Mississippi Sock Design

Feeling a bit ambivalent about the Guam Sock design, I decided to start Mississippi. This design is pretty easy now that I have settled on a yarn. I had originally wanted to knit this design in Mini Mochi. Mochi has a tiny bit of fuzziness that didn't work out well. After a trip to LYS, I am knitting the design in Panda Soy. Below shows about 3/4 inch of 2 X 2 ribbing. I have placed a marker after every 6th stitch to help keep up with the pattern that repeats every 6 stitches. A tiny little crystal cube is my BOR marker. Yes, I am knitting this sock on an Addi 12" circular.

This stitch pattern works up with quite a few wraps. It is a fun knit once you get the rhythm going! You can see the wraps in the first section below.

Panda Soy is a glorious yarn to knit with. It is working up perfectly for the Mississippi design. It's a good feeling when design and yarn come together the way you envision.

50 Socks - 50 States - Guam

This is the sock for Guam. I am using Crystal Palace Panda Silk in the tone on tone greens. This was my knitting yesterday at Market Street DayKnitters. It is really pretty. I am hoping when finished, that this will look like foliage. The picture below is the heel flap.

Here you can see the ribbing and how the colors are swirling about. I knit a pair of socks in this yarn in the orange tones last year and sent them to CPY. I would love to knit a pair for ME this year for the Fall and Halloween. The orange tone on tone is gorgeous. (have no idea why Blogger turned this pic sideways, but it did)

Mississippi and Mochi proved to be a bit more difficult in starting. I LOVE the Mochi but the stitch pattern I want to use is a drop stitch. Mochi is a tiny bit fuzzy and the stitches didn't want to drop as I wanted them to. After a quick run to Twisted Yarns, I came home with Panda Soy in shades of blue. Below you can see the stitch pattern, but it's not the yarn I am going to use.

The top skein is the Mochi and the two bottom ones are the Panda Soy. I like the way the Mochi stripes best BUT.........

Just for fun, below is a pic of a Begonia leaf. Isn't it beautiful? On a tour of Brookwood Community and after visiting their gift shop, I came home with this plant and several others.

This is the bloom for the begonia pictured above.

I found the cutest little Easter Box today. I filled it with plants and set it on the coffee table to enjoy this weekend. The plants are also from Brookwood.

Have a great weekend. Tonight is margaritas at the Blue Iguana for Joe and I.

Crystal Palace Yarn Arrives!

There is NOTHING like getting yarn in the mail! (well, maybe a couple of things, but we aren't discussing that here) A box stuffed full of yarn is just so exciting. These are the yarns I chose to work up my designs for Mississippi and Guam. All of the yarns are Panda Silk except for the Mini Mochi which is gorgeous shades of striping blue. Bright tropical colors longing to be socks that we can wear way down here in the South!

Below is a closeup of the Mini Mochi. It feels absolutely lucious.

Of course, the minute you get yarn in the mail; life has a way of demanding your undivided attention so that you can't sit right down get started. I am going to Lake Charles to watch Alexis cheer her last game at her junior high school. I wouldn't miss it for the world, but now I have yarn angst.

On a Deadline! Yikes!

Exciting News! I have been asked by CPY Sock Guru, Dr. Laura, to participate in the "50 Socks - 50 States " book that is in progress. This huge multi-sock, multi-designer book will be released ONLY on CD, with previews at the June TNNA show.

The Publisher, Dr. Laura Andersson of Sirius Knitting Publications www.SiriusKnitting.com is collaborating with Susan Druding & Crystal Palace Yarns, who will also be distributors.

"50 Socks - 50 States" is Volume 3 of the "Friendly Socks" series of books, which are multi-designer compilations - I know you will find some of your favorite on-line designers here!

The CD will include sock designs that cover the full gamut of imaginative sock fun - ribbing, beading, cables, cuffs, fair isle, intarsia, and lace with novel sock construction, directions for socks including top-down, toe-up, double-pointed needles & both 1- & 2-circs and diverse sizes too! There will be socks for infants, babies, toddlers, children, teens, women, & men as well as at least one holiday stocking!

You will SOON be able to find more pictures and details at http://SocksandMorewithCPYblogspot.com and > http://siriusknitting.blogspot.com, as well as on www.Straw.com and here on my own blog.

The CD-only release will run $19.95 (plus shipping, where applicable) and can be obtained from many yarn shop as well as from Dr Laura proflaura@firststepinternet.com or drlaura@siriusknitting.com

We'll keep you posted!

ps, DrLaura will be going on a "blog tour" shortly - as she's just been invited for a blog interview with Terry Ross at

http://terryrossdesigns.blogspot.com/ - let us know if you want to play too!

P.S. As many of you know, my daughter, Pam, was in a horrible car accident on Interstate 10 in Louisiana the week before Thanksgiving. By the Grace of God and her Guardian Angels, she only had a broken leg. She will be returning to work next week. I thank everyone for their concern and prayers.