What the HK is on Your Needles? Vol. 14

How about another look at socks this week? I've found some beauties to share with you.

Erica (ravname: whiskeyknits) knit this fabulous pair of Tour de France socks in Artisan Sock in Blacklight. Long, cabled socks in black? Now, that isn't easy!



Deirdre (ravname: Deirdre) knit a pair of Mockery Socks in an old club colour, Lavendar Batik in Artisan Sock. Look at those beautiful stitches.



Here's another pair of cabled socks. These ones are knit by Michelle (ravname: Akknitter) and they are Java socks in Sweet Crush in Artisan Sock. Very pretty!



Can't get enough of cables? Ok, I've got one more. Check out these gorgeous Cabley Goodness Top Down Toe Up socks knit by Amanda (ravname: Amanda922) in Artisan Sock in Sassafras. The name says it all for these socks.



How about something without cables? Check out Cindy (ravname: GmaX4)'s Rivercat socks knit in Artisan Sock in Serenity. Comfy.



And finally, Jan (ravname: JanRachel) picked up one of Wendee's special Just add Needles kits at Sock Summit last month and very quickly knit up these amazing Carlina socks in Jam Session. There are a few of these kits still available on the website here. It comes with the yarn and the pattern in a fun project bag.



Thanks to everyone for allowing me to share your projects.

Don't forget the new Knitalong starts on September 1st. We will be revealing the first clue of our Mystery sock. And the hints so far make it sound very interesting. I hope you will join us.

September/October Mystery KAL

The first of September is quickly approaching and with it the completion of the current Hazel Knits Knitalong. The variegated projects have been beautiful and inspiring (more on those soon) but it is time to start thinking and planning for our next KAL.

And what a fun KAL we have planned this time around - a mystery sock designed by Stephanie aka verybusymonkey!

The pattern will be released one clue at a time for four weeks. With no pictures or hints about what you will be knitting (other than it is a sock), just the pattern. Told you it would be fun.

The first clue will be released on September 1st at around midnight (EDT) with one clue released every week.

Now if the mystery concept is a little more excitement than you can stand, you could also choose to knit one of Stephanie's other patterns. And she has some beauties. Check them out here.

And just to make it a little more exciting we have an awesome prize. A project bag donated by Michele of Three Bags Full.



Isn't it lovely? You can find more of Michele's awesome bags in her Etsy shop here. Each sock you knit during the KAL will give you one entry into the random drawing for the bag.

You can find more information on the KAL here.

The question of the day, of course is what colour/base am I going to use? Well, see that little beauty at the top of the page. That is Cherry Fizz in Piquant Lite. And that is what I am going to be winding up this afternoon in anticipation.

What colour/base are you going to use?

What the HK is on your Needles? Vol. 13

One of my favourite sock designers is Cookie A. Her patterns range from easy and additive, like Monkey, to more difficult and detailed, like Nebula. She even takes some of the things we thought we knew about sock gussets and turns them on their ear with patterns like Kai Mei. One thing is certain with Cookie's patterns, they are popular.

And so this week I'm featuring a selection of socks recently knit from Cookie A patterns. Which wasn't difficult to do. There are always Knitalongs on Ravelry featuring Cookie and her patterns and HK was one of the yarns featured in Cookie's latest book, Knit.Sock.Love. As well, Cookie is running an awesome sock club this year and in June the featured dyer was Hazel Knits.

All of this Cookie popularity affords us the opportunity to observe how patterns look in different colour choices or how a colour looks with different patterns. Let's have a look at a Cookie sampler.

Rhonda (ravname: rstovin) knit up one of Cookie's June sock club patterns, Jubilee in the club colour, Oh My Darling.



And here, in another colour, Beachglass, are Debbie (ravname: debYarn)'s Jubilees.



The pattern looks sassy in both colours.

The other June sock club pattern was Orange Pekoe. Christy (ravname: ChristyH) knit her Orange Pekoe socks in an HK club colour, Meadow.



Tracy (ravname: Tracybug) knit her Orange Pekoe socks in the Cookie club colour, Oh My Darling.



Meadow definately results in a more subdued pair of socks. Depends what you are going for, I guess.

Another popular pattern is BFF. Lena (ravname: Lenaks) knit her BFFs in Coveralls (that carpet reminds me so much of my grandmothers house and the handwoven (by her hands) rag rug that went all through the upstairs of her house - flashback!).



Whereas, Ravname: LesleyBadger knit her BFFs in the club colour Pick Me.



In this case, I think the resulting socks are quite different depending on the colour. And while I love the socks in Pick Me, I think I need a pair of BFF socks in the more neutral Coveralls.

And finally, check out these gorgeous and intricate looking Twisted Flowers knit by Jan (ravname: chaddy233) in the equally gorgeous (and possibly my favourite colour) Vamp.



So what have we learnt? Well, you can't go wrong with a Cookie A pattern especially if you pair it with Hazel Knits yarn. I have used this formula for success myself many times in the past (see Monkey, Pomatomus and Hedera), and I am sure to do it again in the future.

Thanks to everyone for sharing there projects with me. Later this week I'll be announcing the upcoming Knitalong for September and October. Anyone love a mystery? I know I do!

What the HK is on Viki's Needles?

One project finished and another begun. Business as usual, I guess you could say.

The finished project is my Monkey socks for the Hazel Knits Variegated Knitalong on Ravelry. Knit in Artisan Sock in an old club colour, Autumn Bounty, I am very pleased with how these turned out. Can you believe these are my first Monkeys? I think I will be doing this pattern again.



My new project is a baby blanket for the very special baby girl of a very special friend. Baby A was born 9 weeks early and is doing so well. She should be home soon and definitely deserves a Hazel Knits blanket. The Sagebrush (in DK Lively) will match her nursery perfectly. I'm knitting Anne Hanson's Cradle Me and really looking forward to finding the time to knit these long rows.



And finally, I'm thrilled to share with you my latest pattern. A few months ago, Wendee asked me to design a mini sock for her to use at Sock Summit. Borrowing from the leaf motif on the Hazel Knits logo, Tiny Leaves was born.



Measuring only about two inches long and using less than 20 yards of HK fingering for one sock, Tiny Leaves is a cute, fast project.



You can download Tiny Leaves for free on Ravelry.

What the HK is on your Needles? Vol. 12

Some fabulous Hazel Knits projects have caught my attention lately and I can't wait to share them with you.

Look at this comfy pair of Knotted Slippers knit by ravname:mnykdz. These are knit in Artisan Sock in Shanny Pants and Euphorbia. I can think of several wonderful colour combinations for these. What about Violeta and Nickel? Or Jay Blue and Serenity? Or even Hoppy Blonde and Spanish Wine?



Ravname: Janecollege knit this Pretty Twisted cuff from the latest issue of Knitty Magazine in an unidentified blue-green colour. I'm thinking it might be Beachglass. Love those great buttons!



Marlene (ravname: contantmac) was featured on here before and now she has used her leftover Artisan Sock in Blueberry to knit the sweetest little baby socks ever!



Why knit one baby sweater when you can knit two! Jenn (ravname: jellojet) knit two Baby Surprise Jackets in Artisan Sock in Hoppy Blonde and Laguna. Lucky little twins.



Dawn (Ravname: Visionsister) has knit the incredible new Double Heelix pattern from the latest issue of Knitty. I thought these socks were cute when the pattern was released but was floored by the pages and pages of instructions. Dawn is obviously made of sterner stuff than I am and has turned out these beauties knit in Artisan Sock in Jay Blue and Electrolyte. Amazing!



And finally, Jenica (ravname Jenicaknits) has knit this gorgeous Ecuador sweater in Artisan Sock in Hoppy Blonde.



And in case you haven't had enough of this stunner, here it is from behind. Love it!



Thanks to everyone for letting me share their inspirational projects. I'll show you what is new on my needles later this week.

What the HK is on Your Needles? Vol. 11

Well, let me tell you, moving is a lot more time consuming than I thought it would be. Between the unpacking, the meetings with contractors, the shopping for bathroom accessories, the bored children (who can't play outside because of the bulldozer in our backyard) and the exhaustion at the end of the day I have fallen behind in my posts here.

Hopefully, a few of these things are starting to ease up. There are fewer and fewer boxes everyday and it looks like we might get grass sooner than later.

But enough about me. What I've been meaning to get on here to talk about is some of the projects that were completed as part of the Anne Hanson - Hazel Knits knitalong that finished at the end of June.

Nancy (ravname: nbgriz) knit several pairs of socks during the KAL including this lovely pair of Dolomite Socks in HK Piquant in Blueberry.



Christine (ravname: Avalanche) knit this pair of Bricker socks in Artisan Sock in club colour Starry Night. I think this is a wonderful colour and had to get myself a second skein after my mother stole my first one. I think you can see why I had to have it.



Cathy (ravname: Abandonada) also knit Brickers, but hers were knit in Artisan Sock in Serenity. Both colours result in great looking but dramatically different socks.



Lorraine (ravname: lyeng11) knit a pair of Hayrick socks in Artisan Sock in the club colour Lilypad. Beautiful.



And finally, here is Rayleen's (ravname: Rayleen) Japanese Feather stole. The truth be told, Rayleen did not start this stole during the KAL, but she was inspired to finish it after two years and I think that is a bonus side effect of these KALs. Whether it is to inspire you to start a project, get the support you need during a difficult project that others are also knitting or finish a languishing project, it is all good. Congrats on finishing that WIP Rayleen!



Thanks to everyone for allowing me to share their projects.

I've got a few new projects in the works, a few finished projects I can finally share and some progress on my Monkey socks for the variegated KAL. So I'll be back soon!