Water For The Elephants (socks)

I finished these socks last Sunday, or rather I finished the second one. I finished the first one in January and then messed around with other projects. The pattern is Water For The Elephants by Rose Hiver. free on Ravelry. They look complicated, but they are actually an easy and fast knit. Honestly, they just flew off the needles.  Part of the reason for that is good prep. I have one of those folding table easels with magnetic strips to hold the pattern and mark your place. I never lost my place (well maybe once or twice) and that saved a lot of time. I like the heel on these socks too. I may have to make another pair in a different color. But there are so many others to try. Maybe the Seahorse ones should be next?

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!

 

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!

Fishnet Anklet

My daughter Bonnie suggested I try this pattern,
http://purlbee.squarespace.com/the-purl-bee/2010/4/22/whits-knits-fishnet-anklets.html
 with some of the new cotton yarn I ordered. After many stop and starts
in yet another color yarn, I finally got the hang of it and I believe
 it is the easiest and quickest sock I ever made. I plan to make one in
each of the three colors and then I will go back and make
 the matching sock for all three.

Happy Feet

 

Here are a couple of things I am working on or have finished. Remember the Socks That Never End?Well, here they are on my feet this morning. Good thing too as it is 53 degrees and windy. The top photo shows some yarn I spun a couple of days ago. It is probably the thinnest yarn I have ever spun. I am disappointed in it though. I carded the batt with ochre colored wool, white Alpaca and a bit of sparkle. Right off the carder, it looked like Butterscotch candy but spun up, not so much. I think I should have used more white. Then there are the yellow and black socks, the "Lithuanian Amber Socks" from Nancy Bush's book, Folk Socks. For the second sock, I reversed the colors, something I am doing a lot lately. I think I like the black one better.

The Socks That Never End

I am really tired of knitting these socks. It is not like they are difficult or anything (maybe that is the problem) it just seems like I have been working on them forever. Of course I need to remember that I did finish one of them which I then frogged and started over, so yes, they have been around for a while. And also, they are not the only socks I am working on. Increasingly, I have been selecting others from the basket when I want to knit. But I am determined to finish them today.  I will let you know if I do!

More Socks?

Yes, here are more socks. I finished these last night.I don't know why I have re-entered a "knitting" phase.  They are knit from two strands of different wool sock yarns held together. The yarns were in  similar colors so they blended well together. I spun the orange accent yarn with my Rakestraw spinner.

Now here is the thing. I thought these socks would make good "gift" socks, but then I went and made a mistake. On the first sock, I re-enforced the bottom of the heel, but not the back. When knitting the second sock, I forgot about that and re-enforced the bottom and the back of the heel. What a dummy. I guess I will just have to wear them my self (Oh darn) or give them to a good friend who won't care about the different heels.   

Finished Socks

I can hardly believe it. I finished these socks last night,
then washed and dried them early this morning. Here is something interesting about these socks. The first one I made, (the one with the orange ribbing) I made in the regular way with both yarns in my right hand. The sock with the yellow ribbing. I made holding the yellow yarn in my left hand. The "orange" sock looked smooth and the yellow one bumpy! Is that just because I am not all that adept at holding the yarn in my left hand? Washed, the difference is not too pronounced. I think I read something about this somewhere, but where? Maybe you can tell me and save me the effort of going through a zillion knitting books and articles!

"Riverbed" Socks

I finished these socks last nite. I used a textured stitch for the top and the instep. I suppose you could call it a double Moss stitch. I really love the way these socks fit. I have been using the "Riverbed" shaping from Cat Bordhi. "Riverbed" has the gusset shaping in the center of the sole. I have a high arch, so this sole is really comfortable.

A Little bit of This and That

I have been too busy with my Granddaughter to do very much,

 but I did work on two small weaving projects and a start a new pair of socks.

The large picture above, is woven with my hand spun yarn.

The smaller weaving is done on painted paper with Pearl cotton.

and then there were two

Finally
The pink and black socks are a pair,
I couldn't knit with my broken wrist, so I got behind on finishing pairs of socks.
You can see the group of orphans here.
My self striping yarn never comes out the same even when I start knitting at the same place in the yarn.
 At least I think it is the same place,
but I guess it is not.
 Good thing I don't care!