things finished
July 27, 2013
photographing these socks was a bittersweet event for me.
as you may recall, i began these socks with the intention
of giving them to stephanie pearl-mcphee
at the next knot hysteria retreat.
it’d become a tradition of mine.
but of course knot hysteria is no more,
so god only knows when and if i’ll see her.
when i finished the socks,
i was in the tipsy fog.
and it didn’t hit me
until i took their picture
that these socks are basically homeless.
so as i see it, i have two options:
a. – give them away on the blog to someone with similarly tiny feet.
b. – use my super secret sneeky plan to get them to canada.
what do you think i should do?
still, i’m totally happy with how these turned out.
they’re as close to perfectly matched as one can get, even the heels.
i love the heels. (pattern details: here)
my tipsy socks are also finished.
that’s right, bitches.
two f.o.’s in a month.
(i may have an emotion)
however,
unlike my mes chausettes pour p.-mcphee,
my tipsy socks do not match.
at all.
now i ask you,
because maybe this is just my ignorance about dying,
but how can two socks be so different when:
1. same knitter
2. same needles
3. same pattern
4. same gauge
5. same fucking yarn.
can someone please explain that to me?
while i do love the second sock
and recognize that it is beautiful,
i still completely prefer the first one.
there’s always gonna be a favorite,
as with any siblings.
these socks are not homeless, though they will be a surprise.
luckily, i have the recipient’s address this time.
finally,
(and believe me it pains me to say this)
i need advice on . . . a baby sweater.
let me be clear: i’m cool with babies.
it’s parents of babies i can. not. stand.
which generally results in the same thing: avoiding babies.
but this universe has a sick sense a humor
and frequently makes us deal with things we’d rather not.
so i’m going to knit my friend a baby sweater.
it’s not going to be any degree of cutesy;
nor will it be even the slightest bit wootsy.
if i see any baby blue acrylic yarn, i’m pulling the plug.
i want to make something dignified and stylish for a small person.
that’s all.
so what would you recommend?
is the baby surprise over?
Bitches Get Stitches 
July 27, 2013 at 3:47 pm
First, love the purple socks. Unfortunately I have huge feet so I can’t even make a plea to send them to me. Second, I highly recommend Stephanie’s Baby Mine or Baby Yours patters for baby sweaters. Both knit up pretty quick with little finishing (which is key for me). And they look lovely using Socks That Rock (of which I think you have some)
July 27, 2013 at 4:22 pm
1. Those purple socks are impressively matched.
2. Send them to Canada!!
3. I am partial to several of the Tin Can Knits (http://www.tincanknits.com/) patterns… they have some that are neither cutesy nor wootsy, in part because the patterns are sized from baby to adult, so… (eg. Urban Hiker: http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/urban-hiker)
July 27, 2013 at 4:22 pm
4. TIPSY SOCKS ARE GORGEOUS!
July 27, 2013 at 7:37 pm
Send the socks to Steph!
July 27, 2013 at 7:45 pm
Unisex cardigan? Or do you know the sex?
July 27, 2013 at 7:55 pm
Love the socks. I think you should find a way to get thee and thine to Canada. The socks did not match because you did not start the second sock at exactly the same place in the dying placement. You needed to pick a place to start that you could match easily to start the second pair. Any yarn that comes in one skein is tricky. Sometimes it takes a while to find the match. Those don’t seem that noticeable only to you. And I still love that yarn, and yes I am anal retentive enough to rip socks out and start over so they match.
Somewhere on my Pinterest boards I have the perfect baby sweater pattern it is hooded and double breasted and could be made out of a cream colored yarn for either sex, unless you know the sex and than you can pick a color. I will find it and get you the name. I too do not like cutesy baby sweaters. In fact I usually take a standard pattern and play with it.
July 27, 2013 at 8:01 pm
The name of the pattern is Latte Baby Coat by Lisa Chemery on Ravelry. It is in a bulky yarn and is a fast knit.
I always make hooded sweaters for the babies and the mothers love them no need for a hat.
July 27, 2013 at 10:34 pm
send them to her using super secret stealth method. it will be a nice thing to open when she gets back after her ride.
July 27, 2013 at 11:27 pm
So, I knit a baby sweater that was pretty rad, not cutesy whatsover. I’m garnetlocks over on ravelry, check it out on my project page (bonus: death’s head buttons)
July 28, 2013 at 2:26 am
I agree – get them to Canada… the end of the race is soon, if you’re quick, you don’t even have to be smart. just kind of a stalker.
I like the tipsy socks and Linda already explained why they don’t match.
I like the Beyond Puerperium sweater. It’s only as cutesy as you make it. Depends on yarn and buttons. I like the gramps sweater for a dude too. since you said blue acrylic, I’m assuming boy.
July 30, 2013 at 3:26 pm
Thank you for acknowledging my explanation I didn’t know if I made complete sense (or only in my mind.)
July 28, 2013 at 8:34 am
definitely, get them to canada! they’re gorgeous. she needs them.
July 28, 2013 at 11:37 am
The baby surprise is not over. It is fun, too. I am also currently intrigued with the Little Hanten by Cheryl Oberle in Sock Yarn One Skein Wonders. It is garter stitch with interesting construction details. I’m planning to use that purple yarn you used for Steph’s socks. Be well.
July 28, 2013 at 12:58 pm
For the tipsy socks I think you should do both : donate it to Stephanie as one of her Karmic Balancing gifts.
Speaking of Stephanie, one of my favorite baby sweaters is this one:
Tulips in July
I like the pattern because it has no buttons and the Dream In Color super smoosh yarn is a very nice super-wash. (Those pesky parents can be super annoying on both counts. You can convince them not to stick it in the dryer but there’s no way it’s not headed for the washing machine.)
You can make it more or less cute depending on the variety of color you use. It’s a quick knit so what I like to do is buy 3-4 skeins and make a “set” in different sizes.
July 28, 2013 at 6:36 pm
I’ve never seen variegated yarn so perfectly matched. I must say it chaps my ass a bit how perfect they are. Send them to Canada, it’s where they belong. Baby Surprise Jacket is the best way to go in my opinion. Then again, I’ve only ever knit one baby sweater and that was it. It’s all garter stitch, hope that doesn’t make you nuts, and you can make it as simple or complex, color wise, as you like.
July 28, 2013 at 9:09 pm
1. Send the socks to Canada. (You could always send them to her in care of Lettuce Knits in Toronto.)
2. Barring that, send them to me. They’ll fit.
3. My go-to baby sweater is Gramps by tincanknits (a couple are on my Rav page). Great cardigan. Definitely not wutesy.
4. Ditto on the tipsy socks – you have to start the second sock at the same place in the repeat you started the first sock. They look great anyway!!
July 29, 2013 at 10:58 am
I think you should get the socks to Stephanie since that’s who you originally intended to have them. As for baby sweaters, how about the Baby Sophisticate? I’ve knit a couple and really like them. The rav link is http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/baby-sophisticate—free .
July 29, 2013 at 11:34 am
I’m working on a baby sweater right now – Little Garter Cardi – http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/little-garter-cardi.
I’m making it in Cascade 128 Superwash. So far, I’m loving it. Except for my button hole placement. I’m not all pleased with that. But, what’s a baby to do with buttons?
July 29, 2013 at 3:47 pm
Send them to Steph!
As for the tipsy socks, they don’t look *that* different to me, but my guess is you maybe cast them on at a slightly different place in the color sequence… that could account for how the stripes line up.
July 31, 2013 at 7:17 am
I think you should still give the socks to Steph.
Clementine’s Shoes has a nice baby cardigan sweater pattern– it’s called the baby kimono. Not cutsy, quick and simple knit, and shows off whatever yarn you use. Also practical to put on a squirming or annoyed baby as it doesn’t go on over the infant’s head, and allows for growth so it can be used longer.
August 2, 2013 at 10:15 am
I know it’s been said before, but Gramps is quite the elegant pattern for the discerning small person. Also, I think that you should totally get those socks to Stephanie, she gives so many pairs away, after all 🙂
August 8, 2013 at 1:03 pm
Send the socks to Steph. KH or no, she’ll love them. And I’ve had the same thing happen w/r/t your Tipsy socks. there’s got to be the slightest change in gauge–one week was more stressful than the other, perhaps? who knows. And as for baby sweaters, the BSJ is where it’s at.
October 31, 2013 at 12:25 am
Can I be so rude as to add to the matching dilemma? All of the following are possible: hand-dyeing is not so precise and art and so the dye could be slightly shifted in one part of the skein, or lighter saturation, or shorter duration; your gauge could have changed ever so slightly as you knit in different parts of the sock; one end of 150g skeins will be slightly bigger around on the outside than the inside.
My STR socks almost never match, so the fact that your purple ones do makes me a little twitchy. Excellent work!