November socks!

Well, they are for little feet, but they ARE socks for my November SAM project. I have two "real" sock projects started - so I should be able to get one finished in December. Should. What a funny looking word.

I used the leftover yarn from the scarf, hat, glove/mitts I finished earlier in the week. Whew! I wasn't sure I'd have enough for the second sock!!

CO 32 stitches on size 4 needles & used the same cable as DD2's hat.

Cables!

I have FOs for November! [I'll work on the FO sidebar later.] A year ago or so, DD2 and I stopped at a yarn shop on our return trip from taking the grandsons to their dad's aunt for the weekend. DD2 expressed interest in learning to knit. I was so excited - I bought her yarn, a magazine with pattern she wanted, needles and assorted other knitter necessities. But, alas, DD2 probably will never be a knitter. She has a phobia about "sharp things" near her eyes.

So this April I started one of her projects and then set it aside, promising to finish before she really needed them. And, during the past week I finished:

1. Scarf for DD2

It's narrow, with a 4 stitch garter-stitch edge. But, even after steam blocking, the edge still rolled. I looked through several of my pattern books and read that adding a single crochet row on the edge would help. One row helped, but I ended up adding a second row.

2. A hat for DD2

got the pattern off the internet - but can't find my print out now.

3. Urban Necessity Gloves/mitts for DD2

Pattern from Magknits

And there's a little yarn left over. Cross your fingers - there just might be enough to get a pair of little kids socks for CIC out of it.

Yarn for all three projects:

Plymouth Yarn Encore color #153. It's called gray. But, it has a lot of lavender/purple tweedy bits in it.

Still here

No blogging lately and only a little knitting going on. Busier than usual after work these days.

I am NOT going to have my dark green Filatura Di Crosa - Maxime socks finished during November. This will be the first time during a SAM that I will have missed a month. I know I could do a quick pair of little kids socks for CIC...and maybe I will end up doing that over Thanksgiving weekend.

But, I have so many other things that need my attention. [And right now getting ready for work is on the top of the list.]

Have a great weekend and stay warm!!

Young Voters

Yay! The grandsons voted!

Sport came home from kindergarten with an "I Voted" sticker on. The mama asked, "Did you really vote today?" Sport said, "Yes." The mama then asked, "Who did you vote for?" And Sport said, "Barack Obama."

:-)

Buster came home from pre-school (3 yr olds) waving an American flag and wearing an Obama sticker. He wants to be Rock Obama.

:-)

FO - No photo

I was SO excited to finish the pink baby blanket AND a matching infant's stocking cap that I packaged them up to mail to the charity group before I thought about taking a photo. I didn't have another large padded envelope, so I decided to just let it go. I mailed it after work yesterday. :-)

It took a month more than I had estimated. But it was an easy pattern and I luved knitting something pink!

Testing

I've been given a project by my boss that includes photos and linking notes and such. I said, "I think I can. I'll work on it this weekend." So, I've tried the technique with my Flickr account [used for Ravelry.] And I think it works.

Testing: Jakki Mitch's knitting library [old version... majorly need to update the photo 'cos I have a lot more books now!] Hover your mouse over a book cover and then click on the link that pops up.

Yeah, it's almost there.

I'll wait till Monday to create a Flickr account for work - etc.

WooHoo!! I won!!

Ummm... if you have to pay* for something does it count for a "win"? Well, YES - if what you "win/pay for" involves yarn & knitting books!!

WooHoo!!

I've only EVER won anything once before in my life. Really. It was at a fashion show [eh?] at the big department store in town [since gone out of business]. I was in high school. The prize was a black, two piece, knit pantsuit. A size 6. I was a size 12. So I gave it to my sister in junior high.

But, this prize is all mine! It fits great!!

* I was the highest bidder on one of the 200+ items at a Silent Auction at the conference I just returned from. I was SO happy to see knitting stuff! The earlier bidders had pushed the amount up almost to my spending limit. But, I thought - I haven't won yet, so I probably won't get this lot either... and if I do, HEY I'd be a winner!!!

1. Kay Gardiner & Ann Shayne's Mason-Dixon Knitting Outside the Lines.

2. Nancy Queen & Mary Ellen O'Connell's The Chicks with Sticks' Guide to Knitting.

3. One 50 gm skein of Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes' in Dune Twist

4. One 60 gm skein of Bernat Cashmere Natural Blends in Coal.

October Socks

Sometimes life just gets in the way of knitting. I'm trying to knit on the baby blanket for the charity group and the dark green, toe up socks for me, but not making a lot of visible progress on either. So I decided to knit up a pair of little kid's socks for CIC while watching a Red Sox game earlier this week.

Pattern: Magic 28

Yarn: Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes worsted in Fog and Blue Bonnet

Needles: size 4 [US]

Knit for: CIC

Year of the Socks (mostly)

I finally updated my Completed Projects on the sidebar. I've been working on socks-for-me and have enough yarn for four more pair. [Acknowledging that 1) that's really not a lot of socks; and 2) I really don't have a lot of time to knit.]

OTN #1: I'm about half finished with the baby blanket I'm knitting for the charity organization that lost all of it's stock in the June 08 flood. That's taking up a lot of my knitting time.

OTN #2: Socks for me [using dark green Filatura Di Crosa - Maxime, and toe up pattern.] I'm not half finished with these. Argh. Should I clean the house and shop for groceries today - or knit and watch football instead? Might have to do quick worsted weight kid's socks for CIC to have an "October" pair for SAM6.

OTN #3: My "car/waiting room" project - when I haven't toted along the baby blanket. Still working on the dyed yarn/felted slippers project[s].

OTN Update with some genealogy news tossed in

Here's what I have on the needles:

1. Baby blanket using Bernat Baby Coordinates in "Sweet Pink" I'll donate this to a community outreach project downstream - the place was destroyed in the June flood, and I read on Ravelry that they happily accept knitting items. The pattern is very easy. However, the yarn I'm having a problem with. It was on sale and a lovely bright pink - just what I wanted. But it has a crinkily white strand that wraps the pink loosely. So loosely that I keep getting it caught when I do a stitch. So the fabic looks a bit 'snagged' I try to fix as I go [or when I go back on the reverse side] - but some snags are not fixable.

Would I use this pattern again -- most definitely. Would I use this yarn again. Well, I'm debating whether I'll make the blue blanket. Bought the yarn at the same time. Did I say it was on sale? I think I know why! If I decide I don't want to fuss with the blue ... I'll donate that yarn some where. And No I would not buy it again.

2. Another pair of socks for me. The yarn is Filatura Di Crosa - Maxime. Can't remember where I bought it at. Not locally that I know. Color is #16 - a dark forest green. I wanted to use Brigit - luv the cables. But the yardage on the two skeins of Maxime is not close to the suggested yardage for the Brigit pattern. Drat it.

Then I worried that whatever top down pattern I used, I might run out of yarn. Drat it again. I dug out Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts' Simple Socks and have two toe uppers started. I can remember my first attempt with PAGR's wraps about drove me nuts. [But, then I was still on post op drugs....] This time, tho. I had only a few minor issues. and now I'm beginning the foots. I'm doing st st. When I get to the legs, I'll do some cable pattern. Haven't decided what - just that it will be an 8 st pattern repeat from Charlene Schurch. I'll wait to look at the stitch patterns when I get that far.

So. I'm off now to knit and to watch Disk 2 of the HBO miniseries John Adams. No bad for a miniseries...and an introduction to John and Abigail. Two very intelligent, very forward thinking individuals. I would be proud to claim them as ancestors. But, alas no connection so far.

OH! Genealogy content: No J. & A. Adams, but, it looks as if Mayflower people are beginning to sprout from my family tree! My grandmother would not be too impressed - she would tell snooty acquaintances who were into the DAR and Mayflower Societies that HER ancestors MET the Mayflower. Maybe. I need one bit of proof tying my mother's mother's mother's mother's mother to a known descendent of four Mayflower passengers. In early 1800s western PA, they didn't leave a lot of records, so I might never find the proof. But. I'm 95% positive I've got it right.

September Socks

Didn't get this finished by the end of the Olympics, but...they're done now! And they're still too blue in the photo. They are really more purple than blue. I tried several different settings. Oh, well.

Pattern: Generic. 1" K2, P2 cuff, then 5" of K3, P3 ribbed leg; and St St foot

Yarn: Brown Sheep Co.' s Wildfoote in Rhapsody

Needles: Knit Picks size 1 [US], two 24" circs

Knit for: Me

EDITED to add: The yarn was a gift from a non-knitting co-worker who visited the Brown Sheep Co. in Mitchell, NE, while on her vacation!!

Awesome Knitter Project

But, I'd rather have a blue one: Knitted Project

Panic Set In - But, Whew! It's All Good

After finishing the striped leg CIC socks, I've been working on the Wildfoote Rhapsodies for me. When I got about half through the foot, I got really nervous - it sure didn't look as if there would be enough yarn.

So, I decided to "quickly" finish one of them to see if I could find another ball of this yarn [or if I'd need to finish the toes with something else.] Meanwhile I started contacting yarn shops in this part of the state. So far haven't found another skein.

But, whew! There was PLENTY left! No problem. Now to finish the 2nd sock. I've got too much to do today, so it's Extremely Doubtful that I'll finish it by the end of the Closing Ceremony. But, I will work on it while I watch this evening.

Eewww... the color is way off. Too blue here. It's really - purplish.

August Socks

These are little ones for CIC, but they ARE socks. Not sure if I'll get the pair for me finished before the end of the month. I'll sure try. My Knitting-while-watching-the-Olympics is going slowly. I tend to either get too involved in the action. Yea! USA!! Or, I dose off mid-stitch.

Pattern: Generic - CO 32 st. for about a 6"- 6.5" foot and using Grumperina's striping method for the leg.

Yarn: A) Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes in Cherry Blossom; B) Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes in Blue Bonnet; C) Knit Picks' Wool of the Andes in Winter Night; and D) Lion Wool in Winter White.

Needles: 4 dpn size 6 [US] I mistakenly blogged on Aug. 10th that I was using size 4 [US].

Knit for: CIC

ZERO

The number of homes I own.

[Had to comment on that one.]