Trouble, this is NOT a dem-sock-racy

Its only been a few days, and I can tell that trouble abounds where these socks are concerned. Or perhaps better (more accurately) described, this garter. For they are more akin to a garter in size than a sock. Unless they are going to be thigh high kinky tart boots like socks (BIG DESCRIPTION that).
Which I can happily claim was not my intention to be making. I don't know if it is even possible to make thigh high socks. I should maybe do a search online... Hmmmm, dare I?

Anyway all this leaves is to figure out why these (this) sock(s) are getting huge. Typically I am a very tight knitter and need to loosen up, increase needle sizes or add more stitches rather than tighten my gauge. If anyone asks where my swatch is, although I am a democratic person, this is my life. And in no point in my life did I vote for swatches, massive long kinky boot type socks (I think there is a film called kinky boots ) or free willed and loose socks. Therefore of swatches there is/are none. Maybe soon of hand knitted socks there maybe none. Like who wants to knit a sock? Oh yea someone who lost half of their favourate pair (I reckon it was the cat next door) then decided to knit someone else a pair. Since there are no swatches n the flat any more, they obviously cannot vote because I am not knitting a swatch just for it to participate in a mythical vote I made up a few minutes ago. That will never even happen (this does not relate to the mythical nature of the vote). Swatches are not unknown (you may be suprised at that), previous swatches however have been integrated into the projects themselves. They were also few in number (you may not be suprised at that).

So what do I do, abandon them in the yarn box is the plan so far. Or less fun and reasonable I could maybe scream some insults and rip it out, again. Then try again later, with all the joy that hearing that message from a number your desperate to get through to and only getting the elevator or supermarket type music usually entails. None. Lets hope I can get this managed before the yarn mysteriously becomes warp. Or I cut my own toes off with a spade to see if its just as fun as knitting that sock.

Spinning, I've been considering my plying* and colourways at the minute. I like mixing singles so that a single solid(ish) colour is plied with a colour that varies. The variation maybe slight or dramatic. This allows the single colour to act as something for the coloured strand to stand out against as well as complementing it. Allowing the coulours of each to stand out in harmony with the other. I'll add photos of my own handspun later when I figure out how to do it. Of the two ones I'm considering posting pictures of one was a multi coloured blue that varied in predominant shade every few feet plied with white corridale. The other was a deep rich and heathery purples blue and green with a subtle gradual change against some gorgeous natural oatmeal BFL (breed of sheep from England called Blue Faced Leicester). The oatmeal was some of the nicest I've ever handled (my personal interest is to test suppliers and compare the wool).

I got it was from the Alpacha spinner http://www.alpacaspinner.com/ (lovely lady should you ever call them-thats not me encouraging anyone to just phone up and chat to her for no reason). I was emailing her and she told me that she can spin on a spindle just as fast as a "normal"(-that means you lot) person can. That is nothing short of amazing and inspiring to me. Now I tried to see how fast I can spin on a spindle and I can do more in 20 minutes on a wheel, than in 2 episodes (or was it 3?) of Babylon 5 on a spindle. Now I realise that I may have spun faster while not watching G'Kar having a horrible time of it while Narn is being Bombed. But I did it anyway, which just goes to show that a lot of the mischief and shinigians I get into is self inflicted.

I have a sneaking suspicion that those yarns in which all strands are the same colour, are coloured post spinning and plying. Instead of being the work of uber talanted to being close to Ms Lime/Violet. Makes me feel better instead of having an impossible challange that I don't think I have a chance in achieveing without doing it non stop for the rest of this lifetime. Which is a nice idea, but I'd like to eat, sleep, do something with the yarn, buy more stuff to spin and ocassionally go on a bender and try to swim in my stash (some day I may even get to do it ). You'd be amazed at how lovely no, wonderful that thought is (and unlikely, not wanting to felt it). All I need is someone to pull me out before I smother myself whilst wriggling around, trying to swim or make a nest in it, any option, I still die happy. that is All the joys. I believe if you prepare your wool very carefully and get lengths that are similar in thickness that I could get it so that they'd rougly correlate when plied (two colours would be side by side). But there'd be a bit of overlapping where the length was slightly out (I must, shall be more perfect). Achieveable, and yarn is currently in production for testing this . I think I'll use some from the FeltStudioUK. http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=24055 (should also tell her I'm talking about her too). I do reccommend if anyone is considering her roving, try it. It is fantastic and I really should do a review, I am a little scared I may go back on there and binge buy though. I had her stuff for ages and it was so lovely I didn't spin it, I just azed at it and maintained it was elite artwork. I also messaged her on Etsy about something (I have a really rare allergy to stuff that is in many soaps, sauces and processed food) and she came back really fast about the dye and washing stuff(I welled up she was that nice, seriously) and she is such a helpful and utterly lovely woman. I am currently spinning 2 different colours from her and about to start a third tonight (I am a fibre pie, can you ever have enough though? Suppose if your allergic you can do, or if your some sort of insane person who doesn't like fibre, More for me and I can still, pity you).

Having hunted around the internet I think... I have just proved my theory with this lady's blog http://www.abbysyarns.com/wordpress/?cat=25. She is making sock yarn (not convinced this is a good idea, I am not. But when you consider that it is my life in which the socks are muscling in and trying to turn their not considerable influence to sway and affect on my sanity, free time and hobby. As well as (quite heniously) take me away from spinning. I think that this non dem-sock-racy is best staying the semi-attempted-dictatorship under extreme influence that it currently is). Where was I (The prologue-from "Up Pompeii" if you haven't got that) ah yes, her sock yarn, its gorgeous and she has been to Peru, squee, wow. I wonder if I improved my spinning could I steal her life and her fibre? Wonder if she has a motorcycle? Pls tell me someone got that?
Maybe I could test and see if spinner talent, rubs off and then, rubs in, or osmoticially move across? That might leave her less able, shouldn't do that so she won't spin. Bad me.

Digression aside.
I've had a further look at this site and I really want to link to her. Wonder how I can do that tho ... There doesn't seem to be any sort of linky button. Actually i've just emailed her and hope that she gets back to me. My email will have to evade the massive snappng spam hunter monsters, the hunt and hoard in a box it made "Junk" monster, then get past her "nutterdar". We'll see how it goes.

Anyway (yet again, The Prologue) I shall try tonight to match some of the colours up in what should be a factinating trial (for me.)

Think I've blathered enough, I have a lot of wool to spin . I'm heading back onto my bender . This may get unhealthy considering that I've decided that the only accurate, scientific way to determine how good a fibre seller's roving/tops are, is to test at least 3 batches (size as yet undetermined, I shal need to work on that one). Testing one is accurate but not reliable. By testing 3 then I can consider the overall average "gorgeous" (that is now, officially my fibre measurement). So that means I have the perfect excuse ahem reason to buy lots of wool . For totally scientific reasons and purposes of course .

Now, off to try and look at Mam a Mi (mum and I in Welsh) on Etsy again (I have only two, but that was a while ago, but I'm trying to not go over the yarn budget, I may need to get 3 more )... .

And so (finally) besides this final point I'll leave you.

If I ever make sock yarn, the first pair will be dark green and mottles. the name shall be... Sockywock, the sockodile . Mottles greens and with a tail to pull the sock up should it slip . All because I used to love Roald Dahl when I was young, still do. Filthy Beasts still gets me laughing.

*I plied, they were plying, I am plying, you ply. This is spinning two or more single (unplied) strands (a single) of yarn together to give a single length of multi strand yarn. This evens out the thickness and makes it stronger as the singles reinforce each other, compensation for any weaknesses. It is much preferable to knit a two ply strand rather than a thicker single in many circumstances. This process can create really fun colour combinations both on the finished yarn and knitted object.