Road to Rhinebeck 2022 Socks

Hey Everyone!

Yesterday afternoon I finished up my pair of “Road to Rhinebeck 2022” socks, two days after Rhinebeck ended, not that I got to go anyway.

This was the second year I ordered the “Road to Rhinebeck” sock set from Bumblebee Acres Fiber Farm.

The finished product

The main colorway is “Road to Rhinebeck 2022” and the accent colorway was called “All the Wine”. They came as a set and are no longer available to order. The yarn base is the Coquette base.

The Coquette base my favorite yarn base to order colorways on from Bumblebee Acres Fiber Farm. I like this base because it is a 3 ply fingering weight so it knits up the thickest, cosiest socks without being too thick.

This morning, just before sitting down to write this post, I washed up this pair of socks as well as the pair of Crackling Fire socks I finished recently. I used the Wool and Cashmere Shampoo by The Laundress New York to wash these socks. The scent is called Cedar, but I don’t know exactly how cedar specific it is, but it has an amazing woodsy scent to it that I love. I love this wash for new socks. For socks I have worn and need to wash I prefer using the original Kookaburra wash that has and smells like tea tree oil or Outback Gold wool wash that also has tea tree oil. I prefer either of these two for socks I have worn because Tea Tree Oil is an antiseptic / anti bacterial / anti fungal properties to help kill any funk that might be in my socks and want to grow and cause problems for my feet.

Monday evening, I hadn’t really felt like finishing up the Road to Rhinebeck socks so I cast on the first of many Christmas socks. I decided to start with the yarn called “little drummer boy” it is the darkest of all then Christmas yarn I recently ordered, so I decided I would tackle it first before our weather and days get much darker and dreamer, leaving the brighter colorways to work as the days get even shorter and rainy.

With the socks I just cast on, I went back to my good ole’ trusty wooden needles that I prefer. I definitely do not like metal needles.

Call the Midwife season 11

Hey Everyone!

Happy Thursday!

I had taken a couple nights off of work last weekend to go do something fun. It was nice to have a couple extra nights off, though it’s back to work tonight.

I had ordered Season 11 of Call the Midwife, and it arrived last week. Since I have been off, I binged watched the entire season / series in about 2.5 days, as well as rewatched the Season 9 Christmas Special.

While there are other ways to watch Call the Midwife here in the states, the easiest for me is to just order each season once it is released and watch it when I have time. I had also gotten into the show a few seasons into in and had no other way to watch it besides on DVD. Now that it is on Netflix, I have also noticed that there are little edits here and there and the episode isn’t the same as the U.K. version, which is what comes on DVD. I also enjoy going back and rewatching previous seasons as well.

Call the Midwife is one of those shows that I thoroughly enjoy. Over the past ten or so years, since I got started watching Downton Abbey, I found that I enjoy British TV shows.

While I have been off and watching Call the Midwife, I have been working like gangbusters on my Road to Rhinebeck socks. I finished up the first one and I am now on the foot of the second sock. This pair will be done in no time, and then I can start Christmas Socks.

Using Metal Needles

Hey Everyone!

It has been years since I used metal knitting needles, and quite honestly I hated using them back then.

A few months ago, when I was in a yarn store a few months ago the employee made a blanket statement that I took some issue with. She had something along the lines of “all experienced knitters prefer metal needles”. I didn’t say anything, but in my head I was like “excuse me? I have been knitting for almost 25 years, and I prefer wooden needles”

So I bought some metal DPN’s (double pointed needles) and after one sock, I can honestly say that after nearly 25 years of knitting, I can’t stand metal needles. When I finish the sock I am working on (in order to keep a consistent gauge), I will not be using metal needles any longer, and going back to my preferred wooden ones.

One of the things I hate about metal needles is that they are slippery. They are constantly slipping out of my knitting and don’t hold onto the knitting or slipping out of my hands, so the control isn’t there. I have also had larger projects stick, and have to yank on more on straight metal needles than on wooden needles. It also depends on the type of yarn you are using.

So no, not all experienced knitters like metal needles. Some of us prefer wood / bamboo needles.

What I like to tell people when I get asked which one is best, is that in my opinion plastic is useless and a pain in the butt, though the choice between metal and wood / bamboo is really a personal preference.

What’s on My Needles Wednesday

Hey Everyone!

It’s been a while since I have written a “What’s on my Needles Wednesday” post. It has also been far too long since I posted regularly here.

Today was one of those days where I was able to spend the entire day knitting and making significant progress on my current pair of socks.

I had started this sock before I finished my last pair. Though most of the progress I have made has been since I finished that pair.

I am currently working on this year’s “Road to Rhinebeck” sock set from Bumblebee Acres Fiber Farm. This colorway is on the Coquette yarn base.

The Coquette yarn base happens to be my favorite from Bumblebee Acres. It’s thick for a fingering weight, making it warm and cozy. It makes the perfect cold weather socks.

Crackling Fire Socks

Hey Everyone!

This has been the year of life being insanely busy.

I finally finished the pair of crackling fire socks I have been working on for a while now. I finished the first sock about three weeks ago. I finally finished up the second sock today.

The yarn is one I had ordered from Bumblebee Acres Fiber Farm a year or two ago. The yarn base is the bubble sock base. The colorway is “Crackling Fire”.

This year has been one of those years where I feel like I am going a mile a minute, and like I am just in the passenger seat along for the ride so to speak.

The rest of this year and going into next year I am really trying to slow down and live a simpler life. I am wanting to get more socks made and projects done. I also want to find more crafters who are also content creaters before Rhinebeck next year so I have a better idea of who’s who in the community.

I am also trying to work on me, and getting back into consistent content creation myself. Working graveyard full time these past 14 months and moving almost a year ago has really taken a lot out of me, and away from the things I love. I am still trying to find the balance and routine of how it goes. I am definitely hoping that as things continue to settle in, and possibly changing jobs out of freight, I can get back to doing what I love. Which really is all things yarn and knitting related.