beebonnet report

Labyrinth

Here is the newest sock from The Enchanted Sole, for your viewing pleasure!

 

And here it is in another colorway

Turn and turn again. The labyrinth draws you deeper into its heart before it lets you go. These socks remind us of the mystery of the labyrinth as the pattern is slowly revealed while you knit. Make yourself some labyrinth socks when you feel the mood for quiet contemplation and deepening mystery.

(Jul 26) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is Maya!
(Jul 27) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is Darlene!
(Jul 28) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is JoanneS!

Comment Contest Reminder - each day I'm giving away a downloadable version of the featured pattern. This week's featured pattern is Licorne or Mermaid. Leave a comment and you'll be automatically entered for the random drawing. Winners are chosen by random number generator. Each Sunday I choose one person by random number to win a copy of the book when it comes out! So keep commenting to be entered for the drawing.

Peacock! Or as my nephew likes to say winner, winner, chicken dinner.

OK, after a few glitches involving allergic reactions to bee stings and flat tires, I am now in Los Angeles and have finished off the Peacock sock pattern which is available for free download!  To find out more about how I spun the yarn for the Peacock sock, check out the Spindlicity blogazine.

I got all the messages about not being able to see the Mermaid sock pictures.  Very weird!  I don't know why it's working for approximately 50% of the people and not working for the other 50% so I am re-posting the mermaid pics in hopes that this time around you will all be able to see the pictures.

And for those who'd like to see something new, here are a few pictures from my visit to Hendricks Park with my in-laws last week.

And now, are you wondering if you've won???  It's been a long time!  A new pattern will be revealed tomorrow.

(Jul 16) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is Sabrina!
(Jul 17) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is madonnaearth!
(Jul 18) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is Laura!
(Jul 19) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is Shirley!
(Jul 20) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is Rowan!
(Jul 21) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is SharonO!
(Jul 22) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is turtle!
(Jul 23) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is Kelley!
(Jul 24) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is Joy!
(Jul 25) winner for either the Mermaid or Licorne pattern is Umm Abbaas!

Comment Contest Reminder - each day I'm giving away a downloadable version of the featured pattern. This week's featured pattern is Licorne or Mermaid. Leave a comment and you'll be automatically entered for the random drawing. Winners are chosen by random number generator. Each Sunday I choose one person by random number to win a copy of the book when it comes out! So keep commenting to be entered for the drawing.

Remember this?

and this?

and this?

Well, it became this!

I fully intended to do a plain vanilla sock with just a little ribbing, but you all must have put that peacock thing into my subconscious.   Because at the end, I couldn't rib another minute longer and my fingers started inventing this.

Looks a little peacock-y, no?  Anyhow, this will go up as a free pattern, hopefully tomorrow.

I'm on the road today so a HUGE winner list will go up tomorrow.  Don't stop commenting, winners will be chosen!

Mermaid

Sorry I went AWOL for while there, I have relatives visiting and I've been busy with more mundane type things lately.

However, it is high time for a new sock!

Today's sock is Mermaid

"Spanning the world of men, and the world of the sea, mermaids are enchanting in a both delightful and dangerous way. Luckily these socks will charm you without any fear of drowning. Although they look complicated, the stitch pattern is easy to learn and the charts will guide you through the transitions with confidence."

The mermaid socks can be knit with, or without, beads.  And they have a lovely back as well as front with hidden shaping for your calves.

Winners... by tomorrow I will have everything sorted out and the comment contest up to date, so bear with me!

Also, remember this?

Tomorrow I'll have an update on it!

The yarn for Licorne

One of the things that makes the Licorne socks evoke the tapestry so well is the incredibly beautiful yarn used in them.  The yarn for the Licorne socks is Dye Dreams Luster Sox in the color brick.  They also have a beautiful color in the Luster Sox yarn called red red wine which I almost used.  The Luster Sox yarn is my favorite BFL (blue faced leicester) wool, which makes the sock color rich and lustrous and feel so great on your feet.  The banner at the top is stranded colorwork with 2 other colors of Luster Sox, medium denim and gold.  The embroidery I did with the yarn that comes on the Dye Dreams sample cards, although you could use any extra yarn you have lying around.

I can't say enough how much I love the Luster Sox, the color is so rich.  I have another sock coming up that is done in the Luster Sox so you'll get to see it again.

A few people have asked me why there is no embroidery on the feet.  The embroidery is more delicate and would not wear well in shoes, however, as Elysbeth pointed out, these would make great clog socks!  You can choose to put your bunny anywhere you want on the socks.

Tomorrow, or the next day, I'll be posting a free sock pattern, so keep your eyes peeled.

Oh dear, no pictures today except another deer....

I think they're eating up the blackberries in my yard.

And now for some winners!

Sunday's winner for either the Firebird or Licorne pattern is Sharon Rose!
Monday's winner for either the Firebird or Licorne pattern is Renee!
Tuesday's winner for either the Firebird or Licorne pattern is DrCris!
Wednesday's winner for either the Firebird or Licorne pattern is Kirstin!

Last week's winner for the book is Kimberly!

Comment Contest Reminder - each day I'm giving away a downloadable version of the featured pattern. This week's featured pattern is Tree of Life or Talking Fish. Leave a comment and you'll be automatically entered for the random drawing. Winners are chosen by random number generator. Each Sunday I choose one person by random number to win a copy of the book when it comes out! So keep commenting to be entered for the drawing.

A Mon Seul Desir

Time for a new sock.  This one is titled "Licorne" from the series of tapestries in the Cluny museum "La Dame a La Licorne" - The Lady and the Unicorn.

"La Dame a la Licorne", a series of medieval tapestries, depicts a lady and a unicorn in a field of red surrounded by flowers. A banner at the top of the final tapestry reads “a mon seul desir”, to my only desire. It is a mystery what is happening in the picture. Has the lady tamed the unicorn? These charming socks have a banner at the top proclaiming “a mon seul desir” and flowers on a field of red.  Peeking out from the heel is a rabbit, perhaps he know the answer to the mystery.

It was a dark and stormy afternoon...

And Mr. Bonnet and I decided to take a walk in Hendrick's Park.  It's a beautiful urban woodland park here in Eugene.  Back in May I went and blogged about all the beautiful flowers on Floral Hill in Hendricks Park (the rhoddies were in bloom), but today we decided to walk in the woods instead.  It was deep and misty and thunder was rumbling and we saw all manner of fern and moss and snails and other good things.

Unfortunately I don't have a lot of pictures because my camera lens gets stuck in the rain, so here is one of the few I was able to get.  Those black areas in the corners are the lens cover not opening all the way.

And tomorrow it's time for a new sock to be revealed!  This one is based on a medieval tapestry.  Can you guess which one?

Here's a picture from the garden on a sunnier day.  I love the color of these lilies!

I have begun knitting up the peacock colored handspun, and it looks delicious!  Just like I imagined it.  I love it when that happens.  I've also begun spinning my second sock yarn, I'll take pictures and post about those a little later this week.

But for now, perhaps you're wondering if you've won!?

Friday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish pattern is Sara Ferguson!
Saturday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish pattern is Tobey!

Comment Contest Reminder - each day I'm giving away a downloadable version of the featured pattern. This week's featured pattern is Tree of Life or Talking Fish. Leave a comment and you'll be automatically entered for the random drawing. Winners are chosen by random number generator. Each Sunday I choose one person by random number to win a copy of the book when it comes out! So keep commenting to be entered for the drawing.

Tour de Fleece - or - Tour de Feets?

I've been spinning on my Tour de Fleece wool, as I mentioned before, my goal is sock yarn.

This is a beautiful BFL (bluefaced leicester) wool dyed by Dicentra Designs.  I love these peacock colors!  I separated the roving into strips with the same colors because I wanted to keep the colors together.

Then I spun a fine single ply of the yarn.

My Ravelry TDF team is "Team Spin for Peace" in honor of my friend Ruth Schooley who passed away about a year ago.  We started a group to honor her memory and her wish to spin for peace while watching the Olympics last year.  It has since morphed into a year round "Spin for Peace" group.  So I try to spin in a peaceful setting and think a bit about Ruth, and Peace and goodness.

I then plied 3 single strands together to give me a nice medium/tight twist 3-ply yarn

See how the colors are separated?  It's going to knit up from purple through the blues following the color scheme of the original fiber.

I can't wait to start knitting it! 

I hope you have a wonderful weekend.

Thursday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish pattern is Reading Knitter 01!

If you are a recent winner please contact me and let me know which pattern you'd like.  I've gotten a little mixed up, so even if you sent me an email before, send another and remind me.  Thanks!  Send email to MAIL AT JANELLAIDMAN D O T C O M  (hopefully you figure this out - I'm trying to avoid spam)

Comment Contest Reminder - each day I'm giving away a downloadable version of the featured pattern. This week's featured pattern is Tree of Life or Talking Fish. Leave a comment and you'll be automatically entered for the random drawing. Winners are chosen by random number generator. Each Sunday I choose one person by random number to win a copy of the book when it comes out! So keep commenting to be entered for the drawing.

Pretty boys

I am noticing a few things about my new town.  Like, people actually say hello!  Drivers are courteous! Bicycles rule!  Fireworks are legal! (in Los Angeles, they've been illegal for a long time due to extreme fire hazard.  Mr. Bonnet and I were actually alarmed by all the fireworks zipping around on the 4th!) and there seem to be a lot of pretty boys.....

Did I mention peacocks the other day?

I went out for a stroll along the Willamette river that same day and look at this pretty boy I saw.

And then, just this morning, I found this pretty boy in my yard

Both of those pictures were taken hastily with my iphone so they're not the best quality.  But you can see I've been keeping company with some very pretty boys lately!

Work on the book has resumed (which is why I've been a little silent).  I am really glad I was not in Los Angeles for the recent Michael Jackson memorial, it sounds like it was a traffic nightmare. 

Monday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish pattern is Charissa!
Tuesday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish pattern is Kristen!
Wednesday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish pattern is Renee!

If you are a recent winner please contact me and let me know which pattern you'd like.  I've gotten a little mixed up, so even if you sent me an email before, send another and remind me.  Thanks!  Send email to MAIL AT JANELLAIDMAN D O T C O M  (hopefully you figure this out - I'm trying to avoid spam)

Comment Contest Reminder - each day I'm giving away a downloadable version of the featured pattern. This week's featured pattern is Tree of Life or Talking Fish. Leave a comment and you'll be automatically entered for the random drawing. Winners are chosen by random number generator. Each Sunday I choose one person by random number to win a copy of the book when it comes out! So keep commenting to be entered for the drawing.

More Firebird, Tour de Fleece

Are you wondering what the Firebird sock looks like from the front?

The colors are reversed on the socks of course, but they would also look beautiful not reversed I think.

I also think this sock would look gorgeous in peacock colors.

And speaking of peacock colors.... I am taking part in this year's Tour de Fleece on Ravelry.  My goal is to spin enough yarn for 2 pair of socks during the Tour de France.  I don't really watch the Tour de France, but I'm always  happy to spin.

My first project is this beautiful Bluefaced Leicester wool (BFL).  Bluefaced Leicester is a long lustrous wool with a fine diameter to the wool which makes it soft enough for next to skin.  The long staple length will make this a good wool for socks.  This particular wool that I'm spinning is not superwashed, but I like to hand wash my socks anyhow.  You can easily get superwashed BFL these days.  And for those of you who are not spinners, I'm excited about the new trend in BFL sock yarns out there!

I'm spinning this 3-ply and preserving the color sequences.

Friday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish pattern is Angela Marie!
Saturday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish pattern is Corvidae!
Sunday's winner for either the Tree of Life or Talking Fish pattern is Shirley!

The weekly winner of the book is Walden!

If you are a recent winner please contact me and let me know which pattern you'd like.  I've gotten a little mixed up, so even if you sent me an email before, send another and remind me.  Thanks!  Send email to MAIL AT JANELLAIDMAN D O T C O M  (hopefully you figure this out - I'm trying to avoid spam)

Comment Contest Reminder - each day I'm giving away a downloadable version of the featured pattern. This week's featured pattern is Tree of Life or Talking Fish. Leave a comment and you'll be automatically entered for the random drawing. Winners are chosen by random number generator. Each Sunday I choose one person by random number to win a copy of the book when it comes out! So keep commenting to be entered for the drawing.