More, More, More

Joy and happiness abound!



My KnitPicks order arrived today and now I have 2 new sock books! Favorite Socks and More Sensational Knitted Socks! and a chart keeper! and more sock yarn - Gloss! YEAH! I really like both of these sock books. There are a few patterns that caught my interest already. And the Gloss is very yummy. They are Woodland Sage and Dusk. I ordered it before my yarn diet, by the way, so it doesn't count! hehe

I am still infatuated with the Feather and Fan scarf!
In fact, it is 2 feet long already!





Gotta have a closeup shot!



*Sigh*
Infatuation, the state of being completely carried away by unreasoning passion or love; addictive love.
That's where I am at right now.
It's nice place to be.

Yarn Crawl

Some of us from knit group went on a yarn crawl Saturday.



We went up to Boulder and Denver.
Unfortunately, the weather was not cooperating.
But that did not dampen our spirits in the least.



In Boulder, we stopped at Shuttle, Spindles, and Skeins.

This handsome fellow welcomed us as the store mascot.



We met up with Lisa, then lunch, and off to Denver.
The owner of the Lamb Shoppe was so nice!
What a fun place, we are definately planning on going back to this store in the future!



Then we wrapped it up at String.

On the way back home, the clouds finally parted.



We stopped at Ellen's house on the way back to see her new baby cashmere goat, Trouble. Too cute, but he is a handful and living up to his name already!
EDIT: Trouble is a "she" oops!



What a fun day!

Here's my loot from the trip.


I am putting myself on a yarn diet until Estes in June. I am not going to buy any new yarn with one exception; if I need some to finish a project that is on the needles already. The only one I can see that happening with is the feather and fan scarf.

I took the Blueberry Shawl on the yarn crawl. I knit so much on it recently that I ran out of the first skein. So I grabbed another skein and took it on a drive to the park today for a photo shoot. Now it is 53 1/2 inches long, more than halfway done I think.



This is the Xeriscape gardens on Mesa road.

Guess that's all for now!
Hope you enjoyed your weekend as much as I enjoyed mine!

Words are Insufficient

I can not find the words to express how I feel about this new project. Merino goodness, soft, colorful, bright and cheerful, yarn love, infatuation. This is better than I could have imagined! Lisa Souza ROCKS!! This yarn is so fantastic! I stayed up late last night just to knit and admire this combination of color.



Yarn: Lime N Violet, Violet's Pink Ribbon merino from Lisa Souza
Needles: Laurel Hill size 5
Pattern: Gossamer Shells Scarf from One Skein Wonders p.55

This is very yummy yarn! And perfect for this project. I would not make socks out of it, just my opinion. I think the Violet's Pink Ribbon is too light in color for socks. They would be pretty, but I would not want to wear them. As I said, just my opinion, I would have a hard time keeping them clean and nice looking. But it does do well for this lacy scarf.

The swatch that I did was just for practice. I ripped it. I might restart a leftover sock yarn scarf at some point, but I want to work on this first. I want to knit on this and enjoy the process. Linger with this lovely yarn!

I have been knitting socks at work. I am trying to get some summer, cotton blend socks done in time for warmer weather. Last year this idea was not in my brain and I was knitting wool socks in the summer. this year I have a plan!



Yarn: Regia Cotton #5433
Needles: bamboo size 1 (2.25mm)
64 stitches
3 inches 2X2 ribbing

This color was not what I was expecting, but I really like it! They will definately go with alot of things. Not that it matters much if my handknit socks match my outfit. Usually I pick the socks first anyway. Weird? It is all about the socks!

Searching For Answers

Blog Feature

A reader asked a question and I had fun finding the answer.

Diana asked:
I like the wooden sock shapers. Do you think I need a pair??? ;) Where did you get those? I haven't seen them with decorative sheep.

I went to My Flickr page . Then clicked on the "Yarn and stuff " folder. Found the pic:



And there was the link:
stores.ebay.com/CHAPPYS-FIBER-ARTS-AND-CRAFTS_

However, I also discovered an easier way after I did all that. In the upper lefthand corner of this blog is a box and next to it is "Search Blog." type in "sock blockers" and it takes you right to the post when I first talked about them. Cool feature huh?!

Onto knitting talk

I have revisited an old friend. Every now and then between projects, I work on the Blueberry Shawl. We have a theory about this at knit group. I like the Blueberry Shawl alot, but I have not finished it. We think it is because I like to work on it. If I finish is, then I will have less time with it. It may end up folded in a drawer that way. And that would be sad. just a theory. Anyway, I have added a few rows to it this week.



I have also been swatching for a new project. That is kinda funny in itself, because I rarely swatch. But I wanted to try out a new pattern and was not sure what needle size to use. So I grabbed some leftover sock yarn, no shortage of that in my stash!
I ended up with this:


Yarn: Fleece Artist, Pinata
Needles: size 5
Pattern: Gossamer Shells Scarf from One Skein Wonders p.55

Then I wound up the yarn I want to use for the project:



Lime N Violet yarn from Lisa Souza. I think it will make a nice feather and fan scarf! I was thinking of alternating the colors every other row. I was also thinking since it looked so good in the leftover yarn, maybe doing another one some time with all my leftovers. That would be interesting. Maybe a shawl instead of a scarf since I have an abundance, due in part to the tiny feet (size 3 kids feet, really) not using much for a pair of socks. Also due to the sock yarn multiplying in the stash while the lights are out! hehe

I am so excited about my latest Knitpicks order on its way! I have been (not so) patiently waiting for More Sensational Knitted Socks to be released. I ordered it yesterday! YEAH! Also, Favorite Socks will be along, as well as some sock yarn (there is a shocker!) to make the free shipping deal. WHOO HOO!!




On the "Coworker Learning to Knit" newsfront.
She is purling now too!!
YEAH! She is doing GREAT!!

Pinata Ridged Feather

I finished a new pair of socks today!



Yarn: Fleece Artist, Pinata
Needles: Crystal Palace size 1 (2.25mm)
64 stitches short row heel and toe
Increased to 72 stitches for cuff
cuff pattern adapted from Sensational Knitted Socks p. 73
2X2 rib 1 inch modified Russian bind off

These look very similar to my other feather and fan socks. But the difference is the purl ridge.



I like them both equally. It is nice to try new things. I will probably always knit socks, but I will try to add some variety. Trying new things is good. A new detail or a different technique keeps this obsession fresh!

The Place

What a wonderful weekend!
Great weather for March in Colorado!
The DH and I took a drive up to Glen Eagle.



I made all the pics small, cuz there are a few.
As always, click on any pic to enlarge.

We tried out a new location for knit group.
We like to change it up!
This place is called The Place.



Anne was wearing her completed KPPFIC.
It looks great!




Brie was working on her miniature sweater.
Cute!



I brought my latest socks.



I even have some yarn Pr0n for you!



Lime N Violet from Lisa Souza and Lime and Quary from Cherry Tree Hill from my LYS.

Thank you for the nice comments about my coworker learning to knit. She knit all day on Friday and did great! She cast on, knit a square, and bound off. Then in true knitter fashion, she cast on for another square! She wants to join them together for a blanket. Sounds like a plan!

A New Knitter

OK, I know that normally I just post pics of my knitting and the descriptions. I am not very chatty on the blog. Kinda funny because I am very talkative in person. Anyway, I have a story today. So grab a cup and put your feet up.

I work a customer service type job. And we have down time during the day - a generous amount of down time sometimes. That is why I like my job! And I get to knit during those times. Some of my coworkers do other crafts (crochet, cross stitch, etc) and some read. Some just chat amongst themselves. One particular coworker that sits near me occasionally says that she is bored. I tease her and say that she should learn to knit then she wouldn't be bored. She always said that she didn't have the patience or something. You can probably tell where this is going. Today I was starting a new pair of socks at work during some down time. I was showing her the toes in this new color, we were trying to figure out if it was going to stripe in a pattern or be random splashes of color. She is a fan on my socks and interesting yarns. This is good. So she is holding the sock toe and asks for a needle. I hand her the extra dpn. She puts it in the stitch and wraps the yarn around it and said "Is this how you do it?" WOW! A natural! Well, sort of. It took a few minutes to get the yarn to stay on while holding the dpn and the yarn and the sock. But she got it! She did a whole row! On size 1 dpn's with sock yarn! I was impressed! Then she handed it back to me and only one mistake. Pretty good for a first try. Then I tinked back to the mistake (a yarn over) and reknit the row. By then it was almost the end of my shift. She got upset when I put it away. She wanted to knit on my sock while I was gone! She works a later shift. So I told her I would bring her in some yarn and needles of her own tomorrow. We are having a St Patrick's Day potluck, so I am giving her green yarn (her favorite color anyway). Now she won't be bored!

Onto pics of socks:

Vineyard Stripes



Yarn: Knit Picks Simple Stripes, Vineyard
Needles: Knit Picks Size 1 (2.5mm)
64 stitches, short row toes and heels
2X2 ribbing 3 inches

I like this yarn, I don't know why Knit Picks discontinued it. I am glad that I got some before it was all gone. I have at least two more colors in the stash.

Pinata socks



Specs so far:
Yarn: Fleece Artist, Pinata
Needles: Crystal Palace size 1 (2.25mm)
64 stitches short row toes and heels

I am going to try a new cuff pattern that I found in Sensational Knitted Socks. I have been trying to add more variety to my knitting recently.

Surprise Shower

Bridal Shower

After much planning and preparation, our knit group surprised Phoebe with a bridal shower! It was lots of fun and she appreciated the efforts.



more pictures here.

Then Chery forced me against my will to go yarn and bead shopping! She twisted my arm really! hehe
These followed me home:



Then when we got home, this was waiting:



Just in time for spring! Cotton sock yarn.

Finished Socks!

I finished the Carousel socks last night.



Specs:
Yarn: Claudia Handpainted Yarn, Carousel
Needles: Crystal Palace size 1 (2.25mm)
68 stitches
Cuff: increased to 76 stitches Jaywalker pattern 4 inches 2X2 ribbing




I really enjoyed knitting these socks! I will have to try doing the full sock in the Jaywalker pattern sometime.

These are on the needles now:



MMmmmm Fleece Artist, yummy merino goodness...

Signs of Spring

Weather

We have our first signs of spring here in Colorado Springs lately. The temps have been in the mid to upper 50's this week. Pretty nice for March in the Rockies! As a result of the nice weather, the flowers are making on appearance outside already!



I love pansies! They have always been my favorite flower in the garden. As you can see, my bulbs are coming up as well. I have tulips, daffodils, and lillies scattered throughout the flower beds around our house.

Yarn Pr0n

When I ordered the Claudia Hand Painted from Simply Socks, they were out of the Walk in the Woods colorway. But lookie at what showed up this week!



I like it! So soft and purty!

I was prepping the Fleece Artist Pinata to jump on the needles.



I love all the colors in this one! Looks even better wound up.

Socks

The Carousel socks are progressing!





It is like a Jaywalker hybrid. I did a plain toe up, short row toe and heel, then added the Jaywalker pattern on the cuff. I like everything that is going on with these! The colors, the pooling, the chevrons! Keeps my interest! This pattern really showcases all the colors in this wonderful yarn!