Another Yarn

Welcome to my new follower(s) again!  Up to lucky thirteen now. 

The weather here has finally turned more fall-like and since I'm sitting here chilly, I decided it's time to try to get a move on the half dozen bins of yarn I have sitting in my house.  I inherited this yarn from my Aunt who could no longer comfortably crochet due to her arthritis and she sent it on it's way to me.  Unfortunately, it came at the end of my last yarn craze and it has sat mostly untouched for over 5 years now.  I really want to 1) put it to good use and 2) get it out of my house.  Mainly so I can go buy more yarn, lol.  I think I am going to put a lot of it together for Project Linus.  I have a UFO that I have just pulled out and this will be finished up this month (meaning December) and will be my first contribution. 

Summer Symphony
A Year of Afghans Book 3
by Leisure Arts

The left edge is not that wonky;  I just didn't bother to straighten it out after flinging it out on the floor. 

I'm still having a blast with the socks.  The latest sock did get me a little frustrated with trying (on my own) to do the princess sole thing.  I really am not one of those people who can go off on their own pattern-wise.  It usually leads to certain or near disaster.  Case in point:

The foot is badly rolled. 

It still fits well, though, and the princess sole feels much better.  (The colors in this picture are much truer).  I tried it on inside out and it still feels better than the first pair, so I think the smaller needles helped, too.  I will, at some point, be trying even smaller needles.  The second sock of this pair is on the needles and I am going to use this pattern to see if it is easier and looks nicer than what I tried to do.  I've got to figure out a good, basic pattern soon;  there's too much cool sock yarn out there! 

After posting, I realized I had not shared the picture of my finished first pair of socks! 

Let me go see if I can figure out what I was doing on this afghan.  As I remember, I was not following the pattern correctly and, of course, didn't make any notes.  Maybe after I go fix a cup of tea or hot chocolate...

Happy fiber fondling!
Tamara

PS.  Tomorrow is my stitching night, so there is some remote hope I will have some sort of stitching update.

Weekly Update

Wow, I can't believe it's Wednesday again.  And the end of another month. 

Not so much to report this week.  I got a tiny bit done on An Open Heart.  I am somewhat avoiding working on it because I am at the spot where I have to cut threads and re-weave them.  It's not that I'm afraid to do it, it just takes more patience and concentration than I have available to me lately. 

An Open Heart
The Drawn Thread

Sock knitting, however, is coming right along.  I am close to having a pair of my first socks!  I hope to finish this sock tonight or tomorrow and I'm already looking forward to my next pair. 

If you have ever thought about trying to knit a sock, do it!  It is so much easier than it looks.  I have more or less taught myself and I am a very inexperienced knitter.  I used and highly recommend the youtube videos by verypinkknits entitled learn to knit socks, parts 1-6.  Wonderful step-by-step instructions for beginners.  I am using/adapting the free pattern found here using Premier Yarns Serenity Sock Weight in Indigo.

I have also done a little research for my next pair, which will also be based on this pattern.  I will be trying to do a princess sole, which is reverse stockinette on the bottom of the foot.  I'm hoping this will be more comfortable to wear in shoes than the current pair seemed to be.  I will also be doing them on US 2 DPN's instead of the US 3.  I am hoping to get them cast on tonight or tomorrow. 

Wishing everyone a safe and happy Thanksgiving!
Tamara

A Sock!

Hello, again!  And welcome to the new follower(s).  It's a gloomy, dreary day here today.  Perfect for staying indoors and settling in with your favorite movie and needlework. 

And I now have a complete sock!  I can't begin to say how tickled I am that I knit an actual sock.  Which, by the way, fits nicely, too.  Unless it shrinks when I wash it, then it might end up a tinch too small, lol.  It has some techincal errors that I need to figure out how to fix on the next one.  I really enjoyed knitting it and it wasn't nearly as difficult as I always thought it might be.  Drum roll, please...

Now, I have never been the recipient of hand knit socks before, so I have no idea what they are supposed to feel like.  It's very comfortable, like I have nothing on.  Except when I put my shoe on, I felt every single purl stitch on the bottom of my foot and was trying to figure out if it was bad enough to call it pain.  I want to do the next pair in a smaller gauge, so I don't know if this will make the "problem" feel better or worse.  Maybe I have extra-tender feet? 

I did do about 5 minutes of stitching this week and finished Area 4 on An Open Heart.  Originally, I was hoping to get this one done by the end of the year, but I got a little distracted (see above).  Don't worry, the stitching bug will come back, I'm sure.  If I could figure out how to survive with no food, sleep or having to go to work, I could get so much more done, lol. 

An Open Heart
11/17/2011

Happy Stitching!
Tamara

An Open Heart Update and more knitting

I can't believe how quickly time flies these days.  Halloween's gone and Thanksgiving is breathing down our necks.  And let's not even mention Christmas shopping.  Ugh.  Too much to do and too little time.

An Open Heart has not seen much love this week.  I'm up to area 4, I think.

An Open Heart
11/10/2011

I received my finished bellpull!




VS Autumn Garden Sampler
11/10/2011


More knitting has been accomplished.  It must be the time of year that makes me want to make warm things to wear.  First up is another garter stitch scarf.

Paton's Carmen scarf

Next is my very first knit hat.  This was made with Caron Simply Soft Paints in Oceana.

I started my first attempt at a sock with actual sock yarn.  I'm hoping it will get easier with practice.  There are such fun yarns for socks and you can never have too many socks!  I'm hoping I get the hang of it eventually.  If anyone out there knits socks and has any advice to share, please do! 

Happy stitching!
Tamara

An Open Heart Update and....socks?

Just a quick post to update my WIP's.  I only worked a little on An Open Heart this week, so just a little progress there.

The Drawn Thread
An Open Heart
11/03/2011

I'm still being distracted by the knitting bug.  Big time.  The Feather and Fan scarf is now almost halfway complete.

Sugar Rush Feather and Fan Scarf

And I have decided I want to try to learn to knit socks on double pointed needles.  I got the basics yesterday (late) and started.  I am still astonished that it's not nearly as difficult as I thought it would be.  I'm just doing a practice sock in worsted weight cotton, so when finished, it will likely be a nice ankle sock for the Jolly Green Giant, lol.  If I ever knit a real sock, I'll be sure to share pictures. 

Happy Stitching!
Tamara