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.

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.

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.