Inviting Spring to come

This is usually the time of the year when I want Winter to be done and over and want Spring to arrive. With that in mind, I thought that I would very nicely invite Spring to come join us soon (after all, after Spring comes Summer and to me, that’s cook-out season). I’ve had this pattern saved in my favorites since probably last Summer. But at that time the thought of knitting with DPN’s freaked me out and I was (eventually) going to make a crocheted version of the pattern.

So yesterday I got started on the project and finished it up today. The freakin’ i-cord is what took me the longest. *knit, knit, knit, knit, slide* repeat from * to *. aauugghh! But now it’s done and being that it’s done, I want winter to be done and Spring to arrive. So, in (kindly) inviting Spring to arrive, I present to you my Summer Walk purse.

With only the essentials in hand so I can still run around with my kids without a big lugging purse in tow.

The pattern is Summer Walk, a free pattern from Lion Brand that uses their Magic Stripe yarn (which is now discontinued, but I heard from a little birdie that they are coming out with self-striping sock yarn shortly that’s suppose to replace Magic Stripes) and the only mod that I made was that I reversed the pattern. It’s suppose to be knitted from the bottom up but I can’t increase on a purl row to save my life. So, I improvised and started from the top and worked my way down and instead of garter stitch for the bottom I just used stockinette stitch. Then picked up stitches for my flap, then picked up stitches again for the i-cord strap.

FO – Hand dyed yarn

Yesterday I dyed some yarn using the Knit Picks Bare Superwash Merino/Nylon yarn I had ordered. After figuring out how I wanted the yarn, I got right to work. At first I was going to have 3 colors in the skein but last minute decided that two would be enough. Using some Kool-Aid, I used 3 packets for the orange (wish I would’ve used another packet or 2) and 3 packets of LemonAid and 1 packet of Lemon-Lime for the green. It took me longer to prepare the yarn than it did to dye it. Lucky for me, the girls were more interested in playing than helping me. I could just see James coming home to an orange and green kitchen.

Using my daughters chairs I prepared my yarn into 2 skeins. Wrapping the yarn around each “section” a few times then going up to the next “section”.

The green section took right to the dye and while it still came out with that “hand dyed splotchyness” (which I love) it still looks great. The orange however, some really absorbed the dye and some parts didn’t. It still looks nice though, I just would’ve liked it a little more solid. There’s always next time though.

Then of course hanging it up to dry is always the part that I hate because I want to play with it, knit it up, see exactly how it looks. But patiently I waited (and waited) then finally got too impatient and placed it over my heating vent in the kitchen. K. and L. kept going in there smelling it. (Yes, which brings me to a point to get across, children do not understand why you would want to soak yarn in a sugary goodness drink mix. While they did think that it was cool they were both just puzzled by what I was doing. hhhmmmmm…………and they wonder why I hardly ever make this stuff for them and make them drink milk, water, fruit juices and occassionally a soda or two.)

This morning it was all fully dryed and ready for me to wind it all up. It does look really pretty and I can’t wait to knit it up to see exactly how it’ll look. I’m thinking (finally) the Jaywalker pattern would be great for these. We’ll see.

I’m in love!

Every time I buy new yarn or new craft books or whatever I always feel like it’s Christmas for me. Spending all night (after the girls and James have gone to bed) reading through my new book, petting my new yarn, etc. (Come on now, I know I’m not the only one that has done this.) This time though, I’m really in love.

Last week I had ordered the Learn to Knit Socks on Two Circular Needles kit that includes some KP Bare Superwash (yes, because I suck at wool yarn unless I’m intending to felt) 2 size 2 24″ circular needles, and the Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles book by the very awesome Cat Bordhi.

I can not wait to get started on this. Don’t get me wrong now, knitting is knitting but knitting on DPN’s drive me insane. I don’t get any ladders so that’s not a problem for me but it seems like right when I get my flow on it’s time to switch needles again. Plus, I’m hoping that it’ll take some of the guessing work out of how many stitches need to go on which needles.

Oh, yes, and the yarn I have plans of dying (which I’ve had success with in the past, and showing result of what I made). But I’m going to be a little daring and try to make self striping yarn using this tutorial here.

Maybe one day………..

I’ll knit myself up a pair of socks. In the meantime, I need to get to work on my Mom’s as a (late) Valentine’s Day gift.

You see, the problem all started when I fell in love with The Loopy Ewe. I had ordered some stuff including some nice yarn to knit my Mom up a pair of socks. But I wasn’t expecting such fast shipping and my order came today.

The other night though, I had started a pair of socks for me from the book Socks Socks Socks while watching my Gilmore Girls and got the ribbing done. Ok, so the ribbing wasn’t complete in said picture but I did get it done.

So, in between me knitting my socks and waiting for my Loopy order, I was picking out a pair and found the Peaks’ n’ Valley pattern from the book Knit Socks.

But hey, knitting is knitting no matter who it’s for right!? So, I’ll set aside my little sock project and get to work on my Mom’s. Then after that I need to make K. another pair, then L., and then maybe knit me up a pair of socks. Oh, wait, that’s right, I ended up finding L. a cutsey little dress for the Spring time and K. a jumper. hhhmmm………maybe by time Summer hits I can knit up a pair of socks for me and have them all nice and ready for Fall.

Found it!

Remember back at the beginning of the year when I mentioned that I wanted to branch out on my knitting abilities and maybe one day I will knit me up a sweater? No, you don’t, ok, then click on the link here. (And yes, I still want to knit up the Wicked pattern, just waiting for the right yarn to fall in my lap.)

This evening I was browsing around through my blog links that I have saved in my bookmarks and came across one that I don’t even remember the last time I read it or even how I found the blog. But I found the sweater that I want to make and it’s just too darn cute and would be the perfect little springy type of sweater to wear. In Knit Picks Shine Worsted in either Sea Spray or Terra Cotta, not sure yet.

Oh, right, the sweater pattern, and to make it even better, the pattern is available for free! How in the heck did I miss this I will never know but I do believe that it was fate!

Why I love swaps!

Private swaps, or organized swaps, regardless, they are always fun! I did a private swap with knitpixie on Ravelry. Traded my Two Balls or Less and One Skein book for some hand-dyed sock yarn and a copy of a printed pattern. Now, she had sent me a picture of the yarn after it was dyed to make sure that I would like it. Now I know why the internet does not do pictures of yarn justice. This yarn is hand-dyed BFL sock yarn and is so soft, so yummy, and so beautiful! The color is exactly what I wanted. To go along with my gorgeous yarn, she also made me some gorgeous stitch markers. Loving the fact that they match my yarn. So pretty! Looks like I got some knitting to do tonight! Can’t wait either.

The pattern is Pulsations Socks from Spunky Hats. A little more lace-y than what I’m use to but I think that they are absolutely beautiful! Besides, I’m always up for a challenge.

Then she spoiled me with beautiful (matching) stitch markers. Love them!

Another picture of the yarn because I just can’t get enough of it. I feel like some evil villian and the yarn is my cat because I’m sitting here (typing this) petting my yarn.

Thank you so much again knitpixie! Everything is beautiful!

Twinkletoes

Now that I’m completely hooked on knitting socks (or sock like things), I am finally going to knit up Twinkletoes from Knitty, and loving the fact that they come in Toddler, Child, and Adult size. First up, Twinkletoes for L. Since I showed her them this week, she keeps asking if they are done yet. Originally I had picked out some pretty purple (because purple is her favorite color) Crystal Palace Panda Cotton but waiting for ordering, shipping, and all that jazz was just completely out of the question for her. So I dug through my stash and found just enough Caron Simply Soft (in purple) to make them up.

On the up side, they are going great. On the down side, it took me an hour to figure out how to do the Provisional Cast-On, but thankfully, I had help from the video on KnittingHelp.com. And I have to say, that while it did take me a little to get the hang of the provisional cast-on, I actually like doing it and thought that it was cool that I had stitches just sitting there waiting for me (yes, I get amused by little things).

ETA: I talked to my Mom this evening and she always ask what new project I’m working on or how a current project is coming along. I told her that I was knitting L. “ballet” shoes (trust me, it’s absolutely pointless to try and explain things to my Mother sometimes) and she thought that the project was going to be cute. She then informed me that my Great Grandmother Flemming (who I knew crocheted but never knew that she knitted) use to love to knit socks. In fact, my Mom also told me that she hasn’t heard of anyone knitting socks (besides me now) since my Great Grandmother use to knit them and that she also wants to find all of my Great Grandmother’s old patterns and stuff that she use to use. I have a feeling that in some way, my Great Grandmother Flemming (who passed away when I was 8 but I always felt like I had some sort of connection to her) is smiling down on me.