• And Now…
• 10

Alright.  You’ve been patient.  Well, no.  You haven’t.  You’ve been almost as impatient as I have.  But really — that is even better than being patient, because that means you guys are excited too.  So now for the promised information.

As of today, we are taking preorders for the book Silk Road Socks: 14 Patterns Inspired by Oriental Rugs!

You can place orders over at Silk Road Socks.  The book will be available in traditional print form and also in a variety of electronic formats.  All the details are spelled out on the book’s site (where you’ll also find sneak peeks of many of the socks).

In the meantime, we’ve got a little advance screening for those of you who can’t wait till the book is out.  We’re releasing one pattern, Serab, early.  If you want to get a hold of it right this very minute, you’ve got two options.  You can buy it as an individual pattern (the same way you’d buy any of my other patterns).  Or, if you preorder the book, you get the pattern now for free.  There are a couple of preorder options, so take a look and see what works best for you.

We’re only making the pattern available during the month of October.  After that, you can still preorder the book, but you’ll have to wait till December when the book comes out to get the pattern.

• Wink
• 5

These are the last two teasers.  No really, I promise.

Friday (or maybe just possibly later this evening if I get all my ducks in a row and find myself unable to show restraint any longer) will see the unveiling of the book’s website, details on when and how you’ll be able to get the book, a new pattern for sale, and a special deal for the impatient eager among you.  With any luck at all, it will have been worth the wait.

In the meantime, we’ve got two more lovely socks to preview.  First up is Salor.  He’s wearing Handwerks Sock Plus 8 in the color Paprika.  This is the yarn I used for Gramercy, and I am totally smitten by it.  The stitch definition is fantastic.  Even better, yarn strikes the perfect balance between feeling pleasantly substantial and still fitting comfortably in your shoes.  I will be using it again.

Next is Gordes. He’s wearing Sweet Georgia Yarns’ Silk Crush Sock in the color Cypress.  This company was new to me, and I’m so glad I’ve discovered it.  The colors are absolutely luminous, and the yarn bases are luxurious.  I’m thrilled with how it worked up, and I know I’ll be ordering more soon.

Remember there’s still a sale going on for the next few days.  Take a look at yesterday’s post for all the details.

• Flip Your Hair
• 8

Yes, more snippets. I know it’s mean, but it’s better than nothing, right? And I promise you a whole pair of socks (and actual useful information) come Friday.  Click any of these to see them in more detail

So here we go.  Our next lovely model is Yomut.  He is wearing Knitting Notions’ Classic Merino Sport in the color Dark Rose.  I initially bought this yarn for myself in a fit of indulgence at a fiber show.  As soon as I started playing with it I knew I that simply must use it for the book.  It’s soft and luscious and wonderfully saturated.

Next down the runway is Nain.  He’s wearing Lorna’s Laces’ Shepherd Sock in the color Fjord.  Lorna’s Laces does a beautiful job of having solid color yarns that are still somehow rich and vibrant, and this is no exception.  Their yarn is a perfect choice when you really want to show off complicated stitch patterns.

Oh, and one little bit of official business.  I was lucky enough to get voted the designer for October in the Sock Knitter’s Anonymous group over on Ravelry.  So I’m having a quick little sale.  From now till Sunday night, if you buy two or more sock patterns you get 25% off your order if you use the code “Violently Domestic SKA”.  The only thing is you have to buy them through Ravelry’s cart system. Here’s how you do it:

• go to my store on Ravelry
• find the patterns you’d like, and be sure to use the “add to cart” buttons instead of the “buy it now” buttons
• when you check out, you’ll see a button that says “use a coupon code” (it’s right next to the “checkout now” button)
• click it, and put in “Violently Domestic SKA”
• the total will be adjusted accordingly

Sorry for the little dance, but the promotions system over there is new and I haven’t had a chance to get it set up on this site yet.  It’s on the list of things to do, but I don’t have time to do it today, and I didn’t want you to miss out on the sale just because I’m a bit behind on my website maintenance.

• Flirt Shamelessly
• 4

So yesterday I showed you the ‘behind the scenes’ side of taking pictures.  Well, of me trying to take pictures.  I have a feeling the process will be a bit more orderly when we go off for the proper photo shoot with a real photographer.

Today I get to show off the pretty glamor shots.  Now you’ll note I’m still not showing you the whole socks.  Why?  Because I like to torture you?  No, wait, that’s supposed to be a secret.  Um, because I want their first full frontal shots to have the benefit of the foot model and the rug store backdrop and the photographer? No, that sounds somehow bratty.  Um, because I want to build anticipation?  Yes, that’s it.  I’m just showing you little teasers to build anticipation.  You’ll get the full shots shortly.  Click to see bigger versions if you feel the need.

So without further ado, here’s our first model.  His name is Heriz.  You saw one of his candid shots yesterday, and here he is with his makeup on and his hair done.  Heriz is wearing Dream in Color’s Smooshy in the color Chinatown Apple.  I hadn’t had the chance to work with Smooshy before (though there are several skeins of it hanging out in my stash waiting their turn on the needles), but I’m thrilled with how these worked up.  The stitch definition is fantastic, and the color changes subtle enough to work well with the large areas of purl stitches.

Next down the runway is Khotan.  He is wearing Schaefer Yarn Company’s Nichole in the color Chamomile.  You know I have a long standing love affair with Nichole.  Both Nugatory and Embonpoint were made with it.  It’s my favorite size (just a bit thicker than most traditional sock yarns) and holds up beautifully.  Nugatory have been getting regular wear for a year and a half, and they still look great.

Tomorrow and Thursday I’ll have more tiny pics to torment you.  Friday I’ll have details of exactly how and when you can get your hands on the patterns and start making your own!

• Bursting the Bubble
• 3

A big part of becoming a grown up seems to be learning to tell the difference between the make believe and the real world.

According to all the pictures you find in magazines (or even worse, the shows on the house porn channels) some important things happen once you are a successful adult. You are always polished and poised and totally pulled together. You own stunning accessories and know what in the world to do with a scarf. Your hair is astonishingly smooth, and your teeth are blindingly white. Dust no longer exists in your world, and while you have pets (color coordinated to match your furniture of course), they never ever shed. You can throw together a casual dinner for 6 on five minutes notice because your house is spotless and your kitchen well stocked.

The photos in knitting books are the same way. People lounge in artfully rumpled beds or bask in the glow of a roaring fire or gaze into the foaming sea. The people are tan and slim. The knits are rich and vibrant. The light is golden and welcoming. All is right with the world.

I mention this because I spent the weekend trying to take some photos and crashing right into the giant brick wall that separates reality from that special version of prettified reality that exists only on glossy pages. Now of course we’re getting a real photographer for the book. And of course we’re going to a beautiful local rug store to take the pictures. And of course we’ll find someone with lovely small feet to be our model.  But, that’s not till later. And I have a grand plan for something I want to do now (well, Friday to be exact) that requires some pictures.  Not even proper full on sock pictures mind you, just little teaser shots.

Fine, I thought, how hard can it be?  I have rugs.  I have socks.  I have a camera.  Surely I can get some quick stand in photos, right?  And I did.  I totally did.  I also got hot and sweaty from hauling around rugs (they’re heavy).  My house got more than a bit disheveled as I shoved the dining room table to one side and hauled in rugs from all over the place and brought every lamp I own into one room.  I found dust (and cat hair…oh the cat hair) in all sorts of new and exciting places.  I spent some serious quality time with the vacuum and lint roller.  I improvised a custom sock holding stand (aka a blocker, four board games, and a large rock).  I developed new yoga moves as I tired to get the shot without blocking the light or falling over.  In short, I had a wicked good time but it was hard work.

And now?  Now I’m totally ruining the effect by showing you the ‘behind the scenes’ shots.  Why?  Well, because I always want to see them when I look at the polished perfect pictures in other places.  Because with any luck, having seen these will make the finished product seem even cooler when you consider its humble origins.  And because I’m finally starting to get over the idea that everyone else’s life is perfectly choreographed and stage managed and scripted and only I find myself having to make stuff up on the fly as I go along.  I have a suspicion everyone is improvising too, and we’d all have a better time of it if we shared that instead of hiding it.  So here you go.

Come back tomorrow for the glossy sanitized version.