my favorite sweater

i finished my sweater a couple of weeks ago, and have been wearing it non-stop since.

i'm definitely going to have to make another! i'll have to decide if i want to make another in wool or a summer blend.


i still have a nice bit leftover too ~ about 60 grams ~ so maybe about 140 yards?

the pattern is beeline, and the yarn i picked up at SAFF.

when i was trying to decide which color at SAFF 

… as you can see, i ended up going with the greenish one to my right. all the colors were fantastic! i hope this vendor returns to SAFF next year.

Black Sheep Farm

Suzie Lowe

4954 Andy Williams

MorgantonNC28655

(828) 391-4578

finnsheep@charter.net

new socks (for me!)

i've been knitting lots of socks lately, but for other people.

in the knitpicks cyber monday sale, i bought this discontinued sock yarn "felici" in the rustic cabin colorway.


this yarn is super soft! i didn't need it, and it wasn't "on sale". but, it was available for a limited time --- and sold out quickly.

i've used this yarn a few times, and always love the results. this colorway was new to me --- and i decided a couple of nights ago that i deserved a new pair of socks.


so, i cast on the infamous jaywalker. according to my ravelry pages, this may be my 9th time knitting this pattern!

though that seems redundant, this pattern was first published in 2005. so, knitting it once a year is about right.

AND, it's one of my "go to" patterns --- it's a wonderfully easy to memorize sock pattern that really showcases self striping yarns.

the picture is somewhat dark, but my wee 50 gram ball is sitting in my new yarn bowl ---- my wooden yarn bowl (hopefully i won't break it).

i have a tendency to break my ceramic ones (that's why i keep super glue in my knitting notions bag).

benvenuto!

marco is on his way! his first flight is scheduled to take off in less than 2 hours …

Ouch

i have finished my sweater, with the exception of fixing the neckline. i knitted the neck ribbing on size 6 needles (4mm) but i felt it was too loose.

i ripped it back a few rounds and now will knit the remaining rounds with consecutively smaller needles.

and, i sliced my finger tonight trimming the stems of sunflowers ... kinda hard to knit with a bandaid!

things i should be doing ...

… instead of posting online.

but, i am chatting with marco online right now … and awaiting an response in our conversation.

that also means i have a few minutes to also post better pictures of the socks i finished recently!








fun, aren't they?!

i really enjoy knitting socks with leftovers. it's a trip down memory lane. it's fun to see how the different  colors and patterns combine. and, it's a great way to actually use up these bits that have been saved forever.

finished first sleeve!

i think i'm really liking topdown construction. i was able to try on my sweater as i was knitting, and decide when to start the ribbing for the sleeve cuff, and when it was long enough and ready for bindoff.

as i was admiring my finished sleeve, i spotted a dropped stitch in the body's hem ribbing. i put a stitch marker on it for now, but i will go back and take out 1/2 the cast-off stitches, and pick up that dropped stitch.

and, i'm not too keen on the ribbing for the neckline. it seems like too many stitches or too loose. after the sweater is completed, i think i'll go back and redo the neckline ribbing. perhaps pick up fewer stitches or grade the gauge down with a series of rounds with smaller needles.


the fabric is beautiful. i have not alternated skeins while knitting. i don't notice any funky pooling or color differences where i've switched to the next hank.

when i bought this yarn at SAFF, there were only 4 hanks (each approx 450 yds). i wanted a 5th for "just in case". i am finally on the 4th hank, which i joined when i started the 2nd sleeve. so, i definitely have plenty of yarn!

the size i'm making is for the finished 37" by the way. the leftovers may end up in a stranded hat (with pom pom, of course).


and last night, i did the right thing in starting the 2nd sleeve. i want this sweater done!

i'm knitting the sleeves on dpns. they're inexpensive susan bates needles, and a bit slippery and heavy. every now and then on the first or last stitches, i drop a needle.

but, i'd rather be knitting this part with dpns. i've tried magic loop on sleeves before and didn't care for the results. i'm more even with dpns.



and i've been toting my sweater around in this festive bag i sewed just before thanksgiving.

it's large enough for a sweater project, though it's not always convenient to tote around such a large project. therefore, i'm also working on a mindless sock …..



… knitted with one of my favorite sock yarns, kroy.

tick tock tick tock

i really want to start a new project! i have all this fabulous new yarn still sitting on the kitchen table that beckons me day and night.

however, i cannot start a new sweater until i finish my most recently started sweater.

the Beeline .....


i abandoned my sweater when all i had left were the sleeves. last night, i wasn't in the sock mood, and decided to revisit my sweater.

this yarn is amazing! i've started a sleeve, and i cannot see a difference between skein to skein.

i think this is one of those moments when i kick myself and ask, "why didn't i finish this sooner?!"

so, i'm on sleeve #1. it's going fast enough. the only difficult part is the needles i'm using. they're metal. they're slippery. and, a bit heavy. so, from time to time, they fall out.

i'm going to keep on knitting though. i'm excited about having a new sweater to wear!

in other news, i finished some socks ….


i started off with great enthusiasm. and i plowed through the first sock.

then came sock #2. hmmmm …. second sock. now what?

i was tired of the yarns i'd chosen for the first sock and wanted something different.

so, back to the stash of leftovers. i dug up some of my self striping or variegated yarns that didn't have that faux fair isle blippy stuff.

the socks aren't exactly the same size. i think some yarns were a bit thicker than others, and maybe my gauge changed.

but i like them! they are one of a kind !!!

ps. the pattern is stripe tease, available through ravelry. 

sunday delivery

i'd forgotten that the usps is doing sunday deliveries during the holiday season.

i had placed an online order to knitpicks during their cyber-monday sale. my original delivery date was not to be until this coming wednesday, but early sunday afternoon, and friend sent me a message that my yarn had arrived!


it was delivered in a box, and was tossed into a plastic bag.

all was intact, no leaks, tears, slashes, etc. i won't complain about the packing because the yarn was so inexpensive and i'm happy that it shipped so quickly.

besides, had there been any issues, knitpicks has wonderful customer service!




the yarn i was looking forward to the most is the hawthorne sock yarn. it's hand painted, and was on sale for $5.50/hank.

in the top photo, are all my singles. in the bottom photo, 4 hanks to knit juniper.

i like most of the colors, and even love a few of them. however, i won't be keeping them all. at least 2 of them will be given away, and the others will either be knitted up or used in a swap.


this is the curio, a thread weight cotton.

i got 2 colors --- the top is mongoose (brown), and the bottom is navy (blue).

it has amazing yardage (each 100 gram ball is 721 yards). it was on sale for $2/ball. the mongoose is going to be used to knit imagine when. i will hold the thread double stranded.

the navy will likely be used for a garment, whether crochet single stranded or knitted double stranded.


the lindy chain is a fingering weight chainette yarn. it's a summer blend of linen and cotton. it was on sale for $2/25/ball.

i plan on doing a short sleeved or sleeveless summer top.

and lastly, some of the fabulous knitpicks palette!


the colors i purchased were on sale for $1.75/ball.

i plan on doing a pullover with various colors including some other more neutral shades of palette in my stash.

did i mention i'm going cold sheep in 2015?!

HO! HO! HO! … in the spirit!

today was so much fun, that i cannot believe it's sunday!

first of all, sunday is my regular grocery shopping & cooking day.

i headed to my local grocery store. i had a shopping list in hand. i purchased all on my list, and then a few other things ….



so, i first visited the flower section of the grocery store. i could use some fresh flowers (i often buy flowers that last almost 2 weeks).

and they were featuring poinsettias.

so, there i stood. fretting. the smaller pinkish one or the big spectacular speckled one?!

they were different prices. the smaller one (very pretty!) was $3.33. the larger awesome one was twice as much. i wanted the larger one.

pouts

so, i carried both up to my local flower girl. here i pondered. sigh … do i get the pinkish one or the twice as expensive speckled one?!

so, we discussed it. and she said, "do your shopping, and come pick up your poinsettia".

what she was saying was, "i'll mark it down!".

so, i returned, and picked up this beauty!



so pretty! perhaps its last time --- because there is a regimen to help poinsettia to change colors the next year.

merry christmas !!!!!

you spin me ….

getting ready ...

…. for christmas. for me & marco.



so, after a long day, … the tree is up! it's still lacking balls (that's what she said!). (i'm terribly hooked on the office right now)

i worked in the living room all day. i moved furniture, i cleaned. and finally, i put up the tree.

it's not yet in its full glory. i still need to hang the ornaments. and, i might need to move the color wheel as well.

however, when it is in its full glory … it will look like this:







and now, i'm sleepy … i've been up since dawn. i haven't even sat down to knit. but now, i will try.

tomorrow? more housework. ornaments for the tree. cooking. knitting. and to bed early for a 12 hour shift on monday (overtime makes me whine, but time & a half is nice).

new socks with old yarn

one of my favorite funky sock patterns is stripe tease. i have knitted this pattern before with just 1 yarn, and a few days ago decided i wanted to make some socks with leftovers, so i pulled some of my self-striping leftovers from a bin.


the original pattern knits it with 6 strips, but i am knitting with 4 strips, and the bottom of the foot will be in one piece, since i don't think having seams on the bottom of the foot would be comfortable. the socks will be a gift if i finish them in time. i'm still knitting on my tubularity. i'm on the last color too! and, my beeline sweater is still sleeveless =( there are just not enough hours in the day!




i took this photo some time last week. we'd had a day of rain and wind, and the next morning my truck was buried in leaves.

where am i ?

home. knitting. it's been a darkish day. and there's been some rain.

i tried to take some photos of my current project, and the yarn got wet and dirty.


this is my tubularity. it's a cowl/wrap designed by Martina Behm. i officially ♥ adore ♥ her !

so, i got this polydactyl kit in the miss babs booth at SAFF.

i got the exact colorway as the model. it's called "Deep Sea Jellyfish".

why? because i liked the colors and didn't want to think. it's kinda like finding something in a catalog, but you have to make it first.

the kit comes with 7 colors 38 grams each. i'm knitting color 5 of 7. i'm almost finished !!! squeeee !!!!

last night, i stayed up until after 4am knitting. i just wanted to see progress, and to see the next color.

it's an enjoyable knit ---- it's mindless. i will finish soon, and then have to block and find a few buttons. however, i can see myself wearing this!

in other news,

…. i was shopping on etsy, and saw a pretty pair of earrings. they were in this incredible shade of blue.

and i thought, "i have something in this blue!" …


… an old pendant, from my time in the domenican republic. the stone is called larimar.

i'd forgotten how beautiful this blue is. the stone is not perfectly polished. the bezel and bail are rustic, but the overall piece is still stunning.

and one last little tidbit … mini-skeins!


i belong to an online group (via ravelry) specific to knitpicks.

anyways, there was a group member that offered to order every colorway of one of the sock yarns offered by knitpicks, and then wind it off into 5 gram hanks.

so now, i have all these mini-skeins, which will likely become monster socks (socks knitted completely of leftovers). AND, now i know how the colors look in person instead of a computer monitor !

i have kissed ….

…. my yarn!

yes! i love the yarn !!!

though, my yarn choice was not the frog prince.

i am knitting on my sweater. i am on the neckline now. the body is finished, and now i want to finish the neck so when i start the sleeves, i can feel confident that their length is accurate for how the sweater hangs from my neck/shoulders.


here is a photo of just before starting the bottom hem ribbing.

now, i'm on the neckline. i'm about to bind off.

swooooooon !!!

in other news, today (and this weekend) was full of household chores.

never mind the 'everything' … see the 'now'.

though this scrubbing bubble is available, i found one appropriate for christmas! ….

i love this nightlight! ….. i found this in my grandmother's house. i wonder where she displayed it ….

yarn love

… i couldn't decide. this booth had such pretty yarns, and for a great price!

(yarn is a superwash merino from Black Sheep Farm in Morganton, NC --- no website)

i did decide on the green … each hank is approximately 250 yds. i got all 4 they had.


when i got home, i started immediately. i'm already almost finished with the 2nd hank. this is growing up to be "beeline".

it's a really simple topdown pullover, with enough little design details to avoid monotony.


the color is a mix of greens and blues.

swatching note: (the haphazard way) --- when i got home from SAFF, i immediately wound a hank into a ball and grabbed some needles. i started with the 7's (too small), then 9's (too big). i didn't have 8's, so i waited until i got back to my home and just started the sweater on the 8's (process of elimination).

busy busy busy

last night, as driving home, i tuned into a radio station that announced that they would have all the holiday classic favorites playing 'all the time' through this holiday season.

i guess that's what happens right after halloween? right?

however, things have "happened" since my last post.

first of all, i attended SAFF.


in years past, they had a big "this is not the tractor show" sign posted here. they still have this sign, but it's on the other side of the entrance.

this event is a favorite of mine --- it's a combination of going home, spending a day with  mom w/o other 'things' going on, YARN, and just fun fun fun.


it was an amazing day. the weather was so much warmer than last year. last year, it was a whopping 29* when we rolled up to our parking space. this year? … it was so "not as cold" that i didn't even notice.

by lunchtime, i was baking under the sun in a long sleeve t-shirt.


the picture here, and subsequent, are pretty crappy --- the color is off --- i was taking pictures under a fading sky --- so they all have that 'evening blue' hue to them.


first, is this amazing yarn i got from the 'black sheep farm' from morganton, nc. they don't have a website, but i found their information on the vendor list from SAFF. i have scribbled all their contact information on the backside of my yarn labels.

the yarn is a superwash merino @ approx 250 yds each hank. i got 4 hanks. "approximately" 1000 yards.

and i've started a sweater ….

 
this is some miss babs "yowza" ! … OH SO PRETTY!

the color is almost black with dark blue highlights. i have enough for a sweater. i'm still debating which design to knit.


the next 2 items, yarn kits from miss babs …

on the left the polydactyl set … to knit tubularity in the exact colorway, "jelly fish".

though, i have failed. i started it in the recommended needle size and the feel is too compact. i will restart in a larger needle.

regardless, i love LOVE love this color combination.

the other kit is to knit leftie --- mom chose this --- for ME to knit. thanks mom!


and one last thing for me ….

a gradient kit. 5 hanks of fingering yarn, in 5 shades of? (gray?!)