Spring? - Not yet

Well, we had a small taste of spring on Wednesday, but today it's back to winter. It's cold and rainy. Yuck! I guess that means I need to knit to feel warm and snuggly.

I have been knitting, but not as much as I should be. I did finish the March Mid-Month KAL for my dishcloth group. It's an illusion dishcloth! I have always wanted to knit an illusion pattern and I finally got the opportunity. It's a rabbit for Easter.

I have been knitting away on my socks. I finally have one sock finished using the Sheepaints yarn and I have cast on for the second sock.

This is a bamboo yarn. I kind of like the colorway, but not thrilled with the stripping. I guess this really isn't one of my favorites. I have another colorway in this yarn and think that I will try size 1.5 needles next time. I already know that the next sock I am knitting after this. It will be Fanny's Fingerweight Sock yarn. It really is calling to me.

I am also knitting away on my monkey sock and I'm really enjoying the pattern.

I think the yarn makes a big difference. I liked this yarn so much that I bought a skein in the Visual Purple colorway. I will definately use this for another patterned sock.

I started on the Habu scarf. I love the scarf, but I really have to take my time knitting this since the yarn is so fine. It's easy to knit below the stitch or to only pick up one strand of yarn.

I got my STR club yarn for March. It's called Lucky and I do like the color, but it is a heavier weight yarn. Maybe I will try the pattern sent with this yarn.

I also ordered more Plucky Knitter yarn and I joined her sock club for three months. We'll see how that goes. This is her first try at a sock club. The yarn I got is a Merino Cash Nylon yarn in Ida Red and 100% Merino Superwash in Margie.

Because of all the socks that I am knitting, I had to buy a Knitzi. What is a Knitzi? See the picture below:

You put your needles in this tube, so you don't lose your stitches.

Spring is Around the Corner - I Hope

I started my monkey sock and I am really liking the pattern and I love the Dream in Color Smooshy yarn. I am using the Happy Forest color and size 2 needles. Since this is the first sock I am knitting where there is a pattern in the design, I wanted to try a solid color and Smooshy filled the bill. It is sooo soft. The color is such a Spring color and has me dreaming of warmer weather.

I am still working on my Sheepaints sock, but other things have been getting in the way.

I fell in love with a scarf that one of my knitter friends was making in our knitting class. She was using two types of Haibu yarn. One was cork cotton and the other was tobe moire. After searching the internet, I landed out ordering it direct from Haibu in NYC. The cool thing is that instead of receiving balls of yarn, they sent cones. Also, since the one yarn had more yardage on it, I would have been left with extra yarn. Since they put it on a cone, they only sold me what I needed. Can't wait to start this. You knit both yarns together on size 10 needles until the yarn runs out. I am planning to cast on this week.

I did finish up a third and final Awareness Ribbon dishcloth this week.

And, I finished up the Reverse Ballband dishcloth. The original ballband pattern is revised by Elizabeth Warner to make it reversable and to make the edging neater looking. This was my first ball band dishcloth and I didn't have any trouble knitting it up. In fact, I really enjoyed it and plan to make more of these.

Right side:

Wrong side:

I have been reading too. Remember, I have a goal to reach by the end of the year. So far this year I have read the following books:

Plum Lucky by Janet Evanovitch

G is for Gumshoe by Sue Grafton

H is for Homicide by Sue Grafton

I is for Innocent by Sue Grafton

J is for Judgement by Sue Grafton

I have enjoyed all of these books, but I need to get a move on and read more. Oh, for warmer weather and not working. I dream of sunny days and relaxing days spent on my back porch reading and knitting. Only 29 days left until tax season is over and Thursday is the first day of Spring. It's getting hard to control my excitement!

Easter Socks are Finished

I finally finished my Easter socks! I'm so excited and I really love how they turned out. Next will be the monkey sock pattern in Dream in Color.

I also finished up some dishcloths I was knitting:

The February Mid-Month KAL called Finders Keepers by Sue Schaeffer from Harvest Moons Designs. I used Peaches and Cream in mauve and verde green with size 6 needles. This was a great cloth to knit and has given me the confidence to try the ball band dishcloth that is in the Mason Dixon knitting book.

The March KAL called Empty Tomb by Lindy. I used Peaches and Cream in Camel with size 6 needles.

The second Awareness Ribbon cloth by Donna Burgess. I used Sugar and Cream in Rose Pink and size 6 needles.

I find that when I have 40 stitches or more for a dishcloth that size 6 needles are better to use.

I am finishing the final Awareness Ribbon dishcloth, have gotten past the heel on my first Sheepaints sock, started on the sleeve for my sweater. I'm on a knitting roll!

New Yarn

Yes, I did it. I went and bought more sock yarn. I just couldn't resist.

From Twisted:

Arial in Batty and Karma colorway. Batty reminds me of Plucky Knitter's palatial color.

From the Loopy Ewe:

On top: Paca Peds Gator colorway, From left to right from Fannies Fingering Weight Yarn: Autumn, Fall Flowers, and Brambles.

All are wonderful colorways and I can't wait to cast on socks for these yarns.

And, of course an updated picture of my Maggie May (Isn't she precious?)