Sock Madness 2020

Sock Madness came at just the right moment this year. I suspect for many people this was true. Most of us around the world were in various forms of lockdown, and in various forms of shock, as COVID-19 became a pandemic and restructured everyone's lives. Sock Madness gave me a structure and a goal and resulted in a terrific set of socks. 

I know the moderators plan the socks well ahead and couldn't have known what was ahead, but they do seem to be a particularly good set of socks with challenges and beautiful outcomes.

The socks are (from right to left):

    Qualifying Round : Wohin?

    Round 2: Echoes from a Transylvanian Forest

    Round 3: Lacy not Lazy Madness Socks

    Round 4: Adament Hears

    Round 1: Diamond Duality

    Round 5: Mobius Madness (this was my dropping out point but I decided to continue, especially, as it turned out, because round seven was written by Adrienne Fong who passed away. Such a lovely tribute.)

    Round 6: Lampropeltis

    Round 7: Suky

For me it was a bit more of a challenge than usual. Early on I made a mistake, picked up by the moderators and had to reknit a toe. Then later I completely misread the instructions and unfortunately the fix was too difficult and as I was in Round 6 I knew there was little time left, so I quit. A bit unhappily, but I'd never got two so wrong before, so a lesson learnt.

Can't wait for next year.

 

Finally the Qualifying Round has started!

Day 1.

Ah, Sock Madness. As usual an excruciating wait, and, finally it arrives in my Inbox at 3.20am! Oh well, people will have some part of a Sunday to get started. I'll have to fit it in around my Monday. I have two weeks to knit my sock.

I have my handspun yarn, it's the Gotland with a bit of green in it. Unfortunately, I'm worried I don't have enough. The yarn is slightly thicker than I would like. I'm going to knit the two socks at the same time. This is to see if it is quicker this way, and, it will help if I am running out of yarn. I'll start out knitting the small size on the suggested needles. I did a quick swatch and I get 8sts per inch, not 9. It was a bit tight, would love to use 2.5cm needles, instead of the 2.25mm. Depending on how the sizing goes maybe I will. The big question will be the length if I go to the larger needles.

The pattern is a Smock stitch. Simple really. It's mostly a rib with a twist every so often. A good starter pattern.

Panic stations, thought I'd lost a needle.....under the sofa cushion where I was swatching.

Now I start, just the cuffs.

Ok, the cuffs are done. The yarn has turned out to be finer than at the start. That's good, but it's still giving me extra length, I think. These could turn out to be very long socks! The two socks are turning out to be different.

Now for the legs.

 Day 2

A lovely day at SNB at Four Leaves. Managed to keep knitting my socks despite the distraction of conversation!

I am in trouble. I've just started the heels and I'm going to run out of yarn. I really don't understand how. I should have measured the length not just gone on weight. The only thing I can think of is that having the navaho plied yarn is denser therefore heavier for the same yardage. I

I do have the same top, but I haven't finished spinning it. Just as well it's the qualifier round. I may not be able to have all the socks handspun and I'm going to have to spin even finer than I have been for the other fibres. At least I've started spinning it.

The socks will be a tight fit, so maybe they might have to be gifted.

Day 3 to 8

Heels. Ok, I'm really running out of yarn. I'll have to finish spinning the other batt of Gotland. They're going to be a bit of a mixed batch as the second batt is blue. Partway down the first foot I've changed to the new yarn. I haven't had a chance to wash the finished yarn, it's a bit over twisted, but it will be ok when I've steamed the socks. I've finished one sock, just a toe to go!

Days 9 and 10

Ok, finished. The socks are a nice fit. The colour difference is noticeable. Now to get my Ravelry project listing up to date and send off my Sock Madness email. 

The Madness has begun!

Signup was announced at the beginning of February for Sock Madness 13. I love this knockout competition where you have to knit socks in two weeks. this will be my fourth year! I signed up immediately and then panicked as I was supposed to have spun all my sock yarn by now.

Yes, I've decided to handspin the yarn for Sock Madness. I'm trying out all those breeds that are said to be good for socks. I have some Gotland, Jacob, Southdown and Shropshire tops. It's a limited pallette, but I thought it might be fun to see if you can get away from having to use nylon in the yarn to strengthen the socks.

I have managed to spin 3, spun 1 without plying yet, and have another half finished on the wheel. That should be enough to keep me ahead of the pack. I'll keep spinning while I'm waiting....

Oh, no the Warm-up sock has arrived and it uses all those little bits that you have left over. It's too tempting.....

Here they are:

And, here is the bag of leftovers that I still have. How does yarn keep filling up the spaces it's stored in, no matter how much you take out? Should I do another pair?!

Waiting....

Sock Madness 10 - waiting for Round 6

Ok, I made it through Round 5 and am waiting for Round 6, ANY MINUTE NOW! This means that I'm in the last 10 for my team and only ONE will go through to Round 7.  There are several fast knitters in my group, should be fun.

Here are my socks up to this point for Sock Madness 10. One theme peeking through is me running out of yarn, for no good reason.....

Sock Madness 10 has started!

Yes, it's started again.....Sock Madness, number 10. Last year I actually made it to Round 6. Remember the first five rounds: last blog in May. So far we've had two warm up socks and I've just finished the first round.

The first sock, called SlipStripSpiral, is a mix of two yarns in a simple, but very effective slip stitch pattern, the interesting thing is the jogless change of the stripes. One colour is used for the toe, heel and cuff. So for the second sock I reversed the pattern for these. It makes an interesting fraternal pair of socks.

Last year one of the socks was based upon the Stroopwafel biscuit, apparently a favourite of the Dutch and Sock Madness participants. A friend gave me some last year, and, this year, the lovely Fitzie (on Ravelry) has given me more. I don't know if they do make me knit faster, but who's to argue!

 The first round finishes on the 14th March, so if you're interested go see Sock Madness on Ravelry.
I'm looking forward to being put in a team and seeing how far I get this year.

Five on ffffff....okay Sunday!

A bit late, a week full of events, but very little textile work done.

I did manage to get the first Stroop Stroop Sock done. This is a warm-up for Sock Madness 9, which starts in March. I thought I'd warm up and get used to posting my projects on Ravelry, as this is part of the competition.

Sock Madness 9 Warm-up Sock
The Stroop Stroop Sock

A completely relaxing evening was spent at Melbourne Zoo with their twilights session featuring the always wonderful Paul Kelly, with Vika and Linda Bull, Dan Sultan and some other fabulous guests that I didn't quite know. Zoo twilights used to be a regular on our calendar, but we haven't been for quite some time.

I did manage to get some shots of those animals that hadn't be bedded down for the night.

A new enclosure where you can view the Lemurs up close and personal

Love these birds, the amazing Jabiru

Who doesn't love Koalas?

The last event was the 90th birthday celebrations of the Rosanna Cricket Club, of which my partner is President.

Equipment in the rooms?

 I did take some photos to add to their collection, featuring the current facilities. A great night with lots of stories!

Five on Friday - new year, new start, new idea!

Ok, so I haven't blogged much, but after a relaxing Summer holiday I feel that perhaps I need to take a new approach. It is fun and I like the discipline of having to do something so I can blog about it!

Taking a leaf from Leanne and her photography blog, where she has themes for her various, varied and numerous posts, I thought I'd start a 'Five on Friday'.....five pictures of the work I've done through the week. Hopefully, they'll form the basis of more extensive blog posts, but lets start with this.

Here they are:

1. Coming back from the beach, where I've been taking pictures of shells. More food for my A-Z of shells design project, which is a bit slow at the moment because I need to do some spinning and/or some dyeing.

2. Having finally started, after years and years (yes, really!) of spinning a multi-coloured fleece that was a gift from a good friend, to design and knit this fairisle jumper. The pattern is loosely based on banksias and is coming up quite nicely.

3. Knitting more socks. Now I'm trying to time how long it takes me as I want to try out for the Sock Madness Forever Groups', Sock madness 9 on Ravelry. It opens up on the 1st February for Registration.

4. I like to have a few bobbins of fine spun singles to ply with so I've been topping up my natural and purple. I want to do alot of spinning this year, a definite stash busting year!

 5. And today, I went to see Jean Paul Gaultier at the NGV International. It's finishing soon and it full of amazing stuff, though I did think I saw something labelled as knitting when it was crochet!

So, don't forget to see Jean Paul Gaultier, it finishes on February 8th....that is, if you're in Melbourne!

All about the socks

Anyone who has started on the knitting socks journey, ie. has knit more than one and the dreaded second sock sydrome need no longer be mentioned, will tell you that these are the perfect journey, waiting room, etc. project. They're small enough to just pop into a bag. Once you've mastered the basic idea there are few difficulties (unless, of course, you choose to embark on a difficult patterm), and, you can never have too many hand-knitted socks, that is, unless there are also others who appreciate handknitted socks, and then you have the never ending reason for knitting yet another pair of socks. And, they're just complicated enough to be enjoyable to knit.

The reason I didn't tell you about the yarn is that it is just a yarn from Spotlight that I picked up when I had the delightful combination of a gift voucher and discount voucher! Wool with a bit of nylon. A good combination.

It's interesting yarns for socks, I've found that the cheap and cheerful are as robust and reasonable as some of the more beautiful yarns. And, helpfully, packing space at a premium, you don't need a pattern, with the sock pattern conveniently on the back!.

I'm now modifying patterns for my feet: right foot bigger than left, and, I tend to wear a hole in the toe first so that is re-inforced in the same way heels are. While toe decreasing I knit in between the decreases as follows:

     Row 1: K1, slip 1....
     Row 2: Knit

This gives a lovely reinforcement that seems to be working.

And simple sock patterns can be modified when you start the second:

Alternating bands of knit, then purl give a big cuff that I hope will hang over the edge of my ankle boots, of which I have a small, not quite yet, collection.

The next socks on the horizon are black!

Catch up installment 3 - What do you do in the tropics?

Knit socks, of course.

We went to the lovely Port Douglas for a week in the school holidays. Much more developed than when partner and I had gone some 25 years ago, but the four mile beach is still amazing to walk along in the morning and you can get a decent coffee at the end!

Unfortunately, it was a bit too windy to go out and snorkel on the reef, but a trip to Cape Tribulation was lovely and the general relaxing atmosphere and the ability to wear t-shirts everyday made the stay seem way too short.

I did have to have something to do on the long plane trip and in those quiet moments in the evening. Bliss.

How many socks can I knit in a week?

It's a strange week, that week between Christmas and the New Year. Almost like an extra week. You've got over the rush of Christmas, there's not really much to do for the New Year, unless YOUR hosting the party! I'm sure it's just another week, if the weather is cold and wintry, but here we're in the SUMMER holidays.

For my family, we all head off to the cricket. India vs Australia. It starts Boxing Day and takes a meandering 5 days, well, that's what it's looking like. I was keen to go and see Sachin Tendulkar attempt to make his 100th 100, but didn't quite make it today. Great to see a legend though and possibly his last tour here.

Where do the socks come in? Well I don't HAVE to do anything this week, it's not January, December work is over, so I've decided to knit some of this sock yarn sitting there, not quite in my stash, because I'm supposed to knit them.

The first one is the 'mojo sock' by Donyale Grant out of Yarn Magazine, Vol 11, Issue 23. She blogs at moggyandme.com and if this design is anything to go by, is a lovely designer. I'll have a look another time.

I've done one and 1/2 socks and should finish this first one tonight or tomorrow morning depending on the cricket....oh and the washing!

I like this design, it's asymmetrical and has endless possibilities, plus it's toe up (never done before) and an afterthought heel (never done before) with a magic cast on (successful attempt this time).

UFO's the journey continues...

Remember my post about my personal unfinished objects? Well the first one is finally finished! Here are my lovely pair of socks.

I think, now, that I've done enough socks to know what I like! So the next pair will incorporate all those elements that I would like in a plain pair of socks. A k2p2 rib at the top, slip st heels AND toes, and, of course, the right length for each foot.

Of course they're already started with some yarn that was a gift from a good friend. And then there's...

the yarn I picked up at Bendigo!

See what happens when you finish a UFO, you get two more!

UFO's and other excuses.....

Ok, so I haven't blogged for awhile. I'm busy. It shows....

Usually, I don't have many personal works on the go, but they've escalated. (Almost out of control!)

First, there's the lovely deep green short sleeved cardigan that I've been working on for awhile. I'm up to the sleeves with only the last ball left, so I have to do them in tandem from the top down till I run out of yarn. It's messy, so not so good at Snb or on the train.

Then there's a pair of socks I started at SnB one day when I'd forgotton some needles, or something and 'had' to do something, and 'nearly' finished at a slow day at Rose St. I do so want more socks.

Then, there's my niece, who's just turned 21, the first of the next generation. As well as a beautiful hand-made box from Ivanhoe Makers Market and the talented Smiljan, I wanted to knit her a blanket, just for her. After finding the pattern, and the yarn, I managed to get it almost half-way by her birthday, I am going slowly along, and the deadline I set myself is likely to pass by. Sorry Hayley, but it will get there.

Then, my gorgeous son, Michael, has asked for a handknit jumper.....hooray! I had just the pattern. He liked it. We decided on the colours. I've ordered the yarn from Bendigo Woollen Mills, it's arrived. I've started....

And finally, I've ordered the yarn to go with the Twist Collective pattern I bought and am really looking forward to knitting.

Oh, and that doesn't take into account the unfinished Yarn Forward knitalong blanket and the black cardigan I want to design and knit. I haven't designed for awhile and I know just exactly what I want to do!

Then add on to this all the fingerless mittens, shawls, scarves and assorted goods that I need to stock my market stall. All the drawing, painting and printmaking that is proceeding slowly as I work on my minor, works on paper, second year project. Various other assorted projects, it's a busy year. I'd like to say that I'm going to regularly get back to blogging, but who knows.

I have worked out a setting on my camera which has given me some lighting freedom, (thanks Leanne - photographer extraordinaire!) so here's hoping.

Just some finished things

Here are the finished articles referred to in previous posts. Just so you know I do finish things!

Firstly, the mystery socks. I slowed down once the last page was sent out, and then they sat waiting for the toes to be grafted. Finally, they're finished, I've worn them and I like them. Just perfect for jeans. Now, I need some new shoes.....

Oh, and, yes, I do have different sized feet and therefore different sized socks!

Then there's the fingerless mittens using the Earth Pallette experiment. I found just the right buttons and I like them, they'll be at Rose St. on Sunday.

And, finally the scarf. I am so happy with it. It has rolls, holes, bits sticking out and, I think, reflects my trip to the Botanical Gardens. The picture doesn't quite show everything, but, I hope you get the idea.

Mystery Sock Knit along - pictures of the leg!

Yes, I've finally finished the leg of the mystery sock, and, I'm posting this before finding out what the next part of the mystery is. I did manage to do alot of knitting at Rose St. last Sunday. No, it wasn't very busy, despite being an absolutely gorgeous day. The stalls were full of the most delightful handmade wares and they just seemed to shine. Unfortunately, it appeared that many people were out enjoying the sunshine, but not at the market. I had put up my handwoven, recycled wall hangings and received a sufficient number of interested looks and comments, but didn't manage to sell any. I did sell a few things which made the day worthwhile......if you take a long term perspective!

Anyway, lots of knitting and finally sitting down late last night, here they are:

Unfortunately, you can't see the pattern very well. It's wet, so I can't photograph outside!

You can see more on Ravelry.