Sockupied Spring 2015 Review

I love a good pair of hand knit socks and normally knit a few pairs each year. Last year however, was a sock dry spell and I am on a mission to remedy that this year. That's why when I saw the opportunity to review the Spring 2015 issue of Sockupied I jumped at the chance. 

I have never purchased Socupied before, but love the new PDF format. I tend to be a mixed bag when it comes to downloading patterns. From my laptop, to iPad, to phone, or Kindle, this format makes it perfect to get anywhere.

Karner Butterfly Socks

Let me start with what I love the most, the photography. I thought the photos were not only beautiful but did a really excellent job at maintaining a lovely and relaxed feeling. And there was even a dog! The colors chosen for the socks were varied and really maintained interest even though the photos were all shot in the same location (inside a house). The overall aesthetic really feels like spring! Especially considering they probably photographed these in December.

I really appreciate that there was a variety of yarns chosen to feature the samples in. Yarns were Opal, Fibernymphs, Huckleberry Knits, Lorna's Laces, and Anzula. I haven't used all of these yarns, only a few (and have a couple hidden away in my stash too) but I still like the diversity. I'm not always a fan of when books/magazines do all the yarn from one company since I feel like it makes it more difficult for me to substitute. 

Laith Socks

My favorite feature was the designer profile. I love hearing about how designers got started, their process, and advice they have for knitters. The profile this issue was on Rachel Coopey. I would have liked to see a bit more information on her, as much of what was shared was in bullet points. Her design for the issue was simple, but not boring. The socks have loads of texture and visual interest. 

Washington State Knee Socks

This issue included a pattern for knee socks. Along with the pattern was an in-depth tutorial on sizing knee socks. I (having never knit knee socks) sort of assumed you just measure your leg and boom, knee socks. However, the article gave a lot of good advice which involves adjusting gauge and ease for your knee socks. 

Chain Socks

Two patterns were my absolute favorite; Chain Socks by Mone Drager and Mill Ends Socks by MK Nance. Chain Socks is a fantastic pattern to use with variegated yarn. I will be honest: I mostly hate variegated yarn. HOWEVER, I think the use of the slipped stitches in this pattern does a lovely job of breaking up color pools and variegation. Mill Ends Socks uses the movement of stitches to show of the gorgeous colors in hand-dyed yarns. The stitches move in varying direction across the sock. This pattern is simple but so unique. 

Mill Ends Socks

One thing I would like to see in future issues is a wider variety of sizes. Some socks came in five different foot circumferences and lengths, while a couple only had three or fewer sizes. While I am on the small footed end of things, I have friends and my sister-in-law who have much larger feet. So a consitently wider variety between sizes would suit more people. 

The pattern was written in the style common to Interweave Knits and Knitscene. In this way pattern instructions are blocked together based on the portion you are working on (i.e, all the heel directions in one paragraph). This is not my favorite way to follow or write a pattern. I find it visually overwhelming, but that's just my personal preference. 

Before I leave you to make your own decisions about Sockupied let me leave you with this, at $11.99, that is about $2 per pattern. A steal! 

Overall, I'm very excited to cast on Mill Ends Socks as my 2015 socks. I have the perfect skein of Anzula Squishy in my stash.While this was my first Sockupied, I doubt it will be my last. 

Check out the patterns in Sockupied and tell me, do you have a favorite?

Full disclosure: While I was given a review copy for this post, all ideas and opinions are my own. 

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Bags and Beginnings

This weekend I cast on for my new project using Dream in Color Smooshy. I'm loving the vibrancy of that blue!

Even better, I've finally had a chance to use the new bag gifted to me by friend and sample knitter Lee. Lee has been one of the fabulous sample knitters that have been working tirelessly for me over the last several months. She runs the shop Wooly Bags on Etsy. I'm so very impressed with her bag. It's fully lined with no exterior seams, and the double sided drawstring? I was so excited that she would think to share this little treasure with me! 

And these woodland creatures are just so stinking cute! I've been wanting to use it but when you knit sweaters, it's pretty hard to fit half a sweater and the yarn in a project bag. So right now, while I'm still at the beginning of this, I will use this bag as much as possible. 

I gave myself about an hour to knit yesterday then it was back to the computer. But give me a few more days and the computer work will be done (for now) and I'll be back to work on knitting something fun! 

Red Barn Yarn

Last year I got the opportunity to work with some new to me yarn, Powder River Yarn, hand dyed by Red Barn Yarn. 

This yarn has quite the story in that it is spun by Mountain Meadow Wools and is a blend of 63% Mountain Merino, 25% American alpaca, and 12% Rambouillet. This wooly blend creates a marled look when left in its natural state and takes color in a very interesting way when dyed. 

After using Mountain Meadow yarn last winter for a hat for D, I started reading more about the company and their efforts to create an American wool that focuses on sustainability.

Despite my eagerness to use this yarn, school started and at that point my schedule has a mind of its own. So finally a few weeks ago I took the time to wind up this yarn. I was initially a little annoyed as I found 2 breaks in the yarn while winding (they weren't knotted however). After I was done winding all the yarn I weighed the skeins. I've had a couple bad experiences with getting skeins from various companies that have breaks and then end up weighing less than listed on the ball band! Annoying. Despite the breaks in the yarn, this skein weighed 20 grams more than listed on the ball band. Major points! Also, the largest skein weighed over the 100 grams listed on the ball band so even though there were a couple of breaks, I still got a full skein.

After finding a hat pattern that I thought would work well for the yarn, I took the time to swatch (and for a hat! I know!). On size 6 needles I got a gauge of about 5 sts per inch. Also, because I'm annoying like that, I washed my swatch. I am pleased to say that this yarn did not bleed at all! Not even a tint in the water! 

I'm getting close to finishing this little gem and can't wait to share with you the final results. In the meantime, I would suggest checking out Red Barn Yarns. Beside the Powder River Yarn, they have a large selection of yarn bases and weights to choose from and you can order directly from their site. You can also sign up for their newsletter here or check out Mountain Meadow Wools here.

Bijou Basin Ranch Giveaway

I recently received two skeins of amazing yarn from Bijou Basin Ranch. I mean like, squealing and jumping when I pulled the yarn out of the package. So amazing!

In case you don't know about Bijou Basin Ranch, they are a family owned yak ranch located in Colorado. They sell high quality yak and yak blend yarns dyed by the people at Lorna's Laces. 

So after receiving these yarns I did what any knitter would do: I immediately started planning what I would knit with one of these lovely skeins, then I took them to my knitting group for everyone to drool over.

Today I cast on with Bijou Basin Ranch Himalayan Trail in the color Dinna Fash. This yarn is a 75/25 blend of yak and merino and is working up like a dream. The color is bright and intense, it reminds me of a peacock! I decided to make a hat for a friend, since we live in what can quickly become a very cold climate I'm hoping the yak fiber will provide some extra warmth and the merino will help the hat retain its shape.

The second skein I received is Lhasa Wilderness, a 75/25 yak and bamboo blend. I am seriously stunned at how silky this yarn is! The yarn is feather soft and the bamboo adds a really gentle sheen that makes this yarn so luxurious. I almost started knitting with this skein but thought you guys might appreciate it more. This gorgeous green color is called Lallybroch.

If you're an Outlander fan, you might be noticing a trend with the color names. Bijou Basin Ranch is doing a Countdown to Outlander celebration where for the next few weeks a select color family from their Outlandish colored yarns will be on sale for 15% off. This is a great time to pick up a few skeins of pure luxury. This week the purples are on sale. The Outlandish colors come in both the Himalayan Trail and Lhasa Wilderness. You can keep up to date with their sales by signing up for their newsletter on their website, or by following them on Twitter or Instagram.

In case I haven't used the word amazing enough in this post, the amazing people at Bijou Basin Ranch sent me two skeins so I could share with you! All you have to do to win this lovely skein of Lhasa Wilderness is leave a comment below telling me what you might make with this beautiful skein of yarn. Please be sure to leave your Rav name or email so I can contact you if you win! 

Share this on twitter and tag me @andrea_knits then come back here and leave a second comment letting me know you've done so for another entry. 

I will draw a name next week on Monday the 21st so hurry up! 

Annie and the Swiss Cheese Scarf

When I found out that Alana was writing her own knitting related children's book I was beyond thrilled. As many of you know, I'm a kindergarten teacher and a big part of my day is spent reading picture books. Alana very kindly sent me a copy of the book to review. 

When it arrived, I cuddled up on the couch and read through Annie's story. The illustrations are so beautiful and as a knitter, I think we can all relate to Annie in some way. But to really get a good review on the book, I shared it with a different audience: my class. We read the story of Annie together. At the end of the story I asked, "What do you think we can learn from Annie?" Some of the responses were:

Knitting takes practice.

Try your best.

Be patient.

Take your time.

If you practice something you can get good at it.

A cat and a mouse can be friends.*

*A most interesting reply. Hey, they're five.

I followed this up by asking the children to share what their favorite part of the story was.

When she got better with the scarf.

The boy with the bubble gum. He looked funny.

When she showed her friends to knit.

Finally, I asked, "Does this remind you of anything?"

When my mom made me my blanket. 

My grandma knits.

When my dad taught me how to plant flowers.

When my mom knits. I think she knits. She plays with string for sure.*

*Another good one.

I was really pleased that the students enjoyed the story so much. One of my kids shouted out afterward, "Now are we going to learn to knit?!" Unfortunately, I teach half day kindergarten so there isn't much time for that. 

I think this is the perfect book to share with the little someone in your life. As you can see, there is more to the story than just knitting. You can find the book here. 

My favorite thing about the book? Besides the great illustrations, the fact that both Annie and her mother are wearing Never Not Knitting designs really made my day!

Visit Annie's website here.

Visit Alana's website here.

Lahna Tea

What does one do when their little brother starts a new internet business? Like any good sister, they post about it on their blog.  My brother has recently launched an online tea store that sells loose leaf tea and teaware.

I'm not much of a tea snob (similar to a yarn snob only with tea) but I have to admit that he has pretty good taste when it comes to tea. He made me a few cups the last time I was in California and they were delicious. For someone new to loose leaf tea, he suggested starting with either of the oolang teas or the green tea. If you're interested you can visit his website here or his Facebook page. As an added bonus, shipping is free all of November.

Husky Creations and a Coupon

I am a bit of a notions fiend. I love any sort of knitting jewelry. So when my online friend Amanda asked if I'd mind reviewing her Etsy shop, I jumped at the chance.

Amanda's shop, Husky Creations, is focused on lovely and delicate stitch markers and magnetic pattern keepers. Amanda sent me a set of the jingle bell stitch markers to try out and I love them. Christmas is my favorite time of year, and these darling stitch markers help to keep me in the spirit during my Christmas knitting frenzy. The jingle they make with every stitch is very soft and makes me smile.

 Amanda shared with me that her idea behind the little jingle bell markers was to be able to "decorate" your knitting during the holiday season. Brilliant! Right now they're available in sizes small enough for socks or lace (I have mine on a size 4 needle) but she's working on some larger sizes right now as well. 

Take a visit to her shop and check out her lovely creations. And guess what? Because Amanda is so generous, if you find something you love use the coupon code: PEACE to save 25%! This coupon is good through the end of December. Also, if there's a particular color or style you'd like, send her a message and she'll make them for you at no extra cost. Her small markers will fit up to a needle size 6 and the large will fit up to a size 10. Her pattern keepers also come in two sizes, 8" and 10.5". She really is a gem, isn't she?

You can contact Amanda on Ravelry (Sparkeespud) or through email.

 

I also asked Amanda to write up a bit about herself for me to share with my readers so here's a little knitting bio about the creator behind Husky Creations:

My name is Amanda Underwood. I'm a 26 year old electrical engineer, wife and knitter. My dog Rocco is the inspiration for my Etsy shop, Husky Creations, that I started in early November to sell my handmade knitting accessories.

I've been knitting since I was about 10 or 11 years old. I remember being home sick from school one day and saw my mom had a "Woman's Day" magazine laying on the table. I picked it up and flipped through it. Inside there was a "How-To Knit" section. I asked my mom if I could try it, so we got some cheap needles at the local fabric store and some yarn to go with it. It was nothing fancy, plain metal needles and some pink Red Heart if I remember right.

I sat down that night and taught myself to knit from the book. I was hooked. I knit off and on until I got to college. I mainly knit scarves. In fact, I think that is ALL I knit for a good 10 years. Fun fur and other novelty yarns were my favorite ones to knit with.

When I moved to Omaha, Nebraska after college to begin my job as an Electrical Engineer for the power company, I found the Nebraska Knit and Crochet Guild here in Omaha. I started going mainly to make some new friends in Omaha. Soon after joining I found myself surrounded by many talented knitters and their wonderful knitted projects. I had no idea you could knit something other than boring scarves! I was in heaven. Soon I was knitting lace shawls, hats, gloves, etc. I couldn't be stopped. My skills have grown tremendously in the last 18 months thanks in part to this group.

I love creating these stitch markers and chart keepers. They are a good way for me to be creative, yet make something functional.

Thank you Amanda!

Product Review

I was planning on updating you on some projects I have on the needles today but it's almost 7pm now and dark. Since I haven't photographed any of the projects, it'll have to wait until tomorrow. Instead, I thought I might do a little product review:

Knit Picks Nickel-Plated Knitting Needle Tips:

For Christmas, my dear husband bought me the Options Interchangeable Harmony Wood needle set from Knit Picks. I was very excited as this is what I had asked for (and had added to the basket on the website and then emailed him the link). All the Options sets come with needle tips ranging from a size US4 to US11. That was fine. However, for my Montana Tunic I needed a US13 and US15. So back to Knit Picks I went. I decided to order the Nickel-Plated version of the needles instead of sticking with the Harmonies, just to try them out (and because they were less expensive). They showed up at my door fairly quickly considering Knit Picks is based on the West Coast. When I opened up the box and pulled out the needles I was surprised by how lightweight they are. Very nice. I tried to learn to knit on aluminum needles that were heavy and too slippery so I was a little nervous, but these are not heavy at all. I was also concerned with the slip factor but to my new-knitter surprise, these were not too slippery. However, if you are a more experienced knitter or prefer super slippery needles, these may not be slippery enough. These needles felt comfortable in my hand and helped my knitting to continue at a slightly faster pace. I really love the Harmonies (a review for another time) but if you already own the set and need alternate or extra tips, I would definitely suggest the Nickel-Plated tips. 

Thank you to all that have already offered to donate yarn for the Bark in the Park fundraiser! Thank you also to those who have posted about this fundraiser on their blogs! I truly appreciate it. Donations will continue through the end of the month so if you can, dig into your stash. Perhaps there is a skein of lovely yarn that you know in your heart of hearts you will not get around to using? If there is, please consider donating to this cause: Bark in the Park: Please Help

Also, you can continue reading about Hazel's story here.