It’s cooler outside and I love it

I think when fall comes, I knit more.  Maybe it’s just a feeling though.  I do love fall and spring better than summer and winter. But, September went too fast and I am afraid that the rest of 2012 will go too fast as well and then we will be in the middle of winter.

I did finish the No Purl Monkey socks using Fibernymph Dyeworks Bounce yarn in the color snips and snails with a size 1.5 needle.  I love her yarn, but it so hard to get.

After finishing this sock, I had to start another with the Rainy Days and Wooly Dogs strychinine yarn in the color Fire Bad, Tree Pretty with a size 1 needle.  I love how this is striping.  The color’s are great for Halloween.

I’m becoming addicted to self striping yarn.  In many ways it is better than varigated yarn.  There are so many dyers doing this right now:  Lollipop yarn, Fibernymph dyeworks, Canon Hand Dyed, Desert Vista Dyeworks, Twisted Limone, Knitterly Things, Dancing Dog Dyeworks, Knitpicks, Marigoldjen, String Theory Colorworks, Twisted Fiber Arts, and I’m sure there are many, many others.

Also completed is the 2012 Midmonth Dishcloth KAL.  The pattern is called Diamond Drop Lace Cloth by Ali Barrett  I used Peaches and Crème yarn in gold with a size 7 needle.

And, I finally, finally completed the Copykat shawl by Rose Beck.  I used Swans Island merino yarn in the Marine colorway with a size 5 needle.  I used the diagonal rib pattern.  It’s finally blocked! The ruffles were a killer, but I kept at it.

I’m still knitting on the Color Affection Shawl, but it took a back seat to the Copykat shawl since I wanted to finish it.  Now, I am working on it again.  I need to finish up some projects.  The end of the year is coming quickly.

I just love yarn

Got some more yarn to show.

I love striped socks, so I got some yarn from Desert Vista Dyeworks.  In the Zien base, I got Trick or Treat (it’s sparkly) and in her Viso base, I got Happy Birthday Cupcake.

I’m addicted to Dancing Dog Dyeworks, so I got Frankenweenie in Waltz Worsted and in Chubby Puppy.  I also got chartreuse in Chuppy Puppy.

I also got Stockinette Zombie color in the Waltz Worsted weight in addition to a mini skein of orange.

Looks like I will be knitting socks and monsters.

Lazy Week

Not much knitting happened this week. But, I did do some.  I worked on the copykat shawl.  I am working on the ruffle and it is slow going.  I am close to hitting an inch and then will have one more to go.

I did finish the September 2012 Dishcloth KAL.  The pattern is called Vines ‘n Stripes by Janet Nogle.  I used a size 7 needle with Knitpicks Dishie in the Aster color.  This was a nice knit.

I started another sock.  I am using Fybernymph Dyeworks striped yarn in the snipes and snails color with a size 1.5 needle  This is her bounce base.  I am revising this pattern slightly for the heel and toe.  I’ve been wanting to use a patterned sock using a striped yarn for awhile and I love how this is coming out.  I am using the no purl monkey pattern.

I got another skein of sock yarn.  It’s Marigoldjen’s Superwash sock in the Seafoam Island color.  She is a dyer from PA and I have heard many great things about her yarn from different podcasters, so I thought I would give her a try.

I found a new videocast to watch.  It’s the Traveling Sock Knitter.  She is a sockknitter and has been knitting quite a bit of shawls (sound familiar?) plus she lives in PA around the Penn State area.  I am enjoying it very much.

September–Fall is near

I hate that it’s September because it means that winter is coming.  But, I’m glad that it’s September because it means that cool weather is upon up.  I think I like Spring and Fall the best and wish we could have that kind of weather year round.  I guess we are never satisfied.

I started on the third color for the Color Affection shawl.  I love the Shalimar Breathless yarn.  I highly recommend buying this yarn.  It is so soft.  I am knitting this with a size 6 needle in the colors Limerick, Loden and Bystantium.

 

I have gotten to the ruffle on the Copykat shawl in the diagonal pattern.  I really had a hard time picking up stitches and finally gave up because I was getting holes.  I figure that I will just sew the holes closed.  It’s kinda hard knitting on this when you get to the corners.  There are over 1000 stitches on the needles.  It is getting easier as I complete each row.  I have about  1/4 to 1/3 of an inch completed.  I need at least two inches completed.  I work on it a little every day.  I can’t believe that this has been on the needles for almost a whole year.  I am using Swans Island merino in the marine blue color with a size 5 needle.

I found a new podcast that I really am enjoying.  It’s actually a videocast called Single Handed Knits.  Mel lives in Hawaii.  The scenery is beautiful.  She calls her videocast Single Handed knits because she was minding her own business one day and got hit on her shoulder area with a coconut.  As a result, she lost feeling in her one arm.  She still knits!  She probably knits faster than me cause she finishes projects real quickly.

She started this challenge called Sock the Vote.  In the month of October up to Election Day, we have to knit a sock.  In the mean time she comes up with challenges.  One of the first challenges was to knit one small sock.  She is collecting these socks to give to women in a battered women’s shelter.  She is very inspiring.  I knitted my small sock out of Sweet Georgia tough love sock in the cherry color with a size 1 needle.  The pattern is called Little Feet baby sock.

There is no political talk while we are doing this.  We have parties called toe up, cuffies, undecided and the green party.  It’s a lot of fun.  This is definitely a videocast to watch.