January's "Teaser"

Something to carry us into the New Year and to get everyone curious about this month's colours! I still have a few more to dye but everything will go out on the 2nd of January after New Year's day.

I'm excited about this month's colours but I think I say that every month don't I? LOL! I always have fun experimenting with new colours! I hope you like these too :)

Can you believe I was so excited about these colours I already spun one into a yarn cake and have a sock started!!!???

Happy New Year everyone!

One Done!

One done and I really like how the variegated version of the Reims Stockings turned out. The sock is a wee bit big but oops, it is a light sport weight yarn worked on a size 2 circular needle so it was bound to come out larger than my first Reims Stockings sock with fingering weight yarn. Oh well, I still really like it and the pattern gave the colours a nice texture too! I love how the heel construction turned out - certainly is a unique way of doing a heel.

Well, it's Christmas eve already so Happy Holidays everyone and also a Happy New Year! Looking forward to getting January's yarn out to everyone too :)

January's Inspiration - Frederic Leighton

Remember I mentioned we should do something bright and cheery for January? I can't imagine this one not being cheery and bright...LOL Do you like Flaming June? I'm excited!

I'll be pulling the colours from this one and putting it onto a fingering weight superwash merino, bamboo and nylon sock yarn for the coming month. And the bamboo yarn is a little different from the first one used in August too - this one is a true fingering weight which I'm also excited to get out to everyone.

I browsed through a lot of images to find something "bright" and this one is just wow...I didn't have to go further aftering looking at this masterpiece. I can't wait to paint the yarns for this one! Knowing how bamboo behaves, it will not be eye burning bright but a nice subdued bright too. Stay tuned!

Black Iris Reims Stockings

I decided to cast on for a variegated version of Reims Stockings and have a few repeats done so far. I was way curious to see how a variegated version of Alyson's great sock pattern would look and so far, I love it! The pattern is giving a nice texture to the colours. Has anyone else cast on with Black Iris? Feel free to post your projects on the blog too :)

Thanks everyone for your suggestions on January's artist. I haven't quite narrowed it down yet but I'm on my way! I am pleased to hear you think something vibrant would be great for January - I thought so too for breaking up the winter blahs.

Which artist for January?

Anyone have any ideas for January that would include colours we haven't touched on at all yet? I was thinking about something bright and vibrant...what do you guys think? In the mood for something a little brighter?

December's "Spoiler"

I think I'm safe posting this now as the yarns have finally started arriving everywhere. How come I knew I couldn't rely on 4 day delivery every month?? I sure wish it was that way every month!! Waiting is a torture not only for you guys but for me too because I want the yarns in your hands like yesterday once they are dyed...LOL As always, don't click the photo unless you want to see the yarns up close!

As for December's yarn, I had a wonderful time dyeing this one for everyone. I tried a new dyeing technique and I really love the results and I'm so pleased to hear everyone else does too. I have about 3-4 extra skeins hanging around if you are hankering for another one...just let me know by emailing zenyarngarden AT yahoo DOT com - they are slightly more "pink" in the white areas then the ones I sent out but equally as pretty. Once they're gone, they're gone so if you really want one, let me know!

Oh yes, on the topic of being able to purchase previous month's colourways - I'm happy to do that for anyone who arrives into the club later or has missed a colourway they reallllllllly want. I haven't been posting about it until now as I don't want to get overrun with orders for past colourways when I need to be concentrating on the next one :) I don't mind a reasonable amount of requests though - just email me! I will dye it and include it with your next month's delivery to save on shipping fees. It won't include the inserts from previous months but as long as I have the base yarn in stock which I usually do, it can be done for you.

December's "Teaser"

You know I can't help myself....LOL!! Here she is in teaser format. Can't wait for everyone to get this colourway....I really like it but that's because I'm partial to these colours in a biggggggggg way....LOL! I played around with white in this batch too and you know, it's a pretty cool colour to mix in there for making the others stand out a bit. Should've thought of that sooner! But that's okay...Georgia O'Keeffe, the amazing artist, did and that's what makes this club so fun for me....these artists are really pushing me to think about colour and colour combos in a whole new way!

Is it almost December?

Wow! This weekend is December already...how is everyone? I can't believe how quickly a month can go by. Looking forward to this month's colours. Yarns will ship on Monday the 3rd as mail doesn't go anywhere here in Canada on Saturdays. I'm crossing my fingers for 3-4 day delivery again this round. Into the dye pots I go this week...stay tuned!

Started my Salvador Dali Socks

Ok, I am a very slow and easily distracted knitter who works full time to support my fiber stash and likes to do other kinds of needlework. I am also slow to post things on the internet but I did start my first pair of Art Walk Sock Yarn Club socks using the Dali sock yarn. They are Bartholomew's Tantalizing Socks from Cat Bordhi's book.

December's Inspiration - Georgia O'Keefe

Oh gosh, you guys know me too well...LOL! Of course I'm dieing to just blurt it out...and here it is! I haven't decided which painting to go with but each one is amazing in its own way. I don't know what else to say but wow on these paintings. So nice to be able to choose a female artist too. What do you guys think? I could even combine some colours from both too. So lovely!

I'm Ahead of Myself :)

Would you guys like to know who December's inspiration will be? I have decided already which puts me way ahead of myself this time....LOL! And I thought it was time for a female artist if that helps anyone...guesses or should I just blurt it out? :)

November's Giverny Spoiler

How's everyone? Don't click the photo unless you want to see the yarn up close :) I am so pleased to hear that the yarn packages made it to a lot of you in very good time this month...wow, I'm speechless on how quick some of them were! I surely hope this is a trend that will continue :)

Can't wait to see what everyone knits with their November yarn and I hope a few of you will try out the surprise too...Alyson's design is just so awesome!

As for me, I have December on the brain already for art piece and also yarn...can't wait :)

Hiya! (Designer Drive-By)

Hey Art Walkers! I'm Alyson, and I designed the Reims Stocking pattern that you received as a surprise with your shipment this month! Since you've started to receive your shipments - apparently due to Roxanne's amazing ability to bend time, space, and the postal service to her will! - I wanted to post a greeting and talk a bit about my inspiration for the pattern and how crazy I am about Roxanne's yarn now!

I'd not worked with Zen Yarn Garden before Roxanne contacted me about a pattern. (How could this be???) Once I had the yarn in my hands and had loved it half to death, I spent some time thinking about all the elements there were to play with. I knew I wanted something that would look good in both a semi-solid and a variegated, so that it would be equally complimentary to all of Zen Yarn Garden's wonderful yarns. I also knew I wanted something that would fit in with the arts and that was a little "zen". I started perusing some of my books and in one, I spotted a lace pattern, called Gazebo Lace, that had an element that reminded me very much of the flying buttresses and architectural elements of the great cathedrals of Europe. (And I couldn't help thinking that few things were more "zen" then centuries-old cathedrals!) I even recalled a photo I'd seen of Reims Cathedral in France - and I was set, with all my elements satisfied! I was really excited about playing with the lace pattern - the bobble cast on creates points reminiscent of the peaks and spires of Reims, and is a fun alternative to the standard ribbed cuff. The heel flap even evokes the tall, grand doorways of the European cathedral!

I was even more excited when I saw that Roxanne had selected Monet as her own inspiration - a colourway inspired by one of the greatest ever French artists just plays up the Reims pattern wonderfully!

The pattern is on Ravelry, if you want to queue it up (you know you wanna!). ;-)

It's been a real joy designing this pattern and working with Zen Yarn Garden (delightful yarn AND artist!) I really look forward to seeing what you create, and if I can ever be of any assistance whatsoever with pattern support, please feel free to contact me. My email is alysonknitsATgmailDOTcom, my blog is The YoYo Knits, and my Ravelry name is YoYoKnits. I'd love to hear from you!

Happy knitting!

November's in the Mail!

Hey guys...November's yarn has been dropped off and they are in the mail as of now! I hope you like the colourway - it's very "summer-ish" or "spring-ish" because, well, the art piece is a garden...LOL! Let me know what you think of the yarn base...it's a new superwash merino that I like but I think I'm getting spoiled by the shiny yarns...I kind of missed the shiny with the merino...LOL! Ah well, it's nice to have a good superwash yarn for socks too.

EDIT: To add sneak peek photo...LOL! There you go Suzanne...happy to oblige :)

November's Inspiration - Monet

A few of you suggested Monet and this particular piece fit so well with this month's surprise, I couldn't pass it up! I hope you enjoy this month's inspiration - The Artist's Garden at Giverny . I haven't started dyeing the yarn yet - that's coming very soon - but we haven't touched on some of the colours in this painting yet so I'm excited to get them onto the yarns!! This month will be another new yarn base...and it's just way too much fun to send out new yarns to everyone almost every month. I'm always looking for fabulous yarns and I've come across a few so I am quite sure we will have a few new ones for the next little while!

Hope everyone's doing well - Halloween will be here very soon and then it's November already! Wow, time flies! I'm so enjoying seeing everyone's projects too - you are all such a talented bunch of knitters! :)

Picasso sock!

Here is the top of my finished Picasso sock. I used the lacy mock cable sock pattern and I really like how it came out. There is no pooling around the gusset. The stripes just got wider as I was only doing the pattern on the top of the foot. I think the yarn and pattern compliment each other well and they are so soft! And I love telling folks that they are made with sea weed (so I stretch the truth a little). They always sniff them as if they can smell it.

November's Coming!

Next week will be November 1st already! Wow. Thank you everyone for all your suggestions on the art piece to use for next month...I had someone in mind and a few of you suggested him too so it seemed like a safe bet so off we go! It fits well with the surprise insert too so everything came together nicely.

Have a great weekend everyone! I'll let you know who it is next week :)

Let's Talk About November...

Anyone have some art pieces they are just dieing (no pun intended) for me to dye? I have a few ideas but sure would love to hear some suggestions from everyone too! No polls this time...will take some suggestions and see what intrigues me when I look at the art piece. I'm such an inspiration dyer...it'll just hit me what I want to do.

Leave a suggestion in the comments so I can take a look...November is quickly approaching!

Coming Along...

Slowly but surely! One down, one to go! I used to have an aversion to variegated yarns that pooled and did weird things on the sock but in real life, they aren't so bad and seem to take on a character of their own. I probably should've knit a few socks before I decided that too...LOL My sock will definitely be a one-of-a-kind that's for sure! Onto sock #2 after I finish the second sock of another pair. I promised myself I'd finish that first before finishing these...sometimes you just have to do that...bargain with yourself to avoid SSS...LOL

Have a great weekend everyone!

Ravelry, Anyone?

I just got my invite to Ravelry, and while I was exploring, discovered that there was no group for the Art Walk Sock Club - in other words, us. So my question for my fellow Art Walkers is this: Do we want to start a group on Ravelry? I don't know how many club members also belong to Ravelry, and of those who do, who would be interested in joining a new group. And I don't really know yet what's involved in starting a group (or how to do one of those lovely headers). So now that I've gone and completely rambled on, if you're interested in starting a group for the Art Walk on Ravelry, just post in the comments.

And thank you for your consideration.

NOTE FROM ROXANNE: There is a group...LOL! Click here. Thanks Inky for wanting to start one...totally awesome of you!! :)

Here I am

It's great to get the invitation to blog....

River Rapids Socks - WIP

I have another sock on the go! I'm using the River Rapids pattern (PDF link) and it's coming along quickly...I'm about to pick up stitches for the gusset! I'm curious to see how the colours will wind themselves around the sock for the gusset and foot...multi-colour yarns always intrigue me that way!

Anyone else cast on the merino/SeaCell yet? I'm so curious to hear how you like knitting it.

October's Three Dancers Spoiler

For those of you still waiting for your yarn, do not click the photo unless you want to see the yarn up close and personal and have the colours revealed to you!

I can't wait to see what everyone does with these yarns - I am working on the River Rapids pattern and have one pattern repeat done so far on the leg. I tried with size 2 US DPNs but it was too loose so I have gone up to the size 2.5 US DPNs and so far, so good. Don't forget the exclusive discount for the ART WALK members if you need a set. You can find them here and if those run out, I am taking pre-orders here which will have a wee wait time for the needles but I will get them out to you as soon as I receive them (about a week or so).

I'm already planning for November and have another surprise up my sleeve so stay tuned!

P.S.: Invoices went out today for all those who were clubbers for October - appreciate payments by October 15 or close to that date so the yarn can be planned for November 1's mailing. Thanks everyone for making this sock club so much fun!

toreador scarf

Cast on 201 stitches on size 3 needles, join and knit around in seed stitch (k1,p1) for six inches. Drop 10 stitches, bind off ten stitches. Drop 1 stitch, (draw up a long loop to give you enough room to ravel out this stitch.) bind off ten stitches, drop 3 stitches(draw up a long, long,long loop ), bind off 10, drop 1, bind off to within 35 stitches of end, drop 1, stitch, bind off ten stitches, drop 3 stitches, bind off 10, drop 1, bind off to end.

Ravel down those dropped stitches. Thread a blunt point darning needle with about four feet of yarn and weave it over and under the threads of those dropped stitches. (I pick up one set of overs and keep them on a knitting needle. this way, I can just run my darning needle along the knitting needle and save half the time of picking up. Use the knitting needle to push the weaving thread down, then push it up to the top of the weaving to get it out of your way. Don't pack the threads too tightly together or you will make a stiff place in your lovely soft, light scarf.)

Then I blocked the scarf still in a loop to straighten out those threads where I dropped 10 stitches. When dry, cut across the middle of those threads and tie in bundles of five to make fringe. Tah dah!!

Rainy Day Delivery

I was worried that the yarn would come today, while I was at work, with a big storm rolling through in the afternoon. Usually my mailman puts the boxes on the front porch and we don't have an overhang. Much to my delight the yarn did come, and he stuck it in the mailbox :) Absolutely beautiful!

October Treat

I can't believe my eyes when I opened the package this morning - the colors are amazing & the yarn is gorgeous - so smooth & soft & the sheen on the yarn makes it look exquisite - I just can't stop admiring it! Thanks so much Roxanne for this wonderful treat as I have my own Picasso - you are a genius!

Starry Night modular scarf

I've finished! knit on size 1's with six repeats of the basic big square, two half squares design. And then ten dollars worth of beads to make it a bit more feminine. And since everything is better with a kitty, here is Miss Pepper, ignoring the scarf.

Blast from the Past

Well, it finally happened. Despite the fact that I have a gazillion trillion quite a few socks on the needles, I cracked and cast on Toreador. And not being content to knit just a sock, I had to tweak an established stitch pattern (normally, I don't like to think that much). Meet Interesting Path.


(OK, so not all that much extra thinking was involved.)

I'm very pleased with how my tweaking is playing out. For those of you who are curious, the pattern I tweaked was Winding Trail I felt it might be too meshy for my taste.

A little sneak peek...

Ahhhh, doesn't the photo effect make the yarn look like an oil painting? I love this effect! How's everyone's weekends? I'm stoked to get the yarn out on Monday and this one I hope to knit with everyone too!

Did I mention already November will have a non-yarn surprise included in the package? Stay tuned! I'm excited about this little enclosure too.

October's Inspiration - Pablo Picasso

Just because I can't stand not telling you all what the art piece inspiration is - here she is - Three Dancers by Pablo Picasso. It spoke to me this time because It's October and Fall and I felt inspired to do some rendition of Fall colours for October's yarns.

The yarns are mostly dyed now and I'm so pleased - well, beyond pleased actually. I can't wait to get these ones out to you guys - and again, I'm looking for your feedback on it - you guys are my "guinea pigs" for new yarn bases...LOL! Truly, this is a good thing because I have always been one to try new yarns...it's lots of fun that way and to have you guys try it for me it is a huge bonus of a sock club!

Can you hardly stand it? LOL! What yarn could she have possibly used and what colours this time?? Hee hee - I'm soooo bad for taunting! Don't worry - Monday they're hitting the mail!

October's Invoices

Hello everyone...just a quick note so there's not too much confusion and the new members know about the invoicing process. Each month (usually the beginning of the month) I invoice each member for the next month's membership giving each invoice a payment due date of the 15th of the month. Once invoices have been issued, I always send out reminders just before or just after the 15th. About one week prior to the end of the month, I "cancel" any outstanding invoices that have not been paid. I do this in order to get a handle on numbers and so I can get to dyeing the required number of yarns.

If you have just recently received a "canceled" invoice notice for October and it's not what you were expecting, please contact me at zenyarngarden AT yahoo DOT com and I'll re-invoice you for October. I always leave a few spots extra for each month so as to avoid any confusion issues and to accommodate any late joiners. Hope that makes sense but if you have anymore questions, don't ever hesitate to email me!

And in other news, lots of October yarns going into the dye pot today! YAY!

Ready for October?

Well, hmmmm, am I going to tell you about the art piece and the yarn?!? Not this month because I want you all to be surprised! The only hint I'll give you is I've chosen Pablo Picasso as our artist and the yarn I wanted, I got...yippee!! Think Fall colours and a brand new yarn base...that's all I'm going to say unless I can't help it anymore or someone drags it out of me...LOL

Hope you're all ready and how are you enjoying the yarn base for September?

Any clues?

Hello Roxanne, fellow sock knitters!

Are there any clues on next month's art inspiration? The yarn base perhaps?

Or are you teasing us by keep it a TOTAL secret?

I'm happy either way, I'm just curious.

Kaibashira Socks Started!

After 5 tries, I finally got it. Here is the start of my Kaibashira socks with the Starry Night yarn. The pattern is subtle and lets the beauty of the yarn shine through. This is the first pair of socks I have made that has no ribbing in it. The cuff has loops and the pattern has only a little stretch. Consequently, it looks a little bigger than other socks while still on the needles. I really like it and am so glad I persevered. Thanks for all the help, Chrissy!

Starry Night Tidal Wave Socks

I started my socks today using Starry Night! My husband chose the Tidal Wave pattern from SWTC and so far so good.



I can't say enough how beautiful this colorway is. Great job Roxanne!

Pattern Trouble

Has anybody tried the Kaibashira sock pattern? I really like the way it looks but I am having a terrible time with it. I have tried 4 times to start the socks. Each time I finish row 2 I am about 10 stitches short. I think I am following the directions but after 4 attempts I cannot figure out what I am doing wrong. I am not good enough to just look at a pattern and figure out if something is wrong. I am assuming it is my mistake. I'd be interested in whatever anyone else has to report.

modular scarf started

With the aid of my able assistants, I have begun a modular scarf using Starry Night. It is lovely to work with and though my photo skills don't do justice to the colors, they are more satisfying than I could have imagined.

I work part time at a local community college and took my lunch out in the glorious September weather. And of course, I was knitting in public. So many comments on how beautiful the colors were! And when I told people that the colorway was inspired by the painting, it was delightful to watch the light of recognition go on in a few faces.


This is an easy pattern, but a bit tricky to describe in places. Using size 1 needles (I always use circular) cast on 40 stitches, place a marker, and cast on 40 more.

Row 1: knit to marker, slip marker, knit 2 tog, knit to end of row.

Repeat till you have 1 stitch left. Do not break yarn.

Cast on 20 and knit one row, place marker, pick up 20 stitches from the edge of the piece you just knit.

work row 1 and repeat as before, always working a decrease after you slip the marker till you have 1 stitch left.

pick up 20 stitches along the edge of the piece you just knit, and 20 stitches along the edge of the first piece. Work as before.

Down to one stitch? OK, cast on 40 stitches, knit the row, place the marker, and pick up 40 stitches along the edges of the two little squares.

Continue working one big square, then two little squares, over and over. I'll let you know how far to go when I figure it out.

September's Starry Night Spoiler

For those of you still waiting for your yarn, do not click the photo unless you want to see the yarn up close and personal and have the colours revealed to you!

As an aside, if you are waiting on yarn and it hasn't arrived by the end of this week (people in the USA) please make sure to contact me at zenyarngarden AT yahoo DOT com so I can confirm it was mailed and start tracking it if needed. All packages going out are insured and if they, heaven forbid, don't show up, I will get reimbursed and you will get another yarn sent out to you!

September's Yarn

Hi Roxanne,
My first club yarn just got here.....IT IS REALLY REALLY REALLY PRETTY! I was a bit nervous-I am not really big on yellow. But I love all of the gorgeous blues! And the Starry Night card is very cool also! And squishhhhhhh!
Thank you thank you!
Lorna

Favourite Yarn Weights Poll

Hello everyone...would love your feedback on what your favourite yarn weights are to use for socks! You can choose more than one answer as well and the poll will close on Sunday, September 17, 2007. This will help me with deciding on what yarns to use for the coming months. As always, thanks for participating!

October Invoices

Invoices have gone out for clubbers who were with us for August/September. I put a due date on them of September 15th as I'll have to get a handle on numbers and get the yarn ordered the week following! I have a really nice yarn in mind that I hope I can get for us this coming month but I won't say what because if I can't get it, I'll be disappointed. I also have a surprise planned for November and no, I'm not telling you - you'll just have to wait and see...LOL

Okay, enough taunting in one post...how's everyone doing? I see the yarns are getting to a few people...yay! I will post my un-blurry, un-crayon-like photo this week of the yarn too. Have you decided what to knit with the Starry Night colourway yet? I can't wait to see what people are doing - I see on Ravelry we will get some non-sock knitting too - can't wait!

Happy knitting week everyone and welcome to those who have just joined too! :)

Selfish?

I love it. I am feeling the temptation to be a bad mother and not give the socks to my oldest daughter. I did tell her she could have it but that was before I saw it. I am in a quandry. Selfish of me to want to keep something so beautiful for myself? Maybe, but like Cybil Sheppard used to say "I'm worth it".

Starry Night

I can't believe how beautiful this yarn is. I have been carrying it around the house like a baby. I have a feeling that this will become a pair of socks for the husband--he will insist on it, I'm sure.

I can't wait until next month.


hint*hint*MarcChagall*La Branche hint*hint
(was that subtle? no? oh. ok!)

Done in time for the new yarn…

I did not get September’s yarn yet, but here are my Socks for August - not too bad for my first real pair if I do say so myself (hee hee). Now all I have to learn how to to do is take pictures of my feet!??!? It was a fun pattern and very easy to learn for my third sock ever!

Spiral Eyelet Socks

Spectacular!

The colours of the recent shipment are even better than I could have imagined. You've perfectly captured the light-shining-from-within-the-darkness quality of the painting. Oh, my.

Packages in the Mail & Any Pattern Writers in the Club?

Hello everyone...hope you all had a nice long weekend!

All September packages have been mailed and those of you in Ontario will probably get your yarn as soon as tomorrow! October's yarn is going to be great too if I can get it pulled together...stay tuned and can't wait to see some Starry Night projects on the needles! :)

Do we have any pattern writers/designers in the group? I'd sure love to hear from you if you do write/design as I would like to discuss the idea of club yarn specific patterns. Contact me at zenyarngarden AT yahoo DOT com if you're a designer and are interested. Thanks!

Progress on Tidal Wave

I may be the world's slowest sock knitter, but here's some progress:



The sock looks tie-dyed, which is perfect for this then-and-always hippie knitter! The pattern calls for 5 repeats, but I'm going to stop at 4 (just a few more rows) because I think they'll fit better. Since the foot is stockinette, it'll go fast.

Toreador Monkey Socks - FO!

"Toreador monkeys on camp chair" a piece in several media.

The monkeys are finished and at this moment in Myrtle Beach with my daughter Emily who claimed them. The yarn worked really well with the pattern and they are very soft and feel comforting (aren't all socks supposed to feel that way?) The colors came out different on each sock but Em said "Meh, who cares?" They really are pretty. Here's another photo:

"Socks on cement steps".

Toreador Eleanor Socks

Started on my Dali socks. I'm loving this yarn. I'm doing the Eleanor pattern from Socktopia.



Very much looking forward to the Van Gogh yarn!

Oh Starry Night!

The yarns are almost ready to hit the road and for now, a wee hint...that's all you're going to get too...at least it's not black and white! LOL

Have a nice long weekend everyone and yarns will be on their way on Tuesday, September 4th since Canada Post doesn't move their mail on Saturdays and Monday is Labour Day!

Can you feel Fall coming? October's yarn should reflect the season that's coming I'm sure! Enjoy the new yarn base too - I started knitting an "oops" skein from the batch of ART WALK yarns and it's very "squooshy" (if that's a word) and has a nice twist to it too! Would love your feedback on it as it's a brand new yarn base from a new supplier and different from the other merino/nylon yarn I have been using.

See you next week!

Toreador Tidal Wave Socks

I think the Tidal Wave pattern is working really well with the Dali yarn - but what wouldn't? It's so beautiful!

teabird

I Conquered One!

I managed to finish one of my socks and hope to cast on for the other soon but I really badly suffer from SSS just because I'm so busy with dyeing yarn. Once I see how the yarn knits up, I want to see how the next yarn knits up....LOL I do like this pattern though - very easy to do without the heel and when I put it on, it doesn't seem to slide down at all - however, personally, I think I like the construction of a heel better overall just for fit and for wear but for mindless knitting, this was great!

How's everyone else doing? Johnna - your socks are beautiful and Donna Lee - your monkey socks are looking fab so far!

Welcome to all the new members and since September 1st falls on the weekend, yarns will mail on Tuesday, September 4th (Monday the 3rd is Labour Day!) - Canada Post doesn't move their mail on weekends or holidays which works great for me - 3 more days of getting everything ready for you guys! As usual, you will receive a shipment notice through email if you paid by Paypal.

I just finished my first pair!

I made my socks in the Beatrix pattern that I found at Socktopia. I love the way they turned out and like the painting they have little hidden interesting points. From the front:



Plain old, pretty as they are, socks but if you look a little closer:



I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with.

Another n00b

Hey everyone! It's my first sock club! WOO! I'm super stoked. Looking forward to all the yumminess...

Toreador Monkey Socks

Well, here are the beginnings of my Toreador Monkeys. I tried to figure out how to take a photo and capture the true color and get the detail. This is the step outside my house. Lovely, huh? What you cannot see is the nest of Cicada Killer Wasps that is under the steps. Since I am allergic to bee stings, I am slightly(!) uneasy about being out there. So, I took the photo and ran back into the house. We used the organic solution that we found on the web (oil and vinegar poured onto the holes) and now the front of the house smells like salad. I haven't seen any wasps (and they are big suckers!) so maybe it worked. I have finally figured out how to use the close up setting on my camera so I got a photo that shows the color and the stitches. The gray/green is spiraling down through the pattern in a very cool way. There are arguments already as to who gets these socks.

September's Inspiration - Vincent Van Gogh!

What an awesome choice everyone! Now that the poll has closed, it's clear Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night won by a landslide! Have no fear though - some of the other pieces are still on my radar and I wouldn't be shocked if they do appear in coming months!

Ahhhhhhh, blues and blacks and yellows....they will make for some lovely yarn colours and will be perfect for our transition into the coming Fall months! Now to choose the yarn base for this coming month...we shall just see what my yarn supplier has for me! And this month will be a surprise but I'm hoping for something fab from my suppliers. Stay tuned!

Oh, did you notice the new button in the sidebar? If you loveeeeeee semi-solids, I am also starting a limited spot HARMONY Semi-Solid Sock Yarn Club for September 15, 2007. Come join if these appeal to you - deadline to join is September 3, 2007!

Spiral Socks in Toreador Colourway

I've started, how about you? I wanted something really mindless and easy to work up the Toreador colourway with and when talking to a customer for my sister site, she suggested a spiral heel-less sock (thanks Darcy!). You keep working the spiral over and over until you have the sock long enough and then you do your toe decreases like usual - the pattern is in the right sidebar if anyone's interested (Socks without Heels). Apparently with the spiraling of the pattern, that will help the sock to stay up - we shall see!

Looks like Starry Night has quickly taken a lead for September's colourway! Wonderful colours! Everyone has until the 15th to vote...so register your choice as soon as you can.

September's Poll

Here's your chance to vote for all the entries we had for art work suggestions for September's colourway. The poll is open until midnight, August 15, 2007 and will automatically close at that time. If you want to see colours of these art pieces, I have found Art.com to be quite useful for searching and viewing all these suggestions.

September Invoices

Hello everyone...invoices have gone out to those club members who were part of the club for August but haven't prepaid for September. If you didn't get an invoice, pretty please drop me a quick email and let me know at zenyarngarden AT yahoo DOT com. Thanks!

Toreador Colourway for August 2007

I can't wait any longer guys and I bet you can't either! Here's my group shot of the yarn for August in the Toreador colourway! For those that haven't received their yarns yet, sorry for the spoiler and I hope you are pleased when you do receive your yarn - they are all slightly different from each other and I can't wait to see how the yarns knit up. If you haven't noticed already, I have a few links to sock patterns in the right sidebar too if you care to visit any of these links.

Welcome to all the new members for September - I'm looking forward to next month already and I hope you are too! If you click the photo you will be taken to the club's Flickr album - if you haven't signed up for that page already, please join and I'll approve you immediately! Thanks everyone!

Gorgeous Yarn!

I'm Purl, and I was thrilled to join this club. Last night, I received the gorgeous yarn, and I'd love to know the patterns that everyone is using. Please don't go to my blog, if you haven't received the yarn yet.

Hello

Hi!
I just signed up for the sock club.
Lorna

September's Art Inspiration

August is almost a week over (where does the time go?!) so let's get started on planning for September! Now is your chance to leave a comment and suggest a piece of art you'd like to see as our inspiration for colours in September.

Suggestions will be taken until Friday, August 10, 2007 and shortly following a poll will be posted for everyone to vote and choose their favourite(s). Majority will win!

Comment away everyone - we had some fabulous suggestions in the comments already when this idea was brought up before.

September's Sock Club & August's Photos

Hello everyone...as I'm getting questions about September's sock club, I thought I'd post this for everyone - I'm going to be billing everyone mid-August for September's shipment so if you don't mind waiting until then, you'll get your invoice at that time. If some of you would like to prepay, I don't mind either but just please make a note in the comments that you were also with us for August so I don't double bill you - the club is listed in both my Etsy store and my online store for anyone who wants to sign up for September on their own and get it out of the way.

Also, some questions have been asked about when to post photos of August's shipment. How does the end of this week sound? I'm hopeful that the majority of the clubbers will have their yarns by then as it'll be 10 days shipping time.

As always, thanks everyone and soon we'll be thinking about September's colours so stay tuned!

IT'S GORGEOUS!

Oh, Roxanne, you've outdone yourself. I cannot wait to be able to post a photo.
It's just stunning....off to sign up for next month!
(((hugs)))

Off They Go & A Wee Sample!

Phew, I made the deadline! Yippee! Off they go and my DH is coming home early so we can get them into the mailstream tonight! Those of you in Canada might even get your packages as early as tomorrow if you're in Ontario...and ahhhhhh, here's a small taste of the colours...don't you wish you could see the whole skein? LOL! Did I mention how much fun it is teasing everyone? LOL

August's Yarn - Almost...LOL

Sorry, can't show colours until after the packages have gone out and everyone starts receiving their yarns...LOL! I'm on schedule too - the yarns will either go out on the 1st or the 2nd of August depending on whether or not I receive one more thing today or tomorrow. I know, how cryptic eh? Sorry...such a yarn tease! LOL And guess what? I actually dyed a skein for myself too - that's so unusual for me but I wanted to knit along with everyone else too! I need to get my knitting mojo back...oh well, I have an excuse - I'm always in the dye pot...LOL Stay tuned!

August's Inspiration - Salvador Dali!

Oh yes, he holds a special place in my heart...let me tell you why! When I was dating my DH before we were married we went for a vacation in Florida and he had to take me to Salvador Dali's museum. I will admit that art and museums were not really my thing at the time BUT when I got in there, wow...I was just amazed and impressed and just couldn't get enough of the beautiful paintings. Granted they were "surreal" and different but I was still so enthralled with what I was looking at.

So folks, I give you the Hallucinogenic Toreador as our work of inspiration for the month of August! I am not going to tell you which colours caught my eye in the painting as there's a few but I am pleased with how it all turned out and I hope you are too! Way to go to the two of you who guessed who it'd be too! :)

Oh My & A Little About My Dyeing

Oh my, oh my, oh my - 1/2 your yarns are dry and can I just say OH MY? LOL! I am pleased with the results so far and these are a bit of a departure for me and yes, very artsy colours are coming out too - I may as well call these yarns my ART YARN SERIES - this colour for the first month hasn't been seen in any of my colourways yet!

And a little about my dyeing so everyone knows - when you get a skein of yarn from me, they are all going to vary slightly on degree of colour, placement of colour and how they knit up. The reason? My dye process! I have always wanted one-of-a-kind colourways so I haven't gone the traditional route of making sure to repeat colourways at the drop of a hat - suppose that's the artist in me because when I go to the dye pot I don't want to be restricted by science, I just want to dye how I feel and that results in every skein being its own. You may see similarities in colours but each of you will get a unique skein even if it was in the same dye pot as another - so if you're new to my dyeing, don't be surprised if your skein is knitting up differently from your fellow art walkers - I meant for that to happen! I hope that can result in knitting masterpieces too - one of a kinds for everyone!

Okay, back to the dye pot...this has been a fun, rewarding and interesting challenge for me...thanks guys!

Time is Ticking Down!

Wow guys, August 1st is coming so quickly! I'm excited - dyeing should start next week and then it'll be packaging up all the yarns and getting them out the door...woohoo! I'm sure to show a little sneak peek too once they've been mailed so stay tuned!

Welcome to all the new members who've joined over the past little while too - I'm really pleased you've joined us. For anyone who hasn't been invited to the blog yet, please let me know so I can re-invite you - invites are sent as soon as I get your order but we all know Blogger isn't 100% foolproof so any re-invites I have to send - just drop me a line!

Can anyone guess what the art piece is that I'm doing for the first month? I can't tell you but I welcome all guesses! And next month - I'll be asking for everyone's help - suggestions on art pieces to do will be taken and we'll vote on which one we all want! So make sure to have your thinking caps on too.

Have a super day!

Panda on the Way!

Can you believe the bamboo yarn otherwise known as Panda sock yarn has just made its landing into the USA and has been backordered for about a month now? A flood in England delayed the yarn and then engine trouble on the plane sent the yarn back to England when it finally got on a plane. Wow, talk about Murphy's Law! However, I hear from my supplier that it's landed into Las Vegas now and is on its way to their location and then will be on its way to Canada early next week. I really thought I might have to ask everyone to choose another yarn but phew, Panda made it just in the nick of time!

It's bamboo you want, it's bamboo you'll get! :) Now I just need for it to get to me okay...everyone cross their fingers and toes that it does! We don't need anymore of Murphy and his laws interfering.

Who'd have thought yarn would involve such drama?!

~Roxanne~

Ravelry & Flickr Pages

If you belong to Ravelry.com, please join the ART WALK K-along by clicking here.

If you are on Flickr.com, I've set up a group for posting photos - click here to join this group as well.

Thanks everyone!

Contest @ Knit-n-Purl Zen

Hello everyone...if you haven't been to my main blog, please go visit and leave a comment with your name guess for my new spinning wheel - whatever name I choose will win a free skein of handpainted sock yarn in their colour choices!

MY BLOG: Knit-n-Purl Zen

Have a great weekend everyone!

~Roxanne~

Knitting Lesson

Well, I learned something about my knitting yesterday. I HAVE BEEN KNITTING WRONG FOR THE PAST THREE YEARS! I am a self taught knitter using books and the internet for instructions or when I ran into something I didn't understand. It took the monkey socks to show me that I have been knitting wrong. It took a while to understand it because my knitting looked just like anyone else's. But, I discovered that I have been knitting into the back loop all this time. I found this out when I got to the row that said ktbl and I looked it up to see what was different because I always knitted through the back loop. I discovered I was supposed to be knitting through the front of the loop. I am not quite sure what difference it makes. Does anyone know? I have been diligently trying to change my habits so I am knitting more slowly. Since I am never trying to knit quickly (unless I have a deadline) that is not a problem. It does take some more concentration. I know it will become normal to knit in the front loop eventually but I think it's weird that it took a sock pattern to show me the error of my ways.

Hello Hello

Hi everyone--I just joined. I tried to wait as long as I could to join so the wait wouldn't be so unbearable.

Ooh! Bamboo! I've never knit w/ bamboo before. Exciting!

I love the idea of this club because I used to be so into art--visted lots of museums, took art history classes in college, etc. But in the past few years I've sort of let that hobby slide. I'm very much looking forward to revisiting it

Looking forward to the Art Walk

I have almost no artistic trainng, so I'm looking forward to this as an inspiration for artists to study up on. And I am really looking forward to see what my fellow walkers devise with their yarn. How many different looks can we get from a single colorway? This is the first KAL I have ever joined. Is it fair to incorporate other yarns as well? And if I get inspired to do a hat or a scarf, will you still love me?

I'm a lifetime knitter, 58 years old, happily married for almost fourteen years now, and living in the suburbs of Portland, Oregon. And who are you?

Clubber's Blogs/Websites

Hello everyone...welcome again to the newbies...so glad you have joined us! If you've noticed down the right sidebar a list of names under "Clubber's Blogs/Websites" and haven't seen your blog/website listed, please let me know so I can add it! I'm trying to get them all added in as people join but if you're not on Blogger, your website might not show up.

Thanks everyone! August is quickly coming!! Can't wait.

Roxanne.

New Join

I'm so happy I found/joined this club and the blog! Can't wait to see what the August yarn is like. I just wrote a simple sock pattern using bamboo/cotton sock yarn, and it was so much fun! Great for summer weather wearing and knitting.

Looking forward to all the yummy upcoming selections. Thanks for offering, Roxanne!

FAQs & Yarn for August

A big welcome to everyone who has just recently joined - really pleased to have you along! And looks like Bambooooooooo is making it to the front for August's yarn choice - if you haven't voted, please make sure to. Great choice everyone...you will not be disappointed with the bamboo! It's got a nice little sheen to it and it's very springy too...lovely yarn!

I've been getting some regular questions so thought I'd post some answers here too in case others were wondering:

How long will the sock yarn club be for?
Seriously, as long as you guys are interested and we have members, we'll keep going! I hadn't envisioned an end date but if interest wains then I'll have to consider it. But even if there's just a small amount in the club, I don't mind doing yarns for everyone...small and cozy is fine for me too!

Are you limiting the amount of members of the sock yarn club?
So far, no - my idea is that people can join anytime they choose. I wanted to build flexibility into the sock yarn club and if there's a month where you'll be away or other obligations are taking your time, it's fine to un-join and re-join when you want to as well. If the club grows to a really outrageous # then I'll consider limiting memberships but for now, come and go as you please!

I think that's it for now but feel free to post anytime everyone! Before we know it, August will be here! Looking forward to it.

Take care,
Roxanne.

Blogger Invites

I have invited everyone who joined the Sock Club to participate in the blog - if you haven't received your invite yet, please let me know by leaving a comment - I'll send it again! For any newcomers, as you sign up, your invite is automatically sent once I get to your registration. If you haven't received it within a day of registering, please let me know too!

Thanks,
Roxanne.

P.S.: Don't forget to vote in the poll so we can decide which yarn we should use for August! :)

P.P.S.: If your Paypal email is different from your personal email, the invite may have gone to your Paypal email address instead. Please let me know if you'd prefer it sent to your personal email. Thanks!

August's Yarn - Vote Please!

Do you have a preference for what kind of yarn we kick start the club with? I'd sure love to hear from you if you do! All these yarns really are fantastic and I'm excited to be dyeing for everyone - majority rules of course so make sure to vote!

Everybody into the pool!

Count me in! Last one in is a rotten egg!

I'm in too...won't this be great. No only that, the customer service from Zen Yarn Garden is already incredible. We're in good hands, I tell ya'.

First Entry

This is a test to see if it works.

Can't wait for my first yarn kit!!!

Susan
http://susanofalltrades.blogspot.com

I'm IN! And I'm Sooo Excited!!

I can't wait... I can't!
(((hugs)))

Blog Addresses & Bloglines

Hello everyone and thank you for joining! I'm really excited about this venture and would like to welcome each and every one of you. To get us started, I'd sure love to add everyone's blogs into the sidebar (if you have one that is and I can't find it myself). When you join through Blogger sometimes your personal blog isn't listed when we click your name so this is a nice way to be able to click to each and every member's blog with ease.

Also, don't forget to subscribe to the blog through Bloglines to keep apprised of updates:

~Roxanne

Launch Date & Registrations

The start date for the club will be August 1, 2007. If you would like to join, please register by July 15, 2007.

Registrations will also be accepted after July 15, 2007. Your yarn mailing will depend on when you registered during the month. For instance, if you register on the 10th of September (before the 15th of the month) your yarn package will be mailed on the 1st of October. If you register on the 20th of September (after the 15th of the month) your yarn package will be mailed on the 1st of November. This mailing schedule will apply to all months following the 1st of August, 2007.

Thank you for joining and we're looking forward to creating colourways inspired by these world famous artists!