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. 

A Shocker!

Today I found out some really horrible news about a friend of mine, she passed away today from a heart attack and I learned about it on Facebook.  She was incredibly spunky, sassy, very patriotic, sweet, kind, considerate and the best damn Avon lady I have ever had the chance to meet.  You will be missed, Glynda. 

I have been in shock, I nearly had a panic attack and had to calm myself down.  I have talked to her cousin who is handling things on this end, I guess she is digging out insurance papers, and everything you need when someone you loves passes on.  I have no idea what is to become of her two little doggies.  I always advise my friends who lose loved ones to get as many copies of their death certificate as you can, you are going to need them.  Everyone needs a copy of it. 

I am trying to get her a DAR grave marker and that is another problem.  I keep reading about the 8 months it is going to take to get one ordered and to get it placed on her grave is another hassle but, we will persevere and get it done.  You see, my friend she was a go getter and one of the nicest people I have met besides my Mom.  Our chapter is going to be very sad for a while because she made a serious impact in our lives. 

She believed in getting it done and she did it with pride.  She even won an award for her volunteer genalogy work.  Oh yes, we loved Glynda very much for all that she did and all that she was. 

Rest in Peace my friend and I hope God will hold you in the palm of his hand. 

I Found Time to Work

Here is one of the mitts that I am currently working on.  I am using Palette by Knit Picks and I chose to use a pink and a light brown for this mitt.  I finished it but, I only have one taken care of.  I would have done the second one but, the fires from down the road did me in.  I had to take off much needed time and get myself back to normal, which is taking way longer than I thought it might. 

Do not ask me the colors of the yarn, I have no idea at this point.  I am having a hard time concentrating right now.  My sleep schedule is really off and I find myself going to bed at 4 am and waking up at weird hours in the night.  I can't get comfy.  Now, my poor hubby has gotten the crud from me.  Poor guy. 

I will get back to work on the mitts tomorrow.  I have so much to do and KRHF is looming on the horizon.  Anyone know where I can get two more sets of arms and hands that know how to knit? 

Finally! Pictures!

This the first mitt of the week.  I chose to use verdant heather and turmeric as my color choices for this mitt. 

The pattern is my Charity Selbu knit mitt.  I revamped the palm of htis pattern.  The back of the hand is still a Selbu rose.  It is very striking. 

I used a k1, p1 ribbing for 1 inch on the cuff and then proceeded to make the cuff markings with the snowflake.  Always a favorite motif for me.  Very simple and yet very elegant. 

The thumb is just plain old stockinette since I wanted to show off more of the background color this time around.  Usually, I knit the palm pattern onto the thumb. 

This was knit on US 2 Addi turbo needles. 

Only 98 more skeins to go. 

Breaking out the Needles and the Yarn

I have been working on a fingerless mitt for my festival but, I am going to start knitting some charity knit mitts for teenage girls in Alabama who will not have a Christmas present if 200 mitts do not make their way down there.  The girls are aged 13 to 18 and have need of fingerless mitts.  The mitts can be in any yarn you have and it is one of those special gifts that will make you feel all wonderful inside.  Everyone deserves a Christmas present. 

I was designing yesterday and I was working on the thumb of my mitt.  I just have a few more inches on the thumb and then I can bind off and start the second one. 

When I find my camera, I will take pictures and share my pretties.  I am using my 100 skeins of yarn for these projects.  My Christmas gift is going to give to others who need it.  I think that is pretty special. 

Knitting Away

I am in the middle of knitting for myself and others.  I have spent loads of time spinning on my wheel.  I am perfecting the art of very thin yarn and then I have plans to ply it with another thin yarn creating a fingering weight yarn.  It is very exciting. 

I am currently knitting myself some light weight arm warmers...think sock cuff with increasing every so ofter and you have arm warmers.  If you can knit in the round, you can make arm warmers, if you can increase, you get the idea...you can do this.  Be that fearless knitter you always wanted to be. 

Knit on! 

Ripped!

I was knitting on a sock called Ankle Arches and then I realized something wasn't quite right.  The pattern clearly states that the heel turn is a Dutch heel well, the author of this particular pattern didn't put it in the pattern.  I was knitting along without the heel turn and realized something was horribly wrong.  My sock was not looking anything like the picture.  So, I ripped that sucker off of my needles.  I think the color of the yarn was throwing me, too.  It was a pretty coral but, it just annoyed the hell out of me. 

So, I picked up my suri alpaca/merino blend yarn, End of Summer and started to knit on a scarf out of the Lace of Estonia book and I am working on Raha if you happen to have the book and it is looking really awesome.  I can't wait to see more of this pattern emerge, I might even knit it again in another hand painted yarn. 

I am knitting it on US 5's even though the pattern calls for US 4's.  This is just me and the only needle I could find last night.  I was knitting on it until about midnight and then put it down to read on my Kindle for a bit before bed.