Holiday Snaps

That was so fun. I have a great sister. I keep mentioning my Mom and how extraordinary she was, but did I mention that I have an equally extraordinary sister? All the women in my family are awesome. Brilliant, beautiful, creative...extreme cooks, artists and gardeners . We invented the Stash Expedition decades ago, and although our mother has been gone for 15 years, we're still keeping the faith. Anyways, before I wax emotional, on to the pics:

As you can see, I wasted no time. I went to 3 LYS in Toronto: Romni Wools on Queen St, which is my favourite LYS to date, Lettuce Knit in Kensington Market, and The Naked Sheep in the Beaches. This picture is about half of what I came away with. Am I ashamed? Not in the least. It will all get used!

After Stash Ex. #1, we headed up North to Georgian Bay, specifically to a tiny island on the Naiscoot River where my sister has a beautiful cottage. Here's my DS driving the boat, supervised by my sis:
Me being driven!
We picked blueberries. I could make a pie out of these colours alone. We did make pie. It was the world's best blueberry pie. And here it is along with my Georgian Bay project. I made Troubador Socks for my sister, using this beautiful Noro sock yarn.
Back in the city I finished these Veritas Equitas for my stepmom. She has Reynaud's Syndrome where your hands get cold and turn white, so she needed these: in fact, she's been at the back of my mind since I first started making wrist warmers. They turned out prettier than in the photo, but I didn't have a chance to take FO pictures before coming home to Spain.
I wish I had stayed much longer. Sis and I only made 4 pies (sour cherry mmmm accounted for 2 of them) and we bought beads but never got around to beading, stepmom needed more cheering up and more fattening up, and Toronto was a symphony of greens that made me catch my breath about 8 times a day. My Dad needed my DH who always cheers him up, but sadly DH was home in Spain, poor lad. I returned home to find him very skinny. What is this, nobody eats unless I'm watching?

On the other hand, I gained 2 kilos in 2 weeks and would have gained a few more by now if I'd stayed. In my family we are seriously good cooks. And I would have had to send my stash by boat if I'd been allowed anywhere near another LYS.

The Unveiling!

The Spring preview of Interweave Crochet is up! I'm in it! If anyone wants to see Troubador Socks no.3: Chretien de Troyes, there they are. Alongside some truly lovely patterns: I'm in very good company. Congratulations to all of us!

I tried to write this post yesterday but I was sick as a dog and off to work as well so it turned out rather gloomy. Today I can really celebrate!

Adam de la Halle goes to Lapland

This is certainly getting closer. Only problem is, this was supposed to be a Troubador Sock, or rather a Trouvère sock, and somehow it got to looking like a Santa Claus sock. No matter, I can always hang it off the mantelpiece on Christmas Eve.

Bernart de Ventadorn rocks the world!

I can't believe it. Tejemanejes, the Spanish online knit magazine, are going to PUBLISH (omgomg) these very Troubador Socks in their next issue! In celebration of which I have decided to give them their very own Name, since Troubador Socks Number 1 is less than romantic. No, like roses each sock deserves its Name, and this sock is hereby named after that most excellent troubador, Bernart de Ventadorn. (He probably would have worn them, too, airy-fairy poetic type that he was, if only he'd had a day job to help him with the purchase of luxuries like socks.)

Also known as the Slow Way of designing socks.

These are all tests, and all, so far, failed. But once I get it, these will be the World Famous

TROUBADOR SOCKS NO. 2!

I am now in the design stage known as Complete Obsession (yay for summer holidays!) which is why I haven't written anything here all week.

IT'S HERE!

My Opal Hundertwasser yarn has arrived! This promises to be a good week. Tomorrow I start designing more Troubador Socks using this stuff.

Move over, knitted socks!

Here they are, Troubador Socks in their new home, ie the feet of my best friend Meng.
Seeing them on her I realized that these actually work as socks, the kind you wear in your shoes or boots, albeit in winter. Which is uncommon for a crocheted sock. We crochet lovers wind up making a lot of bedsocks, slipper socks, footwarmers footies etc. But the tapestry crochet gives a compact, foot-hugging weave that is, you know, like a sock. Wow! I'm so proud! The possibilities are endless! Move over knitted socks!

Well, this is it: my blog, if I manage to figure out how it's done. I have recently come to realize that I have become an internet parasite. I can no longer count the number of ideas I've picked up from everybody's wonderful knitting and crochet blogs. So, now that I've actually designed my Very Own Pattern, I suppose there's no excuse for not posting it for you all to share. And since everybody but me seems to have been able to create blogs, it must not in fact be as impossible as it looks.
Here it is then: Crochet Troubador Socks Number One (hopefully in a long series)
This is Ostrobothnian (or Korsnäs, Bosnian, or Back Loop) Tapestry Crochet, which is just like tapestry crochet but always into the back loop.
The sock pattern is basically this one: Ultimate Crocheted Socks from Crochet Me magazine. Only the heel is different from Dorothy Hardy's pattern: I made an afterthought heel, the pattern for which is here.
For great pictures of Korsnäs crochet, try these:
TRADITIO KORSNÄS
Kirjovirkkaus
The Ostrobothnian Museum

And this book, which is incredible: Decorative Crocheting (Färg och flärd med virkat) by Marketta Luutonen, Anna Bäckman and Gunnar Bäckman and which I bought here.