• Twist Twist Twist
• 2

Sorry for the disappearing act.  I was off playing in the woods with The Boy and his family.  I don’t, as a general rule, do woods.  The woods are traditionally in that space known as outside, and I am philosophically opposed to outside.  Outside is where the evil scorching sun lives, and his minions (itchy) plants and (creepy) bugs can cause all sorts of mayhem if you spend too much time out there.  It is much safer to stay inside with the books and the air conditioning and the refreshing beverages. The knitting is also generally found inside.

I was, however, able to finish up the first of the newest pair of socks, Bines.  They do, at least, look woodsy, despite my concerted effort to keep them out of any actual woods.  Green and twisty and leafy.  Pretty, see?  And yes, they are full to the brim of twisted stitches (even twisted decreases).  I love twisted stitches and am using them with great abandon.

Things may be a bit quiet over the next week as I’m getting ready for Sock Summit.  Fear not though, I have procured a wee tiny laptop for taking with me to Sock Summit, so I can natter on endlessly while I’m there.

• Pedigreed
• 0

You were patient.  You were astonishingly patient, and now your patience has been rewarded. Pedigreed has been tested to within an inch of its life and is now available!

I feel I should warn you that this is not an easy pattern. It’s not hard exactly, but it is certainly not a mindless knit. There are lots of twists and turns and you need to pay attention to both the text and the charts.

Speaking of charts, this is a substantial pattern.  It is 13 pages long and has 8 charts, 6 of them full page charts.  There are several pictures of the sock and a close up photo tutorial of how to do the one unusual stitch manipulation called for.  It’s a challenge, but that’s part of the fun.  Are you up for it?

• Me? Seriously? Me?
• 2

In one of those truly mind bending moments, I find myself in the running to be one of the designers of the month on the 2009-2010 Sock Knitters Anonymous schedule.  In case you’re not on Ravelry (and really, why aren’t you?  There isn’t even a waiting list anymore!  Go sign up, I’ll wait.) I’ll explain.

Sock Knitters Anonymous is the biggest sock knitting group on Ravelry with more than 7,500 members.  Each month has a featured technique and a featured designer.  Every month, the members knit a pair of socks that is the work of the featured designer or that uses the featured technique.

Right now, the group is voting on which designers to feature over the next year.  Several people were kind enough to nominate me for consideration, and I’m actually in the running.  The other names in the list include some of the rock stars of the sock knitting world.  I never thought I’d see my name in the same list as Cookie A, Cat Bordhi, Yarnissima, or Nancy Bush.  Even more amazing is that I’m actually getting some votes.  I’m not going to get as many votes as those folks, but I don’t have to.  The top eleven vote winners are going to be the designers for next year.  I don’t have to be number one to win…I just need to be at least number eleven.

So, if any of you reading this are members of the Sock Knitters Anonymous group (which you all should be if you knit socks, and really what are you doing here if you don’t knit socks), I thought I’d let you know about the vote.  The thread for voting is here (rav link).  Do please be sure to read the rules for voting.  Just in case you might possibly want to vote for me, I’m post 17 (Hunter Hammersen).  The voting is open through Sunday, and I can promise I’ll be refreshing the voting page a few hundred times between now and then.

• Any Minute Now
• 0

The testers (skilled and speedy knitters that they are) have succesfully made the Pedigreed socks.  The pattern is almost done (all 13 pages and 8 giant charts of it).  With any luck at all, I should have it out early next week.  Start your finger excercises now.  This is not an easy pattern.  It’s a bit of a brain teaser and requires both nimble fingers and careful attention.  It’s worth it (I think) but it will be a bit of a challenge.  You like that though, right?

I’m also working on a sock for a mystery knit along on Ravelry.  The knit along will run through October and November, but I need to get the pattern done early enough to have it vigorously tested.  It will be released without pictures, so I want to do what I can to ensure it’s easy to follow.

The pattern will be released in stages (likely 4), and it will be free to people in the knit along (which anyone is welcome to join).  That of course leads to logistics questions.  I think what I will do is put up a little form where you can provide your email address.  I’ll have the form up for at least a week or two.  Then, during the course of the knit along, I’ll email out the pattern installments to those people who provided their addresses.  When the knit along is over I may release a single installment version of the pattern streamlined to work in a more standard format and with pictures.  Stay tuned for more details, whatever I do I’ll be sure that there is an easy way to sign up for the free pattern.

• Propitiate
• 1

They’re done!  Two legs, two heels, two toes.  All finished, and I even got them on The Boy and him outside before the sun went down.  See?

More about them and how you too can knit them for your very own feet can be found right here.