Akkhol

These are my first socks for the orphanage in Akkhol, Kazaghstan. This charity was started by two women who adopted children from the orphanage and found the children in -40 deg F weather without mittens. Since it's inception it has broadened its mission to supply various knitted goods provided they are made from at least 75% animal fiber.

The socks were fun to knit. I used a ball of Opal Neon sock yarn (no longer manufactured) and 2.25 mm needles. I have switched from Bamboo to Boyce metal needles. They are as light as Bamboo needles, but much sturdier and less expensive since many of my needles disappear into what my daughter calls "the mom zone." I really like these needles, but have not tried them as yet with really slippery yarn.

Knit on Merrily!

The vagaries of sock knitting

So you see a sock pattern that you really, really like and decide to knit it for yourself and then when you read the pattern the thought comes to mind "this might just be a little too big for your feet." Since the pattern cannot be re-sized you go ahead because you figure, against all experience you have, that by using smaller sized needles, the socks just might fit.

And then you start knitting and you realize that the socks will indeed be too big, way too big. Nevertheless you continue knitting because the pattern really calls to you.

Since you are not willing to give up, you decide to knit the socks exactly the way the designer has written the pattern. What will you end up with?

A Women's US size 10. That's what you get. The designer says medium; I say very large. The pattern is free via Ravelry. I used Opal Uni yarn and 2.25 mm needles. The color of the yarn in the photos is not true. The color is a deep lilac, almost like the blooms on the lilac trees I remember from childhood. And the recipient of these socks? I know of only one person with women's size 10 shoes. The sales lady at the yarn shop. I think she's getting another pair of socks from me.

The pattern looks much more complicated than it really is. I'd be interested in other knitters experience with this pattern, should anyone want to knit it.

Knit on Merrily!

And Tommy asks:

"When are you going to block this shawl?"

Knit last September, this pi shawl designed by Wendy Johnson in honor of Elizabeth Zimmermann's 100th birthday, is still waiting patiently to be blocked. It'll have to wait until I find a large enough space. In the mean time it has been stored away from Tommy's reach. Amazing how he always appears from nowhere the moment I lay out a shawl.

Knit on Merrily!

Snow in February 2011

All of this fell while we were sleeping. Still can't open the front door. A. dug out the back door and a path for the dog. The line you see in the middle of the photo is the top of an outdoor chair. Makes for good knitting weather, but only after we got the wood stove going. The furnace pilot light went out over night as well and we are unable to light it because too much draft is coming down the furnace exhaust. Someone told us that we have to climb on the roof and clear the snow because the snow around the exhaust pipe has created a funnel for the wind to come down the chimney. Fat chance that either A. or I will climb on the roof. Of course, if it snows more we may be able to walk to the chimney. By the way, the little white dots are snowflakes coming down.

Knit on Merrily!