Vinca Minor

A new sock pattern for you on this rainy Monday evening.  (Lovely and rainy for New Mexico!)

The pattern says it, mostly, but I wanted to talk a little about my inspiration for these.  Sometime in like . . . darkest 2011 or something, I went to the Yarn Underground.  It may have even been the first time I went--it was that long ago.  I was wandering around, browsing sock yarn like you do, and my eye fell on this skein of Society Socks Fingering.  Once I saw the colorway name, I knew I had to have it, and it had to be socks for my mother.

My mom, you see, is a stone-cold hardcore gardener, and botanically-named yarn is right up her tree.  (So to speak.)

Being the procrastinatrix that I am, it took me years and years to get around to knitting them, but once I did, they were so quick and easy that I wondered why I hadn't done it before.

Anyway, they are this year's Mother's Day gift (given early so she could model for me, haha).  Love ya, Ma.

For all details and to purchase, follow the link (and take 50% off with code MAYDAY)!

Sprossling

A few winters ago, I was visiting my parents and wandered into the Yarn Underground and was promptly overwhelmed by wool fumes.  My mother picked out some nice yarn, and I told her I would make her a sweater.

When I finally got around to it (that will be on my tombstone), I spent most of winter 2012 working on said sweater.  I actually finished almost all the knitting then, but I had to put it into hibernation while we were moving and my buttons were still in storage.  In April 2013 I pulled it out and finished it just in time for a trip to Cyprus, where my folks were living.

PATTERN: Sprossling by Anne Hanson.  Well-written and clear, as with all of Anne's patterns, although I was not pleased with the waist shaping as written.  My own version can be found on my Ravelry page.  Size 38", no other modifications.

YARN: Palouse Yarn Company Fingering (100% wool, 700yds per113g skein), two skeins in an unnamed colorway.  I think this is the yarn that was renamed "Featherweight" but am not sure.

NEEDLES: US 1.5/2.5mm and US 2.5/3.0mm.  I knit very loosely.

I think it turned out beautifully, don't you?  My mom sure does.  Just look at her dance.

Another WIP

Last Christmas, my mother gave me a gift certificate to the LYS in my hometown (which is fabulous, by the way, hi, Shelley!) and oh-so-casually mentioned that they'd had "really beautiful socks in this yarn that was right by the register!"

I took a hint.

(That's a Crazy Zauberball in colorway "frische Fische.")

Happy Mothers' Day!

In honor of all the mothers, be they biological or spiritual, here is a picture of my own mom rocking out in her Mothers' Day present from last year:

My mom is the greatest

And why's that, you may ask?

A while ago we were talking on the phone, and she mentioned that an older lady at her church had died recently. She'd been an avid knitter, and her husband wanted to donate her stash to the church rummage sale, profits to be given to the local knitting guild. Said Mom: "I told him I'd look at it . . . I figured it would mostly be old-lady yarns. And ohhhhhh, Lanafactrix . . . she had the most beautiful things."

Mom went on to describe the stash--fun ribbon yarns, some good basic wools, and lots of other nice things that would sell well at the rummage sale. "And there was this lovely blue-green stuff, a whole bag of it--I kept that for you."

Oooh! What is it, Mom?

"Well, it's . . . 'Merino Stripes' . . . says it's 90% merino wool, 10% acrylic . . ."

And what's the brand?

"Crystal Palace Yarns. Is that good?"

And then, a few weeks later, I get this in the mail:


Oh, Mama--you have no idea how good!