Tuesday, June 26, 2007

SAM3 - June - done!

Many thanks to everyone who suggested various options for my mis-matched Spunky Pink Elephant yarn. You came up with a lot of really good ideas! Some of my favourites included the Stash Buster Spiral pattern, which has been on my to-do list for a while; going with dark leg and light heel and toe on one sock and light leg and dark heel and toe on another, which I may try some time because it sounds interesting; and mixing them up with another skein, possibly doing a stranded or mosaic pattern. Many of you suggested various forms of striping, either alternating several rounds or (gulp) alternating single rounds. I know that can be done, because Pat has done it with some Koigu, shown in the top entry here , and near as I can tell she's still quite sane. :-) But, it really sounds like more work than I'm prepared to do for a sock, so I took the other piece of advice that popped up quite often -- put it aside and use it for something else.


Instead, I decided to make some new black socks.


Or rather, some socks using my New Black yarn.


Spunky Eclectic fingering weight, all in one hank, and the colour is consistent throughout.



I admit, though, that I was quite surprised to see the taupey colour come out, because it wasn't at all evident in the hank. I guess it got over-powered by all that pink.


I like it! They look quite snazzy with my new runners. :-)


So, back to the Pink Elephant. I decided to knit them up a bit to see just how different they were. Turns out they were as different knit up as they were in the ball.



The pattern is Elvis the Elephant and a lot of fun. Although the pattern calls for the trunk to be knit up separately and then sewn to the head, I just made an extra increase round and carried on with the body instructions. These are each knit with one strand from each ball on 2.5 mm needles. And because they're babies, I figured they needed a mommy.



She's knit double-stranded, using one strand from each ball, on 5 mm needles. I left out the tusks on the babies and didn't bother with the mouth pieces.



I can now go make first post to the Knitted Toys KAL, which I joined eons ago but haven't knit any toys since then.


57 people had something to say:

Anonymous said...

Too cute! (the elephants aren't bad, either.)

Amy said...

The elephants and the socks both turned out wonderfully! Nice work!

Kristy said...

Those elephants are so cute! I like how you used a skein of each for the mom-- that way both babies resemble her :)

Carrie said...

I love the elephants!!!

Mag said...

It's good you knit a whole elephant group, I hear they don't like living alone. ;-)
The socks are beautiful as usual. I may start to take your sock creations for granted before too long. ;-) Or not.

Anonymous said...

Oh that's too cute! Lately I've been into elephants. I may need to knit some too. :)

Sarah said...

I MUST make at least one of those elephants!

Bryony Ramsden said...

Those are fab! The socks and the elephants :D

Paula said...

Excellent elephants! And those socks - how very surprising!

Anonymous said...

Cute elephants! The new socks look great too.

Monika said...

I like your new socks, and the pink Elephants are just adorable!

earthchick said...

Oh wow. Awesome socks, LOVE the elephants. Go Dave!

Wannietta Kirkpatrick said...

Nice legs - they show off the socks perfectly!!
I love the elephants; I may even actually find the time to make one.

Pat said...

Sane? who told you I was still sane? I love your swirled pink, black, (and taupe)socks with the runners - PERFECT! and as for the elephant family - I cracked up - they are adorable!

Michelle said...

The elephant family is too cute.

LaurieM said...

Pink elephants! So cute. :-)

I really like your socks too. Are you wearing them in the summer heat?

I've been saving all the socks I've been knitting since about April and I've got quite a stack already....

Anonymous said...

Dave, you're a knitting genius. Clearly.

Pink said...

I love the elephants, sucha great way to use up some stash, thank you for the link to the pattern.

lexa said...

I love your new socks! They striped really neat. Those little elephants are just too cute!

Jennifer said...

I love the socks, and the elephants are beyond cute.

Romi said...

Great socks, but, really, the elephants totally take the cake! They are *wonderful*!

CynCyn said...

the socks are great, but the elephants take the cake. glad u found a way to use the mismatched yarn.

knitkim said...

You Rock! I love the elephants and the socks are so...manly! REALLY I LOVE them! Knitters are such an awesome bunch! How Cool or what!

knottykitty said...

Love your socks!! In the picture, the way they are striped looks kinda like buzzing live electrical lines (or how I imagine they'd look!) Love your little elephant family as well :)

Dorene said...

The pink elephants are fabulous! Simply fabulous!

Mauren Mureaux said...

The elephant family is wonderful and SO much fun. Great idea!

Peevish said...

Those socks are tewtelly elegant, and the elephants are gorgeous!

Debi said...

What a perfect solution to your dilemma! The Family Elephant is adorable! Nice legs, dude :)

Shelley L. MacKenzie said...

Love the socks! Those elephants are so cute!

Anonymous said...

Great job on the socks and the elephants are adorable! :) Thanks for the info on the Knit Toys KAL.. not that I need another, it's just nice to know about for when I actually get around to using my books/patterns for toys! LOL!

Carrie K said...

Aw, a single mom elephant. All named Elvis? That family is going to need therapy. ;)

The socks look great! The shoes look comfy.

Valerie Polichar said...

Wow. The socks came out fabulous, and the little elephants are to die for. What great fun and what an excellent use of the mismatched yarn!

Chelsea said...

I LOVE the socks!!! They turned out great! I'm glad that you found something to make them with. I also love the elephants - they are such a cute idea. :)

limedragon :-: Harriet said...

These socks striped nicely, that taupe indeed is a surprise! And the elephants? So freaking cute!

turtlegirl76 said...

The yarn says "Thank you" for not making socks with it. Those elephants are so cute!

Stacey said...

how cute are those pachyderms? adorable! nice stripey sock too - I never would have guessed that type of striping from the hank!

Nana Sadie said...

Sexy socks! And those effilumps are adorable!!! Now THAT's a creative use for mis-matched yarns...
((((hugs)))

Anonymous said...

Both the socks and hephalumps are great looking!

Frieda said...

Those are some spiffy socks! Love the elephants too !

HPNY KNITS said...

Elvis the Elephant and his entourage rule! and the socks are cute too.

PCR said...

Those elephants are adorable! The socks look great too.

Anonymous said...

Those are awesome socks and totally cute elephants!

Lynn said...

One of my knit night Sisters of the Wool is mad for Spunky Eclectic. Those socks are amazing, and the elephants are so cute!

monica said...

I love your socks. And the pink elephants are wonderful!!!

Anonymous said...

Dude. Genius. Those are beyond adorable.

And that's really interesting about how the taupe emerged in the socks. I have had that happen to me before -- the color impressions I get from the skein turn out to be not quite the color impressions I get from the finished knit. Rarely so drastic as this, though. Yarn is full of surprises!

Liz said...

I love love love those socks!!! Very fetching with trainers too! Your elephant famille are curt too!!!

Terby said...

Great socks, as per usual. And the elephants were inspired - very cute!

Lynn said...

I like the socks! I dont really see a difference between the two while you are wearing them. And those elephants.....OMG they are adorable!!!!

Anonymous said...

Muito lindos!!
Kátia/Br

Anonymous said...

Love the socks!!

The elephants are too cute - love how the mom was made of both yarns :o)

Anonymous said...

Oh! Those elephants are ridiculously cute. What a great way to use up different-yet-siblings yarn!

BEESTLYproducts said...

the socks are quite snazzy and I heart the new shoes..... I must go buy the elephant pattern.

Cloudberry said...

Thanks for commenting on my socks :)
Like the colour on yours, and the elephants are adorable!

Terri said...

Those elephants are just too adorable and I think the socks are fantastic! Wow. Certainly not your average run-of-the-mill pair of socks are they? :o)

Melissa said...

Nice job! Those are really too cute for words.

Bianca said...

These elephants are really cute! I bet kids would love to play with them :-)

Laura said...

I *love* those elephants! LOL They're absolutely marvelous. :-)