The things you find

I finished the Magic Slipper booties a few days ago; finally got around to taking a pic today prior to tucking them into a box of clothing heading to the Cheyenne River Reservation. I stuffed them with some oddments of yarn to give you a better look:

While looking for a scrap of yarn and a tapestry needle to tie the booties together for their trip, I found this lurking under the pile of yarn and WIPs that inhabit one corner of our sofa:

A pair of socks just waiting for one final toe to be sewn up! I had forgotten all about these; I think I finished them while I was sick, and didn't feel up to the challenge of Kitchener with a head cold. So, a few minutes later, I had a pair of socks for CIC:

Man, that was easy. I ought to sort through that corner more often.

More better

This cold is hanging on something fierce, but I am feeling a little better. I did manage to command enough brain power to graft the toe on the socks for CIC:

Lion Wool, Ocean Blues colorway, my usual toddler sock pattern. These make pair #4 in my personal Magic28 challenge to make 28 pair for charity. Luckily, I've set no deadline for myself!

I was going to pick up my Weekend Sweater and join up all the pieces, but as best as I can tell, I need a longer circular needle. I thought I bought a longer one, but I can't find it. It's about 50/50 which is faulty; my memory or my ability to find it. So, I'm ordering another needle; as soon as it gets here, I plan to really focus on finishing that sweater. It's cold, dammit, and I need more wool!

Speaking of cold, it's supposed to be brutally cold here today; temps are supposed to drop down to 8 freakin' degrees. I have become a total wimp when it comes to cold weather; I used to be OK as long as it stayed above 0. Now, I start kvetching when it gets below freezing. Anyway, my plans today involve staying inside, resting (to chase away this lousy cold), maybe watching a movie. If I get really ambitious, I might bake a little. Carbohydrates are very good for a cold.

Make room for me, kids; I'm joining you.

The perfect yarn

I am very slowly getting over the cold I got hit with last weekend. That's my excuse for sticking with super-simple knitting and ignoring the Weekend Sweater and the ILG socks.

I finished the socks for CIC, except for grafting one toe:

I made a washcloth (Chinese Waves), although it turned out smaller than I had planned (only about 7.5 inches square):

And I started another pair of mindless socks, since I finished the Wildfoote socks on New Year's Eve:

I'm using Lang Jawoll in a lovely cobalt and black marl. When I was looking through the stash, I was thinking how much I wished I had something like this in a sock yarn. And, lo and behold, there it was! I think I scored it on eBay sometime back. I think it's lovely when your stash gets big enough that you forget what's in there. Then you find nice surprises like this one.

"Oh Lord, she's come up with a justification for letting her stash grow beyond reckoning."

Celebrating with an FO!

I'll be ringing in the new year sporting my just-finished Wildfoote socks! As soon as I wove in the last end, I popped them on my feet. They feel wonderful and I love the colors--royal, navy, forest green and scarlet (colorway is called Bluegrass).

I started these some time ago, but I feel like I have a new pair of socks with hardly any effort. I decided to keep a plain-stockinette sock handy to work on when other projects were at a "pay attention" stage, and I needed some mindless knitting. So, I picked them up now and then, without ever thinking of them as an official project. And now they're done, and I'm pleased as punch.

Happy New Year, everybody!

A Day Late

I'm afraid I didn't get my warm-up box out yesterday, which was the mailing deadline for the Warm-Up Box Challenge for Cheyenne River Reservation. It wasn't because I failed to finish up the last couple of items I wanted to include. I finished up the Little Sky Booties:

They only took about 32g of worsted, give or take a few g (since my postal scale isn't excrutiatingly accurate). Definitely a quick knit.

I finished a warm scarf for Mr. Teddy Bear:

I figure he can be counted on to warm up someone's heart.

It wasn't because I failed to fill the box; with the help of a few purchased items, it's nice and full of things to warm up a person inside and out:


No, I just couldn't get my chores finished on Saturday in time to get the box in the mail. So, it'll go out Monday. I guess, technically, that makes me two days late. Oh well, even if I missed the challenge, it will still be put to good use.

Now that that's done, I'm returning to knitting for me, since the weather is cold and I want more wool! I'm working today, but I brought along ILG Sock #2. I've downloaded a new audio book, Trent's Last Case by E.C. Bentley. If things continue as quiet as they have been so far, I should make some nice progress.

Wish me luck!

Celebrating Caturday with an FO

I finished up the last three rounds of the socks for Cheyenne River:


They didn't turn out baby-sized after all; they're big enough to fit a toddler, which is what I was aiming for. Sure did look tiny when I started them! The next pair will be baby-sized, though:


I bought Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters and I'm making the Little Sky learning sock. This book is wild; talk about turning sock knitting on its ear! I love the look of having the gussets on top of the foot; looking forward to trying it out in a sock sized for me so I can see what it feels like. I foresee lots of little socks in my future as I try out all the new ways of shaping woolly foot coverings.

In other news, the b/f found a Caturday video online and wanted me to post it, so here it is for your viewing pleasure:

Add to My Profile More Videos

Happy Caturday!

Wool, glorious wool

The dorm boots are done, ready for their bath and then to be added to the Warm Up Box for Cheyenne River Reservation. These were made with Peace Fleece Rugged Yarn in Bedouin Blue--took less than 1 skein. I expected this yarn to be rough, since they recommend it as a rug yarn. My only experience with rug yarn has been Aunt Lydia's rug yarn, which is just slightly less scratchy than fiberglass. But this yarn wasn't scratchy at all; not as soft as merino, of course, but I wouldn't hesitate to pop them on my feet. In fact, if I could wear them, I would be sorely tempted not to send them off! I'm really looking forward to seeing how they feel after a nice washing.

I've started a pair of socks for The Box, using my standard 32-stitch sock pattern. I plan on doing the Sherman heel, though, instead of the usual flap-n-gusset heel. This yarn is a light worsted, thinner than the Fisherman's Wool I usually use, so they'll probably be baby-sized. I wish I could remember where I got this yarn; it's so soft! It's superwash wool, and I'd love some socks made with this yarn for my own self. I thought I got it from Herrschner's, but if I did, they don't have it any more. Bummer.

I've been playing around a little with the dyepot (actually, the dye-Crock-Pot), and made this:

I mistakenly set the Crock-Pot on high and it started to boil (eek!). I was sure this would be a felted mass, but it turned out fine. It was just regular wool, not superwash or anything-whew!

Here it is wound into a ball. It came out a little darker than I intended, but I'm sure someone will like the colors. I plan to make another hat to go into The Box. Looking forward to seeing how this knits up.

Our weather has turned cold, and I am loving my wool socks, and thinking how much I need to make more (and in colors that I can actually wear with my work clothes). Pretty soon, I'm sure I'll get up the nerve to fix the error in my ILG socks so I can get back to work on them. After all, I could have ripped out the whole thing & reknit it by now! Just have to screw my courage to the sticking point.

Pretty soon.

Aren't these cute?

I made these dorm boots using this pattern, except I worked the garter stitch sole on two needles, then switched to DPNs and worked in the round for the remainder. I also used thicker yarn, so even though I made the X-Small size, the sole is 8 inches long, and they are almost big enough for me! These will go into the warm-up box headed for the Cheyenne River Reservation.

I enjoyed this pattern so much that I wanted to try some mods that I have in mind. But first, I wanted to make the "classic" version, so I could better evaluate the advantages of any mods. I used this pattern, modified for my thicker yarn (Peace Fleece MidEast/Maine Island yarn at about 4 st/inch). Today at work, I bound off the first one:



I didn't quite get the modification right for my yarn, because this one measures about 8" long also! I was using US size 8 needles, which really was a little too tight; my wrists and arms were sore after knitting for a while. After making the mate for this one, I'll try it on size 9 needles and see what I get.

One thing I noticed about the two-needle version, is that the decreases don't look as nice. Here is a close up of the left side of the boot:



And here is the right side:



Those ugly stitches that break the decrease line are the ssp decreases. OK, probably no one but a knitter would notice the difference between the smooth decrease line on the left and the jagged one on the right, but I still don't like it.

I do like the looks of the garter stitch cuff better than the ribbed one. I know I could do garter stitch in the round also, but it just seems wrong, somehow. After all, worked flat, garter stitch is the easiest stitch in the world. It offends my tender sensibilities to complicate it so it can be worked in the round. I may have to steel myself to overcome my reluctance; the more I look at that cuff, the cuter it looks to me. Right now, however, I am going to cast on for the mate to the slipper above, and get a little more knitting done on the clock.

Hilfy guarding my coat

Little by little

The box for Cheyenne River Reservation is filling up little by little. The 11th-hour hat is all dry and ready to go:



And today I picked up a fleece throw on sale, that I thought would make a nice lap robe for the elders. The box isn't looking quite so yawningly empty any more:



But there is still a lot of room for more warm stuff! I might sneak a toy in there, as well; I don't think they'll mind. ;)

Changing Colors

The leaves on the trees are starting to change colors. Since we had such a dry summer, the weather guessers say the colors won't be spectactular this year, but they're still beautiful to my eyes. I love the fact that this is the view from my back door.

Today, much of my time was spent on the couch (cat on lap), watching TV and knitting (with occasional breaks to sit on the back porch and enjoy the view). The toe-up socks are done and bathed, and I must say I am quite happy with them.

I used Grumperina's bindoff, and it is quite stretchy. I tested it by pulling these socks on over my feet, and while the socks are nowhere large enough for me, the cuff stretched enough to go over my heel.

Speaking of heels, here's a closeup of the Sherman heel. I cranked up the brightness and contrast, so you'd have a chance of seeing it:

Very nice, and no holes this time!

These socks are #3 of the Magic 28. They will be going to Afghans for Afghans, so my box still has just one lonely hat in it. However, I finished the 11th hour hat today, and gave it a bath. Once it's dry, I'll snap a pic and then the box will have two hats! I'm feeling just a wee bit worried about my ability to fill that big box in time.

I started a pair of child's slippers today, using this pattern. Boy, it's a fast knit! I'm almost done with slipper #1. I'm thinking about making a pair in my size, so I can test some ideas for slight modifications. I would really like to not have any seams to sew when I'm done. We'll see what I can come up with.

Hilfy, back when she was a cute little kitten.

Tidying Up

I'm trying to clean up my knitting corner a little; the best way I know to do that is to finish projects so I can put them somewhere else! So, I sewed up the SWS hat (it's been waiting around for the sewing part for days).


I used my favorite hat pattern and made seven sections. Used a little more than one skein, and it fits me nicely. After snapping this pic, I gave it a nice bath; it is now drying in the spare bedroom. One less thing in the knitting corner!

While SWS is deliciously soft, and I love the colors, it is also about as slippery as Teflon. I'm glad I didn't try to make a sweater with it! I think it will be a while before I'm ready to tackle this yarn again.

This hat will be going to the Cheyenne River Indian Reservation. The Native American Support group on Yahoo is having a "Warm Up Box" challenge: fill a box with warm items, and ship by Dec. 1 (can be handmade, or purchased). I've picked this box:


It measures 16x12x8.

Doesn't that hat look lonely? I have my work cut out for me.

Princess Daisy likes to survey her realm from the hutch over the b/f's desk

Didn't go out

All weekend, I was seeing ads for Columbus Day sales, thinking "Does anybody actually get this holiday off anymore? Or is it just an excuse for a sale?"

Sunday afternoon, as planned, I finished the socks I'm sending to Afghans for Afghans, gave them a nice bath, and hung them up to dry. Monday morning, I packed them up and started to print out postage to mail them, when I learned of at least one group that gets Columbus Day off--the post office.

So, these socks didn't go out Monday like I planned, but they are going out today, and should still get there in time to go in the shipment to Kabul and Bamiyan.

Oh, and these count as Pair #2 for the Magic 28 challenge; I have challenged myself to knit 28 pairs of socks for charity. Good thing I didn't put a time limit on it, since Pair #1 was finished back in May. Oh well, I figure I have a lot of knitting years ahead of me; I'll get there eventually.

Off they go

I finally got around to sewing up the Noro hat this week. Here it is all finished up:



I think I said before this was Noro Kureyon. I was wrong; it's Noro Silk Garden. Very nice yarn to work with, and I love those gradual color changes.

It's time to mail my box to Cheyenne River Reservation, so today I added care tags to all the hatz & mittnz, tossed in a few extras, boxed 'em up & sent 'em off:



Final count was 3 hatz, 7 pr mittnz, 3 happy meal-type toys, 1 balsa wood airplane, and 4 toothbrushes. Hope they enjoy everything!

I've been sorting through the huge box of donated yarn I have, deciding what to make next. I have a couple pair of socks OTN, but they aren't really exciting me. I've picked out some yarn to go with my handspun:



I'm still leaning towards doing a hat, but haven't committed myself yet.


In the meantime, I've completed about 2 inches on ILG Sock #2. I don't think I'll complete the pair in time for the KAL deadline tomorrow. [grin] Although I know some people could definitely do it in that amount of time, I'm not one of them! Besides, I have a baby shower coming up next week, and I have to finish a washcloth that's part of my gift. Heavens, I didn't realize I had so many WIPs! Guess I'd better get to work.

Yitzhak hanging out where she doesn't belong

GBF Socks Done!

Hot off the needles:

Pattern: Girl's Best Friend Socks
Yarn: Panda Wool (wool/bamboo blend), in Bluebell
Needles: Brittany Birch DPNs, US Sz 3

I've said it before, but it bears repeating: this yarn is delicious! The socks feel silky, cool and soft on my feet. I plan to contact the distributor to see if I can get this yarn for my eBay store.

Aside from the fact I wanted to wear these socks, I was eager to finish so I could start on the current Six Socks Knitalong project, I Love Gansey.

This is what I got done at work today (very slow day). I'm using Cervinia Calzetteria in Tan Heather, and my new HiyaHiya DPNs. Both yarn & needles swiped from my eBay store; a concientious retailer should test her products periodically, dontcha think? Now I just need to find my cable needle. I know I have one or three somewhere, but I've never used it/them; where or where could they be?

Lest you think I am totally neglecting my mittnz:

Mittnz #7 are progressing very slowly, but they are progressing. Since the I Love Gansey socks will require attention to charts, this will be my TV knitting.

BTW, these pics were taken with my new camera. I've been practicing, and the results so far have been good, but boy, do I have a lot to learn! I totally don't understand most of the information on the display. Good thing the camera is smart enough to figure out most things for me. However, I hope to eventually have some fraction of a clue what all this stuff means. I plan to work my way through this stuff. Wish me luck--I'm afraid my head might explode.

Six down...

one to go! Here are Mittnz #6; I just have one pair to go for the Mittnz Challenge. Details:

• Lamb's Pride (I think) worsted? bulky? I dunno--it was donated.


• Brittany DPNs US Sz 6 (largest I have)


• Elizabeth's mitten pattern

With the size 6 DPNs, I got a gauge of 4.5 stitches per inch, and it's tight. Should keep someone's mitts warm!

I haven't cast on yet for my Weekend Sweater; I find I am just a wee bit trepidatious. Will I like it? Will it fit right? What if I don't? What if it doesn't? Only once before have I made a whole sweater, and that was at least 15 years ago. To help me procrastinate, I worked on the b/f's Manly Washcloth:

It's ready for bind off. He'll be pleased.

Then I started, then swatched, then started again with this Wildfoote yarn I got in a swap some time ago:

I decided I like 8 stitches/inch better than the recommended 7. Once I get past the cuff, I plan on making these plain Jane stockinette. One, because I think that will show off the beautiful yarn best, and two, because I have a hankerin' for hours of mindless stockinette.

Hmmm...hours of stockinette. Maybe I ought to consider making a sweater.

Mittnz #5=FO

Mittnz #5 are complete!

Details:

Double-stranded tapestry wool for the cuff, 1 strand tapestry wool + 1 strand mohair for the rest
US Sz 6 DPNs; 4.5 st/inch
Elizabeth's fabulous pattern, smaller size (except I made the cuff 2.5 inches long, since my gauge would result in a larger mitten)

This is my first time working with mohair, and I love how fuzzy these mittnz are inside! However, if I make another pair with this same yarn combo (and I have lots more), I must go up at least one needle size. I was knitting so tightly with the size 6 needles that I frequently had to take breaks to prevent sore wrists.

I also finished GBF sock #1. This yarn feels just as delicious on the feet as I expected! I hope it wears well, because boy-o-boy, I'm in love. Must cast on today for sock #2.

Mittnz #6 are in progress, this time with Lamb's Pride worsted. Again with the size 6 DPNs; again, a size larger would be easier to work with. I would be further along with them, but when I sat down today to work on them, I suddenly had this on my lap:

I love you too, Hilfy.