March Socks

OK, here's the truth. I HATE these March Socks. I didn't hate them at all until I started the second one and the color didn't match the first one. When I complained to knit picks, they explained that it is hand dyed yarn and has differences.
they will send me a new ball. That's all well and good, but now I have 2 disserent socks. Alot of work went into the making of these huge man socks. I will finish them, although I don't feel like it. I am in the decreasing gussett stage of the second (blue) sock. The 1st (yellow) sock looks good. I am so disgusted that I am coming up with all kinds of reasons not to knit socks. I am working on a jigsaw puzzle. My foot hurts, I have a headache. I casted on some gorgeous kauni for a feather and fan shawl that I love knitting and would much rather knit than the dreaded March Socks. I guess I will go sit on my back porch and force myself to knit a cpuple rounds with the Pirate King.

Knitting Night

I had such a nice time last night at knitting. After a truly crappy day at work, it was just what I needed. My knitting friends are wonderful. Mo gave me a present of Lornas called ZOMBIES BBQ. Isn't that the greatest? My friends are supportive and helpful. And now we are planning to go to MDSW together. This is gonna be great!! We haven't been in a couple of years.

Oh well, I have to get ready for another day in the salt mines. But at least I'm taking Deanna to Woolbearers after work. I can't wait to see her face when she sees all that lovely yarn.

Knit Picks

Okay, here's my problem. The March socks that I am making are for Timmy, make out of Knit Picks Imgination Handpainted in the Pirate King Colorway. First sock finished. Looks great! The yellow pops out at you..Second sock halfway finished. I am knitting the heel flap. The problem has become very apparent. The navy blue pops out and the yellow is receding. Two different balls and it looks like two different socks. One darker than the other. I am not a happy knitter. These huge man socks have been alot of work. He will only be able to wear them as house socks. Last week, the swift that I ordered fro knitpicks came and broke with the first use. I called customer service, spoke to a lovely woman who sent me out another poste haste. It arrived In 2 days. I am happy to say after several uses the second swift is working perfectly.

I just got home from Woolbearers in Mount holly, NJ. As usual, I found lots and lots. I got 3 skeins of beautiful, lovely Kauni. One in shades of pink, and two in beiges and a pinky lavender. They will make a gorgeous shawl. Also got some premier and some classic silk. Also a box of sock and lace rings and a set off HiyaHiya 9inch circulars in stainless steel, size 1. As usual, shopping at Woolbearers is a positive experience. I love looking at the wall of Cascade 220. The colors are so beautiful and just looking at them calms me.

Feebruary Socks

Being home sick with bronchitis had one upside. I got lots of knitting done. I finally finished my February socks. It took a whole month. I never thought I would finish them. Wore them on Saturday. They look nice and fit well.

On Saturday, I started my March socks and they seem to be moving along more quickly. Using Imagination from Knit Picks in the Pirate King colorway. When Timmy heard the name of the color, he wanted the socks for himself, so I began to look for a stitch pattern. I turned to my favorite, Charlene Schurch books, and settled on a stitch pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks. I thought the sailor rib looked easy enough, and sailors sort of go along with pirate ships, don't they? The pattern suggested a ribbing different from the 2x2 I usually use. It blends beautifully right into the sailors rib. I love this pattern. It is easy to do and with the 4 row repeat interesting and fun to knit up. The only thing I am not sure about is the color. Pirate King is a multicolored hand painted merino wool, superfine alpaca and nylon. It has short color repeats and is actually quite busy. The dominant colors are green, grey and gold. I thought it might be too frivolous for Tim, but he likes it. However, he was a little doubtful when I told him, they could not be machine washed. Not to worry, I told him. When you take them off, instead of throwing them on your bedroom floor, throw them on my floor instead. I wash every ones knitted socks together by hand and hang them to dry on a wooden drying rack. This stitch pattern will show up beautifully on a solid color. Hmm... maybe my April socks.

snowed in again.

haven't been working on the February socks, now renamed candy hearts because of the colors. I've been working on them at work during lunchtime. At home I'm working on UFOs. I finally finished my moss bark short sleeve cardigan from autumn house. I love the shantung silk. the colors are beautiful. The pieces of Steve's cascade 220 sweater are residing in the freezer. Tim asked me, "mom why do we have yarn in the freezer?" Steve responded "Isn't it scary that you have to ask that?" Well, hopefully this will kill off any little moth remains. I still haven't seen anything. I guess they are so small they are invisible. All you can see are the holes left behind. If I cant fix the stitches on the sweater back, I will have to frog it and re knit it. If I didn't love the color so much, I would just pitch it.

I have 1 1/2 balls of the shantung silk left, so I am making another Sally Melville's Shape It Scarf. This is so much fun to knit.

None of my stories were on today. Just action news all day long screaming about the blizzard. And all those obnoxious snowtographs!!!!

steves old seater

I didn't make much progress this weekend on my February socks. I'm still decreasing the gusset stitches on the first sock. I'll take it to work with me and work on it during my lunch break.
However, I did make some progress on an old UFO. I started a sweater for Steve, maybe 2or 3 years ago. I'm using The Knitters Handy Book of Patterns, by Ann Budd. The back and front were finished, and most of one sleeve. The wool is Cascade 220 purchased at Woolbearers in Mount Holly, NJ. Color number is 9446. It is a lovely heathered chocolate brown with flecks of red in it. It is gorgeous. Unfortunately, upon inspection, there was a hole in the sleeve down by the cuff. Not a man made hole either. It looked like moth damage. EEEEKKK!!!! I looked carefully at everything else and couldn't find any other damage. I frogged the sleeve, skeined the wool and soaked it in Eucalon along with the sweater back and front for an hour. I hung the wool to dry, blocked the front and back, and am currently knitting back up the first sleeve. The problem now is cat hair. The sweater pieces were in a basket and obviously Minka Louise and Mary Agnes were using it as a bed. After the pieces dry, I'll have to get out the lint roller and get to work. Nothing is ever easy, is it?

Friday night we babysat for Lily Rose while Stevie and Amy went to a party. Lily was in bed asleep, so I was able to finish my New Blue Coat Hat made from knit picks Elegance, a soft lovely baby alpaca and silk blend. At least my head will be warm during this cold spell.

awesome weekend

This has been an awesome knitting weekend. I finished my New Blue Jacket Gloves. Knitpicks elegance is so soft and the colors are gorgeous!! I finished my pink and black cozy. I love the slipstitch pattern. But because I was too lazy to look for my size 5 needles, I used size 6. One needle size larger really wouldn't make any difference, right? WRONG!! It looks great, but its really too big. Oh well, another lesson learned, AGAIN!

The February socks are coming along nicely. I finished the heel flap on sock 1 and I am picking up the gusset stitches. I used eye of partridge heel flap with garter stitch edging that Just Mary used. It looks terrific on the socks she is making and it looks great on my socks too.