4.9.11

Today was a good knitting morning. I set up my computer to play my favorite movie and used this sock heel method. Lifestyle. That is the name of Charisa Martin Cairn's take on making short rows. Worked for me--easy as 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6.





Hah! Don't believe it. I did and redid the heels about seven times until I got it just right. Then I did five in a row with no problem. Part of that was doing it during the day light instead of by the light of a very dim reading lamp. I will say one thing, though. This is the best short row method I know.

Anyway, check out her website and click the HOME button. See what else she has to offer.

9.3.10

I am growing parsley and basil! In the middle is where chives are not growing.


We make our own pizza on Fridays. I buy whole wheat pizza shells, brush them with olive oil, layer on sliced ripe tomatoes, shredded mozzarella, and top with my own home grown basil for the finishing touch! Dinner costs about $4.00 for two. It really is better with fresh, expensive mozzarella but the cheap stuff is pretty good, also, because of the fresh basil.


Finished, finally: one pair pink and purple socks.


No, that is NOT how they look now. Back in June 2009 I remarked that the heels were turned. Yup. Total rip out. Here they are finally reknitted:


This is Seacoast yarn, colorway TAFFY. I've blogged about them before but this time they really are done. They are somewhat longer than most crew socks. They weigh 68 grams and I have about 44 grams left over. The Seacoast Super Sock skeins have 570 yards on them so I estimate that I have about 250 yards left over.

HMHC and I took some cedar sachet to the yarn shop for sale, yesterday. When my sewing machines get out of the shop, I will make up some more bags for some lavender sachets.

Jeff and I were upposed to go to Atlanta today to buy some foam pieces to re-do cushions on the porch furniture. We probably will not go, though. We went into town yesterday and I have been begging to go to the Farmer's Market Saturday. That is enough traveling for one week. No sense putting a two hour trip south in the mix!

7.14.09

I do NOT hate them. I am going to keep them and not frog them. They are a little loose probably because I carried the rib pattern all the way around from the toe up. Also, next time I will use size 3 needles or possibly 2 if I use Fiesta Baby Boom again. The yarn is wonderfully squishy. It takes the better part of 2 skeins, so it is pricey. Costs less at LOOPY EWE than at WEBS.

7.3.09

Sock yarn DOES NOT COUNT.

6.29.09

Cute, yes? It is a Kate Davies invention found on Ravelry.com You have to be a registered member to access but all it takes is patience and determination. Navigating the site may take eons. People use it to see what others are making with a particular yarn, find out who might be having trouble with a specific pattern, and just generally get ideas--and LOADS of free downloads like the one above. I think the idea is one I might use on a bag or a tea cosy.

I have been working on my version of that bag above, from Knitty.com It is called Twiggy Tweed, designed by Missa Hills. Mine is not too far off in color. I had a ball of something called Di.Ve' from Cascade (#33051, pinks with a little chocolate, pinks with a little orange) which I used for the body. For the little belts, I had a skein of Karaoke in the color that goes from deep rose pinks to orangey pinks. Not what the designer called for, but ALmost enough yarn.


I decided to make the opening self-faced, so I ribbed a few extra rows, purled a row, and then roughly followed her directions. Luckily I had decided to knit both sides at the same time so when I ran out of yarn, I was at the same point on both panels. I knit the belt pieces, then took all the Karaoke I had left, hand-carded a lot of it, found some natural brown New Zealand Coopworth, and hand-carded it with the pink and tried to make a new yarn. I think I need a drum carder. The yarn I made was not quite what I wanted so I tried some core spinnng around the Karaoke. That was not right, either. Finally, I spun the Coopworth and plied it with the Karaoke. Not right, but useable. Right now the bag is pinned and blocking. I will update with photos later today when the sun comes up.


In the meantime, I cast on for a sweater which will be come my new dummy-knitting as soon as I get all the increases done and the sleeves on holders. My current dummy knitting is about 20 yards from the finish line. Of course, I always have dummy socks, the perfect carry-along.

June 6

Sorry this post is late. An accident on my street left our house without internet. Hope no one was hurt.

About the Fiesta Baby Boom. How I LOVE the color way, Madrid. How I love the fabric of Baby Boom knit on size 4—FOR A SWEATER. Yeah, I linked the words and the photo. The words go to WEBS and the photo above goes to a Loopy Ewe to see the yarn. Just click it.

Unfortunately, the entire time I was knitting them, I suspected the fabric was too loose for socks. Yes, I kept knitting them. Surely the material would suddenly shrink and thicken up. No, it never happened. Yes, I hate the way they are. I will reknit them. This summer I plan to try them on again, then free the yarn.

I may re-cast this summer or just relax the yarn to re-cast next fall. They really are beautiful until I put them on. Then the fabric is just too loosey-goosey. Luckily, I LIKE knitting, right, Helen?

June 5

Seems like the right day to show the whole New Year’s List of socks to finish. Originally, the plan was to finish the socks before knitting ANYthing else. Did not happen, but I am still committed to the list. I still intend to finish. I have only put one additional pair of socks on needles. Of that, I am proud.

Here they are in order of earliest time on needles:

Koigu (June 3 post)

Lorna’s Laces Bittersweet (May 26, I think. FINISHED!)

Seacoast Taffy (Also around May 26 and June 1Heels turned)

Fiesta Baby Boom (Finished and yet…See tomorrow’s entry)

Berroco with silver flecks (May 26 again. Heels turned, cuffs to be finished by recipient, so FINISHED as far as I’m concerned)

Still looking at the New Year's List (June 3)

Still knitting away on the Seacoast Yarns' Taffy New Year's List socks. After Taffy, I will have only one pair left from the list. I hope I can remember the stitch pattern. They sure are pretty ones. I chose Koigu KPPPM in navy and a varigated that looked like a good foil.
Then I found a honey comb slip-stitch pattern and started knitting away. Koigu is wonderful, if expensive yarn. The twist is tight, the yarn feels corrugated but the fabric it makes is lovely. I have a heel to turn and then knitting from heels to toes. This was my fifth (?) pair of socks, but I let all knitting languish for a few years. Can't remember why. When I took up knitting again, I learned toe up, then using two circs, then using one circ.

I like to patronize local yarn stores as much as possible. Usually the prices are about what you can find on the internet give or take a little for shipping. Also, you get to see the colors, handle the yarn and get a feel for what it will do as opposed to just seeing it on a website and hoping your monitor and the vendor's camera are fairly well adjusted.

Sometimes that just isn't possible. I linked Koigu to the actual Koigu site, but they don't sell retail. They have a store locator, though. My FRIENDLY local yarn store doesn't carry it. The other, of course, does. Of my two summer yarn stores, (both friendly) one does and I was only in the other for 20 minutes on my way out of the state! I will definitely have to check later on this month.

********Does anyone know how to fix the auto date posting at the start of each entry? They keep lagging behind me! I am in the eastern US and I think the date is set for Hawaii or something. I like to post between 5 and 7 a.m. and HERE it is definitely June 3. ********

OOOPS! Looks like it's fixed or I posted later than usual.

New Year's List Socks (although today is June 2)

Yep. Still knitting socks from my New Year’s list. This is Taffy color way from Seacoast Yarns that I bought from Jackie’s Fine Yarns. I think she is not actively in business right now. She had some health issues and I wish her well. She surely did have some fine yarns.

I have the heel turned on one and the other is ready to go. Changed my mind a couple of times along the way.
These have a pointier toe than I would like but I didn’t rip them back farther than the increases. Now they have just a plain foot, some rows of plain knitting to the ankle, K2, P1 for a 5 or 6 rows, then an increase on every second K to end up with a K2, P2 rib. This will keep me busy at stoplights for awhile.

(not really, it is Monday, June 1, 2009) More Dragonfly

Luscious, isn’t it? It is Dragonfly Fiber’s sock yarn in the Rocky Top color way. It makes me think of the warm, fragrant rich coffee I drink when I’m in the mountains. I watch the sunrise each morning; so at peace.

I just watched the movie Mrs. Brown. It was filled with hill scenery of Scotland and brought back some beautiful memories. I wonder if we have an inherited memory of home from our people. I’ve never felt as alive as when I was in Scotland or in my own mountains. Apparently others have felt the same way. My corner of the universe is home to many descendants from Scotland.

Anyway, this lovely yarn has the blue promise of daybreak peaking through. My photography will never show it to its best advantage, so you will just have to come visit me and see the real mountainside. Maybe I’ll have these Rocky Top Socks on the needles by then. Maybe they will be finished!

Dragonfly Designs Yarn

Look what I bought from LOOPY EWE . Another unborn pair of socks. This is Dragonfly Fibers' Robin's Egg. The Loopy Ewe link above goes right to the page with this colorway so you can have some socks like mine, too. Here is a quote from Loopy's site about Kate from Maryland's sock yarn:

Hand-dyed in small batches by Kate in MD. You'll love how the colors mix from one to another in each skein. Great for socks, shawls, mitts, gloves, cowls and scarves.

100% Superwash Merino Approx. 390 yds, 4 oz. 8 st/in on US 1 (2.25 mm)


If I did the linking correctly, the photos will take you to Kate's Etsy site where you can find more than just sock yarn. Maybe tomorrow I'll show you Rocky Top...

Looking For a New Home

This lovely pair of unborn socks is looking for a new home. I just don't love it and I would be glad to send it to you. It is Noro sock yarn in a kind of woods looking colorway. It is complete as purchased, I haven't even done a gauge swatch. Want it? Contact me.

Getting Into The Blogging Thing

I have a follower! Hello, Mem. I don't have a cat but I have had several. I usually had tuxedo kitties. Hello to you, also, Grand Purl Baa. I can't figure out how to respond to comments yet, but I'll work on it.

I finished a pair of socks! It is the second of 3 pair I promised myself to finish as my New Year's project list. It is the picture above--the unfinished work in progress.

I designed these myself and I am not happy with the heel at the ankle. I used the EZ's forgotten heel method. You will never see a picture of what I did to that. I love the colorway, Bittersweet. I think it could be Cherry Tree Hill. I'm already on 2 other pair, one with a similar toe but following the Sunrise pattern by Wendy Johnson. I will be practicing my own heel when I get there. I hope to make my OWN pattern soon! I'll give you yarn particulars and a photo another time. Don't hold your breath, the labor for these was three years. I'll put up some unborn sock pictures later this week.

In the meantime, my mother has become a sock monster. She has really come a long way in a couple of weeks. I know she has crossed over to the dark side because she says she dreams she is knitting and hasn't done much reading lately because it cuts into her knitting time. I'm so proud.