More yarn to add to my stash

What a yarn week it was.  I got quite a bit of yarn this week.  I had to get more colors from the Sanguine Gryphon.  After finishing the Maelstrom sock, I am so in love with this yarn.

From the Loopy Ewe, I got Bugga in Familiar Bluet and Skinny Bugga in Painted Damsel.

From the Sanguine Gryphon direct, I got Red Spotted Purple Butterfly and Charaxes Tiridate both in Bugga.

I also got quite a bit of yarn from my LYS, The Knitter’s Edge.  I am planning on working on squares for the Great American Afghan, so I am using Plymouth Select from Plymouth yarns in color 35 a really pretty green.  Two of my other knitting friends are also going to knit this afghan.  We are going to be picking our own squares from the three afghan books.

King George yarn was on sale, so I got two skeins of color 2786 (grey) to knit a hat.  The yarn is a baby alpaca, merino, and cashmere mix.

 

And, I bought on a whim, this pretty ribbon yarn to knit two scarves.  It comes out like a potato chip scarf only you don’t have to do as much knitting.  I got color 08 (black and grey) and color 06 (green and purple).  I am going to try to cast on for one of these scarves this week and will take pictures.

I’m was really excited to buy this cool knitting bag by Laurel Burch.  It is such a big size that I needed and the colors are perfect.  The price was right too.  This bag will come in handy since I have so much yarn to knit up.  Don’t you think?

Now, off to knit so I can post some pictures later this week.

48th Pair of Socks

Can you believe that I have knit 48 pairs of socks? When I started this journey of knitting socks, I was determined to master it. I struggled for awhile. I had a hard time picking up stitches and getting holes in the corner. After much persistence, I found the solution to fix that problem. Then I had some trouble with socks being a little snug. I figured out how to resolve that by the number of cast on stitches to use with the size needle I chose. I even knit socks on size one needles, which I never thought I would do and tried two socks on two needles and found that I love one sock on two needles even better than double points. Who would have thought that? I tried a toe up sock and found out that I really liked it and while I haven’t memorized the Kitchener stitch, I do use a cheat sheet and it’s not hard to do. I stuck to a basic sock pattern for a long time, but finally tried knitting a patterned sock. Now, I love knitting patterned socks. I also have knit socks using a chart, which I also didn’t think I would ever do. I still struggle with pooling, so I guess that is the next thing I have to conquer, but I have come a long way baby with knitting socks!

I finished the Maelstrom socks by Cookie A. I used Sanguine Gryphon’s Skinny Bugga in Blue Lobster with size 1-1/2 needles. I really love this yarn and the pattern was really nice to knit. Now I have to look through my stash for another color to use for my next pair of socks or maybe I will knit a shawlette?

I had to order more yarn from the Sanguine Gryphon since I loved using it for the Maelstrom sock. I got Praying Mantis and Dawn Dropwing in Skinny Bugga and Blue Copper Butterfly in Bugga. Aren’t the colors wonderful?

I also finished day 19 of the calendar scarf. Five more pattern days to go. This is so fun. I really need to order more yarn for another year’s pattern. Maybe a green this time.

I got my next shipment from the Rubber Ducky club. The yarn is pima petite in the color way Cool water. I just love this color. I also got a bar of soap from Mimi’s called Sunny day and a small bottle of Bath Bubbles.

Well, I will be working on my calendar scarf this coming week and I have an itch to start a new pattern, but should really go back through my unfinished projects and work on completing something. Let’s see what happens.

Sanguine Gryphon

I just love the Sanguine Gryphon and the yarn she dyes.  I especially love Bugga and Skinny Bugga.  Bugga has 20% cashmere and Skinny Bugga has 10% cashmere. 

I am currently working on the Malestrom sock by Cookie A.  It’s a great pattern.  I am using Skinny Bugga in Blue Lobster with size 1 1/2 needles.  I have finished one sock and have moved on to the second sock.

 

I am also working on a basic sock pattern using Madelinetosh sock.  I love the colorway.  It’s called Plum Tree, but I hate how it’s pooling.  I started with size 1 needles and then moved to size 1-1/2 needles.  I’m still not happy.  Here it is with the 1-1/2 needles.

Here is the other side of the sock:

So, I started again.  I went back to size 1 needles and I split the ball of yarn in half.  I am knitting two rows from one ball and two rows from the second ball.  I will post pictures when I am further along with the sock.  It looks better so far.

I am not a fan of yarn that pools, but when the yarn is hand dyed it tends to do that.  I have to watch that in the future when I buy yarn.  

Reading is Fun

Well, it’s about time that I catch up with what I have been reading.  Surprisingly, I have been reading quite a lot.

A Reliable Wife – by Robert Goolrick – a very good book

U is for Undertow by Sue Grafton – I love these alphabet books

9th Judgement by James Patterson

A Christmas Visitor by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer

Brava Valentine by Adriana Tirgiani

A Christmas Star by Thomas Kinkade and Katherine Spencer

Falling for Him by Debbie Macomber

Ending in Marriage by Debbie Macomber

Midnight Sons & Daughters by Debbie Macomber

True Colors by Kristin Hannah – another wonderful book by this author.

Hannah’s List by Debbie Macomber

Miss Julia Stands Her Ground by Ann B. Ross

Home is Where the Wine is by Laurie Perry

Naked in Death by J.D. Robb – excellent!

All Together Dead by Charlaine Harris

Glory in Death by J.D. Robb

Troublemaker by Janet Evanovich and Alex Evanovitch

Miss Julia Strikes Back by Ann B. Ross

Immortal in Death by J.D. Robb

Orchard Valley Grooms by Debbie Macomber

I’m still on target towards my goal of reading 65 books this year.  I hope I can keep it up.

I love Skinny Bugga

I am in love with Skinny Bugga yarn by Sanguine Gryphon.  I am knitting Cookie A’s Malestrom pattern with Skinny Bugga in the color Blue Lobster.  This yarn has some cashmere in it and it is so nice to work with.  I love this pattern too.  I am using size 1.5 needles.

Still knitting on my calendar scarf.  This project should be finished in about 3 weeks.  I am loving this.

I bought some Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino to make some baby hats for my niece who is pregnant and due in November.  She is going to have a boy.  I got the color 34003 (lt green) and 340027 (a denim like blue).

I went to Musicfest in Bethlehem, PA last night.  Thanks to the generosity of a fellow knitter, I got to see Allison Iriheta and Adam Lambert.  We had front row seats and got an excellent view of the stage.  It was a great experience!  Adam is a wonderful entertainer.

 

Finishing Projects feels good

I finished knitting the Angee sock by Cookie A.  I really enjoyed this pattern.  I used Numma Numma in grape jam with a size 1 1/2 needle.  Love the color and love the yarn.

I also completed the August KAL for my Monthly Dishcloth group.  The pattern is Baby Starfish Dishcloth by Elaine Fitzpatrick.  I used Peaches and Creme yarn in the color sunburst with size 6 needles.  This was a really cute pattern.

I was able to get the Loopy Ewe 4th Anniversary Kit.  We got Dream in Color Smooshy with cashmere yarn in the color Joy in the Morning.  It’s a beautiful color – Like a Robin’s Egg blue.  Also a sock pattern called Argonauta by Debbie O’Neill and a Loopy Ewe tumbler by Hadley Pottery.   Love it!