Socks and Scarf

Remember these socks?



I have put the pattern here. It is toe-up, no-wrap short row toes and heels with a simple eyelet pattern which has been pointed out to me is very similar to Karen Baumer's in Interweave Knits Spring 2006



Magnetic Board
I don't know how I managed following lace charts without my new magnetic board. You put it behind the chart and hold it in place with magnetic strips and a magnetic ruler marks which row you're on - it makes all those little sticky post-its unnecessary. I found it here at Peachey Ethknits and they were really efficient - I ordered it one day and it arrived the next. Click on "Accessories" and then select "Loran Needlework Accessories".

Yarn Yard
I've joined a new (to me) sock yarn club, the Yarn Yard club, where you only sign up for 3 months at a time so it's not too much of an initial outlay. It's quite nice to have the colour decision taken away because so often choosing from the pc screen what I think is the perfect colour, turns out to be not quite what I wanted. This way you just use whatever you get - a bit like Ready Steady Cook. And you get the main yarn plus a smaller amount of extra yarn to go with it to knit different coloured heels and toes.

Dipsy's New Year's Day Socks
Look at how nice they are!


Hipknits Sock weight Cashmere
Thank you Dipsy, I love them.

Cashmere/Alpaca Yarn

This is some 70% Baby Alpaca / 30% Cashmere in a really dark chocolatey brown that I found on Ebay from Turkey and I used it to make this scarf from Pam Allen's "Scarf Style"


It has a rib and cable pattern that is the same on the front and back - I think if you click on the photo you will be able to see this.
Kate says it's very very soft and not at all itchy - praise indeed! The only trouble is that it keeps growing! I made and blocked it to 1m50 and 4 days later it's 2m. Is this something that knitted scarves do? Or is it the type of yarn? I don't know