A Traveling Sock Retrospective

I made it home on Saturday, absolutely exhausted after getting on the most uncomfortable night train in all Europe behind an Italian nun who hadn't brought her passport because she thought Croatia and Slovenia were part of the EU open travel zone. WRONG.

I also made it home with these.

I hear you- "Jaxypants, those are very lovely socks. However, that is a total of SEVEN socks. Four pairs of socks requires EIGHT socks."

Well, here's my excuse:

The skein for the second Baudelaire... doused in honey. There was no way that was coming out, so I trashed it and spent the last two days of my trip swatching for what may be this blog's first pattern... all of the swatching was ripped out, but I'll figure out how it needs to be done soon enough.

Sunday I spent the evening with D.A.V. (his last night before returning to the States) and the three boys taking over his flat (Wes, Garet, and Johannes). There was a distinct air of melancholy in the room, however, D.A.V. and I made tenative plans for spring break upon my return to the States, and parted with "See ya", rather than "goodbye". Maybe this end is little more than an unconventional beginning.

My new and temporary flatmate is named Alyssa, and she's a knitter too! Maybe when I get home I can get a picture of her and the FANTASTIC Muppet-ful scarf she's knitting. Also, Selene, one of the other new arrivals, was wearing some gorgeous handknit socks when I met her. And Natalie and I talked about knitting as well- apparently she made a dress! Also, the girl down the hall from me, Erin, is crocheting a fantastically eye-searing hot pink scarf. I'm excited about all the fiber artists here now :)

Shortly, I shall post a five-part series explaining the story of each of the traveling socks. Keep an eye out for them :)

More Sock Tales.

I survived New Year's in Copenhagen and cast on for Baudelaire while waiting for my train. LOVE the figure-eight cast-on. It's all seamless and pretty-looking. Anyway... apparently only the FOOT made it onto my iPod. LAME. So, I stashed the foot of the first Baudelaire into my bag and started Monkey.

Monkey 1 was finished in Cait's boyfriend's living room. Cait's boyfriend's name is Manuel, and I highly approve of him. He's kind of like what would happen if you took D.A.V. and threw him through an inverter- shy, quiet, laid-back - except retaining the talented-but-still-self-conscious part. Except Manuel is so laid-back that he doesn't get stressed/uptight about the self-conscious part. I really hope he doesn't get too much culture shock coming to Michigan (BECAUSE HE IS :O), but I think that's a bit of a vain hope- K is so crazy uptight. Anyhow, I've been thinking I should brush up on that Spanish I learned in sixth grade (which means learn Spanish). I know what it's like to be thrown into a country where you don't speak the language or understand the culture (*koff* HUNGARY *koff*), and he won't even have a group of like-minded and languaged people like I did. Even if I can only say "the cat sat on the mat"...

Monkey 2 is at the gusset decreases. Hopefully I'll be able to get a good copy of the Baudelaire pattern soon- knock on wood, if I do I will have risen to the Great Sock Challenge!!

2007: A Year in Knitting

Early March: Cait tackles me in the library coffee shop and tells me that if I buy her a skein of Malabrigo she will make me socks. We go to Stitching Memories and buy the yarn... and needles for me!

March: Mouse and Cait teach me to knit.

April 5 (my birthday!): I cast off on my first pair of socks, which are promptly given to Eol.

The next day I get three piercings. This is not relevant.

Then...

Spiked Socks of Battle: knit at D+D.

Plane Socks: given to Aunt Dorry.

Dashing: I think I left these in the LIGO van.

Fetching 1: Given to Babcia.

Green Lantern Scarf: Still not finished.

Punk Rock Duffer Cuff: Given to Megan.

Robert Frost Knucks: Mine :) at 8 Rav favorites and rising.

Stephisox: still not given to Stephi.

D.A.V.sox: Probably the most beautiful thing I made this year.

Jaywalkers: I love these :)

24h Hat: Eva's ridiculous hat.

Heading North: My less ridiculous hat.

Raglan: Still sitting at home... needs a few more inches at the base and some sleeves, but it's on its way to being done.

The Sock Challenge: I finished two of the four Sock Challenge socks in 2007. Looks like I'm right on track!

Goals for 2008:

Learn to knit continental.
Start writing patterns for the blog.


I thought about designing stuff in Oslo and came up with the idea of knitting some traditional Norwegian stuff substituting the Metallica star for that dorky flowerything. Fender isn't my bf, I could make him a sweater? :)

Frohe Weihnachten from Munich everyone. Me and Snicket 1 hope you and your family are happy and healthy for the holiday season and the new year. :)

And we´re off!

Yesterday morning I dragged myself out of bed at the ungodly hour of 4.25 (eeeww), showered, and headed for Keleti. I found my train, but was convinced I was at the wrong platform since I could only see sleeper cars (that´s what I get for hopping on the night train from Romania). So I meandered purposefully back to the head of the platform, where who should I meet... D.A.V., on his way to Croatia. I was necessarily pretty happy about this, since I thought I wouldn´t see him again (or for at least three weeks) when his train from Bratislava came too late for him to join our final farewell. It was relatively cathartic.

So, after kissing him goodbye (on the cheek), I finally found the right car and headed on my way to Wien, Österreich - that's Vienna to you!

I think I did a decent job of checking out the major sights in one day. Snicket 1 and I checked out Schloss Schönbrun, the Hapsburgs' summer palace... and even though my hands were freezing I knit a couple stitches for the novelty. Then into the city to see Neue Hofburg (another Hapsburg palace) and the museums of arms and armor and archaic musical instruments contained within. Also, I went to MUMOK, a museum of modern art that I'm soooo glad D.A.V. isn't with me for- I found most of it aesthetically pleasing (although the Vienna Group was a bit out there for even me), and he HATES modern art. Like, anything Impressionism and later. I checked out Stephansdom (not really much to see- a very beautiful church like the scores of beautiful churches in Europe, and you can't go more than maybe 50 feet in), and the Opera (I don't have Opera-appropriate clothing or an Opera-appropriate wallet, sadly). I also had espresso and Sachertorte at the famous Cafe Sacher... WAY too classy for how I was dressed, but the cloakroom guy helped me put on my coat and the younger of the two waiters was very courteous (the older stared daggers at me and my hoodie). Just a hint, though- if you really want to buy me a nice cup of coffee and cake and spend way too much on it, get me the Esterházy torta at Cafe Gerbeaud in Budapest instead. Sachertorte is good, but I didn't actually think the most famous chocolate cake in the world was all that special.

I then returned to my hostel and met some people! Nina and Dimitrios from Greece, Maki from Japan, and SEVENTY-TWO THOUSAND HYPERACTIVE ROMANIAN CHILDREN (one of whom, incidentally, was fluent in three languages). It was a good time, and I made it about halfway through the second pattern repeat on Snicket 1. I think I'm still on pace with the socks!

Off to Munich today at noonish with a stopover in Salzburg. I haven't checked exactly how long it is, but I might get a chance to check out a little bit of the city.

Auf Wiedersehen!

The Prologue, or, Ice Skating

I, Jaxypants R. Sanders, was way too smitten with D.A.V. This is a fact. In fact, my smittenness-to-reason ratio is still way too high. However, I have an analogy- ice skating.

Being happy on your own is a lot like ice skating. Some people never learn. Some people get really good and stay that way. Some people, like me, learned how to do it when they were young, but never mastered it.

When I get out to ice-skate, there's always that lurch in my stomach- "do I remember how to do this?" I'm nervous. I don't want to go on the ice...

Then I do. And everything comes back to me- I remember how to switch edges, skate backwards, cloverleaf, turn...

I'm going ice skating. Both literally and figuratively- literally at City Park Friday, and figuratively Sunday, when I depart, Eurail pass in hand, on a three-week backpacking trip. This backpacking trip, since I mention it here, has to have something to do with knitting...

Welcome to the Great European Sock Adventure.

Herein lies the challenge-

4 pairs of socks.
11 countries.
21 days.

Although as D.A.V. said, I'm trying to take half the stuff and twice the money, my DPNs and notions take up almost negligible space, the yarn will provide hours of entertainment, and the socks will be immediately usable.

The Countries:

Hungary! Ok, this teccccchnically shouldn't count since I live here. But it does.

Austria! I'm spending December 23 and part of Christmas Eve in Vienna- one of the most beautiful towns for Christmas in the world!

Germany! Christmas in Munich, followed by adventures in Berlin!

Denmark! Visiting a friend in Copenhagen as I pass through to the north, then New Year's on the way back!

Sweden! Because Stockholm is there!

Norway! I've had an enduring desire to go to Oslo since the Winter Olympics! I don't care if it doesn't make sense, D.A.V.!

The Netherlands! Because Amsterdam is there!

France! Because I haven't seen the Louvre yet despite having spent more than a month total in Ile-de-France/Loire!

Spain! Visiting Cait in Caceres and going to Madrid and Barcelona because they're there!

Switzerland! Chocolate, CERN, and a new Swiss Army Knife!

Italy! Because Venice will be awesome and has direct service to Budapest!

The Socks!

Socks the First: Sabine Riefler's Snicket Socks from the September '06 MagKnits.

I saw this yarn and thought "hmm, Snicket socks". I didn't remember they were knit in grey, but at any rate... they will be lovely socks. A nice easy warm-up pattern.

Socks the Second: Suzanne Kitzmann's Rainbow Socks from the October '07 MagKnits

A bright, cheerful sock yarn to carry me through the darkness of wintry Scandinavia. Also, I've been dying to try this pattern for ages, now I can!

Socks the Third: Cookie A's Baudelaire, from Summer 2006 Knitty

I love black, but not much shows stitch-wise... lacy black socks, however, will be ridiculously sexy.

Socks the Fourth: Cookie A's Monkey, from Winter 2006 Knitty

This yarn reminds me of Venice for some reason. Maybe it's the "Italian Collection"... even though it's named "Maine", as in where D.A.V. is going back to soon enough.

I'm pretty sure the socks will go in this order, although that's up for change at any time. And the best thing...?

After pouring 2.1 skeins of gorgeous Regia Silk and way too much knitting time into my last pair of socks, when I'm not even sure if D.A.V. appreciates them, these are ALL FOR ME :D. All size seven, all with long legs and narrow feet... I'm getting misty-eyed just thinking about them! Also, major stash-busting means I don't have to feel guilty about any 'acquisitions' I make... and maybe if I'm a good knitter Maman will bring me some Noro sock yarn when she comes to visit in February?

Knitting!?

Well, let's see. Broke up with D.A.V. a few days after Prague, szomoru.

but damn have I been knitting.

- replacement Fetching for Babcia
- hat for me
- hat for Eva
- my Jaywalkers
- started RC's scarf again
- knit one Eolmitten
- cast on for a sweater