Chugging Along

It is knitting time on the blog folks!

I finished my "sand art" socks. They are Kaffe Fassett yarn, self-striping socks knit as a plain tube with an afterthought heel. I did that to preserve the sand art look to the stripes, and it worked well. They are photographed here on my new socks blockers from KnitPicks, which are great and not expensive which makes them even better. That makes pair number 2 done for this year. SLOW progress.

The nice folks at Ancient Pathways are doing a knit-a-long to make the Aeolian Shawl (ravelry link) and though I initially resisted I gave in. I am usuing stash yarn (Baruffa Cashwool 100% merino) but I did buy some beads. They didn't have size 8 black beads so I got triangle shaped beads in black but they have a irridescent blue/green cast to them. I am knitting a long more with Janice than the AP gang, because I'm behind due to the resistance thing. Anyway, I am on the first set of charts and here is progress so far--

Such as it is.

I also started a new sock with yarn I overdyed at Janice's. This yarn used to be yellow/red and with some chestnut over it, it turned a lovely brown/russetty red. I am making the Leyburn socks. This pattern goes FAST. I started yesterday. It is toe-up, and I used Judy's Magic Cast-on for the toe. Happy toe! The rest is going great too. It really helps when you are in love with the yarn.

I'm also set to cast on another Clapotis. More on that next time.

When is a pair not a pair?

I finished my Marlene socks. I actually finished them awhile ago, but just now am getting photos of them on the blog. They are the longest socks I have made, and took FOREVER. But I love them. They will be so nice this winter when it is cold and I'm wearing brown shoes. You can't wear wacky color socks all the time (well, you actually can, but sometimes I like to be a little more discreet).

Pattern: Marlene by Cookie A. (ravelry link)
Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, Color: Cocoa Kiss

My goal this year is to knit 12 pair of socks. This is actually the first pair I have completed. Pretty sad, huh?

I actually finished another "pair" but I don't think you could count it as a pair. On the left is some Lorna's Laces yarn knit into a plain ole' sock, a la Yarn Harlot Sock Recipe. On the right is a plain sock, knit from Kaffe Fasset's sock yarn. I made this one with an afterthought heel to better preserve the sand art look of the stripes. I had never done that before and really liked the effect. With any luck, I'll knit another two socks and then have three pair done.


I also wanted to blog about a swap I did with my Cindy Knitter group on Ravelry (yes, there are enough of us Cindys who knit to form an entire group). The rules were you were given the name of a Cindy and were supposed to spend around $30 and get them some yarn and some other goodies. We were given a deadline, and I mailed mine off to Elizabethtown, PA in time. And then I waited. And waited. And nothing. So I contacted the Cindy in charge and she called upon two "angels" who had signed up to rescue someone in the event someone flaked. So I got the above pictured lot of goodies from two different people! It ended up being way more than I would have gotten originally, so I went from feeling left out to guilty for getting too much. Then about a month later the original Cindy who had flaked sent me some stuff too. It was good stuff, but over a month late. So I ended up with 3 packages. So much for my first swap experience.


I'm starting a new lace project - this one is a little lace scarf I'm going to use in a gift exchange. This pattern has the two end pieces knit first and then they are grafted on to the center section. The ends went fine, but the center section is driving me crazy. I'm looking forward to blocking it to see how it is going to look. The yarn is Redfish Dyeworks 20/2 silk. Such a pretty color!

sock heaven

When a sock knitter goes to heaven, this is what she sees:


Toe up and cuff down -- Total bliss!

Why haven't I started one of these beauties yet?

Still plugging away on Marlene.

The good news is that one sock is done. This is the longest sock I have ever made! It looks like I'm wishing Santa were filling it up.


In my wish to work on something where I didn't have to count, I have been doing a plain (if you can call these babies plain) sock with the Kaffe Fassett yarn Janice gave me for my birthday. I think they look like sand art. Remember sand art?

Now the big question is which sock to make. These two books could keep me busy a LONG time.

Now that is sock heaven.

Caution! Slow Knitter Ahead

Top five excuses for not blogging:

1. Maurice took the camera on two long overseas trips.
2. Working on long term project with no finished objects to show.
3. Busy with driving across town 42,000 times a day (see #1)
4. Facebook (and Carey beating me 19 times at Pathwords)
5. Kindle software on the iPod, making reading a new mega-portable hobby

Those are my excuses - and a good summary of what I've been up to.

My main excuse is that after Stitches I started on a lace veil for Grace's First Communion. I am using the Second Book of Modern Lace Knitting's Altar Lace pattern for the center panel and then doing a knitted on border from Victorian Lace Today. Sounds complicated, and it is. The center panel is done,

and wasn't really hard, lots of repetition on the lace by the cross, and easy to see if you've gone astray. I've never knitted a border on after the fact, and there is where I am now. Thankfully, VLT has a very nice back section on how to do this, and that is what I'm doing. Or at least trying to do, as I am on row 7 after starting and ripping a few times.

That leaves precious little time to finish Marlene, my sock by Cookie A., sock knitting hero. I really like this sock, but I have set it aside a lot, first to do the Feb Lady Sweater for Stitches wearing, and then to work on the veil. Every time I pick it up again I have to refresh my memory on what I'm doing and that usually involves messing up a few times before I get going again, and about that time I put it down for awhile. Not good in progress department.

I have, however, turned the heel, so I'm hoping progress will start to pick up soon.


Next on the agenda is knitting a sock out of the new Cookie A. book. LOVELY. And in general, cranking out a few projects to boost the knitting self-esteem. I really wanted to knit 12 pair of socks this year, but so far I don't even have one sock, much less one pair to show for myself.

Living with traveling husband means I'm the single mom at home a lot. And the kids aren't slowing down any, so I am running around in high stress mode frequently. And next on our family agenda includes First Communion, graduation from 8th grade, and two birthdays. Not to mention Easter, Alex and Maurice's trip to Washington DC etc.......Yikes. June is looking pretty inviting.

I'm finally getting to tag along on one of those business trips, so the end of this week I'll get to go with Maurice on a quicky trip to Vancouver. Brrrr, I realize, but this year seems to be the year of being cold. And Canada promises some yarn stores, right? I really love Vancouver, and haven't been there since Emily was little and chasing pigeons in the park, so this should be a fun trip. We are staying at the same hotel we stayed in a lot back then, so it should be nice.

Now, should I take the sock along, or download a new book on my iPod?

As not to embarrass myself....

I'm going to Washington D.C. Can you guess why? One hint, I'll be there on January 20.

I'm going to accompany my daughter and around 30 or so other high school students as we see our new president be sworn in.

I'm excited, and nervous. I never dreamed when we signed up that I was going to join up to 4 million other people doing the same thing. I'm having big time second thoughts, but am taking a deep breath and hoping for the best.

Many, many things will be out of my control. The one thing I do have control over is how prepared I am for the weather. I realize it will be cold, much colder than I've been in for a long time (I did live a year in northern Sweden, folks, so I can recall cold). As I've told a few people, I've also seen March of the Penguins, and don't plan on being the outside penguin, but still, I've got some preparing to do.

Boots? Check (new REI store in town, clearance prices, North Face down lined, I'm good). Knitwear? Got to have lots of that lying around, right? I'm a hard core knitter. Wait. I have never knitted myself a hat. I have lots of scarves, but they are the "pretty" kind, not really the warm kind. Mittens? Yes, but sort of same thing. Plus, being the knitter of very short attention span, nothing is knit to work together, they are all sort of independently wonderful, but not by any stretch a set.

What kind of self-respecting kitter am I? I can't even scrounge up cold weather gear? Yikes.

Okay, I'm cheating on the gloves, and I bought some leather, furry lined ones. But a hat I can do. I've been admiring Ysolda Teague's hat designs on Ravelry, so quickly downloaded one of her new ones, the Icing Swirl Hat and went in search of yarn. I found some Takhi Bunny Print that I've had for AGES, and set off. Now I have this:


I think it is lovely. Such a fun little pattern. My only problem at this point is that I don't have a scarf to match. Not enough yarn to make a scarf too, and although I do have some solids that would match, they are in a thinner yarn that would take too long. I'll have to work on that this week.

In other news, I am making the Marlene Sock, by Cookie A. It is going nicely too, her patterns are always wonderful. This one is in chocolate brown (or officially cocoa kiss), by Dream in Color.

Janice and I are also starting a knit a long of the February Lady Sweater. I ordered my Dream in Color Classy, in the Chinatown Apple colorway, not quite knowing what I was going to get. When it came, I was delighted. Such a pretty orangey russetty color, with a little mossy jade green thrown in. I started the sweater and then did the buttonhole, and after consultation with my partner and the internet, ripped the whole thing out and will start again. But I can show you a picture of my pretty yarn.

So January is off to a knitting start. One finished object, on sock in progress, and one sweater to be. Not bad.

Look for me in the crowds, okay? I'm the one with the pretty hat.

Two socks are better than one

Pumpkin socks are in the books.

They turned out really nice. Love the pattern, so easy, and love the yarn, so pretty.

Grace was a witch this year. Emily reprised the pirate look and Alex apparently went as a teenager. Trick-or-treating was at Lori's house this year, a change of pace for us that was a fun twist to the evening. Note: Bella does not make a good trick or treat companion.

Now on to November's first major event: Emily turns 15 today! Happy birthday my eldest child. We are proud of you and we love you.

Words on Mittens, Pumpkins on Socks

I finished my Prayer Mittens! Yay me! (too much Disney Channel) Now I can move on to the next in my mental list of things I gotta knit. Xmas knitting is on agenda, as is the felted purse I saw in Interweave Felt. First I have to wind the 6 skeins of yarn....

I'm also working on my little pumpkin socks. This pattern is so easy that I can knit it without the pattern, so it is the perfect take along project. It has gone everywhere too. Lots of waiting opportunitites. I am very close to the heel flap, this photo is a few days old. I LOVE this yarn. This is Janice's French 75 yarn in "pumpkinhead" and the colors are so deliciously fall I am enjoying knitting this sock tremendously!!

In other news, yesterday was a day off of school that we ALL had off. Except Maurice, who was busy breaking his finger at the gym (ow). Since the fair ended Monday, and Disneyland wasn't in the picture, we ended up going up to the pumpkin patch and the movies.

The scarecrows were more realistic than the talking chihuahuas.

Mittens and Socks

My Jared mittens haven't been going well. I find the Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light to be VERY splitty and the alpaca fuzziness really obscures the pattern. I've decided they need a trip to the 'ole frog pond, and I will start again with some nice smooth Dream In Color Smooshy in a nice shaded solid brown.

But that is on hold while I work on other mittens. I have actually been planning these for some time - I had my friend Angela dye the yarn and I had to do the chart for them on the computer and get it all set up. They are the Poetry Mittens from Piecework Magazine. Instead of the poem the article used I put the Hail Mary prayer on them. They are for my daughter's teacher for Christmas. This year my daughter has her First Communion and she has a very special teacher, so I wanted to do something nice.

The first one is done - and it is going pretty well. They seem very long, but they do fit my hand quite nicely. Hopefully she doesn't have tiny hands.

I've got another First Communion project brewing in my mind. I'm thinking of knitting a lace veil for Grace to wear. I have been looking on Ravelry and found two different examples, one which uses a pattern from the Second Book of Modern Lace Knitting by Marianne Kinzel. I think I'm going to combine the cross panel of that one with some other lace patterns and create something new.

I did finish my Navajo socks too. They went off to be sold at the silent auction at Emily's school. I did get two new skeins of sock yarn from Janice of French 75 fame and I will turn one of them into the little pumpkins socks I saw on Ravelry. Those will be my halloween socks.

This is the time of year where I start my stealth knitting so I will give peeks here but not many details. My gift receivers aren't on Ravelry, so details will probably go there. I spend a lot of time favoriting and queuing over there, and I am starting to lose track of what my real "queue" of items I have to make is. There is the "want to make it queue" and the "someday I'll make this" queue. Wonder if everyone has that problem?

Bits and Pieces

I started a new Jared Flood pattern - Druid (Green Autumn) mittens from Vogue Knitting. Lots of cables, bobbles, interesting stitch patterns. Just love his patterns, as you may have noticed. I'm using Berroco Ultra Alpaca Light in a nice chocolate brown that matches my Celtic Cable Neckwarmer of not long ago. The only problem thus far is the alpaca is fuzzy and obscuring the pattern goodness. I don't want to stop and change yarn, but I may want to make this pattern again out of something that will show off the pattern more.

I am also making a pair of plain socks, just 'cus. These are out of True Love Fiber, in the Navajo colorway. It is striping nicely, and I like the red/turquoise combination. These I'm planning to donate to Emily's school's silent auction. I donated a pair of socks last year and they asked me again, so here I go.

I got the new Debbie Bliss magazine, and it is NICE. Then the new Knitty for fall was up, and there were lots of nice patterns there. Then I got the Interweave FELT issue, and there is this stripey purse....I'm suffering from too many patterns, not enough time syndrome. This week has been crazy busy and the knitting time is taking a huge hit. Sigh.

The Stitches West 09 brochure is up at their website, and I'm all decided on what I want to sign up for. Last year I took the "heavy hitters" meaning Cat Bordhi and Lucy Neatby, and this year I seem to be more interested in the techniques classes, like short rows, and cables, and finishing, and stitch patterns. Nicky Epstein is going to be there, and maybe I can get into one of her classes. The one on knitted edges and flowers looked fun. Registration is Wednesday morning. Wish me luck!

What to do while avoiding lace

My Juno Regina stole has stalled. I did the two end parts with all the charts, and now I'm on the "straight section" that is kind of tedious because you knit and knit and you've only done three rows which equals about 1/2 inch. I need more instant gratification than that.



So, I knit socks. Plain socks. Lots of instant gratification. The latest is out of the prettiest yarn I found at Imagiknit last time I was there. Great colors!! Unfortunately, the yarn makes Noro Sock feel like merino. It is so scratchy! I'm hoping washing with conditioner helps. The first sock was NOT fun to knit even though the colors were beautiful. It just felt icky.

Pretty though.

I also bought some lovely soft chocolate alpaca at Lambtown last weekend, and I have been searching Ravelry for something appropriate to make with it. I finally decided on the Celtic Cable Neckwarmer. I have started it, but only have this blurry photo to show for it at the moment:

Sorry about that. It is hard to see cables on dark brown anyway, but imagine how lovely they are. I only have one little skein of this alpaca so I'm trying to get all the bang for my buck possible. The next photo will be great I swear!

Good Thing the Circus Was in Town Last Week

Finished socks!!

Got new shoes!!

Aren't they awesome?! Perfect for showing off the hand knit socks. Helps the 'ole "quirky" image thing. No, I will not wear them with capris. Only with jeans in the dead of winter when wool socks make sense. I may be quirky, but I'm not crazy.

Truly Lovely Socks and a baby giraffe

My friend Angela dropped some of her yarn in my knitting bag on KIP day and I decided it needed to become a sock. I was looking for something easy since I'm working on lace too, so I first started the RPM sock. It wasn't working for me, it seemed much too stretchy, so I ripped back and made it into a good old standby Basic Sock Recipe. I had forgotten how satisfying it is to just knit. Although for some reason, I can't stand gussets. Odd.


Speaking of lace, I have finished both ends of the Juno Regina scarf and now need to do the long stretches of the middle part. I was actually looking forward to this, since I can then knit it when I'm out knitting with friends. Following charts requires me to be at home, with good lighting, when it is fairly tranquil around here. I say fairly, because it is rarely completely tranquil. We do what we can.



Speaking of children, Alex is now very close to being as tall as a giraffe is when it is born. Yikes! He is 13.

Two socks and one small crafter

Second sock is in the books. Yay! I had mentally moved on days ago, so I'm glad I could buckle down and finish the second Nutkin sock as to not let down my peeps at Twisted Tuesday Knit Night. Hair appointments are great for uninterrupted knitting time.

I am happy with the way they turned out. It is funny how this pattern twists. The photo doesn't show the pattern very well, but it is a larger size mock cable swirly pattern.

Love the yarn. True Love Fiber!!


Grace got a birthday present in the mail from Jean, a couple of crafty kits to keep her busy this summer. She has started with the loom kit, remember those? I remember them.

We had fun creating this together:

She is very proud of her creation and wants to make more. And she wanted me to blog her craftiness. She apparently gets how important it is to document your creativity!

Lots going, nothing finished

I was cruising along in sock land, when I was reading the Ancient Pathways group on Ravelry and it was mentioned that lots of our group had the Juno Regina stole in our queue, and we should do a knit - a - long.

No one had to twist my arm. Two days later, I have this:

I'm using Redfish silk in a fabulous green color. I got it two Stitches ago. I am doing the two ends at the same time on one circular, and then I will graft it together. Since I have two skeins, it was meant to be. Plus, I like the idea of having both come out identical. I don't enjoy tangles so much, so I may put one aside on a holder (Lisa's idea) once the lacy part at the end is done, then do the other, then graft. We'll see when I get there. That's the plan anyhow.

Anyway, sock guilt overcame me last night, so I picked up the Nutkin again and did a repeat or two just to say I did.

Oh, and just in case you think I had abandoned my My So Called Scarf, not to worry. I am at the end of skein one. I think two will be more than plenty, and I have three, so I need to decide if I want to make two or if I have something else destined for the third skein of this Manos del Uruguay Silk Blend that is too lovely to waste.

All three of these projects use lovely yarn that is a pleasure to work with. It is not so much knitting as yarn fondling. Yum!

Knitters and Nutkins

Now that I have a new charger and I'm back in laptop business, I need to update the universe on Worldwide Knit in Public Day, last Saturday. I was invited to join my new knitting pals from Ancient Pathways at Borders, where we sat and knitted for a few hours. Most of us were working on our socks from the KAL I'm doing at Ancient Pathways.

Lisa, her daughter Abby (who was reading "The Mitten" and also knitting at age 5), Angela (of TrueLove Fiber fame), and Janice (of French 75 fame) smiling for the camera.

I'm sure you noticed how I'm cozying up to the sock yarn dyers. I assure you my motives are pure, mostly, even though a skein just happened to jump into my knitting bag. The skein on the top is what I'm referring to, and the skein on the bottom is the one I had to take home with me last Tuesday. The ladies are actually very charming knitters, as are the rest of the Ancient Pathways gang. I'm having a REALLY good time joining them on Tuesday nights for this knit a long. I know I'm living on borrowed time since the schedule gets a little crazy during the school year, but for now I'm hooked.

Plus, I finished my first Nutkin sock! Tracy this morning at Knotty Knitters volunteered to be my sock model. I knit this sock per the pattern using the cuff I hadn't done before, and their short row heel, but I cheated and used my own regular toe. The sock is a quick knit, but it does twist a little. I also don't know if I like the cuff, it doesn't really hold the sock up. It does make a nice finished edge though.

Isn't the yarn pretty? Very Van Gogh. This is a True Love Fiber sock yarn, wool and tencel. Nice! Now for the second.

Decisions, decisions

Can't decide between socks and lace?

Do both!

What's a little "startitis" between friends? I am trying out my Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn. Now if you don't know about Noro, it is this Japanese yarn that has fabulous color changes. Their yarn in my opinion is scratchy, even Silk Garden, which I used for my entrelac scarf. It even has bits of "organic matter" for good measure, mostly bits of hay I guess. I used Noro Kureyon worsted weight for my Chevron Scarf that has gotten lots of "hearts" on Ravelry, but it is so scratchy I have never even woven in the ends and worn it.

Anyway, the sock yarn is scratchier than ever. I can't believe it is supposed to be a sock that is worn on human skin. Why did I buy it? I guess I wondered what all the hype was about. Why am I knitting it? I don't really know. I have looked at all the projects with it on Ravelry and some people think it is great, and some don't. I guess I'm seeing for myself.

Then, just to shake up the sock production line a bit, I am using sock yarn (Pagewood Farms Yukon, color Navajo) to make the Stork's Nest Scarf by Nancy Bush from Piecework Magazine, issue Jan/Feb 2008. I haven't done lace in awhile, and it is fun. This is the first time I'm using sock yarn, so it will be a little more substantial than my normal Zephyr.

Anyway, I knew you would all be dying to know what I chose, so I thought I'd let you get back to wondering who the Bachelor chooses, if Kristi Yamaguchi can win Dancing, and which David wins American Idol. Too much suspense isn't good for the soul.

Time Warp Socks and Don't Sheep Get Hot?

Hey -- it finally happened. The entrelac socks are finished. I feel like I worked on them FOREVER. Two months. That's a long time in sock knitting land.

They are tight. Entrelac doesn't stretch well. But since I spent an eternity on them I will MAKE them fit. Of course, once they are on, I may be wearing them awhile since I can't get them off, and since it will be 102 degrees here today, I pried them on for a quick photo and then pried them back off. They can stay in the drawer for awhile.

I've gotten myself some new reading material. I finally got my copy of Irresistible Gifts to Knit from England (notice my chicken as cover girl?) and now want to make everything on every page.

Carey brought me two books (aren't sisters great!). One was a mother's day gift (although I am not her mother, so she scores extra) and the other a "here have this". Either way, I'll take it.

The Harlot book is of course, funny so far, and I like it better than her last one. The other book is knitting with fine gauge yarns, and they have some nice designs. Especially these legwarmers/leggings that have cables and are very pretty. I do not need legwarmers. It is 102 degrees. But they are nice. Anyone with cold legs out there? I need to stick to knitting chickens and such things one does not have to wear.

Next on the knitting agenda is to finish my scarf I have started and find something else to knit. Here is where the ADD kicks in. I spent some time this morning thinking "Oh, maybe I'll make a pair of socks with the Cherry Tree Hill that has been staring at me for a few weeks." Then I think I'll knit them plain, then I decide that's too boring, then I look at patterns on Ravelry awhile, then I think "Ooo, how about lace?" Then I go look at the yarn from Stitches, then I see my Socks That Rock, then the cycle repeats itself. Verdict, nothing. I have basically rotated the yarn a little.

I have learned from this so far is that Ravelry is the best thing ever. I need a Ravelry for every other thing in my life. Ravelry for Librarians, for moms, for cooks (not that I cook, but it would be handy). All the possibilities are right there in front of you, linked to everything. FABULOUS. Now if I could just make a decision.