I don't get all the November stuff going around. (First of all, since when does November start with "Na"? dummy, it's for "National", not "November" - thank you, Hattie!) I'm working on a sweater, but I can tell you right now it won't be finished in November. And I promise you I ain't gonna blog every day. But I did make all the mortgage and bill payments today and there's still money left over, thanks to my workshop income! Hurray! AND! AND!!! There are three payday Fridays in November for me and FIVE for Travis! So I have my OWN November-along:
NaWePoNoMo!!!
Who wants to join me for NaWePoNoMo!? Celebrate your po' no' mo'-ness by spending some money on yourself! God knows I will. :-D
Meanwhile, I saw a MeMe on Turtlegirl's blog that I actually WANTED to do. So here that goes. (It has to do with socks, and y'all know I can't shut up about some socks, so this is a long one.) Also, I like to put pictures in my posts, but I don't have any that relate to this, so I'm just going to throw random photos up here and there.
1. What’s your favorite sock yarn? (please note that the word ‘yarn’ is singular. Just pick one. I know it’s hard.)
Ugh! Are you kidding?? ONE sock yarn to work with forever the rest of my life? Oh, why don't you just KILL me!
Okay, I have to talk this through. I can tell you what I DON'T like - I don't like the splitty stuff. And some of my mostest favouritest dyers use the splitty stuff. (I'm not naming names, but please, splitty-stuff-but-fabulous-dyer people, please PLEASE use a different base yarn! You know which one I'm talking about - the 75/25 wool/nylon blend that's real hairy, like it has mohair, and splits like a mother? That's the one. Please please make it go away!)
Okay. Okay. There's so much stuff in stash that I *think* I'll like but haven't tried yet, so this is totally unfair. We'll go by what I have used. I loved my Fiesta Boomerang, but at worsted weight, wouldn't want to use that exclusively. And I haven't tried Baby Boom. I love Socks that Rock, but couldn't deal with the pooling for all time... Cider Moon was pretty good to me. Oooh, and that new Zen Yarn Garden base was a DREAM. I know I'll love Claudia's Hand Painted, when I actually do finally knit with it...and Cherry Tree Hill is FANTASTIC, but that last one bled all over me... Cabin Cove was great, no complaints...and All Things Heather has always been a favourite...oh, and Koigu and Lorna's are so nice...
But here's my come-from-behind winner, and a real stunner, since it's not superwash:
Posh Yarn cashmere-merino blend. Heaven to knit with, heaven to wear. Not exactly heaven to PAY for, or wash, but no one asked about that. So yep. That's the one.
(Closest runners-up: Zen Yarn Garden's new merino/nylon blend, Yarntini, and All Things Heather.)
2. What’s your favorite type and brand of sock needle?
This I can do. It WAS the Crystal Palace bamboo DPNs (6", 2.25mm). And I do still love them with all my heart. But the Golding Walnut DPNs that I got at Rhinebeck? Oh, THOSE are my new babies. They come in two finish options (slip and grip) and two end options (stabby or not-so-stabby) and eleventyfour lengths and they're solid and so pointy and even at $19 still a deal as far as I'm concerned. (And since I'll never own a gazillion-dollar Golding wheel, the DPNs make me feel like a member of the club. Buy some.)
(You know, what was also fun about the sock class was getting to see and try different peoples' needles - I discovered that I would also like to try KA bamboo DPNs - light and flexible, but polished and slick. And cheap!)
Here's a recent finished handspun, a custom order spun from a Sereknity roving. It's happy, and I love it, and I call it "Festivus".
3. Do you knit your socks toe up, cuff down, or sideways?
Almost always cuff-down. I just don't like the toes and heels toe-up, though I do see the benefits and sometimes you gotta go toe-up. (The wedding stockings were toe-up.)
4. Do you knit both socks at once or just one at a time?
One at a time. Second Sock Syndrome is rough, but two at a time is too much like torture porn to me.
5. What’s your favorite toe and why?
I almost always do the wedge toe (me=lazy) but my favourite that I've tried is the Mona Toe. (I'm sure it has a real name, but it's the one that Mona Schmidt uses in her Embossed Leaves and Bells & Whistles sock patterns.) Fits my footsies just right.
6. Favorite heel?
Flap. Again, me=lazy. Also, the heel turn is just SO COOL.
7. Do you prefer plain or patterned socks?
That's vague....depends on a lot of stuff. I don't like self-patterning yarn. But I do like self-striping, and for those I do a plain pattern because the yarn works for you. For variegated or solids, though, I like a bit of pattern. Lace or cables, mostly. I'm not big on spiffy ribbing styles and stuff like that.
"Oh hai! I can has cormo?" Rooster was lovin' all up on some cormo while I was spinning two nights ago. (This yarn's done, and I LOVE this fiber. Why doesn't this MeMe ask me about that? What's my favourite fiber to spin? I LOVE CORMO!!)
8. Who do you knit the most socks for?
Me. (Obnoxious, eh?) And for Travis, because he really appreciates them. But it IS Florida, so not a lot of people get real excited about wool socks. I've also knit for my MIL, and I'm working on a pair for my SIL, and I've knit for my best friend (she appreciates them too) and my parents (who refuse to wear them because they don't want to ruin them.) Honestly, there are about four pair right now that are finished but unworn because I haven't figured out who to give them to.
9. Do you darn your socks? If not, what do you do with them?
I haven't had a need to, yet. If I do - probably not. I frequently don't wash my socks for weeks. (Ew, I'm not WEARING them - they're just in the handwash bag in the laundry room, languishing.) If I take that long to get around to WASHING socks, think how long I'd let something wait for a repair. Better to just knit a new pair.
10. Do you only wear handknit socks?
No. Sometimes I don't have any that match, or sometimes I'm going to be doing something (yard work, whatever) in which I wouldn't want to ruin a pair of socks. Sometimes the wood floors are dirty and I don't feel like scrubbing, so I just throw socks on and ignore the filth. I use cheap socks for that. :-D
Bonus question: What pattern, if any, is your basic “I-just-need-a-pair-of-socks” sock pattern based on? Do you keep it written down or memorized?
Mine's memorized, and it was just in my head because it wasn't so much a pattern as just a good solid understanding of socks and an ability to completely wing it. BUT! Now I finally have them written down, so if you want to be in my head, you can use my patterns. There are pdf links in the sidebar.
Okay, that's all of that.
Now, go celebrate NaWePoNoMo by buying yourself something wonderful!! May I suggest Etsy? :-D (And may I ask you to just look at how pretty this is? Tatting baffles me - I love it, and that piece totally rules.)
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