Sandy Southern Psychopomp

~The Gnome

Southern Psychopomp

~The Gnome

Psychopomp.

::nods sagely::

~The Gnome

So, other projects I’ve been working on…

Those of you who’ve wandered over to the shop and checked out the yarn may have noticed some “demonstration” photos in the “flashing” yarns I’ve posted there. Those photos are from a flashing yarn I did called “Pocket Change” (inspired by a beautiful piece of weaving I saw on Ravelry).

A wonderful and generous friend of mine offered to knit socks from my yarn so I could show what the flashing yarns do when knit.

So… SOCKS!

You’ll notice they’re different. This was purposeful to show the yarn in multiple knitting “environments,” if you will. These are “Labyrinth” and “Tamino” socks, both patterns available on Ravelry. You can see what the very short runs of one color do among the much longer runs of another in plain stockinette…

And how they interact with fine and wider cables.

So, this is how the “flashing” effect I do on some yarns works in actual knitted fabric. Also, they’re really comfy.

Next, an answer to Jeanne/Lilpixiestix question, “What kind of yarn do you recommend for us “non-dyeing” people? I’m drawing a blank.”

Answer: Well… the cheeky answer is “my yarn.” I can even make you a double-strand skein if you want.

The actual answer is that you want a yarn that’s durable. Military washing is hot and rough, a perfect recipe for felting and shrinking. The reason I ended up using the Phouka myself is that sock yarn is made specifically to be durable and to stand up to a heavy beating. The most common complaint I’ve heard/read about non-sock superwash yarns is that they pill.

One thing to remember is that no matter the yarn, nothing will stand up forever to that kind of abuse. Even ACUs fade in military washing. So make anything for that kind of abuse with the knowledge that it will be used and eventually used up.

So, in short, I’d say that my cheeky answer is half a real answer. Doubled or tripled sock yarn is a great option. If you’re really industrious, you can take each of the strands and add twist on a wheel and ply them together for a chain-plied super-yarn. I was not nearly that ambitious. Oh, one more thing, make sure your ends are long and REALLY well woven in.

And now your gratuitous puppy of the day. Sometimes Gobo doesn’t lie on his back, sometimes he curls up like a doormouse. Too cute.

~The Gnome

So I mentioned before we had puppies. This post will basically be a whole bunch of adorable photos of dogs.

Meet Mokey and Gobo! They’re mini aussies. Gobo, the boy, is a little more mini than Mokey. Mokey will probably be pretty close to full size at (our guess) around 20″ at the shoulder. They were born one day apart, to the same Dad and different Moms. And, they are the cutest things ever.

They came home at 8 weeks old. A little shy about the new place but very sweet. They immediately took to my feet.

And soon decided they did like it here.

By the second day they decided it was home.

They thought all the snow outside was fascinating, and Dad’s trips to the chickenhouse awesome.

Even when supertiny, they looooved to run.

Then, like all small things… they sleep

It’s hard to get photos a lot of the time, except when they’re sleeping. And they’re so CUTE and innocent when asleep…

And when not sleeping, they’re running, and they LOOOOVE the snow. Especially Mokey.

The first fresh snow, Gobo didn’t really know what to make of it. Mokey had to show him.

Eventually though, he figured it out. And soon they learned other games too, like wrassling…

and fetch!

And of course they got bigger. And learned to climb snowbanks.

They like the snow.

And of course continue to be unbearably cute

And LOVE TO RUN.

And they continue to get bigger, and fuzzier!

And they still run at a million miles an hour, and want to help…

…with EVERYTHING you do…

and then crash!

I loves them. When I don’t want to strangle them. So… really they’re just like kids.

~The Gnome