6 Ply Sock Yarn

This 6 ply sock yarn really knits up fast! I started these socks
Thursday night and am now ready to knit the foot of the second sock!
My hands are a little sore. I think I need some 3mm Kollage Square dpns!

My Latest Socks

My latest project, a pair of socks to replace a pair I gave away, is
made with Regia's Kaffe Fassett's Design Line sock yarn in 6 ply. This
is a first for me as I usually use 4 ply and 2.25mm needles. With the
6 ply I am using 3.00mm needles. Instead of casting on the 60 stitches
I usually work with, I cast on 52. The socks are a quick knit. I
cast one on yesterday afternoon and am already almost finished with
the gussett decreases on the first sock. Here is a picture of
progress to date.

I am still working on the pink and white striped Lorna's Laces socks.
Should finish them soon.
Later..
b

Sunday Swing Socks

I've been using Kollage Square dpns to knit the Sunday Swing Socks
from the summer 2009 issue of Knitty. Like the socks. They are a
pretty easy knit, and the Kollage dpns make long periods of knitting
easy on the hands.

Kollage Square Needles

Well, I am starting the heel. I can say that, after working the cuff,
I think I like these dpns. My hands do not feel extremely sore like
they tend to be after several hours with my round dpns. However, I
wish that these were 5 or even 6 inches instead of 7 inch.
Oh, btw, these socks are knit with a hot pink and white Lorna's Laces
known ad Flamingo Stripe, so you can imagine the color.

Later...
b

Kollage Square Needles

So I've started a pair of socks using the Kollage Square dpns. Haven't decided yet if I like them. It seems to be a little more difficult to pull stitches tight when moving from one needle to the next, thus trying to avoid the terrible ladders that sometimes can occur. These are supposed to be more ergonomically friendly but I'll have to let you know.

Will post pictures of socks when progress is greater.

Till then...

b

Sent from my iPhone

Landon at Starbucks

This is my second try to get this picture sent to my blog. This is my grandson, Landon, after enjoying part of a Snowman cookie today at Starbucks.

Sent from my iPhone

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Liberty of the Seas

Just a quick shot before leaving the ship

Beth Moore Conference

Lots and lots of people at the Beth Moore Living Proof Conference in
Memphis this weekend. Over 13,000 women coming together to worship and
praise our God!

Imaginknit

Went to Imaginknit while in San Francisco this week for Meg's art
reception at Cafe Royal. The combination made for a great trip!

Ishbel

I finished the knitting today and have Ishbel blocking in the den
floor. It was a fun knit, and it blocks up bigger than I thought it
would. Will be cozy warm this winter.

"Ishbel" by Ysolda

Finished knitting Section A for the second time. I've got 1.2 oz of
yarn left which is about 1/3rd of my yarn. I think I am going to skip
knitting Section B the second time and go right to Section C.

My First Original Design!

Finally the Turino Silk Vest is Finished!

While it is not a very complicated design, it is the first project that I have completely made up myself. The pattern idea originated from looking at a vest that I purchased from the J. Jill clothing line.

I started this vest on May 26, using Turino silk, which I had in my stash. Details can be found on my Ravelry page. After finishing the main knitting, I decided to use knit-on icord for the edging on the front and around the neck. I used 5 stitch icord on the lower edges and from the place where the button closure and the button are and around the neck, I used 3 stitch icord. This was a first for me as well, but I like the effect.

I know that improvements can be made, like where the decreases start on each side to go up around the neck. I think I must have taken a break between the two sides because I didn't have the rows counted exactly right. The result, of course, is that one side is higher than the other. (So I'll just pull it down while I'm wearing it!). I meant to take good notes while making this, but, again, I just didn't. Too much time lapsed between when I would put it down and when I picked it back up. My notes didn't make sense.

Anyway, for my first original design, I think it turned out pretty good. I'm thinking I will actually wear it!

Until next time..

b

Finished Breeze

Finally, Breeze socks are finished. This is the second pair that I have knit from this pattern, and I enjoyed it again. This time the yarn was Kertzer's On You Toes Bamboo. I enjoyed knitting with it for the most part. It seemed to twist a lot, but it was very soft and felt good in my hands. And it feels good on my feet! I wore them all night and my feet didn't get too hot.

Since it took me so long to finish these, because I was doing other things, using KNITMINDER's counters was especially nice. I could always pick up the needles and know which row I was supposed to knit next without worry that I had picked up the wrong counter.

Hope to finish my vest this weekend, also. I've just got to pick up the front placket and knit around the neck. Will post again when it is done.

Until then...

b

It's a Breeze

The first Breeze sock is finished. Hope to CO the second one this
weekend.

Working on my vest, also. Will post picture as soon as I sew the
shoulders.

Metal Double Points

Yesterday I started a new sock, Breeze by Jennifer L. Appleby. It was featured in the Summer 07 issue of Knitty. For anyone who doesn't know about Knitty, it can be found at www.knitty.com. Although I have knit this sock before, this time I am trying something new. I'm using metal double points for the first time. I've always preferred wood because of the way they feel. When I was in my LYS last week I bought a pair of 2.5mm HiyaHiya dpns, 6" long. I haven't noticed this brand in our LYSs until recently. So far I like them. I like the lightness of weight and the fact that my stitches don't seem to slip right off them, which I was a little concerned about with socks.

Butterfly Socks - Now There Are Two!

I'm finished with my latest socks. Ready to cast on another pair, but here's the skinny on the Butterflies. These socks were really a joy to knit. The pattern by Knit One, Crochet Too, was an easy lace pattern with a repeat of 8 rows, every other row being a knit row. The lace rows were similar enough to remember the stitches after the first set; there were 4 repeats around the sock on the leg. This was the first time I knit with a cashmere blend yarn, too, and I'm definitely going to get some more! This was the softest sock yarn I've knit with yet. I'm hoping it will hold up well when worn and washed. Since it is a blend with wool and nylon, I'm confident it will be fine.

Not sure yet if this pair will be a gift or if I will keep them. They are definitely a yummy pair of socks!

Now, I need to get on to my vest. I've neglected it for the last two weeks because I've hit a spot where I need to frog back on the shoulders. Since I'm off work today, I think I will work on the design and see if I can't get the front sides finished up. I'll keep you posted.

Till then...

b

Happy Birthday, Mike!

We celebrated my DH's birthday Friday with a road trip down to Clarksdale, MS to his favorite BBQ place, Abe's. Then we went to Resthaven Restaurant for these incredible pies! Today, it's back to counting calories!

Knitting news: I have finished one sock of the Butterfly Socks from the Knit One, Crochet Too pattern. This pattern is very easy to follow and knits up fairly quickly. Can't wait to finish the pair so I can start on one from my "Sock Innovation" book, by Cookie A. Which one will it be?

Butterfly Socks & KnitMinder App

I think I enjoy knitting socks probably more than anything else. This pattern, Butterfly Socks by Knit 1 Crochet Too, goes really fast. Just started it Thursday night on the way to dinner. I'm now on the gusset decreases. Love the softness of the cashmere yarn by Meilenweit Lana Grossa, too.

I also wanted to spread the word about a new iPhone/iPod app called KnitMinder. I first heard about it while listening to Kelley Petkum on Knit Picks podcast (http://www.knitpicks.com/). With KnitMinder, which was designed by Quilt2Go, http://www.quilt2go.com/ , you can enter all the details of your projects, including yarn, needles, pattern name, journal entries, and much more so you can have your projects' details with you all the time. One of the best features of this app are the counters. Yes, row counters! And you can use as many as you need, simultaneously! This app is available as a free Lite version or the complete version for $5.00. The difference between the two is the number of projects that can be loaded into the program. If you have either the iPhone or iPod, check it out.

On another note, I need to get back to my vest. Haven't made any more progress since my last blog post. Maybe tomorrow.
Until next time...
b

Embossed Leaves Socks

I promised a picture of the finished socks, and here it is. They feel
great on my feet, fit well, and I love the pattern with this Lorna's
Laces yarn.
Time to cast on a new pair!
Until then...
b

Progress

Made good progress today on the Turino Silk Vest. Have bound off under the arms and am working decreases for V-neck and arm holes on one side. I did have to rip back on the rows where I only decreased every 6th row for the V, when I needed to decrease every other row. But I only had to rip out 5 rows.

So far, I'm pretty pleased with the project.
Until next time...
b

Turino Silk Vest

Here is the beginning. I'm the point where I need to start decreasing for the v-neck. I'm thinking that I'll decrease every 6th row. Got to get on the computer and search for the type of decrease I want. Of course there will be K2togs and SSKs. I realized the need for both after knitting a few rows of the body. The first couple of rows with the pattern in the side seam were knit with just K2togs. When I started doing the SSKs one side and the K2togs on the other, the pattern looked so much neater. If you look closely at the picture, you can see where I made the change. Since I don't know if this is going to work out or not anyway, I opted to NOT rip back. These are side seams so most likely the bottom won't show that much anyway.

For the front and the arm holes, I don't want the decreases to be stairstep, but that actually might be more of an issue for the arm holes than the front. SO, I'm off to research.
Until next time...
B

Two of my favorite things

In the evenings after work this past week I have trying to design and knit, from my stash btw, a short vest. Progress could be hindered only by my equal desire to be reading. But I've been able to avoid having to make a choice between my two favorite hobbies because, with my Kindle 2 I can read WHILE I knit! When Kelly Petkin of Knit Picks, www.knitpicks.com, used to say she read while she knit, I thought she had to be kidding! But it's truly possible with an e-reader like the Kindle. There are no pages to fumble with or have fall closed; just push the tab to go to the next page.

So the vest is just something I'm playing around with. It will be simply styled. The only features really are the two rows of YO's that mark the side seams. I'm using a small vest that was purchased from JJill to make sure the sizing is right. However, I DID do a guage swatch, sort of. Didn't wash it and all that, but I did count the stitches, which is more than I usually do. Much prefer to measure from a finished piece. So we'll see if it works out. The yarn is Turino silk by Plymouth and is from my stash. I've had it for a long time and didn't know what to make from it. Hoping to make some real progress on "The Vest" this weekend, and I'll post it on Ravelry as soon as I can download my other pictures. This one was posted from my phone. So...
Till next time..
b

Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival

Went to Middle Tennessee Fiber Festival with my friend Mary and met
Brenda, aka, Nosewiggle on Ravelry! What isn't very clear in the picture is that Brenda is demonstrating a new portable spinning wheel. Cool.

This was my first small fiber festival, and it was interesting to see all of the newly sheared wool that had been bagged up for sale, as well as wools that had already been cleaned, carded, blended with other fibers, and dyed. And I was very surprised that there were vendors from all over the country! Next time we go to a fiber festival, I'll have a better idea what to expect and hopefully will get better pictures of the vendors and their wares.

Until then...

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My BFF

My sweet friend, Theresa, and I were explaining to the younger crowd at work that we were as cool as they were because we were "bff"s. We always try to have fun while we work.

Stockinette Heel

I'm almost finished with my Embossed Leaves Socks and thought I would
share the heel with you. This is the first time I've done a simple
stockinette stitch heel. I'm a little concerned about it's sturdiness,
but it may not be an issue if I keep these for myself, since most of
my shoes are backless.

Hopefully the next pic will be of the finished pair.
till then...
b

New Tool

My friend, Mary, gave me this beautiful darning needle holder that her
husband made. I've placed it on the table beside my chair where I sit
to knit to remind me of her friendship (of course I see her all the
time, too!)

Last night I worked on the leg of sock 2 of my Embossed Leaves socks.
Hope to finish them this weekend.
till later...
b

LYS Closing

I was surprised to get an email with no newsletter from Yarn To Go
this week. Then, I was pleased to read about a BIG sale (50% off).
Then I started thinking that it didn't feel right. Well, rightfully
so. My LYS is closing. Now I haven't been in in awhile because it is
about 60 miles from my house so I had no idea. So after work today I
headed to town and did what I could to help clear out their inventory.
I got some beautiful yarn, some needles, and the book "Lace Style" by
Pam Allen and Ann Budd.
Still it is a sad day.
Till next time..
b

Dieting Leaves Time to Knit

Seriously , does this look like diet food? DH and I have been losing
weight by counting calories. Since we've cut back on how much food we
cook, you would think that I would have more knitting time! But I
spend a lot of time researching recipes. However, I've almost finished
the gusset on my Embossed Leaves sock.

Btw, this was truly delicious!

later...

b

Heel flap

I'm not sure about this stockinette heel flap. I'm used to Eye of
Partridge or a regular S1, K1 flap. Hope it holds up to a lot of wear.
I love the pattern.
We'll see...
b

Is It May Already?

Ok, blogging has been neglected this year. With Twitter to post and my new Kindle to figure out, I have been busy learning new techy stuff. Still have a lot to learn on the Kindle, but I love it!

Even so, knitting hasn't been neglected, just my posting of my projects on Ravelry and my blogging.

Here is one of my projects, SACK BOY, which was a birthday present for my son-in-law, Albert. The most challenging thing about this project was finding a 6" zipper. Did you know there are 7" zippers everywhere, but 6" are very elusive. I enjoyed making him, though, and I've seen on Albert's FB that SB has traveled with Albert to work, where he met up with his twin and just hung out for the day.

I'm working on being able to blog from my cell phone and from email so I can post shorter posts more often.

We'll see.....

b

Double point tubes

Can't believe I haven't posted since January. Hope to change that.
Maybe post more often, just shorter posts.

Here is a picture of my latest great tool, double point tubes. I no
longer have to worry about accidentally pulling needles out when
storing my work in progress.

It worked! This was blogged originally from my phone!

Just wanted to add that the sock in the tube is Mona Schmidt's Embossed Leaves Sock.

New Things in 2009

A new year is well under way, and while I don't usually make New Year's resolutions, this year I thought I would at least set some goals. I wish I could say I determined this all on my own. The idea crept in while I was reading one of my favorite blogs, http://pentothepaper18.blogspot.com/ which is written by Stefanie, a young lady and fellow knitter whom I meet through a yarn swap on Ravelry. Stefanie reviewed her goals from last year, which I thought was very brave of her, and set new ones for 2009. After seeing her on-line transparency, I concluded that I should at least SET some for 2009; whether I'll revisit the list at the beginning of 2010, well, we'll see!

So although the first two weeks of the year are almost gone, here is a list of things I would like to accomplish in 2009:
1. Get my 2009 calendar up! (finally got this achieved last weekend so I'm on a roll here!)
2. Learn yoga exercises that I can do daily. I've got my Wii Fit board to help me with this one, so I'm on my way here, too! (This might really be my way to ease my guilty conscience for not using this equipment more this past year.)

And last of all, because maybe 3 goals are enough for me for now,

3. Learn how to do fair isle knitting. There is a purse that is in the Knit Picks catalog that I think I am going to use to accomplish this one. It can be seen at http://www.knitpicks.com/accessories/accessory_display.aspx?id=40060&ac=1. I think I should go ahead and order the kit so I won't chicken out!

It all sounds like a good plan!

I do have one knitting project and one crochet project to share at this time. I'm working on a pair of black fingerless gloves for my son-in-law. The last pair I did was a couple of years ago, also for him, and also in black! I hope these fit a little better than the first pair. On a more colorful note, I am crocheting a green "pineapple and shells" skirt for my sister.

Until next time...

b