Green Grow the Lilacs

I finished these Crazy Mixed-Up Socks. I started them on the 18th and finished them today, the 27th. These went faster than the others, but I am still having trouble inserting the heel. It is easy enough to cut into the tube, but the stitches are small and so, very hard to pick up. It takes me forever to do it. I woke up this morning thinking of a different way to do this. What if I start and knit a few inches of the tube,  knit in a heel, do some more tube knitting, some waste yarn, more tube knitting and then another heel. Hard to explain. I will have to try it next time and show you.......

This is the plan I had for the crocheted flowers! It would be better if they were Lilacs, but crocheted Lilacs don't do much for me!

 

A New Project

It has taken me most of the day to get this free-form knitted piece arranged on the design wall. It is 51 inches long. I tried it every which way and finally decided to use it horizontally and connect it to a piece of a felted sweater. That took a while and I broke one needle on my Felter so I stopped and ordered some needles just in case things get critical! At any rate, it is now ready for embroidery, so I am happy.......

What I did last night.....

Crazy Mixed-Up Sock--Green Grow The Lilacs

Do you think I am a bit obsessed? This is my third Mixed-Up Sock, about 12" long which means it is half done. I need about 24" to really have options for where to but the toes and heels. I am getting better at it. I am not sure where this is going. Don't be fooled into thinking this knitting is just about socks. There is something going on in the back room. When I find out what it is, I will let you know!

Paper Doll Dresses

 

Don't you love this paper? I found in the local craft store a year ago. It is printed and machine stitched. My store doesn't have any more of it, but I am sure it is available elsewhere.

Another Crazy Mixed-Up Sock

I have started another Crazy Mixed-Up Sock. As it has continued to be cold, it seemed like the best thing to do. I went ahead and added ribbing to one end of this tube because I had knit in some bobbles and I certainly don't want them to end up on the sole or on the back of the heel. A challenge in this project is deciding where to divide the tube for the second sock, or the heel. That is also sort of fun and I can elect to eliminate sections that I don't like or where I made a few mistakes! I am feeling my way through this process. The yarns in this sock are of several different weights and although it makes it interesting, I am not sure it is a good idea. It might be better to use various colors and one kind of yarn?

Ledger Page

Here is a completed double page spread in my ledger/sketchbook. Earlier, I posted a photo of the drawing on the right hand page. Since then, I have added an overleaf on the drawing--some embroidered circles on net--as well as the two large circles with petals. These large circles are made from two coffee filters, naturally dyed with Poinsettia petals, sandwiched between sheets of waxed paper, and then stitched by hand and machine.  All of these over-lays will lift up.......  

Crazy Mixed-Up Socks

It has been unusually cold in Texas and the Cedar Pollen has been heavy. Consequently, I have spent many days in the house by the fireplace sipping warm beverages. Work in the studio has come to a temporary halt. Unfinished projects are languishing on various surfaces right where I left them. But I have been doing something. It is not like me to just sit. My hands like to be busy, so I worked on these socks.

I had about a seven inch tube of knitting done in a pattern called Goldengrove, but I thought the pattern was a little subtle for MY socks. So, I continued knitting the tube (from both sides of the patterned section), but I started making stripes and patterns in different colors, making it up as I went along. When the tube was long enough, I cut it apart in the middle of the Goldengrove section, added "Afterthought Heels" and then toes. And here they are. Crazy Mixed-Up Socks. I feel happy when I look at them. I have been wanting to try this cut up tube thing since I read about it in The Twisted Sisters Sock Workbook. I had a good time knitting away doing whatever I wanted and not worrying about both socks matching. I don't believe in that anyway. Think about how many more patterns you can try if you are not repeating the ones you have already knit!