Monday FO: Daisy Socks

Hello! Well of course I am shocked to learn that for those of us in the U.S., the upcoming weekend will be Memorial Day. I'm still somewhere at the beginning of May, to be honest. I mean, I do realize the holiday is coming, because we are planning to go to Almost Heaven West Virginia for the weekend, and I had to arrange for the kitties to be cared for, but it still seems like there should be more time until it all happens.

Both The Tim and I are off work this week, which is nice. Not that we have any specific plans - but we have some projects around the house and garden, and it's nice to just have time to do things when you feel like doing them.

OK, now the real reason for this post - I have another FO to show you. They have been finished for a week or so, but it took me a while to find a day when it wasn't raining and/or cloudy to get a decent photo. Here are my Daisy Socks.

Project: Daisy Socks

Pattern: Plain vanilla sock pattern in my brain

Yarn: Timber Farms Twin Sock, in the Daisy colorway

Needles: US size 0/2.0 mm

Notes: I bought this yarn along with another one a couple of years ago, and finally got around to knitting with it. I love both the name and the colors, and decided that it would be a perfect springtime knit. 

These are just a plain sock, with 2 x 2 ribbing at the cuff, and a heel and gusset construction, using the pattern I learned to knit socks with, which is now in my brain. I thought about using some kind of pattern but decided that the stripes should just be stripe-y, and I'm glad I did. I'm very happy with them. 

Whenever people say they will never knit the same pattern again, I think they must not be sock knitters. Because most sock knitters I know try different things with their socks, but have a go-to, plain pattern that they use more often than not. I enjoy trying different sock, but sometimes knitting a sock is more of a comfort thing, so I just go for what I can already do without worrying about counting, etc.

And now - other than some ongoing projects (for example, my Cozy Memories Blanket), I do not have anything officially on the needles! That will however change starting today, as I have the yarn, needles, project bags, etc. ready for my next three projects, plus I want to organize things to start a summertime needlework project. So do not fear, I'm not project-less for long!

Hopefully this week will be good for all of us. Take care, and I'll let you know what gets underway when.

This. That. The Other Thing.

Hello sports fans!  I hope you are doing well today.  My day has begun in a frustrating manner, but since it's a day when I am at work, why does that surprise me?  I arrived at work to find a really snarky note from one of the people in my dept, so I decided to take a break and write this post rather than wait until lunchtime.  Theoretically at least, it will put me in a better mood for the rest of the day.

So, let me show you This:

In spite of the fact that this photo shows the color all wrong, this is in fact the body of the sweater I have been knitting.  I did a bind off for the body yesterday, and I'm really pleased with how it is turning out.  It is the Dog Walker, by Plucky Knitter (Ravelry link), and I highly recommend the pattern.  It is very well written, at least for as far as I have made it!  The yarn I am using is actually a *very* dark navy/gray yarn, but no matter how I tried to photograph it with/without lighting, this is how it turned out.  So yes, it looks like this as far as the item, but imagine it much darker in color.

Next up is That ...

in this case, referring to my stash.  I would have to say that 99% if my stash is fingering/sock weigh yarn, which on the one hand, is not surprising, since I always have a pair of socks underway.  On the other hand, recently I have seen a couple of patterns that I would really like to try, that call for worsted weight yarn.  I have maybe six skeins of worsted weight, all in different colors.  So I am trying to decide if it's OK for me once I have put some money aside (haha, you know, by 2028!), if I can talk myself into being "allowed" to buy more of the worsted in a single color for said projects that appeal to me.  I am trying (and for the most part, succeeding) to only knit from stash, but if I decide that I want to try the patterns I like, I would actually have to purchase yarn.  

So I have decided to treat it like I do other things.  For instance, if I see something that I really like - clothing, shoes, yarn, jewelry, whatever - I tell myself that if it is out of the range of anything I normally buy or need, that I need to let it sit.  Meaning, if I am still thinking of it, or wishing I could buy it after two days, then I should make a plan.  I find that often, something that I just love and MUST have is something I've completely forgotten about two days later; or sometimes, I realize that I still like it well enough, but don't have a strong desire for it.  So after I finish my next project, if I am still thinking about the worsted weight patterns, I'll choose one and see if I can save some $$ to buy the yarn.

Finally, The Other Thing.

I have been toying with the idea of making a list of goals for making this year for myself.  Like most of my lists that have goals, it will not be a strict commitment, but there are a few things that I would like to do/make/learn, and if I *write them down* (i.e., put them in a blog post), they will be in one place for reference and comparison.  Otherwise, I will occasionally think of something, and if I don't do it at that moment, it will join the approximately 511,250,4578 things that go through my mind on any given day, most to never return again.  This concept has stayed in my brain for more than two days, so I guess it means I should do something about it, right???  😏

******

Update: Writing this post has made me feel like I will make it through the day without being as stabby, so knitting "talk" for the win!

The Next Needle Project

Before I tell you about the project referenced in the title of this post, I have to say that I think your responses to the question of what was the worst gift you have received are some of my favorite responses ever!  I admit to laughing at your pain, but come on, those are some good stories, people.  And note to Alison - just because you live in New Zealand, it doesn't mean you cannot be part of the giveaway, I'm happy to send things wherever they need to go.  So please let me know if you would still like to be added in before the deadline this week.  I would truly love to include you on this giveaway or any future giveaways.* 😊

If you recall, last year I completed a couple of counted cross-stitch projects, and enjoyed working on them so much that I was glad I'd gotten back to it.  Then I had some knitting projects that I really wanted to do, and they started taking up all of my brain space and interest.

During the time I was working on those projects, I came across a kit that the store junebug and darlin was selling through the Strand Bookstore.

As you can imagine, this was something I felt I just MUST have!  First of all, I love books; second, I am a cataloging librarian; and third, they are renovating our space at work and I thought this would be a really nice touch in my new work area.  So I ordered a kit, and it arrived in a very timely fashion.  Since I was busy with other stuff, I put it away for another time.

I feel that the time has come, so to speak.  Yesterday I pulled it out to start looking at the pattern, the instructions, what was in the kit, etc.

And look at this - the floss is attached to a library check out card, like we all used before things became computerized!  (Some libraries still use them, but most large libraries nowadays use barcodes and scanners.)  I just love that presentation, it makes my librarian heart sing.

Since we are supposed to return to work in the next month or so (don't get me started on that topic right now), and at least in theory, the renovations will be finished (really?), I thought it was time to start this project and have it ready whenever I can finally walk in to my new office.  My only concern right now is that I am suffering big-time from heat-addled brain, so it might be better to only do a small amount of stitching on any given day.  That way if there is a brain disconnect, there won't be as much to un-stitch and start again.  I'll keep you posted.

*OMG someone in NEW ZEALAND reads my blog!!!  This makes me all kinds of happy.  One of my fave places (no I haven't been, other than in my head and in photos, news, others' stories).  I have always wanted a friend who lives there. Plus, they are having winter now.  Sigh.

Just Go Along With This for Now

This was one of those busy weekends when I actually did a lot of stuff not just for myself, but around the house, and none of it is noticeable.  You know what I mean - you put things away, or spend some time on an ongoing project, and you're happy that it was done, but no one else would ever know?  Oh well, I know and that counts!

One thing I did "accomplish" that I can share with you is a couple of photos.  On my previous laptop, I used Irfanview to edit photos, and it was fairly straightforward and we got along very well.  Turns out that Irfanview doesn't work with Chromebook (of course it doesn't why should it, right?), so I had to find something else to try.  So after a ton of trial and error, I have these two photos to share, and though they are fine, I'm not completely happy with either of them, based on how I could have done them before.  I'm sure I'm the only one it bothers, though.

First up, do you remember the counted cross-stitch of the honeybee I finished last fall?  We got a frame for it, and nothing happened with that right away, and once the holidays arrived, forget it.  I finally got myself together enough to frame it a few weeks ago, and early last week The Tim hung it for me.

The reason this photo is at an angle, is because it is hanging above the stairwell where you go from the second floor down to the first floor, and this was as good a shot as I could get.  The closest that this comes to the actual gold shade of the frame is near the top left corner.  But I love the way it all turned out, and it makes me happy to see it whenever I'm heading downstairs.

Next up is one of the photos from Hamlet's birthday party.  One of his gifts was a new bed (the one we had belonged to Dug, and between the two dogs using it as well as the cats, a new one was in order).  As you can see, it was quite a hit.

Hamlet has even had the chance to use it once or twice since then ... actually for about the first week, he was only lucky to get next to it.  We keep telling him that he doesn't have to do the cats' bidding, that his head is bigger than both of their bodies put together, but nonetheless, here we are.

(Both of these photos took HOURS to get to look like this.  Sigh.  Good thing I have a lot of time to spend these days!)

I also spent some time starting to wash my winter sweaters to put away.  Though we have had some cool nights and early mornings, and there were a couple of days last week where the mornings in the high 30s/low 40s, I've decided that since this coming weekend is Memorial Day weekend, we're not likely to get many more - if any - of those.

This week I hope to get to work getting the garden more cleaned up.  The Tim got started with some of the big stuff, but I want to finish and we want to get some plants for there and the planters in front of our house.  That's the big thing I'd like to accomplish, but there are also a bunch of smaller things that are on my mental list as well.  Needless to say, we won't be traveling this year for Memorial Day, but I'm hoping that if we have some nice weather that we could have a little picnic in the garden if things are enough in order.

That's really about it.  My knitting projects continue, a bit slower than before since one of them in particular makes my one elbow uncomfortable, so I don't spend as much time knitting.  I'm hoping once that project is finished, the discomfort will also be gone.  I've done some reading, and am also catching up on some movies and TV shoes that we have had hanging around but never got around to watching yet.

I hope your weekend was OK, even if not exciting.  Don't forget to wash your hands, wear a mask, and stay home!

Some Good, Some Frustrating, and a Whole Lotta Floss!

It was a lovely and also a frustrating weekend.  We had good weather, we got to spend some great time together, and I got some things accomplished even if they were not major activities.

And then it was frustrating - though the good outweighed the frustrating, thank goodness!

Saturday we got an early start, and took Hamlet to the Wissahickon Trail for a nice long walk.  The Wissahickon Trail is part of Fairmount Park here in Philadelphia, and if someone dropped you onto the trail from a spaceship, it would never ever occur to you that you were actually smack dab in the middle of a major city.  We had a good walk, and Hamlet loved seeing other people, pups, and ducks.  I was kind if disappointed that we didn't see any horses, but maybe next time.

The funniest thing was when we first arrived.  We parked the car on the end of a street right near the trail.  When we let Hamlet out of the car, he excitedly ran up to the door of an apartment building right there, as if to say, "I just know these people will be excited to meet me!"  It took us about 5 minutes to convince him that we weren't visiting anyone.  :-)

On our way home, we stopped in Manayunk at Hidden River Yarns, to pick up some knitting of mine that I was finally getting back.  You may or may not remember that last summer, I was knitting the Edie pattern, and when I went to do the sleeves - the very last part - one of them had all of the stitches off of the spare yarn where I had placed them.  (I suspect cats, but have no proof.)  I spent a lot of time trying to recover things, but finally had to admit defeat. I pollled my knitting friends, and someone volunteered.  Well, over the course of the last year, every time I would ask about it, she was "going to get to it," and finally I just said please return it.  So she returned it to Lisa at Hidden River, and Lisa performed "triage" so that I should be able to finish it (finally!).  So I stopped and retrieved it.  But today when I pulled it out to see what was/was not done, I was missing the pattern and some of the dpns!  So I messaged Lisa, and she is going to check when she is in the shop on Tuesday to see if they are still there.  I'm kind of annoyed - though NOT at Lisa - because the person who had it didn't seem to take very good care of it, or the project bag I was using.  But hopefully I'll be able to finish it soon, wash the project bag, and wear the top next summer.  Suffice it to say this was the frustrating part of the weekend.

Moving back to good things, I did finish one foot on one of the socks I'm knitting, and am nearly finished with the foot of the other one.  So I'm guessing that these may be finished by next weekend.

Forgive the smushed-up appearance of them - I just pulled them out of the project bag to take a photo and didn't do anything to "arrange" them.  I've been enjoying knitting this pair!

Today, I decided that I would undertake a project that could get me prepared to start my next cross-stitch project.  My mother was a major and prolific cross-stitcher, and I inherited her supplies.*  So before I bought any floss for my next project, I decided to pull out what I already had, because maybe I wouldn't need to buy any, or at least not much.

The stuff had been in the basement, so the binder-type things that the floss had been stored in were in questionable shape, and the floss, though fine, was musty.  I washed the binders and they are hanging up to dry.   And then I needed to figure out a way to hang up the floss so that it could air out, but even more importantly, out of the reach of kitties.  So currently there is a whole lot of floss hanging in various locations on our third floor!

You know, just a few things to choose from ... !!!

It may take me as long to organize and put it away again as it takes to make my next project. :-)  But I'm glad I have it and that it's in good condition, because it reminds me of my mom, and she would be happy to think that even though it's been just sitting for years and years, that I'm using it now.

I do wish that the weekend had felt longer, but it was a pretty good one overall, so I really can't complain.  This week I have a gynecology appt this afternoon, and a dental appointment on Friday, so it's a week of things not all that pleasant, but necessary and then hopefully taken care of for a while.

I hope your week will be a good one - if you are lucky, leaving out any medical stuff!

*One of these days, I'll do a post and show you some of her work.  My sisters and I all have some of it, and it's so beautiful.

A Good Combination Weekend

Well, the weekend did not disappoint.  In more ways than one, actually - we had good weather, and it actually felt like it consisted of two days as opposed to two hours.  It was an excellent combination of accomplishing things and relaxing.  I love it when it works out that way.

Saturday consisted of some running around in the morning.  We headed over to NJ for a trip to Kohl's, Target, the liquor store (don't tell the PA officials!), and the mall.  The Tim had a coupon for Kohl's, and I benefitted from it, and we also picked up some kitchen towels, which we seem to go through at a record pace.  We bought some wine and gin at the liquor store, and I returned a pair of shoes and got a battery for my watch at the mall, then we headed to Target for some groceries.  We were finished and home before noon.  Then The Tim took a nap, and I "finished finished" my Shift cowl - meaning that I sewed up the back seam, and so now the knitting isn't just finished, the project is!  I absolutely love it and will share it soon in an FO post.  That evening we just hung out and watched some shows we had recorded.

Sunday The Tim had to work, so I was on my own as usual.  Hamlet and I took a really nice, long walk in the morning, and stopped at the dog park on our way home.  He was pretty wiped out afterwards, I have to say!  Then I swept up in the garden, which didn't really take long because I'd done the major cleanup a few weeks ago.  The only downside was that I really really really missed my snoopervisor, Jack.  :-(  The others are nervous about going outside, so the Koodle just slept upstairs, and Pip sat at the screen door giving instructions the whole time.  I was hoping to sit out there in the evening, but dinner was later than usual, and by the time we cleaned up, it was getting dark, so hopefully after this week's heat wave we'll have some nice days when I can enjoy it. 

After that and taking a shower, I decided that I deserved some relaxing time, so I sat down and started working on the socks I want to make next, and watch a podcast.  After that, I spent about an hour ironing - yes, there are things I still iron.  I actually find it to be one of those activities that I don't do very often but when I do, I enjoy it, as it becomes a bit meditative.  Also, it's not that great to iron in our basement, so I like to bring it all upstairs to the living room, where I can look out the window into the garden and watch the birds and squirrels.  And - I'm actually accomplishing something at the same time!  Then I went back upstairs and cast on my Pabaigh and got about 4 rounds knit.  After dinner, I finished a book I was reading, and then headed to bed, since my busy day was catching up with me.  But it was a good way to end the weekend.

So now it's Monday, and fortunately this morning walking to work it was still quite pleasant outside.  Which was nice, because heading home I think it's gonna be a lot different!  This is a short work week for me, since I'm taking off Friday, so there is one fewer day of vacation I lose at the start of the new fiscal year.  And then next week is the week of the Fourth of July - WHAT???

Here's hoping that we all have a good week, one way or the other.  If you are in the heat zone, I hope you can stay cool.  I'm already busy figuring out how to make it work ...

Note: Knitting also works.  ;-)

This Week's Thinking

Last Saturday, I finished the knitting part of my Crazytown Cowl, soaked it and set it on the blocking mats.  Because it's been ridiculously humid and rainy this week, it only finally felt dry last night.  So this weekend, I'll do the seaming and have another FO, which is such a good feeling.  And yesterday, The Tim took the finished pair of socks to the Post Office, so they should arrive at their destination today or tomorrow, another good feeling.

I don't know about you, but occasionally, when I finish one thing, and another project is nearly finished, rather than starting something new, I *have* to finish the other project - that's what happened with the cowl, and I think it was also because it was a good occupation for my brain, which trust me, still needs to be busy!

Having said that, it does not mean I haven't been thinking about what is next.  For whatever reason, everything and nothing appealed to me, so I was back and forth on things and frankly it was driving me nuts.  So I told myself that I needed to just decide on SOMETHING and just organize things to get started so that when I was ready to sit down and get moving, everything would be ready.

Once I told myself that, things started to fall into place.  I even knit a swatch!

Admittedly, I do not enjoy swatching, but I have learned the hard way in the past that at least in the case of garments, not swatching can mean you have wasted a lot of knitting on something that doesn't fit.  The good news is that this swatch was right on gauge, so I don't have to knit another!  Because I have mostly wool and wool blend yarns in my stash, and am trying reallyreallyreally hard to not buy yarn unless I simply must for a project, I had to think ahead to cooler weather and what yarn I had waiting for its turn.  When Pabaigh was first released, Kate Davies had a sale on yarn kits to knit it, and I purchased this yarn, which is the same color as she used in the pattern photos.  I decided to knit this now because since it is not a heavy sweater, knitting it in summer weather shouldn't be adding to any heat happening.  Plus, since it is intended to be a layering piece when the weather gets cool, I was hoping that it would be finished by the time summer moves along into fall.  We'll see how this all goes.  The pattern is mainly just knitting in the round, so in theory, it should keep my brain just as busy as it needs to be, but also mean that I can watch movies, have a conversation, or watch a podcast while working on it.

Then I decided that my next pair of socks would be the Georgia Socks, by Tracie Millar of the Grocery Girls podcast.  I have been wanting to knit some more shortie socks, and these have just a bit more happening with them than simply stockinette ones, plus a different heel for me to try.  I haven't decided on the yarn for these yet - I want to look through my leftovers, rather than use a "fresh" skein/ball.  So in the next few days, I'll be poking through the Bag O' Leftovers sock yarn that is for my Cozy Squares of Memory blanket, to see what I want to use.  I do have some things in that bag that have more than just a few yards left, so those will be the likely candidates.  I know that Lisa of Hidden River Yarns is making these and just using self-striping yarn, so depending on what/how much of that I have left in the bag, that's also a possibility.  It's funny, because I seldom actually purchase sock patterns since so many freebies appeal to me, but this pair is one of the ones that just struck me as something I really want to knit.

I'm really pleased now that I know what projects will be next.  I hope I'll like working on both of them, since my previous two projects were so pleasing.  Whatever happens, I'm sure you'll hear about it ... ;-)

I hope your last day of Spring is a good one.  It feels like the end of July here with heat and humidity, and is raining buckets today, but tomorrow and the weekend are supposed to be nice, so I'm looking forward to that! 

A Bag of Goodness

About a month or so ago, via Instagram, I saw that someone I followed had reposted a photo of a pair of socks one of her acquaintances was designing.  They were, as the expression goes, right in my wheelhouse.

What could I do, but start following the person myself, and keeping track of her designing, so that I would know when the pattern was released?  It turns out that she is an interesting person to begin with, in that she lives on a boat (!) with a boyfriend, a dog, and a couple of cats.  She also designs all kinds of cool and interesting things for knitters - like stitchmarkers, shawl pins, etc. 

She then announced that she would be releasing the pattern at Woolinn, and had created kits to sell there, as well as on her website.  I decided that I not only needed the pattern, but I needed the kit, since I couldn't go to Woolin, or any other fiber festivals this year.  So I ordered one, and it arrived a couple of weeks ago.  I wanted to open it right away, but told myself that could only open it AFTER I was well into the second sock of a pair I was knitting.  I knew that if I opened the package, the already underway pair would be completely abandoned, and I was determined to finish those!

So this past weekend, when I was well through the leg of the other sock, I opened the package.  Though as you can see, the package itself was pretty darn exciting.

The inside was even better!

There was the pattern and yarn to knit it, a Sinister Cat project bag, a tin of cat stitchmarkers, and a pin with Sinister Cats that says, "Smash the patriarchy."  I just love it all, and can't wait to start the socks, because I think they will be a fun knit.  This truly qualifies as one of the best kits I've ever received.

Opening this package was a really wonderful way to start my vacation week.  And now I have even more motivation to finish the pair of socks I'm currently knitting - the peeky cats await!

Oh the Knit-manity!

Yeah, I know that is not an actual word, but it's how things are right now around here.

I really wanted to knit some gifts for people for Christmas, but I don't know that I'll do it - it's kinda late in the game by now, and most of them need to be mailed.  So perhaps the best plan is to start when I can, and plan for next year.  I'm thinking ...

I've been concentrating on a couple of things - one has been long term, while the other was something I wanted to make for The Tim for Christmas.

On the top is the finished back and nearly completed front of a sweater I have been making using one of Amy Herzog's Custom Fit patterns.  I started this sweater a little more than a year ago, at a class at Loop.  I love the color of the yarn, and I really want to finish it, but it has been on a long hiatus.  First, because of my sore elbow, and secondly, because I'm just afraid I would finish it and it wouldn't fit, which is most likely not the case, but you know how it is when your brain decides something.

The photo below that one is the very beginning of a pair of socks I'm hoping to make for The Tim for Christmas.  I have had such a problem getting these going, but think I finally found the right needles to use, and finally got some rounds of the cuff knit.

Then, the inevitable occurred - I felt like I was doing really well on both of these projects.  That kind of "I'm really proud of myself" moment often comes back to bite me in the posterior.

As I prepared to start working on the last part of the sweater - the shoulders and neck - I realized I had too many stitches!   Apparently, I didn't decrease as many times as I should have earlier in the pattern.  I have decided I'm not tearing back *all* the way, but half of all the way.  An arbitrary decision, but seriously it's only four stitches, so I'm gonna live dangerously.  I've told myself it will be OK.  Right? RIGHT?

So then I thought, well, let me work on the socks a bit.  At which time it occurred to me that I had started the socks using the navy yarn.  I was supposed to start with the gray yarn (which looks white in the photo).  At first I thought I'd just go ahead, but then I realized I wouldn't have enough for a pair if I continued with the navy.  Time to start over with the gray ...

At least I only had a little bit already knitted.

Granted, neither of these things are the worst that could happen.  But you know how it is - you just get annoyed.

Just one of the many reasons I'm glad there is wine.

NaBloPoMo Day #27

A Very Happy Knit

Recently, I haven't had as much knitting time as I'd like.  But the good news is, when I did have a chance to knit, I managed to finish something that turns out to be one of my very favorite projects ever!

Milo and Jetsam helped me with blocking:

Such good helpers, right?

I had been to Loop early in March, and they had a sample of this, knit in the yarn that had been specially made for the shop.  The sample was in this color, and I just fell in love with it.  So I bought the yarn and the pattern and went home to get started.

The pattern is actually quite simple, and brilliant - once you actually pay attention, that is.  After a few false starts, it finally clicked, and I was on my way.  I would have probably finished it more quickly except that once I started there was an entire week when, for one reason or another, I didn't get a chance to pick it up.

Pip was quite happy to model the finished piece:

So, you are probably saying, if this is such great pattern, where are the details?  Keep reading.

Project:  Rechargeable

Pattern:  Portfolio Scarf, by Erika Flory

Needles:  Size 7 US

Yarn:  Loop Studio, colorway Cadmium (I used most of one skein)

Modifications:  None

Comments:  This is one of my very favorite knits ever.  The pattern is extremely well-written, and involves garter sections interspersed with sections of lace.  You work one part at a time, and cannot wait to get to the next part!  I named mine "Rechargeable" because I read that cadmium is mostly used for rechargeable batteries.  The yarn is soft, and lovely to work with.  I have already worn this a few times, and it is just perfect for springtime.  I see more of these in the future, both for myself and for gifts.

My suggestion?  You should really knit one of these - you will not be sorry!

Way Too Late or Way Too Early

I am finally able to show you my first FO for 2015.  And it's kind of ridiculous.

Perhaps you are thinking to yourself, "Weird. Those look like Halloween colors."  You would be correct.  I  bought the yarn for these a couple of years ago, and finally in the beginning of October 2014, I started knitting myself a pair of socks with it.  You may remember that October was also when I started the Kidney Socks for The Tim.  Well, once I started concentrating on those exclusively, these got put to the side.  And then the holidays kept me busy with other things, and suddenly it was January, and they were still languishing.

But I liked the way they were looking, so I decided that I would finish them before I let myself start anything new.  That way, I wouldn't leave them until the last minute for Halloween 2015.  This turned out to be a good thing, because having other things to work on, and not being able to, meant that I really did dedicate myself to finishing these.

Jetsam approves.

Project:  Halloween Socks
Pattern:  Classic Socks for the Family, by Melinda Goodfellow
Yarn:  Vesper Sock Yarn, from Knitterly Things.  Colorway:  Trick or Treat
Needles:  Size 1 1/2US
Modifications:  Nothing major, but I did make them taller than usual.  I was amazed when I went to block them, to realize that the stripes more or less match up perfectly!  This is not something I would ever have gone to the trouble to work to make happen, so it was a funny surprise to me.

I loved the yarn, and have a nice amount left for some little thing, or sock blanket squares or whatever.  The socks fit perfectly, and now they are ready when Halloween rolls around this year.

So ... yeah ... my first FO of 2015 is a pair of socks I will wear in October.  I know I'll be thrilled that they are waiting for me!

On To the Next Thing, Whatever That Might Be

Tomorrow I return to work from my medical leave.  To say I am not looking forward to doing so would be an understatement.  However, it is what it is and I know that I am incredibly lucky to have a job in the first place, and to be well enough to return to said job.  Plus, it will be really good to start getting paid again, since I have not been paid during my medical leave.  In the end, having money to afford to live and pay bills does make a big difference, you know?  ;-)

I am a little disappointed that I had to give up my standing desk, per my dr's instructions.  He said that in a year or so I could go back to it, but by then who knows what will be going on at my workplace, or if I'll even still be there - things are "changing" all the time.  Granted, I would be miserable with a standing desk at least for a while, but the good thing about it was that it made me move around more, and believe it or not, I slept better at night!  Again though, see first paragraph - I'll live ...

In the meantime, I've been trying to get some things done that are low-energy but decent results around the house while I've been home.  I finally got around to sorting through towels and sheets to keep those usable, and organize the linen closet.  That was something I've wanted to do for a long time, and I could do it sitting down.  The end result was a much cleaner-looking and better organized linen closet, and some towels to donate to our local vet and one of the local animal shelters.  Win-win.

I also asked The Tim to get out my sewing machine (it is stowed in the sewing table, but is too heavy for me to currently lift), because there were a few things I wanted to do.  I experimented with making some kitchen tie-towels out of some of our extra kitchen towels.  These days, I don't see them anywhere to buy, and we use ours ALL the time.  I had a teeny bit of success, but have in mind what I want to try next so that (theoretically at least) the results will look more like this:

The two that I completed are usable, but I don't expect them to last long due to some things I failed to take into consideration.  Still, I'm on  my way.  

The item I am most pleased with was something that I had been thinking of trying for a while.  I have had a Nook Simple Touch for a couple of years, and always have used the bubble wrap sleeve that came in the packaging with it to carry it around.

I was always intending to knit a cover for it, like I did for my Nook Tablet, but never ever got around to doing that.  But then I had an idea to sew a pouch for it, that would hold he bubble wrap container as well, so it would still be cushioned.  So I poked around in my fabric stash, and found something I thought would be perfect for it.  Some measuring and sewing, et voila!

I put velcro strips on the inside top seam, to keep it closed, but found this button and thought it gave the whole thing just a little more zip.  I am really happy with the result, though I know that the Sewing Gods and Goddesses were appalled that I didn't press the fabric at any point during the process.  But I was on the third floor, and the iron and ironing board were in the basement, so it just wasn't gonna happen.  And since it was neither an article of clothing nor a gift, I was fine with skipping that step - it's not like it's gonna stay crisp and fresh-looking once I start schlepping it around in my bag anyway!

The sewing machine is now put away, since I knew that I wouldn't get back to it for at least a few weeks, since I'm sure that heading back to work will wear me out.  Since space is not overwhelming in our house, it's better to put the machine away until I use it again.

So the last few days of my time at home have been busy but in a good and relaxing way.  Now it's back to the usual, but different, routine and figuring out the cans and cannots of that.

Never a dull moment, huh?

Have a good week, everyone!

Pieces of 2013, Part Three - The Knitting

Well, this isn't too bad - I'm finishing up with 2013 right near the middle of January 2014 - sooner than I have finished my thank-you notes for Christmas gifts! There wasn't a lot of knitting this past year, and to be honest, I'm not exactly sure why.  I was happy with what I made, I just didn't make too many things!

The final knits of the year were four birthday gifts, and one thing for myself.  I think I mentioned here that I had decided to knit gifts for four of my nieces' birthdays, after seeing a cowl that was knit in a class at Rosie's.  I asked each of them for their favorite colors, and bought the yarn, and was finished in plenty of time for gifting!  (I send the BD gifts with the Christmas gifts, as all four birthdays are around that time as well.)  Here they are, all together, mainly because the photo of them together is so much prettier and more interesting than the photo of each one individually!

Projects:  Favorite Color Birthday Cowls
Pattern:  Drydock Cowl, by Jocelyn Tunney (a free pattern)
Yarn:  O-Wool  Balance Bulky - Boltwoodite (yellow); Rhodonite (pink); Peridot (green); Graphite (gray), nearly one skein for each cowl was needed
Needles:  US13
Modifications:  None
Comments:  This is an easy, interesting knit and the resulting cowl is really lovely.  Balance Bulky is not an expensive yarn, so I was able to make these without breaking the bank.  The pattern is well written, and you can easily complete a cowl during an evening or weekend afternoon.  I recommend it for gifts, especially.

After these were finished and sent off to their respective recipients, I realized that I had no more gift knitting to do!  I have a couple of projects underway, but neither were calling to me over the holiday break.

Last year, I received a gift certificate to Loop for Christmas from a friend, and I had purchased yarn with a specific design in mind. Unfortunately, the yarn and my idea were not destined to be friends, and since I had wound the yarn, it was not able to be returned.  So all year, I kept looking at it, thinking I'd use it for something, sometime.  With the weather turning colder, I thought about something else, and decided to give it a try.  The result?  The Seedy Cowl!

Not only was this the last project I finished in 2013, I did the bind off and weaving in of the ends at 11:20 p.m. on December 31!  It is incredibly soft, and cozy, and was absolutely perfect for the subzero temperatures that hit the next week.  It was completely unplanned, and once I got started, didn't require much thought or attention, and I truly love the result. (More pics on the Ravelry project page.)

Project:  The Seedy Cowl
Pattern:  From my brain
Yarn:  Fibre Company Tundra - Scotia Sea (blue, 2 skeins); Petrel (gray, 1 skein)
Needles:  US10
Comments:  I cast on 150 stitches, joined into a circle, and just knit double moss stitch.  When I ran out of the first skein of blue, I attached the gray, and when that was done, went to the other skein of blue.  By the time I cast off, I had maybe 4 feet of yarn left altogether - bits and pieces from each skein that were not enough to complete a round.  This is quite possibly the cushiest thing I have ever knit or worn, and it can actually be worn as a hood/scarf combination if desired.

And there you have it, the final projects of the year, which brought my grand total for the year to ten knits.  I'll take it!

Pitiful

The subject line is the description of my knitting output this year.  I only realized it when I went to my pictures folder of "Completed" projects for 2013.  This has been the year of the unfinished and/or frogged project, along with a few bouts of being really sick and also including some plain un-inspiration.

Such is life.  I am disappointed, but will live.  Hopefully I'll be more productive from this point, since I've got lots of things I'm ready to knit in my brain, and God knows, the yarn to knit things!

Remember this post?  Well, the thing I was so close to finishing was my Narragansett sweater.  I was pretty excited.  I managed to get the body knit, and decided to try it all on before starting the sleeves, to be sure that I got the underarm area right.  Well, I put it on, and could have easily fit five of my closest friends in it with me - it was HUGE!  It looked "normal" all the time I was knitting it, so I didn't suspect that it was going to be a problem.  Sigh.  I then decided the following:  1) it was gonna get frogged, 2) the yarn would be put away, and [at least in theory] I would try again next spring,* and, 3) I really did need to finish reading and absorbing the info in Knit to Flatter before I tried another sweater!

Another disappointment, but surprisingly, I wasn't as upset as I would have expected, thinking back on it.  Who knows.  It's in the past now, and in knitting as well as in life, I'm trying to keep moving forward, you know?

Because it's pitiful to be so pitiful.


*Maybe not the same pattern, but I love the color of the yarn, so it needs to be something ...

This Time I Am Prepared

I realized one day last week that my blogiversary is coming up - which is pretty amazing, since the last couple of years, I missed it!  It's funny, I used to hear from a lot of people via my blog, but not as much anymore, I think Facebook has replaced blogs for a lot of people.  Not for me, though!  I *love* when people leave comments, but I also write this as much for myself as anyone else.

Anyhoo, we have been fixing up the room in our house where most of my knitting-related books and all of my stash lives.  Which means I've gone through both of those, and have some things that I have decided I'm just not ever gonna use one way or another.  Since this is all happening now, I thought it might be fun to have a blogiversary giveaway with some of those goodies as the prizes.  I'm still pondering how I'll do it, so if you want the chance to get some nice yarn and/or nice books/patterns, stay tuned!

Also, do you remember this sweater that I started long ago, and picked up and put down a number of times:

the pattern is from Knitty, and it's Amelia by Laura Chau.  I've been using some Cascade 220 Heather yarn in the colorway Mallard (which is more of a dark blue-green than the photo shows).   I truly love the yarn, but became less and less fond of the project every time I'd pick it up.  So I decided to deep-six it, and use the yarn for some future project that I just cannot wait to make.  The funny thing is that when I was frogging it yesterday, I realized that it was a good thing I was doing so anyway, since apparently every time I picked it up (and there were some long stretches in between), I had a slightly differing gauge!  If I had soldiered on, and noticed that at the end, it wouldn't have been pretty, let me tell you.  So rather than seeing it as a project that failed, I'm seeing it as a project saved.  :-)

Another good thing (I'm just Little Mary Sunshine today, aren't I?) is that now I only have three active projects: my Emerald Hedgerows ('cause I always like to have a pair of socks on the needles.  I also realize I need an updated photo), my Delaware River Waves Scarf (for which my self-imposed deadline is next spring!), and my Breezy Turquoise, which I am hoping big-time that I will finish no later than the first day of fall, so I can just pull it out and actually wear it next spring.  

Other than that, I have a couple of ideas for things in my head that I want to see if I can figure out how to put them on paper and then translate to needles.  My math skills are non-existent, but I'm thinking that if I have real trouble, I can ask some of my friends who design things regularly for some help.  And if all else fails, I'll get The Tim to assist me ... I mean, he has to be good for something, right????

Enjoy this last day of the weekend, and I'll see you in another couple of days with blogiversary info.

There Has Been Knitting ...

Yes, there actually has been knitting, but after my flurry of FOs, I'm back in WIP-land.  None of the things I'm working on now are for anyone but me, so I feel no pressure to hurry up and finish - except that I've told myself I can't start anything new until something else is finished.  *That* is my motivation!

I'm currently almost [finally!] to the end of the raglan sleeve increases of my Breezy Turquoise, which I want to finish NOW even if it gets too warm to wear it until next spring again.  I do love this sweater, and can't wait to finish it, but it has been the unfortunate victim of other projects taking precedence, and then lack of knitting activity altogether.

And the two new things I've started are a pair of socks:

This is the beginning of my Apple Pie Circus socks, using Apple Laine Apple Pie yarn that I received a few years ago in a swap.  It's so soft and yummy, and the color is more green than in this photo.  I'm knitting these for The Sexy Knitter Second Quarter KAL on Ravelry.  The pattern is Cirque Socks, and this is actually the second cuff.  Since I have two skeins of the yarn, I knit one cuff, then the other, one leg and then the other, etc.  That way, when I finish sock #1, all that is left on sock #2 is the toe, which means no dreaded Second Sock Syndrome.

This is  a pattern called Ocean Waves Scarf, which is an old house pattern at Rosie's. I'm calling this my Delaware River Waves Scarf, because the yarn is some Black Bunny Fibers Merino Laceweight, in the colorway Ben Franklin Bridge.  Since the Ben Franklin Bridge crosses from Philadelphia to New Jersey, I have christened mine as such.  This took me a while to "get" but now I have the pattern seared into my brain, and am enjoying it so much.  This will probably be my at-home project, to work on when I'm not in the mood for anything else, and don't want to have to concentrate on my knitting pattern and nothing else.  I think it's turning out to look so pretty, I can't wait to wear it ... NEXT Spring!  :-)

Another thing that is making me happy is that the yarn for the socks and the scarf is from my stash, so even though the dent is really not noticeable, it's still a dent!

So, I'm knitting away, and enjoying it, but it might be a while until any of these are FOs ...

After the Fact Baby Sweater

Back towards the end of February, The Tim forwarded me an e-mail from one of his brothers, announcing that there was a new family member.  The Tim's oldest niece Laura, and her husband Lee, had a baby girl on February 8, and named her Fiona.  There were a couple of pictures from the hospital, and of course she looked red and scrunchy, with dark hair.

This was a complete surprise to us.  The Tim's family is not known for being particularly close, even though some of them don't live that far from us, and thinking of it, I guess we should be glad we found out as soon as we did - by comparison, his brother-in-law who was the best man in our wedding, died in January, and no one bothered to tell us until March ...

But I digress.  We had a new great-niece, and I wanted to knit something for her.  Since I had had so much luck with my great-nephew Parker's Owls Vest (Ravelry link), I wanted to try another project other than a hat.  A few of my friends had knit the Garter Yoke Baby Cardi, by Jennifer Hoel, with varying types of yarns and modifications, so I thought I'd give that a try.

I poked around the stash, since I'm trying not to buy yarn until I've used some that I already have, and found a skein that I thought would do the trick.  So I sat down to get started, and once I could finally actually start casting on the correct number of stitches and getting started without messing up, I was on my way.  And I was very pleased with the result:

Then I was able to find some really adorable wooden buttons, with  a teddy bear carved into them.  (There are no pictures, since I couldn't get any that showed the detail, you'll just have to take my word for it.)

I think it's so cute!  I sent it in the mail, and about two weeks later got a lovely note from our niece thanking us.  She said she thought it was beautiful and admired my handiwork, but never mentioned trying it on the baby - which makes me think it was too small.  But, them's the breaks when people find out after the fact that a baby is on the way, right???

The color was hard to really capture with my limited photography skills, but it is really more of a pinky-lavender, with the occasional dot of blue, which I thought was nice for a baby without being a) too babyish, and b) too girly.  Though I'd originally bought the yarn for socks, I thought it made a lovely little sweater.

The details:

Project:  Fiona's Sweater

Pattern:  Garter Yoke Baby Cardi, by Jennifer Hoel

Size:  newborn - 3 months

Yarn:  Dream in Color Smooshy, colorway Wisterious

Needles:  size 4US

Modifications:  none

Comments:  This was a very straightforward pattern, and fairly easy to knit.  The resulting sweater is really cute, and I think it's one of those that could be made to be adaptable to any yarn, or design (one friend I know made the yoke stripes, which looked fantastic), or personalized for just about any baby.  The Smooshy yarn is superwash, so it is also nice when you don't know how likely the person is to handwash anything - and I'm doubting that many new parents want to spend time handwashing baby clothes.

I would recommend this pattern to any more-than-beginning knitter, since it is easily completed, and can be made in nearly any weight of yarn.

Most amazingly for me, this is the third FO I have for 2013 - which, considering that in 2012 I knitted 6 things and made a quilt, is already putting me on track to do better than that!  

Moving on to This Year ...

Now that I finally showed you the final project of 2012, I think it only makes sense to move on to the current year, don't you?

Granted, I started this one in 2012 ... the Sunday before we left for Ireland (that's October to be specific), with the completely misguided idea that I would be able to finish it before we left (in 5 days?  Really?), or during the trip.  Without saying much more, I think we can all figure out how this idea ended ...

But, I did love the yarn and the pattern I used, and I really wanted to finish it, so once all of the busy and crazy of the holiday season was finished, and I stopped being sick, I buckled down and got it finished.  Of course, only when I blocked it did I realize that I had lost count a couple of times without realizing it, so the eyelet "spine" is crooked.  I was not going to rip it all out and fix things, and to be honest, I was just proud that I finished it and couldn't wait to wear it.

Since it was my Ireland shawl, I gave it the name of the "Ath-Udair Shawl"  Ath-Udair is Gaelic for "next time," and I know I'll take it with me and wear it on our next trip to Ireland ... whenever that may be.

Blocking, when I discovered the "oops!"

This shows the shading and lovely drape better

The details:

Project:  Ath-Udair Shawl

Pattern:  One from my head, but I'm sure the experienced knitters can take a look and see that it's a variation on many themes.  At some point, I'd like to make another one, and write down what I actually did as I do it, in the event that anyone else wants to try it ... and so that hopefully, I can avoid the mistakes.

Yarn:  Laines de Nord Romeo (colorway #215, primary color forest green), 1 skein

Needles:  Size 11US

I truly do love this shawl!  It's a nice size, and very cozy.  I've gotten lots of compliments on it (and one person made a point to ask me if I knew there were mistakes, because there's always at least one, right?), and though the yarn is a bulky weight, the finished shawl is as light as a feather.  I decided I'd knit until I was as close to the end of the ball as possible.  After binding off, I had slightly less than 8 inches of yarn remaining!

Even if I don't make it to Ireland again anytime soon, I did work on this while we were there, so every time I see it or wear it, I think of our trip, and it makes me very  happy.  Which, when you think about it, should be why we knit anyway, right?

You Might Want to Sit Down for This One ...

Because in this post, I am actually going to show you that this blog is not just a "pretend" knitting blog - yep, I've got something to show you!  And, wonder of wonders, there are others to come!

So if you are still with me, let me show you my last FO of 2012.  This was finished on November 11, but various photo sessions did not work out, so rather than show you The Tim wearing this hat that was knitted for him, it was time to rely on the old medicine ball ...

A few years back, I knitted a Turn a Square hat for The Tim for Christmas.  It was a big hit, and was the first time I had knit something with stripes.  At the time, I had no idea what the Jogless Stripe method was, so if you looked closely, you could see where one color changed to another.  Neither of us cared, and to some extent, neither of us still do.  (*Note:  Rather than link to a specific version of the Jogless Stripe demo, I'll leave it to you to choose from the many available if you just Google the term.)

Anyway, The Tim mentioned really liking the hat, and when I found myself with a) some yarn that didn't cry out to be anything else, and b) in need of a birthday gift, I thought I'd go ahead and knit another.  This time, though, I decided to give the Jogless Stripe method a try, and I must admit it does look nicer when the item is finished.

Anyway, here you go:

The top

The side/front/whatever you want to call it

The details:

Project:  Turn a Square Squared

Pattern:  Turn A Square by Jared Flood

Needles:  US size 5 and 7

Yarns:  Brooklyn Tweed SHELTER (gray) and Classic Elite Inca Alpaca (yellow)

Modifications:  None

Comments:  If you haven't  made one of these, you really should.  The pattern is free, you don't need a lot of yarn of either color, and it goes really quickly.  Plus, it's well received.  The Tim started wearing this one, and gave me his original one to repair, as it had become unraveled!  I asked him why he didn't give it to me to repair sooner, and he said, "Because I just like wearing it too much."

**********

And to "officially"close out 2012 (now that it's April!), here is a shot of all of the projects completed last year:

Not a lot, and not necessarily world-shattering, but a) I'm happy with it, and b) it's not a contest!

And now that we have closed out the last year, we can move on to things completed so far in 2013 ...

Some other time, that is.  :-)