Helloooo!!!
I had planned to sleep in this morning… the alarm clock has been waking me far too early lately, and as I didn’t start work today until 2pm, I decided to flag the alarm and sleep until I woke up naturally….
Naturally, I woke up about a minute before my alarm would have gone off anyway, and decided to get up and go for an early morning walk…
I’m so glad I did!
It has been faaaaaaaaaaaaaar too long since I’ve enjoyed a sunrise, and watching it unfold and light up Wellington harbour felt like the best gift ever… I really hope I’m motivated to do it more often!
Last night I finished my opal socks… a knitting marathon went on in my rocking chair, spurred on by the desire to start new projects… I can’t leave a project and start others, it makes me feel overwhelmed. I usually have a home project and a bus project and that’s all my fragile temperament can deal with at one time! And I’m soooooooooooooo excited to show you my beloved opal socks!
Kitchener stitch. It’s quite tricky isn’t it. I managed to screw it up again, and next time I reach a toe am just going to have to have someone demonstrate, as I just can’t work it out with the step by step pictures…. it’s the final hurdle I have to jump before I am a confident sock knitter!
Anyway… Opal socks….
Who was it that said to never work with children and animals? I agree… Raymond was not a willing participant in this photo shoot! As you can see, he is well and healthy, his ear has recovered from the bite he got last week! He woke us up at 12.30am the other morning, fighting with someone, my goodness, they sounded like two drunk women trying to kill each other! I said to KB, “do you think he’s scared?” She replied: “probably not, he probably loves it out there protecting his territory…” So I tried to put myself in his mind, and realised that as he seems to believe that his duty is to protect us and our yard (I typed yarn then… we see where my priorities are!) then it is very likely that he is having a very exciting time in the moonlight, hunting down other cats! His street-fighter name is Sting-Ray, and he’s a scary (but very beautiful) bully.
So! Sock details!
The Yarn: Opal- colourway 2107 (I’m guessing there, as the label is in German!)
The Pattern: Simple sock pattern from “Knitting Rules!” by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee… this is an ACE pattern in an even ACER book which I picked up for a mere $20 on fishpond.co.nz. It is a hilarious book full of awesome tips and information.
Sock Satisfaction?- 10/10 When I put these on they felt like hugs on my feet and still do 7 hours later! I kept taking my shoes off at work to admire them, they are the best.
Anything else?
Oh yes…
I have been so overwhelmed with some of the lovely comments I’ve been getting lately from people saying they have been inspired by me and my sock knitting! Thank you! Hearing you say that is such a blessing for me and I hope that you have fun knitting yours too. I’m having so much fun stretching myself to the limit with knitting right now and get so excited to hear that others are getting out of the comfort zone too and making amazing things to feel proud of!
I’m off to bed now, wishing you a wonderful day full of blessings! Thank you for popping in!
Lots of love, Alice and Raymond XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Grrrrrrrrr8,thankgoodness you’ve shared the colourway…i was having major sock envy and was gonna trawl thru all the colourways until i found it…i had lost my sock mojo !you’ve helped me find it again!! thanx!!
Alice, I looooove the sunrise – good on you for getting yourself out there!! So worth it and I appreciate the pic too!!! NOW the socks are yet again goooooooooorgeous gorgeous it’s so clever with the opal wool although if it was me I’d probably do it so they didn’t quite match in symmetry on purpose!!!! I love wearing odd socks, honest, but they have to be fun ones, so if any of your readers have made one and not finished the pair try wearing it with another one that didn’t make a pair, it’s fun!!! lots of love xxxxxxxx
Alice, your socks are SO beautiful – far too nice to wear under shoes…. unless you can get some transparent ones, maybe…?? And Sting-Ray!!! I love it!!! Thanks for bringing so much colour and warmth to my Friday morning. I hope you have a wonderful weekend
xxxx
They are wonderful, the colourway is smashing. Great photo of you & Raymond.
I love ur blog and enjoy reading ur spirited posts! I have 3 socks on needles and have trouble @ the heel turn. U have inspired me to keep on and finish a project before I start another. That’s a great lesson in itself! Absolutely Love Love Love ur Opal socks! I’m in Cleveland, OH, USA and read ur posts in the middle of the night! Haha
NZ looks so beautiful. Hope to visit there someday 
I’m also a dreamer…everything is “someday.” I think I will get up for the sunrise today. Have a lovely weekend!
Great socks! I’m off to Germany in 30minutes and am going to visit the Opal Factory shop next week
))))
Enjoy life
Bimbi
Such beautiful socks!
I found a very easy description of the kitchener stitch in a book called Getting Started Knitting Socks by Ann Budd. It made it very clear to me, plus the sock patterns are rather nice as well. Good luck with your next project!
Love the socks – well done, they’re fab! Raymond is obviously a free spirit who doesn’t like to share the limelight, but that’s cats for you…
Sunrise looks amazing – I wish I had the motivation to get up early enough to see ours, but my bed is way too comfy.
xx
Lovely, lovely socks Alice! Thanks for the details of the pattern and the wool.
I have found YouTube invaluable when trying new stitches. There is a good Kitchener stitch tutorial that you can go thru step by step with her then its easy peasy!!
Well done you….thanks for the colourway!
Now I’ve just got to find it.
Your feet are so lucky!!
Take care
hi Alice,
your socks are very beautiful, if you go to http://knitpurlhunter.com/blog/?cat=6&paged=2 you are at the video tutorial site of knitpurlhunter.com and she is a great teacher of how to knit socks.
now, you have inspired me to make socks but i have wached her video`s day and night to see how she make the short row heel, and she allso has a tutorial whitch showed the kitcheners stitch.
i was the person who did very difficult about ending the toe part but she showed me that it is very clear, just make the last 2 inch smaller at both sides.
whit the magic loop, make i first a normal stitch and then i knit two together and i do this allso at the end, i knit to the last three stitches and then knit two together and make a last stitch.
a do this allso at the other needle from the magic loop.
then a row normal and the last 10 /12 stitches worked in the kitcheners stitch.
the benefit from knitpurlhunter is that you can see the video when you are ready.
i busy whit two pairs of socks for my husband and after that make childrens socks whit the left over yarns.
anyway, knitpurlhunter has great kal`s at the moment.
i`m not sponsert by her but she is just great
ps. i have showed my first socks on my blog allso
greetings
A stunning sunrise, and beeeeyoooootiful socks!!
Julia x
What a beuatiful sunrise. I am not a morning person but am generally impressed with that time of day if, for some unavoidable reason, I have to be up. Still too busy to start my first pair of sick but I will. I will.
Lovely socks Alice
Here’s a link to a good Kitchener video – it’s really easy once you’ve practiced a bit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7jIzwO5Nv4
Nothing can beat a beautiful sunrise now can it…..well maybe just a pair of amazing opal socks! I love this wool, how clever, the colour scheme is just build in….how do they do that!?! Although we’ve reached flip flop season here, I do envy you and your gorgeous socks. Ooh, the satisfaction you must have felt when you put them on, enjoy them…I know you will! X Floortje
Beautiful sunrise, and great socks. I love them, but I have to say I am still not going back to sock knitting…even though they are really great. It just takes too much time, something I am currently lacking. I laughed about waking up early, I did the same thing today, but actually woke 20 minutes before my alarm went off….grrrrrrr. On my day off no less! Raymond is the cutest bully I have ever seen.
Happy Friday!
Meredith
Alice you are too much. Those opal socks are so perfect, just the love the color striping. You did a great job. As soon as I am done my Queen anne’s lace scarf I think I will try socks!!! I’m timid to begin but I MUST try. Happy Raymond is better. Hope you have a great weekend. xoRobin❤
OH, I forgot. Thanks Alice for including the information for the sock pattern : )
xoRobin❤
Great socks
. I always mess up kitchener stitch – I get into the rhythm of it then suddenly forget which stage I was at and it throws me completely. I always have to remind myself never to kitchener whenever there’s even the remotest chance of interruption!
Oooo! Awesome socks! I definitely have to try making some of my own :0)
Love the picture of Raymond too… glad he is feeling better!
Another pair of socks already!!!! I’m still plodding on with my rainbow socks and here you are showing off a new pair! They look lovely.
Glad to hear Raymond is better, I love the Street Fighter name, I think Albert’s would be Big Lad as that’s what one of my girl’s calls him
Have a fantabulous weekend x
Sunrise and Socks — lovely. I wrote these instructions down on an index card concerning how to work the kitchener stitch. Here goes: Yarn is held below needles! Front pw
Back pw and remove back
Back kw
Front kw and remove front
VERY, VERY EASY (pw means purl-wise and kw means knit-wise)
What a beautiful way to start the day. Very inspiring. My sock teacher went on vacation, the nerve, so I haven’t been able to work on my socks…..I might just have to go check out those videos. Have a lovely weekend!
These socks are beautiful! And I know exactly what you mean by “hugs on your feet.”
Love your socks. It is addictive isn’t it. I knit mine toe up so I don’t have to mess with grafting!
Alice, you and your socks are AWSOME! And Raymond (aka the Sting-Ray) is so cute. You always make me laugh when I read your blog. Enjoy your weekend!
Those are brilliant! You even made them come out the same as each other, which I always find so tricky that I don’t even bother with it and then end up with socks that seem vaguely related, but don’t match. Well done, and just in time for your cold weather.
Hello Alice! What a wonderful sunrise! And your new socks are the most beautiful! I can believe that you look them now end then at work! I’m happy to hear Raymond is well. It’s so awfull to hear them fight outside.
Have a great weekend!
xxx Teje
Lovely socks! But with summer approaching here in New England I’ll wait awhile before I work on socks! They looks beautiful though – you are so talented!!
Beautiful sunrise and socks! Have a wonderful weekend!
Oh, my. Those socks are just too lovely for words. And, I have to say, even though I am a goat, I think Raymond is quite handsome … for a cat. By the way, I see you have it (as evidenced in your morning walk), so please send sunshine. We need it desperately!
YAY! They are wonderful!!
Raymond may not have been a willing participant, but he looks quite placated in your arms.
Thank you for sharing your knitting and sunrise adventures with us!
What great socks, Alice! I’m so glad the Knitting Rules recipe worked out for you. For kitchener stich, there is a pretty decent video on knittinghelp.com that I refer to prior to doing it each time. The main thing is that you have to pay constant attention, because if you lose your place, it gets messed up. Also, in the past few weeks I made a bunch of 2″ granny squares out of self-patterning sock yarn for a little dress I’m making for my baby. They turned out really cute…you should try it with any Opal remnants lying about! Here is the pattern for the top: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/filet-patch-baby-blouse
Take care!
I’m almost done my pair too, first one. Because of you and your lovely suggestion of book I’m almost done with my very own pair of socks.
I have to say though that it’s not the only knitting that I’m doing, that’s right it’s taking a bit longer, but it’s turning wonderful.
I agree with you on the addiction and expensive part, cause I already bought more yarn for a second pair. I hope those stay with me cause my adolescent daughter already claimed this non finished first pair. LOL
xoxo for Raymond
Fabulous sunrise!
Kitchener stitch is my only problem with sock knitting, it’s so fiddly. I keep telling myself the only way to learn is to knit more and practice LOL
Love the socks!!
the socks are lovely! i’m impressed with how well you got the stripes to match!
I think this video might help you with the kitchner stitch… http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7jIzwO5Nv4&feature=youtube_gdata_player
I watch it everytime for a review!!!
Hallo Alice, wonderful socks! The place where Opal Yarn is made ist 7 km away from me. You would like the store for sure!
linalotte
Lovely picture of the sunrise Alice and wow those socks are amazing! Pleased to hear Raymond’s ear is healing and hope he/Sting Ray doesn’t get in too many more fights! Our kitties stay in at night time and lately there has been a stray cat coming down from the village. It is driving my Fred mad as it comes and sits below our kitchen window (sometimes on it cheeky devil – we live in a bungalow). We are quite often woken in the middle of the night with Fred wailing and hissing at it, the first time we heard him at around 3am we nearly died of fright!! It is some sound isn’t it lol xxx
Beautiful sunrise, I’m more of an owl than a lark so don’t often see those.
Love, love, love your socks.
Go Raymond Go Raymond (waves cheerleading pompoms in the air). Our cats always stay in at night, there are foxes around here and I/we’d worry too much.
Have a lovely weekend. I wonder what’s next on your needles.
Carol xx
Sting-Ray— Raymond, good lord, that little bundle of joy! He’s really the man about town! LOL!!
My little bundle prefers to not par take in any adventures! She’s so grateful to be away from others (cats).
Opal socks are great looking. So comfy looking.
I am finally going to attack Magic Loop!
I so love your pictures. They look like a slice of heaven. and the socks are amazing very colorful and warm and cozy to. I’m glad that raymond aka sting ray is doing well.
Thank you for the pretty pictures . Take Care and wishing you lots of blessings.
I had a hard time learning the kitchener stitch as well. Normally I have to see it done, but surprisingly, watching a video confused me more!! Then I found a tutorial for socks and how the writer described it made so much sense to me. I’ll copy it here for you!
“Before beginning it is important to make sure you have your sts and your yarn in the correct place to begin.
Place your knitting on two needles (Knit the sts from needle #1 onto needle #4. And slide the sts from needle #2 over to needle #3. And the yarn must be on the right.
Cut your yarn, leaving a long piece to graft (sew) the sts together with. Thread the yarn onto a blunt needle. A sharp needle will only get caught everywhere it shouldn´t.
You are now ready to begin
First we need to set up the first two sts.
Put the sewing needle in the first st of the front knitting needle purlways and pull the yarn all the way through.
Next put the sewing needle into the first st of the back knitting needle knitways and pull all the way through.
Now the fun part begins!
*Put the sewing needle into the first st of the front knitting needle knitways and pull the yarn all the way through. Drop the stitch you just pulled the yarn through off the knitting needle.
Put the sewing needle purlways into the next st on the front knitting needle and pull through.
Put the sewing needle purlways into the first st on the back knitting needle and pull through. Drop the stitch you just pulled the yarn through off the knitting needle.
Put the sewing needle into the next st on the back knitting needle knitways and pull through.*
Rep from * to * .
When you don´t have any sts left, you are finished. Logical, I know.
Yippee. Your done!
One plain sock without any mumbojumbo.
But it´s a sock, and you made it!”
It might have been the encouragement she wrote in to the tutorial, it may have been my own brain finally waking up, but my finished toe looked perfect!!1
Love your socks Alice.They are fantastic. I am on to my 3rd pair of Opal socks, one pr. for my 91 year old Mum. She loves them, then to the other extreme age difference my 7 year old grandaughter who loves hers.The early morning photo is great.Went and had a look at the Tut’s on Kitchener Stitch, very good. Look forward to your next entry. S
Those socks are fantastic and I am now on to making my 2nd pair and loving
them, must get me some of that great wool like yours. Am also going to try
and do that tricky ending the toe stitches…..
Gor*ge*ous!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gonna have to try socks again, I think…sigh…
A Brilliant Post Alice in every way. So delightful to add you, your eye, your warmth, your cat, your skill, your socks, et al, to my day. Thank you.
Gorgeous socks! And what a sweet photo of you and Raymond, looks so special. They look fabbo and I am almost excited about waking up at 5.00 tomorrow to get ready for the market after seeing your sunrise photo, hopefully I will have time to pull over on the drive there beside a big lagoon which always looks so pretty that time of day and take a snap or 2….
“…hugs on my feet.” Very cute! I finished my first sock (which I’m calling my Rookie Socks), and I’m well into my second one. I’ve gotten the hang of it, and I’m so glad I decided to have another go at it. Anyway, thanks for sharing the colorway on your Opal socks, which are beautiful, by the way. I bought my first ball of Opal yarn at the LYS last weekend, and I can’t wait to use it. I bought it on recommendation of the shop owner, who also recommended another German brand by the name of Trekking, which I of course bought. Glad to see Raymond is healing! I’m off to work the leg of my sock!
Those socks are so divine!
Aaaawwww! The baby Raymond! He’s very cute, that’s how we hold our doggies, like babies really! Love your socks, that opal looks great fun to knit with, it must be wonderful seeing the patterns emerging. Wonderful shot! Love Vanessaxxx
Those socks are fabulous!
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