Woes and toes and toos

I nearly finished the first pink sock and it was far too big.  I was convinced it would be too small but somehow my measured gauge of 32 sts per 10 cm was only really 28 sts.  So that's why it was very wide and the length was too much too.  too too toottity too.

I've been working away at Percy#3 in the meantime and am now on my second run through of chart B.  I'm still enjoying it but finding each row takes a long time so I can only fit two in at lunchtime. I don't want to take it to knitting on Thursday though (dark yarn and a dark pub and patterning every row will equal a very bad knitting hangover on Friday) so I'll start some simple socks in yarn bought from Berlin.  Berlin was brilliant and deserves a post all of its own!

Pink socks

I'm really pleased with how my new pink manolo is progressing.  The pattern is a combination of simple and interesting which is what I need in a sock to make sure I finish.  I'm going to Germany for a few days so might come back with a finished pair.  and lots more sock yarn :)

All Craft Media in Administration

All Craft Media (ACM) have just gone into administration owing money, yarn, garments and magazines to many people.
ACM were a phoenix company from Knit Along Media (KAL) who closed down owing money, yarn, garments and magazines to many people.

A new company has been started called Handmade Living.

All of this is connected to Kerrie Allman who closed Magknits, an online magazine, I believe owing money, yarn, and garments to many people. She also ran Hipknits (which is now run by her father) which certainly in the past and possibly now, owed money and yarn to many people. There were also knockon effects to other UK based web companies as overseas customers were reluctant to buy from them as they had b een told that Royal Mail are incredibly unreliable, by Kerrie Allman when Hipknits yarn was not delivered.

There is plenty of information about this on
http://www.ravelry.com/discuss/friends-of-the-group-once-known-as/2116987/1-25

All through this, people have been accused of lying, trolling, witch hunting, bullying etc.  Please feel free to read the information and draw your own conclusions.

New projects

I was browsing through the knitting pdfs on my computer to put Percy on my Kindle when I noticed I owned Manolo already. I knew I wanted to buy it and had lined up the yarn in readiness, but I do not remember the purchase. Happily, I was able to wind the yarn and try a new cast on method in between percy shawls.

It's a slightly fiddly but really cool way to cast on for toe up socks and can be found here.  I don't think I can remember how to do it again so will have to use the instructions but you almost do a long tail cast on but over two needles.

On Sunday, I bought yarn and needles and beads to knit a Percy for my Aunty and it all arrived on Tuesday.  Excellent service from Violet Green, Pavi Yarns and Beads Direct.

So I now have plenty of knitting and both patterns are on my Kindle.  I was excited to find that although the pdfs look a bit small on the screen (as the screen size is roughly A5 instead of A4) I can zoom in, scroll around AND make notes! So, no more losing bits of paper with measurements and gauge on, or running out of room in the margin.  Hooray! :)