2017 FO #1: Jitterbug Rise Socks (or, In Memory of Socks Past)

When I first discovered sock knitting, my favourite sock yarn was Colinette Jitterbug. These were the days right at the start of Ravelry, before I know that sock knitting was a huge thing and before everyone and their mother became an indie dyer and gorgeously dyed sock yarn became easy to find (not having a go! I love indie dyers and more power to anyone who can make money in a creative industry.). I loved Jitterbug's tonal and variegated colours and style. You could only buy Jitterbug two places I knew of - Sarah Durrant's online store and Sunspun in Canterbury, so I stalked destashes looking for colours. My biggest demonstration of love was to knit someone a pair of socks from my precious stash of Jitterbug.

Over time, other favourites emerged. I discovered the indestructible Opal yarn and began to stalk that in destashes instead. The ease of being able to buy Patonyle everywhere made that a staple yarn for me. However, despite the many yarns that followed, I never forgot my first true sock yarn. I've kept all of my leftover Jitterbug yarn in a ziploc, waiting for the right project to come along. Finally, a few things came together that meant the time was nigh.

Firstly, I noticed that the Ozifarmer's Market Ozisock yarn I was using in my Outback Socks had a very similar feel to Jitterbug's bouncy high twist and I had a lot of it left over after finishing the socks.  Then, I was watching the Hey Sister podcast (if you don't watch it, you should give it a go - they're adorable) and Tabi was making a pair of Pixel Rise Socks out of a set of minis. I don't have any minis but I did have a baggie of mini sized Jitterbug scraps, so the idea took place...

Two months later, voila!

A gorgeous pair of Jitterbug ish socks.

I'm not going to lie - you will have a lot of ends to weave in after finishing these socks!

But it's worth it - they look really pretty and are a worthy memorial of great socks past.

From cuff to toe, the yarns are:

Ozifarmer's Ozisock in Outback (from 2015)

Colinette Jitterbug in Jay (from 2012)

Colinette Jitterbug in Vincent's Apron (from 2011)

Knit Picks Hawthorne in Conifer (from my Japan Sleeves pullover)

Colinette Jitterbug in Castagna (from 2009)

Colinette Jitterbug in Fruit Coulis (from 2012)

I really love them and I hope the recipient does too.

After this photo was taken, we drank two margaritas each and I discovered what I am sure is the incredibly authentically Mexican dish of chocolate tortillas. They were delicious!

And a fitting end to a very enjoyable pair of socks.

Winning! Another pair of Panel Rib Socks (2012 FO #12)

Hi Blog! It's good to be back!* It's funny - last year I was hardly blogging at all but this year I have started to really look forward to checking in a few times a week and talking about all the things that have piqued my interest. Hopefully, other people find it (just a little bit) interesting too... 

Item No.1 of Interest this week: How does one take decent photos of one's feet?

The answer is not to wave one's iPhone in the air, pressing buttons at random. Trust me.



Last year I shared with you a Boneyard Shawl I made out of Jitterbug in Jay.  It was a really gorgeous shawl and I loved looking at it but, as a piece of clothing, it sucked. I don't know if it was because it was too small or because the Jitterbug was slick and smooshy, but every time I wore it it ended up on the floor. It was the most useless scarf ever. Then, a few months ago  I whipped up a pair of Panel Rib socks for my sister using Jitterbug in Fruit Coulis. I loved her socks, I couldn't wear my scarf...I knew that it was time to make some Panel Rib socks for me.

To avoid the pooling that happened on my sister's socks, I spiralled two alternating balls of this yarn. As you can see in the side-by-side shots, this was somewhat successful. 

The pattern is the same as for my sister's socks, and this time I managed to get some shots that showed the single ribbing 'seam' that runs up the back of the calf. Should I write up the pattern? I can see me making many more of these in the future.

These socks are gorgeous and comfortable and I love them. Plus, I now feel all frugal, thrifty and non-wasteful because I turned an unloved and unused object into a pair of much-loved and soon-to-be-much-worn socks. To quote Charlie Sheen, "Winning!"

* Ran out of Internet again. It is no coincidence that running out of Internet coincides with big deadlines, because apparently for me Big Deadlines = Must Look At Pretty Pictures. I think if blogs had been around when I was doing my undergraduate degree I never would have graduated.

FO Friday: Panel Rib Socks and an amazing discover (2012 FO #9)

You know how I'm always like 'Can't find the cable for my camera so here are photos from my iPhone again' or 'Sorry about the terrible iPhone photos!' like a broken record? Well, my poor camera is broken and in the repair shop so the photos are from my iPhone again.

However, I recently found out there is this app you can use that takes the photos from your iPhone and makes them look pretty and that lot of people actually choose to use this app to take their photos with rather than use a point-and-shoot camera. 

You may have heard of it - Instagram (yes, I am slow to adopt new technologies. I'm hopeless.) 

An arty shot:

I heart it!

The Specs


These Panel Rib Socks were my Day 2 CAST-ON MANIA project. I cast on 62 stitches and then did 12 rows of 1x1 rib. The paneling is a 5x1 rib with an additional knit and purl stitch that goes down the back of the sock (15cm total cuff length). I did a short row heel (centred on the 1x1 column) then continued the ribbing pattern as established on the top of the foot. It took 88g for a sock the right size for my sister's 6.5 foot.

The Jitterbug (as always) was fabulous and resulted with a thick, squooshy warm sock. The colourway is *very* bright and I wasn't crazy about the pooling when I was knitting them but on the foot they look gorgeous and I hope my sister likes them very much.

And because I can't stop playing with Instagram...

..this is how my cat helps me reach my deadline - sitting on the top shelf of my desk and watching me.

Cast on Mania Day 3: Panel Rib Socks

I am pleased to announce that this blog's regular scheduling has been interrupted. Instead, I present you with:

Every day this week I will be starting a new project. Every project is to be made with yarn from the stash and all of them need to be finished in two months or less.  It'll be fun!  Clearly crazy, but mostly fun.

I love knitting socks and I try to share the love by giving those socks to my loved ones. Honestly, though, other than Sam (who I know loves his socks) I'm never sure if they really if they actually appreciate the effort that goes into them or if they just look at the gift thinking "You can get socks from Target for $6...this is the scungiest present ever!". So when my sister requested a pair of handknit socks to get her through winter, I cast on straightaway. The yarn is Jitterbug in colourway Fruit Coulis that has been in the stash since January 2011 and it is alternately very very bright and very very dark. I'm not a huge fan of pooling, but the beauty of gift socks is I don't have to be. They certainly add colour to the long cold winter days, so no complaints here.

Hospital Blues: 2011 FO #7 Blue Jay Boneyard

On the night I broke my leg, I slipped and immediately know something was very wrong.  We immediately called the ambulance and while we were waiting Sam packed a bag for me.  Bless his lovely soul, in addition to my wallet and mobile phone he packed three knitting projects.  One of them was this:



I knitted this entire shawl in the five days after my operation before I was transferred to rehab.  I can remember precisely nothing of the process at all - zilch.  I must have enjoyed it because I did finish it quickly (for me), but I have no memory of it.





The finished shawl then got lost in the move from hospital from hospital and then apartment to apartment, only to be rediscovered a few weeks ago.  I blocked it, and I now have a brand-new scarf in some of my favourite colours that feels likes a present from me to me!

This yarn was originally going to be socks, but when I was knitting them up I got hardcore pooling of the black part of the yarn which obliterated all the other subtle variations of the yarn. The Boneyard pattern really showcases this particular yarn - it’s a perfect marriage between wool and pattern.

Pattern: Boneyard, by Stephen West
Yarn: My favourite - Colinette Jitterbug, colourway Jay
Notes/Modifications: Because I am short, I modified the pattern so there were six increases every two rows instead of four, meaning I ended up with a shorter, wider shawl. I did this by changing the increases at each side of the shawl to YOs and increasing at the start and end of each row, just like Ishbel.

Another one bites the dust

Last week was my birthday. I know it's a cliche that gets older as each year passes (as do I!) but man, last year just flew by.  As is my wont, I christened the start of a new Belinda-year by gathering my erstwhile companion, heading to Cafe Vue and easing in the transition to the new year with a strong alcoholic beverage (Campari and soda, chilled and delicious).



(On a side note: every time I go to Cafe Vue I love it just a little bit more.  Cafe Vue, I heart you.)



After eating a delicious brunch and getting a nice midmorning buzz on, we headed to one of my favourite Melbourne places: NGV.  I know I've said it a million times, but I think all Melbournians should be proud to live in a city that buys art that is beautiful, remarkable and interesting and then opens the doors to anyone who cares to visit for free, without discrimination.  Yay Melbourne!

Sometimes the art is creepy and strange! What is this thing, and what does it mean? Why is the plastic rabbit so giant?

The gift shop had the CUTEST moulds for cupcakes.  These were out of my budget ($24.95 for two and four respectively), but I will find them somewhere cheaper and they will be mine!  I must serve cupcakes in a cup and in a robot or else my life will not be complete.

It's a really good thing that coolness and style are not prerequisites for entry, because as I left the building I realised that I had been walking around all day wearing both sunglasses and reading glasses at the same time.  Sometimes I am so darn trendy I amaze myself...

To cap off a lovely day*, I arrived home to a surprise package.  Well, half of it wasn't a surprise - the pink yarn is Jitterbug that I bought in a destash before Christmas as a present for myself.  However, the purple yarn was a surprise that Yarnivorous included, and it made my day.  I don't  know what type of wool it is or how many metres there is in the ball, but I know it is very pretty and it will become a scarf for me.

I'm not sure I'm ready to be another year older, but since I don't actually have much of a choice, I hope this year is full of fun, laughter, fulfilling and interesting conversation and lots of yummy wine.

* Honestly, the day was topped of with many hours of eating Malaysian food and drinking much wine and cocktails in a manner suited to people much younger than I am, but in the interest of attempting to appear halfway mature and appropriate for my ever-increasing age, I am going to pretend that particular birthday ritual didn't happen this year.  Although it was very fun, and as always a great way to celebrate my special day.