Multi-tasking

This morning I knit on the Felted Slipper, and as I was sitting in the sleep inducing chair, it took longer than it should have for the progress I made. I fell asleep. With a cat on my lap. Was hoping to finish it today... well I suppose it is still possible to finish if I stay up awhile longer. If not there is always tomorrow.

Then switched to the sock in progress. As you can see, I was multi tasking. Playing Yahtzee on the computer. Granted it does slow me down a bit, having to take my turn and all, but my companions don't complain if I must finish the row before rolling the dice. It also keeps me out of the sleepy chair. It's a win win situation on some days.

Yarn is Pagewood Farms. Color is Misty. Don't have the ball band as I traded with a knitting buddy who lusted after the brown skein that I had. It's all good! Love this color too. Reminds me of grey days and sunsets and misty mornings on a small pond. The yarn is very yummy and squishy. As you can see, one sock is darker than the other. They will be siblings... not twins. I divided the ball in half by weight. I noticed this effect when viewing the socks my friend has knit up (in different colors) with this yarn as well. This yarn trait doesn't bother me at all. I don't mind if my socks are unique or on rare occasions match perfectly. I do know of knitters that this would drive completely batty. If you are one of those knitters... you have been warned. :-) Though honestly, I don't know if every skein is like this or if we just managed to get odd balls.

Doing a simple K3, P1 ribbing down the cuff. I may or may not carry the ribbing down the top of the foot. Undecided on that at this point. I am doing both socks at the same time, using the basic instructions in the book "2-at-a-time Socks" by Melissa Morgan-Oakes. (linked to Amazon cause it is easy) Both yarn and book were purchased at my LYS though.

On another note:

Kitchen is cleaned, living room straightened and most of my clothing is located and washed, one load yet in the dryer. Back pack halfway packed. Sudoku book(s) and pencils are in the lap top's bag. All cables and cords located and stashed there as well, except the cell phone charging cable. I will grab that and pack it on Monday. Still have to wind yarn cakes and divide a few balls of sock yarn. Have to simplify my necessities bag for my carry on. Will stash most of my knitting tools in the main back pack. Must still decide what to take for plane knitting besides the socks.

I will be trying to go to all the yarn shops I can locate near Honolulu. Will probably not purchase much while I am there... hard to justify yarn purchases when I am taking more yarn than I know that I can knit. Will see about writing up a bit on each of the ones that I make it to. I was surprised to find that there are indeed several listed in the 2007-2008 Travel guide. The book shows 8 in Honolulu, and 5 others in different cities on Oahu. (there is at least one on 2 other islands as well it appears)

Knit on!

On Vacation

Whoo!
Don't have to be back to work until the 22nd of December! Flying out on the 25th to spend time with my youngest and his family in Hawaii and awaiting the birth of their newest one. Hoping to get plenty of knitting time in. I know what yarn I am taking... but still must wind some into cakes. Haven't packed ckothes yet at all... will have to do that sometime this weekend. (or Monday) ;-) The pet sitter has been briefed and has spent a few nights here so that the animals all get accoustomed to having someone else here. (0ne of hubby's friends will be staying here)

Trying to get another Christmas present finished before I leave. Another pair of felted slippers this one for my eldest. Have the pair for his Sweetie done already. They will both be wrapped and gifted un-felted. I think we will have a little felting party while they are here so that they can try them on for fit in the process. They both have larger feet than mine and I don't want to be guessing and guessing wrong and felt them too small. Photos later... will do a before and after shot. I am using the Fiber Trends pattern and Lopi yarn

Well, tea water is nearly done and so I am going to finish fixing that and curl back up in the recliner and knit some more with a nice cup of mint tea.

Happy Knitting!

sock swatches

Lately it seems my "standard" cast on number will often resort in a sock too small to get over my heel, which means that sock pair goes to my mom or I frog it. With all the different sock yarns I have been purchasing, I have noted that my cast on number has had to change at times as well.

So, I pulled out half a dozen different sock yarns off my shelf and started making little swatches out of them last night. I am casting on 40 sts with a size US 1 (2.5mm) additurbo circular knitting an inch or so, picking up the US 0 (2mm) purl a round then knit an inch or so and then one more time with the US 00 (1.75mm). Need to pick up some tags at Office depot or some such place so that I can mark the swatches with yarn type and the needles I used and the gauge I obtained. Won't do any good to make the swatch and then not be able to tell what the yarn is in a year or two. WPI (wraps per inch) might be a good idea to record as well. hmmm...


By doing all this I am hoping to cut down on the amount of time frogging. I know that if I can feel the difference in thickness between the yarn types by running the yarn through my fingers that there is going to be a definite difference in the circumference of the knitted item. I would rather spend the realatively small amount of time kniting the swatches than ripping 5 inches or more of cuff because it won't go over my ankle. (bad words, bad words, bad words). This makes more sense to me now that I plan to start doing both socks at one time. It is painful enough to send one cuff off to the frog pond and I know it is going to be more than double that with two. I don't suffer to badly from SSS (second sock syndrome) but it does indeed take longer for the second sock to be completed, that is one reason for starting to do the socks in this manner.

Also started a new project(s) yesterday evening. My DIL has the little one's room done up with a monkey theme. And... I have a sock monkey pattern/kit from Blue Moon that I purchased down at the Black Sheep Fiber Festival earlier this year. Also ordered two more skeins of Heavy weight STR this morning hoping that they will arrive before I leave so that I can wind them and take them with me. Just Right Red (red obviously) and Sunstone (orangy yellows). EldestK likes red, SecondK likes orange, and LittleK is going to get one of my favorites, Pond Scum, since he isn't born quite yet and can't vocalize his opinion on the matter.

Happy Knitting!

Another one done

Yea! Love getting stuff done. (quit giggling) I really do enjoy getting things done. Just, sometimes the actual doing takes forever and ever.

Two skeins of southwest trading company Bamboo 250 yards per skein so 500 yards in this scarf. There is aprox 3 feet of yarn in that little pile... that is all that is left. The pattern can be found here at the Yarn Harlot. Love the pattern, works well with any yarn, not just handspun.

This scarf is aprox 6 feet in length and aprox 7 1/2 inches in width. It is a gift, (over due) and I don't mind posting it as I don't think she knows about my blog. Will be getting it to the recipient this week at any rate.

I'm itching to cast on another pair of socks... but I am going to be strong and go and get another UFO instead. We'll see how long I can hold out without casting on something.

Go see Rachael's baby! She's a cutie!

Happy Knitting!

Done and done

This " Lilly's Little Sweater" is for my DIL's sister who is due in the next couple of weeks. Decided on a fairly neutral green as they opted not to find out the baby's sex.


Just have the buttons left to sew on. Should get to that tomorrow.

Too late for me this evening to go and find a sewing needle. I know that the yarn needles won't go through the button eyes.






Two hats for the knitting guild charity. I am so slow at getting things done. A product of having way too many things on the needles at one time. Lots of variety and while I am knitting all the time it seems that very little gets done in a timely manner.






And yellow socks for the oft complaining hubby. He has been sadly neglected during this year of Baby Knitting. Poor thing. (not!) He says that he hasn't gotten anything so far this year. So these will be awaiting him in the morning.





I am holding off on casting on anything new... and picking up another UFO to see what if anything can be finished up this evening or tomorrow. Failing finishing, perhaps I can at least get a little further along on something. Oh... one other finished item but it is a christmas present and so don't want to post till after it is gifted.


Knit on!

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