Friday, March 28, 2014

FO Friday: Paintball Socks

I love both heavy and light weight sock yarn. They each have their purpose. Bohemia Fiber Company has some of the most entertaining dye combinations. Some of her base yarns are a little more rough to knit with, but soften considerably when soaked.
 

I was home sick last weekend and finished these Purple Paintball Socks on a set of new ChiaGoo red wire circulars. My new favorite needles.

Hookin' up with Tami today! Hope you all have a fantastic weekend! We are on a mission for some new wheels...

Later!

M


Tuesday, March 25, 2014

WIP Wednesday: Cafe en Paris

Have you ever found yourself so excited about a project that you fly through the pattern with no regard of time or space, looking forward to the the next repeat, or pattern section?



Meet Cafe en Paris (or Dinner in the Eiffel Tower Shawl). My plan is to make a couple extra repeats in strategic spots in the pattern to use as much of the yummy Madelintosh DK as possible (Parchment colorway). I use the coffee reference because when I wear this no one will be able to tell whether I've spilled/dribbled coffee on it or not. I do this daily. I go through many, many work shirts.

Last Saturday I reached the 6th of 7 pattern sections (homestretch!), only to realize I made a mistake somewhere. Ugh. And as there are pattern stitches worked on the knit AND purl sides...

I
couldn't
find it.


So I decided to tear back all 20-25 rows (6,000+ stitches) and start the section over, but I didn't put in a lifeline. I tracked back to a spot where I recognized the pattern and put one in. Can you see the blue yarn?


I pulled and wound, pulled and wound...




Then I fished my needle back through all the stitches. Only to find I had jumped a row...


I stubbornly kept pushing on and finally found my way.


It has taken me few days to recover from this little disaster, and I have almost finished re-knitting this section of the shawl.


With tax time looming, I will not finish this baby anytime soon. Hopefully by Easter Sunday.

I'm joining Ginny, Nicole, and Tami today as usual.

Thanks for visiting!

Later!

M


Friday, March 21, 2014

FO Friday: Not today

These Paintball Socks have been on my needles for a while and I feel the need to finish the second sock today. When I pulled it out of the bag I didn't realize how little of the second sock I had completed.


SO. We'll see.

I am home sick today with Strep, a sinus infection, and a double ear infection. Feeling terrible does not provoke much knitting, but what else am I going to do all day? Maybe a will rent the new Hunger Games flick and knit away the afternoon.

Yesterday was the first day of spring. Today's Twin Cities weather brings sleet, snow, then later sunshine and 40 degree (F) temps. Mother Nature can be such a fickle sort. This is the view out my bedroom window. Hopefully you can see the light, fluffy snowflakes in the photo.


These are the shots I took while knitting the first sock.


As a dyer, I like to "disect" skeins of yarn. Meaning I do my best to reskein the yarn into its dye pattern once I receive it. This skein of Bohemia yarn didn't stripe, pooled in very small increments, and the overall affect is s true blend of color. I love to learn how dye patterns change the look of a sock.


Slip stitich heel flaps are my favorite for variegated yarn.


This toe style seems to be growing on me too.



Sometimes life is all about perspective.


 And dontcha wish your calves were just a little thinner? I do.



Here's to Spring, Healing, and Knitting!

Later!

M

Wednesday, March 19, 2014

WIP Wednesday: Hex Blanket

Please forgive the bad photos today. I took them this morning before I left for work in the deep dark of a MN winter (5:30AM). Holw cow are we sick of winter here.

New project on my needles is a Hex Blanket in Noro silk garden sock. I found six skeins of this crunchy sock yarn in my Mom's stash. I love Noro colors, but knew I did not want this particular yarn anywhere near my skin, crunchy indeed.

 
I picked this particular pattern because the stitches for each new block are picked up from the previous blocks already finished. No sewing 472 blocks together at the ned of the blanket project.

 
The long color changes in Noro yarns make it perfect for this blanket. Looking forward to having that patchwork look without having to mess around with placement issues.







Joining GinnyNicole & Tami today. What's on your needles?

Later!

M


Sunday, March 16, 2014

Friday, March 14, 2014

FO Friday: Baby Socks

As a result of a VERY long and cold winter, this Spring and Summer will bring a bumper crop of babies. I helped out a friend by knitting a couple of quick shower gifts for some co-workers. I used a pattern by Jeannee Turcotte as a guideline and added/took away what I liked an didn't like.

They were super easy with the thicker Knitcol yarn. I let the yarn stripe on its own, pulling out all the pale pink as these socks are for boy babies.
 
 
 
 




 
I think they are just so sweet!
 
Have a great weekend!
 
Later!
 
M
 

Wednesday, March 12, 2014

NoNo Bear socks

I have never met a little kid that loves hand made socks more than this boy. We call him The Bear, he is my cousin's son, and I just love him to pieces.
 
I started a pair of plain socks (K3P1 rib) in some scraps of light fingering yarn his Mom had given me. I found a basic patterin in a book on my shelf, found one I liked in the right stitch count, and knit one sock in an afternoon. I was tickled, but needed the Bear to try it on before I made the other.



He tried it on during their visit this past weekend...and refused to take it off. He played in it, slept in it, shovelled snow in it. And pestered me incessantly for the other...




I started and finished the second sock on Saturday (what we referred to as Jammy Day), and he couldn't have been happier. I have enough extra yarn to make him several more pairs, and trust me, with a kid that appreciates hand knit socks like this one, I will be making him plenty more!
 
I am joining Ginny & Tami's Amis today. Thanks for your visit!
 
Later!
 
M
 

Tuesday, March 11, 2014

Update: Green Dino Booties

Quick update on a finished object! Woop Woop!

These Dino Booties were so fun to knit. Simple, quick, and a great way to use up stash yarn.

The only problem I run into when I make booties is all on me. My guage is much more loose on the second bootie, grrr... I'm pretty sure if I make three booties, the second and third ones will be exactly the same size.




 
I had few buttons to pick from in my sewing basket, and thought these kept it sweet and a little masculine at the same time.

I'm joining Nicole today.

Later!

M


Friday, March 7, 2014

Dino Booites

Ohmygosh these are super tiny and super CUTE!

I'm knitting up a quick pair of Dino babay Booties for a friend. She has 4-5 baby showers coming up and these are quick & easy gifts. I just so happened to have some "boy" colored yarn in my stash. This is leftovers from my Cedar Leaf Shawlette.

The beginning is very simple. Cast on 8-10 sts, and knit a small rectangle.

 
 
 
 
Work a few rows to make a picot edging. The round to turn the picot stitiches is tricky and I am bound & determined to find and easier way!

 
I knt the bottom (sole) of the bootie Wednesday night before bed in about 30-45 minutes (inluding the picot edge).
 


I turned the picot edge and finished the rest of the bootie tonight in under an hour. These are so quick!

Company coming this weekend! I'm looking forward to good times, good food, and family!

Later!
M