Monkeys are swinging from the trees!

I finished my Monkey socks! And -- I finally got the kitchner stitch right. I was doing all the steps properly, I just wasn't carrying the working yarn to the front and under the needles. But, by George, I think I've got it!

Modifications to the pattern:
• 5 pattern repeats in the leg rather than 6
• Eye of partridge heel








Here's a good YouTube video of the kitchner stitch:




I also like this one.

Block Party

Miss Honeychurch is soaking....



Miss Honeychurch's block party location....



Miss Honeychurch is blocking....

Anyone got a banana?????

Introducing: SPUNKY MONKEY SPUMONI

I've finally begun Cookie A's Monkey socks from the 2006 Winter issue of Knitty. I have coveted this pattern since it first came out but had not gotten around to knitting it until now. I love, love, love the pattern. I also really love the yarn. I am using KnitPicks Felici in the Gelato colorway. It is sooooooo soft. I would categorize the yarn as a light fingering weight - very, very thin. The yarn is especially delightful to work with.



I also had made these with the yarn, another Cookie A pattern (Pomatomus), and fell in love with the yarn back then.

And joy of joys, the new Knitty, Fall 2009, just came out and there is yet another sock pattern, Clandestine, by Cookie A that is in my knitting future!

PERFECT NUMBER COMBINATION: 09.09.09...

...and oh yea, it's my birthday! Couldn't get better numbers than that!

I cast off Miss Honeychurch at lunch today. I just need to block her & then I'll post pictures.

Back to where I was...

...before my swim in the frog pond.

Miss Honeychurch - 2nd time around

Here's the first version:



There's not a whole lot of difference, but I'm happy with my 2nd attempt. I'm going to add about 2 more inches to the length and then complete the sleeves.

Here we go again

Frogged Miss Honeychurch last night and re-cast on. I'm about 20 rounds in.

Goodbye, Honey

I have decided to frog & start over. I LOVE the drape of the hemp fabric so I want my Miss Honeychurch to have a little more drape when worn. Right now, there is too much negative ease so I am going to go up a size and hopefully gain some more drape. My gauge swatch turned out to be a whole lot looser than my actual knitting (I didn't intend to have any negative ease) so to the frog pond I go...

Honeychurch progress

Honey Bunches of Crunch!!!

Ahhh - Miss Honeychurch.....

This is from the Summer 2009 issue of Knitty. I was inspired to knit this from Chrissy from the Manic Purl podcast. I am using Allhemp6 in the Sprout colorway. I really love using this yarn - the texture, the feel, the spongie-ness. I've heard some people say that this yarn hurts their hands as they knit with this, but I have not had a problem. My biggest issue with this yarn is that so far, all of my skeins have had a knot in them. In addition, one skein had about 2 feet of a broken ply. For the price, I would think the yarn would have a little better quality control.

frayed ply