I'm keeping busy with little bits of sewing and knitting.
I love cleaning up the slow way by making things out of scraps, leftovers, and single balls of yarn. I'm hoping to see some visible progress on the sewing room soon. It should be getting tidier, right?
I love knitting in December. I like that it is portable and I am more able to be social while working. I can sit in the living room and be with family and still feel productive. I can't sit and NOT be working on something. I know, my family sometimes just doesn't get it.
I recently finished my sock for Adele's pair of Corbusier Socks.
The pattern is Corbusier Socks by Sarah Jordan. The pattern is in 2014 Knitscene Accessories. I would tell you what the yarn is but I seem to have lost the ball band that Adele sent with the pattern and yarn. Ooops.
It was a fun knit and wouldn't have taken long to finish if I would have been focused on just the one project.
Since finishing the socks I've been knitting new winter mittens for Miss P. She's still wearing the pair I knit her FIVE years ago when she was in preschool. I am using the same technique for this pair. The lining is Debbie Bliss baby cashmerino. The outer layer is a handspun.
They should be finished soon!
B wants a pair like this too. My knit list is growing!
Just in time for the colder weather, I finish a cozy pair of socks for myself!
These were a quick knit 2x2 rib from Sanguine Gryphon Skinny Bugga. I originally bought the yarn for colorwork in a Paper Dolls sweater. Someday I still hope to knit myself one of those sweaters but I'll have to buy some new yarn.I've also been working on my next sock for Adele in our Two Make a Pair project.
You guys! Adele and I finished another pair of socks! It took me two years to knit the first sock and Adele was lightening fast knitting up the mate.
We knit our first pair of these back in 2011. I loved the first pair so much that I needed to have another. I think I can safely say, however, that both Adele and I have had enough of this pattern for a while. All of the cable crossings are rather tedious on this thin yarn. The results are fabulous though.
The pattern is Sweetheart Socks by Chrissy Gardener in Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007. We used size 0 needles and Stroll heather by Knit Picks. The color is sprinkle heather.Details on my ravelry page.
Adele has chosen a quicker pattern for us to knit next.
Remember when I said I went to summer camp and did some knitting and hexie stitching? Well, according Ravelry, I finished this sock exactly two years after starting it!
Adele and I made another pair of these back in 2010. The pattern is Sweetheart Socks by Chrissy Gardiner and can be found in the Holiday 2007 issue of Interweave Knits.I am thrilled that my friend Adele and I are continuing (after a very long pause) with our Two Make a Pair project. I'll send this sock and that other ball of yarn to her and she will knit the second sock for me. She is a speedy knitter and I'm sure I will not be waiting another two years to wear this pair of socks.I wonder what yarn and pattern Adele will choose for her next pair. I've missed knitting with you Adele!
Adele and I have finished another pair of socks! These are for ME.
My sister gave me the book Sock Knitting Master Class: Innovative Techniques + Patterns from Top Designers for Christmas and I had been wanting to try some of the great looking patterns in there.
I chose Slip-n-Slide by Chrissy Gardiner to go with this Berroco Sox yarn because it has long slipped stitches that help disguise the striping in the yarn. I like that the pattern continues down the heel flap.
They were a pretty quick knit and I learned a new technique to get the little butterfly looking stitches that go down the front and back of the sock.
I am eager to knit some of the other socks in this "master class" book. I'm sure I'll learn more fun and interesting knitting techniques as I work my way through the book.
I've been a knitting fiend in the evenings the last few weeks. I finished the mate to Adele's Abbey Road.
I love the texture pattern in these socks and the way it flows directly into the ribbing at the top. The cable pattern also goes down the heel flap.
It was an interesting change to make these toe up socks. The pattern was fairly easy to follow. I ended up knitting the heel and flap a couple of times but that was because I miscounted stitches not because there was a problem with the pattern.
The yarn was also really nice to knit.Pattern: Abbey Road Socks by Ann Budd.Yarn: Tern by Quince & Co. 75% wool 25% silk.I have also made a couple pair of crew socks for B in the Midnight Stroll Sport by Knit Picks.
You may remember this project from last winter...
I won the pattern and yarn in a mitten group on Ravelry last year. Adele and I knit them for our two make a pair project.
With most of our projects our guages have turned out to be the same. With these mittens, one came out tall and thin and the other shorter and wide. Hmmmm.
Not sure what happened there but we decided to go ahead and each make mates for the first that we knit. So, this time two make TWO pair.
The pattern is Ladybug Picnic Mittens by Elinor Brown. The yarn is Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport.
I love the little braid around the cuff.
After knitting so many mittens in 2011 I have learned a bit more about what I like and don't like in a mitten.
I like thumbs with a gusset and long cuffs that are snug to the wrist like these two. But these are probably not as warm as needed in our cold winters. (even if they weren't fingerless)I like fun colorwork designs like the ladybugs, and these two pair. The stranded work mittens are a little warmer with the extra yarn carried on the back.
The warmest mittens I have made are these double layer felted mittens.
The knitting continues. If I find the perfect balance of thumb and cuff design, fun pattern, and warmth I'll let you know.Here's one last photo of the ladybugs. My little photo assistant said I needed a butterfly hand shot. So here ya go.
Also finished this week was the mate to Adele's Nine to Five sock.
Pattern: Nine-to-Five by Nicole Hindes
Yarn: Supersock Select by Cherry Tree Hill 100% Superwash Merino
Color: Moody BluesNeedles: 2.5 mm
The pattern was easy to follow and fits great. I like cable detail that flows down the heel flap.
And look, those are grape hyacinths in the background. Spring is springing!!
This week I got a package from A that had the second of these fingerless mitts.
The pattern for these is Quinault by Marjorie Walter. It was an easy to memorize pattern for elegant looking mitts. I love the braided look to the ribbing and plan to make a pair of socks with the same rib pattern.
The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll in color Twinkle Heather. It is really soft after blocking. I think these mitts turned out really great. Thanks A.
I've started on the second of a pair of socks for her. I'll let you know when that is finished.
If you are looking for some quick knit socks this pattern is for you.
I really zipped along with this sock. The only problem is that A didn't send me quite enough yarn. She assures me that she has more at her house and can finish the toe.
These are Cookie A's Summer Sox knit with Sockotta by Plymouth yarns. We used size 1.5 needles.
I am so happy that A and I have started back with our Two Make a Pair project. Here's the latest pair!
The pattern is Sweetheart Socks by Chrissy Gardener in Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007. We knit them on size 0 needles with Knit Picks Stroll Tweed.
I love all of the different cable designs around the socks.
They were not a quick knit. It was a little tedius to follow the charts and work in a darkish color yarn. Also, this yarn tended to split while knitting the cables. I do love the resulting socks but I'm also glad that I only knit one of them!
And look what I get to knit next, Cookie A's Summer Sox in a fun bright yarn.
I have been working on this cable sock for a couple of months. It is the next in the "two make a pair" project. I love them but the cables were a bit tedious to work on in short spurts. I was also trying cables without a cable needle. I think that would probably be easier when not using size 0 needles.
Monday evening I started a pair of simple crew socks so I would have something small and easy to work on if I had to wait at the polls on Tuesday. Well, it ended up that I didn't have to wait at all before voting. However, in two short evenings of knitting I completed the foot, turned the heel, and have started the ribbed cuff.
A quick knit project is a nice change.
I've finished another sock! These are adapted from Evelyn Skae's Lacy Rib Baby Socks pattern. Adele chose Bare by Knit Picks for the socks. It is a very soft Merino wool and silk blend. (70% wool, 30%silk)I'll be taking a little break from the sock knitting to work on some other projects the next month or two.
I actually started a mini shawl - the infamous Ishbel - and found that I am very used to knitting in the round. Knitting rows in two directions took some getting used to. I am trying it in lace weight alpaca from Briar Rose Fibers.
You would think I could have whipped out a crew sock pretty quickly. I have done it in just a few hours before. Well, not so this time. I have been working on this sock since back in July. I guess the problem was that I was NOT working on this sock since back in July. The end of summer brings so much to do with the garden and harvest that there just is not time to sit and knit. We work outside until it is dark mostnights which can be quite late in the summer. It is getting dark at about 8:00 now so I have been squeaking in a little knit time before going to bed. Ah, fall.
So, here they are, the next in the "Two Make a Pair" series. These are A's. She has been very patient waiting for them. I think she has taken to finishing some of her own pairs in the mean time. Sorry, dear.
I do like the colors in this yarn. Very pretty. And the stripes matched up perfectly!
These crew socks were knit using Sox by Berroco in color 1425.75% Superwash wool, 25% Nylon.
For our latest pair of socks in the two make a pair project we used some yarn I spun in the early spring. We whipped up a pair of crew socks to show off the color in the yarn. There was enough of the yarn left that I knit a pair for P too! Now we have matching socks. The roving I used is an interlacements superwash merino.
The sky was such a pretty blue we felt we had to capture that in our photos too! But we got a little itchy, and the sun was in our eyes so we had to be quick.
New socks on a Monday can only mean one thing, modeling the new socks while standing on a bench. I got up this morning, put on my new socks Adele dropped off yesterday in a surprise visit, dragged out one of the new chairs I bought at the preschool garage sale, and took some photos.
The ground in the garden is very soft. Luckily I managed to stay on the chair for the timer count down
The socks are quick crew socks in K2, P2 ribbing. The yarn is Trekking XXL from my stash. They were an easy knit for hectic days. And, again, Adele did a super job of matching stripes all the way to the toe! Thanks.
After the photo shoot I thought I had killed three birds with one shot as they say.
1. Photos of the socks for the blog.
2. Self portrait of the dayI
3. The Bench Monday shot of the week.
Well, P really likes Mondays. This is the conversation from last night:
me: "Do you know what tomorrow is?"
P: "no."
me: "Monday, what do we do on Mondays?"
P: "Take pictures of ourselves standing on things."
yeah, it's what we do.Soooooo, this is what happened when P got up.
She stole my shot. You only get to have one photo a week in the Bench Monday group.
So. She got the Bench Monday photo and I got my photo shoot for the blog.
I hope you all had a great Monday
I am quite happy with the finished Monkey Socks. I think they turned out great. It is a pretty easy pattern to knit. The pattern we used is Monkey by Cookie A.
The yarn A chose is Heart and Sole by Red Heart. I tried to match the stripes but it was not clear until I had knit a fair amount of my sock that the two skeins of yarn were wound in opposite directions. If I had knit my sock starting with the outer end of the skein the stripes would have worked out.
Otherwise, they were a fun pattern to knit. I finished knitting my sock this morning and had the pair photographed and in the mail to Adele by noon. I have already started my next sock.
It is a sickness. You probably already know that.
It is a good feeling to know I am writing to an audience who understands. You do understand don't you?
I mentioned earlier that I am on a mission to use up a lot of the yarn I have on hand. Since I started knitting socks about eight years ago I have made quite a few socks for B out of Limbo yarn. I hadn't been able to find any for a few years and only had one ball left. I was very excited when A found a ball of this yarn in her yarn stash. Each of us made a quick utility crew sock and- voila- another pair of socks for B. It was nice to add another pair to his sock pile as some of his socks have recently needed darning. I need to find some other yarn that he will like as well as the Limbo.Next up in the two make a pair project - monkey socks.
I got a package from A in the mail today! New socks! I have been having such a busy time lately that I had forgotten about the one I made!
The pattern for these is Waving Lace Socks by Evelyn A. Clark in Favorite Socks by Interweave press.
The yarn is Mountain Colors Bearfoot Lupine. 60% Superwash wool, 25% mohair, 15%nylon. I know they will be toasty warm next winter.
They were a great pick me up today! I needed it as our freezer in the basement went out and we lost everything in there including the rest of our frozen pie fillings, 25 jars of jam, and three gallon bags of blue berries.
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