It’s Labor Day Weekend and Summer is Over

I am sad because it was a pretty good summer.  We only had about 2 weeks of intense heat and the rest of the summer wasn’t too bad except for all the rain we had in August.

I did more deep stash diving and picked out some Vesper Sock yarn that I had in the Witchy Woman color.  I figured that I would make this for Halloween.  I am using a size 1 needle and a basic sock pattern.  I’m ready to start the heel flap.

I did add to my stash.  I got some striped yarn from Fireweed Dyeworks (AlaskanNancy) on etsy.  This color is called Russian Rainbow.  I love it and want to get more.

I was also able to get Color Addiction from Lollipop Yarn on her last update.  I still want to get Life is Beautiful.  Maybe next time.

I also got my shipment from Desert Vista Dyeworks.  The colors are Tiki Bar and Neon Halloween.  I love this yarn.

I finally realized why I love self striping yarn.  Variegated yarn is great, but I hate pooling.  With self striping yarn, you don’t get pooling.  I also love the color changes.  It makes knitting the sock go faster.  You don’t have to just do a basic sock pattern with self striping yarn.  There are patterns out there where patterns do look great with the yarn.

I still need to destash some yarn and I think that the next time I destash, I will be looking at getting rid of variegated yarn that is hand dyed.  I will still keep some of it, but I plan to destash quite a bit.

I am close to finishing the Song of the Sea Cowl, so I guess I will get to my knitting.

Deep Stash Diving

It feels so good to shop from my stash.  I told my friends that I should set up a room in my house as a yarn store and maybe I would shop more from my stash that way.

I finished the Dia de la Muertos sock.  The yarn is by Desert Vista Dyeworks.  I used a size 1 needle with a basic sock pattern.  I love how these socks turned out.

I also completed the Pagona shawl by Stephen West.  I was disappointed with this shawl.  I had more than the required yarn needed, but it wasn’t enough.  I thought that it would be bigger than it got.  I love the yarn.  It’s Dream in Color Everlasting in the Morning Glory color.  I used a size 6 needle.

I started another sock.  The pattern is called Socktoberfest Swirl sock.  There is a story to this sock.  Years (and I mean years ago) I took a class to knit a sock designed by Lucy Neatby.  The pattern is similar to the Socktoberfest Swirl sock.  We were using a Regia striping yarn, but when the class started, the yarn shop didn’t have the yarn they were getting for the sock.  So, I had to pick out another Regia color.  I wasn’t thrilled by the yarn.  I never finished it and it laid around for years until I frogged it.  I did buy the yarn that we were suppose to use for the sock and had put it aside.  When I saw this current pattern, I remembered the yarn and went DEEP stash diving.  It felt good.  The yarn is Regia Ringel yarn in the clown color.  I am using a size 1 needle.  The pattern is only on the leg unless I change my mind and continue it on the foot.  The pattern is easy.  Between the pattern and the yarn it works up as shown on the picture.  I love it.

I have to knit a cowl for a friends birthday gift.  I went DEEP stash diving again and found Sanguine Gryphon’s Bugga in Milkweed Beetle.  The pattern is called Song of the Sea cowl.  I am making the shorter version with a size 6 needles.  I also cast on an additional 16 stitches and omitted one repeat of the middle wave.  I love how it’s knitting up and it’s going quickly.

I have also been knitting the Brickless pattern.  I love this pattern.  It is knitting up fast.  I probably would be finished if I hadn’t started other projects.  I am using Miss Bab’s Yowsa yarn in the color called Berlin with a size 6 needle.  I love the yarn and will probably knit another hitchhiker in another color.

Guess, I better get knitting!

Hot Town Summer in the City

Back of my neck getting dirty and gritty.  I love that song by the Lovin Spoonful.  It brings back memories of working at the pool in the summer of 1966.  Fibernymph dyeworks has a color way in that name and I had to buy it…..right?  And,  it stripes.  Another great reason to buy it. I also got Octopus Garden (a great song by the Beatles)  and Hot Town Summer in the City.  Both skeins are in her bounce base.  I’m singing right now.  Can you hear me?

I also got some yarn by Desert Vista Dyeworks.  I love her yarn and it was on sale.  Had to buy it because of that and it stripes.  I’m obsessed by yarn that stripes.

I got Neon Spring and the Logo Colorway in the Viso base.

I have been having a great knitting week.  I finished the green scarf that I was knitting using Suss bomull in apple green with a size 7 needle.

I’m getting closer to finishing the Pagona shawl by Stephen West.  I’m using Dream in Color Everlasting in Morning Glory with a size 6 needle.

I started the High Speed Knitting shawl at the end of July.  I am using Desert Vista Dyeworks Shadow Gradient fingering in Witches Brew.  Right now you will see mostly black, but it will be green as the shawl gets bigger.  It’s been a little slow going with this project, but I am working on several projects at the same time.  I’m trying to give each of them some love each week.

I couldn’t wait to cast on for the Brickless scarf/shawl by Martina Behm.  I am using Miss Bab’s Yowza in the color Berlin with a size 6 needle.  I am loving the yarn. It is a worsted weight.  I’m also enjoying the pattern.

No progress has been made on the calendar scarf.

Last but not least, I am more than half way finished with the second Dia de los Muertos sock.  The yarn is by Desert Vista Dyeworks in her Viso base. I am using a size 1 needle.

I’ll have to think about what sock I am going  to knit next.