The “I wish Daryl was here.” socks are finished.


Pattern: Night of the Living Dead Socks (wasn’t crazy about the pattern write-up, but the idea was super fun and I figured it out – this is NOT a great pattern for your first pair of socks).


For a change of pace, let’s talk about the Claire de Lune yarn.
Clair de Lune means moonlight in French.

and is the name of the third movement in a piano suite by Claude Debussy.
and a song written by Gabriel Fauré.

set to the words of the poem by Paul-Marie Verlaine.
who was born in Metz.

which has absolutely nothing to do with Kevin Bacon.

To see what other folks have finished, check out Tami’s Amis, Wisdom begins in Wonder, and Natural Suburbia.

Tags: Clair de Lune, Claire de Lune, Finished Object Friday, FO Friday, lichen, Night of the Living Socks

These socks are determined that I hate them. But, I will not be deterred. I love the idea of them.
and the yarn.
and the person they are for.
So I shall love them, despite their best efforts.

I was supposed to cast on 56 stitches for the second sock. You know. So it would match the first sock.

As I got to the heel and was really happy with my dropped stitches, I realized that I was only working with 54. Rat on a stick! But, I talked to their soon-to-be owner and decided not to panic (read “she talked me off the ledge”).

Our conversation went something like this:
Me: I only cast on 54 for the second sock!….and the first sock fit well and it was 56 stitches!….and I’m just OCD enough to be bothered that they don’t match; it is all I can do to not just RIP!
Bonita: Wait. I will try it on.
Me: But they won’t be perfect.
Bonita: They’re perfect because they’re handmade by you.
Me: Well, one of your feet is probably 2 stitches skinnier than the other.
Bonita: Yes, that’s why I limp.
Me: you limp?
Me: …or are you pulling my leg?
Me: again.
Me: That’s why I limp.

She tried it on. She deemed it acceptable.

It was a smidge tight.

You know I ripped it out.

Tags: Claire de Lune, Dizzy Lettuce, lichen, Night of the Living Socks, sock yarn, zombies

First, I really enjoy dropping stitches. It’s the same feeling I used to get when a teacher would suddenly announce that a test was open-book. Legal cheating?!? wheeee!!! So, I’m on my just dropped some stitches high, and I’m knitting along and the pattern says to knit the heel flap. About halfway through the heel flap, I realize that the stockinette fabric is thin. Too thin for a heel – these will be worn out in no time and since they’re a gift, that simply will not do.


Now, I’m, at the very least, an intermediate sock knitter, so I get a little smug and rip back the heel flap, I read a little bit of the The Knitter’s Book of Socks and begin again with a lovely slip stitch flap. I finish that up, admire my handy work and then go back to the pattern to see what she has planned next…

…only to realize that the pattern ACTUALLY says that I should have done a slip stitch heel to begin with. Nice. At this point, I realize that I have two pattern reading modes:
– Test and complex knitting mode, where I read every comma, every word, every stitch.
– and evidently pattern scan mode where I assume I know what it says. In case you’re wondering, this is not the most efficient way to knit.

Mine raveled here

Ps. To see what other folks are working on, go check out Tami’s Amis and Small Things Yarn Along (I’m listening to/reading “The Charge: Activating the 10 Human Drives That Make You Feel Alive” audio book – so far, I give it a 6.5/10).

Tags: Claire de Lune, Dizzy Lettuce, knit, lichen, Night of the Living Socks, sock yarn, Walking Dead, WIP Wednesday