Maggie Needs Socks!

I'm not sure if any of you have read about Maggie, but she is a young lady who needs some handmade socks. Maggie is a seventeen-year-old who has had to face some pretty serious medical obstacles. Though I'm told that knitters can not fix everything (despite our best efforts to keep trying to do so), we can certainly knit up some socks for her. Lucky us - she loves hand knit socks. Please visit Kelly's Sockin' it to Maggie page for information about dates, sizes, and other information on where to send your beautiful gifts of love and support. :)

Grassy Penllyns

I am giving these to a wonderful dear friend... who is a little more than flakey right now. She just moved across the country - today! Well, technically, she started the trek. She is actually spending a week of sightseeing on the way there so she has a little flexibility. Unfortunately, these cute things will be housed with me until my flakey friend is situated in her new home since she was unable to make time to visit with me before leaving. Well, she's the one missing out. ;) I also made a Soft Drawstring Pouch from Last Minute Knitted Gifts to house the socks in. I used one skein of Bluesky Alpacas' Alpaca Silk in the Sapphire colorway. I love this little bag. Perfect sock bag! Oooh - lucky Christmas recipients! ;)

Pattern: Penllyn by Wildhorse Farm Designs
Yarn: Painted Skeins Superwash Merino in Grassy Jeans colorway

Needles: 5 US2 dpns

Mods: Eye of partridge heel, short-row toe

I just love this pattern. It's so simple and has such great results - I'd make this pattern again and again. :)

Fall Will Be Here Soon...

So what are the signs in my household that Fall is arriving soon? When Crimson, Blazing Foliage, and Autumn Harvest are sitting on the doorstep.

Mmmm... so yummy! Yarn by Emily Parson of Sophie's Toes. Color choices by me. So was it coincidence that the three colors that I chose reflect the upcoming change in seasons? Nah. It was just hopeful longing.

A Funky Pair

Yeay! They are complete!

Pattern: Shock Wave

Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in Red Wagon colorway

Needles: 5 bamboo US2 dpns

Mods: Eye-of-partridge heel, short-row toe.

Red Wagon Has Become Shock Waves

Yes, I know - I wanted to follow the advice of some of you who posted recommended patterns for this yarn. Well, I sort of did. Dave was so wonderful about his recommendation that I pick a simple and subtle pattern with not a whole lot going on, like the Dublin Bay pattern (it has a simple lace pattern just on the sides of the legs). He then found the Mad Color Weave pattern and threw it my way. I thought that the finished sock in the Mad Color Weave pattern looked beautiful so I planned on using this one with my Red Wagon. Unfortunately, my laziness kicked in after studying the pattern for a little bit. I decided that it was just too complicated for me at the moment that I decided to cast-on. So, I did still follow Dave's advice - I found a simple pattern that has really easy repeats to follow (I can do it with my eyes closed, now), but that shows enough texture in the fabric to really show off the beautiful and fun colors of this yarn.

Pattern: Shock Wave (using 64 sts)
Yarn: Claudia Hand Painted Yarn in Red Wagon
Needles: 5 - US2 Crystal Palace bamboo dpns (is it just me, or do ALL of their needles split and splinter?!)
Mods: I made the M1's in the pattern more lacey by making one with the right needle, slipping the loop onto the left needle, then knitting that off onto the right needle again. I know that some people just make one and leave it on the right needle like it's the new stitch. Also, I used an eye-of-partridge heel, again. I added a short-row toe, as well. I just can't stop using those dang toes! I just love 'em.


I have really enjoyed using this pattern. It creates a very nice bias fabric so that even though it looks similar to stockinette (in that it doesn't have any purls), it is surprisingly stretchy. I highly recommend it for busy yarns that you might just fall back on stockinette for. It shows off all of the colors so nicely.

I've finished the first sock and I'm almost done with the leg of the second sock. I'm also trying to somehow pull a Birch out of my butt before September 2nd. I'm going to see my mom right before she travels to Italy for the first time. She had told me that she didn't know what all of the fashionable 50-something women wear in Italy. I, of course, thought of knitting her something beautiful that she could easily just throw around her shoulders or into a suitcase. Hmmmm... considering the fact that I've finished one repeat and might just have to rip that back (What?! With Kidsilk Haze?!!!!), I don't know how far I'll get. Sigh. If anyone wants to sell me their finished Birch, just email me. ;)

Well, I should be receiving some Hand Maiden Sea Silk in Mom's favorite color (periwinkle) by the beginning of next week. I have it as a back-up in case I decide that the Montego Bay Scarf is what all of the stylish and fashionable Italian 50-something women are wearing. ;)

Monkey Off My Back

Monkeys - I love them!

Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A.
Mods: Added one more pattern repeat on the leg, eye of partridge heel, short-row toes (I love the look and feel of this type of toe)
Yarn: Claudia Handpainted Yarns in Pink Cloud (soooo cute!)
Needles: Crystal Palace dpns US2 (I used 5 needles)

I have finally finished my silly Monkeys that I started at the end of June. I am so mad about these dang things! I finished the first one fairly quickly (or so I like to think) and then had a bout of SSS. After a little while, I finally got started on the second one. I thought that the ball of yarn looked a little smaller and maybe even not quite the exact same shade and perhaps a tiny bit "fuller" in the twist. However, I was so intent on doing the second sock quickly since I had such a hard time getting it started. Once I got to the heel, I should have taken my head out of my butt. I started to run out of yarn. So I went and got the next ball which also seemed like it might have been a little small, etc. So when I literally started to set up to do the toe, I look in my knitting back which I haven't really used since the end of the first sock. Lo and behold - my MATCHING skein of Pink Cloud was in the bag. I failed to acknowledge prior to this that I had purchased a matching pair of skeins together (they were the last two in stock at the LYS) and felt that I needed one more, just in case (or for a pair of anklets later). The third skein was purchased at a different shop, different lot no., etc. However, if I needed it for the toes or anything else, it was close enough so that NO ONE would notice, right? Apparently, even though I divided this extra skein into two equal balls (one extra one for each sock), I even failed to recognize (aka acknowledge) that this was not the yarn intended for sock number two. So what does any good knitter do? When she's at the toe of the second sock? That was so hard to get through in the first place? Why, she frogs it, of course! So I immediately frogged the dang second sock with the dang "backup" yarn and dang it - I knit that dang thing up so fast that my head spun. If it weren't for Aron's wonderful offer to knit a few stitches into the toe of the second sock (they were to be given to his mom), I'd probably have a burning ceremony for the dang things. Lucky for Wendy, and the socks, Aron's stitches saved the day. Thank you, Sweetie. :) By the way, technically, I do love the socks. And the pattern. And the yarn, for that matter.

Stage 5 And On...

I can't tell you how many mistakes I've been making on my Birch Shawl. Luckily, my mom "never sees" my mistakes on anything that I make for her. If I don't point out the mistakes, I'm hoping that they will be hard to find (it's not really big enough to really tell whether or not the mistakes will be glaring or not just yet). Either way, I'm still plugging away... slowly. I feel like Vinokourov - I have a huge gash on my @$$, I've just given the dang hill all of my engergy, and I've still got to hit the Alps?! Tomorrow?!!! Sheesh!

Well, no pics of my sad little Birch (more like a limping Birchette at this point - it will grow big and strong some day, I promise!) today. However, while cruising some great cycling sites, Aron and I found this amazing shot (I was unable to get permission from the site to put it up here, so please click on the link). The tranquility of the scenery is very deceptive. You can almost forget what it is that these men are there for - the competition! Onward we go!

Le Tour and Birch

Birch's progress seems slow, but there are sooo many tiny stitches that I feel like I did a lot.

The Tour de France has kicked off and this is the first year that Aron and I have not been watching it every moment as it records at home. Well, the good news is that the Tour de France KAL has been keeping me honest. We both have been sooooo busy that it has been hard to find the time, but we have nonetheless. My "progress" on Birch is slow and steady, but I think that that's what it takes to be Queen of the Mountains, right? I have included a picture of my "progress" to show that I've done something. The problem is that I had to rip back my first three rows (which took me forever to do in the first place) only to end up cutting the yarn and starting over. Anyone who has ever worked with Kidsilk Haze knows that ripping back is a joke, right? I am now in the middle of row 6 (row 8, look out - I'm on my way!). I'm trucking along slowly now and hope to be finished by my mom's birthday in early October. If I can't, we'll see how Christmas works as a new deadline. ;)

Yeay!

I got my Ravelry invite today. Yeay- I'm so excited to check it out! I figured that I'd be one of the last people to get invited and I was totally ready for that. I was so surprised to see the invite in my JUNK folder. Thank goodness that I caught it! Anyhoo, I know that they are slowly getting through the waitlist, so hang in there if you haven't gotten yours yet! See ya on Ravelry and Happy Knitting!

Pop's Sox

My wonderful husband is modeling the newly-finished socks

These beauties were knit for my Dad for a belated Father's Day present. Though I did finish them a couple of weeks ago (I think just one week after Father's Day), I wasn't able to give them to him until yesterday. My MIL had everyone over at her house for the 4th and a good time was had by all. Of course, Dad and Wendy did have a showdown playing cards. It was a long time coming! Hopefully, Dad will enjoy his new socks... once Winter gets here. Dang! Should have thought about that since he lives in his sandals for nine months out of the year. ;)

Yarn: Claudia's Handpaints in "Oops" colorway, 2+ skeins (just a little from the third skein for a men's size 12 1/2)
Needles: 5 dpns, size US2
Pattern: Simple Trekking Socks, using a short-row toe instead of traditionally decreasing toe