Holiday Knitting

I LOVE having time off from work! They really should give me more. But for now, I'll be greedy and spend every minute I can working on stuff that's important to me. :) Here's an example: Yarn purchased before the BHE and my trip to GA - check. Circular needles purchased at Cast-on Cottage while in GA - check. Begin working on super cute tam on the way back from GA - check. 2 days later - a nearly finished project.











However, the satisfaction of using up some yarn (still have about 1/2 the Cascade 220 and maybe 1/10 of the Noro Silk Garden) before it even hits the yarn closet - delightful.

Holy Christmas, Batman!

We've had a wonderful holiday here in not-so-sunny GA (yeah for Christmas on the road!). My family is awesome and has gifted me so much sock yarn, I *almost* feel like I don't need to buy any more. I'm sure this feeling will pass once sanity is regained. But - a fabulous Christmas present - I'm now on Ravelry! Look for me as LeighGreyKnits. Must go sale shopping now!

Stormy Days Monkeys

Woohoo! Progress! One down, one to go.















Yarn: Claudia Handpainted in "Stormy Days"
Pattern: Monkey from Knitty
Needles: size 0 KnitPicks
Mods: none!
Click on pictures for larger versions.



















"We're going to a parade?! COOL! I like sunshine."

I so want to win

Check this out: I want to win a wooden memory stick!

Uncanny... plus some more pictures

Hmmm... compare this to this. Anyone else find it kinda weird? Not exactly the same, but... freaky. And - more projects in progress! Tonight we have Monkeys in Claudia Handpainted "Stormy Days" colorway, and my latest yarn-dying adventure in Minty's Anastasia sock pattern!

Oh yeah, 2 weekends ago, I had a day to myself, and knit this - a glove (modifying the Kilm Gloves in the latest Interweave Knits) from Crystal Palace Taos, color #10.

Update - fall is here!

...with a collection of projects. A while back, I snagged some lovely autumn-y yarn, which reminds me of the current state of my neighborhood:










Which has been knit into one of these, with the second in progress:










And then I dyed this:















Which (when compared to it's Bare counterpart) looks like this now:










And has already been started up as a pair of Anastasia Socks. All of this action makes The Beast look like this:

FOs and birthday yarn!

First up are beautiful, but not prize-winning, State Fair socks, retrieved by the BHE. Next to them are some Lang Mille Colori socks that I finished on the way to VT for our anniversary trip (they're in colorway 0026, using the 4-stitch pattern from "More Sensational Socks"). They were perfect for when the weather was cooler at night.


















While we were there, we stopped by Kaleidoscope Yarns, and I picked up the Malabrigo you've seen earlier, as well as some Green Mountain Spinnery yarn, Cherry Tree Hill yarn, and some Lorna's Laces in "Black Purl". Pictures of this to come. However, here's my birthday present to me:


















Working top left clockwise: Trekking XXL in colorway 84 from the LYS, Colinette Jitterbug in colorway "Kingfisher" from the LYS, Zen String in colorway "Hopi" from Woolgirl.com, Whimzy Pinzy 2 Socks at Once in colorway "Orange Creamsicle" from Woolgirl.com, Knit Picks Bare 462 yards of "I can't wait to dye it" superwash wool/nylon fun from the fam, and 2 balls of Filatura di Crosa Maxime Print Soft Socks in colorway 5043. My feet should be well-dressed soon. :)









And finally - my first handspun yarn. I made my own CD spindle, and voila - here's a little sample. I could bust with pride. Or bust like my stash filling up the closet. You know how it goes. :)

State Fair update and the Beast

I didn't win anything at the State Fair, but my socks are on display. Here you go!

Also, a great picture from one of my friends of the Beast in all his walk-attentive glory.

More Foliage!

This time I worked with the yarn I had left (only about 8 inches leftover after this!), and did the chunky pattern on size 8 and 7 DPNs. :) It's a much snugger fit, and more of a beanie that a true toboggan hat. Here we have the top view.

Foliage time!

Here's my latest finished object - the Foliage hat from the latest Knitty in Malabrigo "Mariposa" colorway. I knocked the needle sizes down to U.S. 6 and 4, and worked the worsted version (even though I think I have the chunky yarn). LOVE it! Super soft and a snug around the noggin. See?

Yarn: Malabrigo chunky (?) in colorway Mariposa
Needles: size U.S. 6 for body, 4 for ribbing
Pattern: Foliage from the latest Knitty
Mods: the pattern calls for larger needles, but I have gauge issues. :)



Also, on the State Fair homefront: the socks are done and submitted (forgot to take pictures before hand), and I should find out if I won anything this weekend! WOOOOOT!

One State Fair sock (almost) completed!

Gotta weave in ends and block, and then this baby's ready for competition!

New yarn!

I'm so excited! I got some new yarn from Sonny and Shear - Yarntini in colorway Mimosa! YAAAY - I've finally been able to snag some Yarntini! ***skipping off to admire it once again in the yarn closet***

State fair progress, despite a bad week

Well, earlier this week the BHE's grandfather died. It's been a sad time, and I know we'll work through it. For now - just some pictures - state fair sock progress.

SOS updates and a greyt dogger

So, there's one sock (to be a pair after the State Fair), and the beginnings of the State Fair socks. There's a good ol' hound looking after the knitting to make sure I'm doing it right (and to eat any fluffy bits of yarn that I might miss in cleaning up). I give him credit - he has exceptional taste, and always goes for the most expensive yarns. But, here we have one completed Jitterbug "Jewel" sock, using a plain vanilla 56-stitch pattern based on More Sensational Socks.

Next to that, in a lovely Terra Cotta colorway, is the beginning to my State Fair entry. Embossed Leaves socks in Louet Gems fingering weight (how does one pronounce that company's name? Lou-ette? Loo-ay?). Click on this picture to see a *much* bigger version.

FO alert - NOT socks. Crazy.

So, I needed an instant gratification project. My secret pal at work from last year gave me some yarn (feed the addiction, ya know), and it's been hanging out in the yarn closet, looking tempting, but never jumping at me for a project. I finally picked it up, and - tadaa! - a variation on an already-knitted theme. Here we have a kids hat!

Yarn: Bernat Softee Chunky in Carnival (100% acrylic)
Needles: size 5 DPN for cabled band, size 6 circular and DPN for top of hat
Pattern: a variation of Coronet from Knitty (the brim doesn't flip up - the stitches are picked up along the top edge of the cable band)

On a (thankfully) rainy Sunday

We need rain. Badly. So - hooray! It's raining. To help combat what would otherwise be dreary - a bright new sock is still in progress. The more I work with this yarn, the more I like it. Can I tell y'all how much I love how the colors pool and run? So lovely. Go get you some of this yarn! (And yes, that really is a horizontal surface in my house with ONLY a vase on it. Be proud.)

State Fair yarn, and a first - toe up sock!

So - as promised - a picture of the yarn I'm planning to use for some State Fair socks. It's Louet Gems fingering weight in colorway Terra Cotta. I like how it matches my skirt o' the day.























And next, a close-up of a(nother) first for me. I'm trying a toe-up sock! I tried to make a mini-stocking last year that was toe-up, but was quite disastrous. This beauty is being knit in Colinette yarn's Jitterbug, in colorway "Jewel". I'm so excited about this!














So in all the sock hubbub, some things are on hold. The Spiral Eyelet socks are in time-out until I'm not mad at them anymore, the cute pink baby socks have been ripped out in favor of a more understandable pattern, and the hemmed top socks are, well, chilling by the air conditioning. Which is good - over 100 degrees for several days in a row now!

SOS update!

I finished a pair of socks for the BHE's momma. Yay! I know she'll be proud to have some handknits of her own. After some initial mishaps - here's the finished product.

Yarn: Lion Brand Lion Wool, dyed by me
Pattern: The Super Simple Knitwits Sock Pattern
Needles: size 5 bamboo
Mods: I initially made these too small for la madre-in-law, so I had to rip out the toe and try again. I have NO yarn left at all (and Momma-in-law only wears a size 7).

FO alert!

So, it's been languishing in the stash. A ball of yarn, bought on super sale, turned into a mitten with no thumb. And there it sat, for a good 10 months. And now - a finished pair of mittens! These are headed to the church's Clothes Closet when the weather is cooler.

Yarn: Caron Simply Soft Shadows in Autumn
Pattern: Lion Brand's Warm Wool Mittens (free after registration)
Needles: size 6 DPN
Mods: I didn't use a smaller needle for the cuff, and made it a bit longer than the pattern called for.

Something new

A new kind of top for the socks! This is the "hemmed top" from More Simply Sensational Socks. I think I'm in love. How neat does that look?! And the yarn - one of the two mystery yarns that I received in my package a little while ago. I did also get a package in the mail yesterday - my yarn for my State Fair entry! I'll post about it soon. But for now - even though camping was fun - time to sleep in a bed. :)

SOS updates!

Man, life can certainly get busy. And stressful. Uck. In midst of grading, gutter issues, walking the beast, and trying to just be a good person, I actually got some knitting done! Here are the updates:

First, a pair of socks in Paton's Classic Wool on size 5 needles. This shows off the new heel I learned at the guild. Thanks, C., for showing me! Purty, huh?
Up next, a little progress on the Spiral Eyelet sock. I swear, the needles have slipped out of this thing so many times, it makes me want to beat my head against the wall!

And finally, I think I'm getting the idea of short row heels! Here's a (blurry) picture of the cable sock from Knitting Daily's free patterns (Better than baby booties baby socks).

WOOT! for new yarn

Thanks to another person's online destashing, I'm the gushing new owner for several skeins of yarn! First - a yarn I've never used, but LO-O-O-V-E the color: Opal Elemente 1072. Totally goes with the same ideas as the Claudia Hand Painted "Stormy Day" colorway (of which 2 skeins are currently living in my stash):









Up next is a NEAT surprise - this cotton sparkly yarn from a shop in Germany. How stinkin' cool is that? I need some ideas for what this should turn into - comment for me, people! Please!









Up next - I'm not sure if she dyed the yarn herself or not, but it's GORGEOUS! Absolutely reminds me of fall at college. So, so pretty. Yay for more sock yarn!










Then, another surprise - MORE sock yarn! She said it's equivalent to Regia or Opal. Can't wait to use it! I love the darker colors. I wonder if it will stripe.... hmmm..... *resisting urge to swatch*










And in other news, I went to a meeting of the Twisted Threads guild here. OMIGOSH I must learn how to spin. These ladies are amazing! Absolutely amazing! I was taught how to do a short row heel in garter stitch (my first short row heel ever!), and, once I knit the toe (for the 3rd time), I will post pictures of the one completed sock. The only issue with not working from a pattern is not knowing how something will turn out, hence the delay (and multiple froggings). Should be nice when I'm done, though!

Waving Lace - she is done!

Taddaaaaa! The sock on the left is correctly knitted, the sock on the right is the "oops" sock. :)

I really like this yarn - it's Claudia Hand Painted in colorway "Earth Dot". After knitting with it, I think if I use this colorway again, I think it would look best in a basic sock pattern. You can see on the bottoms how neat it knits up in just plain ole stockinette stitch.

First Day of School

Gotta love that year-round schedule. Good times. Anywho, over my amazing 3-day "summer", I managed to get some knitting done (and paint the house, and drool over yarn, and cook out, and make margaritas... oh yeah). Here's the proof! 1 completed Waving Lace sock, and it's mate in progress:The intrepid will also notice new sock yarn (Serendipity Sport in "October" from Zen String, as well as some soon to be baby socks in NatureSpun sportweight in "Bouganvillea". And let's not forget the fave brewery.

Happy July 4th!

So, as is usual for me, I have multiple projects happening. Here's the visual aspect to them all:

First, a new cast-on project for the Summer of Socks - the Spiral Eyelet Socks from Unicorn Books and Crafts site. This is Meilenweit Magico from Lana Grossa in color 2530. I picked it up a while ago for super sale in my LYS - apparently no one else liked the colors. Crazy! Love it. And - they fit. 64 stitches around on size 1 needles. Woot!
Of course - an update on the Waving Lace sock. Gettin' there - still sock #1! :)

Next up - the yarn I want to use next for SOS. Colinette JitterBug in color Jewel. I think these will be candidates for the same spiral pattern as above.

And last, but not least - reclaimed yarn! It was a lovely sweater, but - chunky yarn on a chunky girl does NOT look good. So! I think it will be made into multiple mittens after the SOS is over, and donated to my church's Clothes Closet. Good times!