fell in love with the colors and the pattern. The pattern comes from the book, Socks, socks, socks and is an easy, comfortable wearing sock to knit. I LOVE them.
You may ask….."What’s with the tea?"
Well, now that the pressure from the autumn fairs have passed, I thought that I would try to stretch myself a bit as a knitter. With the Opal socks finished, I searched patterns not only for new socks, but for mittens and gloves and in doing so, I wanted to try and learn new things along the way as well. The Calming tea from "Yogi teas" will be a welcome aide. This organic tea has yummy things such as licorice root and chamomile, along with other nerve settling ingredients. I enjoy sipping a cuppa in the evening when I am knitting.
What I have chosen for my new sock pattern is "New England" from Nancy Bush’s book," Knitting on the Road". It appealed to me for 2 reasons…..the first being that it is a beautiful lace sock and second it is a design from the Shaker Village in Enfield, NH, which is not too far from me.
The yarn is Twinkletoes yarn, that I purchased last year. As I dug thru the sock yarn in my stash, I just loved the Halloweenish look to the colors in this yarn, very appropriate, don’t you think?
In looking at the pattern, a 2 stranded double cast-on was suggested for this pattern. I will admit that my knitting knowledge extends only to what I have learned from others…..no formal knitting classes. I can do a continental cast-on, but the way I learned is not the traditional method. So I sat for 1/2 hour, looking at the diagrams in the book and muttering under my breath……"geez…..I must be dense!" I just could NOT get it!! Then, I got a brain flash……I remembered, Knittinghelp.com. Some people learn better from books, but I have always learned best when watching someone. The wonderful thing about this website is the little video clips showing you how to do something. After hearing, " For Double Cast On…..yada, yada, about 25 times, it finally clicked!! Of course my cast on (please excuse the work weary fingers…….I am in my flylady mode), is probably not as neat as it should be, but I was pleased that I learned something new today 🙂 I am worried a weebit though that they are looking a bit wide…….how can that happen on size "0" needles……yikes??
Now that the sock pattern is chosen, the next search was for a mitten pattern that would challenge me a bit. Last year, I mentioned that I wanted to get a better grasp on 2 stranded knitting. So with that thought in the back of my mind last winter, I bid on an auction for a bunch of Digit fingering weight yarn, and I purchased the book Knitting Marvelous Mittens, on sale this summer for 6.99, at Patternworks. The book is a group of Russian ethnic designs and I am finding the instructions very challenging………..now where did I put that tea??
The Woolen Rabbit 
Those are interesting colors in the Twinkletoes. I’d never have thought to use it on a lace pattern but it shows up great in your progress pic. I’ve still gotta get me some of that Opal silk!
LikeLike
I love that mitten book as much as her “Hats On!” book – just picked up some NatureSpun sport for one or the other. Getting ready for winter!
LikeLike
I’m impressed with your industry and initiative. Visual learning is much easier for many (me!). It’s always nice to expand your repertoire.
LikeLike
Oh you’ve caught me. Hook line and sinker. I’ve been wanting to get Nancy Bush’s new book (Vintage Socks), thinking if I have get that one I’ll be satisfied. Oh no. Not possible. Now I KNOW I really must have KOTR as well. I love that New England sock pattern!! Gotta have both books now. Thanks a LOT Kim! I know my husband will thank you for this one. heh
LikeLike
I like that New England sock, too. I’ve got that book but hadn’t realized that the pattern for that one came from the Shaker Village. I visited there years ago and enjoyed it very much. The tea sounds yum-my.
LikeLike
I haven’t knit the NE sock as yet. It’s on my list of musts from that book…but now there is the NEW book. Never enough time, eh? Socks, mittens, gloves…it sounds more and more like winter in Blogland.
LikeLike
Calming Tea at night and Guarana Chai in the morning … great teas … beautiful socks.
LikeLike
Calming Tea at night and Guarana Chai in the morning … great teas … beautiful socks.
LikeLike
I’m stuck by all of the color combination possibilities in that last picture – they are lovely! (I plan on at least a pair (or two?) of mittens using yarn I have but that leaves me to find just the right pattern…) As for stretching, I need to work on that as well. I hadn’t considered a new tea as a way to kick off my “go beyond my limits” stint but I like the idea and may see what treasure I can find in the tea isle…
LikeLike
Oooooh, love that mitten book. I have also just recently picked up a copy and then spent the better part of 4 or 5 hours trying to decide which mitten and then (as if that weren’t hard enough) deciding which skeins of sock yarn to sacrifice, er, “re-purpose” for the project. I’m not saying that I have too much sock yarn, mind you, but…yeah, OK, maybe I have too much sock yarn. Horray for new challenges! Hooray for mittens!
LikeLike