WIP wednesday

WIP - Alexandria Socks

 

I have a few projects on my needles right now that I have been working on this week. I am making some progress on the socks I am designing for my sister's Christmas present. They are coming along nicely, and I am liking the way the pattern is working up.

 

WIP - Witch Underwear

  These stripey socks for the boyfriend are looking great and I even managed to get the stripes to match up. Only one problem - I was right and I will not have enough yarn to finish them.  Now I have to figure out what to do. I don't want to have to buy a whole skein for just the few grams I am going to need.

WIP - Sock Head Hat

I have been  wanting to make this hat for a while. I have a bunch of leftover sock yarn that I think would look really nice together, and this pattern was perfect (and it's a free Ravelry download!).

What are you working on?

Working Away on Some Socks

WIP - Witch Underwear

After I cast on two pairs of socks last weekend, I was a monogamous knitter this week. I managed to get the first Witch Underwear sock knit up (I just need to graft the toe), cast-on the second sock and I am now knitting up the cuff. 

I love this colourway and the only thing I am worried about is the yardage. The skein had only 384 yards. If it was socks for me I wouldn't be worried at all, but since these have to fit the boyfriend's large footsies, I am a little worried. I really need to learn how to knit two-at-a-time toe up socks. But here's the problem with that: I don't like to knit toe-up (unless I have to) and I really like my 9" circular needles. So I don't think I will be learning two-at-a-time anytime soon. Instead I will just keep knitting away, and I will try to knit as fast as I can, because as everyone knows: the faster you knit, the longer your yarn will last. Right?
 

What is your favourite way to knit socks?

Casting on more socks!

This weekend was spent casting on new sock projects. I still haven't started the second Waving Sock, but I do have two more pairs of socks on the needles... I have a perfectly good explanation for casting them on though!

WIP - Witch Underpants

I am using my pattern for His and Hers Socks for this pair. I needed a portable project and this is perfect! I love the way the stripes are knitting up. I am using Biscotte & Cie Felix yarn in Witch Underpants.

WIP - Alexandria Socks

My sister requested a pair of pink socks for her Christmas present (I know... Christmas!  Ugh!) And I wanted to design a new pattern for her. So I thought I should start those sooner rather than later! For this pair I am using Schachenmayr Regia's Trendpoint in Red Purple.

See? Perfectly good explanation for all my WIPS that I have going on over here!

Anyone else cast-on a lot of projects at once? Or is that just me?

Two Finished Shawls

I recently finished two shawls. One is my Shades of Purple shawl that I was working on recently, and the other is a scrap sock yarn shawl that I had been working on right before we moved. It got put aside in the shuffle, and even though it was basically finished (just needed a wash and block), it took me 2 months to get it photographed.

 

Sock Yarn Shawl:

Yarn: Leftover yarn from my Business Casual and Buffy socks

Needle Size: US 7 (4.5mm)

Pattern Source: Scrap Shawl by Lakshmi Juneja

Shades of Purple:

Yarn: Malabrigo's Arroyo in Borraja

Needle Size: US 8 (5mm)
Pattern Source: Age of Brass and Steam by Orange Flower Yarn (Free Ravelry download)

I love knitting shawls that do not require a lot of thinking, or following a pattern too closely. That way I can knit and watch TV and not worry about making any mistakes. I would highly recommend both patterns, and I am excited to add these shawls to my collection!

Summer knitting

Current WIP - Waving socks

 

I am making some progress on my socks, since they are the perfect project for these hot summer days, I have been knitting them a lot. I have finished the first sock and I will be starting the second.

My tomato plant has started yielding some great tasting tomatoes and I love munching on them between rows.

Shades of Purple Shawl WIP

Work in progress - Shades of Purple

 

My shawl knitting and coffee - a perfect start to my day. 

Working on my Age of Brass and Steam Shawl and contemplating how many more rows of stockinette I should do before starting the last section. I am really enjoying this easy knit and the yarn is wonderful (Malabrigo's Arroyo in Borraja)!

Number 12 Finished!

This is my twelfth pair of socks that I have finished already this year! 12! That is a lot and I am going to have to find a place to keep them all. My basket just won't cut it anymore!

Enid:

Yarn:  RendezVous Forever Sock Yarn in Sour

Needle Size: US 1 1/2 (2.5mm) 9" circular needles

Pattern Source:  Enid from A Knitted Sock Society by Rachel Coopey 

I loved making these socks, and the pattern was easy to follow and kept me interested through both socks. I would highly recommend this book to any sock knitters , it has so many enjoyable knits!

Working on Some Socks

My current WIP: Waving socks

This is another pattern from A Knitted Sock Society by Rachel Coopey. This time I am using the pattern Reginald. The yarn is Berroco's Comfort Sock in Hari Hari. I am loving the combination of pattern and yarn, and I am making good progress on this project.

This book has some great patterns in it, and they are great for variegated yarns.

 

 

Simple Crochet Project for the House

I recently planted some succulents in two clay pots that I decorated. Sometimes they are outside, but when it is raining I like to bring them in the house.

I made two crochet coasters for them to sit on so they won't damage the wood of the table. 

 

Plant Coasters

Yarn: Wool and the Gang's Shiny Happy Cotton in Jog Grey (leftovers from another project)

Hook Size: 5mm (H)

Pattern Source: Citrus Coaster by Dona Knits (free Ravelry download!)

I do love the way they turned out. They were a fast project even for me (I do not crochet a lot) and the instructions were clear and easy to follow. 

His and Hers Socks Pattern

I put the finishing touches on my His and Hers Socks pattern, and it is now available for free on Ravelry! 

Get it HERE! 

If you do decide to knit these socks, don't forget to post pictures. I love looking at all your gorgeous finished socks.

Unscheduled Blogging Break

 

 I took an unscheduled blogging break recently. I just wasn't in the mood to write up any posts... so I didn't. This blog is fun for me, and I don't want it to become a chore. Instead, I took a few weeks months off and concentrated on some other exciting happenings in my life: the end of my first year teaching kindergarten (yay for summer break!) and moving into my new house! I have been taking my time off work to do some projects around the house, and making it into our home. It is taking some time, and I have been able to do some small things (I painted the cabinets in the bathrooms!), but what I love the most about having our own house - decorating! I like taking the time to think about each space and what I want it to look like. Even though we aren't even close to getting the house where I want it to be - I am thinking ahead and planning even the smallest of spaces.

Enough about the house - let's move on to the reason for this blog: my knitting! I haven't been knitting as much recently since the house is keeping me busy, but I have completed a few projects that I haven't shared with you yet:

Thora Socks:

Yarn: SweetGeorgia's Tough Love Sock in Ultra Violet

Needle Size: 1 1/2 US (2.5mm) 9" circular needles

Pattern Source: Thora from  A Knitted Sock Society by Rachel Coopey

MoonNight:
Yarn: Regia's Design Line by Arne and Carlos in Moon Night
Needle Size: US 2 (2.75mm) 9" circular needles
Pattern Source: My own pattern - I will make it available soon (for free!)
 

Red Socks for Him:
Yarn: Opal's Rainforest in Fiona Die Geigerin
Needle Size: US 2 (2.75mm) 9" circular needles
Pattern Source: My own pattern - I will make it available soon (for free!)

Her Socks:

Yarn: Regia's Design Line by Arne and Carlos in Star Night
Needle Size: US 2 (2.75mm) 9" circular needles
Pattern Source: My own pattern - I will make it available soon (for free!)

Yes you read that right - I will be releasing my own vanilla sock pattern soon! I know everyone has one, but I love the way my socks turned out so I wanted to share how I made them with everyone. They make socks that are really comfy - they are not tight, but perfect for lounging on cold winter days. I will be putting it up on Ravelry soon and I will let you know when I do!

Happy Knitting!

Sunday fun

On Sunday I wanted to get a few things done, I set myself a knitting 'to-do' list. I needed to block my  Liaison Tee, and finish the feet on my Arne and Carlos socks, as well as my Thora socks. I also had to do other mundane things like laundry.

I did get 2 out of the 3 done. My Thora socks are done and I blocked my Liaison Tee. I was able to wash and block both of them at the same time. I am waiting for them to dry so I can get some proper pictures of them. Now I just need to put some time in on the Arne and Carlos socks to get those finished. They *should* be done this week... if I don't get distracted by any other projects (which is always a possibility with me).

Liaison Tee WIP

It is pretty hard to get a nice picture of a project on circular needles. Especially when the pattern calls for a 24" cable and you only have a 16", so all you stitches are squished onto the smaller cable.

Oh well, it still works and the Liaison Tee from KnitPicks that I am working on is coming along nicely even with the wrong length cable. 

And yes... that is a WIP that is not socks! Shocking!

Tutu Cake

My co-worker's daughter chose a tutu cake for her birthday party.  The cake would be made by someone who knows how to make beautiful cakes, but it still needed a pretty tutu base to sit on.
I knew that it could be easily done and would need only a few supplies - tulle (a yard of each of the 5 colours), an embroidery hoop and some kind of round base (we ended up using a basket that was turned upside down).
After that it was super easy to make - no sewing, no glue, no special tools. I just cut strips of tulle about 2 inches thick using my rotary cutter (you could easily use scissors). I didn't measure, I just cut. It doesn't have to be exact.
Then I made a tutu using the embroidery hoop instead of a ribbon (there are plenty of tutorials online showing you how to do that). We worked on it together after school for 3 or 4 days for a couple of minutes each time and we finished it with plenty of time to spare. It is so cute and was so easy to make. 

Toe the Line Socks - My own Design!

 I have just finished writing out the pattern for my very own sock design! I am really excited to be able to share it with you, and I hope you like it. This is my first time writing out a full pattern for a pair of socks, and they have not been test knit. I am happy to answer any and all questions and inquiries regarding this pattern.

 This design has a simple lace pattern and is knit cuff down. Both socks are knit identical until the heel flap, then the pattern is mirrored so the lace pattern follows the outside of the foot. The lace pattern has both written and charted instructions.

Socks can be made larger by adding an extra repeat of the lace chart.

I knit these sample socks with Malabrigo Sock in Impressionist Sky. I had plenty of yarn leftover and could have easily added another repeat of the lace pattern on the leg. 

I love knitting lace socks and these are the perfect combination of interesting and fun so you don't realize how much you have knit, until - BAM! - you have a pair of socks!

Enjoy this pattern and if you get a chance to knit it, please share pictures of your projects! I can't wait to see.

Get the pattern here.

Evergreen Socks

I finished another pair of socks this past week (surprise, surprise!) and these might be one of my favourite pairs so far. I love how the colour and the pattern came together to make a perfect combination.

 

Evergreen Socks:

Yarn: SweetGeorgia's Tough Love Sock in Deep Cove

Needle Size: US 1 1/2 (2.5mm) 9" circulars

Pattern Source:  Evergreen Socks by Madeline Gannon

I added an extra repeat of the lace tree pattern on the leg, and shifted the start of the pattern for the second repeat so that the trees didn't align (see my Ravelry notes for more details).

I just love these socks, they are perfect.

Go Habs Go Socks

 

After frogging my first attempt at these socks (because they were way too small my first go at them), I created a new plan of attack - I cast on an extra 10 stitches and changed the type of heel I did (I did not like the look of the afterthought heel, so I did a regular heel flap. I used yarn from the middle of the ball so I would not disrupt the stripe pattern). It worked! It fits much better this time around and I like the way it looks.

Go Habs Go:

Yarn: Biscotte & Cie's Felix Self-Striping yarn in the Go Habs Go

Needle Size: US 1 (2.25mm) 9" circular needles

Pattern Source:  Knitmore Girls Vanilla Sock (used the pattern very little - but I started with it)

 

I made no attempt whatsoever to match the stripes for the two socks, but it just happened all on its own! The yarn has some great colour in it, but it is not stretchy at all! I needed way more stitches than I normally do to get them to fit and they are still snug. It was a generous skein of yarn though and I had more than enough yarn to finish these off.

Tidal Socks

After being on a bit of a knitting break, I seem to have taken a blogging break. I don't know why, I just did not feel like posting, I just wanted to knit and get some projects off my needles. Here is the first finished project in my new knitting spree... and of course it is socks.

Tidal:

Yarn: My Colour Wheelhouse's MCN Fingering in Preppy

Needle Size: US 1 1/2 (2.5mm) 9" circular needles

Pattern Source: Show-Off Stranded Socks by Anne Campbell (free Ravelry download!)

I was tempted to frog the socks and start them over again when I saw how they were pooling, but I am glad I continued. The pooling works great with the pattern and they look really nice. 

Operation Sock Basket and Stitch Markers

  I have been having trouble getting my knitting mojo on lately. I had the flu about two weeks ago, and I was so sick that the yarn rubbing against my hands while I tried to knit was painful. Since then I just haven't been knitting as much as I used to. I hope this is just a phase that I am going through, and that I will start knitting at full strength again soon because there are so many things that I want to knit!  

 

Even though I am not knitting, I am still wearing my knitted socks every day! It has been so cold here and my socks provide the extra warmth that I need to get through these wintery days. I just finished washing a huge pile of socks, and I had them put away neatly (which rarely happens) so I snapped a picture. I hadn't realized just how many socks that I have knit for myself (there are 24 pictured here and at least 6 other pairs that either need to be mended or washed) - that means 30 socks! Just for me!  

I have been getting up to some other crafty things. After seeing a blog post by Skate and Stitches about this book, I immediately thought of making stitch markers with the kit and bought it right away. 

  

This is the result of my first go at making the stitch markers. I love how they came out! I followed the directions for the ice cream cone, strawberries, owl (I modified the colours for my second owl to make Hedwig), penguin and lizard. For the duck and ball of yarn, I just winged it and they still turned out pretty good!

 

The kit comes with everything you need to make these guys, and the instructions are clear and easy to follow (this is a children's book). I still have plenty of materials left over and I will be making lots more!

Ribbit Ribbit

I had to frog back my Go Habs Go socks that I was knitting.  It was just too small and I did not like the look of the afterthought heel. Oh well, now I will restart and try again.

So I finished one pair of socks....

so I cast on two more pairs!

My Go Habs Go socks. I didn't want to disrupt the stripes so I am doing an afterthought heel. I just haven't done the heel yet. This is Biscotte & Cie's Felix Self-Striping yarn in the Go Habs Go colourway and Knitmore Girls Vanilla Sock pattern.

This is the My Colour Wheelhouse's MCN Fingering in Preppy and I am using the Show-Off Stranded Socks pattern. The colours are pooling - but it looks good so I am just going to keep going.