Now that I've finished the Sprung socks, it's time to cast on for another pair. But summer does not combine with an overheated pregnant woman to make her want to be working on a wooly socks. So I went to my sock yarn stash to see what else might present itself. And I found some handpainted cotton-elastic yarn that I had almost forgotten about, but was absolutely perfect for my current mission.
The yarn is Greenwood Fiberworks hand painted cotton/lycra yarn. It's a cotton yarn with a fine thread of lycra to give it elasticity -- a bit like a smaller gauge version of Cascade Fixation. It's completely machine washable (I'm not so good with the whole hand-washing socks thing) and a skein is sufficient to make a pair of women's socks.
Because I really didn't want to deal with knitting a gauge swatch, I just cast on onto 2.25 mm needles for a toe up sock and figured I'd see where my usual 64 stitch circumference got me. As it turns out, it looks like it should be just fine -- especially when combined with the exceptional stretchiness of the yarn. Knitting with this yarn is an okay experience. If you don't like stretch yarns, you probably won't like this stuff either, but they don't bother me too much. So far, the yarn is easy on my hands and the fabric feels soft and springy to the touch, so I think it will make for fine and comfortable socks. I have hopes, perhaps, of finishing them in time so that they can come with me and help me lounge around in the hospital after the Z is delivered. But that may be a bit optimistic, given my current rate of knitting!
Can I offer a word of advice? Take nice socks to lounge in in bed, but take them off before you get up to walk anywhere (including the bathroom) ... you can easily ruin them. I'm not going to go getting graphic here, but I always take ratty old white socks and throw them away as they are destroyed :)
How's the bedrest moving along? Email me and let me know ... my footsies are starting to puff up so heaven only knows what they're going to tell me tomorrow!
I have not seen yarn like that -- I'd love something a little thinner than Cascade Fixation or the elann equivalent. Weird to work with, true, but the finished result I like.
Hang in there! At least it's not brutally hot right now -- just normal July hot!
(Oh, and I echo Wendy; old socks are good for LABOR as well as a day or two afterward. Birth is a messy business, no getting around it. But socks to hug your feet afterwards -- aaah.)
Ooh, that yarn looks like fun. I hope you are feeling okay.
So happy to see that you (and little person!) are hanging in there, sounding good.
Oh yes, those are gorgeous. I agree with Wendy, however. After having two kids, vaginally at that, you don't want to bring *ANYTHING* nice with you to the hospital. Sorry to burst that bubble. For the first kid, I brought a nice nursing nightgown and matching robe. Ruined. For the second child, I used the hospital garb. Much more practical. It's a messy business, having babies, but somebody's gotta do it. lol.
You just might want to take a pair of woolie socks too if your bag has room. I know the blast furnace that is now your bod makes it seem like a silly thing to do, but having been there and done that, it's a possibility, hormones raging and all that. I froze the entire time I was in the hospital.
Hmm, I actually got through (one) childbirth without ruining any clothing, but YMMV.