Mixing new and old

I have been tirelessly working to complete some very old UFOs. I almost completed the back of the Gyrid tank and am now blocking the cabled red Ksar scarf that I started when I first learned to cable and wanted to design a cabled scarf of my own. It is going to be very warm and soft to wear but needless to say the stitch pattern I chose almost two years ago to challenge myself was very boring to finish now. There are also some errors and design flaws that will bug me but at least it is a warm wearable item rather than an unfinished pile of yarn sitting in my livingroom taking up space on the needles. I also have a hat to match that I have been wearing for almost two years!

I finished my Monkey socks in STR mediumweight in the Fluorite colorway. They are absolutely gorgeous and as tempting as it is to wear them and keep them for myself I am going to stash them away for my best friend for Christmas. I am starting early this year folks as last December I was knitting too much for comfort or sanity.


I may make another pair for myself.

I also made a baby hat for some friends having a girl in May,it is DB Baby Cashmerino and the Drooping Elm Leaf lace stitch from Barbara Walker's first treasury of knitted stitches. I don't think I quite translated it correctly from the directions for flat knitting into the round. It is still pretty and very girly... It has small flower appliques on it.





On the new end of the spectrum, I just had to cast on some Twisted Flower Socks, in green, for my mom, this pattern is just so beautiful. It is also kinda slow moving at first with lots of twists and turns. I'm sure it will be worth it. I am making them in Shibui sock yarn in Seaweed.
Here is my progress photo.

So Much Multi Tasking

Gyrid Tank in Progress.

If you grow orchids and have trouble getting them to bloom, take this advice; water them once a week and otherwise leave them alone. Overworrying kills them!

Monkey Sock #2 is getting there.

My So Called Puppy

My American Staffordshire Terrier 'puppy' Pedro went to the vet yesterday and weighed in at a whopping 76lbs! I decided this morning that I better cuddle with him and keep him on my good side before he gets even bigger. He will be one year old on March 31st and has a lot of growing left to do. Thank goodness he is a lover not a fighter!
On the knitting spectrum, I was very excited to see that Cookie A. has made her beautiful new collection of sock patterns available online. I bought the Twisted Flower Sock pattern, I just could not resist, I knew I had to have it ever since she first unveiled it on her blog.
I have decided to take a short break from all of my socks in progress and fished a very old UFO out of the cedar chest. It is a Gyrid tank in periwinkle that I started (barely) last summer and quickly lost interest in. I think it was partly the lure of socks as well as underlying intimidation of The Garment. I picked it because it seemed like an easy project for a first garment.

Progress Report

My first 'Inside Out' sock is progressing well. I had a little trouble with the wide cable at first but am now getting the hang of it. It fits beautifully and is indeed reversible. Below are some close ups of the cables on each side and the sock on both ways. I think I will stop working on this one soon and start the second as I did not wind my yarn into two separate balls.











I have also been progressing slowly on Cookie's BFF socks in STR Farmhouse and my second Monkey Sock in STR Fluorite.

Some FO's

Inside Out

The long anticipated Socks That Rock- Rockin' Sock Club package finally arrived on my doorstep late Saturday afternoon. When it didn't come with our normal mail, I was so sad I had to go to The Naked Sheep and seek the solace of yarn and fellow knitters. Unfortunately it was very quiet. I took my dogs to the park defeated to come home later and find it on my mailbox. Hooray, at last!
I cast on right away after reading most of the pattern directions. I used the recommended needle size reasoning that I had used this needle size with this yarn previously. The pattern is toe up which is new to me and also has a crochet cast on which I have to say I really do not like. Picking up the stitches from the unzipped crochet chain stressed me out. I am a tight knitter so the dropped stitches all wanted to run away. I also generally sweat picking up stitches.
The colors are great if a bit masculine and also my yarn really doesn't look much like the photo on the pattern, more camo than PNW rainforest.
After knitting the toe and starting the ribbing I read the dyers notes, which implored the knitter to do a gauge swatch and described how and why it was especially crucial for this pattern. I examined my toe, which was looking slightly bulbous and loose to me and decided to size down my needles.
As you can see from the photo, my toe has a wierd, bulbous shape to it. It fits fine but it looks really goofy. The pattern says to start with the larger needles but never mentions when to switch to the smaller. Maybe they are for the heel only. Anyway, I will probably start the second sock after I pass the heel on this one as I think the yarn will be very short with my big feet and slightly off-gauge first toe.