It Has Been a While

I know my last post was sad but, it happens.  I am knitting right now with one of my hand painted merino/silk sock yarns.  It is called Wintry Kisses. I am loving it.  The yarn is being knit into a smoke ring.  I have the book, Wendy Knits Lace by Wendy D. Johnson.  The pattern I am currently knitting is Light as a feather smoke ring on page 120.  This will be my second smoke ring in this pattern. I have knit another smoke ring with another hand painted merino/silk sock, that I had left over. 

The top photo is my first smoke ring in the Light as a feather pattern, the yarn is windswept leaves, and it is a hand paint in the super wash merino/nylon blend. I love it for lace.  I painted it in the fall of 2012. 
The second and third photos are of the smoke ring I knit with the left over merino/silk sock yarn.  I have more of this yarn left and plan to knit another smoke ring out of it.  This particular smoke ring was inspired by Circle Socks.  I love the circle sock pattern.  I have even retro fitted the pattern for smaller feet.  I have had several requests for the socks from several family members.  What they fail to realize, I am no longer knitting socks for anyone other than myself or my hubby. 

For the circle smoke ring, I cast on 120 stitches with a US 6 needle, this is going to be knit in the round so, break out those circulars, I had the 16 inch cable.  You will also need a stitch marker to mark the beginning of the round.  For the pattern, you will have to go to Ravelry and look in the sock patterns and find Circle socks.  It is a freebie.  Use the pattern exactly as written and start with the purl row after you cast on, be sure to not twist your stitches.  You will also end with the purl row and you will have to bind off in purl.  It sucks but, that is the way the ball bounces sometimes.  The best part of the whole pattern, you get to do as many pattern repeats as you want since it will be custom made to your neck size or to whomever you are planning on making it for. Once you finish the pattern, it will need to be blocked.  I knit this with fingering weight yarn. 

It was so much fun to knit and it uses up stash yarn.  I have a lot of stash yarn and I am trying my best to use it.  I am not even buying yarn for me to knit with right now.  I am trying to knit with what I have right now to clear some of it out of here.  I have way too much personal yarn.  So, I am finding all sorts of small projects to use up my yarns.  I love little knitting projects.  Small socks are so much fun to knit for babies and toddlers.  I noticed that several charity groups are looking for socks and hats for newborns.  I might have to look into that when I have more time than right now. 

Anyway, the light as a feather smoke ring is a simple pattern and it shows off hand painted yarns nicely, see top photo.  I will take pictures of the Wintry Kisses smoke ring when I finish it and block it.  Then I will be starting another one for someone else.  I have a long list of family members and friends who need presents from me.  They love getting hand knit items from me.  It keeps me busy and it also keeps my hands in shape for knitting more items. 

So, if you are sick of knitting just socks, think about branching out and trying some lace with that sock yarn.  Just go up  a couple of needle sizes and knit away.  It is fun.