Knitting projects of #1 Daughter

Here's a few pictures of what my #1 dd has been knitting.

Legwarmers made with Knitpicks Parade on 2 Addi Turbo #1. No pattern...just a 2x2 rib.


A head band being modeled by Barbie. Simply Soft yarn was used...light purple and white for the snowflakes.


A ribbed cap (a Vogue magazine insert that we converted to circular knitting) and matching Multidirectional Scarf. Yarn: Knit One, Crochet Two (Color Box: Blues and greens).






And a cap for her sister. No pattern. Garter stitch brim. The rest is stockinette stitch. Spiral decrease from E. Zimmerman and also in Knitting Rules (p.177...Type A Solution). Yarn: Heirloom (Breeze: shade 002).

Now she's working on a log cabin knit blanket from Mason-Dixon Knitting. It's turning out beautiful!

Left foot, Left foot, Left foot, Right!

Well...you may or may not remember these socks. These were my first pair of Queen Kahuna socks done toe up (March 2006). Although I wore these socks more than a handful of times my toes would complain each time that they were just a bit too short. So out came my 0000 size needles to pick up 66 stitches the row before the toe decreases (which, of course, were really instep increases since these were knit toe up). I snipped off the cap of the toe (which the kids claimed for some unknown purpose). Ripped back to the picked up stitches and with my #1 DPNs I began reknitting the toe. This time I decided I wanted to try doing a LEFT foot and a RIGHT foot. So the decreases were only done on the pinky toe side of the sock. I decreased every other row for the first 10 rows and then every row for the next 14. I also included decreases on the big toe side on the last 2 rows of those 14. (Maybe 3 on the right sock...but I liked 2 better.) Kitchenered off. WHOO HOO! My toes are happy!

Fancy Silk Sock

Here's a picture of my first lace sock. The pattern is from Knitting Vintage Socks. I knit this in Koigu KPPPM (#P40226)...first time I've used this yarn. I followed the pattern except for the toe. It was too pointy for me so I redid it with a round toe decrease.

I used #1 bamboo DPNs. Killed my little fingers since I wanted them done for Easter. Even pulled a muscle in my hand doing one of the K2togs. But I got them done! Once church was over I got comfy in my jeans and new socks. Ahhhh!

What would a knitting blog be without a few dishcloths?

I won't bore you with all the dishcloths I've knit but here are a few special ones. The two lacy ones are my first lace knitting.

The bottom right one is done in the regular dishcloth cotton yarn (#6 needles:Inc. to 44 st). I used the Multidirectional Diagonal Scarf pattern doing only the first and last triangle (alternate directions on that last triangle).

The bottom left one is done with Patons Grace 100% Mercerized Cotton (#3 needles:57 st). The Horseshoe Lace Washcloth pattern is from the book Knitter's Stash. Grace is thinner than the regular cotton dishcloth yarn but thicker than the crochet thread that I used for the top two.

The purple one above it is also from Knitter's Stash. The pattern is called Lacy Vine Washcloth(#3 needles:55 st). And yes, there is more than one mistake in the garter edge. When I get purling there is no stopping me sometimes. This one and the top green one are done in Royale Fashion Crochet Thread - size 3 - 100% Mercerized Cotton.

The top green one is the Dragon Scales Washcloth pattern (#3 needles:71 st). Again from Knitter's Stash. Theresa Gaffey supplied 8 linen washcloth patterns for the book and they are all lovely.

I do like using the the cloths knit with the smaller thread when I do dishes (no dishwasher here). They are so nice and thin. It makes the job almost enjoyable! I've actually come to not mind doing dishes thanks to Flylady....it's only a 15 minute job. And although I've fallen off her wagon she still has taught me many lessons that I still apply. Unfortunately knitting beats cleaning. Maybe if I'd make some sort of knitted something to help make the other jobs more enjoyable!

I took the picture upside down to avoid the shadows. Next time I'll just turn the dishcloths around too so I don't get sea sick looking at the picture. Hope y'all can't tell it's upside down. (I shouldn't have said that....done in my best Hagrid voice.)

In the balance

We've had this scale packed in a box in the basement for years. We bought it at a teacher's store for the kids to weigh and compare things with but it wasn't used a whole lot. That was until now! Now I use it whenever I need to wind one skein of yarn into two balls. Most commonly, a 100 gm skein of sock yarn into two 50 gram balls. I just start winding a center-pull ball. When I think I'm almost half way I put one half into each basket. I keep winding if it is too light or pull some off and put it in the other basket if it's too heavy. Once they are even I cut the yarn and wind the second ball, making sure that if it is a patterned yarn that I'm winding the same direction as the first ball.

I don't have a swift or ball winder...just a loosened lamp shade and my hands. Sometimes a helper will kindly pull the yarn from the lampshade so I can wind faster! But if all the helpers are in bed then I just go slowly pulling the yarn a good distance and winding it up. This is a up on your feet job...walking backwards when pulling and forwards when winding. I love winding yarn!

I got a couple more pairs of socks done. The one pictured here is for dd#3. It is done in Brown Sheep Wildfoote - Columbine. She wanted a pair of socks that matched her fingerless mitts. It has a 2x2 rib in the cuff, heel from the generic pattern, and flat toe decrease. 64 st. on #0 Addi turbo circulars. The cuff is 85 rows -- they are almost kneesocks. Every time I thought the cuff was long enough she'd try it on and pull it up higher on her leg. Nope, still more rows to knit!

She has an order in for another purple striped pair (entry Feb 24, 2006) as the first pair is getting too small. This time she wants a ribbed cuff to keep them from sliding down.

The other pair of socks that were completed were the Knitpicks-Essential in denim for dd#2. This time I made the foot long enough! She wears them constantly. I was hoping to snap a picture of them a few days ago. Unfortunately as soon as the dryer was done they were back on her feet. I am very glad she likes them so much! The only difference in how they were made was that I used the CT&H heel with the slip stitches under the heel also. You can sort of see the slipped stitches under the heel on the pictures of my socks (March 3, 2006 entry).

Also the itchiness of the Knitpicks-Essential must have disappeared in the wash as dd#3 is wearing her pair now...when she wears blue.