Finished!

I finished sewing on the ties for the baby sweater that I started on Tuesday! It still needs washing/blocking, which I'll get done the next time I do laundry. Since there is a baby expected to my brother's family soon, I had such fun knitting this one. I often knit items to save for baby showers, so I'm not entirely certain if I'll end up giving this particular sweater to them or not, but it sure is fun!

One Day Project

On Tuesday, I was looking for a project that could be started and finished in a day. I have many knitting books checked out from the library right now, and so I chose a simple baby sweater from one of those books, "Minnies: Quick Knits for Babies and Toddlers." This is the Koko Kimono. I began by looking through the book for projects that I liked. Next, I opened my box of stash yarn and found that I had 3.5 skeins of sock yarn. The yarn is fingering weight and the pattern calls for DK, so I used it double. (Now that I have it nearly done, it looks like I'll have enough yarn leftover to make matching socks and a hat!) That day, I finished all but the ties and one sleeve. I finished the second sleeve last night and finished half the ties on the way to work this morning! I hope I'll have them all done by the time I arrive home tonight and that I'll be able to sew them on and wash the sweater. I previously made my MIL a pair of socks from the other 1.5 skeins that I purchased. The yarn, Sock-It-To-Me, is a bit rough feeling. Being superwash wool mixed with nylon, it does hold up well to multiple washings, though. I've also noticed that after several washings the finished project softens, so I'll probably wash the sweater a couple times in hopes that it will soften before I give it as a gift.

SP11 Package!

Yesterday, I wasn't feeling very well and stayed home from work. My Secret Pal brightened my day with a package! She sent soap, a scarf with a shawl pin and 5 skeins of yarn! I'm already looking for a pattern for each yarn. I wear shawls often, so I'm sure the pin will get used much. The scarf is beautiful. The yarn feels and looks a little like Malabrigo, which I absolutely love!

Thanks, Secret Pal!!

Updates!

I finished the Elegance socks last Friday night. The pattern is this month's Sockamania pattern. In preparation for teaching a friend to knit socks, I knit these on a size 1 circular needle using the Magic Loop Method. I still find it rather fiddle-y, but after making a whole pair, I've decided its not so bad! :)
Since my last 3 FOs were sweaters, I've not felt like doing more sweater knitting. So, I moved on to socks! I had 3 pairs already on the needles, so I decided to continue on to work on some of those old WIPs.
I have been working on the Spiralling Socks (Sockamania from August 07.) I am nearly ready to start turning the heel on the second sock. Finally!!
I've also been working on the Noughts 'n Crosses sock. (This is the September Sockamania pattern.) I'm almost ready to start the toe decreases for the first sock. I'm using Panda Cotton which is somewhat splitty, so I've not been working on these much. I will finish at some time though, as I imagine they'll be comfy to wear.
Having finished the Elegance socks, on Friday night, I started another sock. This one is from More Sensational Socks, a book that I checked out from the library. I'm using the garter rib pattern and am almost finished with the first sock, already! The yarn is from Yarn Lust on Etsy. It is thinner than the other yarns I've been using lately, so it took some getting used to . I'm doing these on the size 1 circular that I used for the Elegance socks. Its coming out quite well, though I do like the way that the yarn patterns better on the bottom of the foot than the top! The heel and toe are my absolute favorite.
I started the Garter rib sock over at my MIL house while we were visiting on Friday. I intended the sock to be a Christmas present for her. She knows that I am knitting many of my gifts this year, so she had no idea it was for her. So, she saw the green socks that I just finished for my brother, and told me that she didn't really like the red, brown and pink color, but needed green! So, whats a good DIL to do, but cast on another green sock! I may give her both pairs since the red sock is a little big to fit any one else that I plan on gifting socks to this year.
This green sock was cast on while I was teaching my friend to knit socks, Saturday. I didn't finish much on it because I was setting it down while she worked the next instruction. I worked on the Garter Rib sock while waiting for her to do the step I'd just shown her.
We had such a good time sitting at Village Yarn & Tea. The group is up to 4 people now, with another planning to come the first chance she gets! This whole thing started with just one acquaintance at church asking for a little help and has turned into such wonderful friendships. I have never been happier to become a part of something so seemingly accidentally. God had a plan for me and it has been played out so well, adding a few unexpected people to what started as a one on one. I love it!

Elegance Update

I've been knitting like crazy on my Elegance socks. I have the first one past the heel and am starting to work on the cabling. I tried the sock on, last night, and it fits me, but a little loosely. I plan to have my 16 year old brother, who is staying with us while our parents are on vacation, try it on tonight. I'm also hoping that he will know the approximate foot sizes of our brothers and brother in law, so that I can know that the sock will fit, without having to give away the surprise. Sneaky, sneaky, hmm?

Project Updates

I've been knitting away on the Elegance sock, but on Monday, realized that it was huge!! When calculating the increased size, I added twice the stitches that I meant to, not thinking about the fact that when you add 9 stitches to the top of the foot, it adds 9 stitches to the bottom, as well!! They looked big enough for a small elephant. So...rrrriiiipppp! I spent 15 minutes of lunch time on Monday ripping it out and rewinding the yarn into a center pull ball. Then, I spent the last 30 minutes of my lunch finishing the toe. Fortunately, I'm using the "Magic Cast On," which does not require a length of waste yarn. When I started over, I began knitting the pattern as written. It is coming along nicely and I almost have the length back to what it looked like when last I posted!
For this sock, I've been using the Magic Loop method, rather than my standard dpns. I have 2 friends that I've been meeting to knit with on Saturday afternoons that are asking to learn how to knit socks. Neither wants to tackle the "using tiny dpns" thing, so I offered to show them the Magic Loop method. So that I will be ready to teach the method, I thought I ought to practice it. In other knitting group news, we have a new person joining us this Saturday. She has never learned to knit and is going to pick up needles for the first time this weekend! I love teaching, and am looking forward to it.
Lastly, I've added one more WIP to the long, long list. I started knitting a hat for a gift that will be a ski mask, like the helmet liners that knitters are knitting for the troops. I had a special request for it. I started it last night and have it about 1/3 done. I've been having such a great time checking names off the list. When I have finished an item, I wash it, block it, fold some tissue paper into and wrap the gift. I finish by using a sticky note with the receiver's name on it and placing it in storage. This way, I'll only have to pull out the wrapped gifts and add a ribbon and a card! I am hoping to be ultra prepared this year so that I won't have to spend long hours wrapping, etc. Only time will tell whether or not I can keep this up, but I really hope so!

New Projects!!

I finished Hint #1 for Secret of the Stole, this evening!! It looks good and the size will be just right, too! The color is very difficult to photograph, but this is a fairly close representation.



I also started this month's Sockamania sock, Elegance. I added a pattern repeat (9 stitches) to the top of the instep and bottom of the foot, so that it will be a men's large, instead of a women's medium. Its the right size, so far.

Cabled Cardigan is finished!!

Done!! Now, on to more UFOs...Or maybe the Secret of the Stole...Or the latest Sockamania pattern...or another sweater...or the matching hat & mittens for my brother's girlfriend with the leftover yarn from this project. There are so many choices, but so little time to knit!!

Cabled Progress!

I have only a few rows left on the collar for the Cabled Cardigan. I'm hoping to finish these last rows by the time I get home from work today. (I do get knitting time in the van pool and on breaks & lunches, so I'm not being completely unreasonable! :) ) This is so good, as Secret of the Stole begins today and I want to start it! I also have a new sock pattern that I would love to start, but, alas, I still have 2 first socks on the needles and really want to get the pairs finished before starting another one. One of those 2 pairs is for me, and the other is for a Christmas gift. On the gift, I've knit a men's size 12 and its taking forever! I'm finally on the ribbing for the cuff and only have about another 2 inches to go. I do plan on knitting away the weekend and have plans to sew the Cabled Cardigan together, knit the first clue on SotS, and finished the first Spiralling sock. It sounds like a pretty lofty goal, now that I've written it out, but I might make it...