FO Friday: Cafe en Paris

I am so stinking tired of this winter I could just scream.

My 35 mile commute wasn't too bad this morning. Its people with cars that are not made for Midwest Winters that make me crazy. i.e. If you have to drive 20 MPH...please do us all a favor and just stay home.

Back deck. This was green and almost dry yesterday morning. There's another 7-8 inches of snow on top of this, but it was dark when I left home this morning. We are expecting another 3-4 inches before lunch today. Grrr...

This is the front yard last Saturday. We bought the Golden Child some new wheels. The snow was almost gone! Spots of green grass were everywhere!

My coffee dribble shawl is done!

I wore it to work on Tuesday, but neglected to take any photos.

This is my new favorite lace pattern, "Lattice".

I also like the rows of knit stitches in between the pattern sections. Difinitive.

I need more blocking squares. This shawl could be blocked so much more agressivley and be soooo much larger. As blocked it measures 62 X 31.

 But I love it, love it, love it.

Will be linking up with Tami today. Excited to see what everyone has finished this week!

Later,

M

WIP Wednesday: Opposites Attract Socks

After struggling through a pattern and knitting style I wasn't quite comfortable with, I found one I cannot put down. The first of my Opposites Attract socks truthfully felt like a chore. While I love the finished sock, the toe up method has proven to be uncomfortable to me. I started my second sock in Socks on a Plane by Laura Linneman and couldn't be happier. The 6 stitch cable is a little bit of interest while the colors of the yarn are allowed to float through the solid body of the sock. What a great match.

I love close up photos of knitted items.

Especially a neat & tidy toe.

My Mothers Day coffee mug has turned into my new yarn bowl.

Sweet little cables make my heart sing.
 

I'm joining Jinny, Tami & KCCO today. I can't wait to see what everyone else has on their needles this week!

Later!

M

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

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

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

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 Ginny, Nicole & Tami today. What's on your needles?

Later!

M

Weekending: Cafe en Paris

Quiet & uneventful. Just the way I like it.

Joining with Amanda

Mmmmm, coffee...