Spinning Sue

Hmmmmm...

I haven't got a lot to say today but I do have progress pics so I'll let them do most of the talking.

I took this pic yesterday and am now about an inch from starting the toe of the second clown barf sock. I should finish them today. Mum will be getting these as I really don't fancy the colourway any more. She doesn't like me calling them clown barf though so for her they will be re-named - psycho parrot! :-) The next pair will be started on Thursday for Summer of Socks.

The sweater is progressing nicely. The sleeves are the perfect length and I have plenty of yarn left to make the body as long as I like. I love this! I can't wait to finish it and to be able to wear it.

Mystery Stole KAL

I've joined up for Melanie's Mystery Stole 3 KAL. Sign-ups are open until 6th July and clues are released each week from 29th June. I'm using the vintage Jaeger Faerie Spun I bought a couple of years ago from eBay and still have loads left. The recommended colours to fit the stole's story are black, white or other similar colours and this is 'Frost Grey' so I think it should work well. I'll be using 3.5mm needles and the beads are clear silver lined 8/0 seed beads.

The swatch looks good so now I just have to wait for the first clue.

Clown Barf And Other Knitting

I've cast on another pair of socks. Its okay... I know its an addiction. I'm knitting these with Regia Bamboo colour #1062. I'm calling them my 'clown barf' socks because there is every colour of the rainbow in these and then some. The actual sock knitted up isn't quite as retina searingly bright as you might expect. The yarn is shiny, silky and soft. I have great hopes for this pair. :-) I'm about halfway down the leg now.

The self-designed, or maybe self-math-worked-out, top down raglan is progressing. I've decided to knit the sleeves before the body because I am quite particular about the length of sleeves. I like either 3/4 length or long enough to come about halfway down my hands. I know if I don't get the length right I won't wear the sweater. The body length isn't so critical as long as it hits at least just below my waist.  I'll have enough yarn but I want to make sure the arms are okay. I like the Sirdar Salsa both to knit with and as a knitted up fabric.

Square number 2 for Lizard Ridge is complete. This is Noro Kureyon colour #92. I have been a real slacker knitting (or not) these squares so I have set myself a target of at least a square a month.

Victorian Lace Socks

I've finished the Victorian Lace socks from the Six Sox KAL. I think these are so pretty. Mum will get them tomorrow for her birthday along with the other pair of socks I made for her. They are knit on 2.5mm bamboo dpns with Posh Yarn Lucia sock yarn in the colour 'Kiss Me' from the February '07 sock club. The only changes I made to the pattern was to not knit the eyelets along the side of the foot and I did a standard toe rather than the short row toe in the pattern.

Time Warp

I received my Ravelry invite last night and since then I've done very little other than add pictures and descriptions of yarn and projects to it. It is the most amazing site. I've wanted to have a project, stash, book, needle etc database for a while but just couldn't be arsed to do it. Ravelry is great because the infrastructure is there already and you only have to fill in the details.

It has been set up by Frecklegirl and her partner and they've done most of the work themselves. They've been overwhelmed by the interest shown and apparently there have been complaints about them not getting the invites out quick enough. I waited a couple of weeks for my invite and have to admit to a twinge of whiney jealousy when I saw a post on other blogs praising the site. I wouldn't whinge to the site's creators though because I think they deserve nothing but praise for coming up with a great idea and creating it for free for us knitters. So if you haven't had your invite yet - don't despair! Get your stash, FOs and WIPs photographed and documented so you'll be ready to party when the invite comes.

Ravelry should come with a warning though... I've lost most of the last 24 hours to it. Its an incredible time eater. I've spent way too much time looking at everyone's yarn and projects. Fun!

Before the invite came, I had been knitting!

First up, the top-down raglan I'm designing myself as I go along. I'm making it with Sirdar Salsa DK in 'Moonlight'. Its a hard colour to photograph - fuzzy black plied with purple and blue. I have a confession... I like stocking stitch... in the round... weird I know. I find it relaxing and like that I don't have to concentrate too hard on it. Just knit, knit, knit, knit round and round and round and...

Victorian Lace Socks from the Six Sox KAL. I'm knitting these with the Feb '07 Posh Yarn sock club yarn called 'Kiss Me'. I think the combination of the lacy pattern and variegated pinks is really girly and pretty. Sock two is on the needles and I might give these to Mum as an extra birthday surprise if I get them finished in time. I'm a bit behind thanks to Ravelry!

Now I have to go shove all my sock yarn back in its tub. I was slightly shocked to discover I have enough sock yarn for 30 pairs of socks. 10 of those pairs could be made from Posh Yarn...

Gulp!

Sockapalooza Finito

Well, obsession can sometimes be a good thing. :-)

After finishing the first sock for my Sockapalooza pal I was going to give socks a rest for a few days and work on some other knitting.

The sock had a different idea.

It called to me. Cajoled. Whispered. Pleaded. Downright demanded that it be started immediately.

So Monday afternoon I cast on. Wednesday morning I cast off. The socks have had a bath, done their photo shoot and now need to sit around waiting for almost two months before being packed off abroad. Yes, my socks will be off on an international adventure come the middle of July. I also have plenty of time to think about what else to put in my pal's parcel!

:-)

Oooops! Forgot the nerdy bit!
Yarn: Opal Feeling colour #1703, heels in Opal Uni colour #1419
Needles: 2.5mm metal dpns
Pattern: Ridged Feather from 'Sensational Knitted Socks' by Charlene Schurch
Modification: Short row heel rather than the 'forethought' heel from the book

Sockapalooza 4

The first sock for my Sockapalooza 4 pal is finished. I decided to do a short row heel rather than the afterthought heel in Sensational Knitted Socks.

Now to cast on for sock two.

Sox on Sunday

Mum's birthday socks are finished. I still love this pattern and will be making it again for myself even though I got a bit bored on the foot of the second sock. The pattern is Bells & Whistles from IK Holiday 2006. I used Opal Uni colour #1411 and 2.75mm Brittainy Birch dpns.

There are many things I liked about this pattern, no the least being the way the pattern carries down onto the heel and top of the foot.

I'm almost finished the first of my Sockapalooza 4 pal's socks, I'll post a pick when its finished.

I've also joined up for Summer of Socks 2007 because whatever else ends up on the needles you just know there will be socks in progress as well. :-)

Errrr....

Yup - its socks.

I know I said I wouldn't be knitting any socks while I concentrated on a few other things but whaddaya know? I lied! ;-)

These were started on Saturday, 5th May and finished just over a week later on the 14th. They are the usual toe up, 60 stitch short row heel non-pattern only this time I used Wendy's new cast on. I like it and will use it again. The yarn is Opal Rainforest Doktorfisch knit on 2.5mm dpns. I started them because my cousin was visiting and I wanted something small and plain to knit so I could concentrate on catching up on all the gossip.

I love my cousin, she is one of the world's bestest people. I also taught her two kids to knit. George almost got it but Sophie was too easily distracted although convinced she would have knitted a teddy bear by the end of the day! Who knows if it will stick but at least they've had a go.

Next are a pair of socks for Mum for her birthday on June 8th. The pattern is the Bells & Whistles socks from IK Holiday Gifts 2006 and the yarn is Opal Uni colour #1411, quite a dark brown. I think I started these last Friday and finished the first sock yesterday, the second sock is already in progress. The pic on the right is a close up of the toe. I've wanted to do this toe for a while and like it even more now that I've knit it. This pattern is an absolute delight to knit and I will definitely be knitting a pair for myself.

Last sock - for my Sockapalooza 4 pal. I thought long and hard about what to do for this. My pal is easy-going about pattern but quite specific about colour and yarn. She wanted machine washable so I decided to go for Opal Feeling in colour #1703, shades of blue and black. The pattern I eventually settled on is 'Ridged Feather' from Charlene Schurch's 'Sensational Knitted Socks'. There's no rush for these as I need to have them done by mid-July so I can post them in time to arrive for August 2nd. Hint, hint - need long time to arrive at destination... ;-)

I did have a play with some other knitting. I initially cast on for a bottom up raglan for myself but it was ginormous rather too large! So I've re-calculated for a top-down this time and will cast on for it when I finish Mum's socks.

A rainbow picture from Monday.

Just because.

And that is the week that was! :-)

 

Doll Doll

Latest pair of socks finished last Friday. Yarn is from Piece of Beauty in the 'Doll Doll' colourway and was a gift from Purlpower in the Hot Socks exchange. Knit in my standard 'non-pattern' - 60 stitches, toe-up, short rowed toes and heels.

There are now no socks on the needles!!! I've decided to give sock knitting a break for a bit and concentrate on a couple of other things. This will probably only last till about Wednesday...

;-)