Where I knit now

Published on Sunday April 2nd, 2006

Here are my new digs:

And this is where I ply my needles:

Yes, I am knitting! This is the first of my Sockapaloooza socks, Nancy Bush’s Dalarna pattern from Knitting on the Road. I’ve had to modify it a teeny bit for my limited resources. I only have US #0 needles (the pattern calls for #1s), and Dale Baby Ull instead of Wendy Guernsey wool. And because it’s the first time I’ve made socks for anyone other than myself (or my mother, who doesn’t count because her ankles and feet are the same size as mine), I was nervous about the leg shaping. So I cheated: I’m keeping my stitch count the same and working ribbing down the back of the sock instead of following Nancy’s instructions for shapely stockinette decreases. This way it will fit just about anybody, unless my pal has very large calves. I’m thinking we all should have included a leg circumference measurement in our Sockapaloooza specifications.

It took me a long time to settle on a pattern for my pal. And because I didn’t have access to the stash yarn I was originally planning to use (it may be in California now – cross your fingers!), I was forced to buy extra sock yarn while I was weighing my options:

Quiet, O Ye of Little Stash. I know I have no self control. But I know exactly what these are going to be, see? The Lorna’s Laces is for Conwy, and the STR is for the Traveller’s Stockings. I’ve wanted to make both these socks for ages. I may even do the Conwy socks in time for my mother’s birthday. There, isn’t that noble? Stash acquisition doesn’t count if it’s for gift knitting, right?

Next time I’ll show you my progress on Hourglass, I promise.

18 Comments to “Where I knit now”

  1. amanda Comment Says:

    nice digs Sarah! also great yarn porn you naughty girl.

  2. Skylar Comment Says:

    Your digs are SOOOOO beautiful. Completely jealous right now…

  3. Veronique Comment Says:

    Wow. What a place to live! I can’t believe it. And your new yarn photographs so well in your lovely garden. *sigh*

  4. gleek Comment Says:

    look at your beautiful surroundings! it all looks so peaceful and serene. i’m sure you can get plenty of knitting done there 😉

  5. Lisa Comment Says:

    Look at that lovely landscaping! And the fireplace! And the plush carpeting! And the wonderful shelves? And how beautifully that shot of the yarn on the rocks is. Oh my goodness, you are getting quite good with that new camera!

    I’m sure the socks will be just perfect for your sock pal. I can’t wait to see how they turn out, and to see your progress on your hourglass!

  6. mia Comment Says:

    Can I come live there too?? I hate my stupid house and stupid roomates so much that I want to puke.

    I miss you!!!

  7. Betsy Comment Says:

    That house lovely, and the yard is fantastic. You may give up knitting for the love of roses!

  8. Katherine Comment Says:

    Wow, what a gorgeous house! I am quite envious! This is Katherine from Namenix. I love your blog, and all your wonderful projects. I’m delving into Knitting on the Road too, doing Conwy for my sock pal. I live in Washington but am going to be moving to Oregon in July. Maybe we’ll meet up sometime!

  9. Karma Comment Says:

    Your new place is lovely and you look all settled in already! Enjoy

  10. Sandra Comment Says:

    lovely additions to your stash.

    Love the new place. so pretty and serene. ahhh. . .

  11. Em Comment Says:

    WOW–what a gorgeous house! It looks so comfortable and picturebook pretty. Welcome home!

  12. Stephanie Comment Says:

    Love the new yarn! Your new place (temporary?) looks beautiful!

  13. carrie m Comment Says:

    it’s so lovely and serene out there. a garden, a fireplace, beautiful landscaping. i’m very jealous over here in my cramped studio.

  14. Seanna Lea Comment Says:

    Gosh, this makes me miss Oregon even though I hadn’t lived there for very long.

    I too have been having a hard time deciding on what to knit for my sock pal. I was going to knit the Over the Knees socks, but I was both too slow to finish in time and they felt ginormous for someone who didn’t have *Gonka* calves.

  15. Katie Comment Says:

    Peaceful is absolutely the word to describe how your new knitting spot looks. And I’m sure that you need some peace after your recent adventures. I would just curl up in front of that fireplace nestled in a pile of yarn. Love how the Lorna’s matches the little blue spring flowers poking up there. Did anyone mention it is SNOWING here?

  16. keohinani Comment Says:

    omg, your house is beautiful. i went to school in oregon, but it was twenty miles west of the portland area. i didn’t know houses there were so pretty. if i didn’t love living in hawaii so much, i would definitely move back to oregon now that i know there are houses as nice as yours (which are probably waaaaaaaaaay more affordable, too).
    not only that, but there are SO.MANY.YARN.STORES. in portland. jeez. that i had taken up knitting in college instead of afterward. 🙁

  17. Mr. Garter Comment Says:

    the fireplace turns on with a _switch_!! How weird is that? At first I thought it was sacrilege to turn it on, but not having to deal with all the ash is kind of nice….

  18. john Comment Says:

    Can I come and stay with you? 🙂