Big Red Stripes Socks

Lookey here! Christmas socks early!

Posing on Holly bushes....


Heel pic!


Of course the toe pic!

Since the bottom toe was cast on a year ago and the tail woven in, I had to gestimate to start the top one. Not too bad....

My newest bind off...

Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind-off (Youtube link) to be known as JSSBO (knitty link), much easier to say...let alone do! There is also a cast on...will be using that for the next pair of cuff downs too.

I've seen a few others use it and thought..hey, although I don't mind the kitchner bind off, with a 3 x 1 rib, I knew the K-bind off wouldn't work for this pair. I researched to see if you had to have a 2 x 2 or 1 x 1 rib to do the JSSBO, didn't see anything and thought...what the hay...worst case scenario, I'd have to pull it out and do over. Not like that doesn't happen at least 2 times when I do a sewn bind off.

I just love this bind off. The only thing that makes it a bit slow for me is remembering which way I do a YO...yes, them damn YO's, a bain of mine in whatever I'm doing... It is so stretchy and fits well. I look forward to trying this bind off on something other than socks too.


My own sock recipe (see Cristi...I can knit without a pattern...sorta ;)!!)
Toe up, afterthought heel (the only one to use on self striping IMHO), 3 x 1 rib, JSSBO

Started: May 2008---These were car socks for a long while... Sock 1 has had many a different needle used. All done magic looped but I tried those square circs...ugh!! I really liked the needle, it was the cable that made it so hard to move along and knit. Then I went to my Inox, then to my beloved HiyaHiya's...
Finished: Sock 2 started November 23rd and both finished November 29th.
sKNITches Syncopation in Loopy's Red Socks (limited LE colorway, not sure if it is still available)
2.5mm circular, magic looped

Very soft yarn. After soaking, even softer. I have about 1.6 oz left as I only knit 4.5" of cuff. Great yardage in this skein, you may see a pair of footies someday.

1 week for a sock is a record for me. Hubby was recovering from gall bladder surgery, so I had lots of down time babysitting nursing him ;) He's doing good, and back to work tomorrow. 1 week out, times have changed for this surgery...

Things are looking red around here....

Well, that is my favorite color.....

Norma posted about the urgent need for scarves for the Red Scarf Project this year. Sadly, they are at barely 1/2 their goal. In years past, they have gotten thousands more. I usually knit at least 1 and this year I just didn't think I could do it....well that was until I saw the numbers. I found 2 skeins of Cascade 220 in Zinnia and cast on. Yes, you are seeing a scarf knit back and forth......at least that's what I call it. For some reason, I really dislike knitting scarves like this, but I really felt the need to do this. Call me a softy or the fact that I have a kid in college.


Scrunchable Scarf --only about 54 more inches to go...

Yes, the deadline to receive them is December 15th. More details and color/pattern/yarn weight ideas here. Hey you fast knitters out there, come on! If pokey knitter me can finish one, you can too!

Another red in progress, good for mindless, not having to pay too much attention knitting....

I call them my Big Red Stripe Socks...and yeah....I have 5 days to finish them....you all should know by now...I'm more of a crunch time knitter when I need to be. :)

Oh and to maybe make you drool...and it does have red in it...

homemade meatball subs and fries....

2 years ago....

I knit this hat, in fact just a couple days over 2 years ago. I really loved wearing it, especially when we went to Maine in December of that year for a college tour. It got a lot of use.

Sadly, it grew a bit big and I was unable to wear it without rolling up the edge or leaving a big pouf at the back of my head...not pleasant either way.

So...I frogged the yarn, which coincindentally, is 1 day shy of 1 year ago. Planned on a reknit as I love the yarn and colorway. It took a year to find the hat I really wanted to knit, and here it is.


Quincy by Brooklyntweed
Recycled Rowan Scottish Tweed Chunky in Lobster Colorway, 1.5 skeins I'm thinking, it was the two largest of the 3 recycled bumps I got. Wait a minute, I need to find the rest, there are more than 3 bumps....off to find the leftovers....
US 10 circular (hey you know I dislike straights ;) and dpn's


Not a bad grafting job if I say so myself. I feel every knitter should own this book. It shows how to graft in stockinette and garter, plus a million other things. It's one the the best gifts I could have gotten. So hey, if you are looking for a gift for a fellow knitter this year...there ya go!


I love this feature. One can wear the hat anyway you want to really. You may see other pictures of this hat with the twist on the other side...yeah..that's the way it's supposed to be, but hey, I like to be different ;) I also like how that hat looks from the side better than the front...but I didn't look in the mirror before my self inflicted photoshoot. My photographer had the gall to go see the newest Twilight movie.

I love the decreases here. A new way for me and fun. Love the look especially. I also love the I-cord edging. You knit it as you go. Who knows, I may try knitting a matching scarf this way..wait that would entail knitting back and forth on a small width project....eeek..um..maybe not ;)

Here's my usual hat model from an earlier day at twilight, the only one that was good.

Shows another way to wear it. Very versatile hat I think. I'm really happy with my reknit.

I am only bummed that this yarn is discontinued. Heck, don't even try finding this colorway in the US at....all..... I have a wee bit left of the chunky....however....4 balls of the DK weight, so stay tuned for some mitts to go with the hat. If enough, I may try a cowl or small scarf. This yarn isn't the most softest, but it's tweed and just lovely at that!

I didn't buy the patternlet. I really didn't see myself knitting any other patterns in it. For me to buy a whole book/patternlet/magazine, I really like to see more than 1 thing I'd ever knit. Glad I could get just the hat pattern itself here.

WIP Wednesday-New/Old Knits

Some new ones, some old ones, and some frogged ones...sigh...this was a week for it. But it was also a week for an FO, which...you won't see until we get some sun/daylight time to photo it.


New Knits
French Press Felted Slippers

Knit in my very first Cascade 220 purchase 4 yrs ago...perfectly marinated I'd say ;)


Old Knits

Toe up, afterthought heel (see the green yarn) and 3 x 1 ribbing. Started this sock in June 2008. Will finish November 2009 :) Yarn is sKNITches Syncopation in Loopy's Red Socks, it was a limited edition colorway from the Loopy Ewe.

Never seen here before either...

Felted Christmas Trees from Mason-Dixon's Knitting Outside the Lines
Started in Oct/Nov 08, have the perfect buttons for them too. Hoping to knit 3 or 4 of them for this year at least. I've been collection green yarn for a bit for them.



Frogged, but will be knitting again soon


Colonnade Shawl, I was knitting away on the lace/column section. The way some of the columns are started from the fronts and middle if you are off, say one or two stitches in the start up rows...it makes the whole column not line up. Yeah..of course it was wayyy down there too. It's ok, it is fun to knit, love the YO2's.

Hey, here's Liesl..
.
She didn't make it past row 15...yeah, she decided to put a row of YO's where she wanted to. As you can see from the picture, those YO's have to be in specific places....

Now you wonder why I've not knit a lot of lace patterns huh! Stay tuned, I'll either finish these two or poke my eyes out...well, maybe not that drastic, but I will win this YO battle!!!

Just Vandy!

I am a wee bit excited! (picture heavy post!)

This fiber was the very first I spun on my wheel other than the practice fiber I received with my wheel in June. It was a wheel welcoming gift from my knitting/spinning pal and guru Megan. I spun the 2 separate 2oz braids and I have to admit, one bobbin was quite a bit more...shall we say fluffier than the other. Mostly due to unspun areas.

This was the fiber I got my hands/feet working together so by the second bobbin, it looked much better (see bobbin below)



It would have only been 2 skeins, but when the yarn broke while I was winding my niddy noddy, I couldn't find the end. So I started a new one. It was quite the interesting mess for a bit though.

As you can see, I need to work on some plying skills too. The weight of this is more like sport, DK, worsted and bulky all in one.


Interesting how all the colors spin up. I love this one hanging around the best.


Oh..and since I had a bit leftover after plying. Megan showed me Navajo plying.

It was so much fun. Kinda like crocheting and spinning at the same time. It broke a lot, due to the unspun and thinly spun areas. I would just put it back together and drive on.

Isn't this awesome!



Yeah, wanna see another shot?


Yet another one, lest you get bored ;)



Drying picture shows it a bit lighter..


Here's the 2nd bobbin I was talking about before.



Here's the braid roving I split up before spinning.

Vandy Colorway
Barrister Lane Fibers
4 oz. of 100% Combed Wool Top

Next up....hmmm decisions, decisions.

YPF-I'm Still Here Version

Yep, still here and still loving pumpkiny colors. Got a break in the rain today after work and still light out, so here ya go!


Isn't this awesome....



Thinking of a sweater pattern. Has to be not cabled though. I only got 2 skeins....hmmmm




The eye of the pumpkin...see in the middle ;)


This colorway is all Robin's fault! (isn't her sweater gorgeous!) I saw the skeins she got at Stitches a while ago and could not resist. So glad Miss Babs does mail order :)

Miss Babs Yowza
560 yds Worsted
Roasted Pumpkin

Still Tuesday...

And you're getting my WIP's that are being knit on right now....

10 rows on my next sweater.....Liesl

Wild..purple for me huh...I got this yarn, Miss Babs Yowza last year at SAFF. I purposely wanted purple, and now finally getting around to knitting it.

Colonnade Shawl

The little pile to the right is my tinking result. only 2.5 rows...but picky me would have noticed the little error. A stitch slipped off and those cross stitches you see..well, one off would ruin the look I think. Yummy, Malabrigo on this one.


Shawl that Jazz

What....2, you never seen me knit 1 shawl here before, now I'm knitting 2...yes...and I have a 3rd one to start as soon as one of these is done! This is perfect to take out and about and just mindless knitting right now. It's 7" so far and I have a looong way to go.

Seems like it'll get a lot of action tomorrow while waiting for hubby to have some tests for a possible kidney stone.... :(

Pumpkin Mystery

****** THROUGH THE LOOPS MYSTERY SOCK 09 SPOILER ALERT********


Don't look if you like the Mystery and haven't finished yet :)
















I really love this pattern! I can't believe I knit them as fast as I did. Yes, it did take the whole month, but getting parts of 2 socks knit mostly each week helped a lot.


The slouchy effect ;)

Heel Pic!

I love how the patterning goes down the side of the heel.


Toe Pic!

I wanted you to see it up close and personal ;) The decreases are done from the center and so cool! The darker color you see in this toe, looks kind of red from here, but it is really pumpkiny!!


Back Pic!

I think I really am going to like this ribbing. I may have to use it on another pair.

Strike a pose!

I asked my darling model to pose the way I like it, she went immediately to this one. Got her trained right huh...well you know, only for this...now if I can get her to clean her room...

Started October 1, 2009
Finished October 31, 2009
Mystery Sock 09 by Kirsten Kapur
The Plucky Knitter Superwash Merino Wool Handpainted Fingering Weight in Pumpkin Latte
US 2.5 circulars, magic loop style

Have it sweet....

Salted caramels...yum!



Fabulous candy!! I ordered the Fleur de Sel (salted caramels), and the Heavenly Vanilla Marshmallows. The Cloud 9 caramels and Hazelnut nougat's were samples. See what happens when you have a positive paypal balance ;)

The Fleur de Sel I ordered were cut your own. Heh, more like take a bite ;) Glad no one else around here likes them. They are all mine!

You can go to HaveitConfections at etsy or their other shop Have it Sweet

This is my unofficial attempt at posting everyday for the month of November. Yeah, I know the second I were to officially join this it wouldn't work. I'll try to be a wee bit interesting for you ;)