Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Blue Period

The Panopticon festival of blue yarn continues with the casting on of a sock, shown below.

Primavera Beginning

The colorway–"Violet" from Lorna's Laces–is so intense that it's like a kiss on the eyes.

Lorna's Laces Violet

I'm knitting it into Primavera, which is available free from this blog. When I encountered the pattern unexpectedly on Ravelry I felt like Romeo bumping into Juliet at the Capulet ball. Or Dick Cheney finding a new flavor of Häagen-Dazs in the freezer section. I must and shall have you, I thought.

I would like to thank the designer, Natalja, for providing that elusive treasure: a handsome, unfussy sock that includes not a single yarn-over. When you have hairy legs, socks with little holes in them do not make for a pretty picture.

Reader Q & A

TB asks, "What yarn did you use for the socks?" It's Schaefer Yarn Company's Heather in the colorway Margo Jones. The whole time I was knitting with it, I thought of it as brown. When I finished them, I added them to my list in the sidebar as "Brown Socks." TB (and several others) called the yarn orange after seeing the pictures. I just took another look. Yup, it's orange. So much for my reputation as an intensely visual person.

I'm still going to leave the title "Brown Socks" in the sidebar, but from this point it should be taken not as an indication of color but as a tribute to James Brown, the Godfather of Soul.

Knitography is curious about the source of the phrenology bust I used as a hat stand in this post. I've seen them on sale for a lot of money in Chicago boutiques–those places in Lincoln Park and Wicker Park that buy $3 figurines in Chinatown, hot-glue them to wooden bases and mark them up to $75–but I got mine for cheap on eBay. I don't recall the seller's ID, but s/he had bunches for sale. After it arrived, I spent some time feeling my own skull and discovered I have an alarming crater in the "moral and religious sentiments" region and an interesting bump corresponding to "extermination."

The photo styling questions continued with SamD, who wants to know what was holding up the Noro Scarf. It's a porcelain pedestal dish I picked up at the local charity shop for a buck. I throw my wallet and keys into it every night, which helps me pretend I've become an organized person.

Aidan asks if I'd like to put my cute little niece in a pita pocket and eat her up. No, I would not. She's been eating a lot of Cheerios and rice cereal, and I don't need the extra carbs. Also, I'm fairly certain that in New England it's customary to serve fresh baby on a clam roll.

An anonymous reader, whom I suspect to be Oscar nominee Daniel Day-Lewis, asked about getting the kitty valentine cartoon on a t-shirt - I'll see what I can do, Daniel, and thank you for asking. (By the way, if you're ever in Chicago and want to cheat on your lovely wife, the key is under the mat.)

Another anonymous reader, whom I suspect to be Oscar nominee Daniel Day-Lewis wearing a different hat, asks about the status of the snowman hat pattern. I admit, I have been remiss. The trouble is, I made it up as I went along and so have no notes about it, so recreating it means knitting it over again, which is taking some time. (By the way, Daniel, if you do decide to drop by there's a free t-shirt in it for you.)

Bronchitkat asked whether the "Denim" Fisherman Yarn from Lorna's Laces that I'm using in my sweater is available in the UK. I think you're in luck, dear–go to the Lorna's Laces Web site and do a search in the "Where to Buy" section. Looks like there are four dealers: London, Bristol, Pembrokeshire, and Somerset. Please buy some. Our economy needs all the help it can get.

31 comments:

Divine Bird said...

Franklin, thank you for posting that pattern link! I hadn't seen those socks before, and they are EXACTLY what my brand-new skein of Little Traveller in "Greece" (from Sanguine Gryphon) wanted to be!

And you're right, the color of the yarn you're using is stunning.

I wanted SO badly to go up to Maine when you were there, but I had some major plans that weekend and I didn't know you'd be there until it was too late. Will you be coming back to New England (preferably CT) anytime soon? I'm so jealous of my pal Lilith because she got to be one of your 1000 knitters. ;) AND her chest was featured on your blog--double whammy! ;D

Jen W said...

Beautiful color! Off subject: have you seen this? http://www.thesheepmarket.com/
Made me think of you. Enjoy your day.

FiberQat said...

Lovely pattern. Lovely yarn. They will make a stunning combination.

If you go to your profile on eBay and look at prior purchases, you'll find the name of the seller of your phrenologist head.

Anonymous said...

A kiss on the eyes indeed! Beautiful!

It totally drinks every other blue yarn's milkshake.

Anonymous said...

you're hilarious

Unknown said...

Oh Romeo that is some lovely yarn!!
Exactly how many projects are you working on?

Anonymous said...

Another thank you for the pattern link. And for the POV on YOs...I had registered that YOs are considered 'girly', and have refrained from putting them in guy socks in the past on that basis, but I was forcibly struck by your comment on the hairy legs problem, which I had completely failed to consider. It has made me completely revise my original conclusion that this preference was an arbitrary one. Very illuminating!

Anonymous said...

Oh man. A must-knit sock pattern AND a new, entertaining blog to read, courtesy of Aidan? My dear, you are simply TOO too.

Anonymous said...

Oh. That. Color! Honestly, I just got back from buying yarn at Madrona, and you show me that - which I am now lusting after. I can hardly wait until next payday! (By which time every supplier out there will no doubt be sold out, LOL.) Another TY for the pattern link; those are really nice, must add to the queue.

Btw, my Dolores Virgin Wool Tour tee and the Two Sticks tote got noticed. ;) They're great ice-breakers for someone who's shy and agoraphobic; thanks! It's always fun to spread the Word of Panopticon. (Or Word of Dolores, depending on how ewe look at it.) (No, of course I couldn't resist that.)

Anonymous said...

Oooh, Kitty Valentine on a t-shirt - that'd be so cool!

Anonymous said...

Hey Franklin!

I love that color too!!! I'm making a whole sweater with the worsted weight Violet (pattern here:http://www.cosmicpluto.com/blog/?p=572)...

Maybe I'll make socks to match!

I read your blog every day--you are the greatest and I can't wait to buy the book!!!

CC in LA

Kathleen Dames said...

"Clam roll"? I hope you mean split-top hot dog bun. Can't wait to get up to Maine in a couple of weeks. Life is good when you can walk to Halcyon. Love the Lorna's color.

Dave said...

Maybe my colour sense is going too, but that yarn definitely looks more blue than violet, although it is on the purple side of blue. And the others, neither brown nor orange, but tawny. Good stuff no matter what you call it.

Molly Bee said...

Babies as cute as Abigail would most definitely be served on a clam roll....the yummy ones with the flat sides so you can toast 'em. (Be sure and toss the red hotdog first though.) She would be follow it all up with a whoopie pie and washed down with Moxie!!! Ayuh!

Anne O'Nymous said...

Among the awful songs that I can never seem to quite erase from my memory is "Navy Blue," which was, apparently, sung by Diane Renay in 1964. Your post brought the sonag back to mind, but your blues are far lovelier than _anyone_ singing "Nay-ee-ay-ee-vee."

Now, if only you could knit with yarn that would make me hate "That's the Night that the Lights Went Out in Georgia" just a little bit less....

Aidan said...

And here I thought pita pocket was being culturally sensitive to you swarthy Lesbian heritage.

Kristen said...

Oh. My. God. I LOVE that color! And the pattern! you are a gem, Franklin!

Bronchitkat said...

Thanks, Franklin, another great Sock for Men pattern. Now all I need is a man to knit it for.

No, I have plenty of men in the family, just none of them have chilly enough feet to want handknit socks! Shame.

Thanks for the yarn ref too. I'll have a word with my bank manager!

Bronchitkat said...

BTW - YO increases needn't result in hair-revealing holes. You just knit into the other side of the YO the next row & it closes the hole right up. You can even close it either way.

Natalja said...

Wow, thanks so much for the compliments. I still can't believe that people actually use my pattern - this is so exciting! I also love your yarn choice and cannot wait to see the finished socks.

Natalja

Anonymous said...

I don't think I could get that sock pattern past the butch sensibilities of my partner! But I love the pattern and am knitting them for my mother. Admittedly, not in that glorious colour, but in something that I think will do feminine for Mum. I got one of your tote bags and a set of 1000 knitters postcards in my Christmas stocking (they were late, but I live in Australia), and those cards have received rave reviews all over the place. So thanks! Mazz

Cara said...

I've got a phrenology head too, my husband got it for me as an anniversary present at a museum exhibit on the brain, along with a brain jello mold. I use the phrenology head to model hats for my ravelry projects. It holds still better than I do.

woolywoman said...

Hey, I'm not anonymous and I want a t shirt with HARRY on it. Not Dolores (sorry, babe) HARRY. (Chanting)Har- ry! Har-ry! Har-ry! Equal t-shirt-age for those of us who identify with the sturdy, the serviceable, the machine washable: The Sockyarn.

Anonymous said...

Franklin, we can always count on you for knitting info of the very best sort -- thanks for the pattern tip on the Primavera socks -- I've also started a pair and am enjoying the pattern. And thanks, too, for the info on Jared Flood (Brooklyn Tweed). What a wonderful designer and craftsperson he is! Thanks, thanks, thanks. MaryB

Terri said...

I like you "blue" phase. There isn't one boring crayon-blue color in the bunch. From what little I can see, I really like the way your sweater is knitting up. Your work, as well as your niece, photographs beautifully. As for the "distant, cold uncle" remark, yea right... Be warm, well, and happy manly knitting to you!

Anonymous said...

That blue is Gaawgious! Thanks for the link to the pattern. It should be a lovely pair of socks. Hurry up before it turns to Spring! yeah, right!

Anonymous said...

You are a total enabler! I saw this post on Wednesday, with the reference to the Primavera socks. I got home from work, wound the ball of Lornas Laces in Douglas Fir that needs to be socks by the middle of March, and cast on. I'm now in the middle of the heel flap for the first sock, and am delighted!

Thank you!

Sahara said...

That color is gonna look FABULOUS on you! Make a sweater too!

Anonymous said...

Hey Franklin, where are you? I miss you!

Anonymous said...

Woaw. Gorgeous. So very Fran-Klein.
;-)
Ahh, Daniel D-L. Could knit him a pair of socks, too.

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