Fontly Fantastic

Pom Star Socks.  You gotta love the way that almost any font make the 'm' of the 'Pom' look like an 'r' and an 'n'.  Why yes, this is entirely the reasoning behind choosing the name - how did you guess?!

pom star socks by redscot
complete with gratuitous pomegranate shot

So here it is: the latest in my collection of alcohol-beveragely-themed socks for your delectation!  Pom(egranate) Star Socks!  Have you ever tried a Pom Star cocktail?  All you need is a glass full of ice and some gin, and top it up with equal parts of pomegranate and passion fruit juice!  Almost as delicious as the socks themselves!

lightweight superwash merino wool sock yarn by fearless fibers
in the wrath colourway

Cuff down, cabled (some of which can be done without the cable needle), heel-flapped and just waiting to go to a good home!

(go on - you know you want to!

only $3.50, or £2.25, or €2.50...)

This large size was knit with fingering weight yarn and size 2.75mm (or US 2) dpns, but, as always, it's just as simple to use 2 circs, or magic loop.  

I work out the sizing, not, as some folks do, by measuring the foot, but by measuring the ankle circumference.  I've tried on so many socks that would be perfect if not for the sadness of never getting the thing past my heel and ankle! For me, the large is roughly a circumference of 9"/10".  A heel flap usually gives enough ease, though, so there's not much to worry about here!So, there you have it - one new sock pattern.

I'm liking this theme - it gives great scope for testing... in more ways than one!

Socks And Socks And More Socks, Oh MY!

Soon, my pretties, soon you shall be let loose amongst the world of mortal knitters...  (And immortal - I wouldn't want to be accused of prejudice against the non-breathing classes.  I'm sure vampires and zombies get cold feet, too.)

red and yellow and pink and gre... oops

4 patterns are up and running, or nearly so...  2 patterns are currently being attacked by my Intrepid Test-Knitters™, a third is thisclose to being ready for testing and the 4th is on the needles, currently wrestling with stitch counts, cable cross-overs and whether or not it'll stay cuff down...

3 latest patterns, 5 socks, above: King Cole ZigZag in Aqua; Fearless Fibers Lightweight Superwash Merino in Wrath; Knit Picks Felici in Marine Life; Noro Kureyon Sock in 240; and Frog Hair Fibers Superwash Merino in Amethyst. 

new pattern 1, new pattern 2, new pattern 1,
new pattern 3, irish ale, traffic island and  gin and tonic socks

Yeah, okay, a fifth is already on the needles, and sixth and seventh are currently being worked out on paper, and an eighth is an ever-brightening gleam in its mummy's eye...  Or is that just new-age vampirism rearing its sparkly head?

Soon, my pretties, soooooon...

AKC

... or Actual Knitting Content!! I know!  ACTUAL knitting content.  I guess I should have put a warning in the title for those not au fait with knitting acronyms. WARNING: ACTUAL KNITTING CONTENT FOLLOWS.  PLEASE TO BE SITTING DOWN.

A dear friend here in Holland gave birth 3 weeks early to a very beautiful wee boy.  3 weeks early.  Very inconsiderate considering I was staying in the Vale of Procrastination at the time.  I'm sure there's a lesson to be learned here, and I'll consider thinking about it tomorrow.

Of course, mad pattern searching ensued (yes, I had even left choosing a pattern until the last moment) and I arrived at the darling little Baby Eyelet Cardi by Linda from Clicketyclick, and the wee Eva's Hat by Barb Kopacek.  (The one thing I had chosen beforehand, though, was the yarn: Mama Llama's Perfect Sock in the 'Roya'l colourway.  More sport-weight than fingering, it was just right for the job in hand.)

 

The cardi was chosen primarily because it's seamless, as seams are not my friend: knit on circular needles from the top yoke down, then leaving the sleeve holes on spare needles to be picked-up after the rest of the cardi is done, it's finished in a day or two.  (Yes, I know it could have been completed in a day, but what's a girl to do when NCIS, Cold Case and The Big Bang Theory come a-calling?)  The picot edging is a pretty detail, and there's no extra hassle with button holes, as the eyelet holes in the design do the job very handily!  Huzzah for designers who consider the laziness of potential knittees!

The hat is supposed to have a matching(ish) picot edge, but I didn't get it to work all the way around, but that was down to my own hemming skills, not the pattern.  Why yes, I did take a picture of the side that does work!  How did you guess?  On the whole, though, this is a darling wee thing, a very quick knit indeed (a matter of a couple of hours) and definitely full of squeeeeeee.  Baby garments are just so CUTE!

And because I don't think I can shock you any more, here's something else that shall soon be a-driving on the test circuit:

Well, I'm not going to give it all away now, am I?

Now, Where Was I...?: Dutch Things

the hague, 1600

In with the new, out with the old...  erm... well, no.  In with the old and out with the...  No.  Ach. See, the trouble with moving back to a place where you've lived previously is that you presume you already know about the area and the art, architecture, and other pretties that you're moving back to. Then you realise you the extent of your knowledge is based on either 12 year old memories of your very first visit, or blurred remembrances of places seen whilst whilst singing on tour.

Memory 1: Grote, of Sint JacobsKerk in Den Haag.  Dubbed 'The Place With The Longest Curtains In The World', The Great, or Saint James' Church was a highlight of my first visit to The Hague in 1998.  It seems it was only open a few days of the year, but we found it on one of those rare days.  I didn't remember anything of the interior except for a pair of the longest white curtains I had ever seen in my life, separating the choir from the rest of the church! Going back with my LS last month, I was pleasantly surprised - yes, the long curtains were there, now changed to a fetching mustard yellow colour, but there was so. much. more!

Well, yes, for me that did mostly mean mmmm-scrummy stained glass, but I have to say it was a beautiful space and very peaceful.

Of course, there are many more things to see in The Hague, and no doubt I shall be showing them to you in the future, but I had to include the visit to one of my favourite Dutch towns here: Delft.

delft, 1580

Memory 2: The Great Delft Tea-Shop Hunt.  Rumour has it that there's an absolutely amazing tea-shop in Delft that serves the most delicious scones with cream and jam that you've EVER tasted.  Yes, in Delft.  And on my numerous visits to this beautiful town, I have never found it.  I've found numerous shops selling antique Delft tiles and Delftware, even more numerous tourist shops selling modern (and somewhat tacky) 'Delft' ware, some lovely little cafés and restaurants, and several beautiful churches, but no sign of the Tea-Shop From Heaven.  But hey, the churches aren't really a booby prize!

oude kerk, delft

The Old Church of Delft is a charming, charming building, dating from the 13th century.  The most charming of its charming aspects has to be the leaning clock tower, which was begun in 1325.

And the stained glass wasn't bad, either!

Sister church to the Oude Kerk, is the Nieuwe Kerk.

Set at one end of the market square, and begun in the late 14th century, it's really only new in relation to the other church, though!  This is the church that's related mostly to the House of Orange, the reigning royal house of the Netherlands, and inside can be found the recently restored, and rather austere, tomb of Prince William of Orange (d. 1584).

And of course, there is a multitude of stained glass on offer, too...

I'm also a fan of antique maps.  Can you tell?!

Now, Where Was I...?

... the last time you heard from me was yonks ago.  Between then and now Things Have Been Happening.

Oh yes.  Things.  

But before I bore you with exactly what Things, we'll take a commercial break.

Abbaye de Villelongue, Longuedoc, France

Come and visit the beautifully kept ruins of the Abbaye of Villelongue.  Resting at the foot of the Montagne Noir (Black Mountain) in the Languedoc Roussillon region of Southern France, this ancient abbey of Villelongue is one of the few cistercian abbeys left in Europe.

You may even happen across a concert of English Baroque music in the beautifully restored Refectory...

And welcome back...

Things indeed.  Things like moving to Holland.  Such a little statement for such a huge undertaking.  Details of finding said flat, deposit, removals (movers, for you non-UK'ers) firm and pick-up and delivery by said firm shall be spared, worry not, but I shall divulge some more pleasant happenings which include covering up the repulsive peach and red earth walls in the living room with a nice clean white and cheery sunshine yellow (although I have to admit that separated as they are in the hall and the bedroom, they aren't horrific at all), purchasing my very own fridge-freezer (and discovering a plethora of fabby second-hand shops into the bargain) and the compulsory visit to IKEA for things I didn't really need, but had to have, anyway.  

I shall only add that I don't intend to stray from this new flat for a Very Long Time.  (It's very nice, though, so I don't think I'll mind too much...)

Things.  Yes,  Other Things like singing in the Concertgebouw in Amsterdam with The Orchestra of the 18th Century.  Rameau, no less.   With a live radio broadcast thrown into the mix!  Oh.  And if that wasn't nerve-racking enough, I was covering one of 2 roles of one singer who developed some mystery throat infection one day before the concert.  But, OH, how enjoyable!  I mean - Rameau, Concertgebouw, Orchestra of the C18th?  And all over my birthday week.  SWEET!  (Apart from Ill Singer, but one mustn't look a silver lining in the... erm, stitching...)

Things like travelling back off to France for concerts with Le Petit Ensemble in the Abbaye de Villelongue, and with Ensemble Jacques Moderne in the Loire region.  (I find it moderately amusing that I decide to relocate back to Holland, only to get asked for a Summer's-worth of music in France - the exact inverse happened when I moved from Holland to France in 2003!)  

But that's all we have time (and patience) for this post...  Do join us again for the second and last episode of Now, Where Was I: Dutch Things 

:: cue cheesy music and cut to commercial ::

Hidden Chateaux of the Loire

The Chateau de la Chatonnierre lies near Azay-Le-Rideau in the Loire Valley.  Nestled in twelve gardens dedicated to Science, Intelligence, Elegance and Silence, amongst others, this Renaissance chateau also plays host to a Summer music festival, where you may find an international cast of singers and musicians.  

Within a stone's throw of this garden delight, you will find the grand manor house of Les Douves, which was built on the remains of the Chateau of Onzain.  Surrounded by its own moat and gardens, the house, which is privately owned, is home to exhibitions and small music festivals the year 'round.

This post was brought to you by The God Thor, his Thunder Bolts and Lighting Sticks, Lack of Sleep, and Much Coffee

Holy Fairy Godmothers, Batman...

See this?

Hmm, possibly not...  Hold on...

No, you're just going to have to click on it...

Why?  Well, my gob has been smacked with a random (or perhaps not so random) act of kindness.  There was I, merrily replying away to posts in a Pointless and Arbitrary forum on Rav when my eye was caught by a pretty advert at the bottom of the page.  It was the colours, I think, that grabbed my attention first, as they were the same colours as my Strawberry Mojito Socks, the pattern of which has, as you know, just been published.

Well bugger me if it isn't an advert for the self-same socks! Someone has been busy making up an advert for the Mojito Socks and arranging for it to be shown on Ravelry!  I'm delighted and stunned at the same time!

Thank you, Fairy Bobmother.

Garnished For Your Pleasure

The Summer is just around the corner and it'll soon be that time of year to drink cocktails in the garden.  Or the balcony.  Or you might already be  sipping drinks in the comfort of your own living room while the snow swirls around outside.  (Seriously, what is with the weather just now?)
 

Whatever the time of year you prefer to indulge in a little cocktail therapy, how does a splash of Strawberry Mojito sound?

strawberry mojito socks by yours truly
beyond basics superwash sock by knittingdiva in love struck
lang yarns jawoll superwash solid in green

Knit from the toe up, this is a lacy sock with an afterthought heel with a contrasting mint-leaf-like garnish for the cuff.

slurp

I suggested using a Turkish cast-on, but to be honest any cast-on will do that gives you the correct number of stitches.  The afterthought heel was a revelation to me and I may have to use it for every sock I ever knit from now on!  Seriously - what an excellent invention!

turkish toe

afterthought heel - before

afterthought heel - after (heh!)

The sock is finished with some ribbing (for hold-up power) and a contrasting mint-leaf-like lace fold-over cuff with a picot cast-off.

it's all in the garnish, dahling!

The method of making these little babies can be yours for only $3.50 (roughly €2.40 or £2.00) through Ravelry downloads!  I know!  A steal!  I can't remember exactly how I managed to link everything up before, but bear with me - there should be a wee sales button to click at any minute!

(Go on, you know you want to!)

strawberry mojito socks and dm's ftw!