Gratuitous sock pictures. And a cute dog.

Although I spent the majority of the weekend under blankets with a hot water bottle on my chest, we did head over to Berkeley to celebrate a friend's birthday with some fun at the park, Thai food, chocolate cake and scrabble.

Dave the Mountain dog was along, sporting some knitwear here, looking a bit like he should have rasta dreads:


Picture taken whilst swinging of the birthday girl:
and gorgeous Berkeley oaks:
~Knitting Update~

Blueberry scarf, destined to be a late birthday gift. Which is okay, the recipient already got an early birthday gift. Saviche, prepare to be inundated with blue wool :)
Monkey socks! Well, really, all but the toe of the first monkey sock. I appear to have an unending attention span for sock photography. The yummy yarn is DIC Smooshy, purchased from the online shop Sonny and Shear. I think Kristina put it best when she introduced me to Sonny and Shear, saying "They have all the good stuff!" Great yarn, hilarious ads, and a couldn't- be-nicer owner. This site has been my biggest temptation during this time of yarn dieting. That and the Noro Silk Garden close out at WEBS a few weeks back.



I love that the pattern on this sock continues down the foot. I can get a bit bored knitting stockinette in the round for five inches on teeny needles. This pattern breaks the monotony, and is pretty, too!

Wavy Gravy Socks

FO: Wavy Gravy Socks
Pattern: Yarn Harlot's Basic Sock recipe with a couple mods. I changed the 2x2 rib to a 1x1 rib, and knit in the rib all the way to the heel flap. Additionally, I adjusted the number of stitches cast on, as I was using a chunkier yarn than sock yarn.
Yarn: Elann Superwash Chunky yarn, hand dyed by moi, using Easter egg dye
Needles: 3.75mm bamboo dpns

Please not that the ONLY instance of pooling in this haphazardly hand dyed yarn is smack dab on the top of the foot of the sock on the right (my left foot) in this picture. Why, oh why could it not have plunked its chubby pooling self on the bottom of the foot?



I cast on 48 stitches, making the circumference of the leg an inch smaller than the recipe calls for, as my first pair slouches around the ankles. These fit perfectly, and do not slouch. Slouching socks are one of my all time pet peeves.



I hand dyed this yarn, and thought it was not the purtiest thing in the world. It reminds me of an old, hippieish tie dyed t-shirt. I have to say, they do not look half bad knitted up! I actually kind of like the colors. Made from chunky yarn, these are slipper socks, and will probably not venture much into public. They are deliciously thick and soft, the perfect thing to ward off the chills of the fog.



And look at this handsome, noble mountain pooch:

love you davey... off now to cook up a storm, and perhaps cast on a scarf.

Happy Friday!

Current WIP: Brooklyn Tweed's Turn A Square Hat. I cast on yesterday afternoon and expect to cast off tonight, its a quick knit.

This is my first project involving Noro. I have to admit, I have been a bit skeptical of Noro, despite its massive fan club. I love the idea of a natural, not overly processed silk, but have never fallen in love with a Noro FO. I decided to give it a try for this hat, knowing that the grey would need the wonderful Noro colors to bring it to life. This is Noro Silk Garden color 84, ordered from Webs.

There is a bit more pink in it than I would have liked, since its for my bf, but its easy to exclude the pink given the striping pattern. I do have a bunch of pink scraps now...perhaps destined for a smaller turn a square for my sister this winter.


The grey yarn is some ball band-less lion brand wool ease from my stash. It has been at the bottom of my oldest stash tote for as long as I can remember. This project is a great stash buster, even though I bought the noro for this project, I am using stash wool ease!

Seen below, my birthday stitch markers hand crafted by Kristina in action:





In non-knitting related events, I loved the Chihuly exhibit so much that I revisited today. Below is one of the outdoor pieces, seen below in Golden Gate Park from the tower of the de Young museum. It lights up at night and is amazing.

And a forest inspired indoor piece (I never thought I would be one of those people who takes pictures in museums, but I wanted to share!) It doesn't do the piece justice, but you get the idea.


Some yummy treats I made Wednesday night...
and the parting weekend shot of Dave, the Mountain Dog:

Plum Lace Ribbon

Latest FO: Plum Lace Ribbon
Pattern: Lace Ribbon Scarf by Veronik Avery
Yarn: 4 Skeins Garnstudio Muskat (100% Cotton) purchased at Stitches West 2008
Needles: 4.5mm Bamboo straights

I loved this pattern. Simple, easy to memorize, and totally beautiful. The Garnstudio yarn has a tendency to split, but the sheen and stitch definition certainly more than make up for it. The first two pictures most accurately captures the deep plum color of this yarn.







I love the way the 2YOs turn into a ladder like twist, another simple trick that ends up being a lovely detail.

I steam blocked this scarf twice, but when I wear it, it still curls under. A light steam has been able to fix this between wears.

The verdict: the perfect summer scarf for San Francisco (it seems to be scarf weather year round here.)




Parting Pooch shot:

Driving home today from the South Bay after a bridal shower, I saw the most amazing pooch. Head out the window, ears flapping in the ocean breeze, this dog was sporting some sweet goggles as he and his human cruised down the Great Highway. Can't be too careful about those puppy eyes, I suppose.