bluebird- one of the newest colorways

Dear blog,

I know I haven’t been around much lately. I’m sorry. Life has a way of distracting me at times, and this has been one heck of a month!

As soon as I finish dyeing this mountain of custom orders (yay!) and writing this big research paper, I’ll check in more often. Promise.

You may have noticed I haven’t been around much. The kids are still sick- I think we’ve had three fever-free days in the last three weeks. School is still in session and there’s this little business I have to run! This is going to be one of those flow-of-consciousness blog pots, please don’t hold it against me! I just wanted to check in with you all even if I don’t have time for a terribly well thought-out post.

one down! love it!

First thing- the fun stuff! I did manage to finish the first twilight sock and start on the next. I’ve stalled just beyond the ribbing but hope to pick it up soon.

I sent also barely managed to send off samples to the phatfiber box in time for the March box. I actually did it last month too but with everything going on I haven’t even had a chance to blog about it or play with the wonderful goodies I received! I plan (hope, pray!) to make time to write a proper gushing post about the March box!

I’ve been working on getting the site ready to go. I have the needle cases and project bags designed, but I haven’t actually made any yet! I’m getting the yarn categories set up too- this requires lots of photo editing and such. Very tedious, but worth it when I’m finished, I’m sure! I’m really excited about this- it feels like everything is falling into place just as it should be.

new cashmere/merino blend - yum!

I’ve been dyeing as much as I can, including an incredibly luscious cashmere/merino blend and a new, super-squooshy superwash merino sock yarn. I am truly in love with these yarns. They’re beautiful, soft, and all-around delicious!

I’m hoping for things to settle down a bit here soon- in the mean time, I’m just going to hang on and (try to) enjoy the ride!

It’s supposed to be -10 F tonight. March is supposed to be warmer than February, not colder!!

I’ve been keeping busy with homework, filling orders and getting the website set for the switch.

What switch? As of some time this month, August Lately will no longer be offering custom handbags. Instead, I’ll be sewing knitting bags, project bags and needle cases.  Fiberphile yarns will also be available on the site. I’m excited to come to this next chapter in my business. Stay tuned!

In other news, I received some new bases today- a lovely merino/cashmere/nylon blend as well as a merino/seacell blend. They are absolutely gorgeous right now so I can only imagine how nice they’ll be all dyed up!

twilight socks

I’ve also gotten some knitting done. I re-started Liam’s tanker socks and am about halfway up the feet now. I’m sure they’ll be finished by the end of the week. I also cast on a pair of socks with a new base I’m testing. It’s not as soft as my regular base but it’s a nice yarn. I’m just not sure if I want to carry another merino/nylon blend. Decisions, decisions…

Well, it’s not tomorrow, is it?

It’s just all these other *things* that keep demanding my attention. But here I am, now, with a little knitting story to share.

My little one, Liam, loves tankers. This is what he calls army tanks. A while ago, I dyed some yarn that looked just like the camouflage on a tanker. It sat in the shop until one day my little one said “mommy, can you make me some tanker socks?” and so the yarn came out of the shop and became the start of tanker socks. I took measurements, checked gauge and verified the correct cast-on number of stitches. I was flying with these socks and feeling quite proud of my progress.

I was loving the way the alchemy yarn was knitting up- into a perfect, random pattern that looked strikingly like real camouflage! After I got the heels turned, I asked Liam to come and see how they were fitting. “Wait, do you have your foot flexed? Maybe it’s because you just got out of the bath and your feet are wet. It– Should– Fit!”

But it didn’t. No way, no how. Liam was a real trooper when I told him that these socks, somehow, were too small for his precious feet and that mommy would have to knit him another pair after these were done. So, I kept knitting, knowing that I could find some little boy who would love the tanker socks as much as Liam would.

rip little top-down tanker socks

Last night, as I took my socks out of the bag to knit, I discovered that one of the needles had been pulled out of all of its stitches. Also, some of the stitches had begun to unravel down into the sock. This was not necessarily a fatal blow, but since they weren’t going to fit Liam anyway, and I didn’t have a particular little boy in mind for them, I decided to frog. I won’t say that it wasn’t a little painful to unravel a pair of socks that were over half finished, but it’s ok.

I’ll be knitting the same socks again, from the same yarn. However, this time, I’ll be knitting them from the toe up, and I’ll know for sure that they will fit before I knit all of that pattern stitch!

Nine days of school vacation. Two sick kids. Two papers due. ‘Nuf said.

Other than trying to get kids healthy, keep the house a notch above disgusting, get ready for a major shop update and write two papers that might eek out a B (NOT my usual standard- yes, I’m a perfectionist) I’ve not had time for much else that requires actual use of my brain.

my first handspun socks- yay!

Good thing for me that simple 2×2 ribbing is pretty mindless! Yep, I finished my falkland handspun socks and I must say that I’m in love. I’m also, unfortunately, completely addicted to the subtle color blending that develops while knitting socks with handspun yarn. Now if only I could afford an electric wheel for plying. My calves get quite the workout doing all that plying on my little kiwi!

my first 3-ply handspun sock yarn

Proof that I am genuinely addicted: I also did a test-spin for my new spinning fibers that will be up in the shop later this week. I could have done a nice bulky or worsted weight but no — I did more sock yarn! 450 glorious yards of 3-ply superfine superwash merino handspun sock yarn! I LOVE this yarn. It is unbelievably soft. I think it’s going to be mother’s day socks for my mom because she’s awesome. If she weren’t, there’s no way I’d be giving this yarn away!

Well, now I’ve really got to get labeling. It’s been fun, folks! I’ll be back hopefully tomorrow with some fun goodies to share!

superwash merino and seacell roving- yum!

Happy Valentine’s Day, folks! My husband and I are spending a day at home taking care of two sick little boys. It’s not exactly romantic, but it’s our life, and we love it.

My socks still have heels, and even a teeny bit of ribbing! I’ll try to take photos just as soon as I can find my sock-blockers.

On another note, I finally got a chance to dye up some of the lovely spinning fiber I got for the shop. I’m not sure when I’ll be updating again, but I’m excited! The superwash merino/seacell blend I got is absoultely dreamy.

yummy new yarn base!

I also got some new yarn bases to try. One is a sock weight superwash merino that is almost identical to louet gems. It has great squoosh, great sproing, great luster and it takes color beautifully! I’m definitely going to be carrying this yarn soon, as well as some new luxury blends. Stay tuned!

all the pretty colors!

Tomorrow I will be adding a TON of new sock yarn to the shop. How did I manage such a feat? I was a dyeing machine this weekend, and I had a great helper- my husband!

Today was a homework, housework and photographing day. Tomorrow will be more homework, sewing and hopefully dyeing. We’ll see!

Unfortunately, I haven’t had time to work on my handspun socks. That’s another item on my “hopefully” list for the week.

almost to the heels!

I’m making slow and steady progress on my handspun socks.  I only have an inch to go before I turn the heels. I am loving the way this yarn is knitting up! Knitting with handspun is always like watching a magical process unfold.

I much prefer short-row heels. They go so much faster than heel flaps and I honestly like the look and feel of them better. I do not, however, like the fussiness of most of the short-row heel techniques out there.

I was absolutely elated when I discovered my favorite method- the one provided in the Lifestyle Socks Pattern from k1p1design1. The pattern author attributes the method to Priscilla Wilds. There are no wraps to pick up (yay!) and the method is simple enough that once you’ve learned it, you don’t need to refer to instructions.  These, my friends, are my kind of short-row heels!

I’ll be in class all day tomorrow, so alas, no dyeing. I have 15 pounds of fiber calling to me and I can’t do a thing about it. I did manage a small shop update earlier this week, but there won’t be another major one until at least this weekend, probably later. Ah well, such is life when managing a family, two businesses, and a Liberal Arts degree.

It feels like it’s been a very long week. Suffice to say, I’m looking forward to tomorrow. It’s actually been above zero lately, so maybe we’ll get outside to sled in all of the beautiful snow we got in the last storm.

i'm loving these socks!

I’ve got a couple of things to share on the crafty front today. The first is the considerable progress on my handspun socks. I am having so much fun knitting these up!

I decided to use Silver’s Sock Class two socks on one circ tutorial as a basic technique guide. As fast as these are moving along, I may even have them done by the end of the weekend. Hey, a girl can dream.

I’m sending out samples today for the February Phat Fiber Sample Box. It’s a great new mail-order club that includes sample-sized yarns and fibers from many different fiber artists.

fiberphile glimmer and mosaic sample skeins

This is my first month contributing and I’m really excited about it. The photos from last month made me very sad that I wasn’t able to get my hands on a box.

The boxes sold out in a phenomenally fast 15 minutes last month, so if you’d like to get your hands on one, be sure to sign up for the newsletter to know exactly when the February boxes go on sale!

study time isn't complete without a hot cup of joe

School is back in session which means that a considerable amount of my time is spent reading and writing. This semester, I’m taking a class that has, so far, been really interesting and thought-provoking: Science and Spirituality. The opening discussion was about science and religion and whether they were mutually exclusive or integrated. Good stuff!

It’s online, which means that I don’t have to spend two hours total driving to class and back (major bonus in the winter!) but I do have to spend a lot of time on the message board. Wow, whoever thought that all of my online slacking skills would be put to such good use?

finished handspun sock yarn

Despite being back in school, I did manage to ply and dry the latest falkland singles I had on my wheel. It came out as a nice fingering weight (exactly 450 yards/100g) and I can’t wait to cast on some socks with it! There are still some places that are underspun/underplied -I am still very much a student of spinning- but all-in-all, I’m pleased. It did take FOREVER to be plied though! There will be no navajo-plied sample of this yarn because for once I actually finished both bobbins within mere inches of each other. That has got to be a sign of improvement!