On The Lily Pad...

On my scarfing adventures, its been a challenging time.  First was massive swatching to figure out what pattern I wanted to use.  I want to use something rather lacy because I only have two balls of the yarn.  I also want something that will be nice looking on the reverse side.  So I finally figured out the stitch pattern & received Daughter approval, although she said it was a little boring on the back side.  So I threw in a small 2 stitch twist on the back side.  Looks nice & easy to do.  I figure out my calculations, putting a seed stitch border on the bottom & the sides.  And we begin...

But, I got caught in one of the oldest problems in the history of knitting.  My seed stitch border spread out more than my main stitch pattern.  This resulted in the border making a nice little "wave".  Ugh...I know better!  So I frogged.  I re-evaluated my number of cast on stitches, starting with less at the beginning & increasing right before starting the main pattern.  Yahoo!  It worked great, looks good & things are moving right along.  Until...

I get almost to the end of the first ball of yarn.  I am NOT going to have enough to make a nice long scarf like my daughter wants.  ARGH!  It is coming out just lovely, she really likes it, I have fun doing it, even both sides, but it won't work.  So now, off to the Lily Pad for a little more frogging.  I took some pictures to preserve my work for all eternity...before I rip it!

Hope everyone has a Happy Thanksgiving! 

Scarfing It

My teenaged daughter doesn't ask me to knit much for her.  Last week, she came home wearing her friend's scarf.  It was a simple cable scarf, store bought, done in a very soft but inexpensive yarn.  Therefore, it was pilled beyond repair.  But she really liked it.  I was checking it out myself & of course, I said I could make that.  She then asked me to make her a scarf!  Yahoo! 

So off to the yarn stash to see what we've got.  I found a lovely cream wool leftover from a previous project.  I just loved the yarn (still do!) because it is so soft & creamy.  It makes my hands softer as I work with it too!  Then to the stitch library for a nice reversible pattern.  I'm a bit afraid I may not have enough (only 2 balls), so I think a lacy pattern will be best, since it won't use as much.  A-swatching we will go!

After much searching, swatching & deliberation, we settled on a very simple yarn-over rib-type stitch pattern.  The back is rather plain, so I may try to experiment with it to see if I can add some interest without altering the effect on the front side.  Of course, I will post my trials & tribulations here.  I haven't started it yet because I was working out the details of the scarf, but I hope to start it today.  I'm really looking forward to it, but I hope I don't become too bored with 5 feet or so of the same thing back & forth!  Hopefully it will go quickly! 

Lead Us Not Into Temptation

Just when I thought it was safe to go to the mailbox, it strikes.  Not one, but TWO yarn catalogs.  Sigh.  So, while dinner is simmering, I kick back in the recliner, put on the light & flip open the page.  ARGH!  Scattered across the pages are lovely tote bags, some felted, some not, some large, some small.  Then the yarns...wonderful colors & the lovely lace scarves they show featuring each yarn.  It all looks so delicious, my mouth starts to water...& its not because of dinner.  The trouble is...I want to make them...I want to make them ALL.

The torture continues as I continue through the catalog.  I finally reach the end, only to continue the pain & suffering by opening the next catalog.  Oh, the agony!  I can only tolerate flipping two pages before I'm overwhelmed from the glossy colors.  I must shield my eyes from its glory.  It is not till after dinner that I'm able to return to the second catalog.  However, the pain returns immediately, I'm amazed how quickly.  I continue to punish myself by completing the journey through the pages. 

Thus continues the torture of a yarn fast.  Sadly, I'm coveting the yarns, the projects & money I don't have right now for any of it.  In its wake, all I'm left is wanting.  Sigh. 

Such drama!  LOL!

Hats Off!

Hats off...to the Cancer Center that is!  Shown above are the latest in the hat saga.  Some of these were very much fun to do.  I think I got a little more creative with these because I was getting bored doing hats. 

Some have the same color stitch pattern, but in different colorways.  It makes them look totally different.  One hat used a different gauge yarn, which made the pattern almost unrecognizable, but I liked it anyways!  I made a few of the usual spiral helix hats, so great for using up those small balls of yarn.  Also a multi-colored hat that used up some small amounts of yarn.  It also made for a fun, cheery hat!

I also played with a little more texture this time.  One hat (a lilac one) is deep textured arrows, simple, fun, but it looks complicated.  Another (burgundy & pink) used both a color pattern & a little texture.  This is one of my favorite hats!  I liked the color pattern, it was something I experimented with on my own.  I had a time trying to recreate the upper "scallops" to match the lower ones.  I just love the way it looks!

Also shown is a cabled hat (done in a cream heather yarn).  This is my own creation...I've looked around on the internet & haven't seen any hat quite like it.  I'm waiting to hear from my "test knitters" & I will post the pattern once I'm sure it works for others...besides me! 

Hope you enjoy the pictures!

What Next?

I'm still here, still knitting away!  I have a batch of chemo hats that are waiting for pictures.  Actually, they've been waiting for pictures for more than a month now.  I was counting on my family members to model for me, but silly me!  I just need to take the pictures & get it over & done. 

I have 16 hats in this latest batch.  Normally, I like to give them in even dozens, but this time, I kept working on more hats.  I want to get them to the Cancer Center soon, too, because the weather has turned cold.  But now I'm bored with the hats.  I want to do something else....but what. 

A woman from work has a mom who knits, and she has been making newborn & preemie hats.  And guess what?  I have TONS of baby & sport yarns!  In nice baby colors, too!  Sounds like a plan!  So I've been browsing the internet for hat patterns & ideas.  There are tons of hat patterns out there, most seem to be worsted weight yarns, a few sport weight & very few baby or fingering yarn ones.  Hmmmm...

So, I found a terrific hat size & yarn type guide for Red Heart Yarns.  Most of my baby yarns are Red Heart anyways.  Even if not, its a great guideline for approximate stitches & hat sizes, plus it seems to be a good basic hat pattern for all sizes, children & adults included. 

Now that I'm armed & dangerous, it will be interesting to see what I come up with in my journey.  I'm going to have to dig through my stash & see what colors I have to play with.  I know I have loads & loads of baby blue.  Years ago, a local store went out of business & all they had left was blue, so I bought up all they had (it was really cheap)!  Of course I'll be sure to post my adventures here. 

Soon, I will be posting notes on my Dog Sweater design (see Sparky's Sweater link at right), & a new hat pattern that I've come up with after it has been "test-knitted"!  And of course, any other knitting babble I can think of!  See you soon!  

 

Second Round Of Socks

The next round of socks is a finer gauge batch.  They are great for wearing in shoes or just around the house.  These were equally as fun to do, maybe more so than the bulkier versions.  I was more inclined to try some fun patterns, particularly lacy patterns!  Plus I found some fun glitter thread that I knit along on some of them, which just adds to the fun of the sock!  These were done on about size 1 needles, with mostly fingering or sock yarns.  These take a bit longer to make, but I can do one sock in about 2 days.  Not too bad! 

First up is a spiral rib pair made in a fun yarn called Wild Parrot in Socka by Stahl.  These are for my husband, but because they have no shaping, I could wear them too.  They are just a long tube, the only shaping is at the toe.  The ribbing makes for a snug fit, no matter the size of the foot.  For him, they are crew socks, for me, they are knee socks.  Either way, they are a great fun pair!

Next is a pair made in Wildfoote from Brown Sheep.  These are also for my hubby.  They are more of a dress sock, but made from a nice blue heather yarn, could easily be worn with jeans.  This pair has a simple 4x1 ribbing to snug it up against the foot a little.  Plus it is shaped around the heel, so it fits him well.

The next pair is one of the first that I made, and its for me!  It is a lovely, soft superwash wool.  It has no ribbing, so it does tend to slide down my leg after a while.  I used a picot edge hem for the cuff, which gives it a delicate, feminine effect.  It has the heel & toe shaping of a nice fitted sock.  But I had that fun glitter yarn, so I made the heel & toe with it for a fun surprise.  If you look closely, you can see the glitter yarn is two different colors.  I had left overs from socks I previously made for my daughter, so I thought I would use it up! 

The last pair is also for me, a lovely fine cotton yarn.  I made a foldover cuff, then began one of my favorite lace patterns for the leg.  It also has some glitter yarn in the heel, which is shaped to fit my foot.  Thelace pattern continues across the top of the foot, while the bottom is a plain stockinette.  Another simple toe shaping ends it up.  These are probably my favorite pair out of all the socks I've made.  They are just beautiful when worn, the lace pattern opens up & looks so delicate!  Very fancy, but very comfortable & warm to wear!  Now I know why folks always rave about handmade socks!

Sock It To Me!

Yes, I'm still here.  Its been a slow summer for knitting projects.  I admit I don't knit as much during the summer months, though occasionally I will work on something.  Not this year.  It was way too hot to have any project sitting in my lap!  So, since things have been slow, I posting some older projects...this time SOCKS!  The next few posts will be about my sock adventures, at least until I get some knitting projects underway.  The itch is happening, now its a matter of making it reality!  Don't you just love knitting in the fall?

There is something very comfy about hand knitted socks.  I've made a variety of types, from heavy winter "boot" socks to lightweight, lacy "fancy" socks.  They are all fairly quick & easy.  Even though I've read horror stories about "turning a heel", I personally found it to be no big deal.  It was all just basic knitting techniques, & even added a bit of adventure to the whole process. 

For my first "Sockesode", here are pictures of some of my heavy boot sock adventures.  These are all made from Stahl's "Big Socks", a thick superwash wool that is very soft & cozy to knit with.  Using a size 7 needle, these all knit up very quickly, I can make one sock in a few hours, a pair in a weekend.   Plus they are very warm to wear inside slippers or winter boots. 

The first pair was for myself, a heathery creamy grey.  Made simply, with a ribbed leg & upper foot, they have a nice fitted appearance while being worn.  I had some larger leftovers, so I combined some similar colors to make a complete pair for my husband.  I made the leg, heel & part of the foot a heathery steel grey, then the upper foot & toe with the creamy grey.  he was worried that the ribbing might bother his foot, so I did a rib on the leg & left the foot section plain.  My hubby just loves these in the winter because he is not a slipper wearer, so these keep his feet comfy!

My next pair was a rosy heather with a cabled ribbed leg & a plain upper foot.  Probably my favorite thick sock because it is a slightly more feminine color, plus I had some fun with the ribbing!  I didn't want the ribbing on the foot section, because it is a stiffer stitch, & I thought it might bother my foot.   

Hope you enjoy the pictures & until next time, Happy Knitting!