One more Christmas Gift finished!

I just finished another pair of socks. This one is for my son. I found the pattern on-line at:

http://www.fishermens-sweater.lighthouse-dreams.de/gruppe/socken.html

This is one of Monika Eckert's designs; the same designer that designs such beautiful shawls as the Secret of Chrysopolis and the Secret of Bad Nauheim. The pattern is ingenious in it's simplicity.

It has a 2x2 cable on each side of the sock with a purl stitch before and after the cable. The balance of the stitch pattern is: Row 1: knit 3, lift one stitch purl wise. Row 2: knit. That's it. And since the cable is knit between needle 1 and 2 and 3 and 4, not even an extra needle for the cable is needed. I think the pattern would also look good in a vest or sweater. Have to try it sometime.

Now all I have left is finish up 1-1/2 socks for a friend, but this gift doesn't have to be done by Christmas necessarily.

The yarn is Regia and the top photo is truer to the real color, but I wanted to show the details of the pattern.

"Knit on!" and my wish that you have a quiet Christmas season.

Two more projects finished

Just in time for Christmas, two more projects are finished. The scarf is definitely a Christmas present for my son-in-law. It turned out really nice, using two skeins of Cascade 220. I used all, but a few yards of it. The scarf was designed by Margarete Dolff and offered through the German Yahoo Group Weihnachtsgeheimnis. It's one of those patterns that are gender neutral. In a different color, it would also be perfect for a woman, but not this year. I am averse to knitting scarves, simply because they are so repetitive which I equate with boring. This pattern had enough complexity to it that I had to pay attention, confirmed by my incessant need to "knit backwards" when I was paying too much attention to the television set. But I like it. The pattern is based on a simple knit 1 purl 1 pattern with a series of 5 crossed k1, p1 cables running through it. My hunch is that this technique is adaptable to a variety of patterns and garments.

The second finished project is a pair of socks through the Mystery KAL Mary's Garden hosted by Melly's Lace Place. I used an Opal Uni obtained at a very good price from Little Knits. I haven't decided yet whether or not this will be a Christmas present or will be mine, all mine. Melly gave us several options, one a patterned vs. a plain foot, a patterned heel vs. a plain one, and two types of toes, a round one and a star toe. I chose the patterned heel, plain foot (by accident) and the star toe. Therefore, I can knit the sock again with another combination of the various options. This was definitely a five star fun knit. Unfortunately, the pics do not give justice to the finished socks. The photos are not as clear as they normally are. I have no idea why, but I think I need new batteries and no one wanted to climb in the car and go to the village grocery store or pharmacy and get some.

Two more pair of socks are on the needles.

"Knit on."

Mittens

Two weeks ago Afghans for Afghans send an urgent request out for mittens for school-age children. They wanted to send 300 pairs of mittens to Roots of Peace, a humanitarian organization that transforms minefields into agricultural land. According to a4A the mittens are for the girls and boys attending their schools built through their Pennies for Peace campaign.

Afghans for Afghans wrote in their e-mail:

We thought the goal in this short time frame would be a challenge ... We were thinking ... our major youth campaign for the winter ended just a couple weeks prior and didn't everyone deserve a break? And, time to start focusing on Thanksgiving ... and making gifts for family and friends for the holidays? Yet, we'd give it our best try anyway. Have a seat ... the results are spectacular ... We counted 1,017 pairs of mittens at the end of the day, today. Yes -- 1,017 pairs of lovingly made, gorgeous mittens for young hands in Afghanistan.

So here is my contribution to those 1017 pairs of mittens. A short foray into the netherworlds of my stash, reslulted in small balls of leftover yarn, just right for such a project.

"Knit On!"

Commentary in Pictures

I can't help myself; I pilfered from the Internet again a variety of photos which, to me at least, say it all. If you are easily offended yo may want to stop after the first picture.

Knitting is even in French Fashion Shows. Of course the question is would you want to wear it?


My sentiments exactly! That about describes my life. Do you think it might work if I made such a hat for myself? Nah, forget it, too much work.

An answer to the current controversy of Proposition 8 out of California.

Another answer to Proposition 8 or may be you can use it in your next conversation with someone who thinks you are threatening the continuance of heterosexual marriage. See, there are many more serious dangers out there if we are allowed to marry:

Rustic Helga

I finally got on my knees and blocked Helga. The design is by MMario. She is a grand shawl, warm and cuddly and big enough to tie in the back. There are a couple of mistakes in the knitting, but I sure cannot find them even though I know they are there, some place. The shawl is knit with hand spun yarn from my daughter's stash of unknown breed origin. We think the natural white is Suffolk, the breed of the brown wool is no longer known, and the colored stripes within the brown where bought at various Fiber Fests. She does such a fine job on spinning, doesn't she.

"Knit On!"

Works in Progress

We won't mention the three shawls that are in my knitting basket which need to be finished, but I have three small projects on the needles right now which are much more fun than a humongous shawl.
The first is Nelly's scarf designed by Daniela Johannsenova from Maschenkunst. It is being knit with hand spun yarn in various purple and green shades. It's an easy knit that most likely will be a Christmas present.



The second project is a KAL by Melly called Mary's Garden, after the nursery rhyme "Mary, Mary quite contrary." I am using Opal Uni for these socks. The pattern cries out for a one colored yarn.

The third project are also socks. Also a Christmas gift. This pattern is called Earl Gray by the Yarn Harlot. The pattern has an "ugh" rating on Ravelry. So far I haven't found any error, and it is an easy, but classic looking, pattern to follow. The yarn is again Opal Uni. A dark brown. I bought it a couple of years ago from a LYS that is now out of business. The yarn is definitely "ugh" since something has chewed through the outer layers of the yarn. I have a host of small and very small balls, but since I had the socks already started, I've decided to continue with the yarn and weave in the ends and use the one big ball I came up with for the feet. This is the second ball of Opal Uni that I had bought from this particular LYS which seems to have been visited by "meeces" aka mice. It had to be the yarn store because I have no other problems with yarn in my possession.

Knit On!

More knitting

Two more projects are finished. One is the "Waldsocken" (Forest Socks) from the Yahoo group "Petzis_Socken" and a pair of wrist warmers from the Yahoo Group "Weihnachtsgeheimnis" (Christmas secret). The pattern is called Lanzelot. The yarn for the socks was hand-dyed by the in-house dyer, aka daughter. The Helga shawl from MMario's group is also finished, but still needs to be blocked.

Don't you wish you had those legs?
Detail photo of pattern

Reverse stocking stitch heel.

Lanzelot Wrist Warmers from left over Opal hand painted yarn.

Detail of pattern. Can you see the dog hair?

"Knit On!"

Socks

Well, it's been already a month since my last entry. The older I get the farther behind I get. I've finished a few things and have several things on the needles. Can't never have to many projects going! It keeps away the boredom. I've spent a good deal of time on worrying. Since we live in the country, we heat, cook and have hot water by propane. Well propane in these parts went up to $3.00 a gallon which would have almost doubled the cost. So we went shopping and purchased a pellet stove. My daughter would have preferred a corn stove. When you burn corn, the house always smells like corn bread, but due to Ethanol production, corn prices have gone through the roof as well. And with her asthma, a regular wood heating stove was out of the question.

Now those who know me well, realize that spending money instills instant panic in me; thus the worry button was on full throttle. The stove is installed; the house feels wonderfully warm and, I think, it will pay for itself in 1-1/2 heating seasons. We've also started to wash laundry in cold water. So basically we only use propane for cooking and hot water.
On top of it all, the car needs fixing and the microwave died on its 28th birthday. Yep, that's right! It lasted a full 28 years. I never have to have a yard sale. When I am through with something, it's dead, "deader than a door nail." I am my dearly beloved Aunt Emma's girl.

Here are pics of socks I've finished the last few weeks:

Recognize the yarn? It's a rerun of last month's sock. The sock was (1) way too big and (2) the pattern and yarn did not go together. I will tinker with the pattern and knit them one of these days. I named the socks "Candy Corn." The pattern came from the Ravelry Socktopia group and is called "Acorn Baskets." The yarn is from Poppy Yarn Designs, my in-house yarn supply, aka daughter. She can be reached at www.thesandpit@sbcglobal.net

These socks were knit with Sockotta yarn and are called "Wassersocken" (or water socks). The pattern is from the Yahoo group "Petzis_Socken" and is a German pattern, but the instructions are both in German and English.

These are very simple self-designed socks knit with hand spun Romney-Columbia mix, again by Poppy Yarn Designs. Doesn't she do a nice job?

These socks are called "Waldsocken" or "Forest socks." Again, this is one of Petzis_Socken mystery designs, and the yarn is by Poppy Yarn Designs. I am currently knitting the foot.
Otherwise, I have three shawls and one scarf going. Hopefully, I'll finish them this winter since I have several patterns on the back burner.

Knit On!

Sock Knit-Alongs

Just a short entry about Sock Knit-Alongs. I am currently in two, a Ravelry Group Sock Knitters Anonymous which is knitting a rather challenging pattern at the moment, at least for me. I rarely knit socks toe-up, and usually when I do, I knit short-row heels. Not only is this sock knit toe-up, but it also has a gusset and a heel flap with the pattern included. It's a challenge for me. Somehow, in the recesses of my brain are cells that rebel and say "socks are knit top down, not toe-up." The pattern is challenging in the sense that one has to keep knitting from the chart; although all the stitches within the pattern are basic stitches. I frogged the sock once; it was too big because I didn't read the instructions (what else is new) and the pattern was off, again because I didn't read the instructions. The designer was good enough to give separate charts for various stitches cast-on. But the sock is fun enough that I am gaily going forward with it. Yarn is hand-dyed sock yarn by Angie, called Pumpkin Pie and I am using 2.25 mm HyaHya needles. I have really come to love these Bamboo needles.

The second KAL is a new group from Germany. The designer is from my former neck of the woods; always a plus, since I am just a wee bit home-sick lately. Of course, I realize that I am home-sick for how the place was when I was a child and a young woman. It's actually a KAL for men's socks. The pattern is somewhat swallowed up by the yarn I used, but the yarn I wanted to use got swallowed up by the "Mom Zone", and so I used a Sockotta Cotton yarn, called the Italian Collection. I since have found the yarn I wanted to use and will knit the socks again.

The sock through the heel with my newest book acquisition. No I don't have small children on my horizon, but the book has a pattern for a mouse which I have seen on another site knit up for Christmas as the "three mice kings".

And here is a detail of the pattern. Petzi, the designer has interpreted waves of an ocean. The waves on the top of the photo are those that break near the beach, while the smaller ones are further away towards the horizon. It's a fun, easy pattern to knit and definitely beats Stinos.
I have a few other projects on the burner, but will post on them later.

"Knit On!"

It's been exactly a month and a day since I posted last. Not that I haven't been busy knitting, but nothing seems to be complete. Part of August and the beginning of September, I spent time knitting samples for my daughter's hand-dyed yarn line. As soon as I can find them, I'll take photos and post them. They'll have to be found by this weekend, so they can be incorporated into the West Branch show.
I've also acquired some more Opal sock yarn and, then, of course, a few skeins of Angie's hand-dyed yarn. Therefore, this post will be about stash enhancement. Here is a smallish sample of what I have accumulated, mostly at excellent prices.

Opal Uni, Color 1262 or a wonderful milk chocolate color.

Opal Neon, Color 1934

Opal Hundertwasser, Color 1431 with Pepe Le Pew and his favorite shawl.

Opal Crazy, Color 1903, bought for Angie

Hand-dyed by Angie, Color: Pumpkin Pie. Sample sock knit with this color. Photo to follow

Hand-dyed by Angie, Color

Knit On!

I haven't been feeding my blog lately; rather I've been busy knitting and getting things ready for the various fiber fairs. So a few pictures of things finished.

Secret of Bad Nauheim, designed by Monika Eckert of www.klabauterwolle.de . The shawl is big and ample enough for a taller person. Knit with Knit Picks Shadow, color is Campfire. The shawl is based on the Jugendstil architecture of Bad Nauheim.


Knitted-on border. Not true color. Color is somewhere between this photo and the first one.

Larger view of shawl, showing main panel with border. This shawl had been finished for some time, but I had not blocked it until last week.

Fancy Fullness, designed by Birgit Freyer of www.knitting-delight.com . Triangular shawl. This photo shows the edging which is knit at the same time as the rest of the shawl.

Center portion and top edging of shawl.

View of whole shawl. Shawl was knit with Rockin' Sox by Plymouth.

This is a reincarnation of a previous version knit with Knit Picks Gossamer. I've tried the same Gossamer yarn now two times, once for the Fischer-un-sin Frau and for Fancy Fullness. I did not like the way the yarn is colored for either shawl and both got frogged. While writing this, I finally came up with a suitable shawl for the slightly garish Gossamer--a Clapotis. Since I gave my first one to my middle daughter, I think I'll knit myself another one.

"Knit On!"

One of the knitting lists to which I belong designates those who knit socks as “darksiders.” Well, I have slid into the darkest spot of a darksider’s abode; I have broken my vow to never knit a sock on a circular needle. I did it! And the house didn’t cave in. Although I wondered for a bit when the weather turned ugly, and we were hit by hail and massive amounts of rain and a thunderstorm. My main objective is to eventually knit two socks at the same time. I’m having more and more trouble counting rows to have the two socks match exactly. And, please, no one suggest row counters or pen and paper. I lose such things as fast as I get them into my hands.

These socks were knit with SRK (Kertzer Yarns) “On Your Toes” made up of 75% Bamboo and 25% Nylon. The manufacturer’s label designates this yarn as “superfine,” but it isn’t. There are only 328 yds. (300 m) in a 100 gram (3.5 oz) ball. The recommendation is for 3.25 mm (US #3) needles. I would definitely call it a sports weight yarn. At the most, you’ll get a size 8 woman’s sock out of one ball of yarn. So if your shoe size is larger than size 8 or you want extra long legs, you would be well advised to buy two balls. The price at my LYS was US$ 13.25. The yarn is made up of three strands bamboo (one each of salmon, purplish pink and beige and a fourth, somewhat thinner, strand of nylon. As with all plant-based yarns, the individual strands of yarn don’t hold onto each other so the danger of splitting is always there.

I originally bought two balls to start a sweater with, but when I dug them out I had completely forgotten the reason for purchasing the yarn. So one skein ended up in socks and only after my daughter Angela reminded me of the purpose for the yarn, did it hit home. Oh well; the yarn would make a nice short-sleeved top, however.

The socks were knit on a 2.00 mm (US Size 0) circular needle. So, I didn’t read the label before I started. The pattern is a Harry Potter pattern called Fawkes, Dumbledore’s most faithful friend and confidant. The color of the yarn I chose definitely does not go along with the theme. The version I saved on my computer does not give the designer’s name, but has the heading of “Socktopia Excusive, July 2007. (I have since learned that the author of these patterns apparently died.)

Now that I have bored you to death, here is the picture show:

The next pair of socks is knit with Crystal Palace Maizy, 50 grams per ball, 82% corn fiber, 18% elastic nylon). Recommended needle size US #2 (2.75mm). Again, I have a complaint of the yarn splitting. The pattern is from the German site http://www.von-stroh-zu-gold.de/muster/ . The designer is Kristin Benecken. The sock was designed for a train trip and is called "Baltikum" for the three Baltic States, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. Apparently there is a set of German knitters that go on various train trips to some agreed on destination for which a sock is designed and knit during the trip.

And finally an accidental picture; a view of one of our pine trees toward the driveway.

Knit On!