Wednesday WIPs + a FO

I haven't accomplished much this past week, so you won't see a lot of progress from the last WIPs list.

WIPs (Works In Progress):

1. Moose Afghan (from Hell) - 75% done.  (no progress)
2. Long Cat Scarf - 50% done.  (no progress)
3. Skull Towel - 25% done.  (no progress...sensing a theme here?)
4. Ladies Top - 30% complete (no progress)
5. Semele - 20% complete (no progress)
6. La Vie de Bois Socks - about 25% done. Started these June 1st, so they are new to the list. The pattern is well written.  She gives you both the written instructions and a nice large, easy to read chart for my old eyes.  Loving knitting these!  Bonus, I am using yarn dyed by the designer!

Missing from the list:

    Sock Monkey Hat -  Finished!  But I didn't get a picture of it before I gave it to my sister to give to her granddaughter.  If I get a picture in the future, I will update with it.

So, what have you been working on?  Happy Creativity to you All!

Friday FOs

First up:  Wavy Rib Socks (no pattern link because I just winged it)
Needle: US size 2 - 2.75mm
Yarn:  Knit One Crochet Too Ty-Dy Socks in the Pansy colorway

Lastly:  My Heart Dishcloth
Hook:  US size I - 5.5 mm
Yarn:  Cotton Mill Ends

Happy Creativity to you All!

Part 2 of the Afterthough Heel Adventure

For the past 2 weeks I have been spending a lot of time in a VKH.  A VKH is a Virtual Knitting Hangout.  We meet in a hangout on google+ every day and I love it!  They inspire me, motivate me and cheer me and I hope I do the same for them.

In the VKH this past week we have had a Week of WIPs, to inspire us to clean up some of the WIPs that have been sitting around for way too long in our project bags, baskets and closets.  I completed FIVE!!!  It was such a great way for us to clean up WIPs that we decided to have a WIP weekend in our VKH on the first weekend of every month.

One of my WIPs that was completed this past week in my Nanner Socks.  This pattern is by Wendy Johnson and was inspired by the dancing bananas on Plurk.  The yarn is Ripe Nanners by thechickswithsticks.  Unfortunately her shop is inactive at the moment.  I started these socks back in 2008, but only got the toe on one sock done before I set them aside and ignored them.


When I picked them up this week, I had just completed the socks from the last post with the afterthought heel.  I decided that I would do a "true" afterthought heel on this pair.  The difference being that with the previous pair of socks, I inserted a waste yarn as I knit the sock so I could go back to remove the waste yarn, pick up the stitches and knit the heel very easily.  This time, I didn't use a waste yarn.  I just knit a tube and then went back to snip the yarn (yes, I cut my knitting!!!), pick up the stitches and knit the afterthought heel.  It was liberating and the resulting heel is wonderful.  I am so happy that I tried this and I need to give props to my VKH ladies who advised me, and insisted that I could do it!  Thank you so much!

Are you challenging yourself with your knitting?  Do you take any challenges with your crafts?  I am determined that this year I will challenge myself to knit, crochet, spin or whatever, outside my comfort zone.  It is so rewarding when it works and educational when I fail.  I promise that I will let you know about my failures too.  My next challenge is to knit a shawl.  I have crocheted shawls, but never knit one.  Check back to see how it goes.

Happy Creativity to you all!!!

I Love Afterthought Heels!

I don't know where my head has been in the sock knitting universe, but until a few weeks ago, I had never heard of an afterthought heel.  When someone told me that I would have to cut the yarn in the sock, I decided I would never be making one! 

Then I recalled my resolutions for the year, one of which was to learn to steek, and I decided that this would be a small first step in cutting my knitting.  Be brave Beverly.  Take a deep breath.  Watch some youtube tutorials.

My first attempt at an afterthought heel wasn't a "true" afterthought heel.  I used the Knit Girlls tutorial  for  adding a waste yarn where I wanted the heel to be as I knit the sock, and then going back to insert the heel afterward.  I know what you are thinking... I didn't cut the yarn.  Hey, I'm taking baby steps.

This sock was knit from the top down, 2-at-a-time, on US size 1 circs.  I just cast on 80 stitches and worked a k2, p2 rib for about 6 inches, switched to half of the stitches ribbed and half stockinette stitch.  Added the waste yarn where I wanted the heel and knit on.  Super fast and super easy.  (The yarn is Regia Galaxy Saturn.)

Going back to work the afterthought heel was super easy and stressless.  I love this technique!  I don't ever want do work another short row heel in my life.

Ok, I had some success, but I didn't really cut my knitting, did I?  Time to be brave, take the next step, yada yada yada.   Tune in tomorrow for more adventures with afterthought heels.

Happy Creativity to you all!

Finally Finished

As some of you may recall, last spring I had 2 hip replacement surgeries and spent a significant amount of time rehabbing in a local nursing home.  My sister worked at the nursing home and helped to cheer me up, watch out for my best interests and wouldn't let me get away with anything.  She also spent a lot of her own money in making me feel as comfortable as possible. 

When I would offer to pay her back she would just shrug it off, but eventually, she told me that I could make her a pair of socks as repayment.  Well, I have been slow about it, but I have finally finished a pair of socks for her.  They are not perfect, but neither am I.  They do express my gratitude and love for her.  I hope she will like them.

The pattern is Be Mine, designed by Melissa Morgan-Oakes.  It is published in her  book, 2-at-a-time Socks.  The yarn is Knit Picks Gloss fingering weight in the Doe colorway.  I love this yarn!  It is 70% wool/30% silk and 100% lovely.

Now I need to get ready to leave as today is my family's belated Christmas party.  I hope you all have a great weekend!  Happy Creativity to you all!

Jan. 8, 2012 ETA:  My sister has informed me that the socks fit perfectly :)

Rehab Socks

While I was incarcerated in the nursing home for rehab from my hip replacement, knitting occurred.  It was not easy at first because I was heavily medicated, so there was a lot of frogging too.

I love wearing these socks.   Coquette by Melissa Morgan-Oakes was a very easy toe up sock, with a repeat that was easy to remember, even in a Vicodin haze. 

The pattern can be found in her book "2-at-a-Time Socks " which has become one of my go to books for socks.  I highly recommend that you get copy if you don't have one already.  Knitting both socks at the same time was a revelation to me.  No more 2nd sock syndrome!  The binding is spiral, which is THE ONLY BINDING that any craft book should have.  How are we supposed to hold a book open while our hands are busy crafting?  Plus, once you are hooked knitting 2-at-a-time, you can get her sequel to do them toe up.  I did!

As The Heel Turns

In the continuing saga of as the heel turns... Okay, I am not a clever writer, so I will fail miserably if I don't just get down to what this post is about. I have finally turned a heel on the Sasquatch size 13 boot socks. (Could my arm look any more white?) I have large hands for a woman, so that gives you some perspective on just how large this sock is.When I started this project, I searched for a good, simple pattern for a sock this large, without any success. So, I have been improvising as I go along, using gauge to determine how many stitches to cast on and simply doing the heel flap, turn and gusset that I like best. I didn't realize that I knew how to knit a sock without a pattern until I just started doing it.

I am taking meticulous notes in hopes that the 2nd sock will be identical. (That would be a first for me!) If I am completely satisfied with how they turn out then I may post my notes so that others who are unfortunate enough to be acquainted with Sasquatch will be able to make him some socks too. Tune back in to the same channel for the next episode!

2 WIPs

My last post told you that I am working on a giant pair of socks for my apartment managers husband. I have only been doing a couple rows per day of the endless leg ribbing. I am just winging a basic sock pattern to make this, so I don't have a link for you. My pictures for this post are bad, because I was lazy and just snapped them on my laptop in my lap.
To alleviate the boredom of ribbing, I have started working on a cowl for myself. It is comprised of 7 crochet motifs attached in a circle which then have stitches picked up and knitted in ribbing. Yes, more ribbing. The yarn is Aegean from my friend Loribird's etsy shop, The Wool Room. The pattern is Amiga. Here is the first completed motif.I will keep you posted on my progress. What are you working on?

Failure

I missed my deadline, again. The ever so formidable Maine Moose Afghan is still not completed and my SIL's birthday has come and gone. I have failed, again. This behemoth of a project is approximately two-thirds completed and I will not quit. She will get this afghan some day. I just hope that she won't have changed her room theme by the time I finish it.

In other news, Saturday I received an e-mail from the person that I have purchased my spinning wheel from, stating that she took it to a packaging-shipping company and it is on it's way. I am absolutely giddy with excitement and ready to pounce on any delivery person who comes within striking distance. Gimme!

I think I am going to work on a 2nd sock today, to see if I can actually complete a project for a change. What are you working on?

The Sock Knitter :)

I received a small package in the mail today that touched my heart. It was from Darlene, thesockknitter on plurk, who knew that I haven't been able to afford to buy yarn for a while. In the package was a skein of Drachenwolle sock yarn, that is so soft and has a lovely colorway. I am so grateful for her generosity and I don't know how I will ever repay her. Mostly, I am lucky to have her friendship, and I cherish it. In other matters, I have finished the Fuchsia Cabled Scarf. It is shorter than I would like, but I only had one skein of this lovely, tweedy yarn to work with. The pattern is the same as the Lilac Cabled Scarf I made a while ago: Fancy Cabled Braided Scarf designed by Trish Day.Lastly for today's post, I have cast-on another Nanner Sock designed by Wendy D. Johnson. The yarn for these socks is called Nanners and I purchased it from the chicks with sticks. I highly recommend that you check out her etsy shop, because I love this yarn and she was wonderful to deal with.

Nanner Socks!

Let me ask you this: Have you heard enough about Plurk from me yet? Well, an amazing and generous designer with whom I plurk, Wendy Johnson, designed a sock pattern to represent the dancing banana emoticon that we plurkers seem to be fascinated with and she shared it with me. Yes, ME! I am so honored and grateful.

Last night (actually in the wee hours of the morning...insomniac, ugh) I decided that I would make my socks in Cascade Heritage Paints. The colorway is not named but is a blue/green/purple variegation. I don't own the size 0 circs, so I am casting onto dpns. I googled a toe up cast on and settled on Judy's Magic Cast-on . It took me 2 attempts, but I have the first sock on my needles and have started the increases for the toe!

Now, if anyone has ever read my blog, you know that I said I was going to try not to start another project until I completed the dreaded afghan, but I just couldn't resist! Nanner socks are plurk related, so they feed into my newest addition plurklectly, umm...I mean perfectly.

Also, my wonderful brothers stopped in this afternoon to visit. This is always a treat, because they are funny and interesting people and I love them dearly. I am truly blessed as far as my family is concerned. Well, while they were here I was making my 2nd attempt at casting on for the socks. I mentioned how much easier it would be if I had the circs, so my youngest brother has offered to get them. I told him that I could get by without them but he won't listen. He and the rest of my family have this incredible generosity gene that I wish I could afford to reciprocate. I just hope they all know how much they are appreciated and loved.