Saturday, January 24, 2015

Heel Stripes!

I rested my thumb for longer than I really wanted, but I figured if I didn't it would just lead to more painful knitting.

So, I gave it nearly 10 days of no knitting, then started on Wednesday just knitting a few minutes at a time, resting, another few minutes then rest.

It paid off with completing the heels 3 days later (yesterday).

This is what they currently look like, literally 7 minutes ago. Completed short row heels (new technique learned already this year) and nearly 2 inches up the cuff.

I'm not really liking the short row heels, as I really wish I had taken the time to do the Fish Kiss Heel, but there is always learning that in the next pair. Also, I could have probably done the heel flap as I'm getting really good yardage out of this skein as I still have half of it left, so these will be some tall socks.

The stripes are really pushing me to keep knitting to the next color, however since I've spent most of the day watching the snow come down and knitting, it is time to give the thumb a rest.

ETA: I know that Fish Kiss Heels are short row, however it is a different method than what I used.

Friday, January 16, 2015

No knitting, Just shopping

My nice striped socks look exactly like this past Sunday's photo.

Reason being a silly thumb ligament injury. I'm trying to be positive about this injury and hoping that 5 full days of no knitting help out. I really need to knit to get my piece of mind back.

So, what does a knitter do when down for an injury...buy yarn!

I managed to buy one of Simply Socks Yarn Company's Valentines Day kit. Included in the red bag was:
  • Yarn from The Cyborg's Craft Room, colorway Tainted Love
  • Chocolates from DeBrand
  • Yarn Mug "Life is Short, Knit the Yarn"

Then, I had to buy this:
 From left to right:
  • Opal, Daydream 6-ply
  • Valentine's Day Kit yarn (see above)
  • Poste Yarn, colorway Heartbreak Hotel, 6 stripe yarn

It was a really good post office day!


Monday, January 12, 2015

Stripes

I am enjoying watching these stripes appear.

As you may have noticed in the last post, I'm knitting from each end of the cake, so they will not match. This may surprise those of you who know me and my OCD really well!

I've decided that I want to learn other toe up sock methods this year, as my learn something new this year. Different ways to CO, BO, turn the heel, so with this pair I'm going to work on a short row heel, instead of the heel flap.

We will see how far I get this week, as it is going to be a busy one work wise...at least for the next 5 weeks. Yikes, look at the time I need to get to the office. 

Stay tuned!

Sunday, January 11, 2015

2015 and a new pair of socks

I found this yarn from following Susan B. Anderson's blog. The dyer is Desert Vista Dyeworks and you can find her shop here.
It is nice, bright and very cheerful! I fell in love with the colors, and even though it was wool I decided to purchase it anyway. I have grown up thinking I was allergic to wool, so I figured if it turned out I couldn't work with it, I would give it away.

When it arrived, I took it out of the packaging and held it for a while, put it back into the plastic bag and into the larger stash bag it went.

Fast forward 3 months, to this past Wednesday, I just decided to take a chance and just start knitting with it. I had come home from a long day, in which it was in the double negative digits from the wind chill, and went stash diving. I found this near the top of the stash bag and felt it was just so cheery and colorful during this dismal weather day.

I ended up putting it on my swift and making it into the cake. I took the time to run it through my fingers and I remember saying well, if I have a reaction it would be quite the ending to this day!

The next night I knit what you see here. No big reaction. Hmm.

Now, I'm not going to say I'm not not allergic/sensitive to wool, as I'm being cautiously optimistic. I know in the knitting community there are many opinions on the word allergic as well as fibers or the dyes, or the wool wash, this isn't the forum I'm going to go into all that. I'm only going to write about my experience.

Time will tell. In the meantime I'm really enjoying these stripes!

Details:
Yarn: Desert Vista Dyeworks Visio
Colorway: Tiki Bar, 6 Stripe
Yardage: 462 Yards
Needles: US 2MM (of which I wish I had gone down another size)
Ravelry Page

Saturday, January 10, 2015

I thought I was finished back on November 3rd but...

I decided to make these socks longer.

I mean I had the yarn so why not. Right?

So, New Years first project begins with a frogging of an existing project? I think that is what is bothering me so much.

However it didn't take long to add a few more inches and Viola!

I really like this new length for these. The yarn is a bit thicker fingering weight, so it makes for a warmer sock perfect for this time of year.

Now I need to get going on the first 'real' knit of 2015!

Friday, January 2, 2015

Final Project of 2014 and it wasn't my socks

So, you probably know I finished my blueberry socks on Christmas Eve (see prior post). Well, they were not my last project of 2014.

My oldest niece, just a couple of weeks prior, had asked for a pair of fingerless mitts. I think it went something like a FB post stating these are nice looking....how could I resist knitting up a pair.

The pattern in her request and the yarn color wasn't going to work together, so I chose another pattern (took a big risk in this if she was even going to like this) and then had to change the yarn since the swatch I did in the new pattern didn't work well with the yarn (it wasn't going to be warm enough).

Talk about not only changing her requested pattern AND yarn. This might be an epic fail.

Well, we celebrated with her yesterday....I think she likes them. She put them right on and they stayed on for quite a while. Although I forgot to get a picture of her in them!

Heck, she even asked how I did the cabling. Music to this knitters ear!


Pattern: Mom's Cabled Mitts by Jessica Jensen
Yarn: Classic Elite Yarn - Sundance
Colorway: Slate Blue
Yardage: A skein for both (I need to do a final weight of what I have left)
Needles: US 6
Ravelry Page

Having knit 2 pairs of socks in a row in US 1.5 & 2 mm going to this size needles felt like I was working with pencils...although it does make the project go faster!

Since it is the New Year, I need to pick what my 'learn something new' is going to be. I have a couple of ideas, but nothing nailed down yet. Stay tuned!