Actual Finished Knitting Projects

I have finished three project over the last few weeks. And although I have been doing lots of knitting nothing has been coming off the needles until now. You know me I had to keep ripping the items looked right.
Details: Magic Slippers by Sockpoxie (ravelry link). Pattern is for newborns - but I modified them to work for a 3 year old. The rose is from HERE. The leaf from HERE. Apparently she loves them, but hopefully I will get to see them on her soon. The rose is out of left over Lornas Lace (Red Rover), The slippers are made out of Claudia's Hand Painted (Ink), and the leaf is Dale of Norway.



Details: Magice Slippers. Made out of

Patons Kroy Socks Stripes. Added the button as these are for a little boy. My first baby shower in years and all the guests were very excited about the hand knit item. I'm sure they will look very sweet on the little one.

Details: A combination of sock patterns. Originally I was using a pattern but the heel directions were so awful I had to keep ripping because they did not work. So I used Azure's heel after modifing my stitch count. The ribbing is all me (very origina - I know). This is my husband's fourth pair of socks - he wants to be the cool professor with hand knit socks. Now if I could just get a pair for myself....

I hope that everyone had a safe and happy holiday season (thank GOD it is over) and that 2009 is proving to be a wonderful new adventire.

Statistics or Madonna?

Just in case you were wondering - I do still knit and am working on some projects, but for now you get to just see some finished cakes/cupcakes.

So the photo I posted previously was of Madonna. Now here is the cake finished. Madonna is made out of rolled Fondant and painted food coloring. I had a picture/stencil that I was working from but I cut it out by hand. The hair is done with my pasta maker - very handy tool in deed. The high heels on the side are cut out with the awesomest cookie cutter from my mom.





Also I made cupcakes for Jason's statistics class and thought it would be fun to put some actual statistic symbols on top.Ok here is some works in progress. Jason's almost 4th pair of socks. I have to
finish the heel on the second sock but they are almost there.

The yarn on the right will be my very first lace project: The Shetland Triangle (raverly link). It is a Bamboo/Silk combo and it is so soft. The yarn is Ella Rae and it is 70 % Bamboo, 30 % Silk - and yes it is as yummy and delicious as it sounds.

Randomness, Contests, and Socks

I am a bad blogger. I received some lovely gifts from my good friend Chan and I have yet to share the goodies. Isn't that tape measure too cute? This yarn is so soft and the colors are gorgeous - it is called mystic lake which is the perfect name.

I also wanted to share 2 of my birthday gifts as they were pretty freakin cool. My sockapalooza pal who lives in Portland, Oregon, who I got to meet on my trip home, made me an awesome bag. The funny thing is I had been salivating over this very fabric even before our plans had been finalized. She is a great gal, a great friend and it is all thanks to knitting and socks that we met and got to know each other. The other killer gift was made by my very talented mom. She knows exactly what I like in a bag - lots of pockets and compartments to keep my stuff organized (or at least allowing the attempt to organize)


Now for some knitting content: I am officially in love with toe up socks and knitting them at the same time on 2 circulars. This method is by far and away the best I have done yet. Although I may be jumping the gun as I have not gotten to the heal and gusset yet, but I still think I will love this method. I am knitting Azure. It is a great pattern, well written and beautiful. I probably didn't choose the best yarn coloring for this pattern, because the whale patterns gets lost - but I still love it. These are socks for the husband - who seems to think that he will be known as the professor with the cool socks. What he doesn't understand is that I just don't knit fast enough - or perhaps it is just that I do a lot of reading too? Or maybe I just need more hours in the day.

It will be a year ago on the 1st of March that I started this knitting blogging venture. It has been quite a ride. It all started from my friend Michele who started her own blog and I thought that was pretty swell so I jumped on board. I have made many a friend through this wonderful knitting/blogging community. Although my posting has not been as much as I would like since the dreaded holiday season I do hope to get back to my regularly scheduled blogs. In anticipation of my bloganniversary I am holding a CONTEST! I will have all the details up on Wednesday. Come back and play along - I promise it will be an easy one.

These Socks Were Made For Walking

And that is just what they will do....I finished my 3rd pair of socks and Jason is the lucky recipient. The first pair I finished shown here to the right are not my favorite. It was a sock that I learned by and I am grateful for that and thankful that I am a better sock knitter now. The second pair I finished was for sockapalooza. These I am in love with and wish I could have kept them for me. And lastly the ones I just finished (while the Red Sox lost in the 11th Freaking inning - and for those of you who don't know there are only 9 innings and the Indians scored 7 runs in the last inning. UGH! So I stayed up to watch my team loose, ain't that the pits. But it is only the 2nd game and they still have a chance....) I am very pleased with these socks. The pattern is Undulating Rib Socks by Ann Budd (one of my favorite pattern writers, great turned heel and great instructions). I will not point out the mistakes in these socks, but those could have been helped if I hadn't had so much time between the first and second or if I had kept better notes. Although my notes seemed to be detailed - my slash marks and such mislead me. But I have learned my lesson and plan on either taking better notes or not leaving so much time in between.

Here is the close up of the pattern which is so unique and super easy once you get started! The sock is in Lorna's Lace Gold Hill. Wish there was a bit less of the purple, but what can you do. I needed the yarn and there were very few colors that had 2 skeins and being the impatient gal I am sometimes - I bought the most boy looking color I could find.

I am thinking of doing a toe up this time, which I am excited about and looking forward to trying - and this time they will be for me. Any tips?

And Then There Were Two....

Red's twin is finished! This sock went much faster then the first, but looks just as pretty in my opinion (I'm biased of course). These are for send off between August 2 -7th. Now just to finish adding a few little things to the box...

The Info:

• The Pattern: Uptown Boot Socks By, Jennifer L. Appleby ('Favorite Socks' by, Interweave Press')
• The Yarn: Lorna's Lace in Red Rover (gorgeous color way, love this yarn).
  
• No Mods, just adjustment for foot size.
  

This pattern requires a bit of note taking and check marks. The pattern is subtle, but well worth the finished product. Now just to wash, block and send off.

My Loopy Ewe Package just arrived and I had to put red on the blockers to test them out. What to you think?? No I didn't buy and yarn although I really had to force myself to stop from clicking 'add to cart'. Check this store out for your sock needs, Sheri has a great yarn selection as well as lots of other goodies to see.

Off to Europe: A bit of knitting to say Bon Voyage

Just finished packing for our 2 week trip and let me say the clothes were far easier to pack then the knitting. Questions running through my mind...."Will the TSA take this away from me?, Will they let me have 5 different types of needles?, Do I have to have something on the needles? How many skeins of yarn is too many? How many socks can I finish in a 2 week period? Should I take the tank top to or would 3 pairs of socks and a tank be too many things?"

These are just a few of the things I had to ponder while packing up my knitting. What I have decided is that I will only take the socks - because if by chance I finish all of that knitting I also am bringing a book and as much as I want to take all of my projects - that would require another bag.

So even though these are pictures of projects I finished sometime ago - I wanted to share some of my 'firsts'.


Below is my first 'me' project. The pattern is from Debbie Bliss and I used a cotton blend for my version.
This is a hat I made for my father-in-law for christmas.
Lastly my very own 'fetching' gloves.







Enjoy and Happy Memorial Day! Here's to Grilling, Swimming, Knitting, and Family time or whatever you have planned for this beautiful weekend!!!

We have a Sock

It is finished (or at least the first one is). I am pleased with how it turned out, although I should have started working on the toe sooner then I did, but oh well with every sock there is a lesson. After these socks I plan on making myself a pair in the pattern I chose for my sock pal.
And thanks to Anne I have the yarn I am going to use.

I am going to cast on for the 2nd sock soon after this post so hopefully it will go a bit faster now that I have finished one.

With every sock I think I learn a bit more about the Kitchener Stitch, decreasing, and shaping the toe. I do hope that I also get better with each sock, because I want to make sure that the sock that I make for my pal is the best that it can be (don't want to disappoint her).

Happy Socks!

I do Knit - I swear!

Here is a progress report on my husband's sox. I know that my last few posts have been none knitting related, so I thought I would pop in some actual knitting to my knitting blog. I am really loving how this sock is turning out. Ann Budd is an amazing designer and a skilled knitter.

My only problem with this sock so far is the gap between the DPN on the bottom of the foot has some spaces between the stitches. Under normal circumstances I would rip - but I don't know how to fix this. Anyone have any suggestions out there?

I am loving the color way in this yarn. I have broken 1 needle so far (note to self do not try on sock with wooden needles attached - sighs dramatically). Lorna's Lace is very soft and it is even machine washable, which makes me very happy. Must stop typing now, need to finish sock!

And then there were 2: Jason's Sox finished

Behold the finished pair of socks. This is my first try at socks and lets just say that I am pleased. The very first try at the turning the heel I had to rip back, but from there on it was a breeze. I look forward to knitting more socks. They are a very satisfying project. Socks have all kinds of positives going for them - very portable, lots of colors and sizes to choose from, really cool variations in patterns, relatively quick knit for quick project gratification.

They are also a great filler between bigger projects!! And who doesn't love a few 'WIP' on the needles at all times. And really who wouldn't want a nice pair of hand knit socks?

I only used 2 skeins of yarn so I get to return one which normally wouldn't excite me, except that there is not much I would want to use this particular color for except 'Jason's Sox'.

Now all that is left is a good wash and then for the weather to be winter again so my husband can actually wear the socks. Oh but wait, here in Boston it seems that winter is here a bit longer (unfortunately).

Socks, Socks, Socks

This is my first attempt at socks. I found these on Knitty and wanted to try them out. Jason will be the lucky receipent of these. Knitting the main body of the sox is super easy. I use double point bamboo needles.
I find these the easiest to use. I had a bit of trouble with turning the heel, but I cleared that up after the first try. Picking up the gusset stitches wasn't too bad; I only hope that it will fit after I am finished.