Knit Sock Kit Swap

Look what came in the mail today! Aren’t I lucky?

My secret pal was Valerie, and she did such a wonderful job on my kit! (I, on the other hand, did a terrible job photographing it. I was too scared to go outside on the deck (see last night’s post) and take advantage of natural light.) I really love both sock yarns – the pink one has aloe in it! – and I’m sitting here trying to convince myself that I really need to finish the gift socks I’m currently working on before I can even swatch the yarn. I was thinking that the crazy stripey yarn looked kind of familiar…and then I realized it’s all the colors I’ve just redecorated the living play room in:

(Remind me not to leave my finished socks laying around on top of that blanket, or I’ll never find them.)

Thank you so much, Valerie!

And…

I don’t have to feel guilty about getting my kit, because Carrie and I went to the post office this morning and mailed out my pal’s kit:

I had the hardest time giving this bag away, because I love the fabrics and how it turned out. I really hope my pal loves it just as much!

I finally picked out a pattern and some fabric to make the bag for my KSKS pal!

The middle fabric will be the outside of the bag, the blue fabric will be the lining, and the purple fabric will be the handles and a flap. There will be pockets, but I’m not sure which fabric or where. It’s going to be cute! I think I’ll make one for myself out of my fabric stash first to be sure I understand the pattern. It looks easy, but it’s been a while since I sewed anything.

Now I just have to clean out enough of my craft room to actually get to my sewing machine. Sigh. Someday I’ll stop using my craft room as a catch-all for all the junk I need to clean out of other rooms, and then it will always be clean.

I received my sock yarn order today. Wow. I mean, wow. Isn’t it gorgeous? And you can’t tell from the picture, but it’s incredibly soft and squishy, too.

The skein on the right is for my kit swap pal. The skein on the left…well, see, here’s what happened: I fell in love with the Nova Scotia colorway for my pal. The place where I found it had a minimum order, which was a mere $6 more than the yarn cost. I scoured the internet, looking for that particular colorway in that particular yarn anywhere else, with no luck. So what could I do besides order a second skein of yarn? (Don’t say order a $6 knitting accessory, because obviously I couldn’t do that when there was yummy sock yarn to be had!) So the skein on the left? It’s for me. (Yes, I know, I need to do penance or something. I have a sinful amount of sock yarn. This will not stop me from acquiring more.)

Oh, I really hope my sock kit pal loves this yarn I just bought for her as much as I think she will!

Don’t ask me why I’m up so late. Either the white chocolate raspberry mocha I had at Sit & Knit wasn’t really decaf or I can’t handle that much sugar. I’m going to regret it in the morning.

But at least I finally found the perfect sock yarn. Now I just need to actually implement the bag that’s been floating around in my head. There’s what, three-ish weeks until the deadline? Yikes!

You didn’t really think I’d stay away too long, did you? I’m feeling better, and the thing that’s making me crazy-angry remains unresolved and therefore not something I can/will blog about. However, I have some Knit Sock Kit Swap questions to answer for my pal, and there are things I’ve really wanted to blog just since Saturday, so obviously I’m not ready to give this up yet!

Without further ado, the KSKS Questionnaire:

What are your favorite colors? Blue, green, orange, pink…um, really about any color! Those are really the ones I wear the most, though, with a bit of purple thrown in when I feel like it.
Are you a new sock knitter? How long have you been knitting socks? I’ve been knitting socks for three-ish years, but I usually get stuck on the second sock so I don’t have too many completed pairs to show for it.
Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? I have a lot of self-patterning yarn, but I’ve been thinking of getting some solid or nearly-solid yarn to try some lace or fair isle patterns with. Really I have no preference.
What fibers do you prefer in sock yarn? I like both wool and wool/cotton blends. I look for machine washable yarn that will hold up to being tossed in the dryer, because I’ve had a pair of handknit socks ruined in the dryer. :(
Where do you usually knit socks? Since they’re a nice portable project, anywhere I can knit. Less so now that I’m usually chasing a toddler wherever I go!
How do you usually carry/store small projects? Sometimes in my purse if I’m carrying a big enough one at the time, otherwise in my knitting bag. Or in a basket in my craft room. Or a drawer. Or the closet. Sometimes in a plastic grocery bag stuffed somewhere out of sight. Sigh. I really need some project organization help!
What are your favorite sock knitting patterns? I usually knit a basic toe-up pattern, but I like various lace and cable patterns too. All-over ribbing I’m more likely to abandon after a while…which is why you don’t really see any finished pairs of ribbed socks on my sock page!
What are your favorite sock knitting techniques? Magic loop, definitely! And although I love the way heel flaps look, I’ve used short-row heels on my last couple of pairs and love how they fit.
What new techniques would you like to try? Fair Isle isn’t new to me, but I’ve never done Fair Isle socks before.
Do you prefer circulars or dpns for sock knitting? Circulars all the way! (Honestly? DPNs that tiny scare the snot out of me!)
What are some of your favorite yarns? Sock yarn or any yarn? I really like a good, basic smooth wool. Let’s see, the latest one I’ve used is KnitPick’s Wool of the Andes. I also love the few skeins of Koigu KPPPM I’ve managed to get my hands on. None of my LYS carries it and it’s so hard to pick out colorways on the web!
What yarn do you totally covet? I’ve never seen Socks that Rock IRL, but I love the finished pairs people post on their blogs. They’re such pretty colors.
Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? There’s a pattern for entrelac socks I’ve been drooling over in my copy of Socks, Socks, Socks, but they look like they’d be super time-consuming.
Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? I love my Addi Turbos!
If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? I have no idea!
Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? Hm, favorite candy? Dark chocolate. Not sure how mail-able that is in August though, so maybe taffy or something like that? Pretty much anything without nuts in it. (Not an allergy, just a preference.)
What