Monday, October 19, 2009

Button, Button....

Last post I forgot to mention something else Dave bought for me for our anniversary.

It's a simple thing, but I love it.

You see, when I was a kid, my mom inherited a HUGE button stash from a great aunt. There were so many buttons, we actually divided them up by colours and put them in separate jars. We used old peanut butter jars, but not just any peanut butter jars - in the 80s Kraft made a series of glass bear shaped jars - most were just bear heads, but mom also has a knitting granny bear. Over the years, we've used enough buttons that they dwindled to just two jars. And when I started my button stash, I knew it needed to be housed in a bear jar.

On Saturday we stopped at thrift store and I found one. It's hard to tell in the picture, but he's holding a giant peanut. Now my growing button stash has the perfect home!

In other knitting news, I started the sock. Thanks for all the suggestions... it was so hard to choose. I went on Ravelry to check out the patterns you suggested and came across one I had forgotten about - Nutkin. While I want to do pretty much all the ones you all suggested (except maybe Pomatomus - it's cool, but it scares me!) I love Nutkin and have wanted to do it since I first saw it.

So here it is...

I've made a couple of modifications:

1) I only did two pattern repeats before starting the heel... I like short socks, and they go much quicker!

2) The heel in the pattern is a short row heel, but I was too muzzy-headed from my pain killers to focus on learning a new technique... so I did the traditional heel flap.

This is a great pattern, very easy once you get going. I only have one issue with the cuff.. it's quite fiddly. You knit, then fold it in half, then knit the cast on edge to your live row - quite the pain. I think it might be easier to just fold and sew it down afterwards. Mine's a little wonky, but it'll do.

And the yarn.... this is of course our Alley Cat Sock yarn. The colourway is Lizard Ridge. It doesn't quite stripe, and the hues are fairly subtle which is why I thought it would be a great yarn for Nutkin.

This is shameless self promotion - but damn is this yarn soft! it feels very soft when we are dying, and just seems to get softer. It's so nice to knit with.

Anyway, if all goes well, I should have this sock done tomorrow, then I can start on the second one on Friday.

6 comments:

Samantha said...

It wouldn't be a Valerie knit if there weren't modifications! LOL The sock looks great. :) We used to have a bunch of those bear jars too. Not sure where they got to though. We should write to Kraft and have them do it again. :)

Lee said...

it looks great so far. I love the colors. I love that patterns, and the cuff looks good. I can see why that would be a pain to do though.

lexa said...

Sock looks good!

I remember those peanut butter bears. Do you remember the glasses with diamonds, hearts, spades, and clubs all over them? My mother still has one of the short ones, the others got broken over the years. Then back in the 80s, it must have been, they had them come in WWF (now WWE) glasses. My mother still has one with the Ultimate Warrior on it. I think all the others got broken as well.

Knitting Linguist said...

Ooh, very nice! And I love those colors :)

Rhonda said...

It's starting to get scary how much your turning in to your mother.

Alisha said...

I remember those jars. Peanut butter is so my favorite thing....but buttons stashed in a empty cute p and b jar....well that could be a new fav...

I love jars full of buttons. I have a mason jar full. I will never use them all but there is something about it that I love...the colors maybe.