Wee Baby Frank's

I first saw Carrie's smaller version of her Uncle Frank socks a while ago. Couldn't wait for the wee version and I was lucky enough to be asked to test knit. I got one done and it took a few weeks to get the other one.



So cute and wee!

Dear Baby Francis by Irishgirlieknits
Socks that Rock Mediumweight, In the Navy
3.0 mm circular, knit magic loop

No mods as I was test knitting. These really fly off the needles...well if you knit them LOL! (too many projects )

Funny how I knit my big Uncle Frank's in blue yarn too.  Next up will be the hat...well you know after Christmas ;)

I can't wait, in about a month, I'll finally be meeting Ms. Irishgirlieknits ;)

Sockin' it to Bella

Almost a year ago I knit my Fortnight Beret. Although I loved it, it sadly decided to grow a bit big after blocking. That's what I got for trying to block it over a plate. Oh well, the best part about knitting is your ability to "make it work" if you should choose to.

Since I had a rockin' cowl already, and the frogged matching yarn (yes I did frog that beret) I figured, try another hat. Oh..note to everyone, when frogging doubled yarn that is knit..have another person with you so you don't end up with like 4 little balls of yarn and tons of ends to weave in.

I saw the Sockhead hat and thought, yeah, that'll work. Fast forward many months later and here you are!


Don't think I'll wear it like this much, it's too heavy in the back and will fall off.

This is more like it!

So happy to be done! It took me forever! It was car knitting for a long while, and truthfully, knitting with size 2's on a hat wasn't something I looked forward to. In fact, it made my hands ache like I was knitting on cotton.


See the back, I got the blocking idea from Cristi, yeah the one whose knit like 3 of them...glutton for punishment or what...wait, she knits hers on size 4's...smart one she is ;)



Sockhead Hat by Kelly McClure
Blue Moon Fiber Arts STR Mediumweight in Bella Coola
US 2 circs, thankfully I found a 16" circ so I didn't magic loop all of it.

Mods-unwittingly, I only hat 140 sts instead of 144. I had no idea until the decrease row, after some maths...I ended up just skipping a decrease section. They went so much quicker than anything else.

Will I knit this again...not for a while and sure as hell not on size 2's again! It is a great use of a skein of sock yarn or heavier yarn, you know that single skein you bought for some reason ;)

Your Yearly PSA!

You all know what the month of October means. If you don't that's ok :)


National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

It's been 2 years for me. If I hadn't been getting my yearly mammograms, mine wouldn't have been caught so early. I know they are uncomfortable, but hey, worth it in my opinion and experience.

The reason why I started getting early mammograms was due to my mother's breast cancer. 20 years ago today she passed away from it. Sometimes it seems like yesterday...I still miss her a lot! That's why every year in tribute to her I blog my yearly reminder to you.

ETA: I had my first mammogram at age 26 and at first only had them every couple of years. My mom was diagnosed in August 1990, she had just turned 46, and she passed barely 2 months after diagnosis. I've had patients in their 20's get breast cancer so the age issue for your first one I think depends on your own personal family history and discussing it with your Dr.

Despite the craziness around here lately, I still plan on joining the TTL 2010 Mystery Sock KAL. Ravelry group info here

I'll be using this Rose Quartz colorway, perfect for pink month I think. In fact I know it is, as it had an attempted sock knit from it.

ETA!!! Picnic Knits is doing a Boobie Blitz to raise funds for her 3-Day walk for the cure! There are many ways to help her and her team! Check it out!

I'm Beached.....

well it should be more like...I'm FINISHED!!

Here is the ruffle preblocking, over 600 stitches in that there ruffle...

The colorway is pretty neat. Not as bold as I often go colorwise, but I just loved it when I first saw it..over a year ago!

367 days....on the needles! Very embarassing for a garter stitch shawl huh! Oh well, what can I say, I often get distracted ;)

For the record, I have no idea how to wear a shawl...I do have a pin though, will have to figure it out someday..when it's not in between thunder and lightening storms and not 90 plus degrees...


So, you get to enjoy some interesting shots.

The wrap me up so I can't use my hands/arms shot...


This one is the holy cow how did it grow 10" wider shot...

Hey, you likey my special foggy effects? That's courtesy of Mr. Humidity, he likes it around here lately.

Have I mentioned yet that this ruffle was over 600 stitches...

Not only can you use Jeny's Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off for ribbing, you can use it for just plain ole' garter....remember those 600 plus stitches..yeah..2 plus hours of bind off. But totally, definately worth it!! It's perfect. I had more than enough yarn. Actually had 32 grams left. hmmm..

And my babushka look just for you Bezzie!

Shawl that Jazz (her pattern page is under construction, but should you want it, get it here
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Twisted, Beached Colorway 2 skeins, 32 grams left
US 9's for body, US 10.5's for edging....600 plus stitches..
Size: Pre-blocked 62w x 23h
Post-blocked 72w x 23h....10"!!! whew that's a lot of growth! It's ok, it'll keep me snuggly warm this winter...wherever I may be..I wasn't going to block it, but this shawl has been to Maine and back, a few movie theater's, work, car, etc...it needed one.

No mods, I knit it as per pattern except for the needles. I went up to the 9's for the body and 10.5's for the edging (so I could finish it faster, and it truly looked better). The pattern is pretty neat in how you use the short rows. If you knit this, use markers (fyi!) for those short rows, helps a lot! The yarn...well, I do like the colorway.

The yarn itself is made up of many plies, one of which takes the color of the dye a bit darker. It's kinda neat. It is a bit splitty though and was ok to knit, I just didn't enjoy it as much as some other yarns. Mine wasn't too soft until after blocking.

Ahhh..the thrill of finishing...

So....close...

Hiding away from this heat allows me to knit on this....



1.5" left of the edging...US 10.5's, quick no?? Um..er...at 600+ sts per row...soon...

I want to start another shawl...not allowed to until this is finished....hmmm :(

Fortnight Beret aka Bella Beret

Why a fortnight? Well it is the One Day Beret pattern, but with all that was going on, it took me 2 weeks :)


You may have seen this colorway here before...



I've had it done for a few days, and had some pictures up, but I wanted to block it and have daylight pictures.

Or in this case, twilight. The blocking over a plate..well yeah, didn't go well. It made it too big and it fell over my eyes. I do need to see you know ;)


So here it is after a soak and a dry, no blocking required.

Here it is in early one morning.

What's that fabulous cowl I've got on? It's my Rockin' Gloria Cowl I knit for the 2008 Ravelympics. I've wanted a matching hat since then and finally I have it.

What is great about this colorway, well you know besides the color, they were dyed about 2 years apart. The cowl was knit from the 2007 RSC last package. The hat was knit with a skein I got sometime in 2009. It's not often something dyed so far apart can match. I love it and glad it's dry so I can wear it again, well only if it gets a bit colder.

One Day Beret by Kirsten Kapur
Socks that Rock Mediumweight - Bella Coola Colorway, doubled
Size US 5 and 6, 40" circulars (magic loop as usual)
Started January 1, 2010 (part of the Blue Moon Cast on Party)
Finished January 12, 2010

This pattern is really great for any size yarn/needle combo. It's knit top down and very customizable. If I wanted it more slouchy I could have knit it longer before the decreases for the ribbing. I was afraid of running out of yarn so I did about 4". Oh...an FYI, um..er.. when it says to knit the increases to 8.5" in diameter, don't think 10" is the same. Yeah, I was rocking on knitting it and ended up having to frog 3" of it...yes it is true...sigh..

I usually magic loop my hats as my hands just can't take using 16" circulars for some reason, causes cramps in them. Guess you won't be seeing me using 9 or 12" ones either ;)

Cotty's O'Lapis

*insert Irish dancing music here* heck, I don't know what to say... I just figured this was a good name for them!

Well it could have something to do with the designer ;) Hey, btw, aren't these nice colors?



ooh not too bad huh ;) Taking sock pictures at twilight is a lot easier than during the day around here.


And a toe pic for you know who, it's all her fault we like them!


Yeah, I knit another pair of them :) What can I say but this is a great pattern to have no pooling with. Perfect for those variegated yarns. While most of the BMFA yarns do stripe like this, some don't.

Cotty Socks by Irishgirlieknits
Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Candy in Lapis Colorway, that was a gift from Cpurl17 eons ago!
US 1.5 (2.5mm) Magic looped
Started July 1, 2009 and frogged. You see I figured this yarn to be sportweight, so I had only brought a 2.75 mm on vacation with me, and I was knitting the SW sock size...um..nope, it's not a SW yarn. Had to wait until I got home to restart.
Finished September 29, 2009

Don't run to the link above to find this colorway should you like it in Sock Candy (it is still around in other fibers unless it's on vacation). It is no longer dyed in variegated colors, only solids. It comes in 2 separate skeins, you can see a slight variation in each sock, but I'm fine with it, I'm just happy for no pooling! :) Sock Candy is 96% cotton and 4% elite, similar to elastic. It is quite different than knitting with Cascade Fixation though. It could be that I knit this yarn with smaller needles then I do with the fixation. So between these and the twin Boheme's, I need a cotton yarn break!

The yarn itself is very soft and smooth to knit, can be a bit splitty, but not too bad. You'll be seeing more in the future as I have about 4 pairs of socks worth from gifts and destashes. They are comfy on so far. Actually perfect for the weather around here, I'll let you know as I'm wearing them to work today :)

Grawk.....

What does that word mean....

Well to the dyer's at Blue Moon Fiber Arts it means "Raspberries in pond scum drowned in black. Loud and just a wee bit obnoxious. Attention is what he craves and he will get it. From the primordial ooze, he has risen to wreak a bit of havoc. Trickster? Definitely!"

Does it define me in any way....maybe a wee bit. I like to play tricks, who doesn't like attention, and I've been known to be loud too. This yarn, however, kinda had me at Raspberries though. But geesh, had I known taking pictures of it would be such a PIA...I mighta changed my mind...
Grawk!!!

This is the 3rd and final photo shoot! It's too stinkin' hot around here and my personal photographer...well if she has to do this one more time, I think she'll throw my cameras away! Go to the link above, see the color, enjoy the color, come back and see it here ;) Maybe one day I can get better pics, but for now...here ya go!

the hmmmm look...


See, she's trying to smile look...



close up of the lace pattern


and the back...quick, scroll down, don't stay here..

the picture bites!

Buttons close up!

RosiG generously gifted me with these. I had commented on liking them when she knit her CPH 1 year ago, and I think they are perfect for the sweater.

Ok, now that you all are recovered from my horrid pictures...I guess a trip to see Cristi is needed. Maybe I can bribe pay her with a sewing lesson ;) (well my knitting pals and I may be planning a trip verrrry soon)

February Lady Sweater by Pamela Wynne
Started September 6, 2008
Finished September 16, 2009
Large
BMFA Socks that Rock Heavyweight--Grawk Colorway
US 8 circulars

Mods: The only real mods I made were to not knit the YO increases in the bodice section. I certainly do not need any extra attention there! I did knit the sleeves longer and tried to match the garter edging on them with the width of my button band area.

Fit: Meh... I didn't block it too severely. It did grow about 2" and most likely would grow more if it was immersion wet blocked and not steamed. I like the length so far. What I don't like as much is the bodice part, on me I mean. Maybe it's the shirt, who knows. I will wear it and try to love it more, I promise!

Musings: It took you a year to knit it??? (It is less than sportweight gauge yarn you know!!) I stopped working on this when I was awaiting what type of BC surgery I was going to have. Then I didn't feel like knitting on it for a bit. Then when I got the mojo back to do so, I had to frog the bodice 2 times...The lace pattern, once I got going on it, it went pretty good (shhh we won't talk about that 4 row tinking incident (yeah, 4 rows of over 200 sts!) that was rescued by one of my fellow knitnite pals. She...took...it...all...off...the...needles, we are talking lace and YO's!) She saved my bacon, I'd still be tinking! I was knitting on sleeve 1 when this happened.

Well travelled: yes, this baby has been to Georgia, Wisconsin, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts (extended stay), New Hampshire, and Maine.

Onward...yes, I've not given up on sweaters yet....

YPF-I wish I was....

Beached, well you know at the beach, relaxing and listening to the waves....hubby hates the beach and so does my skin, thus we don't get to go too often. One day, I'd love to live by/on the beach, I just love listening to the ocean.

Just look at this interesting twisty yarn....

Twisted is a 3-ply worsted weight yarn, 2 plies are wool and 1 ply is superwash wool.


What you are seeing on each section of color is just how that superwash ply takes the dye.


I don't know the inspiration of this particular colorway, I can figure out the blue for the ocean, tan for the sand, but as for the burgundy color...not sure.

Twisted by Blue Moon Fiber Arts in Beached Colorway
560 yds of worsted weight

I'm planning on knitting a Shawl that Jazz with mine. Endless garter....ahh....I think it will make a great vacation knit! 4 weeks till vacation!!! I think I'll take this, the Lady E and maybe a sock or two...or my Lizard ridge, or.....funny that we plan our knitting before the rest of the stuff you need....

YPF-The Grimm Pastel Version

I've been looking over some photos and I don't really think I have all that much pastels, except in baby yarns.

I seem to like more jewel, brighter, stronger colors as you've all seen here before.

But after seeing a pair of socks knit in this yarn, I came to appreciate it even more

I honestly can't tell you why either....

Could it be the pink or yellow?


Or hint of teal and brown....

blue or purple....

I give up and have absolutely no earthly idea, but I like it a lot! Not sure if it'll become socks or what.....
BMFA Mediumweight STR in Grimm's Willow Wren