Socktopia | Zen Mama

Archive for Socktopia

They’re done! They’re done!

March 6, 2007 · Filed under Fiber galore, Socktopia, zen string

I have knitting content! Remember the Monkeys? Yes, these dead sods:

They’re finally a pair of socks! Can I confess they’re my first knits???? (knit for me, not my first project ever!) Presenting: my new socks-

(more info on le blog)

Also, I wanted to share with you Inspector #5. She takes her job quite seriously. Every skein must meet her approval, or into mama’s stash it goes! (unless she actually really really loves it, and then again… into mama’s stash it goes! 😉 ) She meticulously goes over each step in the dye process to make sure all is well…. as seen here, inspecting the first ever Georgia skeins. Indeed she approves. Mama has a skein now to prove it. 😉

Now that Feb.’s Socktopia socks are finally out of the way… March is in full swing! I present to you, “Morocco”… Soloman’s socks to be:

I cast on last night, not too bad for a busy mama, eh? I am doing a simple 3×1 rib for him. Oh and hey, the yarn matches his NEW red cast! I failed to mention the boy broke his arm again!? Oh well, yes, he did manage to break his arm. again. At least he’ll be sporting flashy socks with his flashy cast soon. 😀

This yarn is Cherry Tree Hill in “fall foliage”. Lovely yarn, I have quite a selection of CTH yarns… though this is my first time to actually knit with it. So far so good! I am using #1 4 DPNs for these puppies. Hmm… not much else to report.

Check the Flickr album for alternative shots, and update your blog! 😉

Blessings,

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Wheel lust…

February 21, 2007 · Filed under Fiber galore, Socktopia

It’s no big secret that I have been lusting after a wheel for a good long time now. Sure sure, I love my spindle… it’s gorgeous and spins like a dream. BUT if I am short on anything in this lifetime, it is TIME. So, while I may love giving it a whorl every now and again, it just doesn’t quite quench the fiber thirst. ya know?! While waiting to order my Louet S51DT to be ordered (and then delivered)… I am building up my very own fiber stash. You saw the Koi BFL from the earlier post? Well, I’ve been busily dyeing up a ton of fiber for the next store update. (no, I’m not telling you when here… you’ll have to keep up on the mailing list. 😉 ) Look. at. this. I am in loooooooooove:

Meet “String Theory”. I adore hir. This is a hair 😉 shy of 7 ounces BFL silver… and while I had planned on selling the top, I just can’t part with it. And these photos don’t even come close to the amazing depth of color that is the real thing! This little silver has made me a teeny tiny bit afraid of the looming new “collection”… fiber. Currently, I only have about a pound of personal stash. A few more like this, and I’ll be drowing in fiber AND yarn! Speaking of fibery goodness… tomorrow my good buddy (not really) the FedEx man will bring to me many many pounds of new spinning fibers. Did you say bamboo? tencel? 😀

Knitting updates:
Remember the monkey socks? Here they are as of 2 nights ago:

Yep. I frogged the little monkeys! As I was almost finished up with the foot it became clearer and clearer that I would not have enough yarn to finish another sock. How did I manage such a giant snafu? Didn’t I read the instructions… didn’t I have 4 oz of yarn?! Well, yes, and no. This yarn is sport weight… so I dimly carried on with the pattern, assured that I got 8 stitches per inch on size 1s… but failed to take into account that my yarn will go much less further with the tighter fabric. (d’oh!) Oh sure, sure… I suppose you’ll just remind me kindly that I have an “in” with the yarn supplier for these puppies. Yeah… but… I have lots more yarn that needs attention.. what kind of yarn care provider would I be to neglect the other thousand skeins? Nope. Redyeing is not in the cards for this skein… besides, I retired this colorway! 😉 So, I am now on the heel turn of my comfort food knitting: stockinette socks. I MAY turn out a pair for this month’s Socktopia after all. No worries, folks… I have a few other skeins planned for Monkey.

Yarny things:

I’ve dyed up a few new colorways… including this one: Georgia

That’s all you can see for now! 😉 It will be up for sale tomorrow evening at http://www.lilypadlanding.com. If there is any left, I will put it up at the store update. Also, just for fun… a picture I love from the same round of dyeing:

Enjoy your evening, folks! A friendly reminder from your local blog addict: please update daily, and include gratuitous fiber smut. 😀

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teaser

February 8, 2007 · Filed under Fiber galore, Socktopia

teaser, originally uploaded by zen mama.

Finally!!! NEW colorways!! I have retired many old favorite colorways, too! I’ve been so busy dyeing up almost 100 skeins for Zen String! I’m so excited, I had to keep a few skeins for myself. 😉 I did mostly Lotus Toes yarns, as it seems to be by far the most popular right now.

So the deal is, I will be listing everything at http://www.zenstring.com tomorrow evening. I’ll also be putting up a single skein of each new colorway in sock yarn at Etsy: http://www.cinnamonstitches.etsy.com. There may be something there that isn’t at ZS… just sayin’…. 😉

I’ve been working still on my Monkey socks. I am still unsure of how the yarn/pattern combo will work. What do you think?