Tag Archive for ‘socks’ at adam knits!

Tag Archive for 'socks'Page 2 of 12

Fiber Heaven 09 Oct 07

So I went to the Taos Wool Festival this past weekend, and it was heaven. I’ve never been to a fiber festival before, and wow was I missing out! I drove up with a friend, and we had a great day involving fiber, food and a winery detour on the way home. There was so much delicious yarn and fiber, it was nearly impossible to make a choice on what to buy. In the end I did make a choice, and ended up picking the following:

A lovely Maple Spindle, which has already been put to good use.
A skein of brown Alpaca for only $10!
A skein of white Cormo wool for dyeing fun. (this is a new breed of sheep and I must say it’s fantastic. let’s just say that it might be a future addition to Yarn Nerd’s bases…)
A big skein of gray Border Leicester, also for dyeing fun.
A skein of 80% Llama/20% Soysilk, which is pretty much as soft as it comes, and it’s tweedy!

I think I did pretty well, although my checkbook might not agree. I did resist bringing this guy home though…

Somehow I don’t think that the city of Albuquerque, and Dallas and Emma would have agreed with that decision ;)

I also got to meet up with Amber, who was in town from Virginia visiting family, for a bit of lunch and fiber shopping. Her Grandma came with her and was quite the sport while we caressed yarn and talked knitting. It was good to meet you Amber, and if you ever decide to move back to New Mexico we can hang out! Hint hint. ;)

Amidst all the new stash, I’ve also been working on depleting some of the stuff I have already. It’s Fall TV Season, which means lots of evenings hanging out in the living room, working away like a sweatshop knitter. Gotta get those Christmas Knits done! Some of the big things I’m working on include my Seamless Hybrid (almost done with the body, and I’m working on a sleeve in the photo) and my Mom’s Garden Shawl (that’s right Mom, I’m knitting on the shawl!).

It’s also Socktoberfest, which means I have a few pairs in the works. I just finished this sock, which Emma is so delighted to model for you. It’s a Gentleman’s Fancy Sock (from Knitting Vintage Socks), knit in one of my favorite sock yarns, Austermann Step. And as much as I love it, I’m going to be strong and put it in the Christmas pile. I just have to remind myself that other people need warm handknit socks too. ;)

I’m also working on a Thelonious sock in the Pumpkin yarn from the last post, for a swap that I’m doing. It’s quite tasty. The socks are the perfect bus knitting project, since the sweater and the shawl are a bit much to carry in my bike bags.

Oh, and I finished a hat a bit ago, for a friend’s birthday, as shown by my lovely model. (Don’t you just love dogs in knits? I do!)

It’s the Foliage pattern from Knitty, knit up in 3/4 of a skein of Manos 100% Wool. It’s fast and it looks great, so it’s a really good gift knit. Or you can use it for making your dogs look dorky… ;)

Well it’s bedtime, so I better shove off, but I thought I’d pop in to say that I am alive, and that I’m keeping quite busy these days. It must be this cold snap that’s making me all knit crazy…nothing like the feel of wool through your hands when it dips to 50 degrees outside.

Published

Adam

in finished objects, gifts, hats, knitting, socks, socktoberfest, swag, the stash, weekend! and works in progress

Survival Skills 22 Sep 07

25 Comments

Thanks for all your kind comments regarding my posterior, it’s good to know that you guys have my back! Ha!

Anyway, putting all butt jokes behind us (ha again!), let’s get back to the topic at hand.

Today (for lack of better blog post ideas), I’m going to go all Martha Stewart and share some of my favorite tips for surviving Fall.

Be Flexible

In New Mexico, Fall is a very very fickle thing. You have to be ready to go full bore with warm clothing and hot tea one day, and then bust out the shorts the next day. Case in point was Thursday and Friday. Thursday was a cold and rainy day, so I wore some handknit socks, drank hot beverages and made a delicious fall cake (more on that in a second). Friday seemed to be along the same lines, with a thick morning fog covering my house…fast forward to 12 PM and it’s sunny and 80 degrees. So while Fall vacillates from one extreme to the next, my advice is to keep a supply of warm knitted socks and some flip-flops near by.
Drink Hot Liquids

Tea is especially good for warmth on a chilly evening, when paired with a nice hot Fall cake (just a little more patience). I recommend some tasty black tea with milk and honey.
Knit, Knit, Knit

The best way to cope with those chilly weather blues is to work your fingers to the bone, making some knits to keep out the cold. Fall may not be the best time to start an extensive Christmas knitting list, but hey, you’re already crazy right? Any extra craziness is like a drop in the ocean, so bring it on!
Make a Delicious Cake

This one might just be my favorite cool weather remedy, and it’s certainly the tastiest. My cake in this case is a Chocolate Zucchini Cake, which my Mom has been making since I was a little kid. It sounds like a strange combo, but it’s really a lot like a carrot cake, and so very chocolaty. I’m drooling just thinking about it now! Oh, and because I’m a nice guy, click the cake picture for the recipe.

Nothing like the start of Fall to make me feel all domestic. Now get to baking! ;)

Published

Adam

in cooking, knitting, socks and works in progress

Oooohhh, Shiny! 01 Sep 07

28 Comments

Hey everyone, thanks for all your great comments on my yarn being at The Loopy Ewe! I’m finishing up the dyeing and reskeining this weekend, so it should be off to Sheri and up at the store soon. Keep an eye out! Also, I’ll be placing an order for some 1500 MHz Sport Merino as soon as I ship off the wholesale order, so keep an eye out for that yarn at www.yarnnerd.com.

In other news, I got a new toy!

That’s right, I finally had enough money saved up to go pay off my bike and get it out of layaway. I picked it up last night, and my Dad helped me put on some clipless pedals and showed me a few things, and off I went! I was a bit worried about using the clipless pedals, but commuting these last few months has made me a lot more confident on the bike, and my fears turned out to be unfounded. The pedals are super easy to use and it’s definitely a lot more efficient than straight push pedals. My Dad was kind enough to take a picture of me riding (wow, I look like a 5 year old boy in that picture) around the neighborhood.

It feels really great to have a bike that actually fits me, and I’m really looking forward to next week’s commute now. I’m interested to see how much time I can shave off, since this bike is super fast. Oh, and it’s super light too, so it should be a bit easier to load it onto the bus to school (and hopefully it will get me less grouchy bus driver stares, since the mountain bike was a bit hard to load onto that rack).

All in all, it’s only been a few months since I started bike commuting, but it’s already drastically changed the way I look at transportation. I absolutely love my commute now, and I’m always looking for opportunities to ride instead of driving. Plus, I’m so happy to have finally found a form of exercise that I really enjoy. In the past I never found something I really loved, so it was always hard to stick to a routine. I just wish I had given cycling a serious try sooner!

I also have another pair of socks under my belt to show off. (Two pairs in consecutive posts! What is this blog coming to?)

Remember these?

“Jolly Good Chap” Socks

Pattern: Gentleman’s Sock with Lozenge Pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks, by Nancy Bush.
Yarn: Hand-Spun by Anne, received in a swap.
Needles / Gauge: 7.5 spi on US #1’s. Knitted with Magic Loop.
Construction: I stuck to the pattern on this one, except I used a slip stitch heel instead of a stockinette one. I also modified the lozenge pattern to be over 60 stitches, since my gauge was less than the book’s.
Completion Time: 4 months (May - August)

I really love these socks. This was the first time (at the time of cast-on) that I had used hand-spun, and it was a very different and wonderful experience. The wool that Anne used is a bit more coarse than I was used to, but it makes a really sturdy and warm fabric. Anne’s spinning job was superb, and I know that these socks will be around for many years to come. They’re a bit slouchy around the leg, because the pattern gauge is a bit bigger than stockinette gauge, but the ribbed cuff holds them up, and I think that slouchy socks are wonderful. They’ll be perfect for cold winter evenings, to keep my feet warm while I drink coffee and knit. And the pattern gives them a very sophisticated look; so much so, that I fancy myself a Brit while wearing them. ;)

So thanks Anne, the yarn is wonderful, and the socks are even better!

Lastly, I want to leave you with a bit of a somber warning. If you are ever knitting a sweater, be sure to count the number of stitches in your gauge swatch instead of assuming. Or, if you always knit your swatches over 32 stitches, don’t make a 36 stitch swatch, and then measure your gauge thinking your swatch is 32 stitches. Cause that means all your impeccable math and perfect sizing doesn’t mean anything…, and it leads to this inevitable outcome:

Oh, and listen to that nagging voice in your head that says, “hey, maybe before you get too much farther, you should take it off the needles and try it on!” Cause it will be right. At least I was only 1 inch past the hem, so no harm no foul this time. I forge ahead, because I am determined to have a cosy sweater to go with my Englishman socks this winter.

Published

Adam

in biking, dyeing, exercise, finished objects, frogging, hand spun, knitting, socks, sweaters, works in progress and yarn nerd

He’s Got Legs…(You Know the Rest) 24 Aug 07

33 Comments

Ok, we have a lot of ground to cover today people, so grab some coffee and hunker down. This could take hours. You know, metaphorically speaking. And you know how we roll when there’s lots to cover at Adam Knits…bullets!

from the "oh my goodness, what have I gotten myself into" department:

You may have seen this little announcement, already, but if not, this is news to you. I’m proud to announce that Yarn Nerd is the newest indie dyer at The Loopy Ewe! So now all you crazy Loopy Ewe fans can get your Yarn Nerd fix, along with all the other great yarns and stuff that Sheri stocks. I’m really excited about this, and am looking forward to breaking into the wholesale market. And if the response I’ve gotten so far is any indication, I think this will be the beginning of a great thing. I’ve admired Sheri’s shop for a while, and I e-mailed her to see if she was interested in Yarn Nerd, and got an emphatic yes. I’m hoping to have the order finished in a week or two, so you should be able to grab some soon.

There are a few ramifications (hehe, I love that word) for the Yarn Nerd shop, mostly since I do need to sleep occasionally. At least for the next few months, all 900 MHz Merino will be dyed up for The Loopy Ewe, so if you’re looking for it at my shop and can’t find it, that’s the reason. I am planning to bring back some of my other yarns though, which means that I should have 1500 MHz Merino in stock by mid-September. I’ve had a lot of requests for this one, and it’s one of my personal favorites, so I’m excited to be bringing it back. It’ll be available in your favorite colorways, or as a custom creation with Create Your Skein. Plus, to satiate all you spinners (including me!), there will be a lot more roving being thrown about in my dye kitchen, so keep your eyes out for that.
from the "spindles are fun! I don’t need a spinning wheel, really! so stop tempting me!" department:

I spun up the last of my roving stash (don’t worry, I promptly bought more…), and I’m definitely getting better at the spindle. I’m starting to actually draft while the spindle is spinning, rather than stopping, pinching, moving my hands up, etc. I think this lovely 2 ply speaks for itself :)

Hello Yarn Corriedale in the Granita Colorway. Isn’t it lovely?

I also received my newest fiber purchase yesterday, a lovely BFL top from Flawful Fibers, in the Safari colorway. This picture, although terribly cute, doesn’t really show off how lovely and subtle this roving is. I can’t wait to spin it, but I’m also worried that I won’t be able to do it justice. But my desire to spin it outweighs my worry of flubbing it up, so I press onward. Yarn Ho!

"do these braids make me look fat?"
from the "I wish I could show you my sexy biker calves, but that might be a skosh inappropriate" department:

It’s been a while since I’ve updated you on the biking, but I’m still going strong. I’m averaging around 4 days a week, and occasionally getting a weekend ride in as well. The benefits are many: hot legs, less gas tank fillups and a bunch more energy. And coupled with the fact that the Albuquerque bus is now free for UNM students, I can ride down to the park & ride a few miles from my house and take the bus to campus on school days. In fact, I’m loving the bike so much, I went and put a new one on layaway. There were some killer end of season deals, and the store happened to have one model of the bike I wanted in my size left, so I jumped on it. Hopefully I can pay it off by the end of September and start riding it! It’s a svelte 24ish pounds, compared to 40 something for my brother’s bike (that I’ve been riding), so I should be a speed demon on the new bike. Watch out ABQ, here comes Adam with his hot legs! (I wonder how many times I can say hot legs in a blog post…)
finally, from the "yes I do still knit, I’m just very lazy about taking pictures of the knitting these days" department:

Here’s some socks that I finished while on vacation, and I figured it was about time to give them the spotlight. I really love these socks, since they have all my favorite colors (you should see my closet, it’s a red and black explosion). I went for the no frills method, with a short row heel and a simple pattern, but I think they’re awesome. They definitely make me feel like a rockstar. And they match my red shoes. Oh yeah.

"there’s no place like home" eye candy

Pattern: Basketweave (6 stitch) from More Sensational Knitted Socks.
Yarn: Yarn Nerd 900 MHz Merino in Love and Peace or Else
Needles / Gauge: 8 stitches / in on US #1’s. Knitted Magic Loop style.
Construction: K1, P1 ribbing, then patterned over the leg, short row heel and round toe. Easy Peasy!
Completion Time: 3 weeks (July 22 - August 10)

"at least we're not wearing them this time..."

Ok, I think that’s enough bullet action for now. Have a good weekend everyone! I’ll be up to my eyeballs in yarn and dye, it should be fun!

Published

Adam

in biking, dallas, dyeing, emma, exercise, finished objects, hand spun, knitting, schnauzers, shop, socks, spinning, unm and yarn nerd

Time Flies 18 Aug 07

18 Comments

When you’re having fun right? Not that I would say this week has been as fun as last week’s vacation, but I have been trying to relax a bit, since it’s the last week of summer. School starts next Tuesday, and while I’m anticipating that it will be more of a laid back semester, I’m still not super excited about the return of backpacks and school books. I’m entering the home stretch though, since the beginning of this semester marks the halfway point towards my Masters, provided I graduate this Spring like I’m planning to.

pictures unrelated to topic provided by an evening trip to the ABQ Foothills. Because blog posts w/o pictures are boring.

I’ve been doing some preliminary research for my thesis over the summer, and with the advent of fall, the pace of research and study should pick up a bit more, as my April review deadline looms closer. I have lucked out though, since I’ve been able to perform the elusive task of aligning my work research and thesis research, meaning that I will be able to kill two birds with one stone. That, and only having one class each semester this year should mean that my semesters are more in depth work and less running back and forth doing tons of homework. I’m looking forward to the shift.

Most of the week has been made up of work, but I’ve also gotten in a bit of dyeing (check out the shop, there’s roving up!) and planned some super secret Yarn Nerd things. I can’t say anything yet, but I’m super excited about what’s going on in Yarn Nerd land these days.

I’ve also managed to get in some personal fiber activities, including some knitting and spinning. I’ve been working away on the Gentleman’s Lozenge Socks with Anne’s hand-spun, in an attempt to force myself to finish some lingering projects before casting on with all my new Seattle yarn. I have so many winter knitting plans in the works, but I know that if I start now, these socks won’t ever get finished, so I’m pushing for that first. With much yarn, comes great responsibility.

I also am very proud to introduce to you my first skein of handspun yarn! I just finished plying it together, and couldn’t wait to snap some pictures. It’s lumpy and uneven and all twisty in some places, but I couldn’t love it any more. It’s such a satisfying feeling, to know that you made yarn with your own hands. I’m definitely hooked, and it’s all your fault Adrian! The top I used is hand-dyed Corriedale Wool, dyed by Adrian of Hello Yarn, in the Granita colorway. There’s 4 oz of it, and I have absolutely no idea how much WPI or yardage or any of that, but I’m estimating about 40 yards. Anyone have any suggestions for a tiny handspun project?