Blue Moon Fiber Gals Rock!

My STR package came yesterday ... I was going to wait to open it to see if my daughter, Alcariel, also had received hers, but ..... the will power just wasn't there. The colorway is gorgeous, the pattern awesome, and the little "surprise" great! I didn't cast on yet, but will probably do so today.

I've been knitting on the clapotis for a friend from church .... I do have to do more repeats since the yarn is finer that what's suggested, but it is turning out nice. Hopefully I'll be ready for the "straight" section in the middle of the shawl. TLGB

Knee High To A Grasshopper Done!

Yes, the KHTG are completed! I even wore them to school this morning ... the high school is REALLY air-conditioned, so wool socks felt good. I did, however remove them within five minutes of arriving home for lunch. They looked soooo good with an old sweater set and slacks that I've had for over ten years, but really didn't care for the colors.

Now I'm ready to get back to the other three pairs of socks that are on the needles ..... Broad Ripple from Knitty in KP Sock Garden in a purple/pink colorway, Air-Conditioned from BMFA in Trekking in a rainbow colorway, and the Crooked Cable socks from SockBug in a pink/lavendar/blue colorway called Grandma.

I will really need a large bag for this week-end when we go to our daughter's home ... plan to have at least one marathon knitting session.

Cuteness alert ... here's a pic of my poodle with her first "big girl" poodle cut.

Time to head upstairs for some knitting therapy. TLGB

Productive Week-end

Saturday was a good day for getting the garden planted, replacing a small shrub that was mostly "winter kill", and doing some household chores. Well,...... that left the evening for knitting ... or frogging ... for some reason, I've been leaving sts too close to the end of the KP dps and they slip off ... usually on the sole side and since I haven't been counting those sts each row, discover it about 12 or so rows above and the sts were just too tight when picked up. Then today, Sunday, I see a super-sized yo about eight rows down ... don't know why that happened. Well, I am about 6 rows from starting the gusset. With DH away at a 3-day class, I should get the sock done. Before he left, I told him that the sock would be done! Hopefully the frog prince will think this weather is too humid.
TLGB

Grasshopper 1 Complete!

This afternoon my first STR KHTG sock was completed! I did leave a longer tail for the binding off and am glad ... left at least 24" and had only about 3" left. The sock fits well .... hope that the picture is clear. I just had to take the picture by one of the hostas ... they are really doing quite well here in northern Iowa.

Here's a bit of cuteness ... my DH took his hunting dog Cozi down to the family farm on Saturday. Both of our dogs tend to sleep during the day while we are at work. Well, no naps at the farm. Toffee was sleeping on Cozi's pillow when DH returned, so Cozi just cuddled in and they were both dozing.

Need to get that second KHTG started .... now that all the kinks are out of the pattern for me, it should go quicker.

TLGB

First Grasshopper Done!

The first sock is almost done .... just about 8 rows of k1p1 ribbing to go. My right hand is aching, so will stop for the night Hopefully that can be completed in the morning .... if not, after I get home from school tomorrow. Then it will be time to start the second sock.
The perenniels that I've planted the last 2-3 years are really coming up ... except for a day lily and some yarrow that was hit by the frost and didn't recover ... yet ...even though the plants next to them that were covered just the same did come back. Some friends have stated to be patient. Well .... that's not too bad. The apple tree was loaded with blossoms before the wind that we had this week-end ... it still has plenty remaining, so I hope to have a good amount of apples this year.
We have a little over three weeks of school left, so the students are getting restless. The freshmen (most of my students) don't seem to realize that the work continues through to the end of the semester. Some of them have already shut down ... hopefully, they will get a "kick" start to make it to the end of the year.
Time to get some sleep. TLGB

Lucy Bag Completed!

Couldn't go to bed last night until I had felted the Lucy Bag I had made. Here's the before picture that shows just how HUGE it was before felting. I had the DH take the pic and asked for him not to show my face ... really my hair was a mess! After about 18 minutes of hot washing, the bag was "blocked" with a Corelle breakfast plate in the bottom and every plastic grocery bag in the house stuffed inside. I had made the largest of the bags. This morning, this is what it looked like ... You can still see the zigzag design even when it was felted. The dye wasn't set too well on the yarn, Plymouth Outback Wool from Turkey, so came off on my hands as I was knitting, The color, however, isn't faded one bit.

Now I just have to get the cabled brief case sewn together and felted ... maybe even before school is over for the year (May 30 thanks to two early spring snowstorms!). I still have a couple of sweater projects .. both vests ... one for me and the other for DH.

Better get back to the STR ... am about 3" above the heel. It will be completed this week-end.

TLGB

Grasshopper Instep Fits!

Just finished the heel of the first grasshopper sock, as written,... it fits my high instep. Bravo! I started the toe on #2 LM ebony but changed to KP #1 (actually 1.5) for the foot. It fits my size 10, high instep and all. I plan on making the short socks, so should be finished in a couple of days with the first one ... just can't plan on any more "snow days" from teaching when all I do is knit.

The warmer weather, mid 70's today but lower 90's the past two days, has been nice. The perenniels are coming up as is the grass seed that we put on some bare spots in the yard. Even the warmer weather, however, never stops my knitting ... it must be in my blood. Better get back to the grasshopper. TLGB

Grasshopper ? Socks

When my sock club package arrived earlier this week,
I couldn't wait to start! I decided to try the two circs
socks, but after the second row went to dps. The toe went well, but the lacy pattern just didn't "trip my trigger." I found the second row of the pattern extremely difficult to knit ... the needle would pick the yo st fine, but balked at the p2tog st from the previous row. Finally this morning after frogging the first 6-10 rows more than once, I decided to change to a p2, k3 beaded rib for the pattern st. Hopefully this will give enough elasticity that the foot won't be soooo loose. I will probably just continue above the ankle without the increases and seam st. I'll see when I get there .. hopefully this week-end. TLGB

It's has arrived!!!!

This noon as I was rounding the last corner before home, my eyes glimpsed a red/white/blue STR envelope sticking out the top of the mailbox. Underneath was a box from Paradise Fibers with LM dps Sock Stix sizes 1-3, 47" Addi circ #1 (for magic loop try later one), and sock blockers. What could be better than two packages? .......the fantastic, scrumptious, delightful yarn sent by the ladies at BMFA.
I celebrated after my last class at school with a nutshell (almond, white chocolate) latte and a slice of strawberry delight cheesecake at one of the local coffee shops .... and read the dyer's notes and footnotes.
After supper, I just had to get started. I have almost always knit to gauge, but I did do a gauge swatch .... right one! Tried the two circs, but didn't like them .... so took out the ebony LM 2's I had just received and slipped the sts ... those I LOVE! Already have the first toe completed ... ready to get going on the foot. The pattern doesn't appear too difficult. Happy knitting is in the immediate future for me!
TLGB

I'm Waiting!!???

STR has arrived in Iowa .... just not northern Iowa. I've been patiently waiting ... haven't even seen one glimpse of the yarn ... just a few comments about it being lucious.
One of the Broadripple Socks from Knitty is knitted but the toe isn't closed yet. The STR Air-Conditioned socks is slow going ... the Trekking colorway 100 is turning out great, but it is so fine of a yarn! These are definitely going to warm my feet! The pattern isn't difficult to remember at all, so may even use this to knit in the car ... just not when it's dark since I can't "feel" the sts so well ... and my DH doesn't appreciate the map light on all the time.
TLGB

Mom-Daughter Socks

I suffered with the current bug being passed around the high school for most of the week. Thursday evening after attending church, we drove 200+ miles to our daughter's home. I spent most of Friday sleeping to recover from the sinus congestion, almost laryngitis, and tiredness. Really began feeling better Saturday evening.

Even though 200+ miles separate us, we decided to join STR from BMFA to "knit" together. Her sock box was one of the last ones received, so I had already just about finished the first sock only to discover that it didn't fit over my high instep...so frogging came about. With some modifications ... added a gusset plus heel flap, I thought they would fit .. no way! They did fit my daughter, so this week-end, we "exchanged" socks. With the comments from fellow knitters, she decided to knit her Monsoon in the RPM socks from Knitty. Here they are with the RPM on the left and Inside Out on the right.

While there I worked on some stockinette socks in KP self-patterning plum/tan/white colorway for Alcariel ... she going to call them her raspberry latte socks. Yes, she has a name for each of the 15+ pairs she has knitted. I'm also working on the foot of my last Dublin Bay sock that took a backseat once the STR box came. I hope to complete both of these socks before the next STR installment arrives.

STR Inside Out Completed!
They're done ... just need to wash them and then take them to my daughter's this week-end when we go for Easter. I finished the second sock with just 6 inches of yarn left in that half of the yarn ... the other half has about a ping pong size ball left. I'm just glad that I did finish without having to frog back to tie in new yarn. I'm glad to be finished but am grateful to BMFA for the challenges they presented and also for my own accommodations for high insteps, even though they weren't fitting me ... my daughter will be delighted to get them. I had her pick out some yarn from my sock yarn stash (about 40+) for a pair of socks ... she picked out a self-patterning yarn. I am, however, going to complete the gusset, foot, and toe of my last Dublin Bay sock that was cast aside when the STR package came.
TLGB