My socks.

Okay, I've been working on my hand-knit socks, and actually making some progress now. I think I have a couple of inches left before I can start the ribbing on the first sock.  The next pair will be knit two-at-a-time in some hand-spun wool that my sister-in-love got me from her trip to Alaska, but those will have to be after the entrelac scarf I'm gonna knit for mom.  It will be my first time trying entrelac and I've heard at the beginning it seems like you're doing everything wrong and all of a sudden it's like magic and beautiful.  Okay -- I know most of you out there don't know what entrelac looks like, so here's a picture of it.

I really like the woven look of this design.  I'm going to do it in variegated yarn with a brown and blue color-way.  My socks are in Schoppel-Woole's Zauberball.  I've heard a couple of different names for this.  The first was Tropical Fish, and more recently Rich Jewels, but the rainbow effect is beautiful for socks.  It's a little expensive at about $20 per ball, but I can get a pair of knee high socks from a single ball, so I think it pays off for this type of work.  I have a couple of little holes in the sides where I transferred from one needle to the next on the circular, but I think it adds some character to my first pair of hand knits.  I knit some baby socks before, which can be seen on my facebook page, but those were simple on size 8 needles.  This is yards and yards of knit on size 1 needles.  They're only 2.25 mm around. 

You can buy Zauberball in several places around the net, but here's the best two sites I've found:

Webs: Yarn.Com http://www.yarn.com/webs-knitting-crochet-yarns-weight-sock/webs-knitting-yarns-schoppel-wolle-zauberball/

Paradise Fibers http://www.paradisefibers.net/Zauberball-Sock-Yarn-p/472458.htm

In looking for some more Zauberball colors, I ran across a new yarn that I might have to try out called Flying Saucer -- it makes ring patterns like space particles when knit at the right gauge, which is perfect for socks.  I'm just having trouble finding someone besides a wholeseller that has it for sale.  Even the Schoppel-Woole website is not helpful.  The wholesale site says that "Knitting Under the Influence" here in Shreveport shops from them, I'll just have to find out if I can get it from them and make a trip sometime since their website does not exist.  Here's some of the Zauberball colors: 

Oh, and before I forget, I posted these on FB, but here's the "so far" pictures of my socks.  They fit well and feel good, so that's all that matter. 

So forum,  "What's on your needles?"

Nails

So today, I wanted to talk about something that goes along with socks, but isn't necessarily sock related.

Nail Polish.

There I said it. 

I've been reading a lot of blogs lately.  A LOT.  Most of them have been comics like

• Girls with Slingshots by Danielle Corsetto (Yay Sprinkles!)
• Something*Positive by Randy Milholland (Yay Choo-Choo Bear crossovers!) and
• XKCD (Have to love geek comics with stick figures)

But I've been looking at a lot of makeup and nail blogs too.  While looking for new polish designs and ideas lately to remove the Bahamian Escape (China Glaze) and Snow (China Glaze) from my toenails and replace it with something else.

 Don't get me wrong, the colors are brilliant in the blue with white polka dots, but I love to change it up.  Today, for instance, they are Snow with Significant Other Color (OPI) over the top, which partially makes them look dirty and partially gives them a pretty pink/orange/green shimmer.  The color is very pretty by itself, even if it's a bit translucent after 2 coats and you can still see a nail line.  I might try it over a more muted color than the Snow.  I've also got a few more colors on the way that I'll have to swatch up and post, but here's the Significant Other Color.
   

I've also got the For Audrey (China Glaze)  that I ordered a while back.  I'm really digging the China Glaze colors, although the formula seems almost different for each one.  Some are very smooth and thin and some are really gloopy, but dry nice without streaking in two coats.  I don't like to put more than that, because it tends to get too thick and chips super easy.  Here's the For Audrey.

Please excuse the horrible images, but my phone doesn't take the best images in bad lighting.  These are both one coat of NailTec Maintenance Plus with two coats of polish and one coat of China Glaze Holographic Top Coat.

Anyway, I started this blog with the intention of giving you two of the new blogs I've been reading a lot.  The first is The Daily Nail (http://daily-nail.blogspot.com).  She is trying to do 365 different designs in 365 days and so far, she's doing well.  I don't have the patience to change my polish every day, but she's got some great designs and I've gotten to see some of the Konad plates from her.  The second I want to share is Polish or Perish (http://polishorperish.blogspot.com)  She's got some great swatches of color and I suggest checking her out before buying because she gives a good detail on how it applies and how many coats they need to make it opaque.  The third, is Dr. Frankenpolish (http://drfrankenpolish.wordpress.com/) and this one is all about showing you what mixed polishes look like.  It's got some pretty colors and it's another good way to see what colors go best with others.

I think that's it for today.  If you have a favorite blog or site you look at for polish, just leave your response below.  And to borrow from Ray William Johnson,  "So forum," What color are your nails?