Actually – not so weird. We have air conditioning in the current apartment, while the previous apartment did not. I suspect that has something to do with the urge to play with wool in July.

Here are some recent projects that are off the needles. This year, I decided that I would only join one sock club, and I would knit each and every pair that came in the mail as soon as possible.  I decided to sign up for the Woolgirl sock club for a few reasons, including: variety of yarn companies included, excellent word of mouth/blog about the club, ability to choose either sport or fingering yarn (that clinched it for me) and its fairly affordable price tag considering the exclusive nature of the yarn and patterns.

I have not been disappointed. In fact, I’ve kept my promise to myself, and have knit the first two kits immediately upon arrival.

Here are the April socks:

Project: Reina Socks, (Ravelry Link). Pattern by Lisa Dykstra

Yarn: Mama Llama Perfect Sock (sport weight) in Georgia’s Inspiration on size 2 needles, Magic Loop

I experimented with these socks by knitting both socks at the same time. Not on the same needle, though. I happened to have 2 size #2 circs in my drawer, so I would knit on both socks back and forth on both needles – cuff of sock #1, then cuff of sock #2, then the leg of sock #1, the leg of sock #2, then the heel of each, etc. etc. etc. Not only did this keep me from finishing one sock and putting aside the second, it also helped me to keep them remarkably similar, since anything I fudged on sock #1 I would remember for sock #2. I have to credit Stacey with this idea, as she mentioned it in the comments way back in this post, and I finally tried it. I’m now a believer!

Here’s the June Sock:

Project: Froggin’ Socks, (Ravelry Link). Pattern by Lisa Dykstra

Yarn: Dashing Dachs Dachs Sox:Sport Superwash Merino in Froggin’ colorway on size 2 needles, Magic Loop

When I saw this yarn, I thought it was the anti-Susan yarn. I mean – green? orange? YELLOW? These are not the colors I gravitate towards. These are usually the colors I avoid at all costs.

However – I told myself that I’d knit each kit, and figured I’d give these a go. I am SO glad I did, because I absolutely love these socks and this yarn and (yes) even these colors.

I didn’t follow the pattern exactly though. Instead, I knit these from the toe up, with a plain stockinette foot – both at once, magic looped on the same needle. While these got a tad fiddly, it was still no more fiddly (to me) than DPNs. The actual knitting seemed to go slower, though, but when I got to the heel, I had to remind myself that I had already knit TWO sock feet instead of just one. That was pretty nice.

I turned the heels, then proceeded up the legs using the pattern stitch. While the stitch pattern itself is obscured in the colors, I liked the overall texture of the stitches (rather than the pattern for the pattern’s sake, if that makes sense). From there, I knit each sock separately, and finished with some twisted 1×1 rib.

Those were the first two of the five club kits, with the next due to arrive in August. I can’t even imagine what the yarn or colorway will be. I can’t wait to find out!

Project: Roza’s Socks, (Ravelry Link) by Grumperina from Interweave Knits Spring 2007

Yarn: All Things Heather Handpainted Superwash Merino (Color: Periwinkle) on #2 DPNs.

I started these socks a year ago while in the midst of the move from our old apartment to our current apartment. I had done the entire first sock, and most of the cuff of the second when I set these aside.

For a more visual display of how much time passed between socks, check out the progress of the Trump building (on the right hand side) from when the first sock was done, and then today:

Then:

Now:

That’s a whole lot of building completed between socks.  Moving on.

Because I was working with thicker yarn than called for in the pattern, I had to adjust the number of stitches. I had worked out the heel on the first sock, but left myself no notes for how to repeat it over a year later. So I fudged it. It seemed to work out OK.

I probably will not make this pattern again, but I do like the way these socks turned out. They fit nicely and the yarn is very soft and comfy.

Project: Garter Rib Socks, (Ravelry Link) by Charlene Schurch in Sensational Knitted Socks

Yarn: Koigu KPPPM (Color: P318, black, dark purple, red) on #1.5 DPN and circular.

These were knit from the toe up, using my favorite toe-up heel flap by Cookie A. I finished on sock last year, and had to start the second sock from the very beginning – alas! After so many partially finished projects, it pained me to actually have to cast on from the beginning. Poor me. (end sarcasm)

For the second sock, I knit the entire thing with a 40″ size #1.5 circular needle with magic loop. I still can’t believe how much I love this method of knitting socks! It will definitely be my go-to for knitting tubes from here on out – sleeves, socks, etc. I love it.

I also love the colors in these socks. They remind me of crushed raspberries and blackberries – the dark colors with bits of red here and there. Which is making me think of pie, which is making me hungry.

I will say – the second sock fits a little tighter than the first, the toe is a little pointier and they’re both a little short in the leg, but that really doesn’t bother me. I figure it’s just the price to pay for waiting 8 months between socks. I’m amazed I even finished the second one. Go, me!

*My zipper foot is in transit, and right now is in Maryland. Not that I’m obsessively checking the package tracking or anything.

The amazing thing about having a bunch of half- or even mostly-finished objects lying around, is that when you dig them out and work on them, they finish up rather quickly.  That means that I get the thrill of finishing multiple projects in rapid succession, without the boring slog through the middle.

True, I had done the boring slog at an earlier time, but still – fun!

I managed to finish up THREE projects this weekend.  Not only that, but I tried something new and unusual with each of them.

Project: Sea Wool Socks (Ravelry link), my own design based on Wendyknits’s Southwestern Socks (pdf) and using Cookie A’s heel technique from her Baudelaire socks.

Yarn:Fleece Artist Sea Wool (70% merino, 30% seacell) in “Paris” on #2 needles

When I pulled these out of the WIP pile last week, I saw that the second sock had had its toe and the first repeat of the pattern completed.  It took me a while to get back in the groove knitting these – there was quite a bit of ripping out when I stopped paying attention to the pattern repeats here and there.  Also, I had difficulty counting to 43 in order to center the heel. I have no excuse for that.

But once the heel was completed, I tried something new (for me) with the leg – I finished it up using the Magic Loop technique instead of DPNs.  And I LOVED it.  I didn’t have any problems avoiding ladders between needles, which is a problem I have with DPNs.  I didn’t have the extra needle tips floating around to entice the cats which is what happens when I use two circulars.  Magic Loop is my new best friend.  And now I have a new pair of socks.

While I was knitting on the socks, I also would knit on this:

Project: Multi-Directional Diagonal Scarf (Ravelry Link) (pattern link)

Yarn:Noro Silk Garden Lite, 3 balls of color #2015 on size 8 bamboo straight needles

I had “finished” this scarf with 2 balls of yarn, but it was too short. I added a third, and it is exactly the right length for me now.  These aren’t really my colors (orange and green? my feared colors! I never know how to wear them!) but hopefully this scarf will make me be more courageous.

What I did a little differently with this scarf: I knit the entire last section of this scarf Continental style (I’m usually an English “thrower”). I’ve been doing so much crochet lately (thanks, Babette blanket!) that I’ve become more comfortable holding the yarn in my left hand.  Since this scarf is garter stitch, it was easy to get used to the new style, although I did have to watch my tension a bit.  And now, a new scarf.

Not only that:

Project: Yarn Harlot’s One Row Scarf (Ravelry Link) (pattern link)

Yarn: 3 hanks of Sheep 2 Yarn, color g043, on size 11 bamboo straight needles

Sunday afternoon, I found myself in sole possession of the remote control, so I caught up on some DVR time and finished this scarf in just a couple of hours.   I’m still not sure why I put this down this winter, except that repeating the same row over and over probably had me pretty bored.  To counteract the boredom, I again tried knitting this Continental style.  This was more of a challenge, as the pattern had not only knit stitches, but knitting through the back loop, and purl stitches.  But I got the hang of it quickly, and even kept a pretty even tension.

You know what this means?  Three of the eleven WIPs from my 101 in 1001 list are done!  I’m even working on a fourth one this week, that should be done by the weekend.

I’ve definitely come down with finish-itis.  What will I do when I run out of half-completed projects? I think I might be spoiling myself, getting so many projects done so quickly.