Flashin' the Stash

I had a day off work today so I decided I'd do a sock stash roundup. While most people in Australia were watching the Melbourne Cup, I was trying to work out how to organise the yarn into a colour wheel...is that sacrilege? Am I unAustralian??!!

I was pleasantly surprised at being able to (pretty much) make a whole wheel, I didn't think I'd have yarn in all (well, most of) the required shades. I did have to consult the lovely yarn wheel that Purl uses in their ads (I'm sure readers of Interweave Knits will know what I mean).

And if you are numerically inclined, there's enough sock yarn there for 69 pairs of socks. Oh dear. Even if I did a pair a month (which I don't) that's enough sock yarn for nearly 6 years. Which is clearly not enough to keep me going until retirement, is it!!

Stash Flash and WIP

Getting into the spirit of things, I'd say I have four or five more pairs of socks now than this time last year, and maybe twice as much yarn - which means my output is slightly more than my input (unless you actually count the balls of yarn in and out, in which case I might go hide for a while) - so the Stash Flash is here:
and the WIP is there:
Chances of finishing the second sock this week? Buckley's and none.

getting started

On the way at last this summer. Last week end I pulled out all my sock stash so I could refresh my memory as to just what and how much was in there. How much? Quite a lot. Quite a lot indeed. What was it? Lots of bits and pieces, some single socks which I have now frogged because these were early efforts from years ago and they were far too big and sloppy for me and quite a lot of wool including my latest acquisitions. So it's all sorted and like brands stored in bags together and all in a big tote.

However, as I was in the middle of my big sorting job last Sunday, my brother rang to tell me mum was being admitted to hospital several stations up the line. I've spent some time there this week but knitting hasn't really been possible. She's 88 and has had a stroke. Tests also showed that she had an electrolyte imbalance which was making her very weak. Saline etc drips haven't remedied that yet and no one knows why. On top of all that, she has shingles and is in an isolation room in the stroke ward. Her speech is very slurred and she was confused but seems to be better mentally now. She's very tired and complains that sitting up to eat exhausts her and she sleeps for three hours after that. Personally, I think we might have her for Christmas time but probably not much more. Scary thought.

So I finished the sorting today, along with a whole lot of other spring cleaning. Lots and lots of sock wool. I could make socks all summer long and still have a lot left, I guess. I've found a lacy pattern I like and will be designing a sock when i finish charting the pattern.

I have managed some knitting at work. I've been making and have almost finished some footies from the seacell I won as a prize here last year. I just love the colours and have given a rolled edge to the socks. It's easy stuff to knit with and the pattern is very basic because of the constant interruptions at work. I'm about halfway down the foot of the second sock.

So my goals for this season? I'd like to try to use up some of the stash in children's socks to give away. I have a couple of airs which I want to turn into FOs. Other than that, perhaps some more to designs of my own. We'll see. Last year saw me knitting as some serious stress relief. This year will be much more for my own enjoyment and also personal satisfaction in being able to give to others not so blessed and fortunate as I am.

Flash of The Stash

OK here it is. I'm waiting on a couple more skeins that should be here this week and we won't talk about the two sock clubs I've signed up for lol! OK it's Sundara and The Plucky Knitter! A bit excited!

The dollar is tanking now so very little o/s yarn for me from now on. Well since I've come clean on the stash you can see I don't really "need" anymore do I?

I'm currently working on Komet in Crystal Palace Cotton and that is coming along nicely. One sock almost done. I'll be gifting those to MIL for her birthday in November. Nice cotton blend sock for the Adelaide summer.

Setting myself a challenge

I have finally signed up and thought I best set the challenges while the enthusiasm is high.

1. To finish BOTH socks of a pair before beginning a new sock project
2. To use what I have and not buy more sock yarn
3. To learn from my mistakes and not bend another Addi Turbo by yanking it out of the basket where it was stuck!

Keeping it simple.

oh dear, I just might have to go shopping

I know this KAL does not get really started for a few days yet, but I had to decide on my first pair. I also know I said I was challenging myself to do two socks on two circulars, but I'm still working up to that. I don't have circulars in sizes small enough to do socks. I think 3.00 mm. is the smallest I have, so I would need to buy some.

So I poked around to choose a design. I decided upon Pepperknit's Zokni Socks. I think they would be best done in a solid colour and I rather fancied a rich green. So what do I have in my stash? One and a bit balls of a soft green in St Ives sock wool. A lot of Elann's Sock it to me Essential Sock wool which I bought some time ago. Bright red? I think not. Not enough of the dark purple or navy left. Lots of a pumpkin shade which I bought to use as heels, toes, stripes etc, but no green. Opal perhaps? I actually don't like knitting with Opal, particularly the Unisolid. It wears and washes really well, but feels like hard string on my arthritic fingers to knit. There was only pink or blue in the solid colour, bought for small grandchildren. Loads and loads of beautiful variegated yarns from various online Aussie sites.

I've picked out a dark brown from the Elann to get started on Monday which is a public holiday in NSW. But if I want to make more, I'll have to go shopping to get green. What a shame!! not.