Roza's Socks

These are Roza's Socks, designed by Grumperina from the Interweave Knits Spring 2007 magazine.

Needles: Size 1 bamboo dpns
Yarn: Steinbach Wolle Aktiv Color 100 #7639

I added 6 sts (66 sts total) since I have size 8.5 feet.

Top cuff: 1 3/4" = 20 rounds
Whole cuff: 8" = 80 rounds

74 rounds from gusset to beg of toe shaping:
Round 74 on 4th needle knit first 2 sts together.

Arrange 31 sts on heel needles. 33 sts on instep needles.

Set up round: decrease 1 sts on each instep needle (#2 & #3).

Round 1: decrease on each needle (as per pattern).
Round 2: knit even

Decrease until 11 sts on heel (#4 & #1) and instep needles (#2 & #3). No even knitting round after this....do another decrease round to get 9 sts on heel and instep needles.

Do donkey ear trick.

Kitchener.

I had quite a bit of yarn left over. No worries about running out even though the cuff was fairly long.

I love how the brioche stitch looks in the ribbing.

Words and Where We Get Them

One of the Latin Proverbs that came up yesterday was:

Plures necat crapula quam gladius

In English: The hangover kills more than the sword.


Here's a blurb from that link in case you don't go there:

The Latin word crapula, like the words for so many of the finer things in life, is borrowed from Greek, "kraipale," meaning a headache, and in particular, a drunken headache. By extension, the word then comes to refer not just to the effects to drinking to excess, but to the drinking itself. Today's proverb could thus be translated as "Excessive drinking kills more than the sword does." But it sounds more fun to just say hangover!

And yes, if you are looking to improve your English vocabulary, "crapulous" is indeed an English word, along with a whole long list: crapulence, crapulency, crapulental, crapulosity, and crapulousness. Eegad, I love the Oxford English dictionary!


Do you ever feel "crappy"?

I say that all the time when I'm not feeling that great. I'll have to watch out....some may think I'm nursing a hangover! ; )

Basic Socks

These socks for dd#3 have been on the needles a long time. They were toe up Queen Kahuna style on #0 Addi Turbos.

The yarn is Kroy Sock Yarn....not my favorite.

I finished them on the way to American Players Theater yesterday. We went to see Shakespeare's Much Ado About Nothing. The weather cooperated beautifully this year....it's an outdoor stage. The costuming was beautiful and the actors incredible (as usual).

I read a few pages of the play the night before we left. But watching the performance and hearing the words spoken with inflections and emotions really makes a huge difference in comprehending Shakespeare. It will come to life now as I continue reading it.

The weather was cool...perfect for wool socks, wool sweaters and a clapotis on my lap. We were hoping the mosquitoes would be at a minimum and they were. I think I saw only one!

We swung past Cave of the Mounds on the return home. It had been a long, long time since I had been there. My kids and dh had never been there before. It was very wet in the cave but not as bad as the the record rain of August had made it. (It was the wettest August ever in Madison this year.) Part of the tour was inaccessible in August because of high water.

Diamond Rib Cloth

Here's another free charted pattern for you.

This is Louet Euroflax Linen on size 2 needles (55 sts).

It took me awhile to get the pattern downloaded. I've been using Firefox because of Ravelry but I had to use Internet Explorer to get this on the net. Quirks...got a love 'em.

Crocheted Diagonal Potholders

I intentionally ignored this project in last night's post as that post was getting long enough as it was.

It is a single crocheted diagonal potholder. I used this pattern sort of (plus the advice of my mom...since she's made a hundred of these things). This starts with a chain 45. Then single crochet around and around for about 20 rows. Whip stitch together.

I made one on the way to NC and another on the way back while we listened to HP and the DH on CD. Audio books is the way to go on long trips. It really passes the time quite pleasantly.

Well....someone on one of my groups was asking about Christmas projects. So I googled for the link I provided above for this pattern and ended up stumbling upon a knit version of this potholder. The scales fell from my eyes and I started brainstorming.

I could do an aloha cast on ala Crazy Toes and Heels (like toe up socks). That would give me a little purl ridge down the middle. I may or may not like that ridge....depends.

I could also do Judy's Magic Cast-On and avoid that purl ridge. I've done a little sample of this before and it isn't very hard to do.

As I was looking at that knit version and imagining all the different stitch variations that could be done I started to think about the Fair Isle class I was going to yesterday morning. I could get a lot of practice doing Fair Isle colorwork on these potholders. I could make them in wool too...possibly even a bit bigger and then felt them.....

The only problem I can foresee is the whole jogging issue which really threw me a bit when I finished the Fair Isle portion of the sock pictured in the previous post. I started to think I read the charts wrong because the design looked off. Then I realized it was the starting point of the round. (For those of you who don't knit in the round...you are actually knitting in a spiral so where your end of the round meets the beginning of that same round you are one stitch higher.)

But most Fair Isle sweaters are knit in the round so there must be a way to overcome this jog issue....or it is just hidden in the side seam area (there really isn't a side seam)? I'll have to do a little investigating....or if you know, fill me in on the secret.

And Michele...those are two more cast on techniques to teach. I'll offer a third...Long Tail Cast on in Purl. I did it for three projects. It wasn't too bad once you got the hang of it. I don't remember it anymore...I'd have to study the pictures again with yarn and needles in my hands.

What happened to August?!?

This past summer had to be one of thee shortest summers yet.

My last post was dtd July 20th...well most of y'all know what happened on the 21st. Yep! We got our Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows book from Amazon. AND it was Fish Days which meant I had to pretend to have fun out and about when I would have really rather been at home stuffed in the book world. I read a couple chapters that next Sunday. Monday was devoted to reading and I stayed up until 5am Tuesday to finish it. As expected it was certainly a book that I would NOT be able to read aloud to the kiddos. Too many tears throughout the whole book. Good thing the audio version arrived the day after my birthday. (Which also explains why I was so emotional after a bad haircut on my birthday....lack of sleep!)

We had a kagillion VBS meetings those last weeks of July as most of the helpers were not available for meetings after July 30th since we'd be away on the Higher Things youth group trip in North Carolina. We returned from that Aug 4th and VBS was Aug 6 through the 10th. I was elected craft person....never again...thank you very much!

Then throw in a few birthday parties (relatives and friends), a wedding reception, house and nephew sitting for 3 days while the older brother was transported to college and that was pretty much the whorl wind that most call August. There were a few other things that happened these past few weeks but I'm too ashamed to admit the depths of my procrastination.

One would think there wouldn't be much time for knitting and that would be partly true to some extent...but there are always those minutes in the day one can find to stitch a bit...and procrastinate some more....

Before the HT trip I kind of finished the cashmere scarf for myself...although it still isn't blocked yet. I'm debating on whether or not to add a smallish border on the very ends of it. I'll decide after it's blocked.



I'll just show the pictures of the rest of the projects OTN (on the needles):











The other time hole I fell into was Ravelry! My invite came when I was house/nephew sitting and all my pictures of projects were at home on my computer. It probably was a good thing though. I was able to browse to my hearts content without feeling that I should be uploading my projects. I've got most of my finished projects on it already. None of my stash. Yet. I'm loving being able to see other people's projects. You can see how well they liked the pattern, how it fits, what yarns look like knit up etc.

Thanks for the kick in the butt to post something...

Horcrux Socks

Finished just in time for the release of the last Harry Potter book!



Notice the lightening shaped scar around the ankle of the sock. The pattern called for it to be higher up but I decided to put that lace portion by the ankle.

Speaking of the pattern...
it is a free pattern from the Six Sox Yahoo Group.
They do six socks per year...hence the name.

I did it in Scholeller+Stalh Fortissima Socka bamboo yarn. This yarn is 60% Superwash wool, 25% Bamboo and 15% nylon. Color number 0006. I used size 0 Knit Pick circular needles. I did these toe up Crazy Toes & Heels style and then just put in the lace panel 10 rows after rejoining after the heel. I then added more ribbing above it until dd#2 said STOP!

I almost finished the ribbing at Knit Night last night. When I got home I continued the ribbing (1 row!), cast off both socks and took care of the 2 ends. I weave in the beginning tail as I knit the toe so that part was done a long time ago.

Little Twisted Rib Cloth

Finally...the July cloth is done!

The pattern is charted...only 4 rows...although it is a 13 st repeat plus 7.

This is done with DMC's Senso 100% cotton (size 3). I paid $2.75 for 150 yds. I probably have enough left over for a half of a cloth. Or maybe it would be enough for a lace edging for a pillow or towel????

I could see using this rib for the tummy part of a summer top...or the whole thing!

Unfortunately my summer time is already filled. I got volunteered to be the craft person for our VBS. This coming week is the last time I have to be sure all 5 days of crafts are ready to go. We only used 1 of the preplanned crafts. So it was a lot of brainstorming and preparing these past couple of weeks to come up with 4 other appropriate crafts.

We (my dd and myself) are off to a Higher Things youth group gathering at the end of this month. VBS starts 2 days after we get back...yikes!

And then there is Stitches Midwest the day after the final day of VBS....I think I'm going to have to pass this year....sigh.

And our youngest dd is freaking out about me being gone...that just adds the final touch to my already too busy summer.

I did take some time out last night to go to Knit Night. I got some great advice on finishing my cashmere scarf...it's almost done! I also got the ribbing done on my Horcrux socks (for dd #2). It was my traveling project so it took a bit longer than usual. On to that post......

Zig Zag Jacquard

Here's another cloth pattern. This is the regular Sugan 'n Cream cotton yarn. The color is Country Twists. This was the first time I saw this yarn in the store. Maybe it's always been available but I just didn't notice it. This was knit with size 6 (4.25mm) needles.

I have another cloth pattern almost done for July in a pretty orange (Senso 100% cotton) on size 3 needles. It's another stitch pattern that has me dreaming of designing a summer tee top.

Knitting Nerd

My water bottle insulator (previous post) has earned me the label of "Knitting Nerd" by my non-knitting friends. All I can say is...."I'd like to thank all the people who have made this moment possible: My family, my sweet LYS owner and knitting pals there, and all my knitting friends on the internet that I haven't had the pleasure of meeting in person."

After a day of running errands and leaving water bottles in a hot car, my kids are longing for a "nerdy" water bottle insulator because their water was tea temperature and mine was nice and cool!

Eastern European Footlets

On to June!

We had our sock class this past Friday...p 108 of Favorite Socks.

Did you know there is a knit along blog for this book? I found it tonight looking for a picture of this sock. If you want to see what this sock is suppose to look like then click on this link. That blog entry also addresses the question on gauge for this sock...7 sts per inch with discontinued "worsted weight" yarn. I'll let you read the rest over there. (I did get 7sts per inch with Cascade 220 on size 2 bamboo dpns.)

Looking at the picture in the book, I thought these would not be socks for me. I like a cuff, sometimes a very long cuff. I like thin socks to fit in my normal shoes. Didn't figure these would fit that bill either. I was even considering not going to this class! That was until our kind teacher pointed out all the new things we'd learn knitting this sock.... Provisional Cast on, Intarsia and Fair Isle. How could I pass up on this opportunity? After doing several gauge swatches with my left over Cascade 220 I was ready to give it a try....

But my yarn was saying, I don't want to be a sock. I want to be a .........

Water Bottle Insulator!

And so I cast on 66 sts.

During class we learned the provisional cast on. And I did a short row toe...even unzipped the provisional cast on and put the live stitches on a needle again. Michele showed us how the intarsia part was done...that's the blue part. It is only done on the front. She said the box in the directions were very clear but I didn't even read them when I got home. Did I mention that Michele is an awesome teacher!

I've never done intarsia or fair isle and this first project shows that all too well. I need more practice (and classes) (and patience!) for me to do it nicely. But for a first project I was happy with it. Well, except for the 3 sts that were in the wrong color. That was an easy fix with duplicate stitch. I certainly wasn't going to back down 3 rows!

I then did the cuff with the garter ridges and added a 2 x 2 rib with some decreasing for the neck of the bottle.

I was worried I may have decreased too much for the bottom of the bottle (32 oz) to pass through but it works beautiful. I used a very stretchy crocheted bind off from the Crazy Toes and Heels book.

Then it was time for the bottom. I picked up the 66 sts from the long tail cast on and knit plain one row. Next row was knit 9, k2tog. Then a plain round. Then knit 8, k2tog. You get the picture....

The last round was knit 3, k2tog. Then with the bottle snuggly in place, I threaded the darning needle and passed it through all the live stitches and pulled it snug.

I've got two of these one quart bottles that are filled with water (that I drink each day).

So off to church I went with bottles in hand...the one dressed with a sweater, the other naked. Both bottles were with me at all times. I took the last sip of the naked bottle at about 3:00 in the afternoon and noted the temperature of the water...unscientifically. Then I took the first sip of the sweatered bottle. The water was cooler!

As for the provisionally cast on short row toe? It got frogged....but at least I know how it's done...don't think I'll be making another anytime soon!

Two-Yarn Resoleable Socks - Second Sock done!

I posted a picture of the first sock of this pair on May 29th. (p. 47 of Favorite Socks)

Instead of taking another picture of the finished socks (they look identical) I thought I'd post a close up of where the instep meets the sole. It's where the red (sole) meets the gray (instep)...looks like a chain stitch. There is a definite ridge on both sides of the foot...mostly on the inside. I'm not sure if this will be noticeable when my dh wears them or not...depends on how picky he is. But I won't know until next October or November since these are "boot" socks. These socks are the thickest I've ever made. They wouldn't fit in any of my regular shoes. I could see a pair in my winter boots though!

The technique itself was not complicated. It was a bit on the fiddily side and I'm not sure if I would resole them if they got a hole or just knit up a new pair of socks. The instructions were wordy but clear.

Overall it was a fun learning experience and I'm glad I gave it a go! And thanks to Michele for being such a great teacher!

Knitting List

I was intrigued reading the posts from Marie and Lora
so I thought I'd give it a go. I've been knitting for about 3 1/2 years.

Here are the directions:
Bold the things you have done.
Use italics for things you plan to do one day.
Use normal typeface for things you are not planning on doing.


American/English knitting
Bobbles
Button holes
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Continental knitting
Domino knitting (modular knitting)
Double knitting
Drop stitch patterns
Entrelac
Fair Isle knitting
Freeform knitting
Fulling/felting
Garter stitch
Garterlac
I-cord
Intarsia
Kitchener BO
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with DPNs
Knitting and purling backwards
Knitting smocking
Knitting small tubular items on two circulars
Knitting a circular item using the Magic Loop
Lace patterns
Long Tail CO
Moebius band knitting
Norwegian knitting
Provisional CO
Short rows
Slip Stitch patterns
Steeks
Stockinette stitch
Swatching
Textured knitting
Swiss Darning or Duplicate stitch
Thrummed knitting
Tubular CO
Twisted stitch patterns
Two end knitting
Knitting with alpaca
Knitting with bamboo yarn
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Knitting with beads
Knitting with camel yarn
Knitting with cashmere
Knitting with cotton
Knitting with dog/cat hair
Knitting with linen
Knitting with metal wire
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Knitting with silk
Knitting with soy yarn
Knitting with synthetic yarn
Knitting with self-patterning/self-striping/variegating yarn
Knitting with wool
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Knitting with someone else's handspun yarn
Afghan/Blanket Baby items
Cuffs/Fingerless mitts/Arm warmers
Gloves
Hair accessories
Hat
Household items
Jewelry
Mittens: Cuff-upMittens:
Tip-downPillowsPurses/bags
Rug
Scarf
Shawl
Shrug/Bolero/Poncho
Slippers
Socks: top-down
Socks: toe-up
Stuffed toys
Sweater
Toy/Doll clothing
Charity knitting
Designing knitted garments
Dyeing yarn with plant colors
Dyeing yarn with acid dyes
Dyeing yarn with kool-ade and other food colorings
Graffiti knitting (knitting items on, or to be left on the street)
Holiday-related knitting
Knitting art
Knitting a gift
Knitting for a living
Knitting on a loom
Knitting to make money
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Knitting for pets
Knitting for preemies
Knitting in public
Knitting items for a wedding
Machine knitting
Olympic knitting
Participating in a KAL
Publishing a knitting book
Resizing patterns
Spinning on a drop spindle
Spinning with a spinning wheel
Teaching a male how to knit
Teaching knitting classes
Writing a pattern

Multidirectional Diagonal Dishcloth

Here is a cloth pattern made with the Sugar 'n Cream dishcloth cotton on size 6 or 7 needles. It is an adaptation of the Multidirectional Scarf pattern. This is a great way to get at little experience with short rows.

You can use any thickness of yarn for this cloth...just increase (or decrease) the number of stitches. I've also used Paton's Grace (varigated) with this pattern as well.

Updated the Labels

I just went through all the posts and gave them labels. That should be helpful in the long run. If you are looking for a particular item or post you can just check in the label column on the right hand side.

If you have this blog subscribed in a feed (e.g. Bloglines) then it may appear that I have a bunch of new posts. I don't...it's just the new labels.

Two-Yarn Resoleable Socks....p. 47

This is the sock for May's sock class from the book Favorite Socks.

I tweaked a few things.....

1. The cuff is ribbed until about an inch before the heel flap.

2. The instep is 2 rows shorter.

3. I started the toe decreases right after the M1 round.

4. Once I got to 12 sts on each the instep needle and the heel needle I decreased every row to 8 sts. I then did the donkey ear trick and kitchenered shut.

All the toe tweaks I did after I had already knit the toe the way that pattern suggested. The sock was too long, and the toe too pointy so I ripped it out and redid the toe. Much happier with the way it turned out with the tweaks.

The yarn is Lambs Pride Superwash (100% wool...worsted weight). The colors are Charcoal Heather and Shane's Red. I also included a strand of red wooly nylon on the heel and sole. I used two circular needles...size 2's for the ribbing and size 3's for the rest of the sock.

Haiku's

I was inspired this morning when I read Beer Haiku Daily.

So here is a knitting haiku....

Knitting with Euroflax Linen

Thin, scratchy and stiff
Pattern grows with each repeat
Cloth softer each wash.

Elfin Lace

You've seen this cloth before (or not). It's about 7 1/2" x 7 1/2", 55 sts, done in Mercerized Cotton. Other options for smaller dishcloth yarn would be the linen I spoke of in the other post I did today or Patons Grace (that's a little bit bigger than the mercerized cotton).

I didn't think I'd be adding so many cloths to this blog. But it is so much fun to chart them up and share them with others.

This charted pattern is a bit on the unconventional side. Hope it makes sense to those wishing to knit it. I've used it quite often...even for a lace cashmere scarf (I'm a little better than half way with that) so I know the pattern works. Y'all may just be a little taken aback with the way the repeat stitches line up...or *not* line up as the case may be! The chart is pretty and colorful...I mean.... it's pretty colorful.

This is the first pattern that I switched to using the knitting fonts available from Aire River. It works really slick and can't wait to do more charting with that font. I'm not entirely used to it yet but it looks *very* promising.

King Charles Brocade

Happy Memorial Day!

This is a charted cloth pattern done with Louet Euroflax linen on size 1 (2.50 mm) needles.

I found the Euroflax linen to be much more pleasant to knit with if I wash and hang dry the skein before winding it into a ball. I found it to be tricky to keep stitches even when it isn't washed first because the linen is a bit stiff. The more this cloth is washed the softer and softer it will become.

The finished size is about 7 3/4" by 7 3/4" (55 sts).

The chart is very colorful and hopefully that will make it easy to read.

Lean to the Left

This free cloth pattern (pdf) is a finished size of about 8" by 8". Charted pattern here.


It's 61 sts on size 3 needles done with Royale Fashion Size 3 Crochet Thread.


I think this one and *especially* Lean to the Right would make a cute stitch pattern for the bottom of a summer top...say from the belly button down. Lean to the Right has just a bit more ribbing action to it than Lean to the Left.

Lean to the Right

This free pattern is done in the size 3 crochet cotton like the others.

This one is 55 sts on size 3 needles.

It measures about 7" x 7".

Charted pattern here.

Leafy Vines

Here is another free washcloth pattern I put together.

It's done in the size 3 crochet cotton. This one is 53 sts on size 3 needles.

I'm loving the green grass, warmer temps and the smell of the neighbor's lilacs coming in through the open windows. I wish lilac season was longer.


Edit on 4/12/12: Click this link for help with the SSK.

Rainbow at Dawn

A non-knitting post! *gasp*

My dh rises early...I don't...nor do the kids!

So when he went outside yesterday morning he witnessed this beauty in the western sky. He rushed back in the house for the camera. By then it started to sprinkle which are the white specks...I thought they looked like stars and a moon.

Almost makes me want to write a poem....

He says the picture doesn't really do it justice. He could see the full arc. It must have been amazing. Next time we've got rain expected about the time the sun rises -- I'll have to too.

Columns of Greece

Here is a pattern for a cloth made with size 3 Mercerized Cotton.
(It's a PDF file)

I've been looking through stitch pattern books for patterns I think would make into nice cloths. I hate to say dishcloths because I think these would make nice face cloths as well.

I added the borders to the stitch pattern...and viola! A new dish/face cloth pattern!

It's 58 stitches on size 3 needles. The pattern is charted but is very easy to read. You read the odd rows, right to left. The even rows, left to right.

This cloth looks the same on both sides.

Favorite Socks - New Interweave Press Book

I bought this book at my favorite LYS where she's doing a sock a month from this book for the next six months (with the possibility of doing more after that).

This sock is on page 69....Meida's Socks.

It looks much prettier in a solid color but I had this yarn in my stash and thought I'd give it a try.

The lace pattern is really easy to read and do from memory. The box on page 70 describing how to do the Estonian Cables without a cable needle is well written. I did hold the bottom of the stitches that are let loose temporarily with my left thumb nail. This helped me to get the loose stitches back on the needle.

These socks are in limbo at the moment. I'm a little short on the yarn and not excited about this yarn with this pattern.

The next sock is the Two-Yarn Resoleable Sock on page 47. I've got my homework done and can't wait to see how to do the sole!

Knitting Pure & Simple

This is Knitting Pure & Simple's pattern no. 241
Neckdown V Neck Shaped Cardigan

I knit this cardigan in Berrocco's Ultra Alpaca (color #6287, 6 skeins)....a Christmas present from my parents.

It was a very quick knit. I think it only took about 2 weeks to knit this up.

I did increase the rows of seed stitch on the bottom of the sweater. It called for an inch but I did more like an inch and a half (also on the cuffs to match). The sleeves I tweeked a little too since my gauge must have been a little tighter. In the upper arm I didn't do the last decrease. So when I got to the bell sleeves I didn't do the last increase either.

The sweater isn't really crooked. I lean to the right (in more ways than one!). Plus it looks like it could have been adjusted on my shoulders better. Next time I'll hire a professional to take the picture.....Not!

It is very comfortable and *soft*. If you get a chance to touch some Ultra Alpaca you'll see what I mean by soft.

I've been wearing it *a lot*!!! I anticipate being able to wear it all summer...especially in air conditioning!

If Momma's happy, everyone is happy

I thought these were already posted...guess not.

These were made for the twins who were born in August. (friends of ours at church)

The magazine pictures are on a half of a colored file folder (tacked with stick glue) and covered with clear contact paper. We used a twisted cord from the yarn that we used to knit the bunnies (also a gift to the twins and shown in another post). The cord goes around the seat/headrest of the car so the babies can "talk" to the pictures while riding around in the car.

There are more pictures on the flip side of each.

Cashmere Scarf

My mom and I went to Stitches Midwest last year with our LYS. This laceweight cashmere yarn was something my mom bought (it came with a free pattern). She didn't enjoy knitting with such thin yarn on such slippery needles (addi's) so in frustration she threw it my way.

I cast on.....I didn't mind it at all. It was a nice break from sock knitting. And for her birthday this year I knew exactly what to give to her.

Marie, thanks for asking about the size. That would be nice to know. I called my mom and she'll measure it. The other pictures I had were not that great. I had dried it on bath towels...note to self...buy prettier bath towels for drying knit items. I wanted to get a picture of my mom wearing it and I did have a chance yesterday but spaced out. Ooo...mom called it is 12" x 55".

More socks done

Here's another pair of socks made with Mountain Colors Bearfoot Yarn. This color is called Steelhead.

Done Crazy Toes & Heels method.

This time I added a cable going up the inside and outside of the leg. You can barely see it in the picture.

This pair is Trekking XXL in browns/greens. It is the first pair of socks my dh requested.

May be his last....I asked him for his socks when I was about to wash a load of the hand knit socks. His reply...."Oh, I already washed them!" Thank God they are superwash wool. But I still would rather do them on a more gentle cycle.

Socks for the kids

This is a pair of socks for dd#3. It is Lang Jawool sock yarn. Medium blue. Done on Knitpicks #0 circular, 9.5 spi, 13 rpi.
Queen Kahuna style *again*. Favorite way.

I did another pair of socks (no picture) for dd#2. They are exactly the same as her other pair...Knitpicks denim...only a little bit bigger.

I really need to keep knitting socks for these two so they have more than one or two pair each. My dd#1 has a pair of socks on her own knitting needles. Way cool!

Socks for me

These socks are Bearfoot Mountain Colors. The color is called Huckleberry. The yarn is 60% superwash wool, 25% mohair and 15% nylon. Each skein is 4 oz., about 350 yds.

It is very soft cuddly yarn and the socks are one of the warmest I've got.

These were done on #0 Addis toe up (9 spi). Turkish Cast on (7 wraps). Then Queen Kahuna style up. 36 sts. on each circular needle. Instep rib: k2, p2, *k4, p2* repeat between asterisks, end with k2.

These are Schaefer "Anne" yarn that I picked up at Stitches Midwest. The yarn is 60% merino wool superwash, 25% mohair, 15% nylon. The skeins are 4 oz., about 560 yards. Hmmm...not sure of the color. It's dark blue and dark green.

These were also done on #0 Addi Turbo. 10-11 spi. 39 sts on each circular needle. Did Aloha cast on from Queen Kahuna. I did little holes (just yo's) every other knit panel on the ribbing.

These are also nice cuddy, soft, warm socks.

Mini Sweaters

I saw some cute little sweaters on the Loose Ends Christmas tree and was reminded of the pattern I had to make some for my family (5), my sister's family (4), my parents (2) and dh's work friends (15). It got a little carried away...especially since I started them in December. But it was so much fun using the different sock yarns I've got...some of which haven't become socks yet.

The finished measurements are 2" high and 1 3/4" for the body. Measuring tip of cuff to other cuff is 3 3/4". The ribbing was done on size 1 bamboo dpns and the rest was done on size 2's. I mistakenly used size 1's for a whole sweater and it really did make quite a difference in size. I gave that one away to a neighbor so can't measure it.

The pattern is here. It's the same site that has that cute bunny I posted about not long ago. The pattern is done in the round from the neck down. Once you get to the sleeves you do those flat. Then back to the body in the round. Sew up the sleeves weaving the yarn to take care of any underarm holes. It is a perfectly functional sweater if you had something that small you could dress! Done with different size needles with different size yarn you'd get a differet size sweater.

For the hangers...I bent some craft wire using a nail knitting board to form the bottom of the triangle. Did some twisting by hand and then with a smooth pliers to be sure the end was not pokey. Snipped the wire from the roll and formed the little hook over something roundish...the seam ripper handle was handy for that.

Ornaments

Here are some pictures of Christmas ornaments we made for our local yarn store. Various businesses decorated indoor trees. The public was able to vote on their favorite trees. It was for some charity. Once the viewing was over the ornaments went back to the yarn store and were sold with the proceeds going to the local food pantry.

The Christmas tree and star were made by knitting a rectangular piece and felting it. After drying, I cut out the shapes. It was tough cutting...especially the tree. Ended up with a blister.

We then needle felted on the tree. On the star we sprayed a little glue and sprinkled with a really fine glitter.

I forget how many of each we made. A dozen or so of the tree and star, 3 or so pairs of socks and maybe 6 stockings. Something like that.

Even my dd got into the act by making about a dozen of these scrubbie ornaments. By putting together three different scrubbies it makes a cute little ball.

Knitpicks Options Needle Set

I have had these needles for about 6 months. I really love them! The joins are beautiful and I love the pointy tips!



I've heard some complain about how Knitpicks sends the needles (sizes 4 - 11) all on one piece of cardboard. I didn't find this to be a problem. I unknotted and removed the elastic thread that was holding them on the cardboard. I carefully cut the cardboard being sure to cut the holes in between into half circles to catch the elastic. Then I trimmed the length to fit in the triple pocket and reused the elastic thread. I had to use just a little bit of my own elastic thread to finish the project.

As you can see the smaller needles can fit two sizes per pocket (although sizes 4, 5 and 6 are in use they do fit in there nicely).




In the second photo, sizes 10 and 10.5 are together, size 11 and size 13 are separate. (The size 13 needle tips were purchased individually and are not part the the $60 set.)

Little Bunnies!

Here's a project that my dd#1 quickly whipped up for a gift for the baptism of twins (besides a pan of lasagne for the mom and dad--that I made).



The Knitted Bunny is an easy project. Just knit a square! Well......and some ears...and we knit a tail instead of pulling out a bit of fluff. We also knit collars in the contrasting colors. (Just a 4 or 5 stitch i-cord, knit to fit.)









Instructions for tail:
CO 5
1: k
2: k2, p, k2
3: Repeat rows 1 & 2, 5 times more (6 times total)
4: ssk, k, k2tog
5: k, p, k
6: sl 1, k2tog, psso
7: cut yarn & pull through last st.

We did the ears this same way except we did a total of 8 repeats of rows 1 & 2.

This yarn is Schoeller + Stahl, Hobby Kids Color, color 4669 and 4666. We picked up a pink (4664) yesterday at the yarn store to make another for the older (3yo) sister. She has captured one of the twin's bunnies and it's living in her purse!

Thank you to Michelle, the owner at Loose Ends Yarn Shop, for recommending this pattern! It is fun to see the bunnies come to life!

A World of Wallabies

Finally! I've waited and waited for this post. The plan for this summer was to complete the four Wallabies. Mine has already been posted on this blog...not too long ago on August 3rd.

The next one I completed was for dd#2 since the yarn had to be ordered for the other two.

This one is in Cascade 220 color #9326 (denim). It's a child's size 12. Needles were sizes 6's and 8's. I did go into the 5th skein just a little.











Once the yarn came in for the other two, I decided to do the smaller one first. Dd#3 choose a sky blue (Cascade 220 #7815). This is a size 8. A little big right now...but I was hoping the sweater would fit for a few years.














Dd#1 chose a dark green (Cascasde 220 #9448). It is an adult medium (room to grow) and the body is an extra inch longer per dd's request. She was disappointed that her's wasn't done when we went to see "Julius Caesar". I finished this one at 10pm the night before we went to see "Romeo and Juliet".

We all wore them to the play...long sleeve undershirt, turtleneck and Wallaby...no jacket...and we were very comfortable. My legs on the other hand could have used a layer of wool...and is where my "just in case" jean jacket ended up. I'll have to knit little wool lap blankets for next year...that'd be easier than knitting long underwear! My cuddle duds weren't enough.

These aren't fancy sweaters. I see them as a knit sweatshirt jacket. These are perfect for running around outside or sitting by a campfire. At first my dd's were leary about wearing them to play in since they are hand knit by mom. I reassured them that this is indeed why I knit them. Anything I knit I intend for the item to be used and loved. It may cause them to wear out or get a hole but that is the purpose...not to sit in a drawer to be pulled out and looked at when company comes over! Use the darn things!

**getting off my soapbox**

One would think this is enough Wallaby knitting but.......my dh has been wondering where his is! So last night I cast on for his. He chose the same color as mine. I was thinking of doing the overlapping placket for his so it will be easier to tell them apart at a glance. He, at first, didn't want the hood but has decided to keep it on...perhaps he noticed how comfortable I was at "Romeo and Juliet" with my hood up!

Austermann Step Socks

This is the yarn with Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil.

The color...hmmm....can't seem to find the ball band. They are grey, denim and mellow moss green.

I did these toe up Queen Kahuna style on two size 0 Addi Turbo circular needles.

These are VERY comfortable socks!

I wore these to the APT to see the play "Julius Caesar" and we got drenched! Even though the socks were soaking wet (read: puddles in my shoes) they were extremely soft and my feet were not cold in the least little bit (it was about 60 degrees that day).

APT is a great place to see a Shakespearean play. We saw "Romeo and Juliet" just last week. WOW! It was fantastic! (I wore the same socks...the weather was in the 50's and dry...my feet were cozy!) We saw MacBeth last year and that is what got us hooked. We haven't seen any of the plays at night *yet*. The nighttime performances are reportedly out of this world....even better than the daytime ones. Inconceivable!