This was my first time working with self stripping yarn, matching up the pattern required wasting quite a bit of yarn, which was hard to do. I still need to find buttons for it, but otherwise it's one. I liked the little patch detail for the back.

-E

Patter:Devan (from Knitty) no changes

Yarn: 1 Skein each of Austermann Step and Heritage Sock Yarn Charcoal

Needle: 3.0mm double point (set of 4 so I didn't need a stitch holder)

Knitting over the holidays

I was inspired to finally finish the blue pair of Jaywalkers over the holidays, and between that and the news that one of my closest friends is expecting a girl and my brother and SIL is expecting a boy this summer, I started thinking of the things I can make. So here's some of the things I finished in the last couple of weeks.

Pattern: Jaywalker socks by Grumperina (no modificati

on)

Yarn: knitpicks bare fingering weight kool-aid dyed

Needle size 0 double points (yes this is the finished pair I started back in April)

This was a quick knit for my friend who's expecting a baby girl, took a couple of hours. but of course, she forgot it when I saw her this weekend.

Pattern: Spur of the moment baby Hat (aka Ruffled baby Hat) by Little Sesame Knits (no modifications)

Yarn: Berroco Pure Merino DK in Pink

Needles: size 7 double points.

Here's the second stuffed toy pattern (I plan on working my way through them all). I think this one turned out better, not sure if it's the design or if I'm just getting better at it.

Pattern: Elijah by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Lion's brand wool-ease

Needle: size 3 double points.

the ears on him was difficult to work with, and for some reason the french knot for the eyes worked out better on one than the other and I couldn't fix it. shown here with Sophie.

and finally, here's a pair of baby socks using up some of the kool-aid dyed yarn.

Pattern: Lion's Brand Knit mini Magic socks (didn't bother changing needle sizes)

Yarn: knitpicks bare

needle: size 2 double points.

I also made a baby shrug that was sized down from an adult anthropologie design, but need to find the info before I post, it was from the summer.

that's all for now.

-E

Acid Dying

As E promised, photos were forthcoming. Slowly but surely. Last year on her trek through the midwest, we did some kool-aid dying. The kitchen smelled like fruit punch for a week or two. But the yarn did smell great relatively speaking. So this year, we did some acid dying of sock blanks and tweed sock yarn. First up the tweed yarn...all yarn is from knitpicks. I was going for a nice deep burgundy tweed yarn. E was going for an orange. I think mine, the one shown heating away in the middle photo and the left skein in last photo are the yarn I dyed or at least mixed the powders, succeeded. E's yarn is the one on the right in the last photo...just a paler shade of maroon...apparently we should start with lots of yellow dye and slowly add the red. Or just buy the orange dye would be better.

The second set of yarn pictured, is actually want we did first. Sock blanks. E was inspired by the monet color schemes (pale yellows, blues and greens). I was going for shades of greens, blues and aquas. I'm pretty certain neither of us succeed on this front. I do agree next time I do sock blanks, it should be done outside to minimize the mess...although it can not prevent me from failing to put my gloves on repeatedly and ending up looking like I had smurf hands. we'll see how it knits up.

S

Making a mess with vinager dyeing

I went to visit S last weekend and after a nice day of shopping, we spent Sunday playing with the blanks that S bought earlier this year. Last year we experimented with Kool-Aid dying, this year we got the fancy acid dyes. we played around with painting the sock blanks and also did some stove top dyeing. we weren't that creative with our color choices, but got some fun results. working with the squeeze bottle was tougher than I thought. We're still learning about color combo results, but it was fun, even if it was a bit messy. Next time we should think about doing the sock blank painting outside. I will say that while Kool-Aid has fewer color choices, the end product smells nicer. S has the pictures, she'll put them up soon.
-E

Because I had nothing better to do

Ok, maybe I had some better things to do. A lot of other things that should have been doing. But I decided to try weaving. I have way too much sock yarn that I need to figure out how to knit socks faster or do something to use the yarn. So weaving it was. This represents two skeins of koigu that I had bought for color work mittens and didn't like how it turnd out. I decided they were a good starting yarn for the weaving. I managed to get my new ashford loom all put together....and warped without too many problems. And it's clear on the scarf which I started with and ended with as the edges were more consistent on the second half. I keep reminding myself it was the same way with knitting.

So my first weaving project is all finished. Washed and ready to wear. Amazingly soft, bled a little when washing it. Now if I could just finish my second bella mitten so I'm finished before the first snow comes.

S

My Textured Shawl

I needed a somewhat neutral shawl to wear with a few sleeveless dresses. So I used the cape cod silky merino malabrigo...love love love this yarn. Although I have a very habit of running out of yarn making these shawls. In fact I thought I had enough yarn to do another 2 rows. Clearly not as I had to rip back half a row and bind off with all the possible scraps I could possibly find. Including the yarn used to separate the skeins and the tails of some of the new skeins I attached.

I even got to play with some new toys. The blocking boards and the blocking wires. They worked well. Loved the blocking wires and the fact I didn't have to use towels to block. I didn't have an issue pinning into the carpet when I lived in an apartment but I have real issues pinning to my carpet that I'm paying a mortgage on.

So here is my textured shawl in malabrigo silky merino (US 8) and all its tails.

S

something little different

Here's my first attempt at making something not wearable. The knitting part was not too difficult. the hardest part was trying to figure out where the attach each of the pieces and putting enough stuffing. As you can see, she seems to be looking up, that because her head is too heavy and falls back and is held up by her ears. the scarf was made because it helps reinforce the neck.

Pattern: Sophie by Ysolda Teague

Yarn: Berroco Pure Merino DK in Pink

Needle: Size 3 double points. (at certain points you need to have 5 needles so I either used a place holder or fudged it with a size 4).

Scarf - was made with leftover yarn, probably from a spring peeper I did.

- E