I just found out that anyone can vote for my vacation sock photo, so VOTE FOR ME! Please? Here’s how:

Send a blank e-mail to summerofsocks@gmail.com with the subject containing only the number 44. Leave the rest of the e-mail blank.

You can only vote once. Votes sent to any other address or not formated properly will not count. There are no exceptions. Voting closes on Aug. 25th at noon EDT.

Thank you!!!

eta: Voting is totally confidential. It’s ok if you don’t think my photo is the cutest, most adorable sock photo you’ve ever seen. Bella and I will never know if you don’t vote for us. Really. And she’s only just shy of two years old. It won’t scar for her life or anything. She’ll probably never even read this blog post. Sock contest? What sock contest, mom?

Yes, baby Bela. I talked about this project before. This one was actually for Liz. He’s a thank you gift for all the sewing help she has given me over the past year. If you read her blog, you’ve probably already seen him.

For the yarnies, here are the stats: This was my first crochet project. I used Red Heart Soft Yarn. Probably not a great choice for my first project. It’s kind of splitty. Starting with black was also not such a good idea. I think I did four bases before I finally got one I liked. (The others became cat toys. Chloe isn’t picky when it comes to cat toys.)

The finished Bela was about two inches bigger than the pattern was written. I had to use a pretty large crochet hook to navigate the stitches in the black yarn. I’m definitely going to make more, but I am going try an easier yarn next time.

Did you make something yourself this week? Post it here!

This week has been so busy. I actually had something else to post today for “I Made it Myself,” but I don’t have time to blog about it. In fact, I can’t believe I’m blogging at all. I got up at 6 a.m. on a Saturday so I could do morning pages and post my socks before we leave for Kearney. Who am I? Here are the socks:

And here are the stats:

yarn: cherry tree hill sock it to me cabin fever
needles: size 2.75 mm
pattern: slip rib pattern from stitch dictionary

I am totally in love with these. I’ll blog more about them later.

Some of you may have heard me rambling on about Summer of Socks as I knit on tiny needles around and around in circles. While I was working on my parents’ afghan the past year (and a half!) I had been collecting a little bit of a sock yarn stash. (Well, if you call a rubbermaid tote filled with yarn a little bit. Hey, it’s a medium sized tote, not a big one!) Anyway, I decided that after knitting such a large project, I was only going to knit small things for awhile.

Then I heard about Summer of Socks 2008 and joined immediately. It’s basically a bunch of contests all summer long and the more socks you knit, the more chances you have to win. Look at all of the socks knitters have finished and it’s only the end of week two! I think the winner of the most socks last year knit something like 42 pairs. Pairs! My goal is just one sock a week. So far, I’m on track. Here’s my first pair:

For those who are interested, here are the specs:

Yarn: Koigu KPPPM
Needles: size 3 mm
Pattern: plain toe up stockinette socks with Wendy Johnson cast on, Cat Bordhi master toe up heel flap and Elizabeth Zimmermann sewn bind off

I also decided to sponsor a prize for one of the raffles. I’ve been working on some different sock basket prototypes and I think I’ve finally got a pattern I really like. Most sock knitting totes are designed for knitting on the go, but I wanted something that would look cute around the house. I do most of my knitting at the kitchen table and wanted a little basket to show off my socks-in-progress. Here is the tote I am donating as a prize:

Just before I started SOS08, I finished up a pair of socks that I had on the needles since last October. They don’t count toward the contest, but they turned out really cool! I love the zig zags.

For those who are interested, here are the specs:

Yarn: Cascade Sassy Stripes
Needles: size 2
Pattern: toe up Jaywalkers with Wendy Johnson cast on, Cat Bordhi master toe up heel flap and Elizabeth Zimmermann sewn bind off

Phew! Now I think I need a proper pair of sock blockers so I can take prettier pictures of my socks. I found an online tutorial (not big on the coat hanger idea) so maybe before the next pair is finished!

Our knitting guild is making squares and putting them together as a blanket for folks at the People City Mission. Our first blanket it being crocheted together by the very generous Jennifer. We hope to have enough squares by the end of the year to make a second blanket. My personal goal is one square a month. I made that goal and have six squares in this blanket. I’m going to work hard to do the same for the second one.

I know there are tons of knitting for charity sites around, but if you can spare a square (or a few), our guild would love to have them! All they need to be is 8 x 8 inches square and knit out of washable and dryable yarn (i.e., acrylic). Leave a comment if you are interested in helping out!

These were a gift, so I had to wait until they were delivered before I could post a pic.

They are a really quick project and a great way to use up those little leftover bits of sock yarn. Well, they’re a quick knit if you count you decreases correctly. I must have had Toddler Brain when I worked on these because I had to rip more than once to get them right. Oh, well. At least there wasn’t much to rip! The only thing I’d do differently next time would be to start at the same color in the yarn so they’d match. Free pattern is from SockPixie.

Hey knitters! Want to be part of a dishcloth exhibit? Details are over at Stitch Marker. Let me know if you’re joining in on the fun. Oh, and if you are local, let’s combine shipping!