More problems

The blue Socks are finished. I ran out of yarn, but was able to get more. The socks looked like this when the yarn ran out.

The pattern is Niagara by Janel Laidman. The yarn is Claudia Hand Painted Yarn in Periwinkle. I added one repeat to the width of the sock and two repeats to the length.

The mittens are finished. Worsted weight yarn knits up faster than fingering, even in a fair isle pattern. I designed these, using elements from a number of sources. The main yarn is Aussi Wool that I bought last spring, knowing that the original mittens were dying. The fuzzy section is a combination of Bernat Boa and pink sock yarn.

I've started another pair of leftovers socks. The pattern is called Cranberry Biscotti. I'm doing them toe up, to ensure that I don't run out of yarn. The pattern is going quickly, since it is largely stockinette.

Sewing is happening, and it's for me. I'm making another unlined jacket, this time from light weight wool. I used lining to put a Hong Kong finish on all exposed seams. I'm using two different wools from stash. The collar and all other edges are a little heavier than the body. I have all the pieces together, but forgot to bring the camera to work. There is some finishing to do still.

I was wrong about the three closets to empty, there are four. Three are now mostly empty. The wall paper steaming is going to be delayed. The weathermen predict icy rain for that day, which makes for slippery footing for moving machinery. Also we are having boiler/furnace trouble. It appears that something has gotten down the chimney and is blocking air flow to the burners., creating havoc with electronic controls. Repair people have come twice and we still have problems. Tomorrow, they plan to check what is in the chimney.

Odd pictures

I don't know where my photography is going. First I take a picture of a frowning face. The bath mat is a little cock-eyed.

Then I try to show you a yarny bathing suit. This will be another Rodekool scarf. The left hand yarn is Jojoland Melody and the right hand yarn is Aussi Sock. I figured that I should knit the second scarf while I still remembered the pattern and how to fix errors. It did take me four tries to get it cast on and started. Plan A was to use two ends of the same yarn. There was no contrast and it was hard to follow the pattern. Mistake fixing was next to impossible. This is not high contrast, but different enough for ease in working.

One purple/pink mitten is finished. The second was uncooperative this morning. Mitten #1 was started on #4/3.50 mm needles. Mitten #2 was started on #5/3.75 mm needles. I had switche4d to the larger needles for the hand of mitten #1. The fuzzy stripe was supposed to have pink sock yarn carried along with the eyelash, not pink worsted. I'll admit, I was in the car helping DH with errands this morning when these glitches happened.

I have the yarn for the blue sock. They look like this now. The goal of finishing by month end will be met. The LYS is selling out its stock of Pony Pearl needles. I picked up some dp needles in the scarf size that are 8" long. That should work better than the needles I had before. I get tired of the extra length of a circular needle for a small project, and 7" dps were just a little short.

Exercise for the day was a trip to Sam's Club. I haven't been for about 6 months and spent like a drunken sailor. An hour or so of pushing a cart that got increasingly heavy, loading everything in the car, unloading everything at home, finding homes for everything, much of it in the basement, made for one tired knitter. I need to go more often, so I'll buy less at a time. Next trip will be when we run low on pancake syrup. I didn't buy that today.

Next exercise session will be the emptying of three closets. Wall paper removal is scheduled for Wednesday. Domestic archeology will undoubtedly find much that can leave the house in the donation bag or the garbage. Out of sight, out of mind.

Knit, Knit, Rip, Rip

The fish/scarf thing is Rodekool from Knitty.com. It is finished, but still a little short. More yarn is coming from Michigan. I love Ravelry! I get to make my scarf longer and someone else gets rid of a leftover.

I declared it done and wore it. Getting more yarn will mean that I have to take out the bind off in order to add on. The center section is fine the way it is.

The new mittens are growing. I frogged the hand because it was too tight. I went up one needle size and it's much better. I expect them to stretch with use. It's surprising how quickly bigger yarn works up. I did most of the hand at the library knitting group last night. It took 1 1/2 hours. The design is my own. I did a chart for the hand, based on some Slovak color patterns I saw.

The blue socks are growing. I will get more yarn tomorrow. The yarn went to New York City, but we got a call that a skein is now waiting for me.

I'm knitting a second Rodekool scarf from my original yarn. Instead of using two ends of the same ball, I found another ball of sock yarn to contrast and like it better. I only ripped that project three times.

I started another jacket at work today. It's a Marcy Tilton Vogue pattern that I have sewn before. I also knit a version last summer. The first version was linen. This version is wool.

The father/daughter remodeling team is working on halls now. Wallpaper was discovered in a couple of hall sections, so a steamer will be rented and bedroom closets and halls will be paper free.

Bits and Pieces

The bathroom is completely finished, except for a radiator that needs paint. Sounds like a summer time job to me. We'll have to research heat resistant paint for it.

My velveteen jacket is finished. I also made a pair of pj pants for a two year old's birthday gift. Next up is another jacket for me.

The blue socks are progressing slowly. I used just over one skein of yarn for the first one, which means that I can't finish the second without more yarn. LYS says all of that line of yarn is in New York City this weekend. It will be back on Tuesday. I hope they don't sell all of my color.

This blue is not a fish, it's a scarf. The yarn is Mini-Mochi, which has very long color changes. The pattern calls for one ball, but I ran short. Do you see a tendency? I shortened the center section and should be in good shape. It's a technique called two-color brioche, and takes a lot more concentration that most of my projects. Now that I seem to have the pattern in my head, I may do another one.

A project that went well, was a vest for EB's birthday. I had plenty of yarn. The buttons came from my mother's stash. The pattern is from a book called Circular Knitting Redefined that I have a pattern published in. I have a birthday sweater for MB that I knit about 12 years ago for publication. It resurfaced just in time to fit him.

The black hole of knitting swallowed another dp needle this week. I saw where it fell, but it isn't there. It did spit up a sock needle 4 days later. Don't know when that one went in, but I'm glad to see it. I also have a knitting black hole at work. It ate a stitch marker recently, but that may have gone in the trash.

It's tax time for my business. Semi-annul sales tax is done and paid. Payroll taxes are in good shape, but I'm missing two forms. They have been ordered.

I'll finish the scarf tomorrow. I'm so close, but have about 3" to go. Then I can work on my new mittens. I finally trashed my purple mittens that match my hat and scarf. I got tired of mending them. I've had the replacement yarn since last spring. There was more mitten knit, but I ripped it out. It was a little small so I upped the needle size. I'm using fair isle, and making the mittens so that they can be worn on either hand to spread the wear.

Sunday I spent all day at a guild workshop on sweater fitting with Anne Hanson. My accountant's wife rode out with me. Made a long ride shorter. I learned a bit and got a lot of work done on a sweater that has been hibernating over the holidays.

We won't talk about the new classes I have to submit to Knitter's Fantasy, or the pattern waiting to be written.

Did you miss me?

One reason is these socks.
They have 16 colors of yarn in them. The pattern is called Drip Candles and is one of those, where if you start working, you can't seem to stop. What will it look like after the next color. My sock yarn leftovers pile is smaller now. The socks are packed up to go to Illinois for someone's birthday.

All the mittens were well received. My son remembers Stop and Go mittens from his childhood.

I've been slowly working on this velveteen jacket. It's time to sew for me and my family, so I'm trying to use 1/2 hr. each day for this. Here's the jacket at day 6.

It's a simple jacket that I've made before, but I did a couple of things different because of the velveteen. I lined the sleeves, so it will go on easily.

I did a Hong Kong finish on the hems. I used bias tape from my stash, sewing it to the outside of the hem, pressing it flat, turning it under, and stitching the line between bias and velveteen. They look like this when hand stitched to the jacket. The pattern calls for top stitching, which worked well on the first one I made, but I didn't like it here.

Day 7 saw the yoke put together and the bound buttonhole made. The jacket is now finished. the yoke is lined with lining fabric and there is a black button. I'll get a photo today, I forgot the camera yesterday.

Next project is a pair of flannel p.j. pants for a 2 yr old.

My knitting needles are not idle, but again, few photos. I'm working on socks (no surprise there). They're a gift for my hairdresser. I forgot her at Christmas. I hope she can wear wool.

There also is the vest for 6 yr old granddaughter. I've no pictures of that at all.

We have wallpaper

The remodeling continues. DD JC and I have been wallpapering the bathroom this week. It was renovated 5-6 years ago and left with unfinished wallboard. She has been mudding and sanding, then priming for a couple of weeks. She works 3 days a week most weeks and 4-5 hours a day on this job. This is the same daughter who helped finish the 3rd floor, where my yarn room resides. She and her son also smashed the old laundry tubs, so a new one could be installed.

Because the little wood shelf divides one wall, the bottom of the room has different paper. We still need to add a border below the line of the shelf and at the ceiling. It will be cut from the stripe paper. There is lots of paper cut to a reasonable length, since I managed to miscut one section twice, by starting the repeat at the wrong spot. The shelf section doesn't need a border, but the rest of the room does, so it will all be bordered. The ceiling almost escaped getting a border, but there is a 1/2" gap at one section, so a border there too.

Later in the day - we are finished with the wallpaper. We have borders top and bottom, cut from the stripe paper. Borders are much easier to do that sheets of paper. After lunch, and the Home Depot run for caulk. The tub surround will be recaulked.

I bought a new wastebasket and bowl brush because the fish set I have doesn't go with the new room. I probably will make the new shower curtain. I use a fabric liner, so that will serve until we get the new curtain. A wallpaper sample will go to the store with me for color matching. I also need to replace the rug, x2, so I can wash one. At least the towels go with the new colors.Towel rods go up later today. One was up, but got knocked down in the sanding/mudding stage. The room is not done, but it looks better every day. This was one of the rooms that had not been fixed up since we bought the house. The plumbing/fixture part was done because of leaks.

Knitting News
I finished the Legacy socks. I'm not sure if I will write the pattern. The leg looks baggy at the ankle. They will be a January birthday gift.

Another pair of socks is on the needles

<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVNW2jilo6vn6nGOR3yxQZlWYuSZogOY83wvuMzAOiin5zmPYNo4vSzQ227RC0vx1Wqp7XtyCwJb6VbQzQo9ScoJm0kI-bfYanwZtNFJNLIC_fF7l6KwEyVpL6Ghc9dpnbY58lSrK8aJ6/s1600/Wallpaper+1.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoVNW2jilo6vn6nGOR3yxQZlWYuSZogOY83wvuMzAOiin5zmPYNo4vSzQ227RC0vx1Wqp7XtyCwJb6VbQzQo9ScoJm0kI-bfYanwZtNFJNLIC_fF7l6KwEyVpL6Ghc9dpnbY58lSrK8aJ6/s200/Wallpaper+1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556845225436752882" border="0" /></a>The remodeling continues. DD JC and I have been wallpapering the bathroom this week. It was renovated 5-6 years ago and left with unfinished wallboard. She has been mudding and sanding, then priming for a couple of weeks. She works 3 days a week most weeks and 4-5 hours a day on this job.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQLJPpwqK2GfM8RP4I_dZkMsScX5t57vvESyyXP7BSycN8M-R39jsUiRtYYoQ_m41VFPVQo3mKM1tqCc-DeVPC_azWrJGZga-auErLVkn5CMSgIZ6K-mbp_vgDuGCwBhhggGKKqah85Y8/s1600/Wallpaper+3.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxQLJPpwqK2GfM8RP4I_dZkMsScX5t57vvESyyXP7BSycN8M-R39jsUiRtYYoQ_m41VFPVQo3mKM1tqCc-DeVPC_azWrJGZga-auErLVkn5CMSgIZ6K-mbp_vgDuGCwBhhggGKKqah85Y8/s200/Wallpaper+3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556846091836844738" border="0" /></a> This is the same daughter who helped finish the 3rd floor, where my yarn room resides. She and her son also smashed the old laundry tubs, so a new one could be installed. Because of the little wood shelf, the bottom of the room has different paper. We still need to add a border below the line of the shelf and at the ceiling. It will be cut from the strip paper. <a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck3U74AZpbgMrq1I272fMDL559BdXz-vg9cbbRznS_9CyTVuI-fJZlyd-O53cxKL9SLicxSqfXo6lxugIDuouQKXxHSlmkA6obBV2N3ROKWahyphenhyphenW5vvZNDzYGq9RTAs1SGV7Cc7UTkTVTX/s1600/Wallpaper+2.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 150px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjck3U74AZpbgMrq1I272fMDL559BdXz-vg9cbbRznS_9CyTVuI-fJZlyd-O53cxKL9SLicxSqfXo6lxugIDuouQKXxHSlmkA6obBV2N3ROKWahyphenhyphenW5vvZNDzYGq9RTAs1SGV7Cc7UTkTVTX/s200/Wallpaper+2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556847250299047186" border="0" /></a>There is lots of paper cut to a reasonable length, since I managed to miscut one section twice, by starting the repeat at the wrong spot. The shelf section doesn't need a border, but the rest of the room does, so it will all be bordered. The ceiling almost escaped getting a border, but there is a 1/2" gap at one section, so border there too. for a February birthday. The pattern is Drip Candles from the XRX book Think Outside the Sox. This is another leftovers pair. The pattern calls for 3 colors, but the prototype was done with 8. Colors are used 2 at a time, changing every 8 rows. It's a fair isle pattern with alternating stitches, no long floats, so not only is it easy to do, mistakes don't show.

Remember that stack of flannel? I have one more pair of pants to sew. They are cut out, so I have only about 1/2 hour of work left. Gift giving is Sunday. While my shop has been closed, I have continued the dry cleaner work. Every day I do the alterations and work on flannel pants. Total time in shop about 1 hour.

One pair of comfy pants was made and mailed before the photo. Two more pairs are going out today. Three pairs will be given on Sunday. It's been a relaxing holiday season with the gift part delayed so long. I've put in plenty of work on the house, so going back to the shop will be easier on the body.

Only one more thing on my vacation to do list, make Lasagna. It's one of DH's favorite dishes and hard to do when working. Of course, the left overs will go in the freezer with the stuffed peppers, stuffed cabbage, and many soups.

We had an easy soup today, Gift in a Jar Potato Soup. I made a kit yesterday, filling the jar with instant mashed potatoes, powdered creamer and a few other things. Today I made 8 cups of boiling water and poured in the mix. Five minutes or less and it's ready to eat. I may have to use that as a gift again this year. We all have days when it's nice to have an instant meal on the shelf, or in the freezer in my case. Just remember to get it out in time for thawing.

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.