Busy, busy

A Valentine's Day surprise came to my shop. Someone loves me!!!

I finished the secret socks and mailed them off to the yarn company. On to the next pair of secret socks. I don't know what they are going to do with them, but the checks I get are nice. All socks are color work of some sort. The recent ones are stranded.

My Olympics project was started during opening ceremonies. Here's the chart and the beginning of the leg, which is knit flat. All yarn is leftovers from other sock projects. The second picture shows stitches on hold for the heel. The finished socks will have a seam at the back leg. The solid color is used for the heel and the rest of the foot. I used decreases to connect the color work to the solid.

Two display feet came home with me yesterday. I was so happy! I tried a sock on a foot, and discovered that I seem to have bought male feet, useful, but not what I wanted. I'll try again. I do have a picture of one sock. I think it will show better if I show more of the side, which is lighter in color.

We celebrated some family birthdays last Sunday. The Magnificent Mittens have gone to their final home. Doesn't she look happy?

The party really was for two of our grandchildren. My sewing machine was put into use here. A few years ago, I made fleece hoodies for these two. They grew, as children do, and needed hoodie replacements. Fabric was purchased early while there was more selection of small prints suitable for small clothes rather than blankets. EB loves hearts, which I didn't realize, but that just made it better.

I was able to find baseballs for her brother. Baseball is one of his interests. Everyone is laughing because he has the shirt on backwards. Much covering of the face with the hood happened before everything was turned right.

Some of the older grandchildren were playing with musical instruments, a trumpet and small tuba. Son-in-law/Dad of EB and MB plays tuba.

Much Olympics is being watched. Recording programs makes for lots of choice, except when the recorder malfunctions. We missed most of the men's figure skating long program. Disappointing!

Magnificent Mittens

Well, I haven't worn my Jester Socks yet. I kept them clean to show off at guild meeting and the library knit-in the next day. I don't want to wear beaded socks inside boots. We've had a couple of days of snow and so it's boot weather.

I promised my daughter in law a pair of Anna Zilboorg's Magnificent Mittens as a late birthday present. They are finally finished. Yes, I beaded them. The beads are #6 clear glass. The yarn was inherited from my mother. I lined these mittens with cashmere, from a mystery cone my LYS owner loaned me. I'm to return what I don't use. Here is the pair before sewing in the second lining.

I really need to make myself a new pair. Mine have been sprouting holes this year. I've patched them for now. They'll have to wait. I have my SKA/Olympic challenge to knit starting Friday night and some secret socks for Plymouth Yarn to finish. They look like this on the inside.

I have my Olympic project kit ready. I have my inspiration and my chart. I'm using yarn left over from other pairs of socks. I've made a swatch for color and gauge. I need to tweak the chart a little. I'm doing intarsia and one edge of the leg has only one stitch of a color. I'll shift the chart a little to one side. I also need to decide exactly how I'm doing the cuff. It's rather important, since I start with the cuff.

The deal is to start a project at the beginning of opening ceremonies and finish it before 12 PM the day of closing ceremonies. I also have another pair of secret socks to do by March 1, so I kept my commitment small.