Happy Socktoberfest!

In previous years I have celebrated Socktoberfest in various ways. Last year I was trying to make as many baby bootees as I could (this plan was foiled when A. arrived a week early instead of a week late like I assumed she would). In other years I have tried to make as many as 3 or 4 pairs of adult socks and in some cases I have succeeded. This year, however, my knitting time is more limited so I tried to do the same for my goals. My goal for Socktoberfest this year was simple, I wanted to finish a pair of socks. Since I have several pairs that I have started and not finished I figured it would be easy. Unfortunately, I have been distracted by a bunch of other projects (someday I'll show pictures of the sweater I finished last week or the longies that are about 2/3rds done). I realized yesterday that in order to make my goal I would really have to buckle down...and I did. As of 10:35pm on October 31st I finished the first pair of socks since A. was born (not counting baby bootees). They are a simple 2x2 rib pattern with a reinforced heel. They don't match because the yarn has a really long color repeat and I didn't feel like wasting all of the yarn needed to begin the second sock at the same point as the first, but there is nothing wrong with socks that are fraternal twins. Therefore, without further ado, here they are:


They are comfy and cozy and my feet are nice and warm. I am happily sitting next to an open window (we cool down the house at night so that we don't have to use the A/C as much during the day, and yes, I know this is not the norm in most places) with socks on my feet and a sweater on my back feeling like a true Knitter.

Sock Storage

I don't know about you, but I hate matching baby socks. Well, to be honest, I hate matching socks period. The hardest part with baby socks, though, is how to store them. If I put them in a basket or a drawer I forget about them. If I leave them out somewhere obvious A. loves to grab them and strew them about the house. Last winter I had a small basket of socks that were all the same and I just grabbed two socks and hoped they matched. I haven't worried about it for months though because it has been far too warm to even think about socks. However, as our weather is finally cooling down a bit my thoughts turned back to socks and how to organize them. My MIL was kind enough to send us some adorable socks, but no two pairs are the same so my grab and go method wasn't gonna cut it. I needed something though because A. was getting awful tired of cold feet and a mom that kept forgetting she had socks. Then I had an idea...I rummaged around my sewing room and within 5 minutes all the socks were sorted, matched and put "away" where I wouldn't be able to forget about them!I had some tiny clothespins that had been part of the diaper cake I'd been given at my baby shower and I strung them on some white dishcloth cotton. I tied the string to two pushpins and voila! I now have a place where the pairs of socks can go. They hang over the changing table so I can easily grab a matching pair when I am dressing A. in the morning. I can also always see what I have to work with and if I am starting to run low. The best part is that it solves the problem of a lack of decoration on A.'s walls (as well as the question of what to do with those tiny clothespins).

What do you think? Do you have any other great ways to organize socks or other baby things? I'd love to hear them, the rest of her room could use some work...

Felted Balls

I just realized that I haven't been talking much about where I find specific projects, just how neat they are to do so I wanted to start talking specifics. If my post on Monday inspired you to make toys, but you don't know where to start these balls are a good place. (Thanks to Micha for the idea.) They don't need much in the way of specialized equipment and you don't even need to know how to thread a needle which means children can help. They are great toys for babies, children, cats and dogs (as long as none of them have destructive tendencies). You can make them any color or combination of colors you choose and you can make them any size. These ones are just the right size for little hands to pick up and squish and the basic ball can be made in about 30 minutes, though it will take a couple of days to dry when you are done. I want to make these in every color of the rainbow.
What you need:
dish soap
hot water
sink or large bowl
1/2 oz. - 1 oz. wool roving

Put 1-2 tsp. of dish soap in the sink and put about 4-5 " of the hottest water your hands can stand. While the sink is filling take your wool and form it into a ball (roving can be easily rolled up like a yarn ball) about 130%-150% the size you want the finished ball to be. Once the sink is full put your hands around the wool and put it into the water and start gently squishing the wool to get it fully wet and then pull it out and mush the fibers together. You will want to be careful to keep it as ball shaped as possible. Don't squeeze too tightly at first or you can get lumps that will be a pain later. As the ball starts compacting down you can squeeze a little harder. Once it starts feeling more like a ball and less like a pile of fluff you can start rolling it around in your hands, pausing every minute or so to re-dunk it in the hot, soapy water. If your water starts getting cool you may want to pour some boiling water in to keep the temperature up. The hotter the water the faster the ball will felt (which is why you don't wash wool in hot water). Keep rolling until you have a firm outside, the middle may be firm too, but it will depend on how hard you squished the wool in the very beginning. Once the ball is to your liking rinse it under cold water, squeezing all the soap out and reshape it. Then put it on a sunny windowsill until it is dry. The texture and colors are interesting for babies and it is soft enough that you can throw it around without hurting anything. They are a hit at our house.
Let me guess, now you are interested in the project, but don't know what I am talking about when I say "wool roving", right? Don't worry, unless you are a spinner or know one (or know enough about felting that you didn't need this tutorial) there is no reason you would have dealt with roving before. Basically roving is fiber that has been carded and prepared for spinning. Since hand spinning and felting have become popular many large cities will have at least one or two places that you can buy it. Look for a spinning shop or start calling local yarn stores and asking them if they know where you can buy fiber. If that doesn't work there are a ton of places you can find stuff on the Internet. Two that I like are A Child's Dream Come True has "Eco Wool Batting" in their doll making section which is cheap and can be wadded up and used in place of roving as well as roving for felting. Also Halcyon Yarn has a whole section of felting fiber. There are a ton of other places out there, these are just two I know of. If you have time to kill I'm sure you can find more via Google.

If you have any questions please ask and if you'd like to see more instructions like this please let me know. Also, if there are any projects or items pictured that you'd like to see instructions for let me know that too. Thanks.