Yopping Update #31 - So Proud

I couldn't sleep so decided I could get my post up early for a change.  

First of all my Rainbow Pride Socks

pretty happy with how the colours matched up on each sock too

I am so proud of these socks - and can't wait until the next Pride parade to wear them, well, proudly!

I spun the yarn myself with a bag of six colours of fibre that I won during Tour de Fleece last year.  I divided the colours into manageable hanks (eye balling the size) and kept the same order of colours through the spin.  

The socks are the Euclid pattern by General Hogbuffer for the leg.  It consists of four equilateral triangle, and then I did a gusset/short row heel and finished the foot in stripes.  Because the yarn was heavier than fingering I decided that doing the complete Euclid would make them too bulky.  I am soooooo happy with them, and they have been on my feet continuously since coming off the needles.  I have worn them walking inside of rain boots, and hikers and they are perfect.  Okay, enough bragging, on to my next project.

I got a lovely gift of sock yarn from a dear friend across the water.  I haven't decided on a pattern yet, but I am leaning towards something with a cable - maybe the Maryana in my queue.  Time will tell. 

My Knitpicks order arrived 

and I have been slowly winding skeins, by hand as I don't like how the cakes collapse, and I have one designated for Hermione's Everyday socks.  

I was going to start them a couple of nights ago - but then something Highland Heffalump posted a few weeks back got stuck in my brain and I decided to get out my sheep breed samples I had spun in September and find a pattern to highlight them.  I finally settled on this sampler cowl.  It says beginners right?  I could zip through this in no time.  Well????

I started with my Whitefaced Woodland, which I had chain plied and it was quite bulky.  I cast on and after finishing it realised I had misread the pattern.  So I frogged it. 

I re-knit the first pattern and started on the second pattern with the Manx Loaghtan.  It was moss stitch and when I was almost done I realised I had a mistake near the beginning so I frogged back and re-started the moss stitch.  

Once I finished the moss stitch I then realised the gauge between the first two patterns was way off so I frogged the whole thing and started with the Dorset horn.  

I took the chain-plied Whitefaced Woodland and then I....wait for it....unplied it!!!! what?   Yes, I did, and then I replied it as a two ply so it wasn't so bulky.  Suffice it to say that unplying a chain plied spin is very, shall I politely say....CHALLENGING. Thank goodness it was only 14 yards (which once re-plyed became 20 yards. Much better).

Then I was off to the races and I have my first five breeds on my 'beginners' sampler cowl.  I think I will take Liz's suggestion and embroider the names on the back of each section.  When it is finished I think it will be long enough to wrap twice around my neck. 

 Daily walks this week and I will give you three pictures of my adventures:

from the ridiculous

to the sublime

But then I was thinking....

if the deer are this big, how big are the cougars?

So that's my week.  Now off to make brekkie and then go for my walk - hoping to avoid cougars, although perhaps if I carry a big box I won't have to worry.  

Here is another chuckle to start your week.

Have a good one, dear Reader.  Remember, we are in this together.  Be safe.  Be calm.  Be kind.  

Yopping Update #30 - One Sock, Two Sock

A short update today, because it is just kind of that kind of day today. 

I finished my Slippery Slope socks and they have been on my feet for 3 days now.  I love the look and fit of them. 

Fraternal socks are the best for curing second sock syndrome

I was inspired to revisit another General Hogbuffer pattern, Euclid,  that I knit about six years ago.  It is a very unique construction consisting of triangles and I thought it would be perfect to highlight my rainbow pride spin.  If you are on Ravelry and want to check out my six year old pair (which I still wear to this day) you can find some pictures here. 

It took about 3 swatches to get the right needle and number of stitches, but now I am off.  Last night I knit three of the first tier triangles.  One more triangle and I can start the heel.  This is definitely a pattern where I have to trust the instructions and voila it turns into a sock!  I am very happy with how the segregation of colours is working from my attempt while spinning and plying to keep the colours separate and the right length of each colour.  

really!  This will become a sock!

There has been lots of walking and photographs, but the best one was this

First Robin of the season - spring is coming!!

and if I needed more proof, my winter jasmine is blooming:

My daughter sent us this recent photograph of my grand-daughter with her kitty.  The caption from my daughter read:  Exploring the world together. 

A perfect caption for a perfect photo.

Okay, that's it for me.  After a restless night of sleep, followed by a l o n g afternoon nap I am ready to tackle triangle four while I watch the new season of Riverdale on Netflix.  Sigh.  I do love being retired.