Second Trekking Sock Complete

The second Trekking sock has come off the needles and April's winter weather is slowly moving out of the area. As a result, I will have to wait until the fall to give them a test drive.

Sunday evening, I started another sock. This one is Cherry Tree Hill Supersocke in African Grey. I'm not finished with the cuff yet, but once I get into the leg of the sock I'll take a picture once the colorway is presenting itself.

On the way home from work yesterday, I took a detour to knitting shop for a stash enhancement expedition. I came away with two hanks of Louet Gems sock yarn in Fern Green. I can't wait to try a neat pattern from one the Sensational Knitted Socks books. I also picked up a copy of the Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook. Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to peruse it yet. Stay posted for a quasi-book review.

The Bluegrass Festival of Books is this Saturday and I'm looking forward to going. I've always been a book lover and I hope to meet the Yarn Harlot and participate in the "knit in" afterwards.

On a more personal note . . .
While I had intentions to take a picture of the very lovely, and very special Cherry Tree Hill Potluck socks in pinks, there will be no picture. In the midst of all the anguish and emotional goings on, I forgot to take a picture before sending them with my momma. You see, over the past 20 months we've been fighting Mom's cancer, and that all came to a close on Wednesday, April 11th. I'm thankful for the time we were afforded, thankful for the relief of her pain, but it does not make what we are going through any easier. Many of us are better people for having known my mother - I have to keep that in mind, close to my heart and know that I may never have an answer to the "whys" that creep into my thoughts.

Zitron Trekking XXL Sock in Progress: 1 1/3 down, 2/3 to go . .

I finished the first sock the weekend before last, and I went ahead and cast on for the second one right away. The second sock has taken a little longer than the first. I'll have to admit, I was a little surprised at how the yarn worked up. I wasn't at all expecting striations of color similar to striping. See.

Here's the specs on my sock: Gauge - 6sts/1 inch; Needles - #1, Brittany Birch DPN; CO 56 sts for 7" instep (these socks are for me). Nothing fancy for these st st socks, k2, p2 ribbing for the cuff, and a regular st st heel flap instead of a reinforced slip st flap.

Here lately I've been trying different heels from Sensational Knitted Socks book. For Momma Jane's socks, I tried the short row heel and I enjoyed it. BTW, this book is the only sock book I'll ever "need," but I also needed to expand my repertoire, so picked up Knitting Vintage Socks a couple of weeks ago. Not only is the content of the book great (I have yet to CO the first sock from this book) but it's spiral bound! I've also been eyeing More Sensational Knitted Socks, which is hot off the press, and I got a peek of it at BN the other day. It's on my wish list.

Knitting socks is my latest passion. In the coming days I'll post some pictures of Momma Jane's potluck socks made out of Cherry Tree Hill and some socks I made for myself out of Mountain Colors 4/8's wool.

Here's the finished Zitron Trekking XXL sock in color #110:

I thought I was a process knitter . . .

I thought I was a Process Knitter, and apparently I was right on the mark.

After reading the first few pages of the new book Stephanie Pearl-McPhee Casts Off: The Yarn Harlot's Guide to the Land of Knitting, my knitting personality type became apparent. I am a Process Knitter, but I do have some Product Knitter tendencies. See, I pretty much enjoy the process of knitting, more than I am concerned about finishing a project I've started. I like to have several projects going at one time as I tend to get bored with a yarn or pattern some times. My Project Knitter tendency is related to gauge. If I begin a project and I figure out the gauge is off, I will frog a project in no time in order for the end product to be the right size.

On April 21, the Bluegrass Festival of Books will be at the Lexington Center, where I hope to take in the Yarn Harlot's discussion in the afternoon.

While I did not locate the battery charger for my digital camera, I did purchase a new set of rechargeable batteries and charger at Wal-Mart last night. The purpose of my visit was to purchase some antihistamine eye drops for the terrible allergy problem I developed after a four hour funeral home visitation for my grandmother - apparently from the masses of fresh flowers. The flowers were beautiful, and I looked anything but when I woke up yesterday morning. There has been some improvement in the allergies today.

Off to take some pictures . . .

Check out Little Stitches Knitting new blog

Little Stitches Knitting now has a blog! Check it out here. Isn't Oliver the cutest?!