Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Happy New Year




Happy New Year to one and all!

I've gotten a lot of knitting done this past week -- one entire fingerless mitt and am casting on the other today. Windy and cold here so will be a good knitting day. Unfortunately, I must run a few errands.

Otherwise the furbabies and I wanted to say Happy New Year. May it bring you health, happiness and lots of knitting time!
In the photos we have:
Golden Retrievers -- Brandeis (almost 13), Stratton (10) and Teddy Bear (5 1/2)
Kitties -- Patches (10) and Lily (almost 10)
A final note to 2008 knitting -- Irene loved her socks! She saw a pair I was wearing that were knitted from self-striping yarn and really liked them. I didn't think she would like stripes. So, next year's will be stripes. Choosing the yarn for her was almost half the battle.
New Year knitting content later in the week -- I promise.

Monday, December 22, 2008

It's a pair!

The second sock is now finished. Need I say more...ummm...I don't think so.

Next up are the fingerless mitts for Celeste's birthday in mid-January. I am doing a big of pattern altering...nothing major...just making the cuffs two inches longer than called for in the pattern. I let Celeste pick what she wanted and also the yarn. The longer cuffs are her request. These mitts will be perfect for dog walking.

Thursday, December 18, 2008

The Ultimate Match...yarn and a pattern











Many people do a better job than I at purchasing yarn...well, at least they are better organized. They have chosen their pattern and then buy their yarn. Sounds reasonable. Yep. And, sometimes I do it that way. But most of the time I buy the yarn and then find the pattern. Such is the story with my rose and grey colored Baby Bunny yarn from Tess' Designer Yarns. I purchased it at Stitches East in November. As you can see the two colors are gorgeous and rich and where they meet they create a subtle shade of purple. The fibers are superwash merino wool, angora and nylon for some strength and memory. Aaahhh...heaven! Did I have a pattern in mind? Of course not! But I do now.

Yesterday I logged onto the free on-line quarterly knitting magazine Knitty and began looking through their free patterns for this issue. There are at least 20 on the site and they are really nice. I think this is a great magazine -- and the price can't be beat! I digress..sorry...

I came across a beautiful lacy but not too lacy neckwarmer called Poinsettia (please see photo -- taken from the Knitty site). Lo and behold the designer is Anne Hanson who creates dozens of gorgeous knitting patterns for her company, Knitspot. I have bought a lot of her scarf and shawl patterns and they are all on my to-do list.

But this neckwarmer is just what I have been looking for and it will be perfect for my yarn. A bit lacy and the design is perfect to show off the yarn.

Is this project next? No, it is second in line. Celeste's fingerless mitts are next. That darn sock is still haunting me. Absolutely no knitting so far this week but hopefully that will change tonight. I'm on a vacation day tomorrow and we are supposed to get snow, so I am planning on knitting.

Are you all done with your holiday knitting projects?

Sunday, December 14, 2008

STILL Not Finished

These socks for Irina that were mentioned in my last post seem to have taken on a life of their own...they still are NOT finished. I am relieved to say I am two inches from beginning the toe decrease on the second sock. Can't wait to be done with them. I don't care for the yarn which why I think I am not done with them. They are really nice when knitted, soft but strong and Irina will love them...I hope.

Am anxious to begin my next project which is for Celeste's birthday in January. Yes, I know January is just around the corner. More on this in the next post.

Hope this finds everyone well.

Thursday, December 04, 2008

These Socks Are Knit for Walkin'...




I am making progress albeit slowly on my socks for Irina. Fortunately, I have a few weeks until Christmas. One is done!!! Yeah!!! and the other has gusset decreases finished which leaves me with the remainder of the foot and closing of the toe. Hopefully these will be done by Sunday.

The yarn has been a problem for me to knit...it is a beautiful twist of a wonderful mix of colorways but the twist is loose causing me to split stitches. I'm sure it is me and not the yarn, just sayin'. I think I solved the problem when I was at Stitches last month...I purchased a set of 6" Stiletto dpns in size 2 which is my most frequently used dpn size. They are very pointed, yes even more so than the Knit Picks Harmony needles which is LOVE, and are wonderful to work with. Wasn't sure I would like the metal but don't mind it a bit and these socks are moving right along. Love watching that ball of yarn decrease in size! Progress. That's a good thing.

Spent a nice Thanksgiving holiday in NJ and got to meet up with Roberta in Princeton on Saturday afternoon. I have really missed her since she moved to San Antonio in March and it was soooo good to see her again. We had a nice visit and promised not to let 8 months go by again without seeing each other. Hope that is the reality and not just a plan.

I have a pair of fingerless mitts I want to knit for a friend for Christmas but might not get them done in time. Fortunately, her birthday is in mid-January! Whew! Will show that yarn in the next post because I hope by then it will be on the needles.

Also have a scarf in progress for myself from yarn I purchased at MD Sheep & Wool Festival in 2007. It is a soft, lucious hand-dyed worsted weight wool. Is knitting nicely. More on it in a future post.