sockapalooza socks, and a contest
I’m back! Well, sort of — I’m still adjusting to life off-the-road. Mostly, I’m catching up on work and on all the teensy mundane household and personal things you forget that you even do on a regular basis until you don’t do them for 6 weeks. You know, like washing your clothes, or feeding the cat — whoops!**
And I finally had to bite the bullet and hit “mark all as read” on the 1441 posts languishing in my Bloglines. So, in the interest of catching me up, please take a moment to comment to this post with a link to the most awesomest crafty creation you’ve seen in the blogging world since July 1. I’ll choose someone randomly from the comments to win a teensy knitterly trinket.
UPDATE: I forgot to mention a deadline for the contest! I’ll draw a winner from all the comments left before Sunday, August 26, at 11:59 Eastern time.
One of several exciting packages I came home to after my weeks away was from Ann-Marie, my generous, talented Sockapalooza pal.
Not only did she knit some of the most perfect, precise socks I’ve ever seen, but she did it with her own hand dyed merino/tencel yarn! (Yes, it’s beautiful and soft and I want to touch it all the time.)
The yarn — her “grass” colorway — is dyed in springy shades of aqua and lemony yellow. And I especially love how the leaf pattern extends down the heel flaps.
For pattern details, check out Ann-Marie’s post about these socks.
And, as if the hand-dyed, hand-knit socks weren’t enough, she included a cheery pink/grey skein of her own wool/nylon sock yarn for me to play with. Yes, the colors are that vivid and gorgeous in real life. Thanks Ann-Marie!
**This is a joke. Wilma the Cat is actually safe and sound with the lover’s parents, where she’s been getting all the snuggles she deserves, and eating fancy canned food like it’s her job, for the last 6 weeks.
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August 21st, 2007 at 9:41 pm
welcome back! i liked this project: http://howaboutorange.blogspot.com/2007/08/vintage-fabric-wall-art.html. it’s simple but cute, and seems like a good way to use up tiny scraps of cute fabric.
August 21st, 2007 at 10:08 pm
I’ve been really loving the Lint Knitter’s various sewn items that she took to Hawaii.
This one:
http://knitlint.wordpress.com/2007/08/20/finished-object-amy-butler-frenchy-bags/
This one:
http://knitlint.wordpress.com/2007/07/22/finished-object-amy-butler-barcelona-skirt/
And this one:
http://knitlint.wordpress.com/2007/07/14/finished-object-amy-butler-weekender-bag/
August 21st, 2007 at 10:30 pm
To look at? Jared’s blanket: http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/08/hemlock-ring-blanket.html
To make myself? Schrodinger’s Twisted Tweed socks: http://schrodinger212.blogspot.com/2007/08/twisted-tweed-socks.html
(Those are my carrot in the race that is Fifi.)
August 21st, 2007 at 10:31 pm
Hmmm, let’s see, as far as crafty projects on the interwebs, you must check out Brooklyntweed’s Adult Tomten. It’s the finest knitted sweater I’ve ever laid eyes on.
http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/2007/07/adult-tomten-jacket.html
And those socks? Wow! I’ve never thought to describe a pair of knitted socks as precise (I should have my engineer card revoked for this oversight), but that would definitely be the word to describe those awesome socks! The dye job and the knitting combine forces to create some super socks for sure.
Hope you get settled back into normal life soon
August 21st, 2007 at 10:33 pm
The one thing I recently found, but not sure I’d ever make, (it looks too hard), but it’s gorgeous is the new lap blanket by brooklyn tweed.
August 21st, 2007 at 11:02 pm
i am loving brooklyn tweed’s giant doily lap blanket but i’ve been a tad obsessed all summer long with crochet like the babettes out there. here are a couple.
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/AnnieKnits/babette-blanket
http://www.ravelry.com/projects/sarah1rene/babette-blanket
i know these aren’t blog links, but they count, right?
hey welcome back
August 21st, 2007 at 11:30 pm
What are you talking about? No one knit or crafted anything of interest in the last month. The blogosphere stopped spinning, basically, without you to read it!
Um, I haven’t been reading much either so the above is just kind of my hope for the state of things. The last thing I remember seeing that made me go “wow” was this bag, but it was back in June:
http://schrodinger212.blogspot.com/2007/06/boasting-and-gloating.html
August 21st, 2007 at 11:35 pm
oh! wait! i thought of one that’s officially from the summer:
http://www.kelpknits.com/2007/07/31/ironwork-socks/
August 21st, 2007 at 11:43 pm
geez… those socks are fab!
i hope you’re enjoying being home!
i’m totally in love with this blouse:
http://amingledyarn.wordpress.com/2007/08/15/liberty-blouse/
thought you might like it too.
August 21st, 2007 at 11:54 pm
Welcome back Auntie Pam! Julie Frick has finished her Cobblestone already!
http://fricknits.typepad.com/fricknits/2007/08/oh-the-irony.html
August 22nd, 2007 at 12:13 am
I found you from people clicking to my blog from your comments
What wonderful socks, beautiful colour, pattern and the fiber sounds divine.
I feel that FO’s tend to slow down in the summer, although, they don’t stop entirely
I second (third?) the recommendation of brooklyntweed’s lap blanket, it’s gorgeous. For something completely different, if you like sock monkeys, then Samantha’s monkey blanket is fun, I love the detail of the monkey quilting.
http://spamantha.typepad.com/diary_of_a_mad_fabriholic/2007/07/im-all-done-mon.html
August 22nd, 2007 at 1:10 am
Oh dear - I can barely remember what happened two days ago… Ummm. Pretty socks you got - and love that skein of pink’n'grey. Ummm… Oh, Jen finished her funkadelic farm blanket, leading the blogging world to crave wee fiber animals: http://knottygirls.com/jenla.blog/index.php/2007/08/02/project-farm-mat-put-out-to-pasture/
August 22nd, 2007 at 1:18 am
Yeah those socks are awesome!!
Well I will toot my own horn and show you one of my F.O.s I want you to see :op
http://crimsonpurl.blogspot.com/2007/08/fin-sugar-n-spice.html
BTW - how are you liking Haloscan.com? I am thinking about converting.
August 22nd, 2007 at 1:23 am
Welcome back! You got some great socks and yarn!
There are many great things out on the web, but one I saw today that no one else has commented on is the vest Kirsten of Through the Loops is designing and knitting in Skye Tweed. It’s gonna be all cabled goodness.
http://throughtheloops.typepad.com/through_the_loops/2007/08/dr-gs-memory-ve.html
August 22nd, 2007 at 1:31 am
Hmmmm…I have to say that I love Maritza’s Woody and Chuck photos:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/51758969@N00/990608711/
And,I need to show off my stag bag, of course:
http://www.neitherhipnorfunky.com/?p=176
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:07 am
Well, I was going to mention Jared’s Cobblestone, but you already know about that at this point. I also love Vanessa’s Habu short sleeved linen paper jacket http://coloursknits.blogspot.com/2007/08/linen-and-silk.html
Wow, your new socks are incredible!
August 22nd, 2007 at 3:46 am
I really love the way she did the heel flap on your embossed leaves socks. I have made one but did a standard heel flap. Now I’m sad!!! It looks so nice! I’ll have to make more with the leaves extended down like that. They are gorgeous!! And the yarn she sent you. YUM!
August 22nd, 2007 at 5:29 am
My, what lovely socks you have! Lucky girl!
I am always impressed with Jared, but the fact that this:http://www.flickr.com/photos/68971937@N00/859884788/in/set-72157600481884907/ is one of his first spinning attempts makes me both awestruck and not just a little nauseous. The talent in Brooklyn…
August 22nd, 2007 at 6:03 am
I second the woody and chuck photos! I sort of have a crush on woody…
Your socks look fab, looks like you lucked out with all the delicious yarn!
August 22nd, 2007 at 6:05 am
Awesome socks! Great contest idea! I’ve got tons of blogs to catch up on too, but not that many.
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:11 am
Wow- you are finally back! Seems like you have been away forever!
That was a very wise decision to mark all the posts as read. I seriously would have tried reading them- because i hate missing out on good things!- and then EVENTUALLY caved in. Glad you reached the rational decision early on. ;0)
August 22nd, 2007 at 12:42 pm
How good is it to be in your own bed? Welcome back.
I’ve seen a number of t-shirt quilts, but I think I found my favorite yesterday. I went through a Dead Head phase, but I just love the idea of using your favorite t-shirt.
http://whipup.net/2007/08/12/if-youre-gonna-make-a-t-shirt-quilt/
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:17 pm
Nice to see you, Pam
I am quite behind on Bloglines myself after my Peru vacation - so these are some good tips on blog posts.
I love the socks. Your pal did a nice job.
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:24 pm
it’s great to be hearing from you.
i think someone already her blog but elizabeth has been on a sewing tear with some gorgeous fabric. she made a slew of cute, cute skirts recently.
http://amingledyarn.wordpress.com/2007/08/20/skirt-fest-07/
August 22nd, 2007 at 2:25 pm
Deb at Cashmere Dream’s Lizard Ridge Noro blanket is amazing to me:
http://kitchencotton.blogspot.com/2007/08/lizard-ridge.html
And I don’t know that this is exactly what you were looking for, but you HAVE to check out this ‘Kooky Kraft’ that Ryan at Mossy Cottage Knits linked!
http://www.nwkniterati.com/MovableType/MossyCottage/
August 17th post, see link at end.
Two words: Phone Sheep.
August 22nd, 2007 at 4:42 pm
Check out this “specimen box” of yarn butterflies! I love this; what a great way to decorate your craft room with leftover sock yarn (that isn’t just be leaving it all over the place!):
http://doggedknits.com/?p=1065
August 22nd, 2007 at 5:20 pm
But, but….I did the same thing as you after vacation and so I haven’t been able to read blogs but I wanna win something dammit! Um. I’ll see if I can find something.
August 22nd, 2007 at 5:22 pm
not so much a crafty creation, but we had puppies!!!
plenty of pics everyday so far on my blog….
love those socks - the green was the perfect shade and the patterning down the heel! That is great!
August 22nd, 2007 at 6:33 pm
(this may be a repeat, since I got an error message)
How about the Homer Simpson doughnuts my son made and I posted on my own blog? http://kitkatknit.wordpress.com/2007/08/08/on-tonight%e2%80%99s-episode-of-%e2%80%9ccooking-with-graham%e2%80%9d/
August 22nd, 2007 at 7:08 pm
thirding Chuck and Woody, and seconding Kelp’s Ironwork Socks.
Something no one’s mentioned yet, or at lest I don’t think so? Drunken Bees:
http://www.domesticrafts.com/Clog
/2007/07/30/GetYourDrunkenBeesHere.aspx
Lurve.
And I am happy to say that Empty Orchestra is part of what made the 20 hrs of driving to and from PA bearable
August 22nd, 2007 at 7:27 pm
Well, it’s not a creation as such, but I think the blame for the entire knitblogosphere wanting to start quilting can be placed squarely on Ashley’s shoulders.
http://doggedknits.com/?p=1071
August 22nd, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Oh Jared’s Hemlock ring of course!! It is just amazing and to think the pattern designer would never imagine this would be a blanket of the finest handwork and in 2007, no less! Thus Jared’s link:http://brooklyntweed.blogspot.com/
August 22nd, 2007 at 7:51 pm
Don’t know if this counts as art or crafts but it’s damn cool!
http://www.jennifermaestre.com/welcome.html
August 22nd, 2007 at 8:19 pm
I’ve been just as bad as you with the reading, so no contest entry for me - but hot damn, those are gorgeous socks!! Beautiful, simply beautiful.
August 22nd, 2007 at 10:06 pm
I’m being sucked into the vortex of cuteness of knitted toys. There’s even a KAL now: http://knittedtoys.blogspot.com/
I can’t believe how cute these critters are.
Also super cute: the knitted farm playmat, found here: http://knottygirls.com/jenla.blog/index.php/2007/08/02/project-farm-mat-put-out-to-pasture/
August 22nd, 2007 at 11:56 pm
The most amazing crafting thing I’ve seen is here:
http://englishrussia.com/?p=851
These are cakes, decorated in amazing ways.
August 23rd, 2007 at 1:07 am
I agree about brooklyntweed’s adult tometen jacket (it’s soooo on my list of future projects), but I gotta go with Lene Alve’s Henry VIII sweater. It’s stunning.
http://www.lenealve.blogspot.com
Drop-dead beautiful.
Love the socks, by the way. I’m knitting my very first pair (knitting for 42 years and just finally became fascinated with socks — I’m a slow study).
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:37 am
I definitely agree that Jared’s Hemlock ring is fantastic (so many other have linked to it . . . I hope you don’t mind if I don’t!) and the Domesticrafts’ Drunken Bees Socks here: http://www.domesticrafts.com/Clog/2007/07/30/GetYourDrunkenBeesHere.aspx
Glad to see you’re back!
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:00 am
I vote for Brainylady’s very first quilt:
http://brainylady.blogspot.com/2007/08/quilt-cat.html
She even hand-quilted it, and there’s an awfully handsome feline model.
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:49 am
http://knityoga.blogspot.com/ I have seen many projects i just loved but after having just spent 4 hours on the floor blocking the MS3 stole as well, i think this lovely lady did a beautiful job on her blocking!
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:26 pm
I love the ellybeth dress from wiksten-made.
http://wiksten-made.typepad.com/wikstenmade/2007/08/ellybeth-dress.html
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:37 pm
I was going to mention Kelp!’s Ironwork socks, but it looks like it got a lot of mentions already
I knitted a dodecahedron, which I think is pretty cool:
http://www.elevenstitches.com/eleven_stitches/2007/08/dodecahedron.html
Welcome back!
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:48 pm
Gorgeous embossed leaves, you lucky lady! And this is a very good idea for a contest, because none of us can get to all the blogs that we’d like to; now I can read your comments and find lots of stuff I missed, too. As for me, since I’m a little obsessed with quilting, I keep going back to the Scrap-X Quilt at happythings. And just yesterday I came across a very sweet little baby-girl top: Avita by lomester.
August 23rd, 2007 at 6:30 pm
I think the knitted house is the most amazing.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=460754&in_page_id=1770
August 23rd, 2007 at 6:39 pm
This is the craftiest craziest creation I have seen.
http://knitteroo.blogspot.com/2007/06/el-yarno.html
I think my little sister in law wants one for halloween
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:39 pm
You rock! And we are all so glad to see you back! Isn’t Anne-marie just awesome? She is a favorite blogger of mine. It’s funny, I saw her post about sending you the socks, but didn’t click the link to find out her pal was.
Awesomest crafty creation?? Oh geez. Ravelry overwhelms with amazing things to see and knit. So, I will forego the contest entry and just say welcome back!
August 23rd, 2007 at 7:45 pm
I think this is pretty sweet. It’s on my to-do list.
http://www.craftster.org/forum/index.php?topic=127932.0
August 23rd, 2007 at 11:25 pm
I just discovered these, which I think are charmingly strange, even if you haven’t played Katamari Damacy:
http://www.shojobeat.com/diy/princemuffs/
They seem like the perfect Michigan Halloween-at-35-degrees accessory. And they even have a secret pocket. Weird!
August 24th, 2007 at 2:01 pm
I don’t know if you’ve read Moonstitches ‘ blog before but if not you have to check her out. She just finished this: http://moonstitches.typepad.com/moonstitches/2007/07/155.html#trackback
It’s amazing!
August 24th, 2007 at 11:42 pm
This beautiful linen and silk jacket by colours knit. http://coloursknits.blogspot.com/2007_08_01_archive.html
August 25th, 2007 at 6:50 am
I really like this Butterfly:
http://lingy.livejournal.com/125773.html
I just recently found her blog, and she knits so beautifully.
August 25th, 2007 at 5:58 pm
This isn’t a craft but since you have a baby in the family, Amy Karol’s post about toys *not* made in China is a great reference:
http://angrychicken.typepad.com/angry_chicken/2007/08/not-made-in-chi.html
Welcome back!