Monica: That’s the extent of our activities today. Lots of napping and knitting for me.

Pattern: Waterfall Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks (modified)
Yarn: Kraemer Yarns Jeannie

I finally got around to knitting one of the skeins that I dyed with Kool Aid. I like how the colors turned out but I’m pretty sure I can’t repeat how I dyed the skein. I made these socks for a friend of mine who has largish feet and I wasn’t sure if I’d have enough yarn so I knit them toe up. Then when I got to the leg part I had enough yarn to make them longer but I got impatient and antsy to start another pair of socks. I managed to make the leg at least 5″ long.

I have to keep knitting socks because more yarn just keeps showing up in The Stash.

Briar Rose Grace

Gee I wonder how that happens?

Filed under: FOs, SOS 2008, Socks by Monica

Monica: This morning I was picking up a bunch of old dog toys like the one above and tried to throw it away. Buddy yanked that out of my hand and proceeded to guard it. Whenever he retrieves he likes to take the tiniest scrap of toys like this

That was a leg of a Mean Kitty toy.

He waits until Ella has taken all of the stuffing out of a toy and then he wants us to throw it. The toy usually doesn’t go very far. I guess he’s trying to save us money because we don’t have to buy dog toys often since he likes playing with scraps.

That piece is almost perfect for Buddy. It’s a little too big right now.

So this week I’ve been slowly venturing out of the comfort zone of knitting by trying my hand at sewing. It’s slow-going and I know that I should get better with practice but I wish I could learn how to sew like Keanu learned how to fly a helicopter in The Matrix. Here’s my first project:

Clutch from Bend the Rules Sewing

(Since I have to keep practicing, I wonder how many of these I can gift to Lynette?)

Filed under: Miscellaneous, Puppers by Monica

Pattern: Broadripple Socks by Rob Matyska
Yarn: Cascade Fixation in 9478 (multi) and 6185 (solid)

Monica: I’ve always wanted to knit these socks ever since I saw them on Knitty. So when the yarn was on sale at my LYS I decided to get some for this pattern. I changed the pattern to toe-up and used a short-row heel. I tried to play around with a gusset and heel flap but couldn’t get the math to work. After 3 tries I decided to go with the short-row heel. I have plenty of other opportunities to practice the heel flap. Since it was my first time trying the heel flap with a toe-up sock I decided I should follow a pattern so I at least knew what I was doing.

I didn’t enjoy knitting with this yarn. Since I am a loose knitter I knit the toes using size 1 and found it was too tight. So I switched to size 2s and it was better but still a little tight. I could’ve switched to size 3s but I wasn’t sure I would like the gauge so I stuck with the 2s. I like how it looks with the pattern though. I would knit this pattern again but use different yarn.

I’m working on sock #3 now. I’m trying to be more efficient and knit both socks at the same time with this knitalong. This way I can make the same mistakes on both socks. I’m not sure how long I can be monogamous to this sock knitting because I’m feeling the itch to knit a sweater.

Filed under: FOs, SOS 2008, Socks by Monica

Pattern: Baby Cable Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Lane Cervinia Calzetteria and Fleece Artist Merino (for the toes)
Needle: Knit Picks Size 2 circs

Lynette: I finished my first pair of SOS 2008. I call them vintage because I bought the yarn from Smiley’s Yarns about 6 or 7 years ago. For anyone that knows me know that I bought every color. There’s still some left after all this time. When I bought the yarn, I thought it was self-striping. Instead it’s a variegated mottled-look which I like a lot.

I underestimated the leg again and knitted 7.5″ inches and ran out of yarn. At the toe and found some matching Fleece Artist yarn to complete them.

I was so excited when SOS started again, and I’m sure Monica is also. We’ve been going through our stash and patterns trying to decide what to knit. Last year I think I knitted about 6 pair in 2 months. It’s not a competition but this KAL does give me time to appreciate and use lots of the yarn I’ve accumulated over the years. Stay tuned for what’s in store next.

Here’s the start of my second pair of socks. I hope you’re having a great weekend.

Filed under: FOs, SOS 2008, Socks by Lynette

Pattern: Toe-Up Socks on Two Circular Needles by my friend Lindsey
Yarn: Not sure — but probably Cherry Tree Hill Supersock

Monica: Title stolen from Polly. I cheated a bit on these socks. See the pink yarn on my left foot? I put that there to delineate the area that I didn’t knit. These socks were started by my friend Debra before she died and her friends asked for volunteers to finish her WIPs. I wanted to preserve what she had knit and I wanted you to be able to see it. I knit them to fit an average sized woman’s foot so I made them to fit a size 8. I’m a size 7 so they are slightly big at the toe area on my feet. My sock mojo has been in hibernation for a while now so I’m hoping this SOS (Summer of Socks) knitalong will wake it up.

Now with Ella’s feet! Speaking of Ella, I attended a conference earlier this month and they gave away Elvis sunglasses. So what do you do with them?


It’s Ella-vis baby!

Filed under: FOs, SOS 2008, Socks by Monica

Lynette: Chicago was once again graced by the presence of the Yarn Harlot. She came to town in between rain storms. The room was filled with knitters older and young all waiting for the wise and very funny words of Stephanie McPhee. And she did not disappoint. I’ll admit, there were moments when I snorted with laughter. I think it was when she said that you can fit about 5 10-packs of yarn in a grand piano before it starts to sounds funny. Knitters are smart. And clever. And witty. And FUN.

I stood in front of the room as Stephanie would to capture these great pictures.

After she spoke, I tried to make my way to the line but ran into lots of knitters I hadn’t seen in a while. Hi Kathy, Mary, Michelle and Michelle, Franklin, Vicky, Laurel and baby. I also met new knitters who drove from Wisconsin and Indiana. What’s up with my head tilt in the picture with Franklin?

And when my turn finally came, Stephanie stood and took a picture with me and Angie. How nice!!

I have more pictures here. Thanks Trisha for hosting a fun event.

Filed under: Current Affairs, KIP, Knit In Public by Lynette

Pattern: Cotton Classic Pullover (link is a PDF) from Tahki Stacy Charles
Yarn: Madil Yarns Vanity (discontinued a long long long time ago)

Monica: I’ve had this sweater in my queue for a while now but once I saw Jillian’s and Bron’s I had to be a copycat and move it up. I’ve been following along their knitalong and itching to start so as soon as I finished the Peacock shawl I cast on for this sweater. And ripped. And cast on. And ripped. And cast on. And ripped again! I kept twisting the join in my excitement to knit this sweater. After the third try I gave up and knit about 1 inch of the front and back separately and found it was easier to join. Apparently I need more practice knitting in the round.

I’ve had this yarn in the stash for a long time–at least 5 years, it was one of those I have to get it because it’s on sale and it’s really nice. It’s 80% merino and 20% cashmere so I couldn’t turn it down. Also, I must have gone through a phase where I really liked light blue because a lot of yarn that I bought around that time was that color. I didn’t think I was a blue person but apparently I like light blue. I didn’t have as much yarn as I needed for the sweater so I made the body about 1 inch shorter and the sleeves a lot shorter. But I think it looks fine. Like a lot of others, I knit an extra decrease row on the neckline to prevent the boatneck from falling off my shoulders.

This picture makes me look really short-waisted but I think if I wear the sweater with a shorter top underneath it will look better.

Filed under: FOs, Sweaters by Monica

Pattern: Knit & Tonic’s Tomato
Yarn: Cotton Ease in Lime and Terracotta
Needles: KP Size 7 circs

Lynette: This is me NOT pleased. I was so looking forward to finishing my tomato top and wearing it this week. However, after all is said and done, I’m not happy with it. I blame myself for all the problems in this project. First off, I knit the wrong size. I knit a size 40″ when I should have knit between 36-38″. Yes, those few inches make a big difference. Secondly, I did not decrease as called for in the pattern. The sleeves are too large and puffy. Can you see the bagginess? Even the greatness of the Cotton Ease cannot comfort me.

This prostrate picture looks a lot better I must admit. Sooooo, I’m going frog my Tomato and cast on for a smaller size.   This time I won’t loose myself in the mindless stockinette stitch and decrease where I’m supposed to. Oh, and I might swatch too.

Filed under: Cotton Ease, FOs, Sweaters by Lynette

Pattern: Peacock Feathers Shawl
Yarn: JaggerSpun Zephyr Wool-Silk in Aegean Blue

Monica: Here’s the shawl I briefly mentioned last week. Loved this pattern! It kept me interested and it wasn’t difficult. It was also written well and I didn’t get confused at all. (That’s saying a lot because I get easily confused.) I love this yarn because it’s really nice to knit with. Halfway through knitting this project I had to stop myself from buying every color available.

It’s hard to get a good picture of me wearing this shawl. Excuse the clothing — it’s been hot here.


Just starting the Stevie Nicks turn now…

I think I’ll work on a sweater now at least until the lace bug bites again.

Filed under: FOs, Shawls by Monica

Pattern: Chevron Socks from Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: DGB Confetti self-striping yarn
Needles: Size 2 KP circs

Lynette: So it’s finally summer here in Chicago and what am I still knitting? Socks. But every season is sock-knitting season, right? Truth is, I’m always knitting socks. And now I’m gearing up to start the Summer of Socks 2008 KAL next week. I have lots and lots of new sock yarn so that will be much fun.

I bought this yarn several years ago (in all the colors) on ebay, and this actually the 2nd pair I’ve knit. It was lots of fun and very easy to memorize. I LOVE self-striping yarns and watching the colors change. Look for more in the coming weeks. Yesterday, I found this flickr group so I couldn’t wait to take a picture in my new Mary Janes and post them.  Thanks Angie for taking the picture.

Here’s a parting shot of my cool sock blockers.

Filed under: FOs, Socks by Lynette