TeachU TeachMe

Finished Objects!!

Yes, at last photos of finished projects. Finished the Honey Badger socks. Very happy with the results ~~ fit like a perfectly made pair of socks!

note the lovely Sweet Tomato Heel wedges. Cat Bordhi is genius! I had to rip several times to get them perfect, but think the finished product was worth the work. See details on Ravelry.

I finished another baby sweater, another version of the Tulip Sweater found here. This one is for a precious Bambina Stellerine, yet to be born or named. Find the details on ravelry.

    

Buddy says that spending the day at the groomer's is not a reason for him to smile at the camera. 

 

Gratitude

This morning I awoke to the sad news that a friend's grandaughter, Florence McDow, had passed away at age 6. Today I am reminded of the need for gratitude and to remember that each day is a precious gift. This short video is an incredibly beautiful reminder.

I have sock!

At last, I finished the first of my "mix-it-up" sock.  The yarn is  Punta Yarns Merisock Hand Painted that I purchased at The Yarn Shop in Pineville, NC.  

I call it the "mix-it-up" because I used 3 patterns (more photos at the Ravelry link). First, I am back to Wendy Johnson's Basic sock pattern from Socks from the toe up. I followed the toe construction and worked to the point where I needed to start the heel.  At that point I use Cat Bordhi's Sweet Tomato Sock Heel pattern of short rows. I used 2  1/2 short rows to fit my foot. It WAS sweet and gave me the best fitting heel I have ever knit. I have used other short row heel patterns~~but those did not fit so well. These socks are snug and cozy.  To make the socks and knitting them interesting, I used the pattern from Irishgirlieknits' Honey Badger. It hums along so that I can easily knit while in meetings, at the doc's office, or waiting in the pick-up line at Walgreen, etc. Here is a little photo of  toe and heel as I was knitting.

                                                              
In the future, I think I will be using that short row heel unless there is a compelling reason to use something else. My only concern is wear? How will it hold up? Anyone have a history with short row heels?

What? it is February already?

It has been a whirlwind of a month. The semester is off to a good start: good classes and interesting students. I am happy.

Went shopping mid-month at The Yarn Shop(LYS) in Pineville, NC. about 20 miles from here. Good thing it is that far as I went just a bit wild. I will share the stash slowly, so you have a good look at each.  The first is next in line for the needles; recycled blue jeans.  I am thinking a small shawl or scarf to wear with jeans. I have two skeins = 700 yds.

There's a close-up from my not-so-good digital camera. The fiber is soft and will get softer with washing so that is why I am headed for shawl --- no more 100% cotton sweaters for me; too much sag.

Reading has been limited to student papers and emails; not a thrill a moment. But for a few moments each night I am trying to read Grafton's latest: V is for violence. Not her fault I keep falling asleep.

Buddy is feeling somewhat camera shy tonight.

 

Welcome to 2012

In my last post way back in August I mentioned some stash and showed the beginnings of a hat. Hat is done (Sockhead Hat) in Noro Kuryeon Sock

 

 

scarf (Ericka Scarf) is done in   Noro Kuryeon Sock (same color as hat above),

 and several baby sweaters are finished.

Julie's Sweater (tri-terra-cardigan by Cosette Cornelius-Bates) using

a sweater for a new baby girl, Lion Brand pattern, but not their yarn -- using Berroco Weekend in two pinks and a blue.

 

Bubby is wondering where his sweater is??

Saturday Stash

What happened? I was supposed to have two wonderful weeks between the end of summer school and the beginning of fall semester. I am sure that they occurred, but I am not sure why I don't feel as if I had a vacation. 

Since beginning the fall semester my knitting time had all but disappeared. Lots of meetings, but not of the type where I can knit w/o unwanted attention. So I have only one finished object and three works in progress, plus some new stash. 

First the stash. I need to make some Christmas gifts; I can't keep sending checks or gift certificates. So this year many will be receiving hand-mades. So the new stash is for gifts. I am such a fan of the Noro fiber (all of this was purchased on-line via Jimmy Bean), so I bought some Kureyon Sock (Color S221) and some Silk Garden Sock (color S273)

and some more Kureyon Sock (Color S102) that is a work in progress, a slouchy hat by bohoknits that I like to make. This is my meeting knitting for now.
Other works in progress include two baby sweaters ~~ some sweet folks I know are having "bebes" in the future. I am making the same sweater for each, but one in pinks and blues (Berroco Weekend) and another in darker tweeds of burgandy and blue (Berroco Remix). All purchased at The Yarn Shop in Pineville. I have the back done on each one. Fiber is washable cotton for both.

 

Finally, I am happy to report that I have finished the socks from the last post. Here they are

                                      

click on photos for larger image

That's it for the knitting report. I will be back on Monday with a report on the four-legged child, Buddy and his progress from being a Cujo to Good Dog.
      
 

 
  

 


 
 
  

Saturday Stash

I have not been able to get away to my LYS or to any store lately, except Lowes and Target for cleaning and fix-it supplies. So I have been busy shopping late at night. It generally works out for me, but then. . .

Several weeks ago I was reading knit blogs late at night. . .guess where this is going? I love PayPal, but they make it too easy to complete quick transactions on-line. So I joined a fiber club, but I was overly eager and did not read the fine print. Later in the month I received my fiber. Much to my surprise, it was roving. Roving is wool that is ready to be spun, but I am not a spinner; I am a knitter. 

I am confessing all of this so that I can praise the person who prepared and dyed the roving because she was generous in her treatment of my mistake and it WAS my mistake. As a result I have three hanks of beautiful hand-dyed, hand-spun fiber to share today. So if you are a knitter, please consider stopping by Cosy's blog (@ http://cosymakes.com) to see her beautiful new baby and the items for sale in her ESTY shop (@  http://www.etsy.com/shop/cosymakes). Here is what I got as part of my refund. 

               
Snapdragon Light Fingering in three swoony colors: yellow, bright green, and blue green (it is darker than pictured here, I was photographing in bright sunlight). Not sure what I am going to make with them ~~ but not socks as this is wool. I am thinking scarves and/or shawls, as there is 700 yards in each hank. Whatever I decide there is plenty to make whatever I want.

Buddy says "Where is this fiber? I need to taste it to be sure of quality control."

 

Work in Progress Wednesday

I have the second of a pair of socks still on my needles, Scylla by Fiona Lucas.

 
It was started last spring and has languished through final exams, a few rows and then I was seduced away to make scarves for a local charity event, Catawba Care. finally I got to the fun summer knitting of the The Ericka Scarf, Perseverance, (see two previous posts) and a little silk shawl ~~ pattern is one that I can't trace the source.

 

 

Tomorrow, new stash is a coming. . .it has been shipped from Blue Hill, Maine, so fingers crossed. Meanwhile, Buddy is helping the chair warm for me.  

 

Cool Puppy

 
This morning we spent about a hour in the garden. I was listening to a book while knitting on a Christmas present. Buddy was terrorizing wild life; he just wants to be "friends." When we came in he went straight to the AC vent in the hall floor ~~ he is no fool.

 
Knitting:

~I am still working on the I Cord edging of Julie's sweater ~~ it is a long slough around the entire sweater. Want to finish that today.

~Working on a Christmas scarf for someone.

~Here is one of the summer's finished projects (FO). This is The Ericka Scarf by Gina House found in Sock Yarn One-Skein Wonders . This is a great little book of patterns and I have several on my list of must make.



 

What happened to the last month??

Buddy happened. He has kept us busy from 6:00 a.m. to whenever two or more of us drop from exhaustion. But we are so happy to have the "little man" as one friend calls him. Here is a recent photo.

 
How can you resist that face? I do have some knitting to share. This summer in between cleaning out my house, teaching classes at the university, and attending a variety of meetings, I have managed to knit several shawls, a scarf, a baby sweater, and half of a second sock. These can be seen on Ravelry   But here is my persoanl favorite: Perseverance by Lauren Weinhold knit with Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Mediumweight in Brick colorway. Truly a lovely color that makes me wish for cooler weather (As if we needed a reason to wish for that!).

 

 

More knitting tomorrow. There are several gifts in the mix and need to gift them before I give away the secret. 

What is your hot weather knit?