Been Knitting

In part of my book buying binge I found some colorwork patterns. My colorwork has never been run through its paces so I watched a few videos on how to capture my floats in the back and tried it out. 

While this is adorable it is not needed in 90 degree weather and is lacking a mate. Yeah the contrast needs to be stronger too. But not awful for trying things out.

The floats don't look too bad either. 

I even seem to have recaptured some of my sock knitting mojo. And to think I used to hate the color orange. Now I love seeing the bright I demand your attention color. I finished these and wore them at home when I had to do some medical prep and had to drink cold stuff over an extended period of time. The orange helps mentally to keep you warmer, I can envision my feet wrapped in little toasty not too hot fires. 

And speaking of socks that make me smile. I made my own rainbow socks. Now Hubby and I each have a pair. I knit my in the opposite color projection from his so we can tell them apart.

My nostalgic phase continues with patterns. I cast on a Color Affection shawl. I remember wanting to knit that pattern so bad but held off since I didn't have much experience yet. I finally got on the bandwagon in 2013. I had such a hard time picking the colors. I went at it as if it was the end of the world if I didn't pick the right ones. Ha! It was gorgeous and Gus especially loved the shawl. 

I am looking forward to having another one that I can see how much I have improved and how much more comfortable with color theory I am. It does not have to be perfect, it never will be perfect. It just has to be enjoyable and loved when it is done. That is good enough.

I've been knitting now with pictures

We've been trying to stay somewhat cool this summer and get into better shape. So I've been busy not really documenting my knitting. Unless it is taking pics to share with my knitting buddy. 

First up I finished a fantastic pair of socks for me. They are so bright and stripey! I love them. That green really pops for me.
 

Then I finally talked my sister into trying out my hand knit socks. It didn't hurt that I found yarn based on one of her favorite TV shows. You better Call Saul because she's getting Saul Goodman socks from Breaking Yarn.

But like always I am so scared things I knit will not fit that I stalled out on making them. So close and yet so far. She's not here to try them on and I am a very nervous Nellie.

What Momma?  I said nervous Nellie not Mellie!

So I started some Carlsbad Cavern socks for hubby. I know how to make hubby socks!!

Some yarn called to me and said it would make an awesome shawl so I answered back yes you would, and cast on.

I kept on knitting and it really was pretty.

No Momma I like how Daddy's socks match my fur,  let's keep knitting socks.

But Burt I found another set of yarns I want to try together. Let's knit another shawl.

OK but I still like Dad's socks best. Although the shawl does make my fur pop...

FO Friday

If my blog has been lagging at least my knitting and picture taking have not. Ok fine at least they have not been lagging quite as much as blogging. I wish I could be more like my friend Adriene and come up with beautiful and thought provoking posts, but I am still plain spoken me and that is OK. At least I knit beautiful things.

Today's post is brought to you by my past knitting FOs. FO is shorthand for Finished Object, for you random non knitters out there. 

Honestly I have been knitting and even taking pictures. At least when I remember to gather it up and have the Ipad in hand. Sometimes it is a long time before the picture makes it here. I am changing up my blog a bit and keeping more notes and pictures here. I miss blogging and this is one way of getting a bit of my mojo back.

First up my Zombie Mittens. These sassy mittens were knit out of Dragonfly Fibers Damsel yarn in the Zombie Apocalypse colorway. And I still have half a skein of this bright yarn leftover to knit something else or more mittens since you know I have lost entire mittens before. I bought the yarn at Rhinebeck back in the day. Shh Rhinebeck was virtual this year, I "attended" another Rhinebeck this year. Those yarnie pictures are coming later. I may have to go take them after this post. 

Back to the knitting stats, I used 3.25 mm needles to get a reasonably tight gauge without making them stiff enough to be weapons. I'm pretty happy with them and they definitely make cold steering wheels and overcast weather look better. Started November 1 2019, finished November 23 2019. Not a bad turnaround time when I can't even say monogamous knitting without giggling. I wonder how many things I was working on at the same time?

Now these lovelies started out as Christmas yarn from the hubby and were knit during my ankle recovery. I put the first one to good use while I was still in the splint and boot.

This yarn is Blazing Fibers Fingering Yak Blend in the Crystal Coma colorway. The yak makes them so warm and plush. I thought maybe socks were not the thing to knit but hey why not? I am the boss of my knitting. I get to do what I like. I started knitting these January 5 2020 and finished April 4 2020. Initially I did not like the way the colors were pooling so I ripped back and used my 2.25 cubic needles that seem to give me slightly different gauge which is just enough to make me like the pooling. Love the muted colors.

I love eye catching socks and these are my newest favorites. Knitted Wit Victory Sock in the Unbowed colorway. This was one of my last purchases from The Knitting Bee in Portland. Knit June 14 2020 to August 21 2020. Plain old socks to show off that lovely colorway, bold and beautiful. Plus they coordinate with my basket. 

 Boy I did not realize how far I have fallen off the blogging train. I just went back to link some of the FO's to work in progress posts and I could not find any. Life gets in the way and it is better to live it than record it but I like doing both so why not? I'm off to take more pictures and may even get next Friday's post ready too, since I have pictures.

Happy knitting everyone!

Actual knitting

Yes I know I am surprised that I have pictures of actual knitting here too. I have finally finished a pair of socks for D that traveled with me all through his hospitalizations and recovery time so far.

The yarn is Into the Whirled Manchester sock in the Trek colorway. I'll just say that I loved this yarn and the colors so much. It made me feel warm like I was holding a campfire in my hands the whole time. Campfire without the burns is always a nice feeling. As you can see I ran out of yarn before finishing the second sock. I went leftover stash diving and found a complementary red to finish off. And since he is moving slower with his walker I have time to take pictures.

I started these socks for me on the move West last summer. It took me just over a month to knit them up with settling into the new place. It took me five months to get a picture of me wearing them. Apparently D is not the only one that needs to slow down for a photo every now and then.

These are also Into the Whirled but in the Gloucester base in the Aurora Borealis colorway. One of my former knit mates gave the yarn to me as part of the drive by yarning last January. I am going to miss my knitting buds and not only for random yarn gifts either.

They have been sending me support via the internet through this whole ordeal with hubby. So even if you can't make the meetings the knit group is still there for you.

And speaking of support Burt took care of me through the Daddyless times and through my own bout of flu. I just love how his ears are telling me don't even think about leaving the bed Momma!

I have cast on for a sweater for D. I had bought the yarn a few months ago but kept mulling over the idea that I should try knitting him a different style of sweater. I admitted that I want to knit a sweater and not just think about knitting a sweater. So I pulled out a familiar raglan sweater pattern and cast on. I am much happier in doing so. So D will finally get his red/wine sweater that he has wanted all along. Burt says orange/red is the color to be, and who wants to argue with a cat?

Knitting Parade

I don't want you to think that all I'm doing since we moved here is buy yarn, but I bought some yarn.

And it is not even local yarn, it's from WEBS, you know they claim to be America's yarn store so maybe I can call it local?

No I don't think so either. D had asked me where his red sweater was located since the move. I gave him a weird look and said you don't have a red sweater. He was so convinced that he did that I had to go check my project page on Ravelry to confirm that I knit a red sweater for me, not D. We settled on a nice wine color of red.

Their price on sock yarn was a compelling reason to get sock yarn that would match because I've not knit him any red socks either. I also had to pick up some Eucalan since I gave away the little I had. I'm going through more wool wash since I started hand washing socks. I don't trust the machine here not to eat them. Before I got here D called me to ask about washing clothes, especially socks. I asked if he had enough to make it through till I got there. When he said yes, I said don't wash any of them till we know if the machine plays nice. I still have not decided yet. Boy does it take longer to dry socks in damp Oregon. It seems to be about triple the time here, but maybe I'm still adjusting to everything.

Hey we have not had a knitting parade in a while, how about one now? 

This is some yarn I picked up because I was not able to repair some holes in D's shocking orange socks. It looks alright here but there is more pink than I thought there would be, good think I don't have the same rule about no pink hubby socks as the lady from the library did. The bag is a birthday gift from D, along with some yarn that I forgot to show you. Guess we have fodder for another blog post.

This is some Into the Whirled yarn from Rhinebeck that called to me on an overcast day here. We are having quite a few days like that, who would have thought that in the Pacific Northwest. (I think NY is getting snow today so no complaining from this camp, just colorful yarn.)

Ahh my socks that were bought and started at my first knit night here are almost done. (Actually are done this morning, shh don't tell the knitting police.)

This yarn continues to frustrate the heck out of me. I bought it in 2009 and have tried to knit socks out of it several times. The two colors pool half and half, no cool swirling stripes, just utter division. It looks so odd, like the sock cannot make up its mind which color to be. I'm even trying my magic cubic needles that usually gets my knitting to behave nice. Nada!

What do you think should I give up and just use this yarn to mend other socks? Maybe as toes on socks that run low? It even resisted me during a shawl phase. Maybe I should just take it to the knitting guild and give it away?

Oh I did not tell you! I went to my first knitting guild meeting. I'd say there were 50 to 60 people there. They had a lady give a talk about socks, and you all know I love hearing about socks. It was interesting and I met a couple of very nice people that like talking about yarn and knitting. They even do a show and tell to close out the evening. I do believe I will be going back for next month's holiday party.

I attended a volunteer orientation for the shelter I adopted Burt from. Now if I can resist coming home with a brother or sister for Burtie Burt. I can tell you Burt can be a lap cat if there is a chill in the air. We have spent some quality knitting time together recently. I could not be more happy with the idea. Burt just wants a warm butt...

Knitting with Acorns

While I was busy taking pictures of the Rhinebeck haul I amused myself by collecting acorns in the back yard. This little pile represents all that was within arms distance. I do believe I made a few squirrels angry. But really when you move a few blades of grass, tuck in an acorn and put a leaf over it, is that really a hiding place?

 To amuse myself further I decided to take knitting posed with acorns pictures.

A sock for Mom. Don't worry I won't be sending only one. I figure that I have a sock that Mom tried on in the spring here. If I can keep one sock to measure against here and send on any completed pairs, knowing they will fit her. 

This is a nifty little ear bud sock. Jack likes to chew on all things string-like so it is best to have a nice little un-stringy pouch to hide ear buds.

Oh the Honey Cowl may just be my new socks, always on the needles. Knit over and over again.

Here's a more true to color picture. I've knit two now and bought yarn at Rhinebeck for another.

You know I should probably knit a sweater first though. Or two you can never have too many sweaters in the winter. I really do need to knit some sweaters...

Counting Down

I am looking forward to a nice quiet New Year if I can. Gus has been continuing with his problems off and on again. I wish I could figure out what it is about this time of year... other than old age that is.

Just to make myself feel better I put in a picture of a sheep I saw this summer. Is it just me or do sheep with dreadlocks just look more awesome?

I started and finished up doing my socks to leg warmer conversion for my Mother in Law. I was amazed to find it only took me a day or two. Now I just need to get them washed up, measured and sent off. I don't think they will be a miracle cure, but I bet they will make her legs just a bit warmer.

I am happy to tell you that I achieved some goals this year. I try to knit at least 12 pairs of socks a year, this year my final two pairs were underneath the Christmas tree. D and I both got new socks to wear on Christmas. Mom got a pair delivered to her, D got six pairs and my little tootsies got five pairs. I think that is the first time D got more socks than me. We may have to move him into a bigger sock drawer if this continues. 

My sock count was down because I knit myself three sweaters. I know! And they were all different styles too. Once I figured out how I needed to read the patterns in Ann Budd's Top Down Sweater book, my knitting took off. Well that and that I could really do short row shaping and come out with good sleeve caps, there was nothing to hold me back. 

I knit my Christmas tree four sweaters out of my hand spun yarn. Now I don't have to avoid D's eyes when we talk about hand spun yarn. My mind is mulling over some cowl patterns for some of my other hand spun. Plans for the new year, I am making them.

Over on Goodreads I challenged myself to read 35 books this year. I exceeded that goal with 53 books, I may even finish one more before the night is over. 23 of those I read with my eyes and the rest were audiobooks. No I don't listen to the same song playing on the radio anymore, I get immersed in stories instead. I've even been know to listen at work when no one else is around. 

I took some of my bonus from work and donated it to charity and some I gave myself permission to spend on me. I have such a hard time buying fun stuff for me without suffering guilt and angst. My stash of yarn would say otherwise but I really do have a hard time. I guess yarn is Ok because I turn it into something useable. This year I thought long and hard about what I really wanted and finally place the orders last night. It feels good. 

My feet have suffered through just shy of 560 miles of exercise this year. I know! I am pretty darn proud of myself!

All in all it was a pretty good year. I hope I feel this good next year at this time.

Glossing over things?

So here is the deal today, I finished by socks the other day and wore them to work so I could take pictures and post them as my FO (finished object) Friday post. 

The plan went ahead as it should till I got inside and looked at my photos. (I'm still not happy with them.) While I don't think they are 'bad' pictures I don't think they show off the sock very well. So I decided to take different pictures, but it is so very hot outside and we planned on going to a friend's house to watch the Tour of France. I did not have it in me.

Today I decided that it was better to get something done rather than obsess over it and then never do it. So I give you my green gloss socks.

 
They are made from Knitpicks Gloss fingering weight yarn in the Jade colorway. This yarn is a merino wool and silk blend. I've never worked with it before and I found it quite a pleasure for me to knit. It is a plump springy yarn, that made a slightly thicker sock than I expected. I like plump thick socks so I was very happy with the feel of these. I must admit I was so happy I wore them without washing them first.

A nice plain sock almost a boot sock. I was thinking of using this yarn to make knee highs and wanted time to test it out, see how it would wear. I was a bit worried since the Knitpicks website does not list this as a sock yarn. Why not? It is the same weight as many sock yarns come in? Hmm I wonder? Nothing ventured nothing gained.

Do you see the color change where the wear is? Do you think it has something to do with the silk?

Here's a different view. I can see on the top sock that I wore it on my right foot because that light line is where it rubbed against my big toe nail.

So do you think the color change wear spots will change once these are washed? I mean it is not bad, they're socks, I don't expect them to look like I've never worn them. I really wonder how they are going to hold up for me. Good thing I enjoyed knitting them so much if they wear out too quickly I will have enjoyed the knitting.

Two socks and a sleeve

Well let's see what have I been working on so far this summer? Yesterday I had three different socks on the needles but today I only have two. I finished a pair for D and will show them to you on Friday, for Finished Object (FO) Friday. That is assuming I get a picture of them before they go down to the laundry and stay there till next weekend. I think I am worse than a kid  in the candy shop, I can not wait for someone to wear the new item including me. I switched my socks at knitting group and wore the wavy cable socks home when I finished them. I guess I just can't wait to get started wearing them out.

I'm knitting Spring Forward socks from Knitty in yarn I bought at Rhinebeck two years ago. Ellen's 1/2 Pint Farm, a merino wool, bamboo and nylon blend in a lovely jaunty pink. 

This is another one of those patterns I see on all the blogs and tell myself "I need to knit that." I love that Knitty has such beautiful varied patterns and all for free. I do admit that I've looked at patterns there and decided they were not for me, until I rediscover them on a blog, knit with different yarn and fall in love with them. Isn't it amazing that changing the color or sheen in a yarn can make such a difference in how a patten is perceived? No wonder that designers get upset when someone messes with their vision. However, if you put a pattern out into the world you must accept that knitters are incapable of doing it your way all the time. I choose to believe that most designers are happy with that. Still it must be somewhat like having a baby and giving it away to the world.

Speaking of Knitty I found another patten there for this yarn, Malabrigo sock yarn in the Candombe colorway, Nemesis. Clearly I went on a pattern hunt on Knitty and found some pretty ones.

I needed something to knit while we watched a movie and all my current projects required charts so I started a basic 2x2 rib and figured I would find a pattern after. I got this far...

Then I remembered my first pair of Malabrigo socks are a bit loose and I meant to knit them with less than 80 stitches in a round, guess how many are on the needles in that cuff above. Yep 80 of those little suckers, so I frogged back and started again with less stitches as the pattern I'd found required and found the cuff should be shorter than what I have there also. Now I am ready to start the leg portion. With all my mistakes/'I'll figure that out later' things this sock may truly be my Nemesis.

Yeah, I know it is lame but I had to do it, I don't know why but I had to.

I pulled my Central Park Hoodie sweater out of the 'time out' pile and decided to start the other sleeve. I had misunderstood the pattern on the first sleeve and was debating making the second sleeve the same as the first just recreating the error in it or starting over and doing it the right way. I knit four pattern repeats and decided I really wanted to do it the right way. Maybe I just decided not to mess with the designer's baby in this case.

That is the offending sleeve of which we speak. I was going to rip it back this weekend so would not be tempted to use it, but I would like to compare the sleeves to see how they differ. Now I'm moving right along with it and have eight repeats done on it. Shortly I will be starting the sleeve cap and then it will be off to the blocking pile.

So, two socks and a sleeve, that is what I'm working on now. I felt so lost yesterday because I finished that sock for D and now my purse has no knitting in it. It felt so empty and without a higher calling. "What? All I'm carrying is your keys, wallet and cell phone? No Yarn? Where is the wool, woman, the wool?"

New Socks

I know surprise Yarnkettle knit some socks, newsflash! And I finally have an entry and photo for finished object Friday.

These were knit from Fiber Optic yarn that I got at Rhinebeck last October. The colorway is named Midnight, or as I like to think of them as my Black and Blue socks. They are my standard 80 stitches around plain stockinette socks. These seem just a bit baggy in the leg but I would rather have that than socks I can not get on my little 2X4 feet. Slight bagginess does not bother me since they stay on my foot perfectly except for one pair of shoes that I'm planning to get rid of. Somehow those shoes pull the socks down till the heel is bunched up under my heel. And since my feet hurt in the shoes it is time for them to go.

The Fiber Optic booth at Rhinebeck stopped me in my tracks last year with all its amazing colors. I was looking for new yarns to try and boy did I find them. I bought another blue skein called Ink and let D choose between the two.

You've already seen these here once before.

He picked the darker color and I got the more electric blue. I would say that we are both happy but when I showed him my socks he got all hopeful and said "Are those for me?" Nice try bub! I already have that other blue pair on the needles for you. And I know he will love them too. He has started calling all my hand knit socks his running socks.

So that is the tale of my two blue Fiber Optic yarns, one for big feet and one for not big feet. Now I have a skein of Cashmere blend still to play with. What do you think my first cashmere socks or some lovely hand warmers for this winter?

Choices, Choices.

A sock and a couple of starts

D has a new sock, unfortunately its partner is still on the needles. I can tell you I am digging the non-smoothness of the yarn. It feels so rustic.

I pulled out some seriously pink yarn from Ellen's 1/2 pint farm that I bought at Rhinebeck and started Spring forward from Knitty.

So my sock adventures continue......

Weakness

So I finished another pair of socks the other day and am desperately looking to start something new but I keep finding excuses not to. I think I need to do something besides a pair of plain socks, but I never seem to want to work on anything but plain socks. Lets not talk about how many beautiful sock patterns I have. 

I started these socks last September and have one done but can not make myself work on the other. And it is not even for a good reason like the yarn is too splity, or the pattern too complicated, or I don't like the way it is turning out. Nope, I just want to knit round and round without paying attention. I did work on it last night and got two more repeats done. It is amazing how much closer I get to completing an object when I actually knit on it.

I bought this yarn last year at a fiber festival and have only turned two of them into objects the rest is sill in my stash. I feel like hanging my head in shame.

Which I really should do because I don't think I took pictures of what I bought at Rhinebeck last year. How did that happen that is one of the first things that I do when I get home, yarn fondling and pictures. Alas.

Now this sock is in time out because I still don't think it will fit on my foot once I knit it. And I really like the pattern and do not want to admit defeat. Denial ain't just a river in Egypt.

This poor guy was ripped viciously off the needles when I wanted to knit a plain sock and all the needles were occupied. I really must finish the green sock. I have one repeat and a foot to go. Get the job done!

These two, I don't even know where they are in the house! Maybe they thought I needed a break from the guilt patrol and went to hide till the needles are free?

I don't want to tell you that I am oogling some yarn that has not even been in the stash for a year while leaving the well marinated yarn in there, I don't want to tell you but it is true. I even wound it into a readily knitable form. I am a weak willed yarn loving woman! Good thing I only have eyes for my Hubby, or there would be all kinds of flooziness going on around here.