Sock Update

 I’ve been working on my socks on my commutes and lunches here lately.  First up are my Active Vanilla Socks  

This is sock number two that I started with less stitches. I haven’t tried it on but it looks much better. I’ve turned the heel and I’m working through 1×1 rib for the leg. I also mustered the strength to pull out sock number one and the yarn is waiting patiently to be reknit.

Next up is my Mandrake Vanilla Sock in String Theory Colorworks MCN base.
 

I’ve completed the foot and installed the lifeline for the afterthought heel. This sock is just so soft that I find this project being my “comfort” knitting. This might end up being a tall sock because I still have a generous ball of yarn left. We shall see…

Happy Knitting!

Slogging

I’ve been working on the last of my knitting requests. And boy I’m just not inspired….

  
I’m three inches done of 15 total. But this project is black (not my fav color), not my favorite yarn, and it’s keeping me from my Aeon vest. I dearly love my friend so I’m going to keep plugging along. This is why I don’t knit for craft fairs anymore or for other people much. I do best when I work on something that captures my mood rather than a to-do list. 

Does this mean I’m growing as a fiber artist or just that I have project ADD? 😜

Happy Knitting!

A Sock For A Giant

Warning: Huuuuuuuge guage fail ahead!

  
Doesn’t my finished Active Vanilla sock look pretty?  

It’s pretty…..huge that is! Look at all that extra fabric. I should have listened to my instincts. This was 60 stitches in DK weight on US 3s. That’s apparently about 10 stitches too many. This would have fit my husband width wise!

  
I started sock #2 from the second ball with 50 stitches and I’m zooming right along. I’m almost to the heel. The first sock is sitting waiting to be ripped out and reknit. I guess this pair is going to require three knit socks to render a usuable pair!

Harrumph! I mean Happy Knitting!

FO Friday: Sarah’s Dino Hat

I finished one of my knit worthy gifts!

  
Pattern: (modified)  Dino Cap by Kris Hansen

Yarn: Caron Simply soft in Dark Sage and Brown

  

This is a toddler pattern I made for Jellybean last summer. I knew I needed roughly 100 stitches to make an adult hat at my guage. So I just did the math to upsize the pattern instructions to fit. It was fairly easy using excel and some critical thinking.

  
The ear flaps were a tad long for my taste but the 15 year old loved it. I opted not to continue the spikes onto the forehead, it just looked weird on the adult version. Overall I’m very happy. The double thick brim and ear flaps makes a cozy hat. I might need to make this hat for myself in wool minus the Dino spike of course.  

Happy Knitting!

Son Of A Swatch

You know how I thought my swatch for the Aeon vest was weird? Well it is, it totally is!

  
This puppy was knit on US 9s because I’m a complete imbecile. The 6 was really an upside down 9 and my mommy brain couldn’t process it. Son of a swatch! I’ve now secured the requisite US 6 needles in Hiya Hiya 32 inch bamboo fixed circulars. I’ve also ripped out the above swatch. I’m hoping the swatch on the correct needles with the less slippery bamboo will do the trick.

I just have one more question….is it wine o’clock?

Mandrake Vanilla Socks

I currently only have my Active Vanilla Socks on the needles. And that is just not enough!

  I pulled the Mandrake color way from String Theory Colorworks from my box of fingering weight yarn. This is a skein from my 2016 sock experiment and it’s a MCN. Gotta love merino/cashmere/nylon! I’ve divided the skein in half as close as I could while still being able to start with the same colored stripe. As an aside The dyer is fabulous and listed the stripe progression on the label for you!

These will be toe up vanilla socks quite perfect for my purse knitting vacancy. I’m not sure what kind of heel I’ll do yet. The sock will speak to me soon enough! The husband and I had a date night to Hail! Ceasar and I got some serious knitting in. How gorgeous are these stripes!?

  
And for anyone keeping score my husband hated the movie and likes the socks. I however thought the movie was amusing and I’m not sold on the purple stripe.

Happy Knitting!

Cashmere For The Win

First up, Happy Valentines Day to all!!

I had one more project finished just in under the deadline for the #dcspigskinparty2015….my Cashmere Vanilla socks are done!

  
These are just a pair of toe up vanilla socks with afterthought heel in Dream in Color smooshy. My Ravelry details are here. I’m counting this towards my 2016 sock experiment even though I’ve had this yarn in my stash for a while because this is a new to me yarn.

  
I quite loved knitting these because well cashmere, duh! The fabric is just perfect for petting. The one thing I noticed was that the color/dye rubbed off on my fingers. I started noticing dark stains on my fingers but it took awhile to associate those with my knitting. It washed off fine and I made sure to citric acid soak these socks and the leftover yarn. Better safe than sorry!

   
 The socks didn’t quite come out with as much negative ease as my other 68 stitch socks but they fit nonetheless. Maybe the glorious nature of the cashmere relaxed my tension, lol. I adore these socks for the softness alone! 

Happy Knitting!!

Knitting Requests

In all knitters lives there comes a time when you hear “can you knit (insert object here) for me?” Now I’m a pretty selfish knitter but there a few people who are knit worthy in my world. The first is my dearest friend from college, Mere. She texted me awhile back to let me know how much she loved a cowl I made her years ago and could she have another.

  
This is a cowl I free handed at least five years ago for craft fairs. It doesn’t even have a Ravelry page! I know it’s in Homespun but that’s about it. I had her send me some measurements and I pulled a skein of the requested black from my stash. Fingers crossed I can recreate this!

The next request came from my daycare provider. Whom I love and pretty sure Jellybean loves her more than me some days. Her 15 year old has been coveting Jellybean’s Dino Hat.

  
I pulled out the pattern and the hat and sat down to figure the mods. It shouldn’t be too bad to do and I still have the exact yarn colors in my stash. This one might require some ripping and redoing. But this 15 year old takes time out of her afternoon to play ukulele for Jellybean because he likes to help strum. So she pretty much has earned a Dino hat of her own!

Now I just need to find the time to knit all these things!

Happy Knitting