The Toe Up Experience

The Thirsty Bear is a micro brewery on Howard (and 3rd) in San Francisco. It's less than a block from work. Needless to say, we spend ALOT of time here. Almost always after work on Fridays. The brew is so good, the tapas are yummy, what more can you ask for?



Lana Grossa is such a fine yarn, I can probably wear these socks in my regular shoes. They are skin tight, the toe is so prim and perfect, the heel just the right size. Size dimensions and the basic pattern from Knitty's Widdershins.





The pattern is great and basic, it's my new choice of technique for making socks! Used Judy's Magic Cast On to begin each sock. It's very intuitive and easy to figure out once you do it.

Such a great experience. (And alot of football to go with it.)

A Super Hero

He was wearing a red long cape down to his knees, red plateau shoes and tighties (not whities, but red). And he was hitchhiking. I really hoped he wasn't going far, it was pretty cold outside. Oh, and yeah, it was 2 a.m. and I was driving my friend home (not including daylight savings, it's really 2:17 now, but this was an hour ago). I had to call my friend when I got home to tell her, "Did you give him a ride??" I'm here to tell the story aren't I? Yeah, never picked up a hitchhiker in my life. Never ever hitchhiked either. Even though my friends did it in our podunk town we lived in when I grew up. I am S.Q.U.A.R.E. I admit it.

We'd been drinking a good Syrah from McDowell vineyard in Mendocino county, and knitting. Of course.

I love the Jaywalkers, really my favorite sock, even with the itty bitty needles that I'm not used to using for socks. Next time I think I will spend some time writing down my row counts. It's not quite t he same after you knit the whole sock to try to measure and count rows properly. One is really alittle bigger than the other. They're both so covered in dog hair who will really notice??


Finally bought some knitterly metal needles at the LYS. The Store Lady approached me with "we have those in bamboo too". If I wanted bamboo, I would have picked them up, no?! I'm not blind (and no, I wasn't that rude either). Another lady chimed it "yeah, mine break ALL THE TIME TOO"!! I'm done with expensive, fanschy schmanschy ebony Lantern Moon twenty-two-dollar needles. Got the $3.95 version, and they're DIVINE.


Also picked up some Misti Alpaca in a manly Olive to knit a scarf for my friend. He won't read this blog anyway, so I can post progress pictures freely! Will knit the green Manly scarf from Scarf Style. Another trip to JoAnns and the LBS (Local Bead Store) resulted in more beads and wire (26 gauge) for the votive holders from Handknit Holidays. I hope they'll be a hit, I'll be knittin' 'em like cwazy.

Started the pink pretty Lana Grossa #2525 for the Toe Up Experience.

Last Century Socks

Always in need of being darned, worn to threads, but oh so comfortable. If socks make it to the darning stage, they have passed the Test.


That's how I knit socks. Size 5.5's, 6s, worsted weight yarn, they were warm and had a function. Cast on around 40:ish stitches, used only 2k2p ribbing, usually with some stripes (they add alot of cuteness), a funky heel that my Gramma taught me when I learned to make socks (and would always forget until I got to the heel and had to figure it out all over again). Most of them are wooly, the acrylic ones from the mid-nineties are so holy that I can't wear them anymore. The wooly socks are all in various stages of feltiness, the "whoops-it-made-its-way-into-the-washer" syndrome. Then you might as well toss in the second one in the next wash for a matching pair. They hold up quite nicely after felting too.

No fussy socks, these are plain and easy, and so fun to crank out a pair in a day. Socks are satisfying, they're the quick fix. Especially if you only make one.


Apparantly there are some socks floating out there that, at some point, I knitted for both friends and family. They pop up once in awhile, and I am determined to begin recording them in some fashion.

Shameless Plug

It arrived. The EOM Loot.

I know, it's terrible when you do this for the company you work for, but I LOVE the stuff I got!!! Lugano Candelabra, Ghost candles (scarey? Hell no), Marble cheese tray, (along with place markers for the cheese), Cordoba Etched Glasses (we have the clear ones too), Cheese knives, and an itty bitty monogrammed key chain.


All set for the Knitting Mini-Retreat. Any ideas of fun crafty projects to do for it?


Wore my pomatomii all weekend. And I mean all weekend. 24/7. They really didn't come off. Don't know if I can bring them to Bobaknit, they need a serious washing.


Socks that rock do really rock in a big way. The lagoon color way, with its mossy greens, navy blues, greys, is like walking in the woods in the fall. Perfect. The Jaywalker pattern is oh so easy, they are cranking out.



Have also learned to not buy expensive as hell ebony needles since they will break, and then you're stuck with three of them and completely screwed, unless you have the shitty Brittany short needles as a backup plan. I need some metal ones. At least they bend.

Veni, Vidi, Vici Pomatomus

They're fucking done!

Really, the second one didn't require much swearing. (Well after I figured out my main problem.)

The Short Version, a.k.a. What I Have Learned...

1. Follow the right chart. (How hard is that? Not very. It's not like there are more than two charts, and it's not like the pattern is THAT friggin' difficult. And no, there's no errata, Cookies pattern is immaculately accurate, the errata is my brain.)

2. Don't knit socks for the same pair 3 months apart. Your gauge will be way fucking off.

3. Knitted the first knit stitch after the YOs, didn't like how it looked with it through the back loop.

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Love, love, love the twisted stitches and half moon shapes. The shape of the heel is nice. The pickup of stitches around the heel is so nice, no weird holes or anything (the twisted knit stitches helped alot too)! Picked up the stitches inbetween the stitches gives alot less holes.

Will I make another pair? Uh huh.

After hell week (yes, worse than last week if that's possible), and 2 beers at the Thirsty Bear we stopped by at Borders on King St, on the way to the train (before Happy Donut, mmmm Happy Donut... ) O'Reilly's, yes, the publisher that publishes THE best technical IT books, every geek loves them, have published "Craft", " a craftzine" as they call it. It rocks, it is beyond cool, it has so many inventive and fun crafty things. Who doesn't need little cute ghosts made out of, yes, can you believe it???


I got a set of Mindstorm Legos a few years ago and had grand plans for them, none of them came through, but how about making this, the coolest ball winder ever??? I have to knit the robots too. They're just so cute.

And clothing, I just NEED this electric t-shirt!! It's classy.

The Wire

Only the best TV show ever. Ever. (Yes, better than Northern Exposure.) New season is on, so good and so real (because I know what the hood is like in Baltimore, uh huh, but you know what I mean...)

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Purlescence opened yesterday, in Silly Valley all the knitters were EXCITED. Stood around chatting alot mostly (eating cookies), and felt up alot of yarn. Bought some Socks that Rocks, because it's Socktober. Three books purchased, Knitting from the Top, Holiday Knits, and A Gathering of Lace.

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The votive sleeves in Handknit Holidays are just so adorable, mostly because I saw Grumperina's pictures, the gunmetal they used in Handknit I didn't care for much. We ran around to all the crafty stores in the area, (i.e. JoAnn's and Michael's) to get beads, wire, metal knitting needles, and votive holders from Crate & Barrel. Golden 26 gauge wire, and size 6 beads in reds, yellows and gold.

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The prototype is so pretty, but took forever, and 2.5 times the beads the pattern suggested.

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With the second version, I stuck to 8 stitches and sz 8 needles, and it came out the PERFECT size. Used about 150-180 beads. Look at the big difference with the Prototype version??


Had to keep going, substituted red for purple in the next one.



So 20s , Eric said.

Every Girl

When my Gramma was young (and as she grew older), she crocheted alot of small borders in filet crochet. They were pretty simple, but with a hook so small you could barely see it. The thread must be smaller than sz 30.

In preparation for married life, her friends and sisters would then sew their own bed sheets, attach their pretty borders, and embroider the white cotton sheets with their married name initials.

A few years ago, I was pretty lucky to get an old used set of them, I just take them out for a look see once in a while, but that's it, they're too treasured to actually use.

While on vacation, in an antique store in Reijmyre, Sweden, I found someone elses embroidered pillow cases. I bought three of them, thinking, lacking sentimental value, I would actually use them!

It's Socktober. I can't find my 2s to finish the second Pomotomous (I bet I can find a million ways to spell it though). Need to go hunting for it, but in the mean time I started Chuck's Cabled Socks, by Eunny , on 1s, against her recommendation, just because. Or because I'm really a process knitter, and need to knit.


(Book group? Yeah, I haven't read a bookgroup book since what, April?)

The Swedish Flu

Managed to avoid it for two weeks actually IN Sweden, until the Swedish Entourage arrived with it. They managed to get it back in time for when they left yesterday, after two weeks of Touristing, with 2 out of 3 being sick and sniffly as well. It was abit of a revenge I must admit. That's excuse number one, number two is always Work. It's crazy this time of year, nothing we can do about it...

It's funny how things are always cyclical (or really not surprising), at my Gramma's I was admiring all her embroidered goods. I found one of the little doilies she made me still in its wrapper when I cleaned at home (it was in the bookcase, don't ask me why cleaning the book case was so important before overseas guests arrived, or why it was even in there to begin with, it was just a nice surprise.)

The "Fabric Store" as my Gramma's crafty store is called, has all these little embroidery kits. They come with the pattern, thread and fabric (usually linen). This time I decided to buy the ones I wanted, regretting last time not having anything to show for when I got home. Back at my Gramma's, we went upstairs to her storage unit, where she dug out (resisting my help as always) another embroidery kit with a Christmas theme. I'm so excited to start them! (The Wiki has much larger pictures to study the patterns in detail!)

They are going to be alot of work, but it will still be fun! (And a nice knitting break!) The very pretty for a pillow case cover of flowers, I gave away and have no picture of! (To Someone who is in dire need of a digital camera I might add!)

Tried to pay attention to all the crocheted doilies I was so used to just seeing (and clearly not appreciating) when I was young. Took some pictures of them as well.. (Maybe not the prettiest of colors, but a very simple and crocheted dish towel.)
David's Doily (my brother sure was raised right, he can appreciate the doily! Or closer to the truth, Mom's been decorating..)
Our 1 am snack at Eric's Birthday Party! Yes, that is pickled herring! And yes, we finished a whole bottle of Aquavit! There's nothing like some boiled eggs, potatoes, herring and a cold beer right before the end of the party! (And look at my Mom's pretty crocheted doily!!)

And then to the reason we all knit. A Nautie in very good hands. Her big brother is just too cool (with his own Nautie next to him)!



Knitting content? Right. The Four-Oh sweater is coming along. Got about 17 inches into it, almost ready for the start of the sleeve bindoffs. Got tired of knitting it (reverse stockinette and all), and started a modified MDK kimono sweater for a co-workers soon-to-be baby boy (well, he's still boy, he's just not born yet).

It's knitted out of Dale Stork (same as I used for the Orangina) on 2's. Modified the pattern by picking up a hell of a lot more stitches (60), did a moss stitch border on the bottom, some striping (no really??) and alot more increases for the sleeves (to make them the correct length). Along the front wrapped area, I did 2 knits on each row for the edge so it wouldn't curl (and I think it looks cute). Haven't decided what to do with the sleeve edges, or the back of the neck of the fasteners for the front. Either buttons, or some ribbon. Any ideas?

It's Socktober month. Maybe Pomotamus is calling. I should try to find the one I finished. And see if I have enough yarn.