Serendipity Socks Completed!

I wanted to finish the January shipment from RSC before the March shipment came ..... well, I missed it by about 5 hours. The socks are completed .... now on to the Jacobean Socks for another KAL. Here's the pic of the finished socks ... I didn't like the way the short row heel looked,so did do the heel flap and short row heel turn. I did use the star toe that was part of the pattern. I'm also using these for the SAM5 KAL for my March socks.

The March shipment is a gorgeous colorway and I do like the pattern. It's top down ... will probably wait a couple of weeks before starting. Better get back to knitting. TLGB

SOTS 2 and RSC Socks

Didn't get the SOTS 2 finished on time, but I'm going to try to finish this week ..... I'm about done with Hint #7, so just have #8 and #9 to do completely. The increasing that was done has been decreased, so it's just straight knitting. I feel a lot more confident in knitting from a chart after this KAL.
DD informed this afternoon that she had received her March RSCshipment from BMFA,......so mine isn't here, yet. Probably tomorrow ..... guess I'd better finish the January socks tonight. DD had knitted the Serendipity socks, but they tended to fall down on her .... so enter Mom's tighter knitting and they will fit to a tee. I've worn the socks she knitted this past week and they are fine .... on me, that is. DD inherited the skinnier legs from DH's family .... not the abundant hips and legs from my family genes. Here's a pic of progress so far ..... about 12 rows remain on the pattern and then I start the toes. I tried the short row heel of the pattern, but didn't care for it .... frogged .... and did my usually heel flap with heel turn. These will also fulfill my participation in the SAM5 KAL for March. TLGB

SOTS Hint #6 Completed

After a break from SOTS 2 this week-end when I was knitting on the RSC Serendipity socks from their Jan. club offering, I got back to the stole last night, this morning (a two-hour late start due to snow .....again!), and after school ..... Hint #6 is completed. I just pinned the stole to our drapery .... didn't feel like taking an hour or so to do it on a board as I've done previously. Now .... on to Hints #7, #8, and #9. Others who have already completed the stole said that these go fast. Well, I had done so well keeping up through Hint #5 in late March. For some reason, I just didn't feel like working on it, so worked on some smaller projects. Now, I'm ready .... well, the stole is to be completed this week. Don't believe I'll make that ..... maybe by next Monday since we have a long week-end break from school.

I've completed the Serendipity socks through the gussets .... want dd to try them on since the ones that she knitted were a bit loose for her. We'll trade .... I already have the ones that she knitted, but won't wear them until I finish hers. I'm also just starting the gussets for the River Rapids Socks that are for someone special that I just met a while back. Well, back to knitting! TLGB

SOTS 2 Progress

I've been frantically working on SOTS 2, trying to catch up, somewhat. I've completed about half of Hint #6, so will do serious knitting this afternoon after school and tonight to get that completed and get Hint #7 started. Hopefully, I can get some of Hint #8 done before the week-end ends. The final hint is to be posted today, so that will have to be done the first part of the week. I was doing soooooo well through Hint #4, but fell behind when conference time came at school and a lot of other "busy"ness there. Now things have slowed down a little, so knitting will progress.

I need to finish the Serendipity socks and get another pair started ..... hopefully, there won't be any more "snow days" where school is dismissed ...... those are my knitting "marathon" times. We've had enough of those here in northern Iowa for one year. TLGB

A Late Hint #5!

Hint 5 for SOTS 2 was late ... just finished it earlier this evening. The final hint, #9, comes out on Friday, so I am behind ..... but this is one item that will be finished. I hadn't done any knitting on the stole since the Des Moines Metro Knitters Retreat on Feb. 23-24 ... only did a couple of rows there. I decided to lay it aside and work on some "less Intense" knitting ..... yup, "mindless knitting". I did lengthen the stole by two repeats at the center of the stole, accounting for about 2.5 additional inches.

I'm been working on the January socks for RSC, Serendipity. I have both socks on ml finished through the heels ..... I did change the short row heel to a heel flap and heel turn. Hopefully, I can get them finished this week-end. I'm also in the SKP2008 KAL, so need to start those socks in some DIC Smooshy sock yarn.

While visiting dd last week-end in Omaha, visited the new and vastly improved Personal Threads LYS. Both of us purchased two different color groupings of Galway Worsted for the Infant/Toddler Tulip Sweater from Dream In Color. We both ordered kits with the DIC yarn, but decided to try other yarn. DD has 6+ friends that are expecting before summer is over, so she is already finishing her 3 Tulip Sweater. TLGB

What a Great Time!

My dd and I met in Des Moines on Feb. 23-24 for the Metro Knitters Winter Retreat. Over 40 knitters were registered and did we ever knit. The two of us went up to the motel room around 12:30 a.m. after having started knitting at 1:00 p.m. We were down again in the morning about 8:00 to start knitting until a little before noon. There were breaks, however, especially for the snacks that everyone had brought to share. I learned a couple of helpful techniques from those present and just enjoyed talking with the other ladies to see what favorite knitting projects each had. Talking with Tamara, the area knitting "professor", she made me inspired me to try "toe-up" socks again. I have a terribly high instep, so have adjusted top-down patterns to accomodate that .... not so with toe-up for me. Well, so I started the Dec. 2008 Rocking Sock Club selection with a pattern by Cat Bordhi .... well, I CO my usual sts .... finished the toe, thought it looked a bit wide, but also thought it would draw in with the foot ..... it did somewhat ..... I finished the patterned instep, learned a new way for a toe-up heel .... really liked it .... and then tried the sock on again ..... it was huge. I contemplated just using them as slipper socks, but decided that I liked the yarn too much to not wear it more. So ..... to the frog pond they went .... back to the toe for the next smallest size. That's all I have left of both socks since I do 2 on ml .... here's the pic before the froggin' session.
The last time we visited dd, she had ordered some Tulip Sweater kits .... here's the sweater (size 2) so far .... it will be for our newest neighbor, little Savannah across the street.

I haven't been working on the SOTS2 for the past couple of weeks .... finally decided to increase the length at the very middle ..... have the first repeat done of the increase with two more to go.... am behind two hints so will work more on it at dd's this week-end. Since we had parent-teacher conferences this week, we don't have school on Friday .... I'll get an early start.

TLGB

Cascading Leaves Completed!

I told my dd that I intended to finish the Cascading Leaves socks from yarn that she spun for me this week-end. It just happened, so here they are --

The pattern is Cascading Leaves by Jeanie Townsend, knit on KP #3 using ml with hand-spun yarn from Crown Mt. Farms roving in the Magic Carpet Ride colorway. These are my February socks for the SAM5 KAL.

I have some sewing to do this week, but hope to get started on Hint #5 on SOTS2. I've really enjoyed this KAL .... probably because I've been trying to stay current with the hints. TLGB

SOTS 2 Hint #4 Completed

I can't believe it ..... it's Thursday and I have just completed last Friday's hint. I have about 3 yards of the first skein of the KP Shadow left .... have the second ready to add when the next hint is out tomorrow.
I'm knitting a scarf for a friend's husband who admired the scarf I made his wife for Christmas. I'm using a free-trade yarn from Peru - Mirasol in a medium denin colorway. It's 60% merino, 20% alpaca, 20% silk. A 50 gr ball contains 55 yards for $6.95. I purchased the yarn at String of Purls in Omaha. I have about 4" completed and had my friend look at it yesterday at coffee ..... she was sure that her husband would love it ...... if he doesn't, she certainly will.

I'm also working on completed socks for SAM5 KAL with yarn my daughter spun .... am about halfway out on the the feet .... doing both socks at once on ml. Love the feel and colorway of this yarn! TLGB

More Time to Knit!

The principal walked in the teachers' lounge during first lunch shift, about 11:20, announcing, "We're dismissing at 1:00." So, ..... as with other dismissal days for snow, I was delighted to be knitting ..... and also, it's my birthday. When I came home, there was a phone message that the Yarn Buddy I had ordered a week ago at an LYS while visiting at my dd's home , was already in and I was given a choice of the six colors before they were placed out on the shelves for customers. Well, ..... dd had the teal color, so I chose the purple. They said it would be mailed tomorrow, so it should be here before the end of the week .... another surprise for my birthday.

I sat down to knit, thinking I only had one pattern row to do on the SOTS 2 until inserting the next lifeline (I add one every ten rows) ...... then the needle slipped in my fingers, a stitch dropped, and I frogged four rows ..... I have knitted back and even have the rows completed to put in another lifeline. I'm about 30 rows from the end of Hint 4, so should be able to finish them before Friday when the next hint comes out. I'm really liking the stole pattern and am trying to make myself do each week's hint, so this wip will be finished. Back to knitting! TLGB

Secret of the Stole II

After a busy week at school and a bell-ringers workshop this morning, I was able to finish SOTS Hint 3 earlier this evening. When I can devote 2-3 hours continuous to work on it, I am able to get 10-15 rows finished. I have printed off Hint 4, so I will at least get that started this week-end.

Now I'm off to knit on the Cascading Leaves socks for the SAM5 KAL, hoping to have the feet completed within a week. Happy knitting! TLGB

SOTS Hint #2 Completed

We helped our dd celebrate her birthday this past week-end. Some quality knitting time ....... along with frogging ....... happened. I wanted to complete Hint #2 for SOTS before the deadline at midnight Saturday, but didn't make it. I ended up frogging about 10 rows when I noticed a mistake. Now, I'm using a lifeline more frequently. Initially, I was only going to place the lifeline after each hint ..... big mistake! It's hard to tell an old knitter to use a lifeline, which my dd had told me to do before, ....... now I'm doing it about every six rows.

On the way home yesterday afternoon, I almost finished the gussets on the Cascading Leaves socks with yarn that my daughter spun from CMF Magic Carpet Ride fiber. They are to be my February socks for the SAM KAL5, so should have them completed before the week-end. Maybe I can even complete another pair during February.

Today school was delayed for two hours before being cancelled due to incoming ice and snow. Well, we did get a little freezing rain, pelletized snow followed by large, floating snowflakes for about 30 minutes ..... not much since ........ but, I always use "snow days" for knitting. So, Hint #2 is completed and I plan to start Hint #3 before too long.

TLGB

Thuja Socks Completed!

These are the Thuja socks that I started for my dh early in December ..... really not intended as a Christmas gift. The pattern is one that I've put together from different patterns, but I used the seed stitch rib pattern featured on Thuja, from Knitty Winter 05. The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill in the Java colorway, knitted on magic loop with Addi Turbo 2.5 mm, and fits a size 11 (US) foot. These were my January socks for the SAM 5 KAL. Finshed them just in time ...... 8 pm (CST) on 1-31!

SOTS 2 - Clue #1 Completed

When I just ordered the yarn for the SOTS 2 last Wednesday, I never expected to get the yarn so quickly ..... this Wednesday. The clue had come out last Friday, to be completed in one week .... YIKES! This is my first, hopefully completed, large lace project. I cast on Wed. evening since DH was teaching a BLS class for some area EMS people and I could just sit and knit. I did frog about two rows when I discovered I had only knitted 5 rows instead of the stated 6 ..... I am OCD about my knitting. Was able to finish through row 12, I believe. Last night, I knitted while DH snored on the sofa and completed row 39. About 3:45 this morning, some "leftover" congestion from my sinus infection awakened me. I couldn't get much relief, so I decided to sit up and why not .......KNIT! I finished the first clue before I left for my before school coffee break with friends. I have really like this pattern ..... but it does require more concentration and being care to not catch the st in the row beneath. I have the second clue printed out, but have to sell admissions for the basketball game tonight, so won't start on that until after 8:30 or so. Here's the pic taken this morning on an overcast day. ...... maybe this week-end!

I've also been working on the Thuja socks for DH ..... am about halfway out on the foot .... why isn't dh a short person with little feet? They will be finished for the Six Sox KAL January socks. TLGB

Secret of the Stole II

A couple of weeks ago, I signed up for the SOTS ii KAL. I haven't done much lace knitting, so decided that it would be a good idea. Then..... that terrible sinus infection hit. Well, .... I finally got around to ordering the yarn from KP - Shadow in the Lost Lake Heather colorway .... on Wednesday. Yesterday, I got an email that it had been shipped. Better yet, KP Options fixed circs now come in 40" and 47" for those who ml. Yes, I did order those, too! Gotta get the free shipping!

I had some KP Shadow in a blue colorway (not enough for the stole), so I decided that maybe for the first time ever, I would do a swatch. I've always started my knitting, checked my gauge and if it was okay, continued knitting. I was halfway through it last night, liked the look, and frogged it. Today after the first step was published, I decided to do the complete swatch between loads of wash and letting the dogs out. The temp have been hovering close to zero all day with windchills in the -teens degrees ..... school was first two hours late and then was cancelled when there was no relief from the bitter cold. So, as I usually do on a "snow/extreme cold" day, I decied to knit the swatch. Here's the pic ..... I used #4 KP Options .... I almost think I may use #3 for the stole to give the fabric more stability. I just wet blocked it and took a pic. I have a mistake in the center pattern, but know what I did and didn't feel like tinking two rows ..... not on a swatch!
The rest of the week-end I'm going to try to complete the Cascading Leaves socks that I've been knitting from the handspun sock yarn my daughter did for me as part of my Christmas gift. The roving was Crown Mountain Fibers in the magic carpet ride colorway. I'm knitting both socks on ml on what I thought was an Addi (had been purchased as such somewhere), but there isn't any writing on the cable that's on Addis and it was a US size. Well, the socks are looking great with me just starting the decs for the gusset. I had just read on someone's blog that there was a problem with counterfeit Addis being sold on Ebay. I haven't ever purchased from Ebay, but a couple of places where I buy do get things sometimes. That's must be what happened.

Time to head upstairs to bed. Happy knitting and TLGB!

Completed Socks & Scarf!

These two are a little late in being posted, but they were Christmas gifts for two of my coffee friends.
The socks are from the Socktopia Mystery Sock pattern with mods of adding 2 sts either side of the cable for total sts of 72 ..... if I did it again, I'd add one st either side and 2 sts to each cable. The recipient said they were great ..... really kept her feet warm.



The Chevron Scarf is from STR Silkie in the Lunesea colorway and STR mediumweight in Love In Idleness colorway. The recipient is only five feet tall so I have about 1/3 of each colorway left. Any ideas for its use? I ordered colorways for a CS for me .... can't wait to start.

Other knitting has been put on a hold since I've developed a severe bacterial sinus infection .... that apparently started with the "bug" that was passed around school that hit me during Christmas vacation. I know that I'm sick when I don't even feel an urge to pick up the needles. The prescriptions are doing their job, but I have had to stay home two days so far this week. The congestion, headache, ringing in the ears, and inability to get more than 45 minutes of sleep at a time contributed to that. Our school district has no substitutes that can teach Spanish, so I always have to be creative with the lesson plans.

Oh, I did start My So Called Scarf with the Knit and Needlepoint Merino, nugmet colorway, that dd brought me when she attended a medical conference in Boston last spring. It was something I could do while walking around the study hall of about 86 students that constantly need monitoring. They do, however, pay attention to how much I get finished between times or ...... what I don't get done.

Magic Carpet Ride Socks

The socks are started from the hand-spun sock yarn that dd, Alcariel on Ravelry, gifted me for Christmas. I decided to use Cascading Leaves for the pattern on ml #2 Addis. So far, I have the ribbing and first pattern repeat finished. The yarn is so soft .... am really looking forward to wearing these socks.

Today I need to kitchener the toes of the Mystery Socks from Socktopia that I've knitted for a coffee friend. Yes, I had her try on the 3/4 finished socks to check the fit before Christmas. Then I can soak and block them.

Other things that need to be completed as my New Year "intentions" ..... a knitted briefcase that only needs to have handles sewn on and then be felted plus making a lining for it ..... River Rapids socks that have the legs half completed ..... Thuja socks for dh ..... and a few other UFOs or WIPs, whatever you want to call them.

Happy New Year! TLGB

SAM 5 KAL

I decided to join the SAM 5 as an incentive to whittle down the sock yarn stash. I hope to get the ten pairs of socks done (three are already finished) for my coffee "buddies" and then add more to my socks inventory. I absolutely have loved wearing knitted wool socks ..... the first time in my life when my feet have been warm!

When our dd was home for Christmas, she asked me to teach her to crochet so that she could make shower puffs from dishcloth yarn. Well ..... it took all of about 5 minutes and she made three puffs before she went home on the 27th. I've made two so far .... haven't used either yet .... one was gifted to a retired teacher (she's 85 years young) who thought they were so beautiful. The pattern is available here.

One gift that dd gave me was some sock yarn that she had spun. She had me pick the roving earlier this year ..... Crown Mountain Farms superwash merino in the colorway Magic Carpet Ride. It is sooo soft, it's going to feel great on my feet. Will post a pic after I get it "caked." TLGB

Socks!

Here's a pic of the Thuja socks I started earlier this month for DH .... not done for Christmas, so will probably complete them in January. They are knit from CTH Supersock in the Java colorway (dark & med brown, blue-grey, dark sage) on ml. I had DH try them on Christmas Day to make sure they would fit over his high instep .... they did, so now all I have left is two long feet and toes. I've really enjoyed knitting these although the dark color is easier in sunlight or bright light.

I just have to kitchener the toes on the Socktopia Mystery Socks that I knitted for a friend for Christmas. I had her try them on since her feet are a lot smaller than mine. They weren't going to be home for Christmas, so will get those to her on Monday. I used Fortissima Socka Jeans on #2 Addi with ml. I did increase the sts by 8 since my friend likes loose-fitting socks due to vein trouble at her ankles. These were the first mystery anything that I knitted, so enjoyed the "surprise" of what was coming, but didn't like the wait for each step. Will post the pic when I have them finished this week-end.

My December shipment came from RSC on the 24th .... beautiful yarn ....... great pattern. When I "caked" the yarn, I noticed several (12+) knots in just one strand ... one 5-inch place had three such "blemishes." My dd, Alcariel, said that I should contact BMFA because that wasn't up to their standards at all. Well, ..... this morning I sent an email that started out with my "love" of the socks club and then a description of the yarn. Within two hours, I had a reply stating that a new skein of yarn was being sent. JoAnn and Blue Moon Rock! TLGB

Last Minute Socks!

Unfortunately, the last minutes socks are for DH, so they will probably be wrapped as a WIP, that's what dd suggested. I took the stitch pattern from Thuja, but since I'm using CTH sock yarn in the Java colorway, I had to increase the sts to 72 from the 44 for wstd. I'm about 5 inches down the leg (both socks are on ml), so will at least get started out on the feet before Christmas comes. The sun is shining today, so should be able to get a good pic outside on the snow.

Oh, the spoiler to their completion is the fact that the high school where I teach decided to have semester tests before Christmas and finish the last 7 days of the semester with a "learning" experience left up to the individual teacher. Well, my classes are year-long, so I'm just continuing with the regular plans. It does mean, however, that I need to type my test this week-end instead of during Christmas vacation.

Today is going to be the finish getting decorations out for Christmas.... the last three years the dd has had to work (she's a nurse), so wasn't able to come home. We took Christmas to her .... even a 2:00 a.m. Christmas dinner for the floor nurses in 2004 and 2006. This year, SHE'S COMING, so I need to really get all the Christmas "stuff" out. Hopefully I won't forget or can't find something that she really remembers. Then .... there's a pile of gifts to wrap .... just about everything is purchased except for a couple of stocking stuffers.

Even with all of the "busy-ness" of the season, please remember the real reason for celebrating. TLGB

Just In Time!

The Uptown Boot Socks that I hoped to finish in November, weren't finished until the morning of Dec. 2, so I guess that they will have to be December socks for the SAM KAL4. There were finished, however, just in time for the coldest day so far this winter. The yarn and sock blockers were a gift from my SP11, tryintaknit on Ravelry. Now I'm finishing the Mystery Socks from Socktopia .... just have one more repeat on the foot and then on to the toe. They should be finished in a couple of days. Then I suppose that I should finish the River Rapids Socks from Sockbug that have been on the needles too long .... only have about 3 inches knitted on the top down pair.


Our trip to Branson was great ..... really puts one in the Christmas spirit. When we returned about 9:30 last night the temp was only 7 degrees above zero with wind-chills of about -11! We had left Branson with a gentle shower coming down with temps in the upper 40's. When we stopped mid-afternoon at Miller Pecan Farm near DeWitt, Missouri, the owner said that the temp had fallen 20 degrees in 30 minutes about mid-morning. It just became colder and colder the farther north we travelled. When we finally got home, we had about 3 inches of snow encrusted on top with about an inch of ice. Our neighbor was kind enough to clean off the drive and main sidewalk, so we just need to finish the rest. I spread a corn-based ice melt on the front step and sidewalk from there to the drive. Hopefully, it will be softened, loosened enough by the time I return home from school this afternoon.(it is two-hours late this morning).

I didn't find any yarn shops in Branson. Didn't really have time. We were sooooo busy going to shows ...... absolutely loved the three-hour Danny O'Donnell show, Mannheim Steamroller, and Shoji Tubachi. The other fours shows were enjoyable, but not as outstanding as these three. As the "youngsters" on the bus, the others had our three listed as their bottom three ... to each his own.