How Bizarre

I had noticed the Project Spectrum buttons on some blogs, but I really hadn't paid attention until I read a post in Panhandle Knit and Sew and realized what it was. So I followed the button - sounds like a fun thing to join in on and (This is the bizarre thing) the colors for this time period are gray, blue and white. And, here are the socks I had been working on this month, before I ever read about Project Spectrum.

I seldom buy blue yarn - it's just not a good color for me, but I wanted to try this Regia cotton blend, and I wanted socks to wear with jeans. The gray socks are Cashsoft 4 play. I found the pattern stitch in a couple of books. In the Barbara Walker Treasury 2 the version is a little different, but is called Turtle Tracks.

I knitted both on size 2 needles, starting with 60 for the striped and 56 for the gray. I had some trouble with ladders on the striped ones, but my experience has been that these will disappear after the first washing.

Another view of Turtle Tracks. I really like the cable-esque look combined with some eyelets. This is an easy pattern to follow - only eight rows with YO's and decreases that move over a stitch every other row.

Four FO, One more UFO

To date I have finished a baby blanket, a baby sweater and hat, and two pair of socks. I have posted pictures of the blanket and sweater earlier, and I forgot to take a picture of the college bowl socks before I mailed them, but I also finished my Socks That Rock. I started these last July while flying to Copenhagen. I broke one of my needles on the plane, so I had to limp along with 4 DPN's instead of 5. I put them away because I really wasn't thrilled with the color, but in the spirit of finishing, I dug them out last week and finished!

While looking for some stray needles, I found this T-Shirt that I started for myself last summer, out of elann's Sonata. I love the pattern, but I really have trouble knitting for myself - evidently I have a distorted self image because this sweater is about 6 inches too big in circumference. All I have left are the sleeves and the neck ribbing, so I think I will finish it and try to tactfully find someone to give it to.

The last picture is my idea of a great Sunday afternoon. I have a fire in the woodstove and my buddy on my lap. (Note the "Rock N Roll Knitter" shirt)

And more UFO's

So, I found 3 more UFO's. The red is the start of Rowan's Audrey in Calmer. I can't believe I forgot this because I loved this color when I saw it in a yarn store, but they didn't have quite enough. I took a chance, bought what they had and then tried to find more. Luckily I found some online and, even though the dyelots aren't the same, they all look the same. Now I just need to get this done.

The other two are furry scarves - I am so tired of novelty yarn! Again, color caught me on the orangey one - it is a great blend of orange, pink and gold. I bought the yarn for the other scarf on a clearance for possibly gnome beards. However, it has quite a bit of metallic copper, so I don't think it would be right for beards, but a colleague thinks she would like a scarf, so I'll get it done. I only have about 6 inches left.

And, here is why I had time to get out UFO's and finish some things. Snow started here Friday night, and it snowed through late Saturday night; we had around 9 inches total. I spent most of Saturday knitting in front of the woodstove. However, this picture is from Sunday morning, and the melting has already started, which is great since we have to be in school tomorrow.

UFO's - Batch #2

Another sweater for me - this will be a hooded tunic out of Paton's SWS in the Earth colorway. I made one for my daughter and loved it, so I started one for me. I currently have four (actually five) socks in progress. The red are out of WoolEase and have a candy-cane pattern, so they can wait for next Christmas; The purple are Chutes and Ladders pattern, the purple blue striped are my first use of Socks that Rock yarn, which I just got bored with. The brown tweed are for my son-in-law and this is the second sock, although neither one is finished yet. I am doing parts of each one after another, so they stay the same.






















Cleaning out UFO's was such a help. I found the baby blanket, and I found this sweater that is knit from Canadiana when my daughter was about 13 (she's 23 now), but I think it will still fit her because I didn't understand gauge very well then, and it's really big. All I need to do is sew it together and finish the bands. Then I have a bag of scarves in progress - the green is elann's Baby silk in (I think) a Cascade lace, the black is some alpaca I bought at an alpaca ranch in Taos, N.M., the pink is my first attempt with mohair (which I hate), and the purpley black is Branching Out in some wool I bought in Copenhagen this summer. I don't know who will get the scarves, so I don't feel much pressure to finish them. They are mainly for me to try new fibers or new techniques.

I joined a UFO group in Yahoo with the hope that public display would be humiliating, and I would get some finished. I didn't take pictures of the things that I am just frogging and/or giving away. I have 3 sweaters that need minor finishing work, but I hate them, so I will finish them and give them to a local charity - nothing really wrong with them except that I no longer want sweaters out of acrylics. I also had 3 sweaters that I gave to others to either finish or frog and use the yarn.

I also set a goal this year of knitting from my stash. I know I won't go for very long without buying yarn, but I set a rule for myself of no new yarn until at least 3 UFO's are completed. Well, I have finished two, but I also have already gotten some new yarn. I have a hard time resisting sales, and I found RYC Cashsoft 4 ply on sale at Webs, so I ordered enough to make 4 pair of socks. Oh well - I can rationalize this because I also worked 4 basketball games at my school, which paid me enough to nearly cover the cost of the yarn.

UFO's - Batch #1

Here are the two that I have nearly finished. The pinwheel blanket was for a great-nephew - who turns 5 next month. However, his mom is pregnant again, so it will be great for the next one. The sweater and hat are for a former student's baby. I don't normally knit for ex-students (or current ones) but this young man is on his second tour in Iraq, and I teach with his mother.
















The striped sweater is from the naturally colored cotton; I can't remember the name, but I know I bought it from elann. This was going to be a V-neck pullover for me, but I think I am going to frog it and use the yarn for something else. The other sweater is a Rogue hoodie for my daughter. You can see the body is to the armholes, and I have started the sleeves. I got off on the cables on the sleeves, so I need to rip some out and try again. I have enjoyed this pattern but it has also been incredibly frustrating.

Bowl Socks

Football and knitting just go together for me, and this college bowl season has been great for these socks.

I started them on the 23rd, ripped out and restarted them on the 26th, and turned the heel on the second sock this morning, the 2nd. I would have gotten further last night, but those Sooners!! They had to play such an exciting game! Even though they lost, I am still so proud of those young men, and I know next year will be spectacular for OU.

Anyway, I have mainly worked on these during games, most of which didn't turn out to my liking. I always pull for Big 12 schools, and this just wasn't their year.

The colors are really skewed in this picture also. I used Photoshop Elements to try to get it to somewhere close, but it still isn't right. I am using Regia in a brown tweed, and am using a pattern I found on the net called Gentlemen's Socks. I really like the twist in the rib, and I plan on making myself a pair with this same pattern, probably with some self-striping yarn. It makes a really cushy sock.

Edit: After looking at this picture on my blog, I realized that one sock was shorter than the other, so I pulled out the heel and added more to the leg - much better!

One and Only Knitted Christmas Present

I have not had great success in the past with knitting for others for Christmas, but I found an incredible bargain on Debbie Bliss Cotton Cashmere in a color that my mother would like that I just had to try again.

This is KPS top down raglan T-shirt. I know the picture is not great, but it is a sort of grayed lavender. We bought an amethyst pendant to go with it.

It fits, and my mother likes cotton a lot more than wool, so I guess this is a successful Christmas present.

Now that Christmas is over, I have to get back to UFO's. I have a pair of socks for my son-in-law and a Rogue hoodie that I have had for two years now. And scarves and felted slippers and hats and felted oven mitts . . . The list is endless!

Another Goal Completed

My husband and I have been working on building our house for more years than I want to admit. College tuition for all 3 of us interfered for a good many years.

However, this week he finished one of the major projects - installing the woodstove and chimney! This is on the second floor, and installing the chimney was not easy, involving scaffolding and very heavy lifting very high off the ground.

But, you can see, we are already enjoying it. The next thing is to texture and paint the room, and then varnish the floor, but taking a break next to the stove is great!

Gratitude

I know it's a cliche, but gratitude is on my mind today.

1. I am grateful for family - they are the best.
2. I am grateful for my job, even when I want to pound on middle school students!
3. I am grateful for my home - unfinished still, but we are still working on it.
4. I am grateful for knitting. It keeps me calm.
5. I am grateful for football and the time to watch football. I am especially grateful that the Sooners are winning!

And I could go on and on.

And, certainly not last or least, I am grateful that Addison is here and that she and her mom are both okay. She's a little early, but still healthy.

Last Baby Sweater

This is the last sweater for Addison - at least for now.

I used Paton's SWS in Geranium and Knitting Pure and Simple's neck down baby cardigan pattern. I opted to do neck ribbing instead of a hood because I wanted to do a hat. This is the 12 month size.

I am such a fan of SWS! I don't know how it will wear, but it is very nice to knit with, and I love the colors. I am making myself a hooded tunic in the Earth colorway now.

Sock yarn stash

This is the yarn stash that could overflow my house! And this is just sock yarn!

Looks are deceiving - there are two layers in each box. I have totally lost count of how pair of socks I could make - at last count I could make 25 pair. And, I ordered 4 more skeins yesterday.

Maybe Socktoberfest will get me going, but I have to finish the baby cardigan since it looks like Addison will come early, and my daughter wants her tunic since the weather has gotten colder. Although, I am about halfway through the hood on the SWS tunic and should be able to mail it by Tuesday. Then the plan is to zoom through the cardigan and then back to socks.

Soctoberfest Questions

So, I'm a little late with these, but at least here they are:

When did you start making socks? - I started my first pair of socks on Jan. 1, 2004, using some of elann's sock yarn and the pattern in Sally Melville's The Purl Stitch. I started because I had been reading about socks for months on Knitters Review, and I decided I should just give them a try.

What was your first pair? How have they held up? - My first pair is as described above. I gave them to my dad who wore them every week until he died in March, 2004. My dad had small feet, so the socks also fit my mom, so she kept them. They have held up exceedingly well.

Here they are, on my feet.


What would you have done differently? - I would have invested in a better yarn. I don't really dislike the elann yarn, but I now have tried other, softer yarns.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed? - I have tried Koigu PPM, Lorna's Laces, Socks that Rock, elann's Sock it to Me, Cherry Tree Hill, Regia, Opal and Knitpicks undyed that I dyed with KoolAid. I really like the Knitpicks yarn both for the feel and the price and because dyeing the yarn was great fun. My favorite socks to wear have been from Lorna's Laces because I like the softness and the thinner yarn.

How do you knit your socks? - I stick with DPN's just because I feel more comfortable with them. I'm not a big fan of circulars except for sweaters.

What kind of heel do you prefer? - I really like the square heel flap, both for making and for wearing. It gives me great satisfaction to do the heel flap and to turn the heel. I have tried short row, but it just doesn't feel right to me.

How many pair have you made? - I stopped counting at 15. I know I have 4 pair, my daughter has 6 pair, my niece has 4 pair, and several other family members/friends have a pair each.

Okay, that finishes this set. I am trying to take a picture of my sock yarn stash, but there is so much, I am having trouble getting it all together. And, embarrassingly enough, I found some yarn that I had forgotten about - I just ordered two skeins of the same thing yesterday!

Another Patons SWS - this is the top down baby cardigan from KPS in Geranium. I haven't gotten as far, but you can still see that the sleeve stripes will be wider than the body stripes. Still, this is soft and, while not machine washable, should make a nice warm sweater for Addison.

Patons SWS in KPS top down, knit in the round, hooded, tunic. I posted these so others could see the stripe pattern that has developed. You can see that the stripes on the sleeves are, of course, wider. This is the Natural Plum color, which has a lot more red than I expected. The stripe pattern is not perfectly regular, but it is still predictable which makes it fairly easy to join a new ball of yarn.

Trouble in bloggerland. I suddenly cannot see this blog!

This post will be an attempt to get this back on the web.

ADD Sock knitter??

After signing up for Socktoberfest, I thought I should look at socks I am already making. I think I have gotten a little carried away. To the right is Socks That Rock, and I can't remember the colorway. I was a little disappointed when I got the yarn because I didn't expect so much yellow. I'll still finish them because the yarn really feels nice.

In the middle is my second pair of Chutes and Ladders from elann's Sock It To Me. That pattern, which I got from Six Soxs KAL, is fun to do - these are for a friend for Christmas. Bottom left is KnitPicks Sock Memories, and again, I cannot remember the colorway. I was making the Ribs and Cables from IK for my daughter, but she tells me no more socks for now, so I think I will frog this sock and try something else. Top left is what I actually planned for Socktoberfest, Snowflake Lace in Lorna's Laces.

I was too embarrassed to take a picture of all my other UFO's, but I counted 4 sweaters, three scarves, and one pair of ballerina slippers to finish. Football should help because I really enjoy watching football while knitting, and, since the Sooners aren't doing that well, I don't really concentrate on their games.

Pea Pod set from Interweave Knits.

I wanted to make something different for Addison, this coming baby, and I found this superwash merino at Webs in just the color pictured in the pattern - I think it was meant to be. It was surprisingly easy to knit, and I am very happy with how it looks.

Hopefully the mother-to-be won't see this, as the shower is tomorrow morning.

This is how the fair should be - friends and Fair food - turkey leg in one hand, corn in the other, chocolate covered banana or fried S'more to follow.

I had the stuffed sopapilla and curly fried potatoes; my husband had fried pickles with ranch dressing. We missed the deep fried Twinkies - darn!

One of the best parts of Fall - Fair food and football, although those Sooners are giving me ulcers.

The other blue ribbons.

Blogger wasn't cooperating today, so I had to do the pictures separately. The scarf is Branching Out from Knitting and I used Elsebeth Lavold's Silky Wool in a gray-blue. The hat is Ann Norlings fruit hat pattern, done in the tomato. I don't remember what yarn I used, but I know I posted about it when I made it. I didn't really expect a ribbon for the hat, but I got a free gate ticket if I entered 3 items, so I put it in to save me a few bucks.

Success at the Fair!

I haven't entered the Tri-State Fair in a couple of years, but they have a new building for the textile, culinary, and art exhibitions, so I decided to try. I have never entered knitting before either, but I certainly will next year - three entries = three blue ribbons and one Best of Division rosette!

These are socks made in Heartstrings Parting Ways pattern which is a spiraling eyelet rib. One rib of the spiral eyelet also goes down each side of the heel. I used Knitpicks new merino/silk blend called Gloss which is great to knit with; it is very soft! I know they are hard to see, but I am glad they are locked behind glass doors.

Yarn from Copenhagen. I bought this at Sommerfuglen, a store that was recommended to me by another KR member from Sweden. It is produced in Denmark by a company called Kauni who has a website at kauni.com. I didn't see this colorway on the website, but I did see another I will think about for another project. This is I think either DK or sportweight; the label is in Danish and I am just not sure. It is 100% wool and this skein has 400m.

Yes, I'm a geek - this is the picture I plan to send to Knitters. I'm standing in front of Ny Carlsberg Glyptotek - an art museum in Copenhagen. This was my first trip to Europe; we went to Copenhagen because one of my grandfathers emigrated from there in 1902 and we wanted to see where he had lived.

It is a mecca for shoppers - I loved it! I found Debbie Bliss Cathay for around $3.50 a skein - I bought 10 pale blue and 12 pumpkin. And, the one thing I really wanted, I found at Sommerfuglen, a really amazing yarn store - some Danish produced wool. I bought a 400m hank that is dark blue, purple and dark green. I don't know what to make yet, but probably some sort of lacey scarf. I'm going to use Grumperina's Picovoli pattern to make tops for my daughter and niece out of the blue Cathay, and a light cardigan for me out of the pumpkin.

We also saw castles and museums and churches. What an amazing place! I am already planning another trip back, although I need to recover from airline glitches for awhile longer.

More new knitting accomplishments! My first neck down, entirely knitted in the round sweater. And, I finished it in 17 days, another first.

I am now a true fan of top down, circular knitting. I hate sewing pieces together, so this is so much easier. I will be looking for these patterns again.

7/13 I forgot to put in that the pattern I used was from Knitting Pure and Simple.

Baby sweaters are really fun to make! One of my daughter's close friends is having a baby in December, so when I saw a link to a simple pattern on the KR forums, I just had to try it. I bought the Encore at Gourmet Yarns in Oklahoma City. I don't know gender yet, so this varigated seemed appropriate for either, although I am generally not a fan of variagated. Now that I have made this pattern, I will get some nice cotton, and try again, especially since I hope to know gender soon.

This was a very easy pattern - took me 2-3 days to finish. It called for I-cord instead of ribbon, but I really don't like making I-cord. I plan on using a solid color for the next one and getting plaid or dotted ribbon for the ties.

7/16: I should have put this in the original post. I found the pattern via a link on the Knitters Review Forum - dogsstealyarn.com/yoda.htm

This is a wool and kid mohair blend from Brooks Farms; I bought two hanks at the Taos Wool Festival last October. I wasn't thinking - two hanks are only 1000 yards, so I have had trouble finding a pattern that would show off their great colors and stay under 1000 yards, but I finally found Knitting Pure and Simple's top down, raglan sleeve, crewneck that seems to be okay. This is my first time to knit from the neck down, and my first time to do a sweater completely on circulars, but I think I am hooked.

I also know that next year, when I go back to the festival, I will certainly buy more of the Brooks Farms yarn. It is so soft and so easy to knit.

The tomato hat on the right was not something I planned or wanted to do, but I recently visited Gourmet Yarns in Oklahoma City and saw their model. The colors were perfect, so I had to buy the Skye Tweed and make one for myself. I don't know what I will do with it; surely some small child will happen along who needs a tomato hat.

Gourmet Yarns was a great place to visit; the people there were so nice and knowledgeable. I treasure opportunities to talk with other knitters. I also loved the Cascade 220 - what a selection they had! I bought a couple of skeins for the striped bag I am planning.

On the left are the stitch markers I put together. I finally found a pattern for some yarn I bought at the Taos Wool Festival, but it required 5 stitch markers which I didn't have. So, I hit the local Hobby Lobby for eye pins and found yarn ball and dragon charms. I found the bee beads at JoAnns. I made more markers, but they are in the sweater. I don't need lots of stitch markers which is too bad because they are a lot of fun to make. I'll have to find other knitters who need them.

Okay, here are the completed baby derbies. I am so impressed with the Cascade 220 - it felted so much quicker than the Knitpicks Merino. I am still looking for a bowl with the right circumference for the other hat.

Here are my newest felting projects, pre-felting. A colleage and I knitted these hats from Knit One, Felt Too; they are the baby derbies for another colleague's coming twin great-granddaughters. We used Cascade 220. On the right is a kind of chullo made from KnitPicks Merino Style.

I spent some time in the local WalMart measuring small plastic bowls to get something to put the baby hats over to keep them at the right size. I will be felting them tonight and then, when I find a bowl for the black hat, I will felt that. I will post pictures of the finished objects as soon as they dry.

First socks of the new year!! I know this is a terrible picture, but I wanted to get them posted, and I really wanted sun to show off that gorgeous KPPM. Of course, I also got the dry, dead grass, but with drought, that's all we're going to have for a while.

My quality control inspector checks out my latest project. Last year I learned to knit socks, starting on New Year's Day and ended up knitting I think 15 pair. This is going to be the year for felting, and here are my first pair of slippers. I used Lamb's Pride Worsted and Fiber Trends Ballet slippers pattern.

The felting process is so easy, and it's just amazing how fast these felted down. It took about 25 minutes in the washer. I had inadvertently turned one wrong side out, so I reversed it and put it back in for a couple of minutes, and it looks fine.

These will be the family Christmas presents for next year, I hope. Of course, I planned on doing that with socks, but I ended up just giving people their socks as soon as I finished. One of my New Year's resolutions will have to do with having self control!!

My first Branching Out from Knitty. I bought the Silky Wool from Sunflower in Taos when we went to the Wool Festival. This is such a satisfying pattern - fairly easy to do and quick to finish. I have about 12" of a black one done, and then one more skein of Silky Wool in a greenish-goldish color. I tried this pattern in Baby Silk from Elann, but it is too drapey.

The image is a little fuzzy, but here are baby socks made with some of the KoolAid dyed yarn from this summer.

I really love the undyed sock yarn from KnitPicks. The skein was enough so that I made a pair of women's size 8 socks, these two pair of baby socks, and still have enough left for another pair of baby socks. I don't know how the mom will feel about handwashing baby socks, but I thought they were really pretty. These are going to twin girls born last July.

The new addition to the family - this is Olivia. She came from a local shelter, who says she is an Italian Spinone. I think she's just a big, not very bright dog. Of course, here she is on the couch with her new toy, so she might be brighter than I think. She acts like a puppy, despite being immense - and getting bigger every day. She was skin and bones when we got her, but 8 cups of dry food a day seems to be helping. She was 62 lbs. at her first vet visit, but she goes back next week to be spayed and I am betting she will be over 70 lbs. at least. She is very good natured, although she wants to play with the cats who want nothing to do with her.

Taos Wool Festival - what fun!!

On the left are the alpacas - beautiful animals! On the right are the baby yaks - part of the animal exhibit. I haven' t yet found out what yak fiber is used for, but aren't they cute.

There were interesting demonstrations - we watched the sheep shearing done with hand clippers.

The booths were pretty good also. Lots of roving, spinning things and dyeing things, which I am not so interested in, but some great yarn also. I bought 3 hanks from the Brooks booth - great handpainted mohair and mohair blends. I also found some beautiful yarns at Plain and Fancy Wool, also hand dyed and just beautiful. I will post pictures of the yarn as soon as I get time.

It has been a long time since I last posted, but I have been knitting. I actually have 4 socks in progress, but these are the ones I am concentrating on. The one on the left is from the KoolAid dyeing party. The one on the bottom is KnitPicks Sock Landscapes in Gladiolus and I'm using the rib and cable pattern from Interweave Knits. The upper right is Lorna's Laces in Gold Mine; these are my first experiment in a pattern of my own - sort of. I found a spiraling cable pattern in Harmony Guide and made it fit my sock pattern.

I am also 12 rows from the armholes on a Rogue Hoody and have two scarves going. Thanks goodness football season is starting, so I should have lots of knitting time as I watch; except when the Sooners play because I will need to concentrate then.

The start of school has also slowed me down. I am teaching in two buildings this year: 9th in a high school and 8th in a middle school. It is going to take a lot more organization than I usually have to make this year work!