Finally Uptown!
I finally finished the Uptown Boot socks! I know I should have been done with these long ago, but they got to sit in time-out for awhile. I kept trying the first one on, the one that looked too small, and I finally decided that it was too small. So…I frogged it and made it a little bit longer…and then decided that it was still a tad small and looked stretched on my foot. That’s when I put the socks down (more like threw them) and didn’t pick them up again until this week because I knew the June kits had been shipped! I finished the one that I hadn’t messed up first so that I would know how long they really needed to be and then I ripped the first sock back for the second time to make it the correct length. I kitchenered the toes this morning and now I have a lovely soft pair of Silkie socks for the coming fall and winter:)
Pattern: Uptown Boot Socks from Favorite Socks (Interweave Press)
Yarn: Silkie Socks that Rock in the Walking on the Wild Tide Colorway (April’s Club)
Needles: Assorted (here meaning non-matching) Metal DP’s – size US2
And it’s really great that I finished these now, because this came on Thursday! This is my favorite kit of the three so far in the Rockin’ Sock Club. I love these colors and the pattern looks wonderful. I’ll probably be starting today unless I work on my other socks in progress which happen to be close to the same colors.
This one needs a mate: Cable Rib sock from Favorite Socks with Little Splash Yarn from Myrhhwood Farms. A very comfy sock…can’t wait to have 2!
Also wanted to show off one of my birthday presents that I really love! My birthday was the 19th and unfortunately Kody had to work until 11:30 so we didn’t get to have a nice dinner or anything. My great friend, Suzie, made me some brownies and ice cream though and took a silly picture of me… Thanks Suzie:] Anyway, the thing that I am so excited about it this Brookstone Digital Photo Album. I have been wanting something like this for at least a year maybe two now and it is great! It holds 500 pictures in 4 albums so you can show pictures to anyone you meet..haha. It is great though and hooks to anyones computer via USB and I hear that you can get a cord to hook it up to a tv in case you want to show family far away pictures and don’t want to carry 30 photo albums like I always try to do. I really like that I can take so many pictures with me all the time though and not just pick five to stick in my wallet:)
Last thing, for today, is another baby shower gift. These are for my friend Courtney who is going to have a baby girl in July. A cotton hat from Last Minute Knitted Gifts and two receiving blankets in two sizes. One is perfect for covering lower half of baby in the carseat and the other is better for wrapping a small babe. They both have a silky asian type print with flannel backing. I hope she enjoys them and that I make it to the shower later today. Kody’s on call, so I’ll have to wait and see!
Everyone have a joyous weekend and great week next week!
Filed under Creations, Knitting, News | Comment (0)Summer can begin anytime now…
As I told you all last week, school is over for Kristopher and then yesterday was his last soccer game for the season*, so now we are wandering around looking for all the summer fun! It’s just not summer without a bunch of fun things and camp type stuff to do. We signed up for a summer reading program at the Library, which is not like the one I was a part of as a child. In this one (I think they do have the one where you read and keep track of a bunch of books and get prizes and such too) the kids (age 5 and up) come to the library on Mondays for an hour and learn about fun things. So it is pretty much storyhour for 6 or 7 weeks in the summer. One of the weeks is going to be about owls from the nature center. I’m even looking forward to that! I also saw a sign about art classes at the Murray Art Guild that I am going to call about tomorrow, if I remember. For Kristopher’s age they just have a class (that happens to be cheaper than the other classes) called “Messy Tuesday” that sounds really fun. He loves making things and any crafty thing just like me, so I hope it works out. All I know is I have to find something to do. We can’t just spend the whole summer without any structure! I like to have a plan and things going on.
Taylor and I went to my friend Lori’s baby shower on Saturday after the soccer game. We gave her the finished turtle and socks and I think she really liked them. Once again the turtle is Sheldon from knitty. I used Knitpicks Telemark in icicle and alpine frost. I didn’t do the applied I-cord around the edge of the shell, because I was cutting it close timewise and I couldn’t figure out how to do it. I just sewed the bottom of the belly onto the shell. It doesn’t look as nice as it probably would have, but it is still cute. I had a lot of trouble with the turtle as a whole and I probably won’t make him again. All the increases and decreases hurt my hands…and I also have no idea how to p1f&b. My needle just wouldn’t do it… The socks are from an infant sock pattern booklet, just basic little socks on 32 stitches on size 4 needles. I used some of my leftover Monsoon STR to make them and they were a hit since the daddy is a hunter.
Taylor had some fun at the baby shower. She really enjoyed the little stage and went up and down and laid on it to color and enjoyed having people talk to her.
And now I will leave you with this picture from Kody’s sister Sabrina’s farm. We went there last weekend and we all just loved the turkey. Isn’t he funny? We had a lot of fun visiting and seeing all their animals and we even brought one home! Well, not yet, but we will have an addition to our animal family soon. Sabrina is going to bring us one of their cockatiels. Kristopher is about the same age as Kody was when he got his bird Nicky who still lives with his parents, so this is kind of exciting:) Thanks Sabrina!!
*The picture of Kristopher is from last Saturday because I didn’t get any very good ones from this week. I really liked this one of him throwing the ball in…he really is playing in a game with other people, I just didn’t get any of them in the shot.
Filed under Creations, Knitting, News | Comment (1)socks for me!
I finally finished a pair of socks for myself Sunday afternoon. They are so wonderful and I love the pattern I chose with the yarn. Specs below: (click the pictures for larger view)
Pattern: Fancy Silk Sock from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Handpainted 80/20 Merino/Nylon by Susie Grougan in the colorway “Tabitha’s Socks”
Needles: aluminum (probably boye or susan bates) US size 1 dpns
Modifications: I only did 3 pattern repeats on the cuff instead of the called for 6. The sock would have been very tall and uncomfortable without shaping if I hadn’t. I love these socks and may do more in a solid yarn sometime. If I do, I will probably just do the lace and ribs and leave out the extra bit in row 9 of the lace pattern! I think I would prefer them that way.
In other news: I am still working on the match to that other lonely sock. I am hoping to get most of it done by the time my first sock kit from Blue Moon Fiber Arts comes. I am waiting patiently as the other members get theirs, but I’m sure it will be here soon and then I will have to try to hold off until I finish the rib/cable sock..
I cut out the pieces for Taylor’s dress last night. I was feeling ambitious when I said it would be done by Monday. I am hoping to work on it some after dinner tonight since I bought the elastic for the sleeves today.
It has been a lovely sunshiny(?) week and I can’t wait for it to warm up a little more. The rest of the week here should be in the 60s and I want to break out my capris and flip flops!
Have a great day everyone!
Filed under Creations, Knitting | Comment (0)Soup for the flu
We are all doing a little better here today! Taylor’s fever is lower and she has been acting almost normal today, which is a nice change from yesterday :) I felt a little sick last night, but those feelings are mostly gone now. Kristopher has not been struck by any of the flu germs yet (we hope)! Soup always makes me feel better, especially when it is cold out and I bought everything to make vegetable soup while I was picking up Taylor’s medicine yesterday, so today I made it. Here is a picture of the celery carrots and onions sauteing (is that a word?). I just love the way these veggies look in the pot! The finished soup was so good and I think it did help me to feel warm if not better.
The recipe I use is supposed to be a copycat of the Frisch’s Big Boy Vegetable Soup and it is pretty close. There are several copycat recipes out there and I like this one because it doesn’t use any meat (I don’t think the actual Frisch’s one does either). I actually haven’t had the restaurant soup for a couple of years now, since we don’t have one anywhere close. It was one of my favorite places to eat and I even worked at one for a bit in college. If you’ve never been, you need to go to a Frisch’s Big Boy Restaurant!
I think I promised pictures of my “fancy silk socks” from Knitting Vintage Socks, but I have been reluctant to show them since they aren’t very far along. I had most of the cuff complete and then Taylor pulled all the needles out. Since I am not confident or patient enough to pick all the lace stitches back up I had to rip back to almost the beginning of the cuff. Today I worked on them as much as I could and I am almost done with the cuff again. I am only doing 3 or 4 repeats of the pattern instead of the “suggested” five repeats. I don’t like most socks to be as tall, although I love knee socks, so I always do a shorter cuff. Tomorrow I should get to turn the heel on this first sock. I love the colors and the way they work out with the lace. I picked this pattern because it didn’t look like it would be too busy for the colors and I didn’t want just plain socks. What do you think? Are they pretty?
Well, it’s off to bed with me… Goodnight!
Filed under Creations, Knitting, News | Comment (0)the good, the bad, and the ugly
Well, I guess I don’t have an ugly thing to post on, but it had to be a part of the title…
First, the good! I have an FO: Taylor’s dress is finally finished! It is the Amelie Dress from Natural Knits for Babies and Moms. This book was a Christmas gift from my good friend Suzie and it has so many beautiful things in it. They are all made with organic yarn in the book, however, I used some plain old dk weight wool in a dark brown and corally color. I love the way it looks – unfortunately it is a little big for Taylor right now even though I made her the “up to 12 months” size…What can I say? I have gauge issues. I did a swatch for this dress and it seemed right so I knit the dress. It can’t be right or the dress would fit better than this or even be too small. But I think it will be perfect for the fall; what do you guys think? That is the thing I enjoy most about making baby clothing, if it doesn’t fit the intended baby wait a bit or give it to another baby. It will fit a baby somewhere! I am still scared to do a sweater for myself since even when I do a swatch my item doesn’t match up. But as long as I get to knit I guess it really doesn’t matter how it comes out. :) I accidentally did it so that the buttons are on the wrong left. I don’t know if there is any fashion rule that says buttons must be on the left shoulder of the girl wearing the dress or not, but I didn’t want to take it out and change it after I started. You will see my horrible seaming skills in the picture as well. I am just not patient enough to have pretty seams. I was reading Sarah’s blog and saw that she sent a sweater to this finisher. I had never even thought that there were people who enjoyed finishing hadnknit items. I know I prefer the knitting and could let the thing go unfinished forever!(If any of you are wondering why so many of my pictures are taken on the wood pile, it’s because I like the way handknits look on the wood.)
Now for the bad news (duhn, duhn, duhn)… Taylor has the flu. She had a fever yesterday despite being on Antibiotics since Monday for a cold, and it wasn’t better today, so back to the doctor we went! They did all sorts of fun things like bloodwork and she didn’t move a muscle (not even those lovely jaw ones to cry). The doctor decided it must be the flu and sent us home with some tasty (eww) Tamiflu. I think they were a little upset with me for not getting the kids flu shots, especially since Taylor had the flu about this time last year. Not even 2 years old yet and she’s already had it twice, but at least this time it’s not the flu on top of pneumonia like last year. Praise the Lord!! This flu also means that it will be impossible for us to get out of the house this weekend which is a huge bummer. And that isn’t all the bad news: Kody has an extra week of trainingm because they found another class for him to take, so we’ll be on our own for an extra week unless we go visit him.
Filed under Creations, Knitting | Comment (0)