Fall Back

Don't you just love when you finish a project that has taken awhile to complete? I finally finished the Croc Socks by Monica and I am so happy how they came out. I used a size 1 needle with Sundara Sock yarn in basil over buttercup. I just love the pattern and I'm so proud that I completed this pair.

A close up of the pattern:

I changed the pattern from a short row heel to a heel flap:

This pair completed my goal of 12 socks in a year. Considering that I finished my first pair in July, I am so excited. To reward myself, I started on my Multnomah shawl. Pictures will come on the next blog post.

I also had to reward myself with more yarn:

From Sunshine Yarns, I got her Classic Sock yarn in New Moon Alice and Bitterroot:

I must really like the Bitterroot because after I got the yarn, I realized I already had a skein. Don't you just hate that?

I also ordered more yarn from the Loopy Ewe. I couldn't resist buying Dragonfly Fibers Djinni yarn. This is the same yarn base that the Sanguine Gryphon uses for her Bugga yarn. From left to right, the colors are: Blackberry Bramble, Dragonfly, Texas Bluebonnet, and Riptide.

I also got Fleece Artist Nyoni yarn in Amethyst (this has silk in it) and Madelinetosh Tosh sock in Terrarium.

Tomorrow morning we can sleep late. Daylight savings time ends here. Don't forget to turn your clocks back an hour. I hate when it gets dark early. Can't wait for March when the clock spring forward.

Trick or Treat?

Well, only two more crazy weeks to go and then it should calm down except for the holidays coming up. At least I'm not planning on knitting anything for gifts so that should make my knitting less stressful. It's hard to believe that Christmas is 2 months away.

I have been trying to finish up some socks. I did complete the Artisan Acres Lambkin socks in Turquoise Mine. I used a basic sock pattern with size 2 needles. I really love this yarn and I'm glad that I have more of it.

I finished one croc sock and started on the second one. I would really like to finish it this week, but I'm not sure that I will be able to make it. But, I will be happy if I get close. I do feel as if I really accomplished something with this sock. The pattern looks really hard, but it's really not hard to do.

I also finished the October Mid-Month KAL for my dishcloth group. It was a house or log cabin. It's cute. I used size 7 needles with chocolate Peaches and Creme yarn.

I got a couple of shipments from the Loopy Ewe. One was the Dream in Color Knitosophy yarn in Butterfly and Fiberfile Squooshy Sock in Inlet. Both are 100% superwash yarn.

Then I purchased FiberOptic yarn in Bordeaux batik, Autumn leaves, and Sapphire batik. This is 80% superwash and 20% nylon.

This week is Trick or Treat week. Wonder what Tricks or Treats I will get?

Busy Week but still knitting

What a week. Between working, teaching, taking a class, and getting ready for a wedding. It has been hectic.

The wedding of my niece turned out great. We were concerned about the weather. It snowed at my house on Friday. They were calling for rain on Saturday, but it really only spritzed a little and the clouds did part for awhile and we saw blue skies. The ceremony went off without a hitch and the reception was great.

This week will be another busy week, but I am finding time to knit. I started another Artisan Acre Fiber Art Lambkin sock in the Turquoise Mine colorway. I am using size 2 needles. I really like the color. It has shades of browns and blues with a touch of turquoise.

I did work on my croc sock today and I am determined to finish the first sock this week.

More sock yarn found it's way into my stash. Some of it is from Sock clubs. From Intentions Yarn club, I got a skein of Simplicity in shades of brown. It's 100% superwash sock.

From the Color Coop club, a skein of Miss Babs Seacell Handpainted superwash sock in Early Autumn came for this month's shipment.

I also bought more Sundara Sock yarn. This was the October offering. I purchased two skeins, one in Graphite and one in Sour Apple.

I subscribed to Rowan Magazine again and they sent me 6 skeins of Rowan Pure 4 ply wool in spice with patterns to make a shawl.

Off to knit more on my Artisan Acre sock. I am at the toe and would like to finish this one sock by tomorrow.

Finishing Projects and Starting New Ones

I have been trying to finish off some projects and start new ones. I finally got the Pagewood Farms Alyeska sock completed. Color is Turquoise with a size 2 needle. I love the color of this sock and the yarn is so soft.

Today, I completed the Sunshine Yarn Twist sock in the Wildflowers colorway using a Basic sock pattern with size 1 needles. I wasn't sure that I liked this yarn, but they feel really warm on the foot.

I also completed the Monthy Dishcloth KAL. The pattern is called A Dish Monkey Cloth by Lindsay Sasseville. I used Peaches and Creme Yarn in Camel with a size 6 needle. It's a cute pattern that was a fun knit.

I purchased some Multiplicity Yarn by Plymouth to make a Rib Scarf. The yarn is thick and thin and looks really cool knit into a scarf.

I started the scarf using size 13 needles. It's quick to knit and fun to watch how it will turn out.

Since I finished two pairs of socks, I had to start another. I am using Punta merisock yarn in color HP68 with a basic sock pattern. The yarn is nice and soft.

I started back on my croc sock and got past the heel decreases. Now on to the foot. Maybe next time I will have a picture of a completed sock - I hope.

I have to show you the new tote bag I bought. It's a Laurel Burch bag and I really love it. It's lightweight and I can fit a lot of projects in this bag. I am not a cat fan, but just loved this one.

Well, off to knit some more. Maybe I will cast on for another sock?

No Gusset Holes

I found this video on You Tube and I'm in love. Finally, finally, finally a method that works for me. This is so great. Thanks KatAutumn!

Reaching a Goal

It's great to set goals, but it's even better when you reach a goal. Especially when you reach a goal before a deadline. One of my goals this year was to read 65 books. I was quite nervous because I got off to a slow start. But, I did catch up! I just love to read.

I have read the following books:

Living Dead in Dallas and Club Dead by Charlaine Harris

These are the Sookie Stackhouse books which are very entertaining.

Brides for Brothers, Daddy's Little Helper, Because of the Baby, Denim and Diamonds, The Wyoming Kid, and 92 Pacific Boulevard by Debbie Macomber

Her books are great.

Mercury in Retrograde by Paula Froelich

Fireside by Susan Wiggs

Miss Julia Hits the Road by Ann B. Ross

Lucia, Lucia by Adriana Trigiani

Return to Sullivans Island by Dorthea Benton Frank

Making Waves by Cassandra King

Commencement by J. Courtney Smith

Prairie Tale: A Memoir by Melissa Gilbert

and

Cape Light by Thomas Kinkade

I enjoyed all of these books and just because I reached my goal doesn't mean that I will stop reading. It will be interesting to see how many books I can read until the end of the year. Want to take a guess?

It's Socktoberfest!

....and I have been knitting socks! I finished one sock using Sunshine Yarns Twist yarn in the wildflowers colorway using a size 1 needle. I like how this came out. I already cast on the second sock and got past the ribbing (I hate ribbing so I get it done as fast as possible). I used a basic sock pattern.

Then I cast on a sock using Pagewood Farms Alyeska Yarn. It has cashmere in it and boy is it nice and soft. It feels so warm and it's gotten damp here in the East. I can't wait to finish these to keep my feet nice and warm. I am using a basic sock pattern with size 2 needles. I got one sock finished today and need to cast on for the second sock.

I finally got back to my Croc Socks and I am at the heel decreases. This is Sundara yarn (basil over buttercup) using a size 1 needle. Can't wait to finish these, but it should go fast now since the pattern is only on one needle.

I also finished up the Mid Month September Dishcloth Knit a long. I used Peaches and creme cotton yarn in shaded pastels with a size 6 needle. This was a different pattern to knit.

Of course I had to buy more sock yarn since I am on a roll knitting socks. I got more Artisan Acre Fiber Arts yarn. I just love this yarn. In the Lambkins fingering yarn, I got Magic Mountain and Turquoise mine colorways.

I also loved the colorways Pink filaree and Green Apple Martini. She didn't have the colors in the Lambkins, but did dye up some in the Cash Mer fingering weight. Well, I love the cashmere blends because they are so soft. So, I that didn't stop me from buying those two skeins.

And, I loved the Pagewood Farm Alyeska (cashmere blend) yarn so much, that I bought two more colorways in that yarn. I got Maple Leaf and Fabulous Fall. Great autumn colorways.

Today, I went to the Knitter's Edge in Bethlehem and they got in Punta Merisock Handpainted yarn. Well, I couldn't leave there without buying two skeins. I got HP 92 (a red black colorway) and HP 68 (a green brown colorway).

I guess I better get to knitting socks.

Fall Socks are finished

I finished another pair of socks. The Artisan Acres Lambkin socks in Corn Maiden are complete. Just in time for fall. I used size 2 needles. I really, really liked this yarn and the colorway. I liked it so much that I ordered two more skeins of it. Can't wait until it gets here.

I am still working on the Sunshine yarn socks in Wildflowers. I am ready to pick up stitches for the heel. Will have to post a picture in the next blog update. This yarn is thin and it's wierd switching from the Artisan Acre socks to this pair because of the weight difference in the yarn.

I couldn't resist buying more sock yarn. I got some from The Knitter's Edge: Trekking in colors 175 and 187 and Oneline Supersock (6 ply) in the Wellness II color 1199.

I also got Claudia Handpaints in Scouts Honor and more Prism Saki in Peacock.

I love the Knitter's Edge in Bethlehem. I have great knitting friends there and the owners and people who work there are great. We all enable one another, but we also support each other.

From the Loopy Ewe, I got Lorna's Laces in Zombie BBQ and Nightmare's night out plus String Theroy Caper Sock in Oban. More great yarns and colorways to knit up into socks.

I think my New Year's resolution will be no sock yarn for 2010 so I start using up some of my stash. What do you think?

Socks, Socks, Socks - I'm Obsessed

It's been a hectic week, but I have been able to get some sock knitting completed. I finished one Artisan Acres Lambkin sock. This is a fingering weight yarn. I'm using size 2 needles with double points. I'm liking this yarn and how the pattern is working up. It's a great fall color.

I just had to start another sock though using circular needles, so I am working on Sunshine Twist yarn in the color Wildflowers using size 1 needles. It's fun watching how the pattern is working up with this yarn.

Of course I had to keep my stash filled up with sock yarn, so I got a shipment from the Loopy Ewe. From left to right is Dragonfly fibers in Beach Grass and Tangled Up in blue, Mackintosh Iona Fingering Weight yarn in Misty Highlands and Handmaiden Casbah in Hemlock. It looks as if I really like blue and green colors with this shipment.

Then I got my last shipment of Sundara Year of Sock. From left to right is Green Tea, Spiced and Mahogany over Marmalade. I really like Sundara yarn. It's one of my favorites.

I need more time to knit

Didn't do too much knitting this week. I was putting our living room back together after having new windows installed.

I did work on the Artisan Acres socks. I completed the Mid Month KAL for my dishcloth group. I don't know the true name of this dishcloth, but I'm calling it the ABC dishcloth. I used Peaches and Creme in red with size 6 needles.

I did work on two other dishcloths previously, but did not blog about them because they were for a dishcloth exchange. I finished another Fishy Tawashi using Peaches and Creme in teal and white with a size 9 needle. I really like this pattern. It is so fun to knit up.

The other cloth I made was the Windmill cloth using Peaches and Creme in peppermint with size 6 needles. I love this circular cloth.

I did purchase some new yarn. I got Debbie Bliss Donegal Luxury Tweed in color 36001 to make a scarf. I love how this yarn looks. It is 85% wool and 15% angora.

I also was able to get a skein of Numma Numma Toasty in the colorway Elvis. I really need to get more of this yarn. This is 100% superwash merino.

The Knitter's Edge had their pool filled with Baby Alpaca Grande at a great price, so I couldn't resist buying 2 skeins to make a scarf. Maybe I will get another skein to knit a hat to match?

I'm planning out what yarn I will use next for a sock, but I am also looking to use some sock yarn to knit a shawl. There are so many neat looking shawls out there, but I really need to finish some other projects first. I need more time to knit but next Saturday we are having a yard sale and I need to get ready. Maybe I can knit at the yard sale?

Some days you just get lucky

It's September and I keep knitting socks. I finished the Tidal Wave socks and I am so happy with them. I love the yarn (Prism Saki) and the color (Aruba). I used size 1 needles and knitted them on circular needles (one at a time). I am glad I have another skein of this yarn and will definately buy more if I find another colorway that I like.

I also started a basic sock pattern using Artisan Acre Fiber Arts Lambkin fingering weight yarn in the color Corn Maiden. Great color for fall. I am using size 2 needles for these socks.

I received some yarn club shipments: From the Unique Sheep's Rubber Ducky club, I received a skein of pima petite cotton in the sangria colorway. I also got a bar of soap in sangria and some lip balm.

Then from the Loopy Ewe, I got my September sock club shipment. The yarn is Wollmeise (how exciting) in the colorway called Guide to Galaxy. I also got a great sock pattern, a project bag and a note pad.

This was an exciting week for me with the Loopy Ewe as I got to purchase 4 skeins of Wollmeise in a sneak up by pure luck. I must have checked the web site right after Sheri put the yarn up for sale. I am doing a happy dance since it's been quite awhile since I was able to purchase any Wollmeise. The four skeins are on their way, but I won't receive them until next week. I am letting one of my knitting friends purchase one of the four skeins from me since she couldn't get any to buy.

Some days you just get lucky.