two little monkeys

...hanging from the tree! oh, we're done! now she's FREE!!!

monkey by cookie a.
fortissima colori 1000 #437
2.25mm/gauge 9 sts/inch (i wanted a smaller sock)
modifications: picot cuff; eop heel with garter edge

celebrate!

i am giving away 2 balls of panda cotton in the rosewater colorway to celebrate the release of "menehune cobblestones" over at the crystal palace yarns website.

leave me a comment telling me about your most favorite socks you've ever knit. what made it your fave? was it the pattern? the yarn? if you've been wanting to try this super soft panda cotton, here is your chance. i will draw a name sometime this coming weekend!

i am knitting the mate to this "pretty in pink" menehune right now!

"menehune cobblestones"

.....IS UP! and by coincidence, i just happened to start the mate to the "pretty in pink" sock this morning.

susan at crystal palace yarns just posted a comment to let me know that "menehune cobblestones" is up on their website. enjoy! i have an idea on how to celebrate the release of the pattern, so check back later. of course, it will involve something "panda"!

and i now have two little "monkeys" taking a bath!

"the road to hana!"

i wish i really was on "the road to hana!" but, alas (with big sigh), i am not. although, i really can't complain. we have been experiencing some beautiful early spring weather here in the bellybutton.

"the road to hana" is the march sotm kit from theknitter that i teased you with in january. my favorite knit of cables and lace TOGETHER! and in one of my favorite color combinations (trekking #187) ...how much better can it get?! (and no, i didn't even try matching the striping. hey, i did mention that this was trekking!) these will be for my mom who kept telling me how nice the socks were every time she saw them. can she hint or what?! i kinda did want to keep them for me.

"road to hana"
my design for the knitter sotm club
trekking xxl #187
2.5mm needles
gauge: 8.5 sts/inch

and yes, i am done with one panda wool sock but i can't show you anything because my son "borrowed" my camera. "monkey #2" is almost to the toes!

monkey or panda?

left to right: brand new ball of panda wool; flattened, half-used ball of panda wool; half-done monkey#2

need i say more?! weak! SO weak...

pretty in pink

i've gotten the panda cotton out of my system.

may i present...

"menehune cobblestones"
my design to be available from crystal palace yarns

panda cotton in rosewater
2.5mm needles/gauge 9 sts/inch

as you can see from the photo, i didn't have much yarn left. there is about 3 yds in that little pile. i like panda cotton. it is very soft. it can be a bit splitty. i had problems when i knit "hedera" because i had to use a pointy knitpicks needle to knit the lace. however, this sock knit like a dream with the slightly blunter addi's.
if you are interested, i will let you know when the pattern is available for download.

i am almost finished with the gusset decreases on the mate for "monkey" but i do hear the siren call from the panda wool.... will i finish the pair of monkeys or... i am SO weak!

two little monkeys jumping on the bed

well, i felt bad for my lonely only monkey, so i started the mate. see?


i had to redo the cuff because i didn't write down how many rounds i'd used and i misread my knitting. DUH! but i have a start. my sil's birthday is not until the end of may so i have plenty of time to get this pair done. this is a good thing because i got a package yesterday from susan at crystal palace yarns. she was returning the socks i knit as samples for the trade show in san diego. AND she also included...

these beauties for me to play with.

panda cotton in blueberry grape & rosewater/panda wool in rosewater & lacquer red
the colors are brighter in the cotton blend

i will be doing some sock designs for them. i hate to tell you what happened to the second monkey sock. did i tell you my sil's birthday is at the end of may?! i am SO weak.

i am about ready to send my pattern off to swtc. the yarn "bloomed" a bit after washing. i had a pre-wash gauge of 9 sts per inch. with tofutsies, i would recommend that you knit your socks a bit smaller than you want. my wonky looking stitches evened out after washing. here are some photos of the completed socks.

"peony"
tofutsies in "stand on your own two feet"
2.5mm needles/8 sts per inch after washing
the sock on the left is 72 stitches and the sock on the right is 64 stitches.

here is a close-up of the pattern.

See! i do too knit socks in pairs! oh! they have to be the SAME size?

one little monkey jumping on the bed

...he fell off

i decided to get a head start on my gift knitting, so started a pair of monkeys for my sil with the small feet. i don't like 1x1 ribbing so changed that o a hemmed picot cuff; used eop with a garter stitch edge for the heel flap; and am knitting with a 2.25mm needle for a smaller gauge to fit my sil. did i mention she has small feet?

"monkey"
fortissima colori 1000- #437 (it's really a light gray with spots of colors)
64 sts/2.25mm
one done/one to go

well, remember how i mentioned that i had gone to stitches west and had a chat with jonelle of swtc? my curiosity got the better of me and i couldn't resist the call of TOFUtsies. you know what happened to the second monkey...

may i present...

"peony"

yes, here we have the redo of my "pink peony" sock in TOFUtsies' "stand on your own two feet." i love the names they gave the colors. they make me smile. i am actually done knitting a pair of "peonies." have decided that it would be silly to call these "pink" so will be dropping that on the new pattern. i am rewriting it in two sizes. i liked the TOFUTsies. it is much softer than regia cotton surf and the colors are so FUN!

speaking of regia cotton surf; i also finished a pair for my bil with the wide feet. this was his christmas present. i figure that i am ahead of the game because i finished this before his birthday! the socks are IDENTICAL! i have matching socks! YES!

"menehune cobblestones"
regia cotton surf
72 sts/2.5mm addis
my own design-great for guys and gals
which is being redone in panda cotton & panda wool
pattern will be available at crystal palace yarns soon
i'll let you know when.