Some FO's and UFO's

Yippee! School is back in session. I have finally got preschool sorted out for my younger son and I will have lovely, lovely mornings to myself 4 days a week.

The green top is done, washed and waiting some frogging and awaiting some revisions. I originally put in shaping at the sides of the waist which will be switched to under the bust. After washing and shrinking, the top shrunk much more lengthwise and less widthwise than I expected from my swatch. Maybe it will be done my NEXT summer.

I have some photos of the Elann wrap, free pattern HERE I found the pattern fun but the shaping was a challenge for me. Pattern was well written but there was a lot going on all at the same time. I changed the back cable pattern and shortened the wings in the front.
Here is the back modeled by the ever patient Dino.


And the front modeled by a chair since Lexi wouldn't cooperate.


I started the Kauni Autumn Cardigan and joined the KAL. I'm using colors EQ (rainbow) and EJ (white/cream/fawn/rose). I've only gotten the ribbing done so far and can't wait to start the leaves. The yarn Kauni Effektgarn is fascinating, keeps me knitting to see how the colors will play out.

Post Potter Let Down

It took me a little less then 36 hours to read HP & the Deathly Hallows. Now I'm experiencing Post-Potter letdown. I have to say I was favorably surprised by the book. Lots of interesting plot twists. I was a little worried that it wouldn't live up to my expectations but it surpassed them. If you aren't finished reading yet....keep going, it's worth it in the end.

I've been knitting on Jenna's Very Purple scarf today. I finally found the pattern again, Amy Singer's Montego Bay Scarf from Interweave Knits. I needed something simple for my addled brain. I had been having trouble with remembering which row I was on, on RS row starts with k3 and one with k4. I finally figured out that if the previous RS row ends with a k3, the next RS row starts with k3 and vice versa for the k4 rows.

My big purchase for the weekend:

How can one possibly resist a color called VooDoo Blue? Can't wait to take it off road.

Finished Sweater

The Bulky Cable Sweater is now finished. I've actually been getting a good deal of use out of it. It has been in the 50's and 60's here, it's usually in the 80's this time of year.

I also got some books from Japan. New Style of Heirloom Knitting has cabled and Fair Isle sweaters. The other one is crochet of the cutest cake and food items.

I'm working on the hat that goes along with the Am Kamrin sweater, just to see if I am up to the challenge of working from a pattern that I can't read other than the charts. So far it it going pretty well. The books came from Saucy Louise. Lou will special order books she doesn't have and her prices and shipping beat most of the other books I've seen on ebay and the like.

Cajun Knitting

Did some knitting with a friend this weekend...

Cary the crawdad came all the way from Louisiana to enjoy a bath in the hot springs of Maryland.
Just before he was eaten, he knit a couple of rows on my newly started celery socks. Excuse the crappy cell phone camera picture.

I put the socks down this morning to swatch for this Glampyre Pattern, although I'm doing blue instead of green. Amazingly enough I think my gauge will be right on with the requisite size 11 needles. Usually I have to go down at least 2 needles sizes to get gauge.

Also an update on the garter stitch short row heels on the spider socks. I was a bit skeptical about how comfortable they would be, I don't like bumpy things on the underside of my feet. I'm wearing them today and they are quite comfortable. The Knitpicks yarn washed up very soft and cushy.

Socks, humming birds and bees

This tangle is what I’ve been working on lately. Trying to get them finished for my MIL’s birthday before they go on vacation.

Two toe up socks at the same time on one long needle using Hellchick's formula. Yarn is some superwash merino that I dyed.

I’m doing to leg in an interesting rib pattern - 2 rounds of k2,p2 ribbing followed by 2 rounds of knit.

When I went out to take the sock pictures I was dive bombed by two scuffling humming birds that were fighting over the feeder. Not sure why they are so aggressive this year. I managed to get a picture on one of the culprits.

Very worrying news out about honey bees. Honey bees are one of my favorite creatures. Read about it here.
As an avid flower gardener, as well as a consumer of food in general, it’s a bit terrifying. Be kind to your bees and think twice before you spread that pesticide!

Saturday I'm off the Maryland Sheep and Wool for the afternoon. I've gone almost every year for at least 14 years and watched it go from a fairly small event to the spectacle it is now. Budget is pretty limited this year but I've come to the realization that if I know 24/7 for a number of years I would never use up the yarn in my basement. I'm hoping to find some Japanese pattern books, Janet Szabo's updated Aran Design book and maybe get some dyes. Have to save a little bit to get a yummy lamb kabob or two. Don't think I'll lug my camera along but will post pictures of my loot when I get home.

Sari Silk Tamed

Awhile ago I wrote about a purse I was making out of recycled Sari Silk. I finally have it finished. It is lined, has a zipper and as of this weekend handles!



And since it finally got warm enough for flowers to bloom (right up to 80 degrees!), enjoy the Dicentra a.k.a. Bleeding Hearts. The bloom for about 1 week every year then go dormant.



I think I will go back outside and look at them again. With the heat this high they won't last long.

Treasure Trove of Hankies

My in-laws are in the midst of decluttering their house. My MIL gave me two boxes full of vintage handkerchiefs, many with thread crocheted borders.


A virtual rainbow of colors!

Some of the designs really wild.



Right now I am in the midst of washing them all and since all the boys are gone on various camping/grandma trips, I look forward to an evening of hanging out with the dogs ironing these dainties. What an exciting life I lead!

And yes, I do plan to store them flat instead of folded as they had been stored.

Here are some finished socks:


Knit in Trekking XXL - color 126. I was originally very excited with the color, it reminded me of Brach's Sundaes Neopolitan Coconut Candy. I'm not really sure why that excited me so much, one of those fits of yarn store mania. Knit up I thought they were truly atrocious. I think it must have been my stitch pattern because the ones knit in stockinette here are beautiful.

So I overdyed them with a purplish red and like how they came out.
Pattern was a standard top down sock, done in a feather & fan/old shale stitch. Garter ridges eliminated in the foot because I have stupidly sensitive foot bottoms.
I'm fairly impressed that I got the striping to match up as closely as I did. Don't generally care if my socks match, much less the striping matches.

Drop Stitch Scarf - Free Pattern

Recently I spun some yarn from a birthday roving from my brother and SIL. They bought the roving at Ashville NC Home Crafts. Card attached said it was hand dyed by AnneMarie Walter of Asheville, NC. AnneMarie's creations can be found at her etsy shop - Smoky Mountain Fibers.

The yarn turned out very pretty.

I've been spinning off and on for about 5 years but had never really made anything with my handspun. I decided to cast on for a scarf. Knitting with yarn that I had created was a triumphant, liberating feeling. The yarn was very soft compared to most of the commercial yarn I use and easy on the hands.

I made up the pattern - here it is:

Drop Stitch Scarf

Used about 4.5 oz of worsted weight handspun yarn
Needles US size 10

Cast on 15 stitches.
Row 1: K3, P3 across, ending with K3
Row 2: P3, K3 across, ending with P3

Continue in K3,P3 ribbing until you are out of yarn or the scarf is as long as you want.

My scarf came out about 7 feet long.

Bind off, dropping the middle stitch of each 3 stitch rib (i.e. bind off 1, drop next stitch, bind off next stitch, bind off next stitch, drop next stitch etc...)
When completely bound off, gently stretch the scarf to help the dropped stitches run all the way down the length of the scarf.

Here is the pattern that the dropped stitches made:

Big Dyeing Adventures with Mama-E

A couple of weekends ago I was lucky enough to take a dyeing class with Mama-E of C*eye*ber Fiber Warehouse. Class was great. Learned loads and dyed lots of yarn and fiber. Let me tell you, dyeing is much harder work that it looks! Those hand dyed skeins are worth every penny.

Here is the yarn:

Here is the fiber:

I've had time to knit up a few things from the dyed yarn.

Socks for someone that promptly wore them outside without shoes from the rainbow dyed yarn.

I branched out and tried 2 socks at once on 2 circulars. Not nearly as confusing as I thought it would be and the satisfaction of getting both done at the same time. An excellent tutorial is the Cybersocks class.

The start of a VERY purple scarf for Jenna.

Scarf pattern is "Athena" One Ball Scarf.

Mulch Mania

Spring here at the ranch house in the far suburbs country estate means mulching. To be precise LOTS of mulching- 3 dump truck loads of mulch, renting a bobcat and getting very dirty. All those flower gardens seemed like a really good idea when we bought the place.

Got a kit on Saturday for Baby Bobbi Bear from Fabulous Yarn . Quick shipping and they take Paypal for payment - always a plus.

Pattern, Baby Bobbi Bear by Blue Sky Alpacas, is a quick knit and very well written. I didn't even have to use the "Visualizing Assembly" notes under corrections on the website. Done in Blue Sky Alpacas Organic Cotton (2 hanks). Yarn is nice and soft, worsted weight. Pattern is done with minimal seaming and knit in the round on double pointed needles. I could barely get it away from my little guy to take a picture.

Lichen ruffles

The Frill Seeker scarf is done. Pattern can be found at Lion Brand as can the Ruffles yarn. Color has been custom dyed.

The colors of the scarf remind me of lichen , one of my favorite things. I also really like moss but then again I’m strange.



I changed the pattern some, adding ribbing to the back of the neck like a seaman’s scarf and worked both halves from the bottom up and grafted them together just to one side of the ribbing.



The Ruffles yarn is worked by picking up a few strands of the yarn near the edge with the rest hanging down, hence the ruffle.



Not sure I will ever wear this creation but I like to look at it. My friend Renee walked in and told me it was ugly and asked if it was for the dog. Not sure the dog deserves cashmere.



Model: Dino – yes named after the Flintstones dinosaur-dog. What can I say, hubby watched too much TV as a kid.

A taste for knitting

We have virtually no carpet in our house, much to the dismay of Lexi our dog-with-no-fur. My closet happens to have lovely dirty green carpeting that has yet to be removed.

Hmmmm…. Suspicious



Even more suspicious



This used to be the toe of a felted slipper. Notice how the fuzz has been carefully nibbled away before tearing apart the felted yarn.



Despite being informed that dogs are considered a delicacy in some parts of the world, particularly young, well muscled bull dogs and that I still have contacts in the world of international freight forwarding – I don’t think she looks worried, do you?