Another April FO

I finally finished another something - a pair of socks that I've worked on for about a month and a half.



They are done using the Nasturtium pattern from Kristen at Through The Loops. (Happy Blogiversary, Kristen!) I used one of the skeins of yarn that I dyed in my dyeing class at Simpatico back in February. It had shorter yardage - 280 yds - so I wanted to do a shorter pair of socks and these fit the bill! Great pattern - a good kind of easy for a beginning sock knitter. (And, thankfully, done on 2 circs so I didn't have to do math.)

I do love the sock knitting, though - just bought More Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlotte Schurch and am waiting on the delivery of Favorite Socks by Ann Budd and Anne Merrow. And I got the Yarn Harlot's books - The Yarn Harlot and Casts Off. Hopefully her stories will inspire more sock knitting.

Also had a dyeing day on Saturday. This time we used the acid dyes and I can definitely tell that I will love Love LOVE the results with using them with the superwash. The colors are so incredible!!



The favorites that I did were these two:


(which my friends call Safari - and my hubby calls Army Brat)

And this one:



For which I have no name - but I'm sure Dawn or Lise or Someone will come up with one for me! ;)

I've ordered a ball winder and a swift - so hopefully I can get these in this week and then next weekend play with reskeining them to see what they "really" look like!

Now...to take off these socks. It's Texas and April, by gum - which means wool socks are HOT. UGH!

But they sure are pretty!!

Adventures in Felting

So far in my knitting career (career, 'cause I've brought in so much money with it so far), I've avoided the whole felting craze...

I mean, why knit knit knit knit knit knit knit (and no purls, mind you) on something for days to make this humongo something - just to stick it in the washer and have it shrink into some piece of fabric like you'd use in Sunday School with paper cutouts of Disciples stuck to it.

(Not that the Disciples aren't worth my work, mind you...)

But - when the knitting horde was traipsing around East Texas while on our retreat, I succumbed to the "OH MY GOODNESS - NORO! On SALE!! 30% OFF!!!! MUST BUY!!!" mania that hit the group. (We even called Manda to make sure we had enough skeins...to make the ever popular - if not so "last year" - Booga Bag.)

Did I think I'd actually knit this thing??

No....because A. See above.

And B. I have never ever knit in the round. (I don't count socks because those are done on 2 needles.) I've avoided joining things and "picking up stitches" like - well, like felting.

Until last week - I was stuck out with no socks to knit on, no nekkid yarn to dye (ok, so I was sitting at Starbucks and truth be told, there was probably nekkid yarn, colors AND vinegar in my car - but didn't figure Starbucks would appreciate me using their bathroom and espresso steamers for this purpose) and one of those Noro balls, a size 10.5 circ that I had bought with the express purpose of furthering my supplies to NOT knit this bag...and I actually had the pattern with me.

SO - I began to knit knit knit knit knit knit - and did not purl.

Then I picked up stitches (I guess confidence has been gained in this from my learning to do socks and having to pick up around the gusset) and I knit knit knit knit knit knit knit knit knit some more - alas, still no purling.

We won't even talk about the 500 miles of i-cord for the handle....just 'cause I actually enjoy i-cord. (Should I admit that - considering what the "i" stands for??)

Anyway...I ended up with this:



So - off we go to the washer. Now, the only "zippered" pillowcase I have is one from a throw pillow from the couch. Those pillow cases needed a good washing - so I thought, No problem! I'll use those.

And someone told me that when I felted them that I needed to put a pair of jeans in the wash with the pillowcase...so I grabbed one of the hubby's pair that needed a washing and walked away.

The thing about the pillow cases from the couch - pillow cases that my Armenian Mother-in-law gave us - pillowcases of questionable origin (not that they are stolen - just don't know what country they came from) - pillowcases for which the dye used in the fabric has not necessarily been "set."

The thing about those pillow cases - is that they bleed...And the orange and burgundy pillowcases - they seem to bleed...pink.

So, seriously now...How long do you think I can keep these newly pinkish/lavender jeans from hubby??



Better yet, what kind of things can I accuse him of doing in the jeans to make them that way???

(I figure I can keep this a secret just about as long as I was able to try to deny the fact that my leaving the lights on in the car while I napped this morning was the reason the car wouldn't start when I needed to drive on to work.)

The good news in all of this is - the pillowcases - they bled on the outside - all over his pants.

But my Booga Bag?

The one on the inside of the pillow case?

The one I knit knit knit knit knit knit knit knit knit and did not purl on?

It's so cute!! (And not pinkish a bit - except where it was intended to be!!)



I may felt again...but think I'll buy a white zippered pillow case for future felting adventures...

Maybe I can pick it up when I go shopping for blue jeans....

Ruby's Slippers...

Ok...well, they are really Ruby's socks...


and a sock for her iPod Nano to match her real socks.

Last month I had so many FO's that this month seems so paltry - although I did finish the blankie...

I guess I either had more time last month or just was closer to the end of a bunch of things than I am this month.

Anyway...this may be it for this month...

Another week of knitting

It has been a needle-clickin' week so far...and I'm hoping to get some more done before the weekend's over.

Last weekend, I cast on and finished two scarves - one for my Mom's birthday (Misti Alpaca Scarf (again, done with the Plymouth Baby Alpaca Grande)



And one for me - I call it my Oscar the Grouch scarf - it's chartreuse Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn with some Online eyelash yarn carried along - just boring garter stitch, but I love the scarf.


I also took some of the leftover Ultra Alpaca yarn from the reversible cable scarf and played with another iPod sock pattern - liked this one much better. It is tighter and more stable for protecting the iPod. I gave it to Lori so she could have one that matches her scarf. I think she was happy with it - she kept petting it. :)

A Nephew's Request

About this time last year, I found this Morehouse Farms Critter kit on the web for a Gecko Scarf.

The nephew is crazy about Geckos - he has a live one - his room is decorated in geckos (that I painted, thankyouverymuch) and he just happened to be in the room when I saw it online...BIG MISTAKE.

I never heard the end of "I want that gecko scarf!" They only sold the pattern in kit form - and well, the nephew and pure wool just don't coexist well. So he and I composed a letter to Morehouse Farms asking for the scarf pattern to be posted. They said that it would be later in the year.

Now, the nephew has the memory of an elephant - and while I thought, "Oh, this will pass..." - every time he came to my house, we'd have to go check the site for the individual gecko pattern...

FINALLY, on his July visit, we did our traditional "check" of the website - and Viola! There was the pattern - for which he ran and grabbed my credit card and said, "GET IT!!!" HA!

Once it came in, he'd always ask "Are you working on it???" To which I told him the truth - Not yet. In December, he asked, "Will I get it for Christmas?" To which I told him the truth - I don't think so.

Never to be deterred, he said, "That's ok - my birthday is in February." I realized that I was knitting all of these things for people who had no clue that I was doing it for them - and here was this kid I love to death who WANTS me to make something for him.

So in December, when I took him to see the Hatsheput (Egyptian Pharoah) exhibit at The Kimbell Art Museum in Fort Worth, I took advantage of both having him with me and being just down the street from Yarns Ewenique to have him go with me to pick out yarns and colors for his scarf.

Thankfully, Yarns Ewenique doesn't freak out at a 9 year old being in the store and they helped him pick out the yarn (and helped enable me with some new sock yarn). After some steering him away from the good stuff (i.e., too expensive to make a kid's scarf out of), the nephew picked out Black and Maroon Encore Worsted Weight Yarn. He also picked out some Copper Rowan Lurex Shimmer for me to use. (He had wanted it all done in this and thankfully understood that it would be better as an accent...)

The funniest part of the whole trip was that while I was checking out, I hear the nephew say, "This is like the world's smallest hat!" - which caused me and the saleslady to look around just to see said nephew walking around the store with the rolled up version of THIS on his head. I think we both just about peed our pants!

Anyway - the birthday is February 3rd - and I have officially finished this thing - well, except for figuring out what to do about the eyes (suggestions???) - it will either get rave reviews from his classmates - or get him beat up...either way, I know he'll be happy 'cause his Aunt Liz made this especially for him. It is HUGE and probably as tall as he is - (I'd use DK weight next time and not the Worsted) - but it's so cool!

Ta Da!!!



(Eye suggestions, anyone???) Thinking of finding buttons that are cool - the recipe calls for felted ones.

And a Closeup of those feet - which are adorable - and definitely took me out of my comfort zone of knitting...

I've joined the masses....

I recently got an iPod - which I just love!!

I'm downloading podcasts right and left - so far my favorites are VH-1's Best Night/Week Ever series and, for knitterly things, Lime & Violet.

So, last night while watching somthing TiVo'd, I knit this little iPod sock using the leftovers from my Regia socks.

I think I'd knit it tighter next time - but this was a good start.

Ta Da!!!

I have wanted (and promised) to make a pretty scarf for my boss for quite some time.

Over the past 18 months, I have bought enough yarn and found enough patterns for probably 10 skeins - but it wasn't 'til I found (and adulterated) a Lion Brand Reversible Cable pattern - and used the wonderful Berroco Ultra Alpaca yarn - that I finally made one that I thought she'd like.

It turned out gorgeous!! I was proud of it!

Merry Christmas, Lori!

SOCKS!

I made it!! After a three class session on making socks on 2 circs with the Knitting Fairy, I am proud to say I have made my first pair of socks!! (Used Regia Crazy Colors - great yarn for first socks...not too bulky and not too thin!)

I loved it! They will not be the last ones...

I can't decide whether to keep them or gift them - if I gift them, they will go to someone who will truly appreciate them!!

The Finished Objects!

As promised, I finally got the camera out and am presenting my finished objects from this month...

The Hiking Scarf






The Dishcloth July KAL Cloth (Dolly the Dolphin)

and the Think Pink Challenge Breast Cancer Scarf...