Short and Sweet

Tired tonight so this will be short and sweet post.  Short cause I

don't feel like writing a lot. and Sweet because it will be 

kittylicious!

 Joe brought me this handwarmer on Friday and said can
you  make me a little bag for this.

Sure. 
I took some sock yarn (Joey's Christmas sock yarn).
I thought about what to do. Cast on 30 stitches on each
needle like I was starting a toe up sock.  It was a little wide
so a few rows in I decreased a few stitches.

 Kept measuring the handwarmer, and when long enough

 knit one row of K4, YO, K2 together to make eyelets for the
icord .  Joe loved it and said it was perfect.  Phew.

 Knit a few more rows on Wandering through the Souk
sweater.

  Finished up the mystery sock by Kristen Kapur.
I love these. Love the yarn. So  nice going through
my fingers stitch by stitch.
 

Ruth finished up her sweater!  Lovely...just lovely.
I can't wait to see her wearing it.

 

Martha had a few gauge issues with her button box vest
so started over. The color is really more teal.

 

Ruth started the same vest this week.  They are both

using Harrisville yarn.

In other news:  Tiffany and Abbey had birthdays
this week.

 Mickey was bored with the whole thing

 Ruth's kitty, Lucy, watching a squirrel outside the window

Martha's kitty has been very lovey this week

Have a nice week...stay warm

Well, I did some knitting

I have been home on medical leave for 3 weeks and go back
to work tomorrow. What a fast three weeks.  I'm looking around
the house thinking what did I do?  and all I can come up with
is Well, I did some knitting.  A definite perk to sit home and knit
and not drive. Another perk?  Wearing my handmade socks
every day!  I cannot do that when I wear heels to work.  My feet
are going to be screaming tomorrow!

So I finished the 1st 2015 Through the Loops Mystery Sock.

I like the pattern. And love the yarn.  The pattern had some
nice surprises. for example, the back is very lacey.

The front does some nice things going down the foot

I can't wait to get the second one done.

I had a little time to work on the spring sweater this week.

Each row takes 30 minutes or so. One row had me using two cable
needles in three stitches!  Youza!  But I like it.

The kitty knitting sock is coming along slowly.  But that's ok.

The colors are cameo, but don't show up very well.

Martha is about 3" done on the Buttonbox vest by Elizabeth McCarten published by Knittyspin.. This is Harrisville yarn.  She said it's pretty rustic yarn with sort of a velcroy feel. It's not prickly or sandpapery, it's comfortable on the skin but not soft. It makes the pattern pop. 

She had to order a little more yarn to finish her hoods.

Ruth is still traveling so no  knitting.

In other news:

Joe and I were talking and we don't remember a year when the
snow almost touched the pool.  This is not a drift, it's how high
the snow is.

For Valentines day I made cookies - dozens of them- and put them
in cute boxes and delivered to the kids so they were waiting by
their doorstop when they got home.

I decorated some plainish wrapping paper with valentines.

Then tied a couple of ballons to it.  Both were surprised--yea!

Yesterday, I made Joe his own cookies.

Abbey wants it to warm up. Windchill here today could potentially
reach -30.   really????

Happy knitting dear blog readers...stay warm!

What can you do in FIVE hours?

Well, I can't knit the Five Hour baby sweater in five hours!
More like eightish....which is actually not bad.
This is the back.  

The yarn is Plymouth Select superwash. Colors soft gray and
soft yellow.  My very very favorite yarn , especially for baby stuff.
This was handwashed, and then dried in the dryer.

Tiffany is at a baby shower today for her dear friend Becky.
I found this pattern on Wednesday and thought I can get this
done in time!  Becky loves the color combo. She does not
know sex of the baby so this is her go to neutral.

Hat pattern is Leaf Top Hat for baby.

Buttons were found at Walmart of all places.

A success I think!

Also working on the mystery sock.  I like it much better now
that I see the foot pattern.

Finally started my spring sweater this week.
Wandering in the Souk.
yarn is Valley Superwash DK

The yarn is nice, but very very splitty.  The swatch also
stretched A LOT after washing. 

Started out using wrong size needle, but luckily realized
it 4 rows in. Rip and started over.  Notice there are 14 or so
pattern repeats of the cable.  I kept messing up so had to tink
back to the ribbing, and put stitch markers every repeat.
Wow did that help a lot.  It is very complex right now but I
really like knitting it.  That's about it for now.

Martha is working along on her two Third Wave Harfs, by Spincycle. 
Yarn on hers is by Jojoland Rhythm.

 Yarn for her friend is merino/alpaca blend.

 She has the scarf part to knit on both.
She's going to knit vest from last years Rhinebeck trip when these are done.
I think they are sooo nice.  Her friend is going to love it!

Ruth is traveling this week, but sent along pics of her
baby set with buttons.  Baby Surprise Sweater featured
last week.

 
Not much other news.  We are supposed to get another weather
event tonight into tomorrow. Joe's snowblower is broke so our
neighbor has been doing our very BIG driveway.

Deer in the garden,trying to find food.

Have a nice warm week....dear blog readers. Happy knitting.

Kitty Knitting

Do you suffer from kitty knitting?  I guess suffer is a  bad word....
I love it actually....  It's a brainless project that I have to work
on when Mickey is sprawled on my lap.

He is sooo fluffy.

He looks big, but he only weighs 8 or 9 lbs.  The current kitty knitting
is a sock I'm starting in Panda Silk yarn.  It has a lot of bamboo, so
these will be for Joey.

 I'm making a big ribbing portion so I can stretch the colored yarn.
Not sure of the pattern yet...maybe plain.  I could do it the same as
the socks I just finished up for Joe - purly swirly pattern. Easy enough.
Nice and impactful. Or maybe K3, P1....what do yo think?

 These seemed to take forever, but I really didn't work on them
full time.  (aka kitty knitting).

I am off of work for 3 weeks, and my co-worker Betty Jo is
filling in for me.  I wanted to do something nice for her so I made
her Artichoke Hearts cowl.  She has the most beautiful color eyes.
Honey colored.  well a little lighter. maybe whiskey colored.

Had some yarn in my stash  Madeline Tosh Light, pecan color.
Hard to photo but so pretty.  Pecans, with hints of black.

The pattern calls for 20 rows of hem, with a
provisional cast on (98 stitches) no way...)....so I did
20 rows of Knit one through the back loop, purl one.
I think it looks impactful....

Now the yarn is fingering, and pattern called for worsted. So I
split it into two balls and held double throughout. One part
of the pattern calls for a K3 together, so that is actually knitting
6 strands of yarn at once.  Occasionally one little piece escaped...

so I tagged and when it was done went back and drew a piece of yarn
through. This is a good representation of the color.   I only did 3 pattern
repeats instead of 4...it was big enough.

Ruth and I are participating in the Through the Loops
mystery sock for 2015...

I'm using a cinnamon color yarn from Touch of Twist. It is incredibly
soft.  Believe it or not, it has 30% nylon in it.  I am adding reinforcement
thread for the heel anyway.  At 215 yards a skein, and $5.50 each
it's an incredible value. Purchased at Rhinebeck.

I am done with clue 3 on 1st sock, and 1/2 way done on 2nd sock.
I added ribbing, and one leg repeat.

Ruth whipped up a baby surprise sweater this week!
RedHeart yarn (so it's easy for the mom to take care of).

I love the colors...sooo cute.

Martha finished up her blanket--ended up 43" square.

Now she is working on a hood.
The yarn is Cascade Yarns Eco Cloud, 70% undyed merino, 30% undyed Alpaca. Pattern is Third Wave Harf by Spincycle Yarns Project.   She is praying she has enough yarn to finish.
Isn't it lovely!

In other news...Joe has been fishing since last post.
Ice fishing.  These are giant perch.

the kids came for dinner on Friday and I made a wonderful
salad....

I hope to start a sweater this week...happy knitting.

p.s. Go Seahawks !