Well That was Interesting!

I did run out of yarn for the socks, and finished with some black. After all the angst about size and yardage, I remembered that I had used the brown yarn to decorate another pair of socks. with I had put a note with the yarn. anyway they are done and will be given some time in December 2014, either birthday or Christmas.

It keeps on snowing here. I'm ready for spring!

My knitting guild has decided to decorate a Christmas tree for charity next year. They need about 200 hats and mittens, which will be donated after serving as ornaments. I knit a pair of mittens. It seems I can't count. The first mitten was knit on 40 sts. The second on 52. Since this was for charity and I had plenty of yarn, I knit another pair like this. I also finished a smaller pair.

While I was on a mitten kick, I knit two pairs for great grandkids.

I also sneaked in a pair of fingerless mitts for ME before starting my Olympic challenges.

This is a pattern that I designed a year or so ago. I used the same yarn for me, since I had given away the originals. They'll be ready when the weather decides to cooperate.

I'm working on four Olympic challenges. Early in the day I have my Lady Macbeth sweater. I may not finish this, but and hour or so a day makes progress. It would qualify for the Ravelry event WIP Dancing, but I won't enter it unless it is finished.

Secondly, I have a pair of socks: event Sock Hockey. It's a Cookie A pattern which will also qualify for SKA and Solid Socks, I'm working with Knit Companion, which is great for a pattern with a 38 row repeat. It's the socks shown on the cover of her Sock Innovation book. I've done 48 of 63 rows on the first leg.

Thirdly is my Aerial Unwind event. I'm reclaiming the yarn from my TKGA Masters sweater. Lovely yarn. A great sweater! Too big for the body I have now. I found the pattern and will reknit and publish the pattern after rewriting in a smaller size etc.

Fourth challenge is another WIP dancing event. I started a skirt from leftover yarn. This is a Gwen Bortner idea, which I am probably going to have finished by the end of the games. I'm using up lots of odd balls of worsted weight yarn.

I've recorded the games and plan to do a lot of sitting and knitting in the next two weeks.

What can I say?

I've been busy.
I've knit a few Christmas stockings.

 

And finished a sweater from sock yarn leftovers.

I spent a few weeks getting ready for and holding a large yard sale. I'm trying to get rid of stuff so that I can move to a smaller house.

At work, my most interesting project is a clown costume. The customer is a professional clown, so willing to spend money to get what she wants. I have phone pics of that, but don't trust that they'll transfer to the blog without going upside down.

I'll try to post more often. I do well for a while and then life gets inthe way.

It's Spring

Remodeling
The kitchen is almost ready for paint! The fact that cupboards have been emptied and refilled my someone other than me, makes for certain challenges. I don't know where anything is! My daughter has done some reorganizing, which makes sense. Some things went in the trash. I was looking for some cider vinegar for a bread recipe today, and it's gone. The bottle was damaged. I used white vinegar instead. The bread is in the machine now.

My dog is thinking about shedding. Her undercoat comes off in clumps and I can't find the rake that I used to use. I'm sure it will turn up, but in the meantime, i bought a new rake and a slicker brush and started the beauty treatments. The rake is great for getting hair out of the slicker brush. She'll get combed at least tw2ice a day for the next few months,or until shedding ceases. Luckily, she likes the attention.

Quilting daughter is in town for a few days. She missed Christmas this year, but there is a family wedding on Saturday. There are also two birthdays that will be celebrated on Friday. Sunday morning is our monthly breakfast at the Gunny Hall, so it will be a busy weekend.

It seems like Spring here. I actually have a few daffodils in the back yard, and have seen crocuses and snow flowers while out with the dog.

Knitting

I have finished another pair of socks recently, and put two sock patterns on Ravelry. The new patte4r has butterflies on the ankles and is called Mama They Tickle. There were too many patterns with "butterfly" or "flutterby" in the name and I thought butterflies on the ankle would tickle. I remembered that out
Botanical Garden had a rainforest exhibit with lots of butterflies, so what a great idea for a photo or two. The butterflies did not cooperate! There weren't as many as I remembered. It was hard to get a photo indoors, because there was no place to put the socks. I went out doors and there were no flowers. I did the best I could, and got some nice pictures. The technique is Mosaic. The darker yarn is left form another pair of socks and I used all but a yard or so, so that's out of my leftover drawer.

I was busy knitting dishcloths. The father of the bride above say me knitting, and mentioned that they used to have knit dishcloths that were well loved, but wore out. I knit a set of three for his wife and all three daughters. That makes 18 dishcloths so far this year, counting the 6 that I sent off in February. Two more daughter want dishcloths, but they'll have to wait. I have one in my purse right now, but haven't worked on it recently. It's emergency knitting.

A very nice birthday

Wednesday was my birthday, the first that I have celebrated alone in my life. By alone, I mean no mother or husband to orchestrate a celebration. DH always remembered, but never did a big celebration, so quiet was to be expected. Actually, this one was more festive than many. I worked all day, then was taken out for dinner. Some of my children decided that I needed to experience Ethiopian cooking. DH was a meat and potatoes guy, but I'm more adventurous. We had a great meal, a meat and veggie sampler, eaten with what someone called rubber bread, tasty rubber bread. I got some phone calls and even had a gift to open. One of my Florida daughters sent me a gorilla tripod for my camera.

I have finished the socks for DGS and will deliver them tomorrow. It is family cookie day and his parents will be there, even if he has to work. The family gets together and does lots of cookies and them divides up the results. The sock pattern is from an old Stahl Socka book. It's fairly simple, but the dark yarn and user brain cramps made for some mistakes and ripping. All is well now!

I have started two more pairs of socks. The blue ones are for me. They fulfill a requirement for the Socktopia group on Ravelry and are my own design. I'll write up the pattern soon. I've called them Techtonic because they look like an earthquake has hit them.

The other pair is for Sock Knitters Anonymous on Ravelry and will be a gift. They fulfill both the entrelac technique category and the left over yarn category. I'm using six different yarns left over from other socks.

I have decided to knit dishcloths for Christmas presents  and have finished two of them. No pictures yet.

We have had snow, but today, we actually have a little left on the ground at the end of the day. You almost can see it on the grass. The wool socks, hat, and mittens come in handy. I made new mittens last year and really love them. They replaced a worn out pair and coordinate with my hat and scarf.

OK that's finished, now what?

Friday June 24, 2011

Depression?

I finished the Plymouth Zino scarf yesterday and it is blocked and probably dry. It doesn’t take long. I washed it and put in the blocking wires this morning. I’m feeling that sinking feeling that I get almost every time I finish a project.

I’ve been playing with shawl ideas and swatching, but I’m not ready to start one yet. Left over sock yarn in a similar colorway was used for the swatch. I think I need fewer holes. The color seems to fight with the lace.

I have some birthday socks to knit. This is the pair that I knit the swatches for, and decided to change patterns. The new pattern is going well, but I’m not feeling the joy. I expect it will get better as I get farther into the project.. Right now, it keeps my fingers busy, and will result in a gift for my son whose birthday is July 5.

I also need to make an animal for our guild toy competition/give away. I have a rabbit pattern picked out. I need that by July 11. Then I can start the shawl, maybe. I need a gift for son-in-law’s 50^th birthday. I’m thinking socks again. Then there are the socks for big-foot., who has a birthday in early August.. He is soooo appreciative, as what I knit are the only socks that really fit.

Saturday June 26

I'm liking the Zino shawlette. A large shawl would have a sort of granny square effect. I'll keep that thought.

The swatch was knit with Plymouth Sockotta, left over from socks. The new yarn is also by Plymouth, and I expect the same sort of random colors. The next swatch will have fewer holes. I think the needle size is good for this yarn.

The rabbit is started. It's a Fiona McTague pattern from Knitted Toys. I've started with a smaller needle than recommended, but the pattern is written in stitches and rows, not inches, so I'll continue. I'm using WoolEase sprinkles.

Missing sock and other stash reduction

Sock Mystery
The missing sock mystery is still not solved. I bought more yarn and knit a 3rd sock.There is enough leftover to knit another pair. I keep waiting for the missing sock to turn up. The pattern is Knotty or Knice by Chrissy Gardiner. The yarn is Crystal Palace Panda Silk.

Blue socks
Once upon a time, I knit a pair of wonderful socks that shrunk when I washed them for blocking. Crystal Palace replaced the yarn and I've finally knitting the replacements. The pattern is Moonchild by Adrienne Fong. The new yarn is Crystal Palace Panda Superwash. I've used 8/0 clear AB beads.

These socks actually don't qualify for any prizes. I had hoped that they'd work for Solid Socks, but was denied. The Crystal Palace blog has a contest using their yarn. It was time to stop petting it and start knitting with their yarn.

Both pairs of socks are part of my Spring Stash Dash challenge. I'm also working on the gray sweater.

Mother's Day was celebrated with all available family. Thirteen of us invaded BobEvans at 8:00 in the morning. The rest of the day was quiet.

Guild project
Monday night our guild had a speaker as part of our charity knitting. She represented women2women-knitting4peace. Among other projects distributed in third world countries, she talked about skinny scarves given as rewards to kids who do things like show up for medical exams. I was looking in my stash for bulky yarn for another project. I found many single balls not suitable for beginning knitters. With big needles and bulky yarn, I can knit a scarf in a couple of hours. so far I have 6 of them. I'm aiming for 10 scarves. I may do more if I have the yarn.

Tomorrow, our son receives his PhD. This is the third PhD in our overeducated family. We're not going to the ceremony, but will gather at a local park for burgers etc. I din't ask him, but I'm presuming that he is marching and making his teenagers watch.

The week that was

Early in the week we had freezing rain. UGH!! The next morning the sun shone brightly and all the trees looked like spun glass. Amazing!

I received a prize from a Ravelry group of a project bag. My DH calls these cows! The bag was made by Blue Tulips, who has an etsy shop.

Inside the bag is a shawlette from CPY Panda Silk DK yarn (another prize from a different group). I followed one of their patterns and ran out of yarn. The shawl is now finished and being blocked, so more photos of that later.

I finished the Tulip socks for DD the remodeler. It was a gray day. She is plugging along on her bathroom, taking showers elsewhere, like the "Y". Destruction has finished and she is beginning to build back. Luckily she has family and friends to help and advise.

Another baby hat was finished. This one of sock yarn. It will fit a larger baby.

I'm designing a shawl from this sock yarn. It should be a one skein project.

Happy, happy

The leftover biscotti socks are finished and on their way to the birthday recipient. Two more sock leftovers are completely used up.

This baby hat pattern showed up on my 2011 Knitting Calendar. I felt the itch to make one. The pattern doesn't show up on the variegated one, so I did it again. The pattern is leaves and the hat starts at the crown of the head and works down. These will go in my gift drawer for future use.

The purple scarf is finished and will also go in the gift drawer. It is knit in double brioche stitch and each side is a slightly different color.

Next up, a neck cozy. I had one skein of yarn that was calling to me, and went with my coat. I started at the top and worked down until I ran out of yarn. It's based on Elizabeth Zimmermann pattern in Knitting Around. It looks a little different now. I reknit it, so that there is less ribbing and more of a flap in front. It's bulky yarn and when worn folded over, was too thick. I don't need my hat down to my eyebrows. Another one evening project.

The blue Niagara socks were a huge hit with my hairdresser. She's not allergic to wool, (a concern) and they were just her color. I didn't think of the allergy problem until the middle of the second sock.

My new bathroom is another step closer to perfection. I finished the new rug. It is crocheted from almost 2 pounds of dishcloth cotton. One end is narrower because I ran out of the thicker yarn. It really isn't noticeable, except when it doesn't line up with the floor tiles. No more store bought rugs where the binding comes loose all too soon.

We're off to have breakfast with the kids, well one family of them. Later today will be a birthday bash for two grand kids.

My yarn room is still a mess

I keep finding more yarn. I'm off work until Jan. 3, so I should be able to make more progress. This room is part of out third floor, which has been in an uproar for about 2 1/2 years. It's along story! I've cleaned up the table by the window with the swift and ball winder on it, but it doesn't show in the photo. Many of the plastic drawers have space, but everything needs an inventory card so I can find it again.

Much of the extra yarn was in the house, but not in the inventories before the remodeling mess. Everything was so hard to access that no inventory updating was done. The computer spread sheet was kept up to date, but not the index cards with the yarn snippets. The cardboard boxes hold cone yarn. I need to clear the floor, so I can bring in one more table and two more knitting machines. The table you can see will hold one machine, which is hiding in the dormer.

I still need to bring sock yarn upstairs, after I install the knitting machine on that wooden table. There are shelves in the dormer which will hold the sock yarn boxes. Sock yarn does not have inventory cards, but it has always been kept together in one area of the house. (maybe someday).

Here are my latest socks. They are my own design, to be made available soon. The impetus was a SKA challenge to use left over sock yarn. The base yarn is Plymouth Happy Feet left from 3 skeins I originally had. I made a pair of fair isle socks for the yarn company called Rows of Hearts. I had 60 gm left over, not enough for a pair of socks by itself. The blue is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Jeans color and the brown/gray is the same yarn in Mineshaft color.

I started with a Barbara Walker pattern from her second Treasury, called Paving Stones. (I just called that treasury the "sockend" one). I'm calling the pattern Legacy. It reminded me of engraved paving stones seen in many places. It's alsdo a legacy from socks past. This pair will be given as a January birthday present.

It's almost Christmas

Luckily, I won't celebrate with family until a week later. Out of town presents are mailed, except for the one that the post office couldn't find to pick up. I've rescheduled and will call the post office early in the morning to complain.

The second pair of mittens is finished. No more Christmas knitting. I do have some sewing to do. Saturday was an 18th birthday party and I asked my DIL for gift ideas. She wants jammy pants. I had forgotten about that idea. Sunday saw me at the fabric store buying flannel for most of the rest of the giftees. Some young men are getting $$. This is the pile that I still need to sew up. One pair is finished and I should get a couple more done tomorrow. They take about 1 hour each.

I finished the Advent socks. they are knit from Knit Picks yarn. I'll see how they wear. They sure are soft and the yarn is not expensive. Even at noon, we don't have much sun these days. The detail shows if you embiggen the picture. The foot has decreases on the top and increases on the sole. the heel is very interesting too. I may make these socks again.

I finally started the December sock challenge. I chose the left overs option, designing my own socks. Unlike my previous left overs socks, these are very subtle. I should be able to finish the leg with the colors shown. I planned for the foot to be plain. These are for a January birthday, so I have plenty of time.

September Knitting

It's Labor Day here in NE Ohio, and I'm being lazy. That implies that much knitting is happening, as well as some TV watching. There will be a cookout with family later.

Much knitting has been finished recently. Small projects get done quickly. There were the Fiesta Feet. I doubted my sanity at times during the knitting, but soldiered on and they're done. Both yarns are Kroy 4 ply sock yarn. They were originally designed with a light colored solid. I had some, but used it for some other socks and couldn't find a comparable substitute.

The leftover from these socks went to DGD Ana for her birthday. There was just over 1 ball of the paintbox color. All but 1 yd went into the socks. No leftovers to worry about there. I used a pattern from a book by Janel Laidman, called the Eclectic Sole. We collect books and patterns and don't use them, especially if you're a designer. This year I'm trying to use some of what is on my shelves.

The tomato hat will be mailed with a hat for big sister Rayven. The base hat is a fruit hat, like the tomato, but I put a rose on top from Nicky Epstein's Embellishment book.

I loved the yarn from the Swiss Cheese Scarf and had a lot leftover. A sweater for me is on the needles. It will have short sleeves and is lacy, which doesn't show here. If I can't finish it in the grey tweed, I have a few choices of matching yarn. Green is my first choice, possibly a lace edging and crochet edge on the neck.

A simple project, now that the hats are done, is a baby sweater for the gift drawer. All the girly sweaters were used up this spring. This is a simple one-piece kimono from dish cloth cotton, left over from my jacket. The pattern is in Mason-Dixon Knitting, which calls for this yarn.

Of course, there are socks! There is the Ravelry SKA Mystery Sock; clue #1, sock #1.

The Ravelry Solid Sock group has chosen brown for this month. I have a Ram Club pattern from last year that is for DH. Yarn substitution was required, because the given yarn didn't have enough yardage. Hopefully this Hazel Knits sock yarn will cover both toes without additions from the scrap drawer. I love the depth of the color and the pattern really pops.

The SKA group also has a color of the month for September. It is white, or black, or black/white. A pair of socks for DGD Luci has been started in black. I'm using a Cookie A pattern from her Sock Innovations book.

Last Wednesday i judged needlework at another fair. This time it was Geauga County, the oldest fair in the state. The building I worked in was rebuilt in 1899 after a fire. Lots of good entries. It's harder to choose the best, but I feel better about it. There were only a few items int he wrong class. Sometimes people don't read, and sometimes they may mix up the tags on entry day.

Knit, knit, finish

One of the side effects of working on many projects is that they may all get finished at about the same time.

• Sunday - cotton jacket
• Tuesday - Mystery Socks
• Thursday - Swiss Cheese Scarf
• Saturday - Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf
• Monday - fingerless mitts
• Thursday - mitt covers

That's it for now. Work has been slow, and I'm the boss, so I've had more knitting time at work.

The Mystery socks were stash busters., using little balls of left overs. The swiss cheese scarf is cone yarn from a mill. I like it so much that I have started a sweater from the rest of the yarn. It is top down. all available yarn will be used and there are so many colors ot tweedy bits in it, that I can choose another color for finishing if needed.

Last Saturday was a guild yarn shop hop. We went to Columbus, OH, about 3 hrs south of us. We did have to meet up at 6:15 AM. I didn't drive, so was able to knit.I chose a simple scarf that had been sitting for over 6 months. It is the Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf, knit from 2 balls of Noro Matsuri that I received as a holiday gift. On the trip, needles, sock yarn, a pattern, and a sock yarn needle gauge were purchased. Much fun was had.

One of my daughters had taken up running for exercise. She asked for fingerless mitts with thumbs. The yarn I chose is partly purple, her color, but it is also cotton stretch. (Patons Stretch socks). I decided to make mitt covers using Wool-Ease. If she runs when it is colder outside, she can use something else. All pieces were adapted from Ann Budd's Handy Book of Patterns

Today is family day picnic gathering. DD #1 is in town from Florida. I gave her a book on historic American quilts, since that is her main hobby. She loved it.

Present sock on the needles is Lucy Neatby's Fiesta Feet, knit from Patons Kroy 4 ply sock yarn. Plan A was to use muslin as the solid, but it was knit into something else and is not available. Norfolk blue was substituted. Kroy is heavier/denser that many sock yarns, so I stuck with the same brand. Boy is this a lot of work! I made the leg longer, because I like winter socks to meet my long underwear. Nothing worse than a gap for the cold air to find. I've waited years to knit these. When I finally got to it, I couldn't find the pattern and had to buy a new copy. That wasn't so bad, as the first one was a copy a friend gave me. From her complaints, I thought she was sending me her original. When I used the muslin yarn, it was still available for repurchase. Oh Well. First sock is finished. Keep knitting!

Quick cast on - a fruit hat for grandson to be born in Sept. Stash yarn says he gets an apple. I bought a fruit phat pattern on the shop hop, thinking I only had the flower hat pattern. WRONG! I can't find a flower hat pattern, but already had the fruit hat. DD #1 was happy to take one of them off my hands. I should finish the hat tonight, started about 4:00 this afternoon. It was easy knitting at the party, round and round and round.