friend having a baby!

There is a baby girl due in August. So I'm making the Baby Kimono from Mason Dixon Knitting (using Rowan All Seasons Cotton):




there is something about garter stitch that I just love. I need to use it more. Perhaps one of my bundles of handspun would work into a nice scarf that way. Anyhow... this pattern is super easy to follow and the Rowan ASC is great to work with (I am not normally fond of working with cotton yarn). So 2 thumbs up on this project so far. I just need to actually finish this one up (rather then move along to the next shiny project I see).

most sucessful single ply so far

it's actually mostly even! (color Pine Shoreline - Falkland wool)

here's the fiber (got from fat cat knits on etsy):


Very pleased with the fiber... spun like a dream and is sof t enough for a scarf.

Monkey Saga

So I really like the monkey sock... I've started it 4 times in different yarns now.

First time:

monarch sock yarn in Nasturtium. Love the yarn, love the colors... but it's a thicker sock yarn so the sock was too big.

Second time:
some green hand dyed yarn that was too fine and therefore too small.

Third time:

I should have stopped here (the cuff was pretty tight getting the sock over my heel. But I kept going thinking "no it's fine.. I can get it over my heel if I work at it".

I actually got the heel flap all done before I ripped it out.
Claudia's fingering weight in chocolate cherries (love the yarn and color).

Ok Fourth time seems to be the charm:

Sundara sock yarn in sweet brier rose. I cast on more loosely and changed the rib to 2x2 rather than single and twisted (got the idea from Mrs. Octopus Knits). It seems to be ok... we'll see if this is it. Luckily the pattern seems to knit up pretty fast. Going quicker than my jaywalkers (although both are awesome patterns)


whew... with all this monkey knitting I should already have a finished pair... sheesh :)

Really Really 100% finished Jaywalkers

this one has more accurate color:


Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Supersock
Color: Martha's Vineyard
Pattern: Jaywalker from Mag Knits
Needles: Addi Turbo #1
Yarn Quantity: about 350 yards

These are my first knitted socks. I've knit scarves, sweaters, mittens, hats, purses, toys.... just never socks till now. Which is odd. I love socks and I really enjoy knitting them! Now I just can't stop making them :)

I love these even though I knit them just a tad big.... I'm even working on a second pair :) The Lorna's Laces Flamingo Stripe just begged to be jaywalkers:

Autumn Colorway 2ply

The single ply (autumn merino fiber from spunky ecclectic)


2ply:


yummy soft!

More Spinning

Went to Deep Color (Fiber/spinning shop in Kensington) and bought some merino in 4 colors to try and make a 4 ply yarn :) Some BFL in a heathery brown. And some fiber that makes noro like self striping yarn (in back of photo) also picked up a much better spinning book then the Ashford Book I had. Teach Yourself Visually: Handspinning. Great big help!


Here is the self striping yarn I spun up:

Jebus! more socks I just HAVE to make

Spindle Socks

Bayerische Socks

BFF Socks

there are just sooooooooooo many socks out there.

And I picked up a copy of Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush and there are a ton of cool socks in there too. Perhaps I need to stop looking for patterns (or reading peoples blogs... that is where the 3 socks above came from).

Spinning up a storm

This is the first yarn I made (it's super thick thin but still totally usable... I'll figure out something to make out of it:


Here's the fiber I "tried to spin" while getting a grip on the bobbin and whorl tensions:


And here's just some of my spinning.... I've been just a touch obsessed:


handpainted yarn .com merino roving in "buterflies"


spunky eclectic superwash merino in "sour grapes" (bad color on the photo)



Corriedale Wool from an etsy seller who is no longer selling.


Same Corriedale wool as above but spun thinner to use for 2 ply yarn.


and that's my first successfull 2 ply (no photos of the bad merino 2 ply I made the day before... it's just ugly)

new appreciation for sock photos

yeah taking photos of your own feet is kinda tough... once I finish the second sock (I just finished turning the heel) I think I'll have my husband help with the photos.

here's the first one (minus the kirchnered toe... still not positive I have enough yarn to finish the secone one).



I'm using Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Martha's Vineyard that I bought about 3 years ago :)

another scarf finished

Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Angora
Color: Misty Blue on ends and Driftwood in middle
Pattern: not quite straight scarf
Needles: Lantern Moon straights #9
Yarn Quantity: 3.5 balls (325 yards)

Finished Endpaper Mits

I made 2 pair and will certainly make more later. This is a great pattern and a nice easy way to play with fair isle. The first pair I knit pretty much exactly as the pattern is written:



Yarn: baby cashmere from elann (the lighter blue) and some hand dyed Superfine Superwash Sport Merino from Lisa Souza
Color: denim & blue visage
Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny
Needles: Addi Turbo #1 for ribbing and #2 for main
Yarn Quantity: less than 100 yards of lighter color and probably 150-200 yards of the darker blue

For the second pair I didn't do the seam stitch as a purl. I just did a knit stitch (my seam is kinda sloppy looking on the first pair, but much cleaner on this pair). I also cut out 2 of the three repeats on the arm to make these much shorter on the arm.









Yarn: debbie bliss baby cashmerino for light pink & claudia handpaints fingering weight for the darker color
Color:
Pattern: Endpaper Mitts by Eunny
Needles: Addi Turbo #1 for ribbing and #2 for main
Yarn Quantity: less than 100 yards of darker color and probably 150-200 yards of the light pink

IK posts

I've been browsing some of my past issues and realize I need to keep better track of the patterns I really liked.... so I'm puting them here. Many more to come!

IK 2003 Winter

Project Details here.

IK 2003 Fall

Project Details here.