Sometimes it takes me a few tries to find the right pattern for a yarn, this was one of those yarns. But once they found each other, this yarn a locally raised and spun yarn from Pondering Rock Farms and the Juneberry Triangle pattern by Jared Flood, it was magic.

I've been wearing this shawl pretty well non-stop since I finished it back in January. It is quite scratchy by modern standards (ie. superwash Wools and super-fine merinos) but it has a delightfully rustic hand. The yarn is all naturally colored, and this yarn is from Valentine, and blended with alpacas from an adjacent farm in Rosseau, Ontario.

I can't wait for Heather to open up her stand this spring at our local markets to get more of her naturally colored yarns, which she offers in fingering through worsted weights and in different colors based on her flock, and a Lopi-style bulky weight she dyes in small batches in vibrant colors. I have a few patterns picked out already, including Ashby by Leila Raabe, which is designed to work with Brooklyn Tweed SHELTER. I find this to be the closest commercially available yarn to the Pondering Rock Farms worsted weight.

I'm looking forward to making more worsted weight shawls because they are fantastic in Muskoka winters, which are really not THAT cold and it is a rustic, fashionable, local yarn kind town.

Project notes on Ravelry: Rockberry Triangle

It's on projects like these that my identity as a process knitter is solidified, I preferred the look of my original pattern for this yarn, however I disliked knitting those socks, so I frogged, and in one of the quickest turn arounds on a pair of socks for me, I found one that was more fun to knit.

For me knitting is about the act of making the stitches and making the item. I do really enjoy wearing my knitting, it is warm, beautiful and gives me a deep sense of pride, but the act of making it is far more important than the finished object. I would not have ever finished the first pair of socks, they weren't something my fingers wanted to make, however, I found something that was a blast to knit and turns out look pretty awesome on my feet too.

So with this pair, I have finished five pairs of socks this year, so I'm still on track for my Sock of the Month plans.

- Details -

Project Name: Lettucefrog Socks

Pattern: Leapfrog Socks by Debbie O'Neill in Sockupied, Spring 2012

Recipient: Me

Yarn: Sweet Georgia Yarn, Tough Love Sock in Lettucewrap

Modifications:

Shortened Cuff and Leg: I don't like super tall socks, my calves are too big for most sock patterns without shaping so I shortened up the leg and cuff to make these more wearable.

New Skills:

The stitch pattern was new to me, but for the most part I'm getting really comfortable with the base sock patterns so I'm going to have to go out of my way to try different constructions to expand my sock knitting skills.

Feedback:

Yarn: What can I say, I'm in Love with Tough Love! A great yarn to knit the color is fabulous, it is mostly a solid but with some depth without seeming too multi. And it washes beautifully, I machine wash and dry all my socks, and the socks are even nicer after a trip through the laundry.
Pattern: Overall, a good pattern. I enjoyed the Sockupied iPad format, although the patterns are stand alone PDFs that are linked to the app. But the app itself is really quite fun and takes advantage of the interactive nature of the iPad.

Re-Knit?: Nope, nice socks, but the 20 sock patterns in my queue are ahead of a remake on this pair, however I do like the way this pair fits.