A Yarn Finish and Stash Report - Week 36

It's been a few weeks since posting anything because  my life took a sudden and unexpected turn.  I lost a very good friend and quilter.  Barb and I shared so many fun experiences together and we liked many of the same things. I could always count on her being up late like me and we'd talk on the computer or phone about anything and everything.  Her illness was very sudden and she went so quickly that no one could believe it was real.  She was too young to leave us the way she did. It is still hard to believe that we were just on retreat together in mid-July.  Her passing has left an empty place in my heart and life.  I miss her very much.

I have been trying to keep busy with a lot of sewing and knitting the last few weeks.  Not much has been used from my stash, however.  But I did have some fun this week on a mini-shop hop on my way to see Bonnie Hunter in Bloomington, IL.  I picked up fabric for a backing on my Celtic Solstice (this may motivate me to get busy finishing the top) and a couple other small pieces that are for a block exchange and a baby quilt.

I also finished my purple variegated Slip Stitch Ridges socks.  I'm happy with the way these turned out and the fit is better than my last pair.  My only complaint is that I could have made the leg longer had I known so much yarn would be left over.  That is a strong motivation for me to learn the toe up method of making socks so I can use the remainder of the yarn on a pair of socks and not have leftover yarn.

The real color is not as dark as it appears on my computer screen.  They are a softer purple or amethyst color with gray.  Now I'm anxious to try a new pattern and one of my stash yarns to try my luck with the toe up technique on circular needles.

Stash numbers:
Fabric Added - 7.25 yds
Fabric Used - .125 yds
YTD Added - 26.5 yds
YTD Used - 22.72 yds
Net added for 2014 -3.78 yds  

I am linking up with On The Needles (a little late) and the Stash Report over at Judy's Patchwork Times.

On The Needles - Friday, July 18

This week I have another pair of socks started.  They are from a yarn called Serenity by Deborah Norville Collection.  The content is 50% superwash Merino wool, 25% bamboo and 25% nylon.  I bought this yarn about 7 years ago to learn how to knit socks, but after 5 tries and lots of unknitting, I gave up and put it away.  Actually I forgot I had it and just found it in my yarn area. Since I'm starting my 3rd pair, maybe this time it will become a complete pair of socks.  I still love the color and they are so soft and cushy feeling.  Can't wait to get them finished to see how they feel on my feet.

The pattern is called Slip-Stitch Ridges Socks from the book "Teach Yourself Visually" Sock Knitting. The easy leg design and that cool heel is what caught my eye.,  It's new for me and is called the "eye of Partridge heel flap. It's been very easy so far and I really like the way it looks with this yarn.

To see more inspiration on the knitting front, visit Judy's Patchwork Times.

A Finish - Off The Needles

Finished my second pair of socks!  Finally. The pattern is House of Targaryen, a free pattern from Ravelry. I'm happy with the way they turned out, but they took much longer than normal because I kept having to rip back too many times. I'm ready for a simple pattern..

I have been adding to my yarn stash these days. It is so much fun to knit socks and I want to keep learning. A friend and I went yarn shopping this week and I picked up two different yarns to try. The 3rd yarn already was in my stash from years ago and I totally forgot I had it.  I bought it when Judy L came to town and said she would start me on learning how to knit socks. Well, I finally learned, but forgot where this yarn was until recently. 

The top left is Panda Superwash - 51% bamboo, 39% superwash wool and 10% nylon.  I thought I'd try making a pair of short socks from the toe up to wear with my tennis shoes.  These are only 50 gm balls.

The next one (to the right) is totally new to me.  It's called Diversity by Plymouth Yarns and the fiber content is 93% Acrylic and 7% Polyester (elasthane).  I did a swatch and it handles easily, but is very stretchy.  I'm not sure how to figure out how many stitches to cast on because of the stretchiness. They recommend 8 stitches/in with US 2 needles, but I got more like 9 sts/inch.  I hope it will be self striping with only using a stockinette stitch for the leg.

The last yarn is from my stash and it's Serenity, from the Deborah Norville Collection- 50% superwash Merino wool, 25% bamboo and 25% nylon. The color is much more vibrant with shades of purples and some grays.  The color is Amethyst.  This yarn is much like what I've done my first two pairs with, so I should have not trouble with it.

Now to decide which yarn to use next?  Any suggestions or experiences on either of the two new yarns?

To see other yarn projects, stop by Judy's Patchwork Times.

On the Needles - May 9, 2014

It seems like forever since I've posted anything.  Since that time I've been to the AQS show in Paducah for 4 days and a visit to a good friend in Alabama.  She took us to one location of the world famous Blue Bell Ice Cream Creameries and other fun places.  Since returning from my travels, I haven't had a lot of time for knitting or quilting, but here is what's on my needles.

A few more inches were done on my House of Targaryan socks that I started in April, before I ran into trouble.  I lost one of the needles out of the stitches and couldn't get my pattern back on the needle correctly.  This set me back a week until I found someone to rescue me.  I have to concentrate and pay attention to what I'm doing on the pattern row. Hopefully that will improve if I can sit and knit for longer periods of time and not so far between knitting sessions. :)

On my circular needles is the Faux Mobiius Cowl also started in April.   It's about three-fourths done and I can talk, walk and chew gum while knitting this one!   I've gone through all the colors in the yarn once and am starting on the first color again.  I think it's turning out pretty nice.  

What have you been up to lately?  Is it too hot in your area for knitting now and maybe you've put it away for the summer.  I hope to knit all through summer because most places are so air conditioned that it feels like winter inside sometimes.  It's also very relaxing to me and I am really enjoying doing socks.

I'm linking up with OTN over at Judy's Patchwork Times, so stop on by and see what others have on their needles.

On and Off the Needles - April 18, 2014

Today I'm happy to show off my first pair of knitted socks--finished. Yipee!!

1st pair of knitted socks

I'd like to thank Judy Laquidara for inspiring me to try knitting socks years ago when she came to St. Louis to teach a workshop and telling me not to give up no matter how many times you have to rip out and cast on repeatedly for the same sock(which I did numerous times), and my friend Sheron who started a pair with me so I had a mentor when I became discouraged or dropped stitches and made a mess of it (she gladly came to my rescue several times) and to Lenora who gifted me the beautiful Opal wool yarn from her magnificent stash to make my first pair. Now I am hooked and I look forward to my next pair. Thank you ladies for encouraging me and helping me learn to knit socks. I am loving this new skill and look forward to knitting many more pairs.

Now see what came in my "Box of Fun" that I teased you about on my post Wednesday. 

Surprise, more yarn and a set of circular needles.  On the right is Judy's Loopy Legion "Judy's Favorite Quilt" and on the left is Denise's "Mandarin Duck".  Aren't they just beautiful.  They feel so soft and can't wait to start another pair of socks with one of them.  My only dilema is which one to try first!  

The set of circular needles are the small size set of Chiao Goo stainless circulars.  I was so excited to see how they worked, I started an easy project called Faux Mobius Cowl made from 1 skein of Rainbow Boucle with Size 8 needles. This gave me a chance to try out the largest tips which came with my circular set and red lace 32" cable, This set has sizes U.S.#2 through U.S.#8.

I wanted the color shown on the wrapper which was black, charcoal grey through a silvery grey/white, which would look great on a black coat, but they were all sold out of that color.  There were many other beautiful choices though and I ended up with blues/teal/grey/turquoise blends.

These are the first two colors and I'm not sure how long each color covers, but so far I like what I'm seeing.  Here is the huge skein with all the range of colors.. I was in such a hurry to get started that I didn't take time to try winding it somehow or pulling it from the center.  Next time I'll know better.

Before the arrival of the Box of Fun, I had started another pair of socks using KnitPicks' Stroll Tweed. The color is Thirst Heather. The pattern is Game of Thrones-House Targaryen by Christine Pike.  I have to blame give credit to Teresa of A Quilt and a Prayer for making me try this pattern. Really, she twisted my arm until I said OK. lol.  Take a look at her beautiful red ones HERE and then you'll understand why I was inspired to start these.

To see what others are doing in the knitting arena, stop by On The Needles at Judy's Patchwork Times.

On The Needles - March 21, 2014

I can hardly believe that it is Friday again so quickly. I had hoped to have my first sock completed, but the week was busy with a 3 day quilt show, two quilt meetings and a few other commitments to keep me from my goal. I am getting sooo close though.  I just had to try it on to see how it fits and to measure how much more I needed to go before starting the toe section.

I also worked on "Snow Friends" quilt this week.  The applique is all finished and the top and bottom sections are stitched together waiting to be added to the center panel.

To see what others have done this week, stop by Judy's Patchwork Times.

On and Off the Needles Friday 3/14

Here it is Friday already and I'm still working on my first sock with those tiny double pointed needles.  I've successfully made my way through the leg, the heel flap and am now learning how to do the heel gussets.  I hope to have this sock completed before the next On The Needles post.

Last week I finished two more dish/face cloths.  I tried a new free pattern called Pips Dishcloth; but because of all the distractions while knitting,  I kept messing up.  What resulted was very serendipity, knitting and purling whenever I felt like changing stitches.  No rhyme or reason or repeats of rows or sequences.   Actually it turned out better than expected under the circumstances, but don't ask me to duplicate it. I haven't the foggiest what I did.  That white spot in the picture is not a hole.  Really it isn't. They are pinned to my design wall with flat flower head pins.

I will be linking up with Judy at Patchwork Times, so stop by and see what others have on their needles this week.

On The Needles - Jan. 17, 2014

It's been a bit since I've posted anything about my knitting since I've been busy quilting and piecing lately. But I have made progress on my 3S Shawl and the end is near.  I'm up to 10 inches and I think I'm going to stop around 14" or 15" if my yarn lasts that long.  Then it will be decision time to decide what type of edging to do -- a picot  or a crocheted lace.  Those of you that have done this shawl, which did you do and why.  Any suggestions would be appreciated. What is the easiest for a beginner. I want this to be done ASAP! I'm ready to tackle socks, but have held off until I finish this.  I don't want lots of UFOs in my knitting bag like I have on my quilting shelves.

3S Shawl

I'm also using up my stash of cotton yarns for dish cloths/face cloths that I got hooked on last year. They go so much faster than shawls because the needles are larger and size is so much smaller plus they are easy.  I need to have a finish to keep me motivated whether it be knitting or quilting. 

A couple of finishes this week in the quilting category.  These were not my UFOs, but they do count as finishes on my To Do list. 

To see more knitting projects, check out Patchwork Times. 

On The Needles - December 27, 2013

This is the last 'On the Needles' for 2013.  You are probably getting tired of seeing the same project on my needles.  I know I am.  I was hoping to finish my 3S shawl by the end of the year, but it doesn't look like that will happen.  But there was a little progress made on it this week-- it now measures 6.25 inches from neck edge to the lower point, which is about a third finished.  Maybe by the end of January, 2014 it will be ready to wear.

I also spent some time on gifts and finished a couple more face cloths.  The lighter ones are used as "face cloths" and the darker ones dish cloths.  These face cloths and a bar of homemade soaps are little thank you gifts for friends.

3S Shawl

To see more great ideas for knitting projects and some beautiful finishes, go to On the Needles at Patchwork Times.

On and Off The Needles 10/18/13

This is what just came OFF my needles--a set of the multicolored dishcloths.  Just have to weave in the ends and they will be ready to use.  These were fun to make, but this yarn did discolor the tips of my fingers as I was working on them. I've never had that happen before. Maybe this yarn is not colorfast. It is the Sugar'n Cream - new super size, which I used for the first 2 I made in solid green.  No problems noticed there.

Now that I've finished 4 dishcloths, I think I'm ready to try my hand at the 3S Shawl.  This is reportedly an easy shawl - the 3S stands for Super-wide, Super Simple.  We'll just have to see. I'll let you know if it's easy for a beginner.

There are more knitting projects to see over at Patchwork Times.  Check them out. 

On The Needles 9/13/13

As Teresa says, "it's all about Dreambird" these days; but I am starting my first ever dish cloth! I'm learning on something very simple and hope to work my way up to some of the beautiful projects that I see on Judy's linky each week.  My edges are a bit rough, but hopefully that will smooth out with more practice. The color is not very true in this picture-it's more of a sea foam green.

Since I'm not as skilled as most of my friends are when it comes to knitting, it will probably never happen that I will make a Dreambird.  But my friend Linda is a very good knitter and she doesn't have a blog.  I'm sure you will agree that her Dreambird is just too beautiful not to be seen.  She's given me permission to show it to you on my blog. If I could knit one of these, this would be the perfect colors for my wardrobe.  I love it!!

I can't wait to see how this is going to look finished.  I can just visualize it worn over a black or fushia turtleneck sweater and a pair of black pants or long fitted skirt.  I think it will look stunning.

What are you kniting on this Friday the 13th?   Check out all the other projects OTN over at Judy's.