Home of Oregon Soakers Socks and Yarn
Newly listed in my ETSY store are Men’s Stone Washed Socks. The yarn is bamboo, wool, silk & nylon. The Bamboo gives these socks the added benefit of being antibacterial. Check them out shown here in their ‘natural’ setting.
Color: Stone
Color: National Blue
Color: Charcoal Black
I’ve spent the last day working on a knee sock pattern for a customer. I’ve found there are many variations in regular socks, wide feet, narrow feet, high arches, longer, shorter, narrow ankles, thick calves. For knee socks add to those options, length of leg to knee, calf measurement and reinforced heels and toes. You can see how complicated this can get.
Here is the finished product. Notice the matched stripes. That came out really great! The yarn is Lang Yarns, JA Woll made in Switzerland. I’ve never knit with this before but it is nice yarn with uniform gage and a nice pattern.
But the bind off on the top was the dilemma. Yes, these socks are knit from the top down. There is the rib on the top of the sock (which allows you to actually get them on your feet which is a good thing,) but makes it all but impossible to do the normal rolled hem.
So out the books came, which type of bind off to use? I know I didn’t find all the options but I did try out 4 different kinds.
What I ended up with is a stretchy bind-off that allows for a semi rigid top but still enough give to (hopefully) hold on to the leg.
It looks nice and finished. This little experiment in knee sock knitting has taken much longer than I thought it would but has given me loads of information and experience for future knee sock orders.
Now, on to mailing out this large order and on to the next one.
Enjoy your weekend and stay safe.
Random thoughts for today…
1. The January Thaw is here. It is a little known and untracked weather occurance that happens in mid January. Thus far we’ve had 10 days with relatively ‘nice’ weather and just a bit of misty rain yesterday. We’re due for 4 more days of sunny/cloudy days then the rain starts and will continue through April.
NEXT
The hidden costs of building your home and notorious. We can handle the many aspects of road building, water piping, holding tank locations, septic installation, cement pouring but it is the hidden costs that frighten me.
NEXT
Coos/Curry power has a monopoly that won’t be broken. They are the only power company in Brookings. As such they have the power (no pun intended) to do whatever they want. As of Feb. 1st they are no longer giving transformers you have to pay $5,000. Yes, I said $5,000. And they are charging us $6,000 to pull the power lines through the conduit (that is costing $4,000 for the trench and conduit to be laid) and placing the transformer. That is a hell of a pay check. $6,000 for one days work. Plus you have to sign a 10 year contract with them. ouch!
NEXT
I hate my Pulmonologist’s scheduler. She has called me 4 times to reschedule my appointment. I made it for November and it is now January and she wanted to reschedule to February. I told her this was the last time. If they try to reschedule again I’m finding another Dr. (Never mind there isn’t one within 3 hours!) They have now moved me into another calender year and I will have to pay the deductable. That is why I made the appointment in November in the first place. Amazingly enough she called back and said she would keep it at the same date and time. Hmmmm.
FINALLY
I am on order 9 and have 25 in the works for Socks knit from YOUR yarn. Business is moving right along and thus far I’ve had very few ‘problems’. I think I’ve found my niche.
One of the benefits of knitting socks from other’s yarn is I get to see beautiful skeins dyed by very talented artists.
For those of you who have not taken the Buy Handmade pledge yet this year, you can go here. Thus far I’ve two customers who have purchased their yarns from ETSY stores and sent to the to me to knit socks.
They’ve taken then Buy Handmade pledge through the whole process. Not only are they giving wonderful handmade socks but the yarn is also hand dyed. I hope they share the origin of their gifts with those who receive them.
So in honor of Eye Candy Friday I give you 5 skeins wound and ready to knit into socks in their ‘natural’ state.
So here I am, merrily cranking out socks, taking ETSY orders and watching my ‘orders in process’ cubbies filling up with orders for socks. When what to my wondering eyes should appear but an email in my in box from Knitty.
Knitty is an online magazine of sorts. They have loads of info every month with book reviews and cool new stuff to use to knit. They have free patterns and interesting articles to read. Almost every knitter I know visits Knitty sometime each month.
Anyway, I receive an email from them stating they were going to feature my Knit Socks from YOUR Yarn service on their Knitty page. You can check them out here. Yeah, I know, I’m way down at the bottom. That’s OK, I’m happy to be noticed.
Needless to say, I’ve received a nice bump from this free mention. So much of a bump that I’ve had to close all orders for December and open a new ETSY listing for January. I really appreciate them picking up my information and posting it FOR THE WHOLE WORLD TO SEE. It is a bit scary to think my picture is floating out there in cybor space and people who don’t know me are actually looking at it. It is one thing to have y’all read my blog. You know me. We’ve shares some interesting times here behind the Redwood Curtain.
I’ve heard some very nice feedback from those who I’ve knit socks for.
Things like this:
“How I love these socks! The are so beautiful and feel divine! Totally Happy Feet!!”
and this
“This has been such a great experience! Anyone and everyone should give this a try. The communication and topnotch customer service in outta this world - you are updated along the way from this friendly artisan. I will buy here again with confidence and recommend that other do the same!Thanks so much for this amazing service!!!” I knit 31 pair for her this past week.
Finally I like this one the best:
“Super-fast shipping, and they look great. I’m sure my husband will love them (and if not, I’m totally taking them!). Thanks!”
I can identify with this last one. I used to steal my husband’s Army Wool Socks to wear in the winter. They are a poor comparison to today’s modern wool socks. Those were coarse and itchy. These are soft and look much better than OD Green.
Yes, I’m tooting my own horn here. It is rewarding to see that the idea I had to make socks for other people has come to fruition. I’m off to sew up some toes…Onward and Upward.
I admit, I work well under pressure. Some people say that I procrastinate. I’ve thought about this and I definately believe I work more efficiently under pressure.I’m through the biggest order this year. A customer sent me 31 skeins of yarn to knit up into socks. I’d decided I would tackle that job first to ‘get it out of the way’. Last night I finished labeling and blocking the socks and today it is off the the post office.
She sent me beautiful yarns. Most were hand dyed and many were purchased from ETSY stores. It was fun to see what other dying artists are doing out there. So after 24 hours of knitting socks for the past 4 days I’m through. Can you see the smile on my face? My DH says I look a bit frazzled. Well, um, yah I just finished 31 pair of socks!
If you need socks for the Holiday season knit from you yarn, I’m sorry to say I am booked. But starting January 1st I’m back in production. Go here for the details.
My husband and I lead two totally different lives. He works in law enforcement and ‘downloads’ his day by vegging on TV. I own my small business, Fernwood Woolworks, work from my Fortress of Solitude and hate the TV. He has taken the past two weeks off work and has been home the whole time. The first week he was suppose to be hunting in Colorado. That fell through. This week he took off on holidays because he is starting a new assignment on Monday.
We’ve been married for 26 years and I don’t know how we’ve made it this long without our interests intersecting. But this past 2 weeks he has actually seen what I do all day, not just seen me sitting and sewing up toes on socks in the evenings. He has taken an interest in my business and appears to actually be impressed with the process and artistic ability one must have to dye yarn.
So as the week has wore on he has spent increasing time in my studio throughout the day. He is board and I’ve decided if you’re here you’re working.
This may actually work for me. He can do some menial manual labor that takes my times but no real talent. I gave him the yarn and some instruction and away he went.
He is sitting at the flat bed knitter making blanks for me to dye. This form of yarn dying has the advantages of making yarn that has the same colorway but not a set, repeating pattern. It is wonderful for camo and dark colors. You get a variagated looking pair of socks that are very ‘manly’. I bribed him by turning on the TV which helped to take his mind off the fact the was doing something the guys he works with would razz him about.
So I’ve come to the conclusion this may work, having him help me. Now he is talking about when he retires we’ll purchase a small trailer and he will go to shows with me. He said he will be the manual labor helping me unload and set up. Then he will go play golf and do his thing. The only problem is we will still have kids at home in school when he retires. That could put a snag in his plans don’t you think?
Eye Candy Fiber
A Day’s worth of work dying 13 skeins of yarn. You can see in it’s raw state from top to bottom 10 Lords a Leaping, Fall Harvest, 8 Maids a Milking. Yes, every year I do at least a couple new colorways for the 12 Days of Christmas. Last year was Pear Tree and Ladies Dancing. Enjoy the weekend! |
1. Got my hair cut today….$19 for a haircut and she didn’t even blow it dry?
2. Things went fine for my ‘procedure’ on Monday and I only lost 1.5 days worth of memory and 3 lbs!
3. Dye, dye dye…..New dye colors I’m working on
Tree Frog
Rhodedendron
Candy Corn
Buttercups and Tulips
4. Class last night at the Small Business Development Center gave me alot to think about.
5. The dog rolled in something dead! Now my laundry room smells like dead animal. If she doesn’t stay out of there she will be the dead animal!
6. Calypso goes in for her ’surgery’ tomorrow. She will not be a happy kitty tomorrow afternoon.
Basically a normal day in the middle of nowhere.
I finished, yesterday morning I shunned the gym, grocery shopping and knitting to finish the last 100 pages of book 7 in the Harry Potter series. For those of you who have not finished the book or are planning on reading it, you should stop here. I’m going to discuss my observations and don’t want to give away any of the story line.
Knitting update…
As stated above I’ve shunned knitting for the book but plan on getting caught up on the MS3 
projects in the works. I have two stoles knitting at the same time, one from bamboo/wool the other from superwash wool. Today posts the next installment of this knit along project I am pretty much caught up. This project, though relatively easy to knit with just yarn overs and knit two togethers, has provided some challenges. But I’ve vowed to complete both and plan on dying them and giving as holiday gifts this year.
Socks. After the dismal selling at the Ren Fair in Brookings this past weekend I find myself in the wonderful position of having a complete inventory of
65 pair of socks ready to go for the Shaniko Wool Gathering.
I can now concentrate on designing a throw to produce for the holiday vending opportunities and get started designing the colorways for the 
Rainy Day Yarn Club that will only be available to members. I’m pleased with the response and know we’ll have a great time. I’ve also created a Yahoo group for the Rainy Day Yarn Club and members will receive their invite in September if they’ve not signed up by then.
On to Harry…
This book has provided answers to many questions I’ve had while reading the previous 6 books. But, sadly, I felt it lacked the spark that a good ‘last in the series’ can offer. I was hoping for a detailed story around the characters, but instead I found myself actually getting board toward the middle with all the traveling the 3 main characters were doing. The book got bogged down in the small stuff of moving from place to place and and the many fights were really not that interesting. She was able to convey her images and I ’saw’ in my mind the battle in the room of requirement and the visit to the cemetery. I was very glad to see Neville did actually come to the front as I felt he would. I knew he would play a major roll in the story and was happy that he fulfilled this ‘destiny’ becoming a teacher at Hogwarts. Snape was apparently a good guy in the end but her explanation was weak and not fully fleshed out in my opinion.
How many times can Harry come back from the dead? That was a bit awkward. Instead of summing up all the questions from previous books, I’ve come away with a few more. What did Petunia know that scared her when the screamer said ‘remember my last’? Who did Teddy live with? I wanted a better summary of the Ron & Hermiony relationship. I really wanted to know what Harry did for a living.
All in all, if I was a young teen, I would have been happy with the book. But, having lived with this series over the past 10 years, I came away let down.
Now I have to find another series to read. I like stories with continuing main characters and as two of my favorite authors (Clive Clussler & The Cat Who author) are aging and handing over the reins of their story lines to others I find I am in the market for another ’eye candy’ series. Any suggestions?
