haphazard knitter

new year, new projects!

2012-01-11T19:16:00.001-05:00

after stuart got his pony, and i got my pillows, and everyone got everything else (hello holidays!), i finally had some time to cast on a couple of things for myself ...

each new month of SKA means a new cast on, for a new challenge.

this month, i am seriously taking on the challenge. yes, i can knit socks, heck, i could probably knit a pair blindfolded. really.

but, that doesn't mean i've mastered all the techniques.

this sock is called "bulgarian blooms" ... it's from the book _sock knitting master class_. the sock is knitted toe up (eeks!) (lol!), and then when the flower portion is introduced, the flowers are knitted as intarsia-in-the-round. the technique is completely explained by the designer, priscilla gibson-roberts.

i'm anxious to start this part, and as you can see, i've chosen my colors. BUT, i'm going to probably wait 'til the weekend to introduce the colors. i just think i need some solid "me time" to try this thing out.

the black is the only "new" yarn (ie: from stash, but never knitted), and the other colors are leftovers. so, if you have a main color, this project will make a good stash buster.

the other pair i'm working on ...

is called linaria bipartita. this pattern is by hunter. oh, so beautiful! the yarn is dream in color "smooshy".

i haven't knitted so much on this, because i've been distracted with other socks ... but, it's such a keeper.

happy new year!

2012-01-01T14:49:00.003-05:00

a very crafty christmas

2011-12-25T18:47:00.000-05:00

i mostly knit, mom crochets. i learned how to crochet first, as a child, and later taught myself to knit. i'm glad to be able to do both, as i don't feel limited in my creating.

i kinda like to keep mom "busy" (not that she needs any help from me in that department). but, "busy" with what i consider to be "fun" stuff, ie: making things. i created a ravelry account for her. i know and use her user name and password. i am the one that updates it for her and adds projects. maybe some day she'll have the time or interest to do it herself. if not, then i'll just keep doing what i've been doing, ... as long as she keeps making ME things ;)

this year, i asked for some crocheted pillows. it started with this bird pillow, as i'd found the pattern as a "tear off" freebie in the craft store.

this pattern is called the crocheted folk art bird pillow. it uses premier yarns everyday worsted, which is nice and soft, has great colors, and quite affordable. i don't have to tell you i'm a sucker for a nice acrylic yarn. though i thought the colors used in the original pattern were pretty, i wanted something a bit more neutral for this design.
i bought the yarn, tore off a pattern sheet at the craft store, bought the 14" square pillow form, and packed it into a clear zippered bag (like the kind you get when you buy bed linens) and took it to mom. i said, "look! i got YOU something to make for ME!".

and she rocked it! i don't know if i can convince her to make another one, or perhaps i should do it myself ...

so, i'm certainly smitten with this. she didn't like that i had chosen black, which i understand. it's a lot harder to crochet with black than to knit with black.

i can knit with my eyes closed (the basic stockinette stitch). but crochet any stitch with my eyes closed? nope.

then, i showed her some other pillow and cushion patterns, and picked out some colorways of our giant acrylic stash (stashed at her house). next up, the blooming flower cushion(s).

i chose these colors, mostly. here's the funny part ... see the white? i had chosen BLACK. yeah. she was already "done" with the color black when she crocheted the bird pillow. so, she made an executive design decision, and nixed the black!

par, par, bogey, bogey, par par!

but, it turned out very nice! don't ask me why i wanted the black .....

she had so much fun with the first one, she made a second pillow =)

again, i am the lucky recipient! this time around, she decided on all the colors. i had picked out a color range, and she pulled out other colors that coordinated with the ones she'd already made, or ones she thought looked better in general.

and then, there was the BIG SECRET project. this one, i had no clue about. i hadn't even put this pattern in her queue. but, it's in my raverly queue.

this pillow is based off of the pattern for the freeform crochet blanket (this is a ravelry link). i just think these funky birds are so freaking cool! the tutorial gives instructions on forming the birds, but then it's up to you to "fill it in". i would love a blanket of these guys, but for now, i have a really cool pillow!

so, here's the whole gang, outside on one of the decks. it was a very overcast christmas, but not too bad for taking pictures outside =)

jerry the musical monkey, loves stuart

2011-12-22T12:05:00.000-05:00

so, it turns out, little monsters and critters happen to love sock monsters! i finished this jerry monkey for a friend last night. i gave it to her this morning. i didn't have time to take a proper picture, but played with some of the editing tools on flickr. jerry is one of the pdf patterns from rebecca danger. for my friend's monkey, i used the 2 skeins of yarn on the right, Sheep(ish) by vicki howell. i was going for color and yardage. i can't say i love the yarn, can't say i like it very much at all, but the colors are very good. when i participated in my color themed swap in the ravelry danger crafts group last july, my awesome swap partner knitted me a jerry. so, it was time to share the love ....

looks like he has some bad habits, doesn't it?

christmas socks

2011-12-20T11:28:00.000-05:00

or, i can call this post, "christmas boots" ... or "i went shopping for other people and i found these fabulous boots for myself!".

well, there is a sock in progress in the boot ...

i really like the christmas colorway of red heart's "heart & sole" sock yarn. the colorway is not new, and is available year round, but i suddenly got the urge to knit christmas socks. unfortunately, these won't be done in time for the holiday, as i'm still working on other people's gifts. i'm using my favorite toe up pattern, Spice Man, by yarnissima. the idea is to knit 'til i run out of yarn!

the criminal minds mystery kerchief

2011-12-16T17:45:00.000-05:00

oh, so pretty! but i think she looks bigger than she is. she's more of a small shawlette, vs. a full cover the body kind of shawl.

the pattern is called Criminal Minds Mystery Kerchief. it was part of a mystery knit-a-long. now, i don't like mystery knitting. life is short, i wanna know what i'm going to get when i cast on.

but, i saw finished versions of this shawlette, and i saw it in this very yarn (well, same yarn, different colorway), and decided to give it a whirl.

one thing i enjoyed about knitting this pattern was it was error free and quiet detailed. imagine, knitting a shawl without pictures and charts (when it was part of the mystery kal).

so, the pattern gives frequent stitch counts. pretty awesome!

when i went to SAFF, i did buy another pattern by the same designer, and some more color changing yarn ... perhaps i'll reward myself in january or on new years day with a new cast on =)

why yes, i STILL knit socks!

2011-12-11T11:45:00.001-05:00

as a matter of fact, i just finished this pair earlier this past week!

this pair is for a very good friend. i started the socks back in february, as the ska theme/sockdown was to knit "man socks".i could had knitted these for myself (with fewer stitches), as the pattern is designed for man, but instead decided my good friend would love some handknit socks.i showed him the socks this past week. man, what a GRIN! he's going to wear them this coming week at a holiday party. he plans on breaking them in with some major dancing.for myself, i'm knitting some leftover socks, called totem pole socks (rav. link).i'm using up all kinds of leftovers in my superwash merino or merino/nylon mix.

at first, i planned out the colors. and then, as i started to knit, things just changed ...

i was even able to incorporate that purple from the recently completed pair above.essentially, with this sock, i'm changing stitch patterns and yarns every so often. i'm knitting on 64 stitches, and using stitch patterns from my various stitch library books (ie: _sensational knitted socks_).i just finished sock #1 last night, and hope to cast on the mate tonight, or work on my gloves, or my ______. you get the picture. not enough hours in the day!

for my swappie

2011-12-07T16:58:00.001-05:00

'tis monster-season! so, i do belong to 2 groups on ravelry (well, actually, i "belong" to many more, but only actively post on 2 of them).of course, there's my sock knitters anonymous group, and then ... my danger crafts group (hello! monster knitters!).as you saw before, i got my package from my swap partner in california, ms. brooke.and today, she got mine !!! (and, she did not have to stalk the mailman ... more on that later)

this is gabby, the "prize" of the swap. gabby is one of the danger crafts monsters. she's knitted in some adored koigu, and is knitted as a mini.she's smaller than stuart, and is a bit fatter. WHOOPS! sorry girl !!!

see how little she is?! ... she's crammed into a small USPS flat rate box. she's so "weeeeee".in the box as well is a teeny owl.

i stalked my partner as best i could (online), and saw she was into knitting these owls, ... so i decided she should have one for herself.

plus, a tin (crammed with chocolate as well) with some soaps ...

then sewed up a wee project bag with some lovely BAH HUMBUG fabric ...

i lined the bag with a proper lining fabric (ie: slippery polyester stuff) ...then, i stuffed it full just to "check it out".

a good day for monsters!

2011-12-04T16:16:00.001-05:00

i belong to the danger crafts group on ravelry. it's one of my favorite groups, as everyone is happy in that group.it must be all the monster-knitting. monsters make people ♥ happy ♥ .every so often the group has a swap. i had never participated in a swap before joining this group.my first swap was last spring, when i knitted bea for a gal in texas.in return, she had knitted me a tony and coco!and later in the year, i did an exchange/swap with another gal up in massachusetts. i knitted her sammie the sock monster ...and she knitted me a jerry & beatrice!as you can see, there are some "extras" included within the swaps. we have a $10 budget for extras, which does not include shipping your package.for my latest swap, i got my package yesterday! i cannot yet share what i made for my partner, but i can share everything she sent to me =)let me just say, OMB! first of all, i love it ALL. the precious monster here is named Penelope, the Empathetic Monster. this pattern is not in rebecca danger's book, but is available as a pdf download on her website.the sweet little owl with penelope is a wee stuffie and the pattern is called owl puffs, and is designed by Jenna Krupar (or, RetroLemon on ravlery).i mailed her package yesterday morning. i can only get to the post office on saturdays, since they open AND close on weekdays, while i'm at work.when she gets hers, i will share the goodies here as well.

beyond cute!

2011-11-30T19:18:00.001-05:00

i do crochet. i learned crochet first. YEARS ago. and, i do love both. but, when it comes to a project, i can decide, which technique is better for the project or design.sometimes, crochet is instant gratification. such as here, with a PONY!i have a work friend, who's so sweet, and one of those insanely "good nature d" persons.one day, i asked her, "what would you like?" her response? ... "a PURPLE PONY!"sighsarah had seen this pattern before, because (dummy me!) i showed it to her at work. she LOVED it. and, she's the kinda girl that sincerely loves things.over this thanksgiving holiday, mom & i hit one of the local craft stores, where i found some yarn perfect for the project.too cute? yes, i know!

something(s) finished, at last!

2011-11-20T18:30:00.001-05:00

wouldn't you know, when i finally finish my noro gloves, the weather turns unseasonably warm?!at the very least, the warm dry air helped them dry out on the porch today. i used the basic pattern from ann budd's _The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns_. and, for some reason, glove #2 came out a bit smaller than the first.i'm sure my hands aren't the same size either, so i'm not going to fret over it. bottom line, i have a new pair of very warm gloves!i let them soak in some wool wash, and it really helped relax the fabric. before, they were quite stiff. they didn't grow nor shrink. they are the closest thing to perfect (aside from being 2 different sizes :p )finished object #2 is a finished pair of socks ...i started these immediately after SAFF in october. i purchased both the yarn and pattern from the miss bab's booth. i knitted them for the october SKA challenge.i still have 2 other pairs of socks to finish, plus various other "obligations" (ie: a monster for my swap group, a couple of knitted/crochet toys for friends, etc).i got these yarns today too ... the brown cotton is for a washcloth, and the other two (magenta & brown) are for a jerry monkey.

a single glove

2011-11-15T06:10:00.001-05:00

there is always knitting going on around here, but not always enough time to share it properly.

a few years ago, i knitted my first pair of gloves. i used the basic pattern from ann budd's _The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns_. that pair did "fit", though a bit on the big size.

i decided to give it another go, in a worsted weight (you know, for that instant gratification). this time i used some stash sent to me not too long ago, ... some noro silk garden.

the fit is certainly better than my first pair years ago. but, like socks, you gotta knit 2 !

so, i'm off the computer now, to cast on glove #2, just in case the weather turns cold.

the nc state fair

2011-10-30T12:17:00.002-04:00

the fair has come & gone, and i wrote a big post about it over here. i took a lot of pictures, and i didn't want to clutter things up here, so i divided the knitting/crafty stuff with the other aspects of the fair. so, if you want to see "more", just click that link above.

stuart and i went to the 2011 nc state fair, primarily to see all the crafty knitting & crochet exhibits. we'd been following crochetbug's journey as she created her 2011 nc state fair afghan, we really wanted to see it in person. so, that was our main mission.

we first stopped at the quilts, because sometimes, they do hang the crochet blankets with the quilting.

i really liked this one.

and the one on the left here, LOVE it too! see the nice lady? she goes back and forth slowly moving the quilts from one side to the other, like gently turning the pages of a book.

when she finished, and i didn't see the crochetbug afghan, i asked her where it was. i described it in detail, and she said, "oh, it's down a few rows in a glass case!".

we headed in that direction, and looked at other things along the way ...

such as, cross stitch! i am not a cross stitcher at heart, but i do appreciate the time it takes to do these designs. heck, my little snowman took forever!

and, in the next aisle, i spotted it ...

who knows how they judge things, but the honorable mention ribbon simply doesn't capture the journey of creating this blanket. i think it deserves a blue ribbon.

i snapped a shot of these, as the socks in the center is a pattern i've "tried" to start before. the pattern is called nightingale by vintage purls. i did start it once (it's toe up) and i got stuck on the toe. lol! perhaps i'll revisit the pattern in 2012.

this pair was knitted by a friend of mine. i don't know what pattern she used, but it's a simple and elegant design.

stuart and i finished off the fair with some ice cream before departure.

if you wanna see the rest of the story ... just click here.

public announcement

2011-10-25T20:38:00.000-04:00

i'm so busy right now! and i have been, thus the "radio silence".

so, until i have a moment when i can work on pictures, and compose my thoughts, we'll have to do with a teaser .....

last weekend, i went to SAFF. had a fabulous time, of course. purchased, of course. temporarily lost stuart, OMG !!! the panic!!! (sigh)

it is my "busy time" (work-wise), and the knitting has come to a screeching halt (insert sad face here).

hopefully, later this week, i can process my pictures that are piling up in the queue!

looks like candy corn!

2011-10-10T11:09:00.000-04:00

'tis the season for candied apples, funnel cake, and candy corn! ... whether it be for local fairs (such as the upcoming NC State Fair) or halloween.

that said, my knitting is looking quite "seasonal".

first up, the candy corn ...

this is my first sock for the october challenge. one of the options was to knit a pattern by designer stephanie etting. i chose her "malachite buttefly socks", since i had purchased the pattern online back in the spring.

so, first sock is done, and i hope to cast on sock #2 some time today, and finish the 2nd sock before the month's end.

i've been doing the sock knitting off & on during the day, and in the evenings, i'm knitting on my bat shawl

i'm on my 4th tier (i think) of bats now. of course, as a triangle gets bigger, it gets slower. again, my goal is to finish before halloween, so i can sport my bats!

what's on the needles

2011-10-04T20:57:00.000-04:00

i have a few projects on the needles right now. the purplish bag, on the far left, has my purplish colored socks.
the pink bag in the back has my pinkish test socks. the yellow bag has my latest cast on ...

this pattern is malachite butterfly socks, by one of my favorite sock designers, stephanie etting (verybusymonkey on ravelry).

the black bag has a shawl i recently cast on, to (hopefully) knit by halloween.

and the blue bag in the front has my gretya socks, which i started awhile back when i was just aching for a new project.

yet again, i've probably bitten off more than i can chew. such is the life of this knitter.

greensboro knit & crochet show

2011-09-25T20:23:00.000-04:00

this weekend, i went to stay with friends, and we went to the knit & crochet show.i didn't spend much, as i'm going to SAFF next month. and 2 of the vendors i would had purchased from will be at SAFF as well.perhaps, this was mostly a "scouting mission".this was the first time i've been to a show by the TKGA and the CGOA. they had classes, which i really couldn't do, so i went for the vendors. the venue for vendors was kinda small, ... maybe because this was a first for this location, but that didn't stop me from finding "anything".i made only 1 yarn purchase ...

this yarn is called "canopy" and is by the fiber co. this one hank has 200 yards, and i'm going to use it for this pretty little hat.my other only purchase was a zippered pouch, which will be used for notions.

pretty cool fabric, don't you think? i liked her zippered pouches. she has an etsy shop as well. i didn't see much in her etsy shop, but i know she can take custom orders, as she had also brought fabric samples to the show. i LOVE the little bag, and her craftsmanship is perfection.

i also came home with a crochet magazine (free!).

the ladies at the Red Heart booth gave each of us a magazine for crocheted blankets. she said they were out of the knitting magazine, so i don't even know what it would had been.but, i do crochet, and this magazine is waiting on the bed for my bedtime reading tonight!

thank you Red Heart yarns!

speaking of Red Heart, here's my latest stash bag ... in burgundy and zebra. i'm close to finishing it. i actually crocheted 1 tier too many, so i am going to rip that back. the bag is tall enough without accidentally making it even taller.

and lastly, i have finally finished sock #1 of a pair i started back in february.

this pair is to be a gift for one of my best friends. he's been extremely patient, watching me work on other projects (from start to finish) while neglecting this poor sock. i will be casting on sock #2 sometime this week though.

the pattern is called escalator socks, and is a free download from ms. sara amoroso.

my latest orphan

2011-09-23T15:41:00.001-04:00

i have been knitting, and crocheting a bit. instead of casting on a new project for the month of september, i instead signed up to do a test knit for a sock. the challenge of knitting a test, is actually following the directions. sounds simple enough, right? hahahahhaha! the pattern is called "leaf on the wind", and has not yet been released, but i do have my project page set up over on ravelry. the joy of knitting a test is ... you only have to knit 1 sock ! but, i am going to be "good" and knit the second sock. i have already cast on the mate. besides, it would be a total shame to not use up that lovely STR !

i really am going to do it this time!

2011-09-11T18:29:00.005-04:00

a sweater! yes, a SWEATER !!!

when i first saw this pattern, i immediately recognized how simple and wearable this cardigan was. and, affordable.

i found both the booklet and yarn locally. yay! i really prefer to buy locally if i can, when it comes to yarn. but, sometimes, i cannot find the stuff i want locally.

this time, i did.

the pattern is called miro. the yarn is weekend.

i had/am having ... a fabulous weekend! i traveled about 1.5 hours west yesterday morning, danced my __ off, and came back this afternoon.

i had a blast with my friends (old & new). i also visited a little (new to me) yarn shop.

i didn't buy any yarn (as, i'd just gotten this weekend yarn less than a week previous). but, i did get some needle tips! they had the nickel tips from knitpicks available.

i came home, unpacked, and cast on this sweater.

i'm knitting the size small (finished 36") with size 6 & 8 needles. knitpicks needles.

and just when i thought ....

2011-09-08T18:44:00.002-04:00

... i was burned out on socks, here i am with a new cast on.

that's what happens when you swear off socks! something beautiful and amazing comes along, something you just cannot resist.

this sock is a test knit for purrlescent on ravelry.

i'm not typically a fan of toe up socks. i haven't done a test knit in some time. but, this pattern was too pretty to pass up!

i'm using some older stash (which, isn't really THAT old, but i'm ashamed it's been in stash since 2006).

the colorway i'm using is in the top left, and is called "cobalt bloom". the yarn in the center was used awhile back for a pair of hedera, and the jade ... crap! hasn't been knitted yet =(

note to self: knit the jade NEXT!

stash bags ! in crochet =)

2011-09-07T18:42:00.003-04:00

dare i say i'm a wee bit burned out on socks with my mission for august?

to entertain myself with some mindless & fun stuff, i turned to my hook.

i was ever so inspired by crochetbug13's stash bag collection, that i decided, "hey! i need some of those !"

for my first one, i splurged (meaning, i didn't use stash, but bought 2 skeins of yarn!) ... kinda defeats the purpose, i know ... but, what can i say?

the pattern is here, by the purl bee (purl soho). i crocheted mine with a J hook, using my favorite acrylic by Red Heart.

i'd "found" a skein of their fleck yarn in the clearance bin at the local craft store, and got a skein of solid that would coordinate.

see the flecks ?!

so, i wanted to make a second bag. when i went home for labor day weekend, mom & i made a late night dash for the local walmart. and before you dis' walmart, sometimes it's the ONLY place in town that has yarn (within a 30+ mile radius).

we went there on purpose. because, we know, they do have Red Heart acrylic yarn! and, there's nothing i love more than Red Heart acrylic! seriously. it's the stuff i grew up with. and the things i've made with it will outlive me.

i got a single skein of their ombre/variegated mix yarn. it is a 'super saver' yarn, but the yardage is only 244 yards (ps. smaller put up).

i put that together with some of my solids from stash. and i came up with this ....

i crocheted the base in all one color, then changed to the variegated yarn on the first round of double crochets. i changed to a solid when i had to do "Round 3: * Chain 5, skip 5 stitches, 1 sc into next stitch..." ... and crocheted the 2nd round in the same color as well .... (for the sake of the pattern, rounds 3 & 4 can be crocheted in a contrast color, like mine).

anyhoo, it came out really pretty!

so, this whole time, i had sent mom the link for the online pattern. i asked her to try it out, make one, etc ....

she kept her project secret, as she always does.

let me just say, if you need a poker partner, she's your gal.

so, in secret, she made one for me too .....

and, true to the name, her bag was crocheted totally in stash! she wins!!!

mission accomplished!

2011-09-01T09:36:00.003-04:00

10 pairs of socks completed in august! ... i think i want to knit a sweater now ;)

did i mention?

2011-08-16T18:55:00.002-04:00

... oh yeah, i finished another pair!

aren't these pretty?! i have now knitted this pattern 3 times. it's called papaver sok, by anne hanson of knitspot.

i got the yarn this past may at our local fiberfest. it's called tinsel toes, and it's by the unique sheep. the colorway is called 'prince of the wood elves', and was dyed especially for a sock club. perhaps this hank was unclaimed, or just extra.

i grabbed it because i love the sheen of a wool/tencel blend, and i loved its subtle coloring ... this wonderful silvery gray with blips and stains of greens and browns.

anne designed the pattern with a shortrow heel. i prefer the fit of a heelflap, so that's what i did ... though you cannot see it in my picture. i also knitted the 70 stitch size on 2.25mm dpns.

so, so far in this august challenge of finishing PAIRS of socks, i have now finished 8 pairs. if you're a long time reader, i'm sure you're impressed. heck, i'm impressed!

i still plan on finishing 2 more pairs ... and more if i have the time, or don't get distracted.

2 more pairs in the bunch!

2011-08-13T18:22:00.002-04:00

i am thrilled to report that the finished sock pile is growing! i finished two other pairs this week ... actually, i just finished this pair today.

these are my skew socks which i had cast on in april for ska's "unusual construction technique".

this pattern is free on knitty.

these socks are knitted on the diagonal, from the toe up. the construction is "unique" to say the least, so you just have to trust the pattern. and i can attest, the pattern is correct. so, just trust it and knit.

i used lion brand's sock-ease yarn. i really like that yarn. i like it even more when i can buy it with a 50% off coupon! i just wish they would expand the color line. i've never seen their solids in any of my craft stores, and the multi colorways are the same as when they first rolled it out. i like ALL the colors, but i do expect a company such as lion brand to change things up a bit (more).

the other pair i finished is the honeycomb socks by mona schmidt.

these socks are knitted with the reynold's soft sea wool. it's a heavy fingering, thus the sock has fewer stitches than most of the socks i knit, and i knitted them on 2.75mm dpns.

this pattern is from reynolds steppin' out.

let's just say the pattern & book have lots of mistakes. the pattern is very pretty, but if you knit the pattern as written, it won't look exactly like the socks on the book's cover. that said, i left some notes on my ravelry project page.

i now have 7 pairs completed for this august challenge. i intend to complete at least 10 pairs. more, if i have the time. i think i will at this rate!

i am finishing my pairs!

2011-08-06T13:49:00.002-04:00

as i posted in my prior post, i'm trying to finish as many sock pairs this month as possible. i did a lot of "homework" in july to get ready for this knitting frenzy in august. and, it has paid off.

i have completed 5 pairs thus far!

this first pair was started back in the summer of 2007. i really do love this design. it's by mona schmidt, and is called "lace and diamond socks". the yarn is reynold's soft sea wool. the yarn is inexpensive, a bit of a heavier fingering wt, and must be hand washed. i don't know how it will wear, as until this month, i'd never completed a project with this yarn.

jaywalkers is one of my alltime favorite sock patterns. i swear it can make any sock yarn look good! the yarn is by opal, and is called 'krokodil'. these are actually pretty "fresh". the yarn was in stash for many years, but i cast these on in june.

this pair has been my biggest challenge thus far. i had started the 2nd sock some time ago, and put it down, and didn't leave myself any notes as to which chart i was knitting from, or if this was considered sock #1 or #2 (different instructions for each, as they mirror each other).

it probably took about 2 evenings to get on track. the pattern is 'cadance socks' by verybusymonkey on ravelry. at the time, i had decided to knit 2 pairs, but had only finished 1 of each colorway i was knitting. now, if i really want to be a rock star, i will have to cast on the 2nd yellow sock.

this one was super duper easy. there's nothing like mindless knitting in stockinette with a self striping yarn. i bought the yarn about 4 years ago, and cast on immediately, and then ravelry came along, and i dropped my needles for another project. the yarn is by opal, and is called 'lollipop'.

and lastly, a fabulous pair designed by nancy bush, "birch leaf socks". it's from the book _a gathering of lace_. the yarn is st. ives by wendy, and ... i like it, but it kinda has a hairy look to it that compromises the stitch definition. i think it's a good yarn, but probably a poor choice for this pattern. i started this pair back in 2009.

my goal is to finish 10 pairs. it's just that the other 5 pairs may take me more time to finish .....

getting ready for august

2011-07-24T17:53:00.003-04:00

i think it's safe to say i knit A LOT of single socks. i just can't help it sometimes. i knit the first sock, and it's fun. and then, the thought of doing it again ... isn't as fun as starting something completely different!

but, a fellow raveler, mapleweave, has propossed the challenge of completing as many PAIRS as possible during the month of august. she's a lot like me, and has a sock orphanage to rival me.

i created a new tab in my projects for this challenge. and, some of the socks may or may not get mates. some might even get ripped and the yarn reclaimed. and some ..., some will get mates.

she said i could "cheat" and start working on them now. the only goal is to complete more pairs that she does in august.

so ... i'm very committed to this challenge! it will be nice to "clean house", so to speak.

monsters!

2011-07-23T11:06:00.003-04:00

i'm pretty sure anyone who regularly reads my blog knows i'm a member of ravelry's Sock Knitters Anonymous (or SKA for short). and, more recently, i joined the Danger Crafts group.

what i like about the danger crafts group is we do swaps! (they do kal's too)
i have never joined a sock club, or any kind of swap, before this group.

i really like this group. we knit MONSTERS. and i LOVE me some monsters! ... whether knitted, crocheted, or sewn. teddy bears? ... not for me.

my latest swap partner and i were paired up, and we both love the color green (it's a color-themed monster swap). i'm very pleased to report she got her package in yesterday's mail.

mr. postman said, "should get there by thursday". oh, mr. postman, please don't jinx me! (yeah, yah, got there friday).

i wanted to share everything i made/sent to her ....

here's a shot of everything that went into the fabulous green bubble mailer. ps. i found the bubble mailer at office depot. they had red, green, and blue mailers.

monster on the left is sammie the sock monster, and monster on the right is max the sewn monster. i made a max for my last partner, and he's just cute! the sewing pattern comes in 3 sizes. the first time (for first swap) i sewed the size small. this time, i went for medium.

i also knitted a couple of dish cloths. i first ran across this pattern in the 1st mason-dixon knitting book. but, the pattern is from Elmore-Pisgah yarns, and they call it the ballband dish cloth (click link and scroll down just a bit). i like mine a little smaller than theirs, so i only cast on 33 stitches.

i also got her a couple of fat quarters ... they were on sale at the joann's fabric store for $1 each. i used the 3rd one to make the sewn MAX monster up above.
(i actually had a hard time deciding which fabric to use for the monster! maybe next time, my next swap partner will get nothing but sewn monsters?)

THIS THRILLS ME THE MOST!
so, the same day i went and got my ice cream maker, i ran over to the nearby barnes & noble bookstore. i was looking at the page magnets, and found MONSTER MAGNETS! ... a little $ (well, for a swap, that was 1/2 my budget), but how could i not?! i got a set for myself as well =)

if you've never used page magnets, they are awesome. i use them to mark the page of my knitting pattern from whichever book i'm knitting from, or as a general bookmark. and, the backside, it says, i ♥ monsters !

candy is usually welcomed, and it was a challenge finding green candy. but, again, i got lucky ... and there is a candy shop in my city (candy shop, not a chocolate shop). they had these bulk bins, to purchase candy by the pound. i was able to go through and pick up a variety of candies in green only. the little green tin came from the fabric store as well ... i found it in the $1 bin just before checking out.

it's always great to get things, but giving is so much fun too !!!

(beer) SOCK !

2011-07-16T11:25:00.003-04:00

when i finished my last pair of socks, i decided these pretty leftovers should become a beer cozy. i made one last year, and you know what? it's pretty handy! it WORKS! it keeps the beer cold longer, and no more drippy bottle =)

it's really great for leftovers too. it only requires about 15 to 17 grams of fingering yarn. i already made one cozy from the leftovers above, and am trying to squeeze out one more. if i run out of this yarn, then i'll just finish it off with another leftover from stash.

i don't have many beer-appreciating friends, so, i won't be making tons of these as gifts or anything ... but i do have a couple of friends that would be jazzed to have one.

the pretty handpainted socks are finished

2011-07-11T08:02:00.002-04:00

sometimes, you get a yarn that's just all so pretty, and you kill yourself trying to find the "perfect" pattern for it. sometimes, all that yarn needs is stockinette to show it off.

i had purchased this yarn at the nc fiberfest back in may (?). this pair of socks became my "mindless" knitting ... a pair to knit on when all other projects required too much of my attention.

and now that they're completed, i'm going to have to go stash diving for another yarn too pretty to be anything else other than stockinette ......

the same day i finished these, i also finished the first of my 3rd pair of papaver soks ...

the yarn was also purchased at the fiberfest. this yarn is The Unique Sheep Tinsel Toes , in colorway Prince of the Wood Elves. it's a merino/tencel blend.

i love the sheen of the tencel. now, i just need to cast on sock #2!

happy independence day !

2011-07-04T16:05:00.002-04:00

and, happy knitting (of course !) !!!

ps. on lucy's head is a new sock cast-on. it's a toe up sock, wendy johnson's "lacy ribs socks" from her book _socks from the toe up_. the yarn is crystal palace 'maizy' in colorway 'bittersweet'.

again?

2011-07-04T09:22:00.002-04:00

i really liked how the previous pair of hexagon socks came out, so i was lured into knitting another pair. this pattern is really great for those self striping yarns with short repeats.

this time, i'm using deborah norville's 'serenity sock weight' yarn in colorway spring fling.

i was at the joann fabric store the other day, and the 'serenity' yarns were 2 for $5. so, these will be $5 socks (actually, $100,000 socks, considering over 20 years worth of knitting experience, plus the time put into the actual knitting).

this is my first time using the serenity sock yarn. i'll be sure to let y'all know whether or not i like it. so far, i do like it fine.

ps. i don't intend to take another year to knit these, but, anything is possible!

hexagons

2011-06-29T20:11:00.002-04:00

when i got the book think outside the sox last year, i was all about the socks on the cover, the hexagon socks.

i immediately cast on, making this pair from red heart heart & sole sock yarn. the colorway i chose was 'razzle dazzle'.

as usual, i started out with good intentions, and finised the first sock relatively quick. and then, the honeymoon was over. i had tried a new technique (knitting socks as motifs). it fit. it looked cool. and i had an orphan.

since then, i picked up the mate here & there, and finally got serious about it.

it's 'self-striping' month over at SKA. my taffy socks were knitted this year for that challenge. i finished them a week and a half ago, and decided that perhaps i should try to finish up these hexagons (finally!).

what? when you have vacation, the knitting 'decreases' ?!

2011-06-19T15:01:00.002-04:00

how does that happen? is knitting just the therapy awaiting a holiday?! maybe it is? and so, if i do go 'on holiday', my productivity slows to a crawl?

okay. i'm so good with that.

so, this is what happened knitting-wise, on holiday.

i freaked out a bit, and reached out to my fellow ska'er's ... asking, "do i have enough projects" to take on vacation ?!

and i DID have enough, and then SOME. but, you know how we knitters are ... we're 'a bit flightly'.

nevertheless, i did manage a few rows, and i finished A PAIR !!!

this is my one and only pair for the june SKA challenge. i am so glad to have finished the pair, as i do have lots of 'orphans in waiting'.

3 socks, but still no "pairs"

2011-06-14T17:14:00.002-04:00

i did finish both socks from my last post! and i cast on both mates as well.

and i finished this sock too, and am close to finishing the mate.

not too bad .....

and then, i went on vacation! (still on vacation, by the way) i packed up a few projects. 5 projects. loaded up the vehicle, and then went back to grab a few more things. i probably brought all my sock bags, with projects, plus a shawl.

and i probably won't touch ALL my projects, but, if i don't feel like working on the mates of any of these socks, i do have LOTS of other projects to choose from ;)

a bit of progress ...

2011-06-05T16:35:00.002-04:00

i'm about to have a mismatched pair of socks! june 1st also meant i could cast on another sock for the month's challenge --- knitting a pattern that accentuates a self-striping yarn.

i chose anne campbell's taffy ripple socks. saw another pair on ravelry also knitted in knitpicks felici (in a more subtle colorway). of course, i had sock envy. thank goodness the other shade of felici is discontinued, or else i might had been filling up my virtual shopping cart for that knitting experience.

i already had this shade of caprica in stash (which, is still available), so it's the lucky yarn to get paired with this nice scalloped pattern.

now, i'm part way through the foot. i will be a 'good girl' and cast on the mate as soon as i finish this one.

and, in the theme of knitting socks with self-striping yarns, i cast on another pair of jaywalkers. it's simply my favorite pattern for yarns that stripe. i have knitted many pairs in this pattern, so it does not qualify for this month's (or any month) challenge.

i found this yarn on ravelry. it's been in my stash since '08. and before then, someone else's stash. it didn't have a label, but i was able to identify it as being a discontinued Opal yarn. the colors remind me of easter eggs in grass.

this one too is part way through the foot. maybe i can finish both this week?

funny how time flies ...

2011-06-02T18:15:00.002-04:00

wow. so. hmmm ....

i do have LOTS of knitting on the needles. and i kinda forgot to update. here.

last weekend (?), or so ... i went to the nc fiberfest. i got lots of yarny goodness ... and seriously couldn't wait to cast on the "fresh" yarn.

so, from that post, i did cast on a few projects.

this sock is from the wonderful hank of yarn i got here.

(click on photo for details)

it's a simple sock, with fabulous yarn. i could fret over "what pattern ?!" for ages. or, just cast on and KNIT. i'm almost to the toe now ....

and, i cast on this:

this is papaver, from anne hanson of knitspot. i've knitted this pattern twice before, so i'm getting LOTS of 'bang for buck' with this beautiful sock pattern.

i really LOVE the yarn. the colorway is called "prince of the wood elves" and is inspired by the Lord of the Rings. what i enjoy most is the wee blips of green and brown in the silvery gray tencel blend.

and, i started a shawl, with this unique cotton yarn from Wolle's Yarn Creations .

yes, the picture is small, and only represents my first wee bit of knitting ... and now, i'm on the last repeat of the shawl. the pattern i am knittins is called the Criminal Minds Mystery Kerchief, and is available on ravelry.

what i love about this pattern is it's full of texture. it's like a sampler, and all the instructions are written vs. charted. and, it's ERROR FREE ! isn't it nice to knit a pattern that has no mistakes ?

i started this too because i finished my holden shawlette.

oh! and i didn't even post what i'm knitting on right now! come find me on ravelry ....

what ?! no mail today ?!

2011-05-30T20:03:00.002-04:00

no, no mail, as it's a holiday ...it's memorial day. it's been a nice three day weekend as well. i went home to visit family, and had enough time to finally finish this little monster ...

mom had picked him out from my big book of knitted monsters, on one of my previous trips home.

of course, i picked out yarn and started right away ... and got "distracted" by other projects. and, he got a bit neglected. how sad!

and i wanted to finish him as a surprise, but i absolutely SUCK at surprises. i'm so excited, i end up blabbing or confessing before the gift is given. what can i say?

this is Toothy Joe. he is the offical mailbox monster. maybe he's the reason you didn't get 'that' bill (thus, missed a payment)? maybe he's the reason the stamp "fell" off your letter and it was 'returned to sender'? maybe he's the reason there was no delivery today? (no!)

he's knitted with a couple of yarns from the Hobby Lobby.

both yarns make great monsters! the lighter green is called SPARK. it has a bit of glitzy nylon wrapped around the cotton, giving off an iridescent sparkle.

public announcement

2011-05-21T14:06:00.002-04:00

alert! if you're within a reasonable driving distance of the NC State Fairgrounds, get on over there! this weekend is the nc ag fest, but more importantly, it's the carolina fiberfest (on the same grounds).

i'm always up early on saturdays (meaning, pre-dawn). nuts, i know, when most sleep in. my *to do* list today included this fiber festival.

i am very greatful to the vendors that will travel to these venues. Laura (far left in awesome gradience stockings) drove all the way from kentucky to be at the festival!

by the way, she seriously complimented my hair (as gray la gran's hair is mostly silver-gray). and looked at her and said, "i LOVE yours too!" (her hair currently has colors that coordinate with her stockings).

click on photo to get yarn information
i also had a lot of fun talking to the ladies of the unplanned peacock studio. they had driven down from virginia. i also purchased a brooch in her booth. it's about 3" long from tip to tip, and is forged.

and i'm glad i got to the booth of wolle's yarn creations when i did, as when i cruised by later ... it was really crowded.

click on photo for yarn information
this yarn is handdyed cotton, and is fingering weight. the "strand" is actually 4 separate strands of 2 ply cotton. i plan on using this for some summer shawl knitting.

so, if you're a knitting, spinner, weaver, or crocheter, head on out to the fiberfest. but if not, then there's lots of this:

at the fairgrounds this weekend =)

shawl knitting

2011-05-15T20:49:00.002-04:00

i am quite scattered with my knitting lately. i don't know why. i just kinda go with it. knitting is for joy, not a job.

not too long ago, i picked up a shawl project i had started in february of 2009. i was indecisive about what needle size to use, and then i stalled out when i got to the center panel because it was true lace knitting (with pattern on both sides of the fabric).

this first picture is from 2009

and this is from last week
it is very slow knitting. i'm lucky to accomplish 4 rows in an evening. sometimes, i actually knit 8 rows! the pattern is the wedding shawl, and is free on the VK website.

the yarn i am using is schaefer's Andrea ... a beautiful lace weight handpainted silk. i bought this yarn specifically for this project, and i swear i'll finish it before 2020!

but, since i know it will be a long time before i see much progress, i cheated with a wee hank of malabrigo sock and cast on the holden shawlette.

i love triangular shawls/shawlettes. though this color is seriously out of season for spring, it will be pretty great for summer. imagine the hot colors of summer, or even the neutral shades, and a dark brackish shawlette?

and, because i cannot NOT knit socks, i did cast on sock #2 of my mystery sock. (i cast on the pink one!)

can't see!

2011-05-15T16:41:00.003-04:00

i thought i'd get another little coco knitted from my monster book, but when i started to page through, i decided to make 'baldwin' instead.

i got the body knitted, and then kinda came to a grinding halt. i came to the point where i would stuff and put the eyes in, but ... i don't have the right size eyes, and cannot find the size/color i need locally.

thank goodness for the www. i'm going to order some eyes from 6060 on etsy.

my original goal was to see how many mini-coco-monsters i could knit from that 1 ball of mosaic, ... but i didn't feel like knitting the same pattern again. and baldwin is really cute!

one is done

2011-05-13T18:16:00.002-04:00

i have finished one sock (from my previous post), but i've not yet made another monster ... hmmmm .... i think i will make a little monster this weekend!

a sock, and a monster

2011-05-08T14:03:00.004-04:00

i'll show the sock first, just so y'all don't think i don't knit socks anymore ;)

you gotta just love it when you get to the point with a pattern where you don't have to refer to the pattern chart. it's nice when what looks like a complicated design becomes "mindless" knitting.

i'm knitting this as written, so far, without mods. but, i think i will knit a plain toe, as i don't like pattern on my toes. and even that wouldn't be a modification, as the designer gives that option in the pattern as well.

i often like a good solid heelflap with the standard slip stitches, but since this pattern was a gift, i wanted to knit it as written. plus, when the faux cable splits at the heel, it becomes yet another lovely design feature along the side of the flap (and side of the foot).

oh! and as joyceetta kindly pointed out, i forgot to mention what this pattern is! WHOOPS! (see what happens when you take pictures, upload to ravelry, create a project page, post in the "just because you need to share" thread of SKA, ... you kinda forget things after taking the cyber-tour)

this pattern is called breaking hearts socks (ravelry link), designed by Cristi H. Brockway, otherwise, in bloggy-land, known as turtlegirl.

i so admired her socks, that she sent me a copy of the pattern gratis! that really made my day!

i'm slowly knitting along, enjoying the rhythm of the pattern. (and, bouncing around with other projects, duh!)

such as ... a MONSTER!

my swap partner in the Danger Crafts group on ravelry had knitted me 2 monsters, and one of them was 'coco' the canister monster (on the left).

when i saw this yarn at the local craft store, i instantly thought "monster". i've seen some really pretty monsters knitted with knitpicks chroma, but i cannot place a knitpicks order right now. so, for $3, i got some instant gratification. (it's also a good substitute for noro! w/o the $$)

i only knitted through 3 transitions of colors, so i'm certain there are several more monsters lurking inside the yarn. i will knit more monsters, just to see how many licks it does take to get to the Tootsie Roll center of a Tootsie Pop.

monsters!

2011-05-03T22:03:00.002-04:00

i participated in a swap with the ravelry danger crafts group for the spring. i knitted bea for my swap partner, plus i sewed one of the rebecca danger sewing patterns.

in return, my partner mailed me 2 monsters as well, i got a wee 'coco' and a brilliant 'tony'. both are knitted with the super soft malabrigo.

when i first got my book, i totally fell for harold. harold is the house plant monster. what i loved about him most was his TOES!

so, when i started knitting him, i started with his feet. and today, i finished him.

i'm really pleased with how he turned out. i knitted him with a heavy worsted yarn on size 5 needles. i think it would be fun to make a mini-harold out of a sock yarn, knitted with size 1 or 0 needles.

i SEE you !!!

2011-04-30T21:21:00.005-04:00

nevermind all the lace shawls i've knitted, the complex cabled socks, with traveling stitches, or the hand dyed yarn.

THIS PROJECT KICKED MY A$$ !!!

he's so cute. and such a pain. what more can you expect from a minion ?! (raverly link)

when i "recover", i may post my modifications .....

sunday

2011-04-24T14:16:00.002-04:00

HAPPY EASTER !!!

stuart always has to pop in on holidays to greet everyone! (and this time, he dragged little lucy along ....)

my easter tree is made of my favorite sock bags from knowknits and no, those are not all wips ... first of all, there are not enough bags in the world for all my sock orphans and wips, and i also did not bring that many projects home with me for the holiday (gasp! one sack actually has 2 pairs of dirty handknit socks).

and what's easter w/o a couple of bunny nuggets ?!

hippity hop hop

2011-04-11T08:57:00.002-04:00

these are so cute! these are bunny nuggets from rebecca danger. you can find the link in the side bar of her blog, or you can go to ravelry and download there.

the body is about 2.5" tall, and i picked up stitches ontop of the head for the ears (vs. knitting as a separate piece and sewing on).

i used leftover cottons from other monsters and dish cloths. knitting with cotton is not fun, but i have a lot of it in some good Easter colors.

the tail was made with a pom pon maker. i just happen to have a maker that includes 4 sizes, and i used the smallest.

the cotton tail actually helps these little fellows stand up!

totally skewed!

2011-04-09T18:48:00.004-04:00

i have finished my first skew sock!!!

i have to say i LOVE it. it's just COOL! i have no idea how the designer came up with the contruction. and i giggle every time i think about the big O (origami moment ... when the fabric folds over and becomes a heel). if i was as enamored with the look as much as i am with the look & fit of jaywalker, i'd have a new favorite pattern for those striping yarns. as much as i say i love love love this sock pattern. i do have one gripe ....

it's snug to take off and on. that's it. and i don't even have a high instep or "fluffy" ankles. and though the designer has some hints on how to modify for fit, my brain just doesn't want more of a challenge. so, i will knit sock #2, same as sock #1, and call it a day.

this sock yarn is a favorite of mine, of the craft store variety ... it's lion brand's sock ease. i LOVE it. it's only $10/ball (and MUCH cheaper if you have a craft store coupon). the quality is high. i've used it a few times for socks. ie: my spiceman socks, my sunny jaywalkers, and my fabulous beer cozy !

if anyone is wondering about the red sock in the background, that would be my favorite summer sock(s) ... my red summer sockens. i knitted those a few years ago, with some panda cotton sent to me directly from crystal palace yarns (as they have FABULOUS customer service and had helped me with a yarn issue). they sent me yarn for the red socks, and these pretty papaver socks, and some 6" bamboo sock needles.

skew? SKEW you! LOL!

2011-04-05T22:25:00.002-04:00

... we are into another month, and another challenge ... unusual construction. this is the beginning of skew. it's been on knitty for awhile, and it was "love at first sight", but ... it's one of those patterns for which fit might be "tricky". so far, i'm knitting as written, and the fit is good. but, i've "paused" (i do that when i get to part/transition, where i must make a decision). i think i've now knitted enough foot to begin the ankle section. i just need a good block of time to think it over and proceed. so, that won't be 'til the weekend.

this yarn is a MY craft store favorite, it's lion brand's sock ease. SKEW looks great in yarns that stripe ... it accentuates the bias fabric. i have A LOT of self-striping yarns in stash, but had a hard time finding the perfect one. the colorway is called rock candy.

mystery solved!

2011-03-30T09:06:00.002-04:00

these have been a long time coming. and think, each sock is only 1/2 a pair!

these are the mystery socks from ska, designed by verybusymonkey (ravelry link).

the way a mystery sock works, is each week, the group is given 1 clue. by the 4th week, we have all the clues to knit from cuff to toe.

i couldn't decide which yarn i liked best for the socks, so i started two different socks. and guess what, i like both!

the yellow sock yarn is a bit finer (it's knitpicks tonal sock in golden glow). the raspberry sock is a bit thicker (it's dizzy lizzie's sock yarn). but, both were knitted on 2.25mm dpns. they are also mirror images of one another (as the pattern is written).

these socks also use the technique of lace, meaning there are "holes". there's no cabling.

and, a MONSTER !

2011-03-21T17:24:00.003-04:00

this is bea! she's from this book ...

i was nowhere near my stash, so i took a little trip to the local hobby lobby, and picked out some of their cotton yarns (as they had some really nice colors!)

and, i started knitting, and knitting, and knitting ...

i learned how to knit a "jogless jog" while knitting stripes

and i learned that i liked the lifted increase better than the kf&b when knitting with cotton ...

i still need to glue her teeth on, and stitch her a belly button, but essentially she's finished.

bea is for a swap in the Danger Crafts group on ravelry. my swap partner lives in texas, and she's knitting me a mystery monster. unless she's snooped in my project pages or blog, then this should be a surprise for her.

in the meantime, mom wants a monster too ... she picked out these greens from hobby lobby:

the lighter shade of green is also the "i love this cotton!" yarn, but it also has a strand of sparkle wrapping the yarn. (mom wanted "bling")

blue lace

2011-03-21T16:57:00.001-04:00

i'm knitting these socks for the march challenge of ska ... one of the techniques is "lace".

i do have to pay attention to the pattern, somewhat, since every round does have patterning. to keep up, i'm using both my kacha (row counter) and magnet board.

i have bitten off more than i can chew since the new year, so it has been slow knitting on these. but, i really enjoy the pattern! it's called magic mirror by jeannie cartmel.

the yarn is also a favorite ... it's cascade heritage. it's a bit on the thin side, like lorna's laces shepherd sock. it has a nice smoothe twist. and the price is very reasonable.

SAFF socks

2011-03-21T16:38:00.002-04:00

i bought this yarn at SAFF last october. like my brown socks in the previous post, this yarn is also miss babs yummy sock yarn.

i was so eager to knit with this colorway, that i would the hank into a ball in the car on the way home. and then i cast on my socks! and then they languished .....

this might be my last pair of spiceman for awhile. i think i've now knitted this pattern 4 times!

one pair off the needles!

2011-03-14T08:10:00.002-04:00

this pair was the closest thing i had on the needles that i could call "mindless knitting".

i knitted this pair for ska's february challenge of "man socks". the challenge stated that the socks had to be designed with the Y chromosome in mind.

and these were .... but, i didn't want "man socks" ... so i sized them down with smaller yarn & needles.

the pattern is called twined rib socks. you can find the pattern here on ravelry. i also happy to report i FINALLY used a ball of stashed sock yarn that i bought at the first SAFF event i went to in 2007. the yarn is miss babs 'yummy'. it's a 2 ply superwash merino, and it has a nice hefty twist, kinda like koigu.

so now, when i look at this picture ...

... i can at least mark one pair off the "to knit list". (if you click on the picture, you'll be taken to flickr, and the photo has notes as to which socks are which design)

and when i look at that picture, i unfortunately realized it's missing 2 other pairs ... the jitterbug wanida socks (one knitted/finished, 2nd partly cast on) and the blue lace ones from my previous post (toe up, and i just turned the heel).

casting on

2011-03-02T08:25:00.002-05:00

this casting on thing is getting a bit out of control. but it's so much FUN! with a new month comes a new monthly challenge. this month ... lace.

i know, that's not overly challenging for me, but i want to participate in my group, sock knitters anonymous (on ravelry).

i chose this pattern by jeannie cartmel (she's jeanniefanihi on ravelry). it's called "magic mirror". it does fit in the lace catagory, as it has the yo's and decreases. perhaps it's a stretch, since the lace isn't really the 'feature' as much as a 'vehicle' to get the pattern of twisted ribbing to shift.

i'm using cascade heritage for this project. that decision was a no brainer, as i'd just purchased it on saturday. also, it's nice and smooth, and really shows off the stitches.

on saturday last weekend, i went to a new LYS, Yarn Tree Studio. i really enjoyed the yarn selection and look forward to the store's growth (hey, this was only their first week!).

being the sock knitter i am, i was "weak" and got more yarn ... the blue cascade heritage on the left, and the golden ella rae lace merino on the right. now, the yarn on the right might end up something other than socks, as it's handwash and has mega yardage (460 yds). that would surely be enough for a shawlette.

i only plan 1 other cast on for this month ... there's also a mystery sock in this month's pot. and again, it's one of my favorite designers. that's hard to resist. i'll surely post pictures and notes, once i decide on a yarn and offically cast on.

brown sock

2011-02-27T17:41:00.002-05:00

i've not made much progress lately. i have finished an orphan, but cast on its mate. i am very close to the toe of another 1st sock, and my mystery socks are suffering.

BUT, i've made progress on a new cast on. thus, the pretty brown sock.

it looks like a traveling stitch, but that singular knit stitch is traveling under "faux" methods.

the stich is formed this way: k2tog (leave on left needle), then, ... knit 1st stitch again ... and drop the stitch from the left needle. get it?

i'm also very please to be knitting with a stash yarn from SAFF '07! the yarn is miss babs "yummy" in colorway 'bruin'.

the sock pattern: "twined rib socks" by fkd designs. here's the ravelry link.

whoopsie!

2011-02-15T21:42:00.006-05:00

apparently, i neglected to include the patterns for the socks from my previous post. whoops!

so, for the curious ...

this sock has been described as "pink lemonade", but it's actually called Rib and Cable Sock by nancy bush, from the fall 2005 issue of interweave knits magazine.

i have made it before, and LOVE it. and, like most nancy bush patterns, it has an unusual construction for the heel turn and the toe. but, i didn't like the heel turn, so kept that basic.

the yarn is a favorite of mine. it's called Sophie's Toes Merino Sock, and can be purchased online via Emily Parson's Etsy Shop. this particular colorway is called "daffodils and tulips".

you can see more versions of the sock pattern via this ravelry link.

the pretty blue socks in progress are the mystery sock from this month's challenge in the solid socks ravelry group. i've never done a mystery sock before, and i am actually enjoying it. it's knitting blindly!

the designer releases a clue (4 total, one each week) each tuesday. i am knitting them in tandem to avoid the SSS.

the yarn i'm using is some knitpicks bare superwash wool/nylon fingering. i dyed it on the stovetop using icing dye. i have tried several patterns with this yarn before, and have ripped them all out. this time, i'm thinking they're a keeper.

you can see more of these mystery socks in progess here.

the last sock is 'wanida' from cookie a's _sock innovation_. again, i have knitted this sock before, and i love the results! this time, i'm doing it in jitterbug. i should finish the first sock, so i can at the very least, weigh it to make sure i have enough for sock #2.

it's almost bedtime, but i think i have a little bit of time to squeeze in another episode of my current netflix series, and knit on clue 3 of the mystery sock.

happy knitting everyone!

too much?

2011-02-13T16:08:00.003-05:00

when i was home "recovering", i started multiple projects. in knitlandia, i was "la la la la la la ... let's start a new project ! again !"

so, i started ALL these socks! ... not a really good way to start off a new year, since i'm in the business of not creating more orphans.

so, i think i bit off more than i can chew. the first sock just lacks a toe (and a mate). the second sock(s) is waiting for clue 3 on tuesday, and then the third sock is waiting for ... just waiting.

february knitting

2011-02-06T17:01:00.002-05:00

i have knitted this pattern before ... and felt like knitting it again, sort of as a "mindless" knitting project.

this time around, i'm using some jitterbug from stash. i'm eager to get the first sock off the needles so i can weigh it (and determine of i have enough for the mate!). my jitterbug is the old put up, so the yardage may be on the short side.

and of course, while i'm knitting this, i'm thinking, "i really want to knit Bex too!"

another sock i cast on yesterday is a mystery sock for the solid sock group on ravelry. i already have clue 1 finished on the first sock, and i need to go ahead and cast on the second sock ... a clue is revealed each tuesday, with 4 clues total.

the designer is lisa stichweh. she also designed 2 other socks i've knitted:

... snow petals, which i finished last april. and ...

... pillars, which i finished in fall of '09 (and, they too are knitted with jitterbug).

no orphans

2011-01-29T19:14:00.003-05:00

no orphans should be my motto. i have been better about finishing pairs in the last year or so. but, this one is still unfinished (from october).

after i finished my blender socks, i decided i need to finish this pair. my motivation is not to finish the socks, but to "free" the needles. i need the needles for another pair.

confession time: so, i did get as far as this photo, then moved the sock to dpns, so i could start another toe up "spice man" sock.

anyways, this yarn was purchased at SAFF back in october. i did cast on that day ... and then a few days later, it was november. in november, i cast on another yarnissima pattern for ska ... firestarter.

and, both are still unfinished!

... and the beat goes ... ON

2011-01-29T19:01:00.002-05:00

another pair?! why yes!

i have finished my socks for december ... finally =)

it's amazing how quickly they knitted up, compared to the wintermint socks.

the differences ... these are all stockinette, 64 sts. vs 72, and 2 yarns at a time, vs. 3.

i used leftovers with similar characteristics: wool/nylon, 4ply, commercial. they all knit at the same gauge and have the same wash instructions.

though, i did run out of the purple. a fellow raveler sent me her leftovers so i could finish mine! that's pretty awesome.

right now, these are my favorite socks. i love the bright colors, the "blending", and their uniqueness.

the pattern is called "blender socks" and the intructions for the blending can be found here ....

slacker ? ... not !

2011-01-26T21:38:00.002-05:00

i actually finished these socks in record time! ... well, record time for someone that doesn't have much knitting time.

i am a bit addicted to knitting with kroy right now. and the sad thing is, i'm out of kroy !!!

and i'm heading out of town tomorrow, and don't have time to "re-supply" before leaving. whimper. and i don't think my destination will have any colorways i'm interested in.

in the meantime, i will likely go stash diving and find something else that yields colorful results with plain stockinette.

and, to make up for being a slacker .....

2011-01-23T17:36:00.002-05:00

after i finished my wintermint biscotti socks, i cast on these. i loved my other kroy socks so much, and i wasn't ready to cast on anything that took more effort than basic stockinette socks (with only 1 yarn!).

i found this kroy jacquard at the local michael's craft store. it was on sale, which makes inexpensive even sweeter.

again, like my other kroy socks, it's basic ... 56 stitches on size 2 needles. i'm on the foot of sock #2.

again, i'm loving the stripes and bright colors. this colorway is called "fern rose jacquard". the funny thing being, there's only a blip of jacquard every 3.5" or so.

again, they are very satisfying to knit. i love inexpensive yarns that are also hard wearing. these are the kinds of socks i reach for over and over again, from the drawers.

yesterday, i worked some overtime ... and was out in the vicinity of a lys i don't often get to visit (well, it's about a 40+ minute drive away from home, the lys).
but, because i had to work on my day off (overtime, time plus time & 1/2 !!!), i felt a bit "rich" and decided to treat myself to some yarn i totally did not need.

i got a hank of this beautiful Unplanned Peacock Studio sock yarn. i was trying to link it on ravelry to my stash, but could not find the correct yarn. i emailed the dyer, and she responded swiftly stating that i do indeed have the 'peacock sock' yarn, but my hank is the old put up, and does have 500 yards (as opposed to the current 462 yards). so, yay! "bonus" as she puts it =)

anyways, the colorway is called 'purple martin', but of course, i messed that up, and told her i had purple martian. yes. MARTIAN. hmmm ....

also in the photo is my new sock knitting bag, in PINK. i thought i had one already. i could swear i had one. and i can also say it's been missing. though, that can't be if i never had one.

i checked my flickr pages with tags such as bag, bags, knowknits, noknits, pouch, etc. no hits with the color pink.

so, now i have one in pink. and, i also bought (not pictured) some kollage yarns square dpns. i just want to try them out. and again, i felt "rich".

and i finished knitting them!

2011-01-23T09:39:00.006-05:00

i was talking with a friend this morning, and she kindly reminded me i hadn't updated my blog since the 10th. whoops!

(i still haven't woven in some of the ends) i had to break and rejoin the yarn before and after the heel construction. plus, i haven't woven in the end up at the cuff from my cast on, i just tucked it inside to take pictures =)

these socks are for january's challenge on SKA (ravelry link). lots of members are knitting this cranberry biscotti pattern right now ... it's such a great pattern for using up leftovers or if you have random single skeins of yarn.

and it doesn't take much ... i used 42 grams of the gray, 22 grams of green, and 22 grams of white, AND, i knitted the leg an extra repeat of 30 rows.

i'd like to say i'd knit this pattern again, and maybe i will someday. it's certainly inspiring to see all the different color combinations on ravelry ....

this picture i'm including because some members had asked about the color changes and weaving in ends. well, you don't have to break the yarn when changing colors ... you just carry it up when it's needed. another member would also catch these floats periodically so the loops weren't so big. i didn't. hey, the loops are only about 5/8" long, and they're vertical, and they will probably felt in a bit anyways.

the only thing i did not like about knitting these socks was having 3 balls of yarn attached while knitting. i would get a bit tangled sometimes. i did devised a way to not get overly tangled. the knitting was slow. but, the results are very nice.

i look forward to wearing them and seeing how well they hold up.

what i am knitting now

2011-01-10T09:58:00.003-05:00

for january's challenge on SKA, one of the options is to use the technique of slip stitches or mosaic knitting. i chose the slip stitches, as i've been admiring this pattern "cranberry biscotti" for awhile. though my colors are not very bright, i am liking the combination very much.

i'm using some stash yarns, some as far back as 2005. when knitpicks first introduced the palette line, they offered to sell ALL the colors in a box as a sampler. back then, that was all 30 colors.

i did get the box, and i used it here and there for little projects, like bugs.

and i liked the yarn very much. over the years, they have expanded the yarn, and it now comes in 100 colors, including heathered shades.

the white and green here are from my original purchase in 2005, and the gray is one of the heathered shades introduced later. i had purchased a few balls of the gray to knit a shawl for a friend.

(that's a close up of swallowtail with beading)

and i do have enough colors that maybe this will be the year to knit a vest in fairisle?

but, back to the socks.

the technique allows to only knit with one color at a time, but it's a bit slower on this pattern because when you're slipping the stitch, you're slipping it with the yarn infront (so, for me, it's about as slow as knitting 1x1 ribbing).

i'm thinking this pair will also be my "test" to see if i want to ever knit socks in this yarn again. it's 100% wool, a simple 2 ply, and doesn't have a very tight twist. i know they will be handwash, but i'll be curious to see how well they hold up in general. i'll try to keep a "sock diary" in my project page over on ravelry, each time i wear them once finished.

bright and cheerful!

2011-01-10T09:43:00.003-05:00

today is a rather bleak day, much like the day i bought this yarn to knit a pair of mindless socks.

i'm a big fan of Kroy sock yarn. i like that i can find it in most craft stores, i can usually purchase it with a coupon if it's not already discounted, it's bit thicker than other fingering weight yarns, so i don't have to cast on as many stitches, and it's very hard wearing. and, it comes in this fabulous striping sequence called "sailor stripes"!

for mindless socks, i just do a 2x2 ribbing, stockinette sock with a heelflap, very a la nancy bush from _folk socks_. because the yarn is thicker, i knitted 56 stitches on a 2.75mm needle (magic loop).

and, because the yarn IS thicker, the yardage is shorter ... so i ended up using 84% of my yarn. the leftovers go into a ziplock with other sock leftovers. and i do have quite a bit of leftovers from kroy, as i've probably knitted 7 pairs of socks with kroy by now.

ps. if you notice the striping sequence is different, one sock was knitted with the yarn pulled from the outside, and the mate knitted with the yarn pulled from the center.

happy new year!

2011-01-01T14:32:00.003-05:00

i haven't even started thinking about my knitting resolutions for the new year. i'd like to say i could go a whole year without buying yarn. but, i cannot. i have enough yarn that i don't need to buy more, but, that's not the point.

instead, i'm doing pretty good at using my leftovers .....

this sock is part of the december challenge of SKA on ravelry. there was an option to knit socks using the technique of the month, and the technique is to use leftovers (which, does not mean, use up little bits of fresh balls of yarn).

my leftovers include bits of regia, brown sheep wildfoote, opal, and the lionbrand sock yarn.

(and looking at the picture now, there are some yarns not pictured, as i made some changes along the way).

but, you get the idea. i finished the first sock last night, and cast on the second. for the second, i'm going to do something different. instead of using the blender pattern, i'm going for the stashbuster spirals 'technique'. i want to see what happens with the colors as they layer in a spiral. it's fun. and, i get to use up leftovers (which i have a ton of). and, putting these yarns together is the closest transition i'll get w/o making my own handspun.

merry christmas from the SOUTH

2010-12-25T18:51:00.000-05:00

and again ....

2010-12-24T21:44:00.002-05:00

so, between the knitting, christmas shopping, and movie watching, i also baked my cake. and, i'm now too tired and stuffed (from snacking on the trimmed parts) to even have a slice.

it's my birthday, and i'll whine if i want to, whine if i want to .....

one of my favorites

2010-12-24T21:32:00.003-05:00

there are A LOT of sock yarns out there. regia is my favorite commercial sock yarn, and my favorite indie-dyer is emily parson of Sophie's Toes. and, my favorite sock yarn i can find in many craft store chains is good old patons Kroy.

which, this is .... patons kroy socks stripes. i had to have this colorway when i saw it. it's so cheerful! it's called sailor stripes.

i finished the first sock this morning, and am already part way down the leg of the second sock.

never enough time!

2010-12-23T11:31:00.002-05:00

i finished a pair! and i really like them! i wanted a mindless project to work on, one without deadlines (self imposed) or rules. and, i really wanted to knit this yarn in stash (which, i had bought at SAFF in october). AND, i really wanted to knit another pair from _sock innovation_.

nancy bush's _folk socks_ will always be my favorite sock book, but i have knit the most projects from _sock innovation_.

this sock pattern is called Lindsay. i often find things to change about a design, but loved the aesthetic so much, i did not modify the pattern. i actually knitted a garter stitch short row heel and toe. and grafted the full width of the toe to the foot.

and after making such a pretty and intricate sock, i had to slum it with some patons kroy stripes and go for a basic stockinette pair.

now ... this IS a mindless project !

i've been knitting up a storm!

2010-12-10T09:21:00.002-05:00

you know how when you ask someone for their phone number (especially if they have have a cell phone) and they cannot tell you their number, but have to look it up? that's kinda how my blog gets behind, because i don't stalk my own blog!

there has been A LOT of knitting. some of the pairs i've finished are just trying to knit mates for the most recent orphans.

the latest pair i finished is this, which i had started at the beach this past summer.

the yarn is wisdom yarns poems sock. mom picked it out because of the colors. and the colors are really that nice. but, the knitting wasn't "nice". the yarn is a single ply, and kinda "hairy". not like a mohair halo, but more like a burlap sack. and i used my new signature dpns for this project, and those needles were just too pointy for the hairy bits. but, they are done, and blocked, and pretty, and i'll never knit with that yarn again.

i also finised a pair of jaywalkers i had started last july, with paca peds yarn.

jaywalkers is one of my "go to" patterns. i have mastered the jaywalker! i always knit the smallest size on 2.5mm needles, cast on 60 sts. and then increase to the stitch count for the smallest size (76 sts i think). and after i finish my gusset decreases, i do one more set of decreases only on the next plain round, to make the foot a bit more snug. and that is the secret of the great fitting jaywalker! (well, at least for my fit)

this pair was also for a bit of "mindless knitting". sort of. i did have to pay attention to the rows and the chart, a bit. the pattern is paraphernalia, and the yarn is joann sensations bamboo & ewe. i've used the yarn before, and i like it enough for a craft store yarn.

and then, lastly, i cast on a pair for december (though, i'm not knitting these for any kal ... i need a break).

this is lindsay from cookie's _sock innovation_. i have knitted a good number of the patterns from that book, and i'm certain i will eventually have them ALL knitted. and, i really love the yarn. i don't know what inspired me to pick up this pink, other than i was trying to branch out, colorwise. the yarn is miss babs bamboo baby. i got it at SAFF in october, and wound the hank into a ball on the way home.

accountability

2010-11-28T09:51:00.003-05:00

i like to start sweaters (kinda like starting socks, but they take MORE time). during this holiday, one of the craft stores had a coupon for thanksgiving day only. the coupon was for 30% off your purchase, including sales items.

so, to escape the chaos of post-feast, mom and i drove over to the next town to the craft store. neither of us "needed" anything, but you know how it is when you have a coupon burning a hole in your purse.

it seems i've already bought every kind of sock yarn the craft store sells, and they didn't have a colorway i wanted to knit. BUT, the vanna's choice yarn by lionbrand was on sale for $2.49/ball, and then with the 30% off, was about $1.75/ball. SOLD!

y'all know i'm not a yarn snob. and if you notice the colorful heart that has been in my sidebar for years, i do have an affinity for acrylic. the vanna's choice comes in such great colors, "sophisticated" colors. and, it comes in tweeds!

the pattern is by Patons. it's from the booklet, Patons #500838, Next Steps Three. i like this book because it's more of a recipe book, full of mix & match. the little pattern booklet was about $5. it's around 75 pages, with variations of vests and sweaters, but all cardigans. it's all written for using their yarn of course, in the shetland chunky solid or tweed. my craft store did have the yarn, but not a colorway i wanted, and it was not on sale. thus, the vanna's choice.

the vanna's choice is smaller in gauge, so i did my swatch and decided to go with the size small, which will yield a sweater with maybe 1" of positive ease. i've not yet decided if i'm going to do the collar or not. i might just finish the crew neck with ribbing.

regardless, i need someone to keep me honest and on track with the project! i am enjoying the knitting. it's kinda mindless. i have the back done, and parts of the fronts finished.

and the sock knitting will surely get in the way at some point. wednesday is the 1st, which means i could cast on another sock for SKA. BUT i want to finish my acrylic cardigan!

i found this quite enjoyable today, particularly the last paragraph.

20 days?!

2010-11-27T16:33:00.003-05:00

wow. where have i been?!

work-wise, this is "the busy season". and knitting-wise, perhaps i've spread myself a bit too thin.

i seem to be a bit disorganized lately.

socks! we'll start with socks.

this is a "firestarter" sock. this pattern is also by yarnissima (same as my spice man socks). i wanted to knit this for the november challenge on ska. i had some issues with the pattern, but it does look good.

the first sock was finished almost 2 weeks ago, and i've yet to cast on the mate. my goal is to start the mate this week.

the yarn is knit one crochet too's "crock-o-dye". i purchased the yarn back in the early spring just for this pattern. it's a good match too. the knitting is enjoyable, and i look forward to having the pair finished, but i keep getting sidetracked with other projects.

such as, i wanted another sock to work on, something more basic. so, i started "paraphernalia" with my small stash of bamboo & ewe sock yarn.

it was pretty gloomy out yesterday morning as we headed out for shopping, but the sock isn't much prettier than the photo anyways. there's nothing wrong with the sock, or the color, it's just very plain.

i'm actually much further along on this pair than the firestarters. for this pair, i'm very close to the heelflap of sock #2.

though this sock is not as flashy as the firebird, i bet it will get worn more often.

ready for christmas

2010-11-07T09:41:00.004-05:00

i actually finished stuart's stocking a few days ago, and i toted it around for a couple of days to show off 'in person'.

i am VERY pleased with the knitting. though this is red heart sport (acrylic) yarn, it blocked very nicely (with a bit of steam and light press with a presscloth). i blocked all but the ribbing and loop. i wanted the ribbing to maintain its integrity. if you've never steamed acrylic, essentially, you can "kill" acrylic. and once you kill it, there's no going back. how do you kill it? .... with steam. the steam evens out all the lumps and bumps, and makes the fabric more fluid. it needed it too!

i'm glad it's acrylic, because the moths won't feel compelled to munch on it when it's in storage. and the colors ?! i love the COLORS !!!

and, i learned something new ... i finally learned how to weave in the yarn i hold in my right hand when that yarn is stranded behind the yarn in my left. i found these two videos:

the two-handed fair isle technique (particularly “stitch 4”) and,
the youtube video catching floats.

how do i forget?

2010-11-06T10:25:00.002-04:00

i am SO not impressed with my memory! thank goodness for flickr and those handy pictures to remind me. though, the truth is, i post in too many places (upload to flickr, my ravelry page, and then the forum for the project ... and see, i'm still forgetting the blog).

and this explains the conversation of what mom was talking about the other day, and i had no clue what she was talking about ... "i was looking at your flickr and saw a sock i hadn't seen before. it had a big dark spot across the front of the foot."

oh? you must mean these .....

this is spice man, again. and the yarn is my Miss Babs Yummy Superwash Sock & Baby Yarn - 2 ply , in colorway "cleopatra", which i got at SAFF a couple of weeks ago. in my SAFF post, it's one of the yarns i wound into a ball while riding home from the event.

i was in a hurry to cast on, so i did not weigh the yarn before i started knitting. in an ideal world, i probably would had weighed it, divided it into 2 balls, and knitted up every scrap of yarn. but, in impatient world, i'll have a pair of socks with leftovers.

as the name states, it is yummy. in some ways, the twist reminds me a bit of koigu, but a wee bit thinner. i am on sock #2, and am about to turn the heel.

i want to cast on my november socks, but i'll have to find another set of 2.25mm 32" circs for that endeavor. the november socks will also be a yarnissima pattern, firestarter. so, all this spice man knitting has been "training".

the holiday season

2010-11-02T21:42:00.003-04:00

i guess, after halloween, it's "all downhill" in terms of the holidays. i know thanksgiving is next, but with my schedule and lack of free-time, i am thinking about christmas.

in my SKA group on ravelry, one of the challenges for october was to cast on a stocking for a 'celebration'. of course, i chose a christmas stocking ... for STUART.

i am using a pattern by cascade yarns. it's free on their website (scroll down 'til you see 220 Wool W104 FREE Download ... it's near the bottom).

i'd love to be knitting this out of wool, but ... i am not. instead, i got a few skeins of this red heart. the colors are perfect, the price is right, and it fit the bill for my instant gratification.

now, the motifs in the stocking are 1)from the original pattern 2)stolen from an SKA mystery sock design 3)made up/charted 4)borrowed from someone else's stocking.

(all the above)

and the pattern has an afterthought heel, but i substituted a shortrow heel.

nevertheless, i am now on the foot, plowing my way through a snowman motif. i should be finished by the weekend. and then, i can cast on more socks for the november challenge!

SAFF 2010

2010-10-24T10:13:00.002-04:00

it's a perfect autumn weekend in western North Carolina. i spent yesterday up in fletcher, nc, just a few miles south of asheville, for the Southeastern Animal Fiber Fair ... or SAFF for short. i don't have pictures of foliage, but i do have yarn pictures =)

this was my first purchase of the day. it's miss babs "bamboo baby", a blend of merino, bamboo, and nylon. i bought some last year and knitted cauchy from _sock innovation_. i love this yarn! i love its sheen. so, i just had to get more.

though i knew i was coming to SAFF, i did not pack my ball winder and swift. i did however, loop the hank around my knees in the car, and wound it by hand on the drive back to mom's.

the drive was only about an hour, so i had time to wind this baby too!

... another hank of miss babs, but this time it's "yummy" 2ply ... a superwash merino. now, this one, i'm already knitting. i am making another pair of spice man socks. i'm also going to attempt to alter it a bit, and make the heelflap with the usual slip stitch design, and perhaps knit the leg in stockinette with a 2x2 ribbing. we'll see ....

a yarn i almost started to wind in the car, but held off ... because i need to wind it with the ball winder & swift. i need to decide what pattern i will use, and if i'll start with the dark or the light, or knit cuff down or toe up. this yarn is called "transitions" by Gypsy Girl Creations. there are 2 50 gram hanks, and it will, "transition" from white to dark blue. the colorway i have here is called "tackle".

this next yarn is from the gradience sock collection of the unique sheep. this particular yarn is called 'verve' (it's their fingering 100% merino) in colorway enonymus.

i've seen some really pretty socks knitted with this yarn!

next up, some more calypso.

i have bought this stuff before. i seem to hoard it, as i've not knitted my first hank purchased at least a year ago.

calypso is by creatively dyed yarn. it's 100% merino superwash, in a whopping 150 gram hank, with 510 yards. i love her colorways, as she uses LOTS of color in each colorway. there's enough yarn here for a shawl. but, i think it will become toe up socks. it's one of those yarns inwhich i want to use up every snippet.

this stuff is NICE! i bought 3 hanks of this 250 yard handspun wool from Windy Acres Fiber Farm. they are based out of Candler, NC. the wool is a blend of border leicester and finn. i'm thinking it's going to become a rustic shawl. something quite simple, to show off the pretty twist of the yarn.

and, there was a vendor selling books at 75% off, magazines for $1, and pattern books for $2. that said, i got all this for $12 + tax.

this batch was an absolute steal! one of the pattern books alone retails for $18.

now, to prove i did see some animals (honestly, i really only go for the yarn ... and would have a lamb burger if they had a proper food vendor).

angora bunny! they are too cute, and sinfully soft. this particular vendor had sold all but 2 of her bunnies. they can be litter box trained, but i do not live in a bunny-friendly home (i already have dust bunnies).

oh, and i'm saving the best for last ... planned bad eating. it's no secret i love bojangles. i don't have it often (ie: just a few times a year). i remembered there's a bojangles just a few miles south of our exit, so i told mom, "we're having bojangles for breakfast!"

i had the classic cajun filet biscuit. yum! and, a very unsouthern thing ... a jug of unsweetened iced tea.

i may be making a quilt ....

2010-10-16T17:05:00.004-04:00

OMG! i went by my local quilt shop today, asked some questions, and signed up for their Block of the Month club for this Roses of Rememberance quilt.

now, i've only ever made 1 quilt, ever. but, i have a few quilting books and magazines. for me, the hard part is picking out the fabrics. as a BOM, that is already done for me. i just have to do all the handiwork now. and, i've already learned about the magic of freezer paper with the applique technique. 1 block each month, beginning in january 2011.

and it's just BEAUTIFUL! i can do this. sometimes, these things are love at first sight ..... and we do what we must to have or make them. so, i will learn to applique. i will learn to 'quilt as you go'. and dammit, in about a year or so, i too will have this beautiful quilt.

i waxed and waned over this, because of the cost. each month is $25 (x 13 months). and, that doesn't even include the batting or backing fabric. but, as a knitter, it's like buying 1 skein of handpainted sock yarn each month. right?!

oh, and i still have to get the dvd. there is a book, but apparently, everything i need is also on the dvd, plus instructional video, and the ability to print out the templates.

i'm excited. and scared. but, it doesn't start 'til january, so you will be still seeing lots of sock knitting before then.

! ! ! spice man ! ! !

2010-10-16T16:29:00.002-04:00

i have finished another pair of socks. these took longer than they should had, because i had messed up on sock #2, and had to redo the gusset and heelflap. i finished them last night, and pulled them on this morning.

now, i haven't weighed the leftovers, but it seems to reason that there's enough to knit another pair like this. or matching pairs of footies or ankle socks.

for some reason, i just wanted a mismatched pair! and i love lion brand's sock-ease yarn. i had bought both balls at 40% off each. when paying so little for sock yarn, it makes it "less precious" and easier to deviate from the usual sock knitting.

the pattern is yarnissima's spice man. it's the same pattern i used for leanne's sockenmonsters. hers are knee-hi, and mine are mid-calf.

ps. many thanks for those that commented on the gretya socks. i appreciate it so much when anyone comments, and i realize not many of us even read blogs anymore. work-wise, i am in my busy season, 'til the end of the year, and possibly into the first 2-3 months of 2011. so, sometimes i forget to say thank you.

finished gretya

2010-10-11T23:06:00.001-04:00

they're done !

socktoberfest!

2010-10-10T14:06:00.002-04:00

yet again, our dear Lolly is heading up Socktoberfest. and though, i'm an avid sock knitter, my first completed "sock" for the season is not a foot sock, but a beer sock. i'm sure that's okay, in the spirit of oktoberfest.

i started this project back in july 2009.

it's a free pattern download from raverly. i had leftovers from my sunnyside sockens, and decided these socks need a "mate".

that pair was finished in mexico in 2008. they were finished for "summer of socks" on raverly.

and today, i'm knitting on my gretya socks. i'm on the foot, and plan to take pictures of the finished socks, if i finished before the sun is too low.

by they way, is anyone who reads here going to SAFF ? it's in a couple of weeks, and i'm going on saturday only.

gretya

2010-10-05T23:03:00.002-04:00

believe me, i'm surprised i already have completed one sock. and the good news is, i've also cast on the mate.

i had made a mistake in the pattern while decreasing the gusset. i ended up ripping back about 1/2 the cart, and still i finished fairly quickly. but, a finished sock also means something else (non-knitterly) is unfinished or neglected.

that reminds me, i also have to rip back on my two-toned spice man sock mate, as i wasn't paying attention when working on the foot (and i'm already on the leg).

gretya is knitted with shibui sock in colorway 'ink'. i love how it pools in a giant spiral. i used this yarn before for my sunshine socks.

new month

2010-10-03T14:48:00.002-04:00

new project.

the new month at SKA (ravelry group) brings on the challenge of knitting an under appreciated pattern. i bought this pattern, gretya, last march, and it only sells for $3. and maybe we shouldn't buy things we don't "need" at the time, but ... i'm a knitter.

i'm knitting in shibui, in colorway ink. ink is probably shibui's "black", but i think it still has a hint of blue in it.

and i love how it's knitting up! i love how shibui pools in a giant spiral. years ago, when i first tried it, saw it, i hated it, i did not like how it looks semi-solid in the hank, and then does all this weird %$!@*. but now, i love it.

a pair!

2010-09-30T21:20:00.002-04:00

i have made a few pairs of toe up socks, though it's not my preferred method. BUT, i really like this spice man pattern by yarnissima. the fit is very good, and i was able to use up every bit of yarn to make a pair of knee-hi socks (the leg is all 1x1 twisted rib).

something else very exciting about these socks is it's the first time i've used jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off, as published in knitty. it makes a tidy and stretchy bind off, without the flair of a loose bind off. it does eat a lot of yarn, so leave a longer length of yarn than usual so you don't run out before finishing.

i'm very pleased with these socks, and plan on mailing them out this weekend.

that said, i need a pair for myself. though, i won't be doing the knee-hi version. i got two balls of sock-ease in complimentary colors last weekend.

so i started a pair with contrast heels/toes/cuff. i've actually now finished the first sock, and started the mate. i'm reversing the colors on the mate too. what the heck.

i see this pattern as being a good basic to possibly play with, changing colors, stitch patterns, and sizes.

i'm lousy at keeping secrets

2010-09-25T21:18:00.002-04:00

i'm knitting a pair of socks for a friend. i guess after being friends for 15 years, it's about time!

please forgive the flash photo, i had a long day today, and did not get home 'til after the sun was down. the sky still had a bit of light, but all those photos w/o flash were blurry.

i don't typically knit toe up. but i wanted to for these socks, because i know my friend likes long stockings, and i wanted to use up every bit of yarn to get as long of a sock as possible.

and i was amazed that i could actually knit it all the way to the knee! the pattern is "spice man" by yarnissima. i knit the smallest size, which is 60 stitches around. when i got to the leg, i continued all in the 1x1 twisted rib. no shaping. the ribbing is nice and huggy, and i'm confident the socks will stay up.

i was going to try to keep this project a secret, but i get excited about gifts & things, and just have to blurt it out.

oh, and this sock won't be an orphan for long, as i'm already on the leg of the second sock, and i'm being monogamous.

knitting, crochet, cross-stitch

2010-09-18T14:04:00.003-04:00

have i covered all my bases? perhaps my next post will also include sewing ....

first of all, i finished my socks.

i like them! they have me thinking about perhaps knitting another pair of black socks, and probably in lace too (at least with lace, you can see that there IS a design). i have two more pair's worth of sock yarn in black. i'm just not so sure about starting right now, as there's so many other projects i want to work on.

for example, trying out new techniques.

entire books dedicated to just one technique! both books have projects, and the projects are interesting enough, but i bought each because these are things i'd like to try doing, and books like these go out of print when one finally makes the time to try it. i did find an afghan hook in my needle jar today (it was so dusty!), so that's a start.

and then there's the stitching ...

mr. snowman has become functional vs. decorative. last weekend, i bought an acrylic coaster for mr. snowman. i did not doing anything fancy (heck, i didn't even wash my finished cross-stitch, and my steam press did not completely remove the fold lines).

i essentially wrapped the piece around the cardboard circular insert, and crammed it into the back of the coaster, then stuck the adhesive cork cover on the backside.

and then, i bought another $1 kit to stitch up another holiday design. it's amazing how $1's worth of goods can keep one busy for MANY hours.

whoops!

2010-09-12T12:56:00.003-04:00

how many times have i used WHOOPS as a title post? ... i'm sure many times. there are many WHOOPS in my crafty life.

such as, i just posted about my snowman, saying i hadn't finished my black socks yet, and then look at my blog and say, "hey, where ARE my black socks ?!"

so, here's one. the mate is on the needles, and is actually on the foot section too (top down).

this sock (pair) is for the september challenge of SKA on ravelry. one of the month's challenge is to knit with the color black. i haven't knitted black socks in about 15 or more years, though i have enough black sock yarn for about 3 pairs of socks.

can you see the butterflies in the lace?

i think i should had knitted these on a larger needle. i'm on a 2.5mm, and probably should had gone up to a 2.75mm, and slightly thicker yarn too (ie: patons kroy sock).

but, i'm too far along to change that now. it's just a little "note to self". the reason being is that this ends up being a 54 st. sock, and though the pattern is rib and lace based, it stretches out to the point of distorting the butterflies, and i don't like that. lesson learned.

cross-stitch?

2010-09-12T12:51:00.002-04:00

yes, i'm surprised too. but i did finish a little $2 kit, and now i have to finish/finish it ... as you can see it still has the creases from the fabric being folded in the packaging.

as you can see, he's a bit "goofed up", but that's what happens when you try to cross-stitch and watch movies at the same time. it doesn't mix well with movie watching, not like knitting does.

but still, he's cute, and i think i want to get another $2 kit.

that said, i haven't finished ANY knitting. my black socks are almost finished. and they would be finished if it was not for the snowman.

the newest orphan!

2010-08-31T20:00:00.003-04:00

... but, hopefully not for long (long means: not more than a year ?!)!

this sock was a test knit, and i shamefully took the entire test knit time allotted.

ps. crocs over here !!!

finished fishes

2010-08-24T07:39:00.004-04:00

it's raining this morning. i'm so glad it's raining because now i don't have to water the plants. of course, this could also mean trouble for the morning commute.
(yawn)

i finished the stranded fishes socks. i took these home over the weekend to work on, and let mom try them on, and decided they fit her better than me. the foot length is just a bit short for me, and probably a bit long for her. and i'm just too lazy to change that.

and then, looking at one of the socks last night, i realized that i knitted the legs differently. WHOOPS. one leg has 5 repeats of fishes, and the other 6 (as the pattern is written for 6). and, i'm not ripping and fixing. this is just one mistake of many in these socks.

nevertheless, i still think they're really cute!

the pattern is spillyjane's swedish fish socks. i used knitpick's bare (merino/nylon) fingering and their 'felici' in colorway marine life. i barely used any of both skeins/hanks of yarn. i can get another pair of socks out of the remaining bare, and i have a second skein of the felici (plus its leftovers). lots of yarn!

done at last ....

2010-08-18T20:00:00.005-04:00

i started this shawl back in june. i wanted it "big", so i kept knitting. i kept knitting to the point that i ran out of yarn (only 5 rows short of my bind off). some knitters would rip out a row and bind off, or use a different yarn. instead, i just ordered another ball and luckily got the same dyelot.

i finished knitting my sweater the other day, and started seaming it, so for "mindless knitting" i picked my shawl up again and finished it as well. she blocked overnight, and i unpinned this morning and wore her to work.

this is the rose ribbons shawl from evelyn clark's book _knitting lace triangles_. i used knitpicks palette yarn. it's HUGE! well ... bigger than most of my triangular shawls ... it has a 72" wingspan and a 36" drop. it covers me well.

the color looks almost dayglow under 'office' lights, but is much easier on the eyes in natural light. regardless, it's a wonderful shade for summer. yes. wool in the summer.

the socks

2010-08-14T17:32:00.002-04:00

and, i also realized i haven't posted my SOCKS. sigh ....

i finished my papaver socks (ravelry link) about 4 days ago. this is the second pair of this pattern i've knitted within the last month. the first pair was a gift, and then i decided i need a pair for myself. and now, i have them, and of course it's way to hot to wear socks. they will wait until the end of september or october.

this yarn is crystal palace panda silk. it was sent to me awhile back. i had knitted a pair of socks with their maizy yarn, but had apparently had purchased a bad batch of that particular dyelot.

i contacted crystal palace, and they asked me to send them my socks. i did. they analyzed the yarn, and reported back that the dyelot was indeed "bad". in their fabulous customer service, they sent my socks back, along with enough yarn for 2 pairs of socks, and some sock needles. this pair is the last in the yarn they sent to me. and, they're fabulous! (yarn and crystal palace customer service) !!!

since then, i've been knitting on a pair of socks for my mom. she bought some yarn from knitting up a storm, when we were at north myrtle beach last week.

she picked out poems wisdom sock. the color progression is great, and the color is fabulous, but the knitting is a chore. the yarn is a single, and a bit "hairy", and i keep splitting stitches with my needles. perhaps i should change needles, but it's a bit too late for that. i'm almost finished with the pair. here's the first sock:

i am on the mate, about to start the heelflap. so, they'll be done soon enough. the thing is, when do i give them to her? do i save them for cooler weather, or ... christmas ?! she already knows about them, and i'll "show" them to her next weekend. sigh. it seems kinda silly to give them in a season inwhich it's too hot to wear socks.

whoops!

2010-08-14T17:07:00.004-04:00

i think i've used this title post before. but big WHOOPS because i just didn't realize i hadn't posted in a bit, until someone kindly reminded me today.

i had a bit of a "yarn crawl" today, in a BMW (deb drove). a couple of friends and i made our way down south to southern pines, nc, to visit bella filati. they recently relocated into a new building in downtown southern pines. and the new store is even lovelier than the original. and i should had taken my camera, because they had some really cute lamp shade covers that were crocheted, or even needle felted.

i did not purchase yarn. i think i felt a bit overwhelmed, and not quite ready for buying a sweater's worth of yarn. but, i did come away with a book by teva durham (_signature style_ , loop-d-loop , volume 5). inside was this really cool pullover!

it's the "honeycomb diamond pullover" in a yarn by loop-d-loop, called "moss". i haven't seen this yarn in person, but the label says it's 50g and 163 yards. so, it must be very light and have some fluff. there are a couple more designs in the book which i like, so that makes the purchase worth it. of course now, i'm on the hunt for the yarn. i don't always knit projects in the recommended yarn, but i think in this case, perhaps i might.

on the way back from southern pines, i said, "hey, let's stop at the new shop in apex!". and my friend replies, "oh, you little strumpet!" (by the way, a strumpet is a middle english word for the modern day "ho", aka prostitute) (it's a term of affection ;)

so we stopped at the fairly new downtown knits in apex, nc. i really liked it, and actually bought yarn!

this is nature spun fingering by brown sheep company, in colorway "butterscotch". it's not really butter-scotchy at all though ... it's a very rowanesque heathered and natural, in a shade more like a greenish bronze.

my friends cringed at my purchase (hey, what are friends for?!) ... because they like "snooty" yarns. i like 'em too, but i also like nature spun, and lopi lite, and other minimally processed yarns.

this yarn gets a whopping 310 yards for under $4 a ball! so, i now have over 900 yards, enough for a nice shawl, for a very low price. and it's made by brown sheep ... not "local" to my area, but certainly local in a global sense.

catching up!

2010-07-25T15:26:00.004-04:00

incase you haven't heard, it's hotter than hell in north carolina. seriously HOT. so HOT it's in the news. so, my pictures today were not taken outdoors as usual. i was out earlier today, doing laundry, and then my weekly grocery shopping and errands, and then i quickly retreated back to my pseudo-AC'd cave.

it's funny though, town felt a bit like a ghost town today. that's not so unusual in the summer, as the coast is only 2 hours away. but still ... i think most folks are keeping a low profile and staying indoors.

okay, enough with the "oh i'm so HOT" rant.

socks! of course, SOCKS!

so, i finished the pretty rusty-colored pair of papaver socks ...

and i mailed them yesterday. these were knitted as a gift for someone i consider a mentor, who had a major back surgery recently, and she'd been admiring my socks for the last year. i wanted her to have something to help her "get back on her feet" so to speak. i'm certain she'll enjoy them.

because i gave them away, i wanted a pair for myself.

mine are on the left. i'm using some yarn i've had in stash for a bit now ... it's crystal palace panda silk. it's lovely stuff too! this yarn has tried to be other socks, socks that just didn't go anywhere. and now, it's found its pattern.

i'm almost finished with the first sock, and will quickly cast on the mate. the knitting is slow because i'm juggling too many projects right now.

the other sock in the photo is the test knit i'm doing for RoseHiver on ravelry. this month's challenge on SKA is colorwork, specifically fairisle. i've never been much of a stranded knitter, but, it's slowly getting easier. i find that my tension for my floats is best when i knit with my project inside out. yeah. i know.

it makes me still dream of knitting a fairisle sweater, and steeking! someday.

and inbetween all these socks, i did cast on another for mindless purposes ... another pair of jaywalkers.

this yarn is paca peds in colorway 'grapevine'. it's been in stash for awhile. i knew it would stripe in some fashion, so i opt'd for a pattern that was best for striping, the good 'ole jaywalker.

and if this isn't enough, i'm craving a sweater! last week, i was visiting my friends at the LYS. i hadn't planned on stopping by, and was underdressed for the AC temperatures. so, i ended up wearing a shop model for warmth. i was wearing this!

at first, i didn't care for it, but then it "grew" on me. it's called Canton from the louisa harding book called Chinoiserie. i'm going to knit the smallest size (finished 40") in colorway "intense" (a purplish shade).

the yarn arrived yesterday, i got the book yesterday too. needles are on order, but i did find a set on a project long abandoned. so, i'm pretty much ready to swatch. it should be a fairly quick knit as the shapes are all rectangles and the gauge is 4 sts/inch.

i'm very excited about this. it's going to be stunning!

clay socks

2010-07-15T07:50:00.003-04:00

of course, i started another pair of socks. i've even finished the first one. and this design too ranks as "mindless knitting". the pattern is quick to memorize, and it's oh so pretty!

this is papaver sok by anne hanson of knitspot. i'm knitting the medium on size 2mm needles. the ribbed base gives it a lot of stretch. the pattern calls for a shortrow heel, but i much prefer a heelflap.

if you're wondering why the toe isn't finished, it's because i took my knitting to work and forgot my little kit with my yarn needle.

the yarn is cascade heritage. it's pretty thin, like lorna's laces. it's so smoothe it almost feels like cotton. and, it has crisp stitch definition. i really like this yarn, and the price is right too.

... and the RAINBOW socks

2010-07-10T19:45:00.005-04:00

today, i was knitting on these outside of a panera bread store, waiting to meet up with a friend. never before has my knitting attracted so much attention. it's the COLORS. this yarn is knitpick's felici, in the rainbow colorway. this colorway is not available anymore, which is a shame. knitpicks got all "clever" and made these new colorways "limited edition".

i have made jaywalkers many many times now. it's a "go to" pattern for self striping yarns. i think it's one of those patterns that can make any non-solid yarn look good. and, for me, it's mindless knitting. i've knitted enough to know that all i need for success is:

1) cast on for the 76 st. size, but CAST ON 60 sts, work my 2x2 ribbing, and then increase 16 sts. on my last round to get the 76 sts.

2) knit on size 2.5mm needles

3) after i finish my gusset decreases, then knit another set of the double decreases in pattern on the plain round of the pattern (to make the foot a bit more narrow).

instant success and gratification.

fishes!!!

2010-07-10T00:19:00.003-04:00

hey, i've finished one sock! i haven't started the mate yet, though i know i should. i feel a cast-on frenzy coming on, as i want to knit another 2 pairs of fairisle socks, plus a pattern by anne hanson, and a pair for a friend, and another pair for someone else ....

not to mention i still have a couple of unfinished pairs.

but, for the newest finished sock, here's my first sock of fishes!

i think i could had knitted the toe a wee bit longer before the toe shaping, but maybe the blocking will take care of that. the last pair of fairisle socks i knitted seemed a bit on the small side 'til i blocked them.

yarnwise, the first sock didn't even use up 1/2 a ball of yarn (and i'm talking about a 50 gram ball). so, i'll likely have a second ball of the 'marine life' felici yarn for a future project.

amazing! it's thundering, and i think i hear rain. it's been a long time since it's rained here.

oh, and i'm on the foot of my second rainbow sock. i'll finish the pair this weekend and post.

swim fishes swim !!!

2010-07-05T17:58:00.006-04:00

i LOVE this sock! this is "swedish fish socks" by 'spillyjane' on ravelry. it's a paid pdf file pattern, and worth it =)

though, i've made my mistakes, i still think mine looks rather like the picture in the pattern (meaning, i am knitting fairisle socks). my colors are unlike hers, but i'm trying very hard to follow the instructions, as that's what i do when i'm in uncharted territory. (there are charts!) ... but sometimes i don't follow instructions all that well .....

this projects is totally knitpicks ! ... needles and yarns. the natural yarn is their undyed superwash sock yarn (merino/nylon) and the colored yarn is their 'felici' ... self striping socken yarn.

needles are their wooden 'harmony' needles. i knit the cuff on their 2.25 mm options needles, but the fair isle is knit with the larger harmony needles. from my limited experience, and lots of reading, i should knit the fairisle on a larger needle. it's working out just fine.

now, my floats ... i am knitting this sock inside out. that helps me control the length of my floats, especially when changing from one needle to the other.

this picture was taken with a flash, and it does not show off the subtle changes between the different shades of blue. this looks like a 3 color sock, but it's actually a bit more colored & complex than this.

the happiest sock ever!

2010-07-02T20:17:00.003-04:00

i have finished my first sock with this felici yarn from knitpicks. i am going to finish this pair soon, i hope. of course, i could cast on for another pair ... because ... that's how i roll .....

jaywalkers are always a good choice

2010-06-29T20:13:00.002-04:00

i seem to be on a roll. but, the only reason why i can finish a pair so fast this time is because i only had to knit one sock. i started this pair on july 4th, 2008.

i still love jaywalkers. to me, this pattern is about as mindless as a stockinette sock, and the perfect solution to a self-striping yarn.

this yarn comes/came in 50 gram balls, and though they were the same dyelot, it is very clear that one is a bit more washed out than the other. sigh.

the yarn is Marks & Kattens Clown, and the pattern is "jaywalker". i knitted on size 2.5mm dpns.

i kinda needed something else to knit on (and i've still not ordered that 1 extra ball of yarn for my unfinished shawl!), so instead of rescuing another orphan, i decided to cast on another pair of jaywalkers with my felici yarn from knitpicks.

this is my first time knitting with felici, and i am loving it so far.