it's that time again ...

nothing delicate here ....

i have been hookin'. yep. crocheting. i get a bit stressed out this time of year, and switch gears in every direction possible. instead of finishing gifts, i begin new projects. projects with no one in mind. just because. just because i can ....

this past friday, we had some wintery weather here. the first of the season. and, it could be the only wintery weather, as this is the south. it's kinda funny to think that when we do get winter, it comes "up" from altanta, ga.

it snowed for about 20 minutes. where i work, it's like being in a reverse snow globe. i'm surrounded by glass, watching the light, wind, rain, snow, or clouds, all day long. and the other day, i got to see giant snowflakes whirl around. it was lovely.

it made me crave snow even more. and because of the stress, instead of working on projects with a self-imposed deadline, i whipped out some lily sugar'n cream and my G-hook, and got busy making my own flakes.


this first one is in the leisure arts book _99 snowflakes_, and is flake #31. it's HUGE. it measures about 13" from tip to tip.

and this one ...


... it measures about 11" from tip to tip.

yay! i have BIG snowflakes. i love 'em. now, the thing about big snowflakes is that (to me) they mark the end of the snowfall. the snow on friday didn't last long. and i can't keep on making flakes if i am to finish christmas gifts. but, i will revisit. i will make more.

i stiffened these with epsom salt. i joined the crochet snowflakes group on ravelry. they have lots of great tips for making, blocking, and preserving the flakes.

it may take awhile for them to dry, but i could feel their stiffness as i was pinning them out. by the way, the paper blocking template is on an 8.5" x 11" sheet of paper. yes, these are BIG flakes!

addiction update

yes ... it is an addiction. but that's okay, because i've accepted it ;)

i have not finished the socks in my previous post, and i am on the toe of the socken-mate, because i started the Aestlight Shawl, and i am in love ..... LOVE ! it's love i tell you!


here's the yarn i am using ... fearless fiber's superwash socken yarn. corbett bought this for me in 2007. i had swatched for socks, but was dubious of the gauge/durability. this yarn has great reviews though, and is often knitted at a tighter gauge than most fingering weight yarns (as mine is a 2ply).

the color is called butterscotch ... and it is so butterscotchy. i am knitting this shawl on my knitpicks options 4mm needles. i could not find any "free" addi lace needles in my stash (i think i have some ... but perhaps not). but, the option needles are working out just fine.

i am still on the triangle part, and should take a look at the pattern to see how far i should increase. sigh.

anyways, the yarn is beautiful, the pattern is lovely and simple, and i look forward to having a new shawl in a color i never thought i'd wear around my neck.

a quick fix

i was knitting on some socks for one of my kal's ... but they're not working out. i needed a little "ego boost", so i decided to knit some mindless socks.

(truth be told, i came home to visit with a few of my vacation days. i did not pack lots of projects, books, magazines, yarn, etc, as i usually do. i told myself i was going to work on one pair of socks, and crochet on my hexagon blanket the entire time. well ...when that one pair of socks was not working out, i needed an emergency project. we made a mad dash a couple of towns over, and bought some craft store socken yarn. and let me tell you, it is SO worth it.)


next time, i won't be stupid and think i can survive with so few choices. i'd rather drag home a suitcase of supplies, than limit myself.

but, i am liking this yarn very much. it's red heart & sole sock yarn in the colorway 'toasted almond'. i have some solids in my stash, but this is the first time working with this yarn. so far, so good.

mom really likes them, so i'm making them mom-sized. i finished the first sock in two days, and cast on the mate last night. it seems that the mate is knitting up same as the first, stripes and all.

cerveza? that's not german!

i don't know about you, but the holiday time is a bit stressful and fabulous for me. the time is mixed up due to having a dysfunctional family, holiday gatherings, and birthdays.

and in between, are blue skies, cheap beer, and knitting with good friends. such as on this fabulous day last weekend ....


ms. k-smack and i had a rendezvous at one of our favorite spots in the area, Mo Joe's in raleighwood. we started off with some cheap beer and fries, then later i had an inferno burger, with all the trimmings.

we knitted, had "show-n'tell", gossiped, and enjoyed one of those rare, amazing, carolina blue skies.

interjection: knitterly review .... ms. k-smack is wearing her licorice jacket (rav. link) and my goblin sock around her neck.

but, that's not where the knitting stops. the knitting never stops. in the picture above, i was knitting on my beerweisensockencozy. i do not even claim to know any german ... it's just fun to make up words ... and german is the most wonderful language composed of multi-meanings.

(sigh) i am tired now. the sun has gone down on the planet hoth.

more socks ....

... because i cannot reveal the "secret project" for christmas. so, we'll just have to look at socks, and maybe pretend they're christmas stockings.

today is thanksgiving day, and i'm thinking about christmas. go figure. i am always looking ahead. and maybe that's why it takes me so long to knit socken mates, because after the first sock, i'm looking to see what else i can knit on.

though i should be knitting the mate of my montgolfiere sock, i've had the bug to knit socken mates. making mates for orphans should never be dismissed. the poor orphans have been orphans long enough, and there are others much older ... waiting.

but, i have finished two pairs of socks, by merely knitting 2 socks. i like that.

first up, i finished the lovely green goblin socks (sometimes known as 'rick' from _sock innovation_).


they were fun to knit, and it's even more fun when you don't have to think, because you can just look at socken #1 and know what to do next (other than following the chart). and i feel they're rather season appropriate as they're very "christmas green" with the diagonals of candy canes. they'd make a great gift for someone, but i am way to selfish to give these up.

as soon as i kitchner stitched the toe on the green socks, i cast on the mate of my old "pillars" socks. these are from the summer of '08. i finished the first sock on a trip to mexico, and never bothered to cast on the mate. why, ... who knows !


they are crazy pretty ... i LOVE the yarn ... it's colinette's jitterbug in colorway vincent's apron (i think). anyways, the yarn has a great twist, and amazing stitch definition, not to mention the fabulous semi-solid variegation. i love semi-solids.

i've been waiting a long time for a day like today ... a day with no commitments, and some sunshine.

ps ...

... i finished these too.


this is "jules" by kate blackburn. the yarn is knitpicks stroll handpainted in colorway tea party. these will be a christmas gift.

blogging in my head

sometimes, i do all the things i should do for the blog, such as knit the project, take pictures, download/upload, move on to the next project, post pictures to flickr, update ravelry, and then i forget to actually post the information on my blog. oops.

i was talking with mom this morning and telling her about my green socks, and i said, "they're on the blog" ... then it occurred to me that maybe they weren't on the blog yet. yeah, another "oops".

that said, there has been progress! i finished the first montgolfiere sock.


when i finish the pair, i will be blocking these. they need to settle down a bit. there is a gauge difference from the sole stich pattern and the instep, and the instep is rather lumpy. but, it will be fine with a good blocking.

i am very pleased with how this sock looks. i'm just not quite ready to jump into knitting the mate yet. i am thinking i will save that event for the weekend.

in the meantime, i sort of needed a small project to carry around in my purse. i actually picked up an orphan from the summer, and cast on the mate to my green goblin socks (otherwise known as "rick" from cookie a's _sock innovation_). i knitted the first sock in the summer for a kal on ravelry. once the kal was finished, i never went back to knit the mate. but i decided it would be good to knit on it as a mindless knitting project.


i started the mate on the 11th, and finished yesterday. but, i will have to wait until the weekend to take proper finished pair photos.

i might actually be enjoying this single sock knitting. i have quite the stash of orphan socks, so just knitting one gives me a pair. that i like!

since i finished the green socks, i did pick up another orphan ... pillars. this lovely sock had its first birthday back in august. i figured this one would be rather painless to knit, and mindless as well. and i have already decided on my next rescue ... hedera from 2007!

sock challenge

each month in ska (sock knitter's anonymous)(ravelry link), there is a challenge. this month's challenge includes a technique (mosaic or slipstitch knitting), a mystery sock (which includes the technique challenge) or a designer (this month is chrissy gardiner). i had planned on doing a sock by the designer, chrissy gardiner, since i really wanted to try one of her socks from her _toe up_ book (and use the work sheets to get a great fitting reverse engineered heelflap sock).

and then i started looking at mosaic patterns. that's when i found this pattern, montgolfiere, by stephanie van der linden. this pattern had been in my queue for a bit, and i had forgotten about it.


i went digging in the stash, and found some rowan true 4ply botany. this yarn has been discontinued for some time. sometimes when a yarn is discontinued, it seems a bit more *precious* as it's highly unlikely i'll come across it again.


i am enjoying the knitting, though i do not look forward to the mate. this sock is not mindless, and requires constant attention to the chart. even with all this chart chasing, i still have made mistakes. so far, i've corrected the ones i've discovered.

this sock is going to be quite cushy, as the bottom of the foot is quite thick. i even turned the heel with two strands held together so it would be as beefy as the rest of the sole.

and the not so challenging ...


(unless we count mere finishing!) i pulled these out the other day, and it seemed all i had left was a bit of foot and a toe. it amazes me how long such a simple task is left unfinished for months, or years.

this yarn is a favorite of mine. it's paton's kroy sock yarn. you can find it in craft stores. it's inexpensive. and it's a work horse yarn. it's a bit heavier than most fingering yarns i've knitted, but it still makes a great socks.

this pair is going to be a gift.

want to wear the wool!

it's slowly coming along ... this cardigan (scroll down). i started it a couple of weeks ago, and like most projects, progressed nicely. of course, there's always a point where i have to stop and think (is it long enough before the armhole shaping ?). plus, there's not much knitting time anyways.

nevertheless, i am committed to this project. i keep thinking how nice it will be to wear when finished. the yarn is cascade's ecological wool. it comes in giant hanks. this might only take 2 hanks, possibly some of the third. i am still on my first hank of yarn (wound into a fat cake) and am part way through the armholes.

the yarn is very soft, but doesn't like to be ripped and reknit. the twist isn't very tight, so it gets kinda fluffy when overworked. guess i'll have to work harder to pay attention to my knitting.

i started with the back, and am still on the back. i will likely knit the fronts before the sleeves, though i wouldn't mind some mindless stockinette sleeves.

a project like this could inspire some button shopping too ....

proof

... that i have been knitting. i typically carry a small project (ie: socks) with me in my purse, just incase .... you never know when you'll have a spare moment, or stuck waiting in a line, or traffic. and just when you don't have such a project in the purse is exactly when those moments strike.

yesterday, at saff, such a moment occurred. i was waiting in a longish line at a booth to pay for my new sock book, _the enchanted sole_. mom was off watching a felting demo. i unzipped my bag, stuck my book into the bag and pulled out my sock knitting. i actually made some progress without making any mistakes. and, i chatted with the couple standing in line before me.


i was knitting on the mate of this sock. i am getting close to the heel too. and this is my mindless project for now. i'm doing a pretty good job of project monogamy. with the hours i am working, the only way i will ever have finished projects is to not have too many wip's.

though, i am awfully tempted to cast on something new with the new stuff i got yesterday!

edit:

whoops! i just realized in never even posted this when i originally cast on ...


the sock is jules by kate blackburn, and the yarn is knitpicks stroll handpainted in colorway 'tea party'. i am using 2.25mm dpns, and knitting the smaller size with the 60st cast on. to fit me better, i probably should had added 4 more stitches. that said, these might end up in mom's sock drawer.

SAFF

wow ... 20 days since my last post. what have i been doing? ... barely knitting, and working lots of overtime.

i have been feeling deprived of yarn and knitting time, needless to say. but this weekend, i made up for that and traveled across the state to SAFF. this was my third year attending, and i will certainly go again next year, and the next year ....

i'm gonna cut to the chase and just present the loot.


this was purchased before lunch. if you click on the picture you can access the notes with all the yarn information.

i did have a budget. i had taken a small wad of cash. i was doing pretty good in the beginning, but then got kinda anxious that i might blow my cash, so i started to swipe the credit card instead. i'm not going to add up the purchases though, because i got all that i wanted (well, except for a really pretty hank of $56 creatively dyed yarn).


after lunch (sitting in the back of mom's minivan with the hatch up ...) mom and i headed back for more.


while making this purchase, i ran into one of my favorite bloggers, cristi. she was hanging out in the knit witch booth. mom and i were admiring a beautiful sock (rav link)(and i happened to have the very same yarn in hand) that cristi had knitted. and as if this yummy sock yarn wasn't enough, i also got the pretty blue lace yarn.


there were also some non-yarn purchases. i've been wanting some shawl pins, as i am wearing my shawls a lot more (since the office is cold). i found this wee 1.25" x 1" enameled black sheep by gita maria. it's light weight and the dark color will make it more incognito on some of my shawls.

the other shawl pin is a pretty walnut stick pin which i found in the knitting notions booth ...



and then there was the book!


i have her first sock book, _the ecletic sole_, which i've yet to knit from. BUT, i will. and now i have this one, with some really pretty patterns.

and lastly, there was art. i saw this artwork last year, and wanted the actual paintings, and passed on the prints. but this year, i decided to get a few prints, as they make me laugh.


these are printed reproductions of the paintings by artist conni togel. definitely visit her website to see more of her fabulous art.

all in all, saff was great. the weather was perfect, and for the morning part of the the day, the crowd was light. it would be nice to go back tomorrow, but i might be out of money anyways .....

socks for the fall

it's not officially fall yet, but i've experienced some mornings that have been on the cooler side of brrr !

in my sock knitting (ravelry) kal's, it's getting harder to consider knitting a sock with a lace pattern. my most recent cast on is solid, but still with a textural interest ....


i love this combination! this yarn was bought by my buddy corbett a couple years ago at rhinebeck. the yarn came without labels, so who knows what the fiber content is (i'm guessing superwash wool)(though, i will handwash, because guessing is not good enough) ... yardage, or anything !

what i do know, ... i have 2 50 gram hanks, and it's pretty. so, i am knitting toe up, as to not worry about running out of yarn. i am knitting jeannie cartmel's starflower socks. her pattern is rather "loose", so i'm essentially using her chart, and will decide soon about the heel construction. she uses a shortrow heel ... but i don't like for my socks to feel tight across the instep, so i'll be using some form of a gusset heel w/flap construction.

the stitch pattern isn't very elastic. it fits fine now on my skinny foot, but i might have to go up a needle size when i begin my gusset increases.

in the day's fading light ...

i have finished a PAIR of socks! i finished these last night, and there was less daylight this morning than when i got home this evening ... but, just enough.

i LOVE these socks! i don't remember where or when i purchased the yarn, but i love it all the same. it's arucania solid in red 118, which is really a semi-solid.

we all go through phases of loving various types of yarn (ie: handpainted, solid, semi-solid, self striping, etc). lately, i've prefered semi-solid or solid for all the lace and textures.

but, when all else fails, it doesn't hurt to cast on a self striping yarn and knitting ribbing or plain stockinette.

the pattern above is evelyn clark's acorn lace socks (fiber trends pattern AC-47). it is well written, with both chart and line by line instructions (i prefer chart).

i always live in fear of running out of yarn, but i had plenty left over (socks used 79 grams and i have 25 grams leftover, and i do realize that does NOT add up to 100 grams.

i have some other evelyn clark patterns in my queue. there's a certain sense of security when knitting any of her patterns, whether socks or shawls.

wow!

i thought i'd do something a little different this week, and actually update the blog (vs. take pictures and do nothing with them). my knitting time has been greatly reduced since the beginning of august. i simply cannot knit as many projects as i'd like. and actually finishing something means i need to stay monogamous.

i belong to several sock knitting kal's. i have realized that i cannot participate in all of them simultaneously. therefore, each month, i pick one or two to try to participate in.

this month, i chose to knit socks for two of my ravelry groups, sock knitters anonymous (or ska) and solid socks.

for the ska group, one of the options was to knit any (challenging) sock pattern in yellow (solid or semisolid). typically, this group does not have color restraints. so, i dyed up some of my knitpicks bare yarn using some koolaid and icing dye.



i did have some other yellow yarn in stash i could had used, but because the lorna's laces cost more, it felt more *precious*. plus, it's fun to dye yarn.





the pattern i chose is the nichole beaded band socks by melissa morgan-oakes. it's a $4 pattern, found via ravelry.

i'm using size 8/0 beads, and instead of prestringing the yarn, i instead dropped a bead on each stitch with a size 12 steel hook. i thought the hook might be too small for the fingering yarn, but when the yarn is under tension, it stays secure enough in the hook.

my sock is still in the same state as the photo. all i have to do is finish the toe. but, finishing (for me) isn't nearly as much fun as starting new things !



THIS is the sock i'm in love with right now. i am just loving this RED.

red is the color right now for the solid socks group. i switched gears to work on these socks because they have to be knitted in the month of september (the ska group gives 2 months to finish). i finished the sock above last night, and today cast on the mate. it would be nice to finish this sock within the next week, though i am realistic and may not finish until the deadline.

the pattern is evelyn clark's acorn lace socks AC-47. like all evelyn clark designs, the pattern is well written, charted and row by row. i always think her designs are a great place to start for beginning lace knitters because she offers both the charts and written instructions.

the red yarn is arucania solid (though, it's really semisolid) in color 118.

when this pair is finished, i will get back to the yellow socks. really.

i finished!

thanks for the luck! it worked!

and i finished yesterday (a whole day ahead of the deadline).



the socks are an odd pair. all the decreases lean in the same direction, so the fabric biases. i can get over that, but it also means i have to pay a bit more attention when putting them on so they're not all twisted.

i do love this yarn. it's opal handpainted. i found it at a ben franklin store in a small town about two years ago. i've wanted to knit it for awhile, but never found the right pattern. i cannot say this IS the right pattern (as the colorful splotches obscure the lace pattern) but it's certainly good enough.

so, i've finally had success with a wendy johnson pattern. perhaps there is hope. maybe now i can quit fantasizing about converting her patterns to cuff down. maybe.

specs
yarn: opal handpainted in greens
needles: 2mm for first part of foot, 2.25mm for rest of sock
pattern: wendy johnson's seaweed socks
size: size medium at a smaller gauge

seaweed ...

i am actually quite surprised that i like this sock! this is wendy johnson's seaweed sock, a free download, from her website. i am knitting it as part of a ravelry kal. i really like her patterns, though i think more about knitting them top down.

something about her patterns is always a little off for me. she uses numbers i wouldn't normally choose to use (ie: she uses 66 sts vs 64). also, i think a lot of her patterns are catered towards fluffier feet. my feet aren't narrow, but they aren't "plump" either. but, all things can be modified, and gauge & yarn combo can be your friend.

that said, i chose a thinner fingering weight yarn for this sock. i am knitting the size medium, but at a finer gauge. i could had knitted the small size, but i didn't think the design would show much because the chart is so minimal. the yarn is opal's handpainted. it's been in stash for awhile. it's happy to be free. and even though i can't see the stitch pattern all that well, i do love the colors.

the deadline for this pair is the end of the month. i just cast on the mate last light, so i have a lot of knitting to do before monday. wish me luck!

more summer sockens

i took about 57 pictures and this is the best one. pretty pathetic i think. let's just say it's hard to take pictures of your own feet.

i'm glad to have these off the needles though. the pair used 66 grams of yarn (and i have 57 grams leftover). i will save the leftovers for use in another sock project.

i wish it was cool enough now to wear socks, as then i could report on their wear and durability. but, it's summer ... and this is the south.

la la la ....

i don't really have much to say today.

yarn: joanne sensations 'bamboo & ewe'
needles: clover 2.25mm dpns
pattern: bluebell lace from _sensational knitted socks_
60 stitches

sigh ... if only there was enough time .....

so, i posted the picture of the magazines i collected over the weekend. these magazines are still beside the bed, and are waiting for me again at bedtime. i don't have a good book to read right now, so i'm just going to enjoy my magazines instead.

though i think today is the hottest day we've had so far this summer (it's 99* at 6pm), i've had sweaters on my mind. of course, one must start thinking about the next season if you want to wear said sweater in the upcoming season. of course, that doesn't mean i'm going to start whipping out sweaters. i'm barely getting my socks done at this point.

but, IF i were to knit sweaters, these are a few of the ones i fell for instantly while perusing my new magazines.

first off, was this lovely crochet motif cowl neck pullover by designer robyn chachula. i love this! i think it's interesting looking, without looking "granny", and maybe i'm a bit biased to the color.

i did some research on the designer, via ravelry, and she has oodles of designs that i've seen before, and many of which i like very much.

this design is very similar to one called the calla lily cowl which she did for mission falls yarns.

another note, the yarn used for this is by red heart, their eco-ways bamboo wool. i saw some eco-ways yarns the last time i was in the craft store, and i'll be eager to see how much people enjoy working with them i'd like to try them out too.

this one is my favorite. it's called the nordique swing jacket, designed by veronik avery. it's knitted in sport weight yarn. and i've swatched for it. apparently, i have a yarn in stash that is the right weight, and the color is very similar to the printed magazine (though not the same as the actual color). though, color is irrelevant. the color issue is a fluke.

i started swatching yesterday. i started with the recommended needle size (US 3) and it was tight. i'm now using a US 5 and might have gauge. i will also swatch in pattern, and then dunk the strip into the sink to wash and block.

oh! this design is in the fall interweave knits magazine. i also spotted another favorite from this issue, the slanting gretel tee. if you'd like to see more, i know the preview is available right now here (scroll down) on the IK website.

and lastly, i found this pretty cardigan in the current issue of vogue knitting magazine ... the rib and cable cardigan (design #4)(gosh, i wish vogue had more intersting names for their designs) ... designed by irina poludnenko. side note, this pretty cardigan is opposite a fabulous dress designed by sauniell connally (formally local, ... went off to NYC to attend fashion school) (yay!).

all these magazines have numerous designs to inspire for the fall. oh, and let's not forget knitscene. there were several sweaters in the current issue that i will be watching progress of on ravelry.

of course, right now i'm all about knitting/crocheting sweaters. but, give me a few days and that will pass .....

bedtime!

it's late ... and i've got to get to bed, but i wanted to do a quick update. i was out & about yesterday, and picked up the latest fall issues of VK, IK, and Crochet Today. so, i'm off to get ready for bed and read for a little while ....

miscellany

i could probably finish some things if i'd stop starting things, but .... it is my way.

i finished a sock! not a pair.


i finished this sock last night. or maybe the night before. hmmm. i'd like to cast on the mate, but i have been derailed by by making myself a lacy baktus.


and i love it ! i started this last night. i was looking for a mindless project, and thought this would be a good one. well, i had to rip out a couple of times before i understood the pattern and the fabric i was creating.

i was unsure if my needle size (3mm) was a good match for the yarn (brooks farm acero), so this morning i blocked what i had knitted last night. the yarn relaxed nicely, and now i know i can proceed w/o anxiety.

the yarn is a fingering wool/viscose/silk blend. i got it last fall at SAFF with the intention of making socks. but, when i swatched it, i changed my mind. it's going to be much better off as a scarf.

and this last little tidbit, i did not make, but saw at the mall in a diorama at the LEGO store. pardon the quality, as i was shooting through a plastic convex bubble, and shoving kids aside to see the cuteness!


LEGO sheeps!

i couldn't wait ...

... to play with the new yarn. i don't know if i'll get any of my kal socks finished before their deadlines, and i kinda don't care. i just want to work on things that excite me, and that includes my crochet hexagons, and these new socks with the bamboo & ewe yarn from joann's.


i'm knitted them with a stitch pattern from _sensational knitted socks_ ... it's called bluebell rib (page 49). i was looking for something simple, elegant, and mindless. this simple 6 stitch repeat fulfilled all those desires.

i'm already on the heelflap. i'm keeping these on the short side (the leg is only 6") because they're a summer blend (wool/bamboo/nylon) and they have holes (lace).

i cast on another project yesterday as well ...


it's going to be a beer cozy. i'm using some leftover sock-ease yarn to knit my wee cozy. it's just for fun, but it would be nice to have it finished for when i go out sunday evening to hear a friend's band play. click on the picture and there's a link for the pdf file of the pattern.

pretty things

hexagon crocheting came to a grinding halt yesterday, when i started to join my circles with the white red heart yarn. it seems, the first skein of white i was using either wasn't red heart, or was just spun differently.

but, i am back on track today, with a fresh skein of 'bernat super value'. i was really bummed last night when i had to stop crocheting. the good part is, it forced me to finish a pair of socks!


i think this is my first pair of socks for the summer! i'm happy to have them off the needles, so i won't feel as guilty when i figure out what socks i'm going to cast on next. and i will cast on more before finishing others. it's a given.

especially since i got some new yarn this morning (when i went to find the white acrylique for my hexagon blanket).


before i go to the shopping center that has 3 craft stores (acmoore, michael's, and jo-ann's) i always go online and print coupons. the yarn above is part of jo-ann's sensations label. i was able to use a 40% off coupon on each ball of yarn. yay! i hadn't seen this yarn in the store before. it seems that most of the craft store sock yarns are all self striping or variegated. i was very excited to find something in a slight heathered tone.

oh, something else i finished ...


this is "rick" from _sock innovation_. it's part of a kal, and must be finished before the end of the month. well, i have 10 days. i can certainly get it knitted in that time frame. maybe i'll cast on tomorrow ....

and one last finished thing(s) ...


my legs were cold the other day (air conditioning). i had started these leg warmers last fall. i knitted them up quickly, and even seamed one together on the way to saff. and then i never touched them again. all i had left to do was seam up the other leg warmer. i do stupid stuff like that all the time.

but now, they're done. and i have been wearing them. i've even queued some other leg warmer patterns to knit.

and here is where i get lazy ... if you'd like to know more about any of the photos, just click on the photo and you'll be whisked away to flickr where i left notes for each project.

the haphazard hooker

you'd think with all the socks i have on the needles that i'd be flashing a finished pair. of course not !

instead, i started a crochet project. i had seen (on ravelry) lots of examples of blankets, etc, with crocheted hexagons. it's the perfect project. you don't really need to follow a pattern. it doesn't have to "fit". you can make it as big or small as you like. and it's fun to create different color combinations.


besides, stuart loves crochet.



the hexagons are pretty quick to make. i think the slowest part is trying to decide which color is next. after i make a small pile of circles, i join a batch together.

want to make one? just click on this link and you too can be in hexagon bliss :)

i don't know how large my blanket is going to be. i have a quilt that is 64" square, and i like that very much, but i'm thinking this might need to be a rectangle. my goal is to finish within the next couple of weeks (crazy for me, i know). i'm starting a new job at the beginning of august, and i'd really like to have a large project like this finished, so i can come home in the evening and use my blanket.

the yarn is red heart. it's cheap, and colorful. and, it does get softer, and drapey, with a little steam.