Cozy...

The sock thing was really getting to me. I had so many bad starts and then I would start to get somewhere only to realize there was a teeny, tiny mistake so I would frog it back and then go again for awhile only to realize I had picked up the pattern at the wrong point and it was all just wrong, wrong, WRONG!

So the sock thing aside for a little while...I have moved on to "Cozy"! This pattern is from Knitty and I have been wanting to try it from the first time I saw it and so...here I am...doing it...doing the Cozy wrap. I am totally loving it too. The pattern is easy enough, except for the f@#&*!! k2tog tbl. I hate those!! I mean I really hate those and this pattern has a few. But that stitch aside, it looks much better than this crappy picture.


Maybe I will try the sock thing again soon...now that I have gotten over the stress of not getting it right, over and over again. Cozy helped me get through that. Maybe I will be able to cuddle up with Cozy and knit some socks. Yeah, I would like that.

Left turn!

So I've changed my mind and switched to the Roza's socks from the latest issue of Interweave. I just happened to have two skeins of Lorna's Laces "Shepherd Sock" yarn! What luck. I am loving the pattern. Quite simple. That's me. Simple.
You can see I actually started them so there is some hope that I may finish them...some hope I did say.
The motivation to dump my over crammed with unused box store crappy everyday socks drawer and start fresh with lovely hand made delightful knit socks for every day of the week keeps me pressing on toward the goal...one more pair of finished socks!

Knitting Nostalgia











I found this awesome little knitting kit on the American Red Cross website.
I couldn't resist. I ordered it one day and it arrived the next. Talk about service!
Check out the contents!











It comes complete with the 1940's knitting pattern for "Serviceman's Socks", 4 orange plastic knitting needles, a finishing needle and one 4oz skein of "Olive Drab" wool yarn. You betcha that's 100% wool! All in a handy, dandy little tin box.

There is also a little story about knitting socks for the Second World War.











It is completely patriotic and inspiring enough to make one want to "knit your bit".

Quick fix project for hopefully instant results. This will be a vest with some ribbon accent and yes that is acrylic yarn...deep breath. I just liked the sparkle and the color alot and thought it might be an easy wear. What the heck, you never know till you try right?
Anyway, I like wearing vests over my shirts and in keeping with my new desire to create my own wearables this is project number two on the needles. I am hoping to have this one done by the end of this weekend.

Starting another project...I really have the urge to knit socks. I'm tired of those chain store flavorless white cottons that lack personality. I want to wrap my feet in warm wooly goodness seven days a week.
I think I need to give my knitting purpose...something that will drive me to finish my projects...like knit to wear, not just knit to knit. I mean really why wouldn't you want to have a full wardrobe of completely one of a kind wonderfully creatively conjured textile originals.
So I will start with socks and hopefully move on to finish a sweater or a skirt or a top or a pair of pants...
oh if I could only find more time in every day for a little more knitting.

Mr. Sock Bunny...Ears is his name.

Made from the original sock monkey/bunny pattern I googled out on the net. Whipped together in a few hours one evening for my youngest guy who is five. Spent the next evening knitting his shorts, vest and scarf. He has already been replaced by a new stuffy named scruffles the dog. Sigh.

MIL is AOK!

Actually I'm loving the results! The muted striping of the Noro yarn is much nicer than the picture portrays. I think this will make a fine V-day gift for my MIL. Now I just have to make one, in a slightly different color variation, for her sister. This may provide opportunity for disaster. Keeping my fingers crossed.

"MIL Hat"

Out of the Blue a hat for the MIL and I'm really hoping this turns out as well as I want it too...as you can see it is not finished, and the finish is the entire anticipation of the whole project... which is why I LOVE the whole felted hat process. You have this vision in your head and you knit and you envision and you throw it recklessly into a tub of hot water and agitate until you think you have agitated enough and you pray that the sizeing is right and you tug and you shape and you envision and you re-envision and you shape and you push and you pat and you pull and stretch and then... well you let it sit for hours of endless waiting and hoping and pacing and anticipating and then you put it on again and look and gaze and well...either you smile and continue or you take that deep breath and sigh and let it go and try to think of a way to resurrect it in some other fashionable way...and if not...well...I'm hoping this time, this one turns out the way I envision...out of the blue...

Yarn: Gjestal & Noro 100% wool

The red hat.
I have been busy with hats lately. I'm enjoying the mindless knitting and having fun experimenting with the felting process. It's very stress free and relaxing. You can watch TV while you do it and sometimes you even get a response from the family like "Wow, how did you do that?" I like to give them a grin like I've figured out some ancient secret that is very complex and mystical.
Here my daughter is dismayed with me that I am forcing her to model the hat when she hasn't spent at least two hours preparing for the photo shoot.

"Magenta Cloche"

Down to the wire but I managed to finish something before the new year. Not that I finish many things but it sure feels good to be able to say I finished another project for 2006.

Actually this was a last minute thing that I started yesterday and was so much fun to make that I had to see it through.

Mr Snowman cookie jar was more than happy to be my model and said that he would even consider trading in his top hat for one of these if it was the right color!

Wool: Gjestal, approx. 100g hank :)

Merry Christmas!

Just an update on my progress with the Cinnabar scarf from Magknits. I changed the pattern repeat somewhat and decided to go with the "double ribbed mock cable" all the way through instead of breaking it up with the "seafoam" pattern. I like the flow better. I also love the color of the merino wool from Painted Yarns and the way it is creating a shadow effect across the scarf as I knit. Sigh...I love this scarf which is going to make it hard to give away as a gift for my mother's birthday. I do however have until March to finish and admire it.

Something new before the New Year...

I needed a quick start little something for a boring flight to Houston this last week...something fun and easy to take along. I ran across the Cinnabar scarf on Magknits and the picture inspired me. An easy lace pattern and some beautiful 100% merino from Painted Yarns was all I needed to be easily sidetracked with another project. I don't think I have finished anything lately, even though I keep telling myself I should!! Oh well, maybe that would be a great New Year's resolution...then again, maybe not! :)

Ahoy there!
Skulls and crossbones...makes for a totally teenager type toque...that a too cool 17 year old girl would wear...even out in public...in front of her friends and all!
Actually the toque was supposed to be for her brother but of course it didn't fit. So hopefully on my third attempt at this skull and cross bones pattern I will get the sizing right. He has totally lost faith in me I am quite certain.

Done with Diamonds!!

Finally, another finished project. I started this throw last year with the intent of giving it as a Christmas gift. After hours of stitching the squares together and the dilemma of figuring out how to do the crochet edge, I gave up. The guilt of it sitting in the UFO basket all this time finally weighed so heavy on my mind that I couldn't stand it staring at me any longer and I pulled it out last night and finished it. Thanks to "The Happy Hooker" I sorted out the crochet edge and planted myself with a glass of wine and worked away until it was done. I think it only took me a couple of hours. Sad really that it had to sit so long unloved and unadored.

The pattern is from the Family Circle Easy Knitting Holiday 2004 issue. OMG this really was a long time in the making!

Now I can't decide if I should give it away or keep it all for myself!

Tadaa! Tattoo Toque!

It finally came to me in sweet epiphany as I hovered over the bargain bin of sale yarns at my LYS. For a long time now I have wanted to knit something for my DH that he would actually wear and love not just because I made it for him with my own sweat and tears (and of course lots of cursing) but because it was something that he could wear proudly. An original work of art created by his beloved wife. Something that reflects his own personal taste. So as I gazed at all the skeins of rich wool marked down by 50%, (my husband loves anything that is on sale so it is ok to buy something as long as you got a good deal!) the vision of this toque filled my knitting thoughts. I bought the wool, rushed home and sketched and then knit for a whole afternoon while he went skating with our little guy. And voila! the toque was a hit. He loved it! I was so relieved.

Now maybe I can finish some of my other projects!

Blueberry is very.........................

Ahhh, finally an update on the blueberry moehair topdown raglan. The model is my ever stylish eleven year old son. Getting him to put this sweater on and model it for a photo was no small challenge. I promised I would leave his face out of the photo which is a shame because he really is soooo cute. Anyway you get the idea of how it is coming along.......slowly! I do however intend to have it ready by the time the snow flies, which around here could likely be any day now!

Gauntlets....but not forgotten.

Finally a picture of the finished pair of gauntlets, or as some people like to call them, fingerless mitts. (I know, not a very good one but the photographer was a little cranky.) Proof that I can actually finish something.

I can hardly wait for some real fall weather to have an opportunity to wear them outside instead of just walking around my house in my pj's grinning like I am the queen or something 'cause I actually knit a finished project. Not that I am trying to hurry winter along or anything, because I am not quite finished my top down raglan! I definitely want to have that done before the snow flies!

Whoa Nelly.......

Where did this last month go!

I started a Top Down Raglan. My next experiment in knitting delights. You can't really tell from the picture but the yarn is Jo Sharp..mmmm...Rare Comfort, Infusion Kid Mohair in Blueberry. Doesn't that just sound yummy!

So I had to go to Manitoba for the long weekend for a family reunion....yawn...no really the reunion part was ok but damn if that isn't a long drive! 11 plus hours and to top it all off the schnauser was sick. Yep, sick schnauser with the sh#ts and yacking every 20 minutes in a compact car doing 110 down the number 1.

"Honey he's farting! Pull over I thing he has to go!"

" Honey he's heaving, stop the car I think he's gonna hurl."

"Honey, who's idea was it to bring the dog on this family vacation anyway?"

So instead of enjoying the never ending scenery of Saskatchewan and catching up on small talk, my DH and I dealt with the dog's illness and tried not to blame or be blamed for bringing the beloved family pet on our only car trip of the entire summer vacation.

Oh yeah, and I started the Trekking socks but decided to make them for myself as my husband doesn't think he would like home made socks...ahem!!!! So now the WIP tally is two sweaters and one pair of socks.

I think my dear Aunt Nelly would be proud.

Easily distracted...........

What was I going to say. Oh yeah. I know I've only almost completed the back of my cardigan. I finished the gauntlets but I still want to post a picture of them on actual hands. I have yarn in my stash to do that shawl that I keep dreaming about but am too terrified to start. I still haven't started the mans Trekking socks, but really that's only because I am trying to learn this cool new way of casting on toe up socks. I have been checking out others blogs and drooling over their finished projects and wishing I could be so disciplined. So yeah, I guess you could say I'm easily distracted. My husband says I have ADD and he might just be right, but I like to think I am a dedicated multi tasker.

Anyway, I bought "The Happy Hooker" by Deb Stoller and now I am distracted by the art of crochet. I don't think I like it as much as knitting. I mean I am pretty sure I don't but I thought it would be a handy thing to add to my repertoire.

So I have spent much of my weekend doing and redoing this simple little project just for the sheer enjoyment of learning something new and crafty. Working with textiles in any form is sheer bliss to me and if it makes me smile, and swear a little bit sometimes, that's a good thing. Right Martha?