Joining an excellent Movement
I just blogged yesterday, but so much has happened that I must blog again today. First, a big THANK YOU, to Sallee a.k.a Knitnana for awarding me an E for Excellent Award.
I had no idea anyone found my humble little blog “excellent,” but it is very inspiring to be told so. I need to nominate 10 others whose blogs I find excellent, an easy task. So here goes.
Karen B. of Yarn is My Metier (she puts the correct little accent on the e in Metier, but I can’t find my code book). She also knits and crochets wonderful things, and she has adorable kitties.
Kristy of Eleven Stitches. She is a very creative knitter and crafter; she’s also very nice and has adorable kitties.
Cristi of Turtlegirl’s Bloggy Thing. She gets the most beautifully colored yarns and knits fabulous socks with it (among a huge number of other projects), and she is very funny and has adorable kitties.
Brigitte of Wrapped Around My Finger. She knits these awesome cabled or stranded colorwork sweaters from Alice Starmore among others, and then she swears she can’t knit a four-row repeat lace pattern. She is very sweet and fun, and she has adorable kitties.
Janet of Twisted Knitter. She is so thoughtful and knits simply beautiful things. She’s made me feel very welcome in the knitblog community, and as far as I know, she has no pets.
Lorraine of Sheriff of Knittingham. She is very funny and a fabulous knitter and knitwear designer. And yes, she does have an adorable kitty.
Beatriz of Busy Bea Knits. She knits lovely socks and sweaters for both herself and many, many nieces as far as I can tell. She also likes good food and cocktails.
Anne of Knitspot. I really don’t need to say anything, do I? Anne’s knitting designs have inspired me more than anyone else.
Chris of Stumbling over Chaos. Gee, I wonder why this is the first blog I read every morning? Could it be because of the antics of Chaos y Mayhem? Yes, I think so (and Chris does some great knitting too). I must say I almost always side with Chaos when there is a little sibling rivalry. We older sibs have to stick together, or the younger sibs will do evil like boot us out of our Fortress of Solitude.
Amy of StashKnitRepeat. She knits great stuff and has joined up with Kelly of Kelp! Knits (this is a 2 for 1 entry) with a really good idea for the year that I am going to take part in too. I think they are starting a new Sock Knitting Movement! Keep reading below for an explanation.
All of my excellent award winners are invited (but I won’t insist) to make their own lists of excellent blogs if they haven’t already done so. But most of all, I just want them all to keep blogging and sharing their knitting (and kitties) with us other knitters and people who live with leases not allowing pets.
Now for the MOVEMENT. Kelly, who clearly has a great deal of shopping discipline, has decided to knit a pair of socks each month of 2008, thereby knitting up her entire sock yarn stash. Yeah, I told you she was disciplined. She started off this January by knitting a stunning pair of Socks for Veronik , which is pretty much showing off, but in a really cool way. Amy likes the idea of a pair of socks a month (thankfully, this will not use up her stash), and she is almost done with a gorgeous pair of cranberry Pomatomi.
I need handknit socks for myself, and I know I’ll need to knit some gift socks too. So, I’ve decided also to knit a pair a month throughout 2008. This will by no means use up my sock yarn stash. I’ve gotten way behind in terms of sock knitting. For January, I’ll get my Chili Pepper socks done. They aren’t a difficult or wow pattern, but they make good use of a brightly multi-colored yarn, the sort I love, but are often difficult to knit up nicely. I’m half done with the gusset decreases on the second sock:
“She took my picture out of focus and over-exposed it too. Man, I hope she manages the pointed toe decreases properly or I’ll look permanently stupid.” The second Chili Pepper Sock in a unnecessarily surly mood.
My only other stipulation for the other 11 months is to use these four pretty but difficult to knit up pretty multi-colored yarns.
Clockwise from upper left: Lorna’s Laces in Somerset, LL in Mother Lode, CTH in Champlain Sunset and LL in Ravenswood.
I better download Cookie A’s Monkey pattern. Any other suggestions for these yarns? The other months I’ll see what I want to knit. But now I better get working on that Chili Pepper sock.
Happy Knitting!
Thank you! You just gave me a big smile for the day. =)
I’ve used the Anastasia pattern by Pepperknit for a CTH variegate in the past and it came out great. Defiinitely a pattern well suited to that sort of dyejob.
YeS! You got some that I wasn’t able to get!!! (see that’s the beauty of this award thing, I name 10, you name 10 and eventually we all get there!)
🙂
And I KNEW that was Champlain Sunset! I can’t commit to a pair of socks a month, but I’m going to knit as many this year as I can….
((((hugs))))
Aw, thank you!! *bounce bounce bounce*
Ok, she has 12 skeins of sock yarn?! I have 12 skeins just waiting for me to figure out where to stuff them into the sock yarn stash. Whoa…
My, what a crabby sock. Have you told it about the Sock Threatening Movement?
I’ve had that same colorway of CTH for a little over a year. It’s so pretty and smooshy, I didn’t want to “waste” it until I improved at socks. I think you’ll get to yours before I do, and I can’t wait to see it knitted up. I loooooove it!
I also need to knit up a large sock yarn stash! Think of all the birthday and holiday gifts you’ll get done by knitting a pair a month… it’s going to be great!
wow, thank you! it’s really nice to be recognized for excellence.
Brenda- I am very touched, thank you.
but admit it, it’s the cat you like, isn’t it?
Let me second the nomination of Anastasia by pepperknit. I’ve had my eye on it for a while and it’s definitely the next pair of sock that’ll be on my needles.
‘The fancier the yarn, the plainer the pattern’ is my general sock rule. But there are exceptions…
One I haven’t tried yet (but absolutely intend to) is the Carolina, Queen of Naples sock. It’s on Ravelry (of course.)
Congrats on your Excellence award. You definitely deserve it. Those are lovely yarns. I’ll enjoy seeing the socks you make out of them.
Congrats in the award. It is an excellent blog.
That is some beautiful sock yarn there. I have many of the same colorways in my stash, so I am looking forward to seeing what you knit up with yours.
Aw, thanks!!
Your January socks are fantastic, and I can’t *believe* the challenge of knitting up 4 such variegated colorways. They’re beautiful, though, and your chili pepper socks are looking pretty amazing. I wish I had pattern suggestions for you… other than Jaywalkers, of course.
Thanks, Brenda! I think you’re also excellent 🙂
The Mad Weave sock pattern also looks like it does well with variegated yarn. You might give that a try.
Why yes, it is Excellent! You do deserve it!
:::blushes:::
Congratulations and thank you, Brenda! My adorable kitties thank you too ^o^
Now, for some variegated pattern suggestions: Jaywalkers, Sedona (Lisa Dykstra), Loksins, Hello Yarn’s Cable Twist socks, Pomotamus.
I laud your goal of disciplined knitting and am behind you 100%.
You really do deserve your award! And thanks so much for nominating me! *stubbing toe in the rug, blushing*
I believe I have some LL in Ravenswood in my stash…
Congrats on your award. Well deserved! My gosh, just the idea that 12 pairs of socks would use up the stash nearly made me fall out of my chair. If only I were that well self-controlled!
Good luck with your sock knitting quest!
How exciting and what an honor! Thank you, Brenda — I’ve enjoyed your blog from day one. 🙂
Congratulations to the other “E” nominees and to you for your fitting Excellence award from Sallee. I love the blogs that feature kitties but one of the four of us is allergic and we don’t have any feline cuties. We do however have Sassy, our yellow lab. She’s a joy – very smart and she doesn’t bother my knitting EVER.
Congratulations on your award! I heartily agree. E for Excellent. And thanks for your kind nomination. I have two cats in my life…they are well behaved and stay away from the yarn so extra catnip for them! I love my pets.
I have a bunch of variegated yarn too. Probably will end up as simple ribbed socks or that Uptown Boot sock pattern in Favorite Socks that has staggered cables.
Congrats on the award! You definitely deserve it. Oh, and btw, there’s a little something waiting for you on my blog. 😉
Well, with a pile of yarn like that, I’d head right for the Mad Color Weave pattern – I think it would be smashing!
Well, i think you (and your blog) are excellent as well! I heart CTH sock yarns.
You’re joining the movement, awesome! Please don’t tell the other member that I bought another skein of sock yarn…
Slip-stitch patterns are great for those pesky variegateds – I made a pair of Mad Color Weave socks last year, and I’m planning another pair for some wildly variegated yarn in my stash.