(Running a bit behind on the blogging, I'm going to pretend that it's still Nov. 30th...)
In November, I mailed out 22 pairs of socks for Mittens for Akkol which are going to Kazakhstan for their New Year's party. (Nanci, the coordinator and organizer extraordinaire is over there right now with all the socks, collecting the other supplies for the party.)
A baby seamless kimono sweater, sadly pictureless.
Faggotting Ribs Sox for me. For summer. For next summer, and not the previous one. I'm sure that was my plan, after all.
Myrtille sweater for me. (Hmm, do I have a theme going on? memememe)
Brambles Beret for DD#2 (Will show pics tomorrow, but trust me, I really did finish this in November.)
Denim Toddler socks (again with the reassurance that it was completed at least a couple of hours before December.)
That's it. Now it's time to really start working on the Christmas projects (and to stop adding things to the list.)
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
The state of my coffee table
Most knitters have a favorite spot where they like to knit. For me, it's on the couch downstairs. The coffee table in front is the collection/storage place for all my knitting projects, WIPS or otherwise.
It currently looks like this:
The projects change from week to week, but the mess tends to stay at the same level. If I straighten it up and can actually see a piece of the table, I feel like it's very clean. Until the next day, when it gets back to the usual state.
Working from left to right, let me describe what's on my table...
1. Today I've been working on the Brambles beret for DD#2. Not sure if it's a Christmas project yet; if we get snow she might request it sooner (assuming that it's done, that is.) I'm using Wool-ease since she doesn't like wool at all, but the downside is that there not much stitch definition.
2. I started another hat. This one is the Snowboarder Hat that Rocks. The purpose? I liked the pattern. The problem? I'm running out of yarn. It's Plymouth Outback bulky yarn that I'm using double-stranded. I'll have to rip it out, and then use one Outback strand and one regular brown strand.
That'll have to wait, though, as my Christmas knitting list keeps growing. DD#1 came home the other day and made a couple of requests. Her friends really liked the hats I made last year, and one requested another hat and one said to tell me that she also really likes scarves. And, DD wouldn't mind getting another hat, too.
Since you do a lot of charity knitting anyway, she explained, just consider this a charity of knitting for poor college students.
Okay, they got added to my list.
3. If you look very closely, my coffee table also contains a pair of toddler charity socks. The materials were bought when I needed something for sitting in a doctor's office and I wasn't going home first. The metal dpns are really quite pointy and I don't have a blue set yet, so that was a worthwhile purchase.
They've been abandoned, though, since there's no time constraint and there's Christmas knitting pressing.
4. Here are the completed, soon-to-be-ripped-out gift socks. I haven't gotten up the nerve to frog them yet, so they're still in timeout.
5. I bought a beading storage case that I'm using for all my little gadgets and tools. It's really coming in useful and I'm using my stitch markers now rather than whatever bit of a circle I can find in my sight.
6. These are the socks for me that I started when the gift socks went into timeout. I had made it down to the heel on the first sock when I noticed a dropped stitch way back at the ribbing. I hardly ever drop stitches (especially without knowing about them), so it's just a little disturbing to do it twice within the same week. These ones were ripped back and reknit.
7. And finally, here is some neon green yarn, dyed and getting ready to be a hat for DS#2.
This is a Christmas present, even though he knows about it.
And that's it.
What does your knitting corner look like?
It currently looks like this:
The projects change from week to week, but the mess tends to stay at the same level. If I straighten it up and can actually see a piece of the table, I feel like it's very clean. Until the next day, when it gets back to the usual state.
Working from left to right, let me describe what's on my table...
1. Today I've been working on the Brambles beret for DD#2. Not sure if it's a Christmas project yet; if we get snow she might request it sooner (assuming that it's done, that is.) I'm using Wool-ease since she doesn't like wool at all, but the downside is that there not much stitch definition.
2. I started another hat. This one is the Snowboarder Hat that Rocks. The purpose? I liked the pattern. The problem? I'm running out of yarn. It's Plymouth Outback bulky yarn that I'm using double-stranded. I'll have to rip it out, and then use one Outback strand and one regular brown strand.
That'll have to wait, though, as my Christmas knitting list keeps growing. DD#1 came home the other day and made a couple of requests. Her friends really liked the hats I made last year, and one requested another hat and one said to tell me that she also really likes scarves. And, DD wouldn't mind getting another hat, too.
Since you do a lot of charity knitting anyway, she explained, just consider this a charity of knitting for poor college students.
Okay, they got added to my list.
3. If you look very closely, my coffee table also contains a pair of toddler charity socks. The materials were bought when I needed something for sitting in a doctor's office and I wasn't going home first. The metal dpns are really quite pointy and I don't have a blue set yet, so that was a worthwhile purchase.
They've been abandoned, though, since there's no time constraint and there's Christmas knitting pressing.
4. Here are the completed, soon-to-be-ripped-out gift socks. I haven't gotten up the nerve to frog them yet, so they're still in timeout.
5. I bought a beading storage case that I'm using for all my little gadgets and tools. It's really coming in useful and I'm using my stitch markers now rather than whatever bit of a circle I can find in my sight.
6. These are the socks for me that I started when the gift socks went into timeout. I had made it down to the heel on the first sock when I noticed a dropped stitch way back at the ribbing. I hardly ever drop stitches (especially without knowing about them), so it's just a little disturbing to do it twice within the same week. These ones were ripped back and reknit.
7. And finally, here is some neon green yarn, dyed and getting ready to be a hat for DS#2.
This is a Christmas present, even though he knows about it.
And that's it.
What does your knitting corner look like?
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Socks not done
Moving quickly from one sport to the next, in the past week we (meaning DD#2) have covered a field hockey "banquet", basketball tryouts, three practices, and a scrimmage. That all means lots of knitting time, which means I finished a pair of socks, or so I thought.
They're just plain vanilla, 64 sts on 1s, so...just a pair of ordinary socks. However, the first time done I made them 11 inches long (for a recipient who wears size 8.5 shoes--what was I thinking?). The next time I made the toe too pointy. The last time I made the it just right.
Except for this:
That's right, that's a dropped stitch.
In my defense, I noticed that I was missing a stitch, looked around a bit, and then decided I just decreased one too many during the gusset and moved on.
And it occurs before the heel, which means I have half a sock to reknit.
Will I then run out of yarn since I had already hidden the end? Most likely, unless I either
a) knit tighter or
b) make it one row shorter.
I think I'll choose b.
Even though I'm knitting socks all the time, I just couldn't redo this right away. It needs time to sit and think about what happened, and promise to be good from here on out.
In the meantime?
I cast on for a new sock.
Sunday, November 21, 2010
Sweater is done
And finally... some pictures of another UFO. (That's right, I did just start the whole blog post with the word "And". It's my post, and I can be grammatically incorrect if I want to. And I do.)
I started this sweater in March, so from start to finish it only took me 8 months.
The last time I worked on it, though, was May 29th.
So really, I only worked on it for 4 months.
It was in timeout because of the armholes. There's extra bulk in the armhole area and I didn't know what I wanted to do about it. When I picked it back up, I decided that it was okay and I just left it alone, sewed in the other sleeve, and called it a day.
Was that the right decision?
I'm not so sure.
But considering that it's not so noticiable in pictures, anyway, unless I do poses like this:
I will most likely leave it alone.
I like the waistline detail alot. So much so that I did an extra repeat of the Bellflower Rib (getting carried away....) and then just left it in (laziness). But I like it that way anyway.
The buttons were found at Joann's, and don't show up very much when buttoned, but I like them anyway. (The pics colors are un-retouched, so the difference in color is just standing in the light or in the shadow. The actual color is somewhere in-between.)
Patons Classic wool 6.5 skeins of worn denim, size 4 and 6 needles, 5 buttons rather than 3, 1 extra repeat of Bellflower ribbing, Ladies size Large.
And ta-da! A new sweater to add to my collection!
I started this sweater in March, so from start to finish it only took me 8 months.
The last time I worked on it, though, was May 29th.
So really, I only worked on it for 4 months.
It was in timeout because of the armholes. There's extra bulk in the armhole area and I didn't know what I wanted to do about it. When I picked it back up, I decided that it was okay and I just left it alone, sewed in the other sleeve, and called it a day.
Was that the right decision?
I'm not so sure.
But considering that it's not so noticiable in pictures, anyway, unless I do poses like this:
I will most likely leave it alone.
I like the waistline detail alot. So much so that I did an extra repeat of the Bellflower Rib (getting carried away....) and then just left it in (laziness). But I like it that way anyway.
The buttons were found at Joann's, and don't show up very much when buttoned, but I like them anyway. (The pics colors are un-retouched, so the difference in color is just standing in the light or in the shadow. The actual color is somewhere in-between.)
Patons Classic wool 6.5 skeins of worn denim, size 4 and 6 needles, 5 buttons rather than 3, 1 extra repeat of Bellflower ribbing, Ladies size Large.
And ta-da! A new sweater to add to my collection!
Friday, November 19, 2010
Socks and Awards
My summer socks are done! The second sock seemed much easier than the first (even the beading part).
Since they're too late for this summer (even too late for Indian Summer), they can just hang around and anxiously await next summer.
Pattern: Faggotting Ribs Sox from 6SoxKAL
Size: smaller, for my rather large feet. They were done with 60 sts on size 1 dpns and seem to fit just right. The lace makes it looser and I wouldn't want the larger size on the cuff or it would just flop around. (I'm going to have to hid that bunny ear on the toe, though.)
Earlier this week, I attended DD#2's annual fall sports "banquet" (where there's no food.) We were there for 3 hours, 2 and 1/2 of which was just for the field hockey awards. A first-year mom was commenting that she'd like to be home in time for Survivor. Not a chance, I replied. And I was right.
It was a special night, though, remembering a former player on the 25 year anniversary of her untimely death. There was a scholarship set up in her name, one to be given each year since and many of the recipients were there. It was very touching. And the 3 hours didn't seem quite as long as last year. (Maybe I'm getting resigned to the fact that it will last that long whether I want it to or not.)
As always, I came prepared. With a sock.
I did the ribbing at home, but did the rest at the "banquet". In-between pausing to clap or to stretch my hands.
Stripey, stripey. This will a Christmas present. And it's the second sock. And it's still November. Maybe I should get an award?
Since they're too late for this summer (even too late for Indian Summer), they can just hang around and anxiously await next summer.
Pattern: Faggotting Ribs Sox from 6SoxKAL
Size: smaller, for my rather large feet. They were done with 60 sts on size 1 dpns and seem to fit just right. The lace makes it looser and I wouldn't want the larger size on the cuff or it would just flop around. (I'm going to have to hid that bunny ear on the toe, though.)
Earlier this week, I attended DD#2's annual fall sports "banquet" (where there's no food.) We were there for 3 hours, 2 and 1/2 of which was just for the field hockey awards. A first-year mom was commenting that she'd like to be home in time for Survivor. Not a chance, I replied. And I was right.
It was a special night, though, remembering a former player on the 25 year anniversary of her untimely death. There was a scholarship set up in her name, one to be given each year since and many of the recipients were there. It was very touching. And the 3 hours didn't seem quite as long as last year. (Maybe I'm getting resigned to the fact that it will last that long whether I want it to or not.)
As always, I came prepared. With a sock.
I did the ribbing at home, but did the rest at the "banquet". In-between pausing to clap or to stretch my hands.
Stripey, stripey. This will a Christmas present. And it's the second sock. And it's still November. Maybe I should get an award?
Monday, November 15, 2010
Socks?
I made another seamless kimono sweater.
--insert photo here--
Oh, that's right, I forgot to take a photo.
Well then, let me describe it (because that's as interesting as a picture). I used the same green and pink Berocco Vintage yarns, this time with a green bodice and a pink and green striped bottom. The sleeves were half green and then pink with 4 green flowers on each sleeve. It worked out well (see the above pic)(nevermind, just take my word for it) and almost completely used up the yarn.
The good news is the sweater reached its baby girl less than 1 month after she was born. Good chance of fitting into it!
In my on-going effort to catch on my UFOs, I've been working on my Faggoting Ribs Sox. You know, the socks that were to be my summer socks that I could wear during the summer. Yes, the summer that is completely over and done.
The socks, while not done, have been making progress.
One is complete, and one is done with the hard part (beading--my first try).
The second sock has really gone much faster. The ribbing is easy to memorize and the beading portion was done within 24 hours.
Yarn: Online supersocke cotton (and that's all I can read--the rest is in a different language. It could be color Sortierung 95. Or color # 1037)
Size 1 dpns
pattern: smaller size (I think I did that by accident since I circled the bigger numbers but then found myself on the smaller size halfway through the first sock. I guess my brain rebelled at casting on 180 sts for the cuff and chose 150 as the easy way out.)
--insert photo here--
Oh, that's right, I forgot to take a photo.
Well then, let me describe it (because that's as interesting as a picture). I used the same green and pink Berocco Vintage yarns, this time with a green bodice and a pink and green striped bottom. The sleeves were half green and then pink with 4 green flowers on each sleeve. It worked out well (see the above pic)(nevermind, just take my word for it) and almost completely used up the yarn.
The good news is the sweater reached its baby girl less than 1 month after she was born. Good chance of fitting into it!
In my on-going effort to catch on my UFOs, I've been working on my Faggoting Ribs Sox. You know, the socks that were to be my summer socks that I could wear during the summer. Yes, the summer that is completely over and done.
The socks, while not done, have been making progress.
One is complete, and one is done with the hard part (beading--my first try).
The second sock has really gone much faster. The ribbing is easy to memorize and the beading portion was done within 24 hours.
Yarn: Online supersocke cotton (and that's all I can read--the rest is in a different language. It could be color Sortierung 95. Or color # 1037)
Size 1 dpns
pattern: smaller size (I think I did that by accident since I circled the bigger numbers but then found myself on the smaller size halfway through the first sock. I guess my brain rebelled at casting on 180 sts for the cuff and chose 150 as the easy way out.)
Saturday, November 13, 2010
M4A socks mailed!
The deadline for mailing the Mittens-4-Akkol socks for the sock challenge was yesterday. And I got them in the mail yesterday. Phew!
I had full intentions of mailing them at the beginning of the week, but it didn't happen. (Possible food poisoning, no box the right size, oops--holiday.)
Also, I saved the note writing until the very end. There were 22 of them and they needed to be simple for the Kaz kids to read (or have someone translate), but different since they might compare notes.
I enlisted my family to give suggestions. The person with the "Go Redskins" suggestion had to think until he came up with a better one. We tried Bible verses, but since this is not a religious group we gave that up. In the end they were all a variation on the theme "I hope you enjoy wearing them as much as I enjoyed making them".
Would writing them as I was knitting them work out better? I don't know, but I'll keep it in mind for next year.
I had full intentions of mailing them at the beginning of the week, but it didn't happen. (Possible food poisoning, no box the right size, oops--holiday.)
Also, I saved the note writing until the very end. There were 22 of them and they needed to be simple for the Kaz kids to read (or have someone translate), but different since they might compare notes.
I enlisted my family to give suggestions. The person with the "Go Redskins" suggestion had to think until he came up with a better one. We tried Bible verses, but since this is not a religious group we gave that up. In the end they were all a variation on the theme "I hope you enjoy wearing them as much as I enjoyed making them".
Would writing them as I was knitting them work out better? I don't know, but I'll keep it in mind for next year.
Sunday, October 31, 2010
October Roundup
While not officially participating in Socktoberfest, I still managed to concentrate on socks. Eight pairs as a matter of fact. Most were small socks using 32 sts and bulky yarn, but one was a thin pair with 60 sts.
Also finished was the Curve of Pursuit afghan that started on 10/9/09 and finished on 10/24/10. Phew! Glad that's done!
A sweater and baby set was also finished up and mailed. (Hopefully it will still fit.)
It was a good, knitting month!
Also finished was the Curve of Pursuit afghan that started on 10/9/09 and finished on 10/24/10. Phew! Glad that's done!
A sweater and baby set was also finished up and mailed. (Hopefully it will still fit.)
It was a good, knitting month!
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Recent finishings
For a cousin that was born in June, I finally finished her baby set and mailed it out. (Mailing it was the hard part. Getting the yarn and knitting it was the easy part. Sewing the buttons on was hard in a I-don't-want-to-do-it way, but really it was the mailing it that delayed me so badly. I figured I had until fall, anyway, since it was not a summer outfit, but just keep procrastinating and procrastinating. Hopefully it'll still fit. I think it will, but I'm not holding my breath....)
Pattern: The Seamless Kimono Sweater
Yarn: Berocco Vintage 50% acrylic, 40%wool, 10% nylon. Supersoft wt wt and washable.
Needles: sz. 7 (that's what I wrote on the pattern, anyway. I went up a size to hopefully make a 6-9 mo. size.)
It's a really easy pattern that does a K1,yo at each neck edge that makes a finished, nice looking edge. Hmmm, maybe I should make one for me....
And these are actually the first pair of Saartjes booties that I've ever made. Aren't they cute?
Also, as the M4A sock challenge is nearing the end, I managed to knit 4 more pairs. The three tweedy pairs are all on 32 sts and the maroon pair is 36 sts, basketweave pattern. All are on sz. 5 dpns. All were sped along by the massive soccer and field hockey practices and games in the last 2 weeks (the price one pays for the previous rainouts.)
With only four (4!) major UFOs left, I'm starting to feel caught up. (Crazy, I know.) But, nothing can be knitted in the dark at soccer practice. So maybe I should cast on for something new?
Pattern: The Seamless Kimono Sweater
Yarn: Berocco Vintage 50% acrylic, 40%wool, 10% nylon. Supersoft wt wt and washable.
Needles: sz. 7 (that's what I wrote on the pattern, anyway. I went up a size to hopefully make a 6-9 mo. size.)
It's a really easy pattern that does a K1,yo at each neck edge that makes a finished, nice looking edge. Hmmm, maybe I should make one for me....
And these are actually the first pair of Saartjes booties that I've ever made. Aren't they cute?
Also, as the M4A sock challenge is nearing the end, I managed to knit 4 more pairs. The three tweedy pairs are all on 32 sts and the maroon pair is 36 sts, basketweave pattern. All are on sz. 5 dpns. All were sped along by the massive soccer and field hockey practices and games in the last 2 weeks (the price one pays for the previous rainouts.)
With only four (4!) major UFOs left, I'm starting to feel caught up. (Crazy, I know.) But, nothing can be knitted in the dark at soccer practice. So maybe I should cast on for something new?
Sunday, October 24, 2010
The Curve has been Pursued
DD#2 asked me the other day if I ever blogged anymore.
Yes, I said. Well, kinda.
I haven't blogged lately because I've been trying to finish up my Curve of Pursuit afghan. I'm on the last set of brown triangles and I'm determined to finish before the end of October (which is coming up lickity-split).
But one brown triangle looks sorta like the other one.
A lot like it, actually.
And each triangle takes more than a skein of yarn. And bunches up on the needles so it doesn't look like much.
So they take awhile to do, and it's not very interesting blog fodder.
But finally I finished the triangles.
And was ready for the border. I decided to knit in the round in garter stitch, so it took a lot of holding on to the needles and trying not to lose the stitches.
After awhile I got the hang of it (after losing four purple end protectors.)
I did 5 green garter rows and one brown garter row, plus the bind off.
Each border round was 1064 sts (plus the increases at the corner). That makes more than 13,832 sts on the border alone. Phew! Glad to be done with that!
Actually, I'm glad to be done with it all.
At the moment I'm rather tired of looking at it. This afghan took me more than a year to make. (On Ravelry there's some over-achievers who have finished this in 6 weeks. Crazy.)
When I recover from the knitting of it, I'm going to be really glad of the addition to my living room, even though it will look like this most of the time.
Specs: Loops and Threads Impeccable yarn in chocolate, fern, and off white (all the while wishing it was Cascade 220 but not wanting to spend $$$ on a blanket that I would then have to handwash.) Four size 8 circs, one for each side. Eight stitch protectors, bought specifically for this projects, 4 of which were lost, but then refound.)
I'm still glad that I did it and I think I'm going to love it. But never again.
Although, looking at the Ravelry projects, there's some interesting color combinations. Wouldn't it be pretty as a baby blanket? With pinks and greens... or purples and blues... or...
Yes, I said. Well, kinda.
I haven't blogged lately because I've been trying to finish up my Curve of Pursuit afghan. I'm on the last set of brown triangles and I'm determined to finish before the end of October (which is coming up lickity-split).
But one brown triangle looks sorta like the other one.
A lot like it, actually.
And each triangle takes more than a skein of yarn. And bunches up on the needles so it doesn't look like much.
So they take awhile to do, and it's not very interesting blog fodder.
But finally I finished the triangles.
And was ready for the border. I decided to knit in the round in garter stitch, so it took a lot of holding on to the needles and trying not to lose the stitches.
After awhile I got the hang of it (after losing four purple end protectors.)
I did 5 green garter rows and one brown garter row, plus the bind off.
Each border round was 1064 sts (plus the increases at the corner). That makes more than 13,832 sts on the border alone. Phew! Glad to be done with that!
Actually, I'm glad to be done with it all.
At the moment I'm rather tired of looking at it. This afghan took me more than a year to make. (On Ravelry there's some over-achievers who have finished this in 6 weeks. Crazy.)
When I recover from the knitting of it, I'm going to be really glad of the addition to my living room, even though it will look like this most of the time.
Specs: Loops and Threads Impeccable yarn in chocolate, fern, and off white (all the while wishing it was Cascade 220 but not wanting to spend $$$ on a blanket that I would then have to handwash.) Four size 8 circs, one for each side. Eight stitch protectors, bought specifically for this projects, 4 of which were lost, but then refound.)
I'm still glad that I did it and I think I'm going to love it. But never again.
Although, looking at the Ravelry projects, there's some interesting color combinations. Wouldn't it be pretty as a baby blanket? With pinks and greens... or purples and blues... or...
Monday, October 11, 2010
A lovely weekend (and 2 more pairs of socks)
This weekend we went on a quick trip to Florida for DH's nephew's wedding.
Let me just say that "a quarter to 4" is actually 3:45 and not 4:45. 4:45 is not a good time to wake up when it's 15 minutes after our target departure time! (I still can't believe I did that.)
"Wake up, everyone! We need to leave 15 minutes ago!"
In our mad rush, we left one of DD#1's shoes behind. The one that she drove an extra 1.5 hours the day before to retrieve from a friend's house before driving the 3 hours to our house after going to her night school class. Which meant we had to go shoe shopping as soon as we got down there. Which she normally would've enjoyed, but was still too mad about already having the perfect pair of shoes but not being able to wear them. So she bought an almost identical pair.
We made it to the airport okay, but not without some anxiety. The rest of the weekend, though, was much better.
It was a lovely wedding with some great food (I don't think I'm going to cook for the rest of the week. Just saying... we could all go on a diet for a week.) The weekend was full of hanging out with family. Our immediate family of 6 were together for four days, which hardly ever happens anymore. The entire group of cousins (one of which was the groom) were all present, which hasn't happened in years and years (which would mean that it's never happened since a couple of them aren't that old.)
In between all the events, there was some down time, which meant that I had plenty of time to knit. (Yep, I even knitted at the pool.)
I finished a pair of thin socks (the ones that went to the DC United game).
60 sts, sz. 1 dpns, 79 rows foot, 9.25" long. I made them non-matching and like them that way.
The second pair was started down there and finished today (since who wants to do laundry, anyway? Hey, I've doing pretty well. Since getting home today I've been to a field hockey game.)
Patons Classic Wool in Rosewood. Size 5 dpns, 36 sts, 40 rows for the foot. 7.25" length.
The M4A group is getting close to their goal (somewhere over 500 pairs). So, I could probably stop knitting socks at any time.
The question is...will I be able to stop?
It's doubtful.
Let me just say that "a quarter to 4" is actually 3:45 and not 4:45. 4:45 is not a good time to wake up when it's 15 minutes after our target departure time! (I still can't believe I did that.)
"Wake up, everyone! We need to leave 15 minutes ago!"
In our mad rush, we left one of DD#1's shoes behind. The one that she drove an extra 1.5 hours the day before to retrieve from a friend's house before driving the 3 hours to our house after going to her night school class. Which meant we had to go shoe shopping as soon as we got down there. Which she normally would've enjoyed, but was still too mad about already having the perfect pair of shoes but not being able to wear them. So she bought an almost identical pair.
We made it to the airport okay, but not without some anxiety. The rest of the weekend, though, was much better.
It was a lovely wedding with some great food (I don't think I'm going to cook for the rest of the week. Just saying... we could all go on a diet for a week.) The weekend was full of hanging out with family. Our immediate family of 6 were together for four days, which hardly ever happens anymore. The entire group of cousins (one of which was the groom) were all present, which hasn't happened in years and years (which would mean that it's never happened since a couple of them aren't that old.)
In between all the events, there was some down time, which meant that I had plenty of time to knit. (Yep, I even knitted at the pool.)
I finished a pair of thin socks (the ones that went to the DC United game).
60 sts, sz. 1 dpns, 79 rows foot, 9.25" long. I made them non-matching and like them that way.
The second pair was started down there and finished today (since who wants to do laundry, anyway? Hey, I've doing pretty well. Since getting home today I've been to a field hockey game.)
Patons Classic Wool in Rosewood. Size 5 dpns, 36 sts, 40 rows for the foot. 7.25" length.
The M4A group is getting close to their goal (somewhere over 500 pairs). So, I could probably stop knitting socks at any time.
The question is...will I be able to stop?
It's doubtful.
Thursday, October 07, 2010
Two more pairs
Two more pairs of socks are done, and here's a quick picture. (Quick, meaning: trying to do this whole post while supper is warming up in the oven. No time to redo the photo, so just ignore the strand of hair that's coming off one of the socks.)
I'm still using up the DK weight tan yarn, this time pairing it with a sock weight green yarn. The right pair is green and yellow/brown sock yarns knitted together. Both are 32 sts on sz 5 dpns.
Not only are we reaching our goal for M4A, but I'm reaching my saturation point on knitting socks. (However, I have 2 more pairs on the needles, so hopefully I can at least finish those.)
I'm still using up the DK weight tan yarn, this time pairing it with a sock weight green yarn. The right pair is green and yellow/brown sock yarns knitted together. Both are 32 sts on sz 5 dpns.
Not only are we reaching our goal for M4A, but I'm reaching my saturation point on knitting socks. (However, I have 2 more pairs on the needles, so hopefully I can at least finish those.)
Monday, October 04, 2010
Hand of Help
Ya'll have seen these woolies before, but here they are all collected and ready to mail. They're going to Hand of Help that is sending a container over to their orphanage in Russia in October.
5 hat and mitten sets:
6 hats:
They were mailed today, Oct. 4th. Yeah--more warm kids this winter!
5 hat and mitten sets:
6 hats:
They were mailed today, Oct. 4th. Yeah--more warm kids this winter!
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Sept. roundup
September, or, as I like to call it, the month of socks, is now completely over. Completing little items has made it look like I've done more knitting this month.
I've made 6 pairs of socks and 1 hat.
Okay, it looked like more until I wrote it down in black and white. Maybe it's not more than usual, maybe it's just the same amount.
I've also done 4 triangles on the Curve of Pursuit afghan. While it's not a finished item, the end is in sight. Look for the CoP to be on October's list of finished items (Even if I have to lug it around everywhere in order to accomplish that).
I've made 6 pairs of socks and 1 hat.
Okay, it looked like more until I wrote it down in black and white. Maybe it's not more than usual, maybe it's just the same amount.
I've also done 4 triangles on the Curve of Pursuit afghan. While it's not a finished item, the end is in sight. Look for the CoP to be on October's list of finished items (Even if I have to lug it around everywhere in order to accomplish that).
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
More socks!
It's all socks, all the time.
At least it's felt like that for the past week. So much so that I've managed to make 4 more pairs!
Here's the thin socks, plain vanilla on size 1s (and the stripes match!):
Once I finished those, I combined the sock yarn with a vintage Red Heart Worsted Wool yarn in a bright blue for this pair. (28 sts on sz 5s)
Then, I found 4 skeins of Uruguak DK yarn that was leftover from a sweater. It's a blend of merino, alpaka, and silk and super squishy.
I combined it with a brow/black twist sock yarn for the first pair.
32 sts, sz 5 dpns, 34 rows foot length.
And then, these yarns were combined for the second pair.
32 sts, sz 5 dpns, 36 rows foot length.
There is enough DK yarn to make another pair (maybe a smaller pair), but my UFOs are calling me...
(Although, I must admit that I'm pretty good about ignoring them...)
At least it's felt like that for the past week. So much so that I've managed to make 4 more pairs!
Here's the thin socks, plain vanilla on size 1s (and the stripes match!):
Once I finished those, I combined the sock yarn with a vintage Red Heart Worsted Wool yarn in a bright blue for this pair. (28 sts on sz 5s)
Then, I found 4 skeins of Uruguak DK yarn that was leftover from a sweater. It's a blend of merino, alpaka, and silk and super squishy.
I combined it with a brow/black twist sock yarn for the first pair.
32 sts, sz 5 dpns, 34 rows foot length.
And then, these yarns were combined for the second pair.
32 sts, sz 5 dpns, 36 rows foot length.
There is enough DK yarn to make another pair (maybe a smaller pair), but my UFOs are calling me...
(Although, I must admit that I'm pretty good about ignoring them...)
Monday, September 27, 2010
A Hat is done
I told my son that I would make him a hat (because I'm pretty sure that I've made a hat or two by now that have turned out well.) It's to go with his soccer uniform on cold days while warming up. (I'm pretty sure there are cold days in the future, although the past ones have either been in the 90s or raining.)
So, I looked for a lettering chart. And got stuck. I printed out 3 charts to try one or the other. He saw what I was doing, and we decided that he would graph the letters himself. And he did.
I told him that the lettering looks just like his writing (Which is rather un-readable so he took this as an insult.) I just meant that it was uniquely his (and it didn't follow the standard sizing that I was used to.)
Anyway, he graphed 2 versions, a big and a little and I knit a swatch of both. He chose the big.
This is the pattern that I worked from. (It's a wonder I could remember what to do where, with the letters 2 spaces closer and the checkerboard all different. But, being too lazy to rewrite it, I used this and once I established the first row it was easy to follow.)
(DD thought I did too much math for a hat, but I assured her that every step was necessary.)
Here's the hat (and the son):
"Hey, do you want your number on there too?"
"Sure!"
Now we're just waiting around for the cold weather...
So, I looked for a lettering chart. And got stuck. I printed out 3 charts to try one or the other. He saw what I was doing, and we decided that he would graph the letters himself. And he did.
I told him that the lettering looks just like his writing (Which is rather un-readable so he took this as an insult.) I just meant that it was uniquely his (and it didn't follow the standard sizing that I was used to.)
Anyway, he graphed 2 versions, a big and a little and I knit a swatch of both. He chose the big.
This is the pattern that I worked from. (It's a wonder I could remember what to do where, with the letters 2 spaces closer and the checkerboard all different. But, being too lazy to rewrite it, I used this and once I established the first row it was easy to follow.)
(DD thought I did too much math for a hat, but I assured her that every step was necessary.)
Here's the hat (and the son):
"Hey, do you want your number on there too?"
"Sure!"
Now we're just waiting around for the cold weather...
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