Paraphernalia is my favorite word.

I've been knitting since 2002. I've knit my fair share of things for my sister. Mostly scarves, with the occasional hat or other item thrown in. Finally, after almost a decade, I'm knitting her a pair of socks. Orange, of course, as it's her favorite color.

Paraphernalia is the pattern, and it's been in my queue for a while. I really like that the cable is off-center. That is about where my like of the pattern ends. Firstly, it's top-down. I don't knit top-down socks unless I absolutely have to. (This is partly why I'm considering frogging the Crossbones socks already. That and they just aren't fun. I'm a process knitter.) The pattern also has a flap heel, which I don't think will work very well with my sis's narrow feet. I'm rewriting the pattern with the only thing the same being the cable pattern and placement. The cable chart and key are kind of weird and not very clear. Luckily I have decent cabling experience, so I know that when you have k3, p1, k3 that crosses front/left, you need to put the p on a separate needle to the back or it's wonky.

Maybe I'm just rewriting the whole goddamned pattern.

I've got four short-term WIPs going right now. Three are socks. Two plus hours of travel time tomorrow ought to put a dent in them I have a finished sweater that hasn't been photographed. May wear it tomorrow, who knows. It's green, so it'll be perfect for the Holidays. Also, this is my newest tattoo. I love it.

this is what one ball of KP swish gets you.

this is what one ball of KP swish gets you., a photo by dead redhead on Flickr.

pattern: Knucks from knitty.com by Pamela Grossman
needles: US #3s
yarn: Knit Picks Swish Worsted in Bark

Evidently one ball of Swish was not enough. I was, however, very impressed with how soft the Swish is. I love it!

I'm working on my first pair of stranded socks. It's ... fun. It's really less of a mental challenge than a technical one, which is not what I was expecting. This is one repeat. I anticipate some second sock syndrome in the works.

I was worried that the Glimmer was going to be overwhelming with the sparkle effect but it's not. At all. I really want the green or the peacock-y blue for a future pair of socks.

Pattern: Hot Crossbones socks, $1.99
Yarn: Knit Picks Stroll in black; Knit Picks Stroll Glimmer in Chrome
Needles: US #1s (2.25mm)