Linda's Knitting Blog

12th Anniversary Celebration

2011-10-09T12:47:00.001-04:00

We've.been together since 1993 and celebrating our 12th wedding anniversary in kennebunk, Maine. We love to visit Maine but this is our first time with both the girls and the dog.

Camp Spofford

2011-08-31T19:49:00.001-04:00

My home away from home! Lovely sunset tonight.

Feels like rhe best lunch ever!

2011-05-29T15:41:00.001-04:00

No AC. Took the dog for a run. Dripping sweat and hungry. Amazing how good a cold lunch can make you feel. Hummus, crips veggies and a cold IPA.

Great day for a walk!

2011-05-26T16:26:00.002-04:00

Out walking the dog I stumbled on these flowers. Aren't they gorgeous?

Technology is so cool

2011-01-23T21:35:00.001-05:00

Now if I could only get my I-whatever to knit my sweaters I'd be all set. This is really cool any way. I can blog from anywhere on my iPhone. Oh yeah!

One of THOSE days!

2011-01-16T20:46:00.003-05:00

I just said to my husband, "where has the day gone?" His response was :" you spent the day knitting". But I have nothing to show for it. Do you ever have one of those days when you frog just as much as you knit? Well, that was my day today. I wound lots of yarn. First I was trying a new technique on the knitting machine and after three tries of it not working it was time to quit. then I knit an entire vest from "Knitters" magazine. And it was awful! Ugly and heavy, more like a blanket than an item of clothing. So to the frog pond it went. Now to think about what to knit tomorrow. :-) How was your Sunday???

One of

2011-01-16T20:46:00.001-05:00

Happy New Year / Happy Stash Busting!

2011-01-13T11:23:00.005-05:00

My goal for this year is to stash bust! I know many of us set this goal each year. I am going to post about my stash in order to hold myself accountable.

Here is my start to 2011.

A felted hat. Used an entire skein of worsted weight wool. It is now my favorite hat as it is quite cozy and warm. It also does a great job of keeping my ear buds in place while hiking with the dog.

The Market Vest. Now, I had to purchase some yarn in order to use up stash yarn, so I basically break even on this one. But, I love it!

And lastly, I used the rest of the yarn left from the vest to make a felted bowl. It's cute, pretty and not very functional. I'll most likely use it as a "drop" spot for knitting stuff.
Well, I hope you enjoyed my stash busting, I hope to post quite often this year as I would love to actually put into use some of my gorgeous stash yarns. They really don't do me much good sitting in a box. I may even find some that I will post for sale, so keep your eyes open.
Have a Wonderful 2011!

New Etsy Listings

2010-12-01T15:18:00.005-05:00

I have been a busy bee! I have been sewing up some new handbags. I love them! They are a little smaller, now that my kids have grown and I no longer need to carry extra snacks and other such items. No more big Mommy style bags for me. I want to be a lady again. Thus the new bags. Stop on by the Etsy Shop and see what's new.

These bags are 11 1/2" wide at the zipper and 13" at the base. They are 3 1/2" deep and 9" tall. They each have 4 inside pockets and 2 pencil/pen pockets. The handle is 25" long (an 11" clearance).

Happy Halloween Everyone!

2010-11-01T07:22:00.006-04:00

Whew, glad that's over. We were all exhausted after the Halloween fun ended. And then I remembered "I haven't taken any pictures, back into your costumes!" That didn't go over real well, so we got only partial, but better than nothing.

Sarah, on the left, is Dr Who, the 10th Dr, but she no longer has her sonic screwdriver, tie, overcoat or Converse All Star Sneakers. She did look great!

Catherine was the "Human Dalek" from the 10th Dr Who series. She too looked great!
--------
Now for some accessories:
Buttons for Feb Lady Sweater

More Buttons

My first Shawl Pin - Love it, thank you for sharing your source Marcy!

Happy Yarnoween!

2010-10-31T13:52:00.004-04:00

I was not able to make it to Rhinebeck this year, but I did make it to Stitches East '10 instead. Although it is quite a different venue, it was still a LOT of fun! I found some really nice things and thought I would share. First .... the YARN....

Starting on the left, the multicolor yarn is my first purchase of this sort ever. I never really had an appreciation for handspun yarns until my friends started to spin. I really LOVE their yarns and the way they knit up. So when I saw this skein I felt a warm and fuzzy feeling. I will have to take up spinning one day :-). It is called Krazy Skeinz from Still River Mills in CT. It is 50/50 Baby Alpaca/Merino. The coolest thing is when I met up with my friend Marcy for some lunch, she had purchased the roving (I think that's what it is called) from the same booth to make the same yarn and subsequently the same vest (free pattern came with the yarn). So cool! I feel another knitalong coming soon!

Next is my very first purchase ever of MissBabs yarns. It is Yowza in Smooch. It is a Superwash merino, hand-dyed and feels just yummy! It was great to meet Babs too!

Next is a tried and true Blue Moon Fiber Arts, socks that rock in Medium weight. I just could not pass up the colorway: Spy-say Guacamolay. I love everything spicy!

Next is Kitchen Sink Dyeworks, another never tried yarn. One touch and I could not put the skein back, not for nothin'! It is called Luxe Merino Fine in colorway Dexter and is 80% Merino, 10% Cashmere and 10% Nylon. I plan to knit this into something that I can feel around my neck. I also got to meet the dyer, Mercedes, in this booth. Meeting the real people behind the yarn was what made this trip so amazing!

Lastly, but not least is String Theory! OMG this is squooshy yummy yarn with the most gorgeous dye work. I wanted to buy it all. It was so difficult to just purchase one colorway for one project. I bought 5 skeins of Caper Aran in Shale to make my very first February Lady. I am not one to run with the crowds and knit what everyone else is, but this yarn is just calling out to be a February Lady and I can't resist.

I'll get to the accessories later...

Summer Sewing

2010-07-14T10:17:00.004-04:00

Surfing anyone?

I've been spending some time sewing this summer. It has just been too hot to actually hold yarn! Look what I have been up to.

There's more too. Check out my etsy shop for more style bags.

Now I will move back to knitting.
Happy summer!

This is a test

2010-06-22T16:52:00.002-04:00

This photo collage made with Smilebox

I have this new piece of software and thought I would play with it for a minute to see if I like it....

Am I back? or Just visiting?

2010-06-18T14:44:00.004-04:00

iPad Cozy!

I don't know the answer to that question. What I do know is that blogging is alot of work and quite time consuming. I felt the need to step back for a while, but today I felt a desire to check in.

It is my 48th birthday today and I have had a wonderful day! The family bought me an iPad for my birthday. No, nothing fiber related, but an iPad. Hmmmm. Anyway, I will enjoy it. It means I can post to my blog or to ravelry any time. While waiting for the girls at their activities, while at playdates, when ever. That sounds pretty cool.

I wanted a safe way to stash it in my purse so it is always with me, so I whipped up this iPad case today. Yes that is what I spent my birthday doing, untangling a skein of wild yarn so I could make this.

I like it, what do you think?

Yarn: Socks that Rock, lightweight in Flower Power.

Needles: US1 or T10 on a standard gauge machine
Notes: I did a gauge swatch and used those numbers to plan how many to CO and how many rows to knit. Pretty straight forward as the iPad is pretty narrow, no need to calculate for depth.
I knit a 20 row hem (10 each side), knit 60 rows at regular gauge, 5 rows at a tighter gauge, 60 rows regular gauge, and another hem. Seemed the sides and voila! Then I though, hmmm, it needs a button. So I just picked up 10sts and added on a button flap. easy peasy.

RHINEBECK '09

2009-10-18T14:37:00.002-04:00

The Team! Pat (left), Me and Marcy(Right).
This was only stop #2, The Fold for some Blue Moon Fiber.

Just after lunch and chatting with fellow Ravelers we head to the car to lighten our load.

Yes there were sheep.

The collective loot! Lots of yummy stuff and some fun stuff too! Wonderful time with friends and fiber! Can't wait till next year!

For more photos take a look at Flickr.

Whoah!

Just for Giggles

2009-10-16T14:29:00.004-04:00

I made the comment "My craft/guest room is overflowing with yarn. The challenge was given "I'd like to see pictures of this craft room.
Well, here you go. It's not alot compared to some people I hear talk, but it is more than I can handle.

That table is my scrap booking table and the large basket usually sits under it.
The big basket is filled with all sorts of yarn, mostly worsted weight, some singles and some enough for sweaters. The teddy bear basket has the skeins for Shalor. The small basket is filled with singles of worsted weights for hats/mittens. The chilli bowl box is filled with left over sock yarn.

This is the top shelf of the closet, the basket has yarn for 2 sweaters. Under that the bin contains cotton yarns for sweaters. On the top right is skeins for the little girl bulky cardigan I am making and the 2 bins below contain sock yarn (the one one top is Cherry Tree Hill).

This 2 drawer is sitting on the floor of the closet and contains mostly yarns for sweaters....lots.

And this shelf is just chock full of sock yarn. It is hard to see, but there are 2 balls on top shelf waiting to be knit, the basket on the right of those contains sport weight yarns. 2 shelves down in the pouch behind the pinecone is another sweater waiting to be completed. and the overflowing basket below is all finger weight yarns.

OK, maybe I shouldn't go to Rhinebeck tomorrow!
Off to knit RIGHT NOW!
feeling ashamed

It is Fall here in New England

2009-10-11T08:10:00.005-04:00

I can't believe it has been such a long time since I last post. As soon as school started for the girls, it got quite busy around here. I am only just getting used to the hectic schedule. My girls are only doing a fraction of the after school activities that others are doing, and I feel overwhelmed and like a taxi driver. They are only in Third grade, they say it gets worse...so I best get used to it.

Well, I have finished a few knitting projects since I was last here, that's good news anyway!

But the bad news first. I've lost everything on my PC. My photos for the last few years, my saved patterns, my designs (those published and those not), etc. We lost both the primary and backup discs. Bummer! Well, a chance to start anew, and hubby has set up a whole new backup system. I will also take the time to creat CD's of photos from here on in.

Let's see what have I completed, that I have photos to show....

Pattern: Stricken by CookieA.
Yarn: The Painted Tiger, Tiger Cub in Rusty
Needles:US1 (2.25mm)
Pattern: A test knit of Everthing's Connected by Jeannie Cartmel
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill supersock solid in Burgundy
Needles: US1 (2.25mm)

Pattern: Cascade Christmas Stocking
Yarns: A bunch of left overs in Blues. Sarah's favorite color.
Needles: US7

I have also made some mittens in preparation for winter's imminent arrival. I'll get photos for next time.

Keep Woolly Warm this Winter!

Fall Sale

2009-08-26T07:32:00.001-04:00

Just a quick note to let you know that I am having a sale at my Etsy shop. I have some gorgeous new fabrics I am going to use to make some Fall bags. New shape and style too. But I need to clean up some inventory to make room for the new. Check it out and tell your friends.

Happy Belated Birthday Mom!

2009-08-15T11:35:00.002-04:00

Better late than never! I simply love the way this bag came out. I was not sure how it would work out, I have never put a zipper in a large sized bag. But it worked perfectly. My daughter modeled for me and you can see it is just adorable. I think you will really enjoy the bag, Mom. Happy Belated Birthday!

What a Mess!

2009-08-11T16:40:00.003-04:00

See that tangled mess? Well, that is after working on untangling it for an hour when I thought to take a photo. It is 4 balls of yarn and what a mess!

Every morning the neighbor's dog, Koda, comes over to play with Max for about an hour. Well, this day, Max went up to Koda's because our lawn had just been fertilized. I brought my socks to knit while I supervised the dogs. Not that they really need it, but this is new territory for Max, so I didn't want him getting into any trouble.

Well, Max did grab something he probably should not have, so I put my knitting down and went to retrieve said item. When I turned around.....to my horror.....Koda had my project in his mouth.

Picture this. Very happy dog looking at me with mischief in his eyes. I move to approach him and he excitedly runs away. He stops, looks at me and again runs away. No matter how I screech STOP, he is having way too much fun to listen.

Now, picture this, Koda has run around the playhouse, around the sand box, around the swing set, around the deck furniture, up the hill, around and around again. Imagine a gigantic spider web. Then Koda finally drops the knitting and steps on it. Here is the good news, the wooden US1 needles were jammed into the ground, but did not break!

Humor me for just one more moment. Now I am running around trying desperately to gather all the yarn (almost 4 entire balls worth) while both dogs think playing in the web of yarn is the best playdate ever!

The socks are still being knit. They are riddled with dog hairs and sand.

I hope you enjoyed my story. I am able to laugh about it now, but it did take me a day or two to see the humor in it.

Socks for Christy

2009-07-28T13:11:00.004-04:00

Feels so good to be "done". Almost a year ago Christy and I did a yarny package swap. I set up her package to contain "sock club kits". Each kit had yarn and a pattern associated with it. One kit just said "pattern to be designed". Well, it has taken me almost a year to come up with just the right pattern for Christy. Something I know she would love. I think I succeeded. Here it is:

Socks for Christy

-Sock is knit toe-up

-Knit in the round using magic loop method.

-Foot is worked over 65sts and leg 68sts.

-Fits my foot of 9.25” circumference at widest part, 10” foot lenght.

-Uses an unusual gusset and a stretchy bind off.

-Pattern is Charted.

-Leg can be knit shorter if desired, I enjoyed using the entire skein of yarn (for a change).

-Lots of FUN! and looks gorgeous on.

$3 USD
Downloadable pdf format.

Two new Bags available on Etsy

2009-07-24T09:50:00.002-04:00

Just a quick note to let everyone know about these 2 bags. People seem to really like the 14" wide project bags so I am trying to sew some up in between dealing with kids on summer vacation. It's not easy (ha).

The bag above is a gorgeous Teal on Chocolate. The deep brown color was hard to capture on camera, it keeps coming up looking black. Trust me, it's lovely!

This bag below has a few issues. I am listing it as a "second" and at a discounted price. For some silly reason I forgot to put in the tabs (ha ha). Also, the lining came out a bit wonky, it is perfectly functional just looks a little funky; but, it's on the inside.

Yarn not included (sorry, chuckle).

Christy

2009-07-22T16:35:00.004-04:00

I celebrated my birthday in Spain this year....I'll get to that in a post soon....I promise (chuckle). It was wonderful, sunny, dry and hot.

When I returned from my trip my friend Christy sent me a wonderful gift. She sent me these 4 beads. They are gorgeous, just the right size and weight for stitch markers. They are made by Glory Bead Glass Studio and are as lovely in real life as in her photos. I have made myself this gorgeous set of stitch markers and I plan to work with her to make stitch markers to go with my bags in my etsy shop. What FUN!

And this photo is my new yarn acquisition, it is a yarn called Woobu in colorway Footzey Foo.

It is a Blue Moon Fiber Arts Yarn that is 60% Merino and 40% Bambu. It feels wonderful against the skin, is soft and luxurious and I don't know yet what I will make with it.

The first photo is taken without the flash and is most representative of the skein. The second is taken with the flash and shows a bit of the sheen of the Bambu. Lovely isn't it. Now to knit a swatch and watch how it knits up.

So much to talk about....

2009-07-10T17:09:00.003-04:00

So much has happened since school finished I don't even know where to start! It's been wonderful, but a bit too busy all at once. Anyway.....

I think I would like to start with a pair of socks (what else is new) LOL.

I call these EasyGoing!
I got this lovely, yet busy yarn in the May RSC kit. The pattern that arrived with it is lovely, yet busy, as well. I just didn't have the heart to actually pair the two together. Instead I will use a solid yarn for the pattern and I winged this pattern to really show off the hand dyed yarn. I got a few requests for the pattern, so I went ahead and wrote it up. It is pretty simple, but just enough fun without taking away from the yarn. There are so many gorgeous hand dyed yarns out there, that I think this pattern will suite many. I only wrote up one size, but it is easy to adjust; just do more knits. The pattern has not been test knit, so if you have a problem please let me know. If you love it, let me know too! I'd love to see photos of finished socks, so if I don't already subscribe to your blog, let me know when you post a photo so I can see it.

You can get the pdf file from HERE or from the Ravelry Library HERE.

Enjoy!

End of School year busy!

2009-06-14T08:16:00.003-04:00

WOW, the last month has been so very busy! Friday was the girls last day of school with a celebration party in the evening. Tuesday (4am) we take off for Spain! I can't recall the last vacation we took (it's been too long), I am hoping to get some major relaxation and fun in during these 10 days. Here is our itinerary: Leave Boston 6am June 16th. Arrive London, have dinner and sleep for a few hours. Early Wednesday fly to Malaga, Spain. Travel to the In-Laws apartment, food shop, deal with jetlag and get settled in. Not sure what is up for Thursday. If I have anything to say about it, relax on the Beach! Friday catch the high speed train for Madrid. Meet up with Sister-in-law for a fun filled weekend of sight seeing. Monday, back to Malaga. Wed back to Boston. Whew! Sounds busy to me.

Let's see what we've been up to.....First I'd like a share a couple of photos from the Year End Celebration. The kids put on a lovely show, about "Possibilities" and "I'm Gonna Be", with song and dance. Fun was had by all!

The previous weekend our Brownie Troop went on it's first overnight camping trip. All the girls were amazing. The bonds they developed with eachother, working together to cook, clean and play, was all priceless!

They learned about fire safety, lighting matches, boating, swimming, crafts and more.

On the knitting front I have been working diligently on a Mystery Sock Pattern for the Aug/Sept Solid Socks Knit Along. I have many terrific knitters helping me find errors as well as making suggestions for a perfect pattern. It has thus far been a wonderful experience. I cannot show you a picture, as that would spoil the mystery, but I can invite you to join us! If you are a knitter and have not yet gotten your account in Ravelry, you should, it is a great resource as well as lots of fun. Here is where you can join the KAL for knitting socks in Solid or Semi-Solid yarns.

I have finished other socks too, here is a pair made specifically for my Mom. She picked the yarn and I built the socks.
Pattern: Kai-Mei from Sock Innovations by Cookie A.
Yarn: Lots of left over pieces.

One last thing I would like to share before I go on vacation.
A new bag style, which seems to be quite popular!
The 14 inch wide wedge style knit project bag.

Have a GREAT start of Summer and I'll be back end of the month!
Happy Knitting!!!

Stop Growing Max!

2009-05-25T09:42:00.003-04:00

This is Max and Koda. Koda is our neighbor's dog and a good playmate. Koda is one year old, and Max is almost as big as he is. Time to stop growing Max!

Spring Bags, new size!

2009-05-18T09:22:00.010-04:00

First I want to thank everyone for the well wishes for the Dance Recital. It went quite well. The little girls were little ballerinas! Catherine remembered to smile and Sarah was ever so serious. They both performed perfectly. We were not allowed to photograph during the performance, but we did get a few after the show shots.

They were so very pleased, and can you believe they asked to have Pizza for dinner. Then they spent the evening dancing throughout the house. Too cute. They are both wearing their butterfly clips in their hair today. Catherine is wearing her costume under her sundress to school today :-)

Here are the new Spring Line of Bags. Although I personally love my small bags, I have had many requests to make larger bags. So here we are (approximately 11inches by 9 inches, with 9.5 inch zipper opening and 2.5inch base). I hope they are perfectly right for everyone. Oooh and do you know what I like most about this size (for me)? Well, whenever I pack my luggage for a trip, I always hate to just put my undergarments in the suitecase. It gives me an icky unclean feeling, well, these bags are perfect for packing those unmentionables for my trips! The fun patterns have me all excited for my coming trip to Spain in June.

And now for a visit from Max

See that fun toy? Grandma brought it for Max and it has lasted all of 3 days before he was able to start shredding it. He is definitely a puppy in a big dogs body. LOL
"OK, if I must pose for a picture, this is the best you are going to get, I must chew the stick!)

Stash Busting Serpentine Socks

2009-05-16T09:16:00.004-04:00

I simply LOVE toe up socks. Look at those little toes, are they not adorable? And they grow into a really cool sock.

Now this particular pair of socks are a bit out of the ordinary. They were FUN and will certainly be fun to wear. I was using up some left over balls of yarn in the green, it just was not enough, and instead of giving up I tacked on another left over.
Pattern : Serpentine Socks by WendyKnits, from her new book Socks from the Toe Up.
Yarn : Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks that Rock Mediumweight in Lucky and Muddy Autumn Rainbow.
Needles : One 32" circular in size 3.0mm / US2.5

And here is Max playing in the sprinkler. He is quite funny these days, he is a little puppy in a big dogs body. He loves to play with everyone, and is convinced everyone wants to play with him.

Tomorrow is my girl's ballet recital, I hope I have some photos to share.

SOCKS! Eunice by Cookie A.

2009-05-14T20:42:00.003-04:00

I got another sock knitting book. So much fun! Although all these new sock patterns are taking away from my need to design my own. So many lovely socks!!!

Pattern: Eunice by Cookie A. from Sock Innovations
Yarn: Araucania Ranco Solid in Purple
Needles: US1 / 2.25mm
A wonderfully fun pair of socks, worth all the work.

Last call for Paw Print Bags

2009-04-30T10:10:00.004-04:00

I have sewn up all my paw prints and I'm ready to move onto summer fun. But before I can start anything new I need to clear out these adorable fun bags. I do have half a dozen for myself, but there are still a few in the store! So grab yours before they are gone.

Apollo & Artemis

2009-04-28T13:41:00.002-04:00

Pattern: Apollo & Artemis by Kirstin of Through the Loops

Yarn: The Jewell's Handmades Superwash fingering in Wild Sweet Pea

Needles: US1, 40" circular, 2 at once

This was fun and simple. A good carry along project and I love them. Both the pattern and the lovely colorway by Jewell!

Color!

2009-04-22T15:47:00.005-04:00

I've been having a blast making project bags for my fellow knitters. I have even received some special requests. I've had some male knitters ask me to "man" up a bag. I had so much fun I sewed up a whole bunch! But then I just couldn't resist the bright colors any more and had to put a splash of pink in :-) Check out the progression of color...

Talking about color, we finally have some flowers! Not in my garden, yet, this is my neighbors garden.

Another request I have had is to make a larger bag, one large enough to fit a 9" tube which would contain the dpn's. This is all so fascinating to me, as I am a circular sock knitter and not accustomed to the needs of the dpn sock knitter. Keep making requests, I am really enjoying it.

I'm SO Excited!

2009-04-15T19:46:00.003-04:00

I just got my new book and it is wonderful. I can't wait to settle in and give it a good read. Wendy's blog and her sock knitting brilliance is what got me hooked on knitting socks toe-up. She also has tons of wonderful patterns at the Loopy Ewe, if you haven't yet, you should check them out.

But before I could sit and read, I just HAD to make some more bags. As you can see in the photo I have picked my special bag for my first "Socks from the Toe Up" project. Now I must go off and wind some yarn.

Here is a preview of some new bags in my etsy shop.

And the Winners Are...

2009-04-12T15:36:00.005-04:00

JudyK who is celebrating that it is 7 years this month that she donated a kidney to her sister and they are both doing fine. Congratulations Judy on life and a new sock project bag.

AND

Elaine who is celebrating her mother's 94th birthday. Yeah! To a long life and new stitch markers.

These silly girls drew the names from a tin and thought it was just too much fun. Of course, as you can see by the glassy look in their eyes, they have had TOO much Easter Chocolate.

Congratulations ladies!
And thank you to all who visited my blog and shared such lovely thoughts on things to celebrate.

Have a giggly day!

Oops - JudyK, you didn't leave me a way to contact you, if I don't hear from you in the next week, I'll have to draw another name, I hope to hear from you soon.

What no socks?

2009-04-11T12:51:00.005-04:00

Some of my friends have been worried that I may have replaced my knitting energy with bag making. But NO, I am still knitting socks. Is the matter of fact I currently have too many pairs on needles, which will tend to slow one down. I have, however, finished a pair of socks.

Pattern: Rogue Roses by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee (the Yarn Harlot)
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks that Rock in Gertrude Skein, part of the March Rockin' Sock Club Kit.
Needles: US2 40" circular, 2 at once

Click on a photo and check out a closeup of those really cool rose buds!

Feet, Toes, Socks and Paw Prints

2009-04-07T12:18:00.005-04:00

I am so excited about Wendy's new book Socks from the Toe Up, that I just HAD to make myself a project bag to knit with her sock patterns! Of course, I just can't keep them to myself, so I put a few up on my new Etsy store. These are simply gorgeous, are made with a heavier weight upholstery fabric that "holds it's own" so no need for interfacing. Here are a few quick photos, but please be enticed to check out some close-ups in Etsy.

Just check out those Paw Prints. CUTE! I'd like to say they are Lucy prints, but they could be Max prints just as well.
Speaking of Max:
The one sunny afternoon we have had here this Spring.

Let's Celebrate!

2009-04-07T11:52:00.005-04:00

I want to celebrate my new Etsy Store! And I want to celebrate Spring! Those of us in the North East have suffered a long and gray winter. I know I am in need to brighten my life up and I have done just that! I have made some Spring project bags that have added much color to my rainy days. While I wait for some flowers to bloom I would like to share one special bag and one special set of stitch markers as a PRIZE. Did I say Prize? Yes I did; all you need to do is comment on this post and share with me something you are Celebrating! It's like Thanksgiving, only instead of giving thanks we are celebrating those wonderful things in our lives.

There is so much negativity around us these days that I thought it would cheers us ALL up to hear what people are feeling positive about. A real turn about from the media. I will do a random drawing on Sunday, one for each prize.

May I present:
A Sock Project Bag for Spring.
Here is a close up of the extra treat: an emergency stitch marker doubling as a zipper pull.

And a set of stitch markers modelling for you on a set of US1 (2.25) needles.

PS. Don't forget to leave a way for me to contact you, in the case you are the lucky winner :-)

Project Bags and Stitch Markers

2009-04-02T12:20:00.005-04:00

I love to make things, and I love to make people happy! I would also love to give everything away, but if I want to make more, I need to cover my costs. Therefore; to make as many people as happy as I can, I am offering my Sock Project Bags and Small Knit Stitch Markers for sale here.

Sock Project Bags:
100% cotton sock project bags.
Holds 2 center pull balls and project in progress. Each has a different lining and zipper color. Each has an emergency stitch marker doubling as a zipper pull.
All measure approximately: 5 inches high
7 inches wide (side to side)
2 inches bottom width.
Please see side panel for more photos.

Each sells for $10 US plus shipping

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Small Knit Stitch Markers:
Each set of 4 markers is unique as I pick up beads in states and countries as I travel. For example the set in this photo were purchased at The Sassy Bead Market in Ottawa Canada on the same day and market area that President Obama was shopping.
Each set contains 4 markers with one marker being different to indicate the start of a round. Markers are lightweight so as not to weigh down small projects like socks. Each ring fits up to a size US8 needle.
For more photos see the side panel.
Each set of 4 markers is $6 US plus shipping

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I have just opened an Etsy store, but this is all new to me, so please be patient!
Feel free to comment or e-mail me for more information.

Cookies cookies everywhere...

2009-03-31T07:01:00.005-04:00

I got my new Cookie A. Sock Innovations book and just HAD to have a cookie sock w.i.p. bag to go with it. This one is mine, it fits two balls of center pull yarn nice and neatly with room for the project and needles too. There is even an extra stitch marker hooked to the zipper for whenever I might need it.

I LOVE these bags and use them for all sorts of things. This one is made from 100% cotton and lined with interfacing, my favorite bags are the ones made with the heavier weight upholstry fabric. This cookie fabric was just a PERFECT match for my the new book release.

But I just couldn't stop at one, could I? NO! So I made a whole bunch to share. I gave some away to my good knitting friends and would love the share some more with anyone interested. My next post will present each individual bag, the price and a PayPal button for purchasing.
There are only a limited number of the cookie bags, but if people enjoy them I can certainly make more.

I have also donated one bag as a prize for the Ravelry Knit Along Group Sock Innovation - a Cookie KAL.

Check back later.....I may have a give away too :-)

...And Now...

2009-03-14T07:42:00.005-04:00

...For really exciting stuff!

I finished a sweater! A huge accomplishment as sweaters are so much more work than socks, and so not portable. I love this sweater and I really love the yarn as well. I will overwhelm you all with pictures but that's OK, right?

Yes I am snuggling with my new sweater. It is so cozy and cuddly!
Pattern: My own design. Inspired by Pat's Acer, Cable from Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns and basic starter measurements from Knitting Fool's top down raglan calculator.
Yarn: Seacolors by Nanney Kennedy
Needles: US8 and US6
Started: January 10th 2009
Finished: March 12th 20009
Notes: I made the neck line a little wider, I knit the whole thing in the round and steeked the center, picked up stitches and knit the entire ribbing in the round with mitered corners.
One more note: Please excuse the sweat pants, as I had just put on the buttons and was so excited to get photos I quickly set up the tripod and didn't pay much attention to what I was wearing :-)

Winterlude in Ottawa

2009-03-12T13:02:00.007-04:00

We spent Winter vacation and the girls birthday week in Ottawa. We had a blast.

There was Ice Skating on the CANAL.

Tons of beautiful ice sculptures

And of course many opportunities to have a Beaver Tail. Even Obama had a Beaver Tail while we were there. And can you believe we were SO close, yet we missed him by just a block. The buzz around town while he was there, was just so cool. Some girls who did see him in the Market said (and I quote) "Obama Rocks!" I wonder if they got their phone video up on you tube, I'll have to check.

And a very special day to celebrate their 8th birthday. They made their own necklaces, picking out their own beads at the bead shop and got all dressed up to go to the Museum of Civilization. The Egyptian exhibit was on there as well as a fabulous childrens section.

We got together with some great friends and had so much fun, unfortunately, too much fun to remember to take photos.
And now for SOCKS (of course)
The socks were completed upon return from our trip.

Pattern: Harika Socks by Stephanie van der Linden
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill supersock in Black and Spanish Moss.
Needles: US1 (2.25mm)
Love these socks, my new favorites and with the stranding are nice and toasty warm.

New Pathways Fun

2009-03-09T11:13:00.005-04:00

Well, I quickly read my new book and knit up 2 pair of socks. What a fun book with new ideas and a great learning tool for me. I always love learning new things!

This pair was made for my daughter Sarah.
Pattern: Bartholomew's Tantalizing.
Yarn: Lorna's Laces in Happy Valley, one skein
Needles: US1 (2.25mm) KP 40" circular
Notes: I love the linen stitch, I will use it again!
These are a cuff down architecture. The gusset increases are done within the pattern on the front of the leg. Quite clever.
Then, the heel turn is done first with the heel flap being done on the bottom which I found quite interesting. The slipped stitch flap is nice and cushioning on the bottom of the foot, but Sarah does not like them because they are too floppy on the back of the heel. When I do another cuff down pattern, I will add a slipped stitch section to the back of the heel. This would add some cushiony comfort as well as holding the sock in place. As it is now, it slips down on the foot way to easily.

Pattern: Jeweled Steps.
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber Arts, Socks that Rock in Lightweight. A mill end, so I don't know the color, but they are lovely, and perfect for a February yarn, reminding me of chocolate and raspberry candies.
Needles: US0 (2.0mm) 40" circular
Notes: The simple pattern really allows for showing off the variegated yarn.
I did Whirlpool Toe, which is quite lovely, The gusset increases are done on one side only, causing the pattern to move across the foot. Quite clever again.

Now for some updated photos of Max:
Max and Sarah about 2 weeks ago.Max's new toy. He is funny, he prefers to bring the ball back to "his place" rather than to me.

Not in the mood for a photo shoot with Catherine, notice the juvenile tongue sticking out.

Happy Week! (caution RSC spoiler)

2009-02-03T19:25:00.006-05:00

Lookie, a new book! I am so excited about this book. Of course I would never have bought it for myself so I am enjoying even more as it is a lovely gift! Lots of great information in here, and some I can hopefully incorporate in my new sock design.

My good friend Christy and I decided to do a (not so) Christmas (not so) sock swap last October. We had SO much fun we thought we would do it again this year. I guess Christy just couldn't wait till October and forwarded this wonderful gift to me early. And next month I can knit some of these socks for the Sock Knitters Anonymous group. FUN!

I also got my first 2009 Rockin' Sock Club kit. Isn't it just gorgeous! My favorite by far of all the sock club patterns to date. And my first beaded socks. LOVE them!
Pattern: Queen of Beads by Sivia Harding
Yarn: Socks that Rock lightweight in My Blue Heaven
Needles: 2 at once on 40" circular, KP nickel, US0 (2.0mm).
I changed the foot a little to accomodate not having beads in my shoes. I had so much fun contemplating the changes that it ended up being a pretty major change, but I love it. Instead of the pattern ending squared with the toe, I tapered off the pattern as part of the diamond.

It's a bird, it's an owl, No it's a Hawk

2009-01-24T08:50:00.003-05:00

At first, from quite a distance I was excited to see an owl. Then I got out the camera and zoomed in as close as I could.....
And discovered it's a Hawk (I think).

Finished a pair of Socks for January

I call them Wine Spills, as the pooling looks like someone (probably me) spilled wine on them.
Pattern: Queen of Cups by Nathania Apple
Yarn: ShiBui Knits Sock yarn in color #229
Needles: One US1 circular needle, two at a time
Notes: I did the cuff as a k1 x p1 ribbing. The pattern is great fun to knit. I never got bored with them. All in all a cute pair of socks.

It's a Secret

2009-01-14T09:43:00.005-05:00

Max at 18 weeks old.

Max at 11 weeks old.
Can you believe how much they grow in 2 months? He is already almost 3 times as big as when we brought him home. But he is certainly handsome! He is a joyful addition to our family. And after having made leaps and bounds with training him, he seems to be fitting in wonderfully. He has a wonderfully strong personality which really shows when he is trying to figure out "where he stands" with everyone. But once established, he has been fun. He is even calming down a bit now, where the girls can (finally) hug him. Funny how we think the puppy is so cute and cuddly, and all the puppy wants to do is bite play as though you were another puppy. Now at almost 20weeks of age, max still likes to mouth, but he also likes to be rubbed and cuddled.

He has adopted Catherine's bean bag chair as his own.

And he love Sam Adams....well the heavy cardboard boxes anyway. Just like children, boxes are his favorite toy.

And here we have the secret. I am designing a cardigan. Love this patterning! And the yarn is gorgeous as well. I have gotten requests for me to write up the pattern for my Blue Cardigan, but instead I am going to create a brand new one. I will post details in the future. Right now, this is just a tease.

Snakes & Ladders Test Knit

2009-01-07T21:51:00.003-05:00

Pattern: Snakes & Ladders by Ann of 1 More Row which I had the luxury of Test Knitting.
Yarn: Woolen Rabbit Harmony sock yarn in Neptune.
Needles: One Knit Picks 40" circular in size US1 (2.25mm)

This pattern is fun, simple and easy to memorize. The socks are so very cute and fun to wear. The yarn is so soft and luxurious.

I did 5 repeats on the foot and 4+3rows on the leg and I certainly could have done more. I ended the snakes in the “middle” so they would flow nicely into my k1, p1 ribbing.

Thank you for sharing your pattern Ann, I had fun knitting them!

Happy 2009!

2009-01-05T11:20:00.005-05:00

I am so excited to start a new Knitting Year! I have so many lovely yarns I am itching to knit up!

But first I want to take a minute to share some Christmas knitting photos and recently completed knits.
First up are some happy recipients in Canada of some thorpes, stripes and mittens.
Next up are some Christmas knits for my Mom, one pair of socks somehow did not get photographed. Mom, please send me a photo of your blue jeans socks? These are the Best Friends sock, made specially for Mom!
This is the Swirls Hat, being modeled by Catherine.

And a gorgeous soft pair of mittens knit tip to cuff, of my own design.These are the Embossed Leaves I finally got around to knitting. They are simply gorgeous in a wonderful yarn called Earthly Hues (a gift from my far away knitting buddy, Christy)
And these are the Up-Down Spiral socks from IK's Favorite sock Book. I used left over sport weight yarn to make these and they fit Catherine perfectly (with a little growing room). She loves them and has not taken them off, except to sleep.

What am I up to now? I am doing a test knit of a lovely sock pattern "Snakes & Ladders" by Ann in Australia. Isn't the internet just amazing?!?!
And I am knitting the sleeves on the Shalor sweater by Penny Straker, for my Husband.

Winter is here!

2008-12-21T19:47:00.007-05:00

Puppy is so cute with the snow deeper than he is tall.It feels like it was just yesterday when I last blogged. I can't believe it was more than a fortnight ago. Time flies when you have a new puppy!!!!! Well, we now have an amazing amount of snow for our area. I can't compare to the lake effect snow that some places get, but this was still significant. About mid afternoon on Friday it all started and didn't stop till this evening. I havent' measured nor gotten an official statement, but if you look at the back deck it is at LEAST 18 inches deep!

This poor tree, drooping in the weight of the snow.
And this tree is completely covered.

I did however finish one pair of socks this month.

Pattern used:Cleopatras Stockings from the Blue moon Rockin' Sock Club
Yarn:Cherry Tree Hill supersock in Wild Cherry
Needles:US1/2.25mm
Notes:I could have gone further on the cuff, I had more yarn, but they were getting too long for me. Love this pattern, it is a lot of fun. The first time I made them I followed the pattern completely, this time I opted to do a basic Toe CO.

Lots of Dog, little knitting...

2008-12-03T12:44:00.004-05:00

I'll let the photos speak for themselves.

Pattern: Twisted Tulip Socks by Chrissy Gardiner. Interweave Knits Spring 2008
Yarn: Sugar Bunny Boulevard Superwash Sock in Daffodil
At this age, knitted socks and puppies do not go together! LOL

I can't Believe it....

2008-11-17T11:02:00.004-05:00

We got a dog!
I have a feeling he may be interfering with knitting for the next few weeks or so, but he is so darn CUTE! His name is Max. He is really sweet, calm (in puppy terms) and just wonderful. I have been putting off getting a dog for years, but somehow last night I caved. I mean, just check out those gorgeous eyes. I think they would get anyone to cave.

Have a wonderful week filled with smiles!

Thorpes & Socks

2008-11-09T11:46:00.002-05:00

Pattern: Thorpe by Kirsten Kapur
Pattern Source: Through the loops!
Yarn: Louet Riverstone Bulky
Great fun and a fast knit! Girls love them. One for Sarah & one for Catherine

Pattern: Thorpe by Kirsten Kapur
Pattern Source: Through the loops!
Yarn: Boku
Great gift items for friends in Canada!

Pattern: Mad Color Weave by Tina Lorin
Yarn: Socks that Rock in 24Karat (medium weight)
Needles: KP Harmony circular in US2 (2.75mm)
Love these socks. They are comfy, cushy and warm! They were a quick learn, so TV knitting was good, and that's how I finished them up so quickly. And they are "oh so cute".

Happy Halloween!

2008-11-01T10:07:00.002-04:00

Happy Cleopatra and a Southern Belle.

Recent Knitting Accomplishments

2008-10-23T12:43:00.006-04:00

Pattern: Maelstrom by Cookie A.
Yarn: Socks that Rock Lightweight in Valkyrie
Needles: US 1 (2.25mm) two at once magic loop
They are a little big on the leg, but I love them!

Pattern: Lyceum Vest by Ann S. - this is the back panel only, and it is slated to be a Christmas gift (shhhhh).
Yarn: Knit Picks Wool of the Andes Bulky in Mauve
Needles: Denise circulars in US10 1/2.

Pattern: Dragon-Skin Wrap by Angela Hahn.
Yarn: Berroco Comfort - This is an amazingly soft yarn and believe it or not, it blocks pretty well. This pattern was written for a bamboo yarn, and the bamboo would certainly give it the drape it needs. Although the substitute yarn worked OK, it is not ideal.
Needles: Denise Circular US8

I hope Catherine Loves it!

ps I did finish a pair of mittens but they are for Mom for Christmas, so you'll just have to wait to see a photo. :-)

Lovely Fall Day!

2008-10-14T09:37:00.006-04:00

A wonderful nature walk at Gates Pond Reservoir.
Click on collage to view full screen and enjoy.

I hope everyone is enjoying their respective Fall/Spring!

More Socks

2008-10-12T08:18:00.006-04:00

I really need to knit some sweaters, hats and mittens, but the socks keep getting in the way.

Pattern: Francie by Rebekkah Kerner of Bowerbird Knits
Yarn: Shibui in Chinese Red
Needles: US1 circular
Lovely pattern, filled with 2x2 ribbing, increases and decreases creating a cozy shaped sock.

I really have to tell you about the current Mystery Sock. If you enjoy mystery socks, you should join this one. It is lovely. There is a plain version (not really too plain) and a version with a wandering cable incorporated into it. I have chosen to do the cabled version with a sport weight yarn and it is such a fun knit.
Kirsten Kapur of Through The Loops is a lovely designer and has started a mystery knit along through Ravelry. If you are interested, you can find the group here.

This is my sock after 2 clues. One is a side view and the other is front/back view. Depending upon the number of stitches you choose to cast on, the look changes a bit.

Maine in October

2008-10-07T12:08:00.007-04:00

A Weekend Away!

My husband and I got a wonderful weekend away in Maine. It was a most magical time, the weather was gorgeous, the accommodations perfectly acceptable, beaches fantastic, shopping galore (Freeport & Kittery) and the companionship cannot be beat!

Of course the first thing I had to do upon arrival was step out on the deck and call my children. My most generous and kind Mother was watching them for the weekend so Gwyn and I could get away. Everything was just fine, now on to all the fun.

Another view from our room.

Me at the beach proclaiming, "OK so the water IS cold!".
(oh and sporting my new jacket and shoes)

And finally some lobster! It was too funny, the first restaurant we went to says "Sorry we are out of lobster tonight". Are you kidding? We are in Maine!!! By Sunday, as we were traveling South toward home I saw a sign "Lobster Pound", and I yelled TURN! What a good find. Delicious. Then in Kittery we found a place to buy fresh Lobster at a killer price, and we brought home one for everyone for dinner. Yummy!

In Kittery we found some everyday dishware the we really needed. The old set was broken and mismatched, it is time to bring in some new.

Oh and will you look at that, since our return I have found the time to finish a pair of socks...

Pattern: Cloning Anemone Rib
Yarn: Rockin' Sock Club kit 2008 Tide Pooling by Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Needles: KP Harmony US1 (2.25mm) 32" circular

A Non-Sock Swap

2008-09-25T17:23:00.004-04:00

Christy and I have been chatting back and forth for quite a while now.
And we talked of doing a sock swap, but neither of us was very comfortable with actually parting with our hand knit socks, so we decided instead to do a yarn swap and then a knit-along.

As we chatted back and forth I really got to know her and had such a blast with this swap.

Look at the goodies in my box!

Wonderful Teas! - Christy is a tea drinker and has shared her favorite teas with me.
Home Made Whole Wheat Bread - YUMMY! Need I say more?
Gorgeous Red ShiBui sock yarn to make the Francie socks together.
Home made sock blockers! WOW! Her DH took the time to custom make these blockers, I'll bet they'll work better than the cardboard cutouts I have :-)
Pattern books with some lovely patterns. Lots of summer tanks, which I will certainly enjoy making along with some sweater patterns too. There is a gorgeous white sweater that is tempting me to frog my current project and make it instead!!!
A really cute note to go with each item AND
A gift certificate to the Loopy Ewe.

Here is another photo, I just had sooooo much fun receiving this package and then photographing it. The bread was so yummy it is already 2/3rds gone. Just enough for tomorrows breakfast.
Thank you Christy for such a thoughtful package and for sharing some of you in the process!

And of course I just HAD to use the blockers. These are some test knitted socks I made for my daughter, so they are kindof squeezed (stretched) onto the blockers, but they work Great!

Spring Pools

2008-09-21T15:01:00.004-04:00

My new passion has become designing my own socks. It is more difficult than it looks, but the final product is reward in itself.

Pattern: Spring Pools by Linda Fisher
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in Peach
Needles: US2 (2.75mm) Knit Picks Harmony circular needles
Construction: Lots of fun with something to do every row.

I love these socks.
You might remember these original socks done in Cherry Tree Hill SuperSock Merino with different colored toe/heel/cuff. These are so cozy comfy and warm.

This is my second pattern published, although it is my first pattern design! I put alot of work into this pattern and have even had some wonderful test knitters!
Christy and Tammy. Thank you so much for your support in publishing this pattern!
I hope you all will give it a try and let me know how you enjoy it.

Here are some comments recieved:
“I tried the sock on and I really like the way it looks! The foot part was the challenge for me since I’ve never done toe up socks before. But your pattern was easy to follow and now I feel like a pro! I love the way the toe looks!”

“The pattern is quite fun with stuff to do every row. No sleeping on the job here.”

My First Crochet - Giovanna's Cardi

2008-09-16T20:07:00.002-04:00

It was Sarah's turn for a handmade sweater.
I saw this pattern printed and on my desk and remembered that I had printed it quite a while ago. Yesterday I was up to the challenge of trying something brand new. Thank goodness for online info!

Pattern: Giovanna's Cardi from Lion Brand
Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted in Blush
Although this yarn is so yummy soft, I wonder if the crochet detail would show up better in a "stronger" yarn. I'll try again as this was a super fast knit, and I have 2 girls.

More Felting Fun!

2008-09-15T17:44:00.003-04:00

Pattern: Knitting Basket by Lucia Tedesco

Yarn: Louet Riverstone worsted in white, pink, purples (dark and light)
Needle: Denise Circular US#10
What a fun knit. Just don't miss row 3 instructions, or you'll have to start again. LOL. I have been guilty of not reading ahead in patterns, but missing a line? That was a first!

Little Roses

2008-09-07T10:58:00.003-04:00

I have caught the Designer bug now! Oh my what's next????

Pattern: Little Roses by Linda Fisher (that's me)
Yarn: The Jewell's Handmades Superwash fingering in Tea Rose
Needles: US1 (2.5mm)
Construction: Toe-up, two at once on one circular needle. Basic heel flap construction with a no wrap heel turn.
See side bar for link to pattern and PLEASE let me know what you think.
Note: This pattern has not been test knit, so please let me know if you run into any errors.
Thank you! and enjoy.

Baby Girl

2008-09-03T15:03:00.002-04:00

Pattern: Ribbed Baby Jacket by Debbie Bliss

Yarn: Shine Worsted by Knit Picks in Blush
Made for my neighbor Allison who's baby girl is due in 2 weeks!

End of summer socks

2008-08-31T14:53:00.007-04:00

And while away at camp, as well as my return home, I finished a few pairs of socks. And baked some bread from a William Sonoma bread book I got at Auction (to benefit the rebuilding of the camp Chapel) at camp. It was in a lovely basket with 4 kitchen towels, hand lotion and hand soap. Made me smile!

Pattern: Citrine Socklets by Marilyn Webster in IK Holiday 2007
I made them into Stockings for my Aunt Gunborg in Sweden
Yarn: Socks that Rock Medium weight in Grimm's Willow Wren
Needles: US2 (2.75mm) 2 at once on one 40" circular
Construction: This pattern is just right to show off the lovely colors of the yarn and still add a little interest. I made them long with increases to accomodate calf size, and did a twisted k1, p1 rib. Finished off with an alternate rib BO.

Pattern: my own design, currently being test knit, currently named "Oval Lace"
Yarn: prototype knit in left over sport weight Cherry Tree Hill Merino.
Needles: US2.5 (2.75mm)
Construction: Pattern to be available in the near future - Great FUN to knit!

Pattern: Girl's Best Friend Anklets
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill SuperSock Merino in Nantucket Red. I love this yarn, it has such wonderful stitch definition!
Needles: 2 at once on one 40", US1 circular.
Construction: worked from toe-up. incorporated a k3,p1 rib on the instep. started the cuff at the ankle, so it is not a fold over anklet (anymore). Ooops, don't tell Mom about this sock, it is her Christmas gift! I think she is going to love them, they are just too cute.

End of Summer Fun

2008-08-31T14:39:00.005-04:00

We spent the last week of August at Camp Spofford in Spofford, NH.

What wonderful, relaxing, fun week we had!

The girls loved the playground:
The slide,

The accessories,

All of the play structures!

The rope swing was a big hit.

And of course the lake!!!
We even managed to find time to go put put golf and have ice cream.

This is where we stayed, in what is called a tentel. Perfect for "in-between" camping.

This little garden and birds nest is in front of where the old Chapel burned down last fall. Currently the tent is working well as a temporary Chapel, with plans in the works to build new! I am thinking about designing a pair of socks to offer for purchase, with ALL purchases going toward the rebuilding of the Camp Chapel. I'll let you know when I get that accomplished.

This wonderful place is where I spent many a summer growing up, and I hope my children can experience all the wonders and joys that I did!

Gift socks for Mom

2008-08-18T16:37:00.003-04:00

I was going to give these to her for Christmas, but I just can't wait. And besides my wonderful Mom has my children for the week. So I think this is a nice way to say "Thank you Mom!". And I'll just have to make her another pair for Christmas....

Pattern: Seaweed Socks by Wendy Johnson
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in colorway "Country Garden"
Needles: US1 KP 40" circular
Construction: I made the medium size and I think they will fit her well.
I also did a hemmed cuff, which I feel really finishes off a sock very nicely (if not alot of work)

Just a closeup of the pattern

Lemonade for sale

2008-08-14T10:04:00.004-04:00

The girls are at Horse Riding camp this week. They came home one day and asked Daddy when they could get a horse. Daddy replied that they would have to get a job. So the next day before leaving for camp they asked me to buy lots of lemons. When they got home they went ahead and made Lemonade. Very enterprising little ladies. Although they still need to learn a few things about running a business, as it cost them $3 for the lemons and they brought in $2.25.
But the FUN is Priceless!

Oh and by the way we got the yummy recipe from here.

Balloons over Hudson

2008-08-10T06:36:00.005-04:00

Hudson Balloon Festival 2008
What a fantastic day we had. We started out at 6:00am to see the first balloons in flight. The above photo shows an early stage of inflating the balloon.

Balloons in flight, just over the tree tops. It was a foggy morning and many balloonists were waiting for the fog to burn off. Above is a brave adventurer.

Later in the day after much fun, the balloons inflate again, for yet another flight.
There were tons of activities for the children including a silly pirate who painted mustache and goatie on the kids along with a pirate flag tattoo and a gold coin. Above you see my little pirates having too much fun.

Check out the basketless single person arrangement above.

Then at 9:00pm they all got together for a "moon glow". They would all attempt to light up their balloons at the same time. Below you can see the half moon.
I didn't have a tripod, that would have helped, instead I had the top of my daughters head.

A very long but fun day!

I'm slowing down...

2008-08-08T06:21:00.002-04:00

Sock #12 for the Summer of Socks 2008.

Pattern : Vinnland by Becca Compton
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in Fuscia
Needles: US1 (2.25mm) Knit Picks 32" circular
Construction: I used Judy's Magic toe for the CO (rather than a short row toe).
This pattern would be better (I think) with a gusset/heel flap, rather than a short row heel, as the sock gets a bit tight over the ankle at that point. This was a fun knit, with long memorizable repeats that make the sock seemingly go so quickly.

Still like them Mom?

2008-08-03T10:56:00.004-04:00

Mom has asked me to make her a pair of socks with this gorgeous variegated yarn. The Yarn is Cherry Tree Hill supersock merino in colorway Country Garden.

The Pattern is Seaweed sock by Wendy Johnson.

And here are the kids on a rainy Saturday in their Fort (in the Livingroom mind you)
Playing Pretty Princess Game.

They really are having fun!

Happy Belated Birthday Mom!

2008-08-01T20:59:00.003-04:00

Enjoy your new socks!
Swedish Socks in colors of the Swedish Flag.

Pattern: Florenz by Stephanie van der Linden
Yarn: Blue is Cherry Tree Hil Supersock Merino
Yellow is Louet Gems in Goldilocks
Needles : US 1.5 on leg and foot and
US1 on Heel and Toe
Finished at the beach today. These are beautiful socks!

Embossed Stitch Summer Socks Complete

2008-07-29T21:27:00.001-04:00

Pattern: Embossed Stitch by C. Schurch from More Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Summer Sock
Needles: US0 40" KP nickel circular
Started July 14th
Finished July 29th

Summer of Sock 2008

2008-07-27T16:17:00.005-04:00

SOS08 has created a monster (many I am sure). It is a competition to see who can knit the most socks during the 3 months of summer. I got talked into joining and have enjoyed every minute. No prizes yet for me, and there is even one person I know of who has already knit 18 pairs. I am up to pair #9. Check out the photos below.
Warning: if you are a Rockin' Sock Club member, there is a spoiler below.

Pattern: Stansfield 196 by Charlene Schurch from More Sensational Knitted Socks book
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Merino in Apricot
Needles: US1 circular
Love these socks - finished on July 17th

Pattern: Friday Harbor by Nancy Bush from Knitting on the Road
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill SportSock in purple
Needles: US2.5 circular
Finished: July 20th

Pattern: Whitby (my second pair) by Nancy Bush from Knitting on the Road
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Sportsock in Red and Black
Needles: US2.5 circular
Finished: July 24th

Pattern: GumDrop by JCBriar from the Rockin' Sock Club
Yarn: BlueMoon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight in Goody Goody
Needles: US0 circular (no matter what size I chose I could not get rid of the pooling, I tried US0, US1 and US2)
Finished: Today

These socks can even be worn inside out. On the left you can see the inside out sock.

Happy Birthday Mom!

2008-07-25T09:33:00.004-04:00

Beautiful bouquet of flowers sent from my in-laws in the UK. What a lovely surprise for her.

Out to dinner at "Charlie Brown's". Mom showing off gifts from her son Peter and Family.
(I just happened to be sitting next to her)

And the socks that were planned for her Birthday gift from me are more work than I intended. So they are still on the needles.
I finished these the day after her birthday and she loved them - thus gifted.
Pattern: Vertical Waffles by C.Schurch from more Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Sport Sock Merino
Needle: US2.5 (3mm) Addi 40" circular
Finished: July 16, 2008

Summer of Socks and a productive day...

2008-07-09T15:55:00.004-04:00

Pattern: Summer 2008 Socks by Wendy Johnson

Yarn: Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Silk Color #0189
Needles: US1.5 (2.5mm) HiyaHiya 40"circular.
Construction: 2 at once, toe-up. 56sts around on the foot. The sock is largish and slouchy so at the heel flap I reduced stitches to 24 on the back of the leg (52 total). I think the slouch is due to a combination of the pattern and the silky yarn. They are lovely summer socks!
Started: June 26th
Finished: July 9th

Lucky Baby Fern socks

2008-07-09T11:32:00.002-04:00

Lucky Baby Fern
Pattern: baby fern from mSKS by Charlene Schurch
Yarn:Socks that Rock in colorway Lucky
Needles:3mm addi turbo 2 socks on one circular
Construction: Set up the pattern repeats so that the ferns would be centered front back and sides. Knit Toe-up using Judy's Magic cast on, and plain sts heel flap, and an alternate rib bind off. Loved making these socks, can't wait to wear them.
Started: July 6th
Finished July 9th

The fix - so far

2008-07-07T12:49:00.002-04:00

Well, an over dye worked fairly well for the socks. Liked them better in natural, but now I can wear them with Jeans and not look like such a geek. The white/pink sweater is just loving it's new color. No matter what I try I cannot remove the pink. So now I need to decide if I can "live with it" or if I want to try to over dye it too. Although to be safe I would go with a darker pink or a red if I did decide to dye it. Right now I'll hang with it and see how I feel. I am still really upset about that one!

Hey any suggestions for a new spring to fall sweater pattern?????? Yarn?????? Share some of your favorites!

Accidents Happen!

2008-07-04T12:05:00.003-04:00

That's what I tell the kids all the time. But you think I would have known better. I have not had a laundry accident in many years. I was doing a cold water, handwash cycle for my hand knits. Then I saw this rayon, dry clean only dress in the laundry and said to myself: "that should survive a cold water, handwash cycle". And it DID! Looks good as new, but, it had the temerity to bleed all over my precious handknits. I immediately tried to then bleach them, and that didn't do a thing. Oh well, enjoy the photo and try not to have an "accident" while rolling on the floor laughing.
My favorite White Cardigan
Sarah's white and purple striped tank
My new New England socks (the yarn bloomed nicely).

New England Socks are done.

2008-07-04T08:07:00.004-04:00

Pattern: New England by Nancy Bush from "Knitting on the Road"
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill in Natural
Needles: US0 2 at once on 40" circular
Construction: One less diamond repeat on the leg and 2 rows short on the toes.
Started: June 23rd
Finished: July 4th

Pattern: basic Top down Raglan Cardigan
Yarn: KnitPicks Shine Worsted in Grass
Needles: US8 Denise Circular
Started: June 20th 2008
Finished: June 30th 2008

DYO Done

2008-06-29T17:30:00.005-04:00

These socks were really difficult to photograph. It was hard to capture the colors and the lovely pink and gray striping. It was also tough to capture the sock design, but trust me I like them, they are lovely.

Pattern: My own design (not planned though)
Yarn: J.Knits superwash me sock - color AC#142
Needles: US1 (2.25mm) circular
Construction: Started as a k2xp1 rib. I did not like the yarn knitted as a rib so decided to slowly reduce the ribbing and viola a fun pair of socks designed by me.

One the left you see the heel and the back of the leg, on the right is the front of the leg. I really was looking for a tulip design, but this was fun and fast anyway!

Wonderful Weekend!

2008-06-25T11:30:00.013-04:00

Wow what I weekend I had! First off I am thrilled to say that I made it to the top of Mt Washington in the 48th ANNUAL MT. WASHINGTON ROAD RACE. My time was not as bad as I expected, and was certainly not my best, but I am happy with the 2:11:41 time. It is always such a huge accomplishment just to make it to the top. I felt GREAT and am looking forward to next years race!

During the drive up, I finished Catherine's "A good stripe" Tank. Which is an abbreviated form of the A Good Stripe Dress by Mareike Sattler, in the Spring 2008 IK. Then I started a Baby Cardigan for a friend who is due in August. Then later in the weekend, between having too much fun I started a pair of socks which have been just flying along at a good pace. Enjoy the photos!

Pattern: A good strip Dress...uh tank

Yarn: KP Shine Worsted in blush and grass
Needles: US5 Denise circular.

Pattern: Basic Raglan Cardigan
Yarn: KP Shine Worsted in grass
Needles: US6 & 8 Denise circular.

Pattern: Design Your Own (DYO)
Yarn: J.Knits Superwash Sock color AC#142
Needles: US1 KP Harmony 32" circular.
These started out to be a basic K2,P1 rib sock, but I did not loke the ribbing in this yarn. The yarn has a lovely stripe and is best represented as stockinet, so I proceeded to reduce the rib with a cable twist and viola, I had invented my own sock. Not done yet though...stay tuned for the "leg".

Sigrid Done.

2008-06-16T10:47:00.004-04:00

SIGRID

This sock was great fun to knit! Alot of work, but always interesting, I really enjoyed watching it "grow"

Pattern: Sigrid by Kirsten Kapur
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill in Amethyst and ka hand-dyed in Fresh
Needles: US1 for non-stranded work, US1.5 for stranded work
Construction: 2 on one 32" KP nickel circular needle. Knit from toe-up, rather than cuff down. Had a little bit of trouble with the heel flap and it ended up a bit longish, but all in all these are a lovely pair of socks I will enjoy wearing (in the winter!)

NO! I'm not addicted!

2008-06-13T08:20:00.002-04:00

I started knitting socks for the first time May of 2007. By the end of the year I had knit 21 pairs of socks. Now it is Mid June and I have already knit 21 pairs of socks. Oh my goodness!

I still feel I don't have enough, although I have given a good many away to my wonderful, deserving and appreciative Mother.

Do you think I can do another 21 before end of year? Summer is coming, and although socks are quite portable, I have kids that need entertaining.....hmmm how many museums, parks, beaches, playgrounds, pools can I knit at???

HANDKNIT SOCKS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Here I come "Summer of Socks 2008"!

Austrian Diamonds

2008-06-12T16:25:00.002-04:00

Pattern: Austrian Diamonds by Candace Eisner Strick
Yarn: Knit Picks Essential in Grass 100g
Needles: US1 (2.25mm) 32" circular KP
Started: Feb 28th 2008
Finished: June 12th 2008
Construction: 2 at once on one circular needle.
Wonderful socks!
I took my time with these as they are quite a lot of work. And well worth the effort!

Just an interesting tidbit.

2008-06-09T14:44:00.003-04:00

I don't know how many of you use Bloglines, but I do. On the feeds tab, where I have my blogs I like to read, there is a section on the bottom called "Additional Features". I usually just ignore extras, but today I felt like checking it out. I clicked on "Top 1000" and was flabergasted to see some knitters there. The Yarn Harlot made the top 50 and both WendyKnits and Grumperina are in the top 100. WOW that is pretty cool. I'm sure there are more, but I was just amazed to see that, I thought we knitters were in the minority.

Hat & RSC Cleopatra's

2008-06-06T14:29:00.001-04:00

Finished a few things, but nothing really exciting.

First I needed a quick knit, and made Amanda's Hat.

Pattern: The Amanda Hat by Gina House
Yarn: Malabrigo (the yummiest yarn I have ever knit with!)
Needles: US9 Denise circular
Comment: I love the hat except that it seems tight at the crown to me, next time I would switch to a larger needle when knitting the crown.

Next is Cleopatra from the Rockin' Sock Club
Pattern: Cleopatra's Stocking by Marjan Hammink. Currently only available to sock club members.
Yarn: Blue Moon Fiber's Socks that Rock in Lightweight.
Needles: US1 (2.25mm) Harmony 32" circular
Comments: Pattern was great fun to knit. Colors are a bit garish and certainly don't photograph well. Had fun making these though!

The Detonator - for me.

2008-05-22T14:24:00.004-04:00

So SockWarsIII is done for me. It was, once again, fun and I did meet some nice people (for one my assassin Linda). I did not get as stressed out this time around, but WOW alot of people did! This round (being sponsored by Tofutsie) was huge and quite competitive.

I started a pair of socks for my target using OnLine, knitted down to the heel turn on 2 socks. It did not look right. So instead of frogging I started again on another yarn (Berocco Comfort Sox) and it looked right. I liked them both so I e-mailed my target with photos to see if she had a preference, she said no. So I continued with the Berocco. One sock came out great and then I got killed by a lovely package of goodies and sent the unfinished pair off to my assassin.

Then I decided to frog the OnLine and start again, this time FOR ME. Unfortunately the repeats on the OnLine self striping are fairly long, which I did not realize, and I split the balls slightly unevenly. Adds "interest" to the socks. They are comfy and cozy (I made lots of mods to make them fit) and am happy with them.

Here are my Targets unfinished pair.

Here is my "kill" package.

Here are the pair I made for me.

Pattern: The Detonator by Julie Gardner
Yarn : OnLine Beach
Needles : US0 and US1.5 circular

Construction: I made lots of mods to the toe and heel construction, as well as the number of sts and guage, otherwise I did use The Detonator pattern.
1-Judy’s Magic Cast on of 10 sts each needle.
increasing every round till 20 sts, then everyother to 37 & 34 (front & sole).
2 - used size US0 needle for fit around my 9” yet thinnish foot.
3 - Used WendyKnits toe-up gusset heel
4 - continued with 37 sts on front but reduced to 27 on back. And moved up to a US 1.5 needle.
5 - 1x1 ribbed cuff - used US0 needle.
It fits perfectly!

Spring Twists in Easter Egg Dye done.

2008-05-14T08:17:00.004-04:00

Pattern: Spring Twists by Jeanie Townsend
Yarn: Bare Essential by KnitPicks, dyed by kids with easter egg dyes
Needles: US0 on foot and US1.5 on leg
Construction: Two at once, one circ, toe up
These socks are already well loved. Bound off this morning, on the feet and off to school already.
I did a twisted stitch for the knits. This was a tedious knit, not fast, so be prepared to take your time making them. The twists snug the pattern up enough that the leg is snuggly even though I went up a needle size.

PinkOnes by Jeanie Townsend

2008-05-07T13:07:00.002-04:00

These are a test knit. The pattern is only the leg. I "winged" the rest.
The foot did not come out as I envisioned it, but I am hoping Jeanie will complete the pattern one day (as I am not a pattern writer!)
Although I love my heel design. I did the usual sl1 k1 heel stitch, but on the return instead of purling the row I purled the purl sts and knit the slipped stitches. It seems to fit well with the moss stitch pattern of the rest of the sock. I'm pleased with that part.
Pattern: PinkOnes by Jeanie Townsend

Yarn: KnitPicks Essential in color Coral

Needles: US1.5/2.5mm 32" Harmony circular

Construction: I reduced the number of stitches from 72 to 64.

The pattern stitches remained the same with the reduction occurring in the moss stitch,

so no problemo.

Pink Spring Sweater Done!

2008-05-02T10:40:00.005-04:00

And the model has appeared. She loves it!

--------------------------------

........although Catherine has not yet tried it on.........

I must say I like the original better, but lets see how it looks on, I'll get a photo this afternoon.

Pink Spring Sweater Done?

2008-05-01T08:43:00.004-04:00

Well, I thought I was done with the sweater, but my DH feels it is a bit short for his little lady, so I am adding another 2 inches (or so) to the bottom. Will post photo when complete. But for today here are the details.

Pattern: Top Down Raglan with various stitch styles.

Yarn: Reynolds Saucy in Pink

Needles: US7 for majority of the sweater, US5 for finishing edges.

Progress

2008-04-25T08:12:00.003-04:00

It's been a while since I blogged and I just wanted to say a quick "Hello". I am knitting, slowly, but here are the projects I am currently working on. A spring sweater for Catherine, Catherine's second sock, a pair of Spring Twists for Catherine and my Austrian Diamonds.

Annetrelac Done

2008-04-17T06:19:00.004-04:00

It's 6am and not much sunshine through the back slider, so I went out onto the back deck for photos. A bit chilly, but much better light. Please disregard the fact that it is time for this deck to be re-finished. It will be done soon.
Not a very pretty yarn, but WOW what a lot of fun to knit this sock. One important note: Go up a needle size when doing the entrelac. Those squares create a solid sock without any stretch. One leg was knit with USO needles and I can barely get it over my heel. The other leg was knit with US1 needles and that goes on much easier. Next time I would even go to a US1.5 or US2.
Pattern: Annetrelac Socks by Sandy Beadle from the Interweave Knits Holiday 2007 issue.

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill supersock Mill End. Don't know the colorway. But, it added some much needed spring colors to my life.

Needles: USO and US1 circular needles. With 72sts around I needed the USO so the foot would not be too big. But as stated above, I needed to go up a needle size on the entrelac.

Construction: I started these 2 at one time toe up. I am so glad I did, because these socks are alot of work and I probably would have suffered from SSS. I incorporated a garter stitch heel, which I had never done before. And then bound off with a beautiful alternate rib bind off.

Bottom line: If you have never knit entrelac, and you have a ball of variegated yarn that you really arent' too crazy about....this sock is just the thing. It is so cool how the variegation turns into striping on each square. It was so much fun to watch these socks as they were knit up. I can't wait to do another pair!

Ambrosia by Ann Budd

2008-04-11T17:55:00.006-04:00

I really wanted a pair of grey or black socks. I found this grey yarn on sale at Fiber Loft (2 balls $2.50) and figured I can't loose. WOW how boring it is to knit plain grey, but now that they are done I LOVE them. They are cushy comfy and a really cute design. So glad I stuck them out. What do they call it???? discipine? wish I had more of that in other areas of my life, but I digress. Meet Ambrosia in Grey.

Pattern: Ambrosia by Ann Budd

Yarn: Marks & Kattens Orkide in Grey

Needles: 3.0mm Knit Picks Harmony 32" cirular

Construction: 2 on one, toe up. Followed pattern except for k2xp2 ribbing.

Leafling's Completed

2008-04-11T10:42:00.007-04:00

Modified toe from a Ravelry Knitter, KnittingSuzanne. She does not appear to have a blog site. I enjoyed adding this fun toe :-)

Gusset modification done by me, for no other reason than it felt right at the time, I like the way it came out! Wonderful Heel construction!

The colors are really difficult to capture with this yarn. I think the best representation is the left foot of the gusset photo. I love the light green variegated with the yellow green, but could have done without all the darker greens. But that's OK, sock is still lovely! Pretty funky swirling, eh?

Pattern: Leafling by JC Briar, exclusive to the Rockin' Sock Club of Blue Moon Fiber Arts.

Yarn: Socks that Rock Medium weight in color Lucky.

Needles: started with 2.75mm as per instructions. Discovered it was too big so went down a needle size to 2.5mm. And again went to 2.25mm for the foot.

Kid's Capelet II

2008-04-08T15:39:00.004-04:00

This one for Sarah. She really does love it, she was just trying to look like "a model".

Also it was cold this morning, thus the layering, I hope to get another photo soon, but them kids are so fast sometimes. :-)

Pattern : improvised

Yarn: Tahki Bunny Print (on sale at WEBS) in pinks (#023)

Needles: US9 Denise circular

Construction: Child with 22” chest.

CO 44sts (48 is better as it is evenly divisible by 12).

Join in the round and garter for ~1”.

Increase 12 sts every other round until you have 144sts around.

Continue till you run out of yarn or to desired length.

Do a few rows in garter and bind off.

I think it might work even better if you decrease a handful of stitches the row prior to the garter row. This should reduce the flaring, as garter stitches are usually wider than stockingnet. I will do that next time!

Kid's Capelet

2008-04-05T16:43:00.003-04:00

Working my way up to doing some full size sweaters. It's been a while and the yarn is starting to burn a whole in the closet (so to speak).

Pattern: Improvised. Details shared below

Yarn: Mondial Levante (on sale at WEBS) 3 balls

Needles: US7 16" circular

Construction: worsted weight yarn, child with 22” chest.

CO 60, join in round and knit ~ 1” stockingnet.

Increase 10sts every alternate round spacing evenly.

Until 260sts around.

Knit till almost out of yarn (or desired length) , garter rows and bind off.

Could probably have not made it quite so wide, maybe 200sts around? One doesn’t know without trying, but she won’t let me frog, “No Mommy I like it the way it is!”. So it is hers as is.

Wedding Ring Quilt Socks

2008-03-29T21:07:00.003-04:00

What more socks done? Well, yeah, these are for Mom and.....well....I needed the USO needles for another pair of socks, so I busted butt the finish them today. And the kids having a playdate helped!

Pattern: Wedding Ring Quilt Socks by Jeanie Townsend.

Her Yahoo Knitalong Group is Here.

This was a test knit, but the pattern should be available soon.

Yarn: KnitPicks Essential Sock yarn in Gulfstream (discontinued color)

Needles: One USO HiyaHiya Stainless Steel circular needle (47")

Construction: Followed the pattern. It is lovely and fun, I especially like the Mock Cable along the sides. I started with 2 50g skeins of yarn and still had 28g left over, so I would assume one could easily do another repeat on the leg if they like a longer leg and still be fine for yarn.

Hope you like them as much as I do Mom?!?!?!?

Ooh la la - lots to show

2008-03-24T18:46:00.010-04:00

Lots of things to show! Had fun taking photos today :-)
Where should I start? Hmmmmm.....
Let's start with Mom's sweater. It has taken me almost a year to complete this sweater. Between learning from mistakes, learning in general, frogging, and just plain discipline to finish, it is done. I love it. The yarn has a wonderful drape, and completely softened up upn washing. The cables relaxed and it has nice clean stitch definition. The zipper installation is not as "perfect" as I would have liked, but certainly not bad, not bad at all. Enjoy the photos, my models (my daughters) enjoyed showing off this sweater.

Pattern: My own (mostly) with ideas from here and there.

Yarn: Peer Gynt color #228 (brown)

Needles: US 10 1/2 Denise Circular

Contruction: Top-down Raglan, steeked zipper, cables, etc.

Started: Last April, one of my very first sweaters (started knitting in February 2007).

Pattern: Urchin by Ysolda Teague in Knitty

Yarn: Rowan Yorkshire Tweed Chunky

Needle: US 11 Denise Circular

Great Pattern, hat fits my daughter quite well, but is too small for me. I'll try again with a bulkier yarn next time.

YUMMY!

The new Socks that Rock, Rockin' Sock Club Yarn, called Lucky. And look how beautifully it knits up!!!!!

Pattern: Just a basic Hat, no pattern

Yarn: Some scraps I picked up on sale at my LYS that is simply fabulous!

Needles : US8 KP Harmony 16" circular.

Construction: cast on 80 sts using alternate rib cast on (using a crochet hook makes it easier!) K1xP1 for 5 rows knit rest of hat as follows. Knit colorA for 20sts, Add color b and knit for 20 sts, add color c etc. Then knit a spiralling color stripe. Great, fantastic process I found at Grumperina. Check it out!

And last but not least:

These are not complete, but they are a test knit for Jeanie Townsend. It is called the Wedding Ring Quilt Socks and are still under test at this time. But you can see her other patterns at her Yahoo site here. I believe next months sock challenge lists knitting a Jean Townsend Sock.

I hope all of this has been fun to read and look at, it has been too much work for me to blog, but it is always worth it to have a log of what I am doing, and always fun to share it with my friends.

Santa Fe from KotR Done

2008-03-18T20:16:00.002-04:00

Pattern: Santa Fe from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill in Burgundy and Blue

Louet Gems in Goldilocks

Needles: US 1 1/2 / 2.5mm circular

Construction: 60sts around

Notes: Nothing unique, followed pattern, love socks, the CTH makes lovely socks!

Passion Stripes Complete

2008-03-13T14:56:00.004-04:00

I steeked Mom's Cardigan, then realized 2 things, the lighter colored zipper was just not going to work, and it was too long. So I will have to go zipper shopping, with the hopes that they have increased their stock since I was last there. So instead I took the time to finish up these fabulous socks!Pattern: Hidden Passion Socks by Jaya Srikrishnan.

From Favorite Socks by Interweave Knits.

Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill SuperSock in Blue (50g) and

left over STR Dragon Dance (30g).

Needles: Size US0/2mm circular.

Started with KP Harmony 32" circular, but it broke so I switched to HiyaHiya Steel 40" circular.

Construction: This sock is so much fun to knit!

Although I must admit, I did not want to do the XO theme, and instead I did a 2x2 stripe with blue purled, I think I would have gotten even more enjoyment out of knitting this sock had I just gone ahead and did the pattern as designed! Wonderful pattern. I also would have liked a more substantial cuff....but I ran out of yarn! I might go back and do another cuff in the blue.

Love these socks!