Sunday, February 22, 2009

Sock stuff

I have been doing a lot of knitting lately but didn't feel like taking pictures...so you'll see my stuff next week. I have finished up the first sock from our handdyed koolaid and it turned out very fab! I am working on the 2nd one - slowly - and am saving it for bus knitting. I am excited to say I have restarted my February Lady Sweater and have about 1" of the gull lace pattern done...I am really liking it this time. Also, I finished up the first sleeve on mom's sweater today. Her sweater is coming along sooooo slow. It was a great brain knitting weekend, and got a lot of things figured out for my projects.

My friend Marcia has some pictures to share for today's post. She has been knitting for years, but has mainly been a crocheter. She saw me knitting socks on the bus and told me she wanted to make socks. I guess that was back in late summer early fall or so. Since she learned, she has turned into quite the sock knitting machine. She has decided to make lots of socks for her favorite charity this year and is well on her way. The following pictures show the socks she is giving away (she has made these since January) and she has also made a few pair that are not shown that she has given away to some of her friends. Way to go Marcia!



My two favorite girls had birthdays this week. Abbey turned 9 and Tiffany turned 22.
I'm exhausted from all of the activities.

Have a good, safe, knitfull week.

Sunday, February 8, 2009

Picturelicious Post

This will be a very picturelicious post!

This is a picture of the Clemence Cowl from Ravelry. Ruth got me hooked on this
pattern. The yarn is leftover Schaeffer Anne from my from my finished socks, and
a cream color acrylic.



I am making Tiffany a Clemence Cowl also, hers is made with black Cash Vero
to match her wristwarmers and hat I made her for Christmas. If you haven't used
this yarn yet, you don't know what you are missing. It feels wonderful on the fingers,
and is buttery soft.


I don't think I've shared a picture of the Shaefer Anne socks. I loved the yarn,
and as I mentioned just did a plain jane no pattern sock. The colors were enough
to keep me interested. There is a lot of yardage here. I used size 0 needles, cast
on 76 stitches, 8.5" long leg. I could have made knee socks there was so much yarn.
Even after the cowl, I have a little left.



I have finished another pair of socks. The yarn is Lana Grossa Meilenweit, Seta/Cashmere.
I was a little disappointed in the feel of this yarn it is 65% virgin wool, 15% silk, 16% polyamide, and 4% cashmere - superwash. I thought they would feel much softer. I have washed and blocked them, we'll see how they are now. I did these toe up because I wanted to use all of the
yarn. I did Jeannine's short row heel. It is ok - my knitting, not the pattern.
Since the socks are for me, I thought it was ok to experiment.
I really really like the way they look on the foot, and will try to perfect
my knitting.



I added a little twist pattern in the leg to make it more interesting.


I'm going to start a new pair today to have for bus knitting from the yarn we died
when Ruth and I went to Martha's last year. I need some fun colors to spark my
interest!


I am going to use Wendy Knits toe-up socks w/gusset heel pattern. I will do some
pattern in the leg, not sure what yet.

And..............ta da......................drum roll please !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I finished the French Girl Fifi sweater. This was not a well written pattern, ugh!
The pattern called for cap sleeves, but I made full length sleeves. I had to really
engage my brain to make sure both sleeves were the same, especially since I made
up the patterning as I went along. I am sooooooooo glad this is done.
Started: Oct 2007 / Finished: Feb 2009



Yarn used was Adrienne Vittadini Martina - 70% Extra fine merino, 30% silk.
Very nice! Pam at Spirit Work had it on sale for $6.99 a skein - what a steal!

Ruth has been working on two pair of socks: her description:
Here are the first socks of a pair that I have knit recently. I am working on the second sock of greenish pair. I did the picot cuff last night. The green sock is knit with Louet yarn and the pattern is Swirly O socks from the Book of Yarn by Clara Parkes. The dark grey sock is the Spring Forward sock pattern from Knitty and the yarn is from Knit Picks. Can't remember exactly what it was called.


Martha has perfected EmmaLouise's purse. Her description:
I was thinking EL should have a purse sort of thing since she is turning 16 and will be driving with a liscence etc soon. She was admiring my green knitting bag and so I thought if I could produce on from my stash that would be great incase she didn't like it. When I checked I did not have enough yarn for an undertaking. I looked in Ravelry and Knitty for patterns and found interesting but not compelling patterns and put the whole think on the back burner. When she and I went to WEBS I saw the leather straps and a few nice yarns that complemented those that were in my stash so I reviewed with nature of some of the bags I saw on line and decided to make a bucket bag for her. She complained the bag she has now is difficult to find her stuff in and thought this would be easy to rake through. So, I made the bag, felted it, put on the handles and knew I had to line it as I discovered that with my sock bag small stuff goes through the felting. I was thinking it would be cute to put something complementary on the outside and musical fabric on the inside. When I found it in the remnents pile reduced and a light color to see what is in the bag Eureeka! I had some old plastic from a commercial display of items and cut that to the bottom of the bag, lined it, made the draw string cover and then thought I was done. However in perculating the overall effect, I knew I had to do some beading as it seemed too old lady and my girl is a glitter girl, so I went to the local bead store and purchased the beads and charms and attached them (crudely). I thought I was done. I knitted her the scarf, also out of the stash, which matches her coat. Then aftger more perculating I decided I had to bead the scarf as that is an irrisitable look so I did that. I was a little dissappointed I did not have matching thread, but no one is perfact. I used up the beads on the bag and finally exhaled. I am now done with the bag. I hope she likes it as it is quite tricked out in a slightly funky (read MOM) manner.




It has been a hard winter here in Western New York...ugh!

Today, there is a huge thaw going on that makes everything look ugly!
Especially hard on the dog - we make her go in her bed to dry off and she
gets pissed! This picture is from last week.


Joe went fishing yesterday and caught a nice couple of meals of bluegills.
He said with the thaw today, it may be his last time out this year.
Did you hear about all of the ice fishermen who got stranded on Lake
Erie yesterday. One poor fellow died of a heart attack. Glad Joe is more
cautious than that!




have a happy, warm, safe, knitful week!