Thursday, June 28, 2007

Sockpalooza-by-the-Sea

I ventured out at lunchtime today to my normal knitting spot, in the sunshine by the BBC screen in Birmingham City centre. Look what I found - a beach in Birmingham


I got to sit in a deckchair and knit my sockpalooza socks for 30 mins in the sunshine (yes it really was sunny for about 30 mins today). How cool is that? Yes, I know, lots of people have a real beach to go and sit on - but I live just about as far away from the coast as is physically possible in this country so it is a real novelty!
Here are the said socks. In The Yarn Yard June sock club June colourway.
The pattern is my first go at sock designing. I wanted a sock with a cable pattern down each side of the leg and foot. I liked this design I found on Ravelry but thought it would look much better in a solid colour. I was also keen on slip stitch designs, as I think they look good in variegated yarns. My Harmony Stitch dictionary turned up this 9 stitch fishtail cable design, I've added two reverse stst stitches to either side. I'm really liking it so far. It is very fast to knit and the pattern keeps a bit of interest. I still can't get the hang of cabling without a cable needle though!
I'm going to do a short row heel (as with the Jaywalkers below) and then continue the pattern down the foot. Fingers crossed it works!
Here are the finished stripy Jaywalkers - toe up - I love them. And they nearly match! Yipeeee.


If that was not enough excitement for one day I got home to find my prize from Wendy had arrived!Some more yummy Yarn Yard sock yarn. Wendy also sent me some beautiful little green earrings and some delicious chocolate as a belated birthday present. Thank You so much!
Talking of Wendy, I started relaying a story to Tony the other day about one of my friends. I realised half way through my story it wasn't someone I had actually met or knew, it was someone whose blog I read. Is it strange it is that I really feel like some of my fellow bloggers are friends even though we have never met and mostly only communicate through our blogs? I find it a little disconcerting when I think about it, because no one puts their whole life on their blog, so can you really "know" someone this way. I'd like to think that people like Wendy and Bryony and I would all get on fabulously... but you never know do you? We might fight over wool and stick knitting needles in each other :0)

4 comments:

Jess P. said...

ohhh I love the colors of your sock. It's really very beachy! Great pattern, I'd love to see it if you write it up.

Wendy said...

lol - I don't think it's weird; but then I have lots of friends I've never met but have messaged/skyped, other friends I met online and have since met face to face, and I actually met my husband online so.....and I would never stick knitting needles in you :) (Well, maybe if you had some Posh Yarn on you.....)

Bryony Ramsden said...

Well, chickie, I met my other half through a P J Harvey emailing list, and we've been together for 12 years this year, so I think that demonstrates that online friendships can be as good as those with anyone you've ever gone to the pub with after work. except better, cos you actually have more to talk about than work :D

I bet we'd have a whale of a time, and do far too much stash enabling for each rather than steal from each other before we'd even left the shop...

acrylik said...

The city beach is such a great idea, what a wonderful place to sit and knit.

I love your sock design - looking fantastic.