some finished objects

Since it has been a while since I have posted there are lots of things to be updated on. Far too many for this one post, so hopefully there will be a series of posts in this blogs future. One can hope, right?

The last time mom came to visit she brought down a little present for TC. It was suppose to be a mat for him to sit and sleep on, but he refused to do either. However he does love it in a toy capacity. Especially if it has been spiked with catnip.
The sweater for my sister has been finished and is in a box ready to send. I just need the packing tape to close it. Another feather and a note have been added since this picture was taken.
After that sweater was done this was started on the needles:
Which quickly became this three weeks later. I have worn it but I haven't had the chance to get anyone to take a picture. I did get several compliments when I wore it to work!
There are a few other things on the needles as well as something I finished a while ago and am just blocking now that was never posted about. Those will hopefully be the subject of future posts!

custom fit socks

Dearest Mommy, do remember back when I was in Ottawa and I was trying to find that sock book at they Yarn Forward in Kanata but the only had it in the downtown store? Well I managed to find a copy of it at Lettuce Knit. And do you remember that lovely sock yarn you introduced me to at Romni and I ended up buy 3 skeins (so much for being good)?

Well the book is New Pathways for Sock Knitters and it basically allows you to make any of their unusually constructed socks, customed exactly to your foot, based on measurements of your foot and the gauge of the yarn knitted up. I used the lovely blue colourway I bought and made these:
They are the Coriolis socks. They are knit toe up and the increases for the gusset area are increased along that little spiral on the socks you should be able to see. (Kitty paws)
The book even gives you the standard measurements of each foot size if you want to make a pair of socks for someone, but don't have the measurements particular to their foot. As it turns out almost all my measurement correlate for a shoe size 5 except for the length of my foot which is for a size 8. I finished these socks yesterday and then promptly wore them for the rest of the day. They happen to be the most comfortable and perfect socks I have ever worn, including out of all my handmade ones. Custom fit socks are wonderful things.

Shortly after I finished my socks and finshed dancing around in them I finished knitting the red blob. The ends just need to be weaved in, which is dependent on an email I was told I would receive, otherwise you can weave in the ends yourself my dearest sister. It isn't the easiest garment to get on. I recommend putting your head through the head hole and then put your arms in the sleeves; it makes the whole putting it on thing much easier. Can't wait for you to send me a picture of you in it.

After that was completed I promptly started another pair of socks with the green and peach colourway of that lovely sock yarn we bought (Mommy bought the exact same skein). This time I am trying the riverbed sock pattern. I can't wait to see how this colourway knits up. Will it spiral like the blue one or do something completely different?

And for anyone who might like a custom fit pair of socks one day in the unexpected future these are the measurements of your foot that I would need you to email me so I can keep record of them and use them as the mood strikes me. When taking the foot length measurement, make sure you are standing and putting weight on it and use something flat to make sure your heel is on the 0 inch marker and something flat again to measure where your toe ends.

That's all for now folks!

Bad Habs, bad bad Habs

Yesterday and today I had the same thing for breakfast. Some delicious cranberry scones and coffee. I was going to have banana bread today for brekkie, but it would take too long and I was hungry. So I'll have it for brekkie for tomorrow. The scones were good though. Somebody else enjoyed them as well, as you can see: I'm currently working on the sweater. See I have proof: However I had just enough yarn to finish the knitting part (I had to scavenge just to finish that) but not enough for the assembly so there will be an accent colour at the shoulders. I just have to assemble the other side and see if it works the way they said it shall. I'm closer to rescuing my ransomed presents. I haven't decided which of these two below to work on this morning.

Decisions, decisions. And we shall not discuss the disappointing game last night.

Yarn and Breakfast

Well to start I finally have a picture of the first sweater that I ever knit that has now been inherited by my mother since it no longer fits me. It is a merino/cashmere blend and a lovely sweater. I may have to make myself another, but in a size that will fit. It was slightly on the large side to begin with and then when I got smaller and it didn't; well at least it will be put to good use now! If I do make it again I think I will make it into a cardigan though. Hmmm something to think about.I have managed to get my hands on some lace weight malibrigo. Hehehe. Oh the yarn store where I found this also has normal malibrigo (in case someone was coming to visit in May and say wanted to pick up some). It is very lovely to work with and the subtle variations in the colour way I picked are quite pleasing. I had a scone, pineapple and some coffee for breakfast this morning. I made a batch of ginger scones and froze the dough, so I can take them out one at a time and bake them fresh when I'm in the mood. They are very delicious. I'm thinking of making another batch for the freezer so I can alternate between ginger and cranberry. Yum!

Dad's socks are finished, but I don't have a picture of them on his feet so you will just have to imagine them until the time I can get a picture. Apparently new fangled computers are to complicated to email pictures on. My sister's sweater is still ongoing. I'm much closer to finishing but haven't done so due to my freaking out over possibly not having enough wool to finish.

What should and should not be.....

Well now that I am all moved in I have started knitting again and have just been bad and have not been posting. I'm still working on two christmas presents. One of them being Dad's socks. I did run out of yarn and had to take out both socks to shorten the legs of both so that I could finish the second sock which is close to completion. I think they should last a long time since they are superwash and I am knitting this yarn on smallish needles for it's weight. Dad if you are reading this you better take good care of them and do exactly as your wife tells you when it comes to care and washing of them. They are one of a kind and designed just for you!
I am also still working on the red blob. I purposefully took this picture so you couldn't figure out what was going on with it (since it is going to remain a surprise for the receipent til the day she gets it). I just wanted to prove that progress is being made and as a matter of fact it's gotten slightly bigger since I was working on it while waiting for these photos to load. I am however slightly worried that I will run out of yarn. But we may just make it by the skin of our teeth!
I also have two projects that technically I really shouldn't be working on since I should be spending all my time and energy on the two above projects (at least in the eyes of the recipents). These lovely socks I started when I finished that red pair I started with yarn from Rita (picture to follow in a later post). I quite like this sock pattern, but I changed the heel from a flap heel to a short row heel since I find them so much easier to knit and slightly more comfortable on my feet.
The second of the two illicit projects is this pretty little thing. It's a scarf which in of itself is shocking but I'm finding the pattern quite pleasant and enjoy turning out the little leaves.

By the way I'm still waiting for a picture of a certain somebody in a sweater that was given to them that was made by me. Hint hint.

Houston I think we might have a problem

Can anyone tell what might be the problem here?I think we may have a problem with reaching the toe without running out of yarn. I'm just hoping that what I need to rip back from the first sock will cover what is needed for the second sock; otherwise it is creative knitting time.

And the quick one off-er is ready to start decreasing and be done with in a few hours, when I can find the time! Christmas is just to busy.

And that is it and all folks. Just a quick post 'cause I'm suppose to be busy knitting you know!

Christmas time already?

Well it is that time of year and even though I try to keep myself knitting for Christmas I somehow get suckered into it. Usually it is my own doing.

This should be a pretty quick one off-er. If there is time it may have something else accompanying it that should also be a pretty quick one off-er.

The spinning wheel is not dead. Mind you I did do this a few weeks ago and haven't had a chance to continue with it (you know with that xmas knitting I've taken on kind a puts a damper on the fun I want to have). There are is another bobbin full that is not shown here. I know it's really bright and I really don't care.

Here is one of those things I suckered myself into for a man who I have already given every tool imaginable to (in conjuction with my sister) and since he really doesn't need any ties etc since he is retired this is the only thing I could come up with that I know for sure he really wants and will make good use of. How do I know that? Because he gave me double pointed needles in my stocking last Christmas in two different sizes with note saying "Hint, Hint" on it. I'm sure you can't get more subtle than that!
One is already done, but I think I will have to take out the toe and make it a little smaller. I've had some people with similar foot sizes try them on and it appears I made the foot slightly too long. The good news is that I don't have to rip it out too far. I have decided however to finish the second one first and then go and correct the first one.

Here is a close up of the stitch pattern. I think it looks manly enough and the colourway has absolutely nothing girly about it. Although if he wants homemade socks as badly as I think he does I wonder if he would wear a girly colourway? Anyways, I have named these the "Manly Man Socks".

And since I can't post the red sweater without giving too much away since that someone actually reads the blog I will distract you with lacy shawl/scarf that sadly hasn't been worked on in the past few weeks either.

Well who knew.....

....cause I certainly didn't realize people were reading this (and by people I know it's mainly family). I definately couldn't tell. If you don't leave comments complaining about the lack of posts, I just assume no one is reading and can be lazy. Apparently I can't and have been told by my mother to start posting again.


Just so my little sister knows, I have evidence that I have been working on your Christmas present (now that I have the pattern again); here it is:So can you tell what has changed since the last time you saw it in August? Figure out how the sweater is going to work yet? Oh by the way, the second pattern I bought that I lost before I refound the first pattern has now been located. There are two patterns in rotation again, increasing your odds of the sweater getting done sometime this millenium. That is until another yarn and/or pattern comes and lures me away.

These were finished awhile ago and are just being posted now. They are my own sock pattern as well as being my first attempt at toe up socks and short row heels. Oh and they are made from lovely yummy Koigu!

Now for those of you that I have not pointed this out to, can you tell how I tried to combat SSS (second-sock syndrome)? Look really closely:

Five points for the person who figures it out excluding those of you that I pointed it out to. I know who you are (or at least I think I do). Maybe I'll keep up a tally of points and eventually give something knitting related to the person with the most points.

I signed up to join the Ravelry.com community a while ago and recently got the invite. I had completely forgot about it. It is pretty cool. It is suppose to help you keep track of your projects (finished and in progress) and stash. There is also the community aspect in the form of groups to join and forums to chat in. I recently added my entire collection of stashed Koigu into the stash tracker. It will take awhile before I even get half my stash on there. Anyway here is a picture of all the Koigu I have secreted away:

And no it is not a lot of yarn (to me) and no I can never have enough of it. Stop looking at me like that. You never know when that truly horrible day well come when yarn is no longer available (gasp). One must be prepared! That and you don't always want to have to run the yarn store just so you can start a project.

I also have a lace scarf (0r small shawl depending on how you use it) on the needles. But lace never looks very pretty until it is blocked so you can wait for an in progress shot, I'm sure. I also finished a shrug (pretty quick knit that one). It will be a picture in a later posting.

In other news Tequi has a few flight feathers that grew in after his last trim that have not gone under the scissors due to the not going outside because it's too cold for a species from Africa, and as a result he's been doing a little flying. He is exceedingly proud of the fact he can fly (though not very well, but getting better) and that is how he ended up here:
He has ended up many other unusual places, but this was the only time I remembered to take out the camera.

Til next time.....

Well I was very bad and seemed to miss posting the entire month of August. So to make it up, I am going to show the various projects I am willing to admit are on the needles.

First after finishing the Peacock Feathers shawl I cast on one for a friend of mine who does not know she is getting it so there are no deadlines. No deadlines is a very good thing, since I enjoy knitting and not necessarily having finished products lying around. It is a pattern from Victorian Lace today and will be absoultely beautiful one I finish. I hope she will love it.

I also started my first ever circular shawl which right now is a big lace blob. It is also from Victorian Lace Today and would finish it as fast I possibly could except I think I am a little laced out at the moment. Never thought that would happen. Both shawls are being knit with silk lace from Sundara. It is absolutely lovely to knit with.

Rita was here visiting and bought me some lovely sock yarn (such a wise woman). To be exact she bought me 4 skeins of Lorna's Laces, 2 skeins of Koigu and a big skein of Socks that Rock. Thanks to her generosity I will have 4 pairs of socks (eventually) to keep my feet toasty warm. I've already cast on one pair with the red Lorna's Laces. One sock done and one to go:

After buying the fall Knits I became obsessed with this yarn and this sweater. I sadly only had one skein so yesterday I went and bought enough to make the sweater.

The result this morning was a quite a wee bit of headway on the ribbing as you can see below:

My sister was also visiting at the same time as Rita and managed to snag this as a present since I lost the pattern to finish the sweater I started for her. I sadly don't have a picture of her wearing it (hint, hint) so the picture of me wearing it when I finished it in November of last year will have to do:

And I realized I had finished a project in the course of keeping this blog and forgot to post it. I was rooting through my winter stuff to make sure I knew where it all was and lo and behold I found this toque. I made it in February from my own handpun to keep my head warm while on the Canal when I went back to visit a friend in Ottawa. Sadly the picture does not show the subtle colour variations:

There are a few other things to be shown, but I will leave them for another post just in case I don't make enough headway on any of the projects shown.

long overdue

I have had the pictures for a while; I've just been a wee bit lazy about putting them up.
Anyway here are the specs for the shawl:

Pattern: The Peacock Feathers Shawl
Yarn: Zephyr Wool-silk by Fiddlesticks Knitting in Indigo
Needles: 3.5mm lace addi turbos

Enjoy!