Sunday, August 30, 2009

Brrrr....I need to wear socks today

Brrrrr, it did not even get to 70 degrees here today in Western New York, cloudy, rainy,
whine whine whine....I know. But is it too much to ask for August to feel like August?
It's time to get the handmade socks out....
I am starting to head down the heel on Joe's Austerman Step (Temptation pattern from WendyKnits) socks. The pattern is k4, slip one. The temptation pattern is interesting....
don't pick up stitches around the gusset....there is an increase on both sides before the heel is made. I have hardly knit at all this week. I have a new job and my mind is mush by the time I get home. Only knitting I have done is on the bus.


Ruth and Martha have done a little bit, and I will share in their own words:

Ruth:
I went to my spinning class on Saturday.
I was the only one there as the other student could not come. The private lesson was divine. Deb taught me about blending fibers. I am sending a photo of the fibers I
blended and spun all from the same three colored batts. They look quite
different-the photo is not so good. She also taught me how to andean ply
off of my wrist. That is very cool. Last night I spun some Louet pencil
roving I bought quite a while ago and that is the other photo--still on
the bobbin.




Martha:

Here is a pathetic attempt to complete this sock. It has some
elements of the sock pattern even!! Ugh, I struggled with getting
the heel done properly, and after trying about 5x I gave up and just
kept knitting mistakes, to keep things consistent. The yarn is from
Ruth, it is gorgeous, huh? The pattern is Francie, by Rebekkah
Kerner, found on her blogsite, http://bowerbirdknits.blogspot.com.









We celebrated Joey's 21st birthday yesterday. We had the family at 4:00 and the
friends at 8:30... Got to bed about 3:30 am and as you guessed...I'm pretty tired.
It was a lot of fun. he has nice friends, and they all thanked Joe and I multiple
times for the evening.

Joe requested cheesecake.


Mom and dad had fun and seemed in good health.




oh, and in case you're wondering...Joey really cleaned himself up nice before those cute girls got here......

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Socks - Complete!

The WeeSocks are done, and they are not so very wee, are they?
They are very long, very soft, and oh so wonderful!

Look, twins!







I started a pair of socks for Joe out of Auterman Step (it has Jojoba and Aloe in
the yarn), and am just starting the heel. I am using Wendy Knits Temptatation
sock pattern which has a different heel - no picking up! I'm just starting so I
have no opinion if I like it or not yet, I will let you know next week.
I am using a K3, slip 1 pattern, which is nice for mansocks.

Jeannine has been helping me with mom's sweater, it's coming along slow
but sure...(thanks, Jeannine!!!) no pictures to share. We're in the experimental
neck stage....

I have not done much knitting,but that's ok. I'm enjoying the summer.

My baby turns 21 next week - go figure!

Have a fun, knitful week....

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Hi there

Long time no blog, huh? Last weekend our computer got an awful virus that after SEVERAL hours and $90 later, it is finally fixed. I have not been doing an awful lot of knitting. The 2nd WeeSock is almost done...thank goodness. I am (finally) sick of them. Working a bit on mom's sweater....and started an Elizabeth Zimmerman Dickie for EZ class. I am too tired to take a picture.

Ruth and Martha have socks to share.

Ruth just finished her first WeeSock. Her colors are a bit different than mine. She did a top down, K3, P1 rib. Very cute!



Martha finished up EmmaLouise's socks. Reminder she created this pattern out of the sweater she just finished for EL.




I am bone tired and need to sign off now. Lots of swimming and LOVING summer this weekend.
I have hauled countless loads of laundry up the basement stairs, thru the house and out to the clothesline. Have actually filled all of the lines twice today!

I'm going to work on the weesocks a bit more before I hit the sack.

Take care knitting buddies....

Sunday, August 2, 2009

That's Why...............

Have not been doing much knitting the last couple of weeks, I have been trying to enjoy the summer. Think dark freckles and sunburn! I did finish up the first weesock, and am
thrilled with how tall they came out My goal was to use as much yarn as possible, so I
did not worry if my stripes were exactly 3 or 4 rows.... The 2nd one is almost ready
to start the heel. The pattern is Wendy Johnson basic toe up sock.





Joe had a family reunion last week so I took my socks to knit. The girls all ooohhheed and ahhheedddd over them. Aunt Norma is learning to knit so we had some nice conversations.

Toward the end of the evening I went and sat by Joe who was drinking beer and he
was chatting with some other macho men relatives.
I pulled out the sock :

Macho Cousin: you knit? how old are you? you're going to do that here?

Macho Friend: eeewwwww

Joe: yea, isn't it great. She makes me socks made out of bamboo and my feet don't
sweat. The wool ones are even better.

Macho Cousin: You wear that stuff?

Joe: oh, yea, its way better than anything you can buy at the store.

Macho friend: (looks at Joe like he has two heads)

Macho cousin: Would you were those stripy things?

Joe: Absolutely, if they were my size. I would wear anything she makes me.
I love all of it.

Macho friend: Looks at Joe like his two heads just grew antlers.....

......and that's why, I'll keep him a little longer, and make him anything his heart desires!

----------------------------------------------

Ruth finished up a pair of nice socks.
The yarn is Rainbow Sock Yarn, handspun by Terry Heese, colorway Gnomie Toes. She bought it from her shop Bizyhands on Etsy. It is a superwash merino. The pattern is
Bird of Paradise which is from Sundara yarns sock club from 2 or 3 years
ago. It is a k3, p2 rib with the middle knit stitch slipped every other
row. Very simple so the yarn would star.



She is taking a little break from her Aestlight shawl.

Martha has finished the final version of the sock. It looks a little
Cookieish huh? She made a diamond on the top of the foot.
I am just about done and it uses the same
patterns, only different, that her sweater used. I used Tofutsies
yarn.
She is using the same patterns she used in EmmaLouise's sweater
that she recently finished.....





Rain rain go away,come again another day. We had some garden damage last week due to all of of the rain. The corn was totally knocked down. It has spung itself back up,but now its crooked.

Have a wonderful, summery, safe, knitful, week.