It was a fly by weekend here and I am hoping this week moves at the same clip.
Friday Happy Hour was extra special with a couple of Blood Orange martini’s (super simple: Gin and Blood Orange juice in a 2-1 ratio and these were so good they got a replay on Sunday for football!). I do so love January citrus! I also laughed at the email from IKEA with an appetizer recipe. Thanks, IKEA! FYI, plain yogurt is an excellent sub for sour cream.
Saturday, the big thaw kicked into high gear and I spent much of the day doing Swedish Death Cleaning while listening to Behold the Dreamers. This cleaning unearthed some well-aged WIP’s. Some have moved into the knitting rotation to be finished and others have been frogged. All this cleaning made a space for my floor loom to move to my office/craft room. I also started a little birthday knitting for daughter number one, which I need to kick into high gear and get done this week!!
I also pulled out a couple of skeins of yarn that might work for Kirsten’s Mystery socks. I am contemplating red and green… and the red should be really winning for February sock knitting, the yarn is 100% wool, so I don’t think it will wear well at all. Have any of you ever knit socks with 100% superwash merino? If so, how did they wear? And, thanks in advance for sharing your tips!
Sunday, I really wanted to head down to Pittsburgh and join the Woman’s March, but prior commitments kept me from doing so, however, the sunset was appropriately pink!
On my list for today: some intensive death cleaning of the overflowing kitchen junk drawer and then some birthday knitting!
Happy Monday, everyone!
I’ve knit socks with merino superwash, but having a number of hand knit socks it takes years for a pair to wear out. If the twist is tight it will help with wear. Your pink sky is perfect!
The only sock yarn that has consistently worn out for me (in sock form, that is) is Socks That Rock, which is 100% superwash merino. But I’ve also knit socks from my own handspun in the same fiber that seem to be holding up okay, so maybe it’s a gauge difference?
I agree that a tight twist helps, as does knitting at a very tight gauge. However, 100% superwash merino is not going to last as long as one with nylon. Like margene, I have a really large stock of socks so they don’t get worn every week. And however again, they feel nice on your feet and nothing lasts forever.
That sky is just GORGEOUS! 🙂
unqualified to give input on sock knitting, but I can say that sky is amazing … and if I can find blood oranges, I’m totally making martinis this week! (how did the live tweeting go? I thought about y’all)
I’m not really a sock knitter, so nothing to add to that conversation! I need to keep an eye out for blood oranges. I agree with Kym, that sky is AMAZING!
I love blood oranges so much I might even like the juice with gin in it! 🙂 Your death cleaning sounds interestingly productive – cleaning that produces some wips and more room for more creativity. I knit my first pair of socks with 100% merino and had holes after three wearings. I probably didn’t knit them at a tight enough gauge, so ymmv, but I now need some nylon!
A libation sounds wonderful. I have knitted with malabrigo wool for socks. I put them in the wash on gentle cycle with a touch of vinegar in the bath. I let them air dry on a towel. They BLOOM a bit so there is some fuzz, but they wear well.
Beautiful sunset. I prefer sock yarn with some nylon content. The only 100% merino that holds up on my feet is Socks That Rock. Even so, I wear holes in the heels of those socks sooner than other yarns with nylon. When heels begin to wear thin, I reinforce them by darning. A tight gauge should help.
Jane, I agree, Socks That Rock yarn is the best for socks. I’ve had some socks for ten years with it.
(And just a side note, invented always wanted to be a “Jane” – it’s the name I give to Starbucks when I order a special coffee there.)
I’ve not socks with 100% merino superwash. They don’t wear like iron but they lasted long enough to make them worth the effort. I didn’t think this pattern called for two colors, though. I must have not read carefully.
You’ve got us all wanting citrus+gin drinks with blood oranges!
If you want to knit socks with the 100% merino, you can add sock reinforcement to the heels and toes and they will last longer. If you can’t find sock reinforcement (it comes on little cards), you can buy a spool of wooly nylon from the sewing store (it’s used with sergers) and use that. Wooly nylon comes in a bunch of colors. I just pick one that will blend in the best.
Good luck!