Progress

I did something yesterday that I have never done before. I went to Panera near my house by myself, sat, had a bagel and a hot chocolate and knit.....for an hour....by myself.

It was actually very liberating. I was nervous, not gonna lie. I generally don't go places by myself (like the time I went to the movies by myself and the fire trucks came) but I feel I need to start, otherwise I will miss out on things I want to do. People have there own lives to live and aren't always going to be around for my entertainment. I learned that the hard way when all my friends went to Vegas. Being by myself was awful because I didn't want to go anywhere or do anything alone. Well I have turned over a new leaf! I am taking baby steps, but I think I am going to like this new found freedom. This weekend if the weather is nice I might try the beach by myself! Stop me! I am an animal!

Anyways, the picture is the beginning of my Aran Necklace Camisole. The pattern is super simple and knits up beautiful and fast.

I am pretty proud of it and hope to make a lot of progress this weekend. My next knit-a-long with my knitting guru is Wednesday =)

And the we have my friends sock, almost done just need to pick up the stitches and knit the heel.

Nothing much to share other then that. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Flash Your Stash: Stash Enhancements

There is a Joann's Fabric store that I pass everyday when I leave work and I swear the store screams at me when I go by! When I have a moment of weakness (I have them pretty often, especially with junk food) I will pull my car into the parking lot and venture inside. I love Joann's Fabrics. It is always nice and clean inside and it's filled with crafting supplies that you won't find in your run of the mill Micheal's Craft store. I enjoy looking at the fabrics, seeing all the fancy patterns and their yarn selection isn't half bad. Most of it is Lion's brand and Red Heart type yarns (nothing against them, but that is what most stores have), but they also carry inexpensive sock yarn. I like the Patons Kroy, it what I am knitting my co-workers socks with. I love the sock yarn they carry because I don't have to spend $20 hard earned dollars to get a decent looking pair of socks.

So I went there today after work just to look around with no intention of actually buying anything, until I hit the section with the socks yarn. I am weak I tell you.

 I even went outside this time to take these pictures and they are still too dark....that light box needs to be made and fast. Anyways, moving on. This yarn is destined to be a pair of socks for my boy. It is called Sensations Sole & More in color # 1138. If you can't tell from the picture the colors are sage green, brown, blue and cream. Very boyish colors and since my boy is a man's man, they will be for him. This yarn was a whopping $1.97 a skein....I couldn't resist.

 Next we have the Deborah Norville collection Serenity sock weight yarn in the colorway Picasso Marble. I really like this yarn because the colors are not what I typically knit with. It is hard to see in the picture but the colors are copper, moss green and dark blue. They remind me of autumn so this will be for some fall socks =) and it only cost $3.50 a skein =P

And last but not least, I got 6 skeins of Knit Picks Shine Sport in colorway Iris in the mail. This is meant to become the Aran Necklace Camisole. My knitting guru Christina and I are starting a knit-a-long tomorrow night! The last one we had didn't turn out so well since I couldn't under stand the lace increases on a sweater we decided on (damn lace increases) so I ended up giving up on the project. This time will be different! I will stick with it and it will be beautiful!! Haha I will take some pics for Thursday =)

Well off to see the boy and go to the gym in the morning ( 6am workout kick my ass). Hopefully I will have some progress to report tomorrow!

Weekend Report - I got some knitting in!

This weekend was not extremely eventful in terms of me going places and doing stuff. I did go to the movies to see Inception (very good and highly recommended in Imax), I went to a party/BBQ on Saturday night for an hour or two, but other then that I pretty much just hung out with my signifigant other. We vedged, watched TV and I got a little bit of knitting done to =). I had forgotten how much I LOVE knitting toe up socks on 2 circular needles...

This knit up so quick it suprised me! I mean the yarn is so small, I must be getting faster haha. (Sorry for the dark picture. My project for the weekend was supposed to build myself a home-made light box....but I forgot. Maybe some night after work if I have enough energy and patience.) The only thing I have never liked about toe up socks on 2 circs is the way the heel is done. I haven't done enough of them to master the wrapping stitch technique and it always confuses me and I mess up =(. But since I am doing an afterthought heel on these that won't be a problem! Haha this could be the start of something beautiful!

Anyways, back to work. I am going to the Melting Pot with my girlfriends tonight. Nothing like a big pot of chocolate fondue to get a girls spirits up!

WIPs: Socks are my Vice and more

I am in a much better mood this week now that all of my dear friends (and the boy) are back from their incredibly awesome vacation in Vegas (I am not bitter or anything). I have spent my evenings talking on the phone, listening to all the crazy stories from the trip and I even picked up a little knitting.

I admit it, I LOVE to start projects but finishing them is another thing all together! I will cast on for a new sock and be really into the yarn and the way it knits up and be obsessed with it for days.....until I find another pretty sock yarn that is just begging to knit be with! It is a vicious cycle I know and many people have the same issues that I do....hence the fact I don't feel too badly about it =P

So it my absence from the blog I have been working on a few things....

These are socks for my sister in various stages of their development. This is just a plain vanilla socks pattern with hand painted yarn from an unknown brand or fiber type, knit on size 1 needles. I believe I received it from a sock club a million years ago...the tag has long since been lost.

These are socks I am knitting for my co-worker. These are special because even though it is just another plain vanilla sock ( I tend to knit alot of those because I don't need to carry around a pattern for them) I did a different heel on this one! I simply knit a tube sock, used waste yarn to hold the stitches where the heel was going to be, then after I finished the toe picked up the stitches and just made the heel with the same decreased I used for the toe. Super simple and super fast! This method is great because it you used self striping yarn you won't interrupt the stripes and can knit the heel and toe to look anyway you like. Eventually I will try that too =)

The yarn used was Paton's Kroy sport weight knit on size 3 needles. I am not sure of the colorway, I will look when I get home. These knit up fast and the colors remind me of Noro only not as expensive! haha

These are some toe up socks for my friend Amy's birthday I started last night while babysitting my niece. I wrapped the yarn and told her to give it back so I could knit them lol. The yarn used is Sockotta #6670 knit on size 2 needles. I love the way this yarn is self patterning, it always looks like you put in more effort then you actually did! I will be knitting these with an after-thought heel also.  

No I don't only knit socks, though I do prefer them over any other projects. This is the $5 in Paris sweater. It looks like a quick and easy knit. Pretty much all stockinette with ribbing on the top and bottom.

                                                            

I won't be knitting it this long, but I like the neck and the sleeves that length. I started this while I was in the throws of self pity over not being able to go to Vegas....it only made me feel a little better. The yarn is Caron Simply Soft acrylic yarn in a mint green. I will be using either white or gray for the contrasting color, I have not decided yet.

Well there you have it! A plethora of WIPs! My goal is to finish at least one of the pairs of socks by the end of the month, with two of them I am already half way there! Haha, after that I might start one with a more interesting pattern. I love my vanilla socks but they are getting a little tedious. I am dying for some true self-striping yarn, but I promised myself I wouldn't buy any until I finished all three pairs. Ugh...I hate making promises to myself...I always feel sooooo guilty when I don't keep them but I always want to break them! Vicious cycle I tell you....vicious

Yes...I have been Ignoring the blog..

I admit it. I have been shamelessly neglecting my new blog. Sometimes I just can't find the time to do everything I want to do in a day. Like the day after I posted my last post. I had every intention of bringing a whole bunch of knitting and spinning projects outside for a fantastic photo shoot ( I have always loved blogs with lots of really well taken pictures and I am determined to have that kind of blog). Unfortunately life got in the way of those plans. Last Wednesday was the day my boyfriend went to Vegas with all of our friends without me. Now don't get me wrong, I was invited, but since I live in the obnoxious world of accounting the week they went was smack dab in the middle of quarter end. There is NO taking time off during quarter end so I was left behind with no one to keep me company.

It was strange because I actually thought I would enjoy the time alone. Have more time for knitting and spinning, maybe watch a few movies and have a good time with only myself as entertainment. Turned out it was rather depressing and lonely. Since most everyone I knew was either busy or on vacation, I was truly by myself. This made it so that I didn't really feel motivated to do the things I love the most.

I did attempt to keep busy. I even tried to go to a movie alone, but the building was evacuated because some food burned and they didn't reopen---go figure. I didn't get to talk to Rob much and that made me even more sad and lonely so I pretty much just worked a bunch of ridiculous accounting hours then went home and went to sleep every night. Bottom line....nothing really interesting to blog about.

Here I am now, at work wishing I had something better to post, but alas I have nothing. Perhaps tomorrow will be a better blogging day. I will try my very best.

Adventures in Spinning!

Knitting has been my favorite pass time for about 4 years now and though I am certainly not an advanced knitter I feel that I am not too bad at it. I love to look at yarn, smell yarn and buy yarn. Choosing yarn of course is essential when deciding on a particular project you would like to complete. I myself am not very picky when it comes to yarn. I will knit in any weight, any color, any fiber ( though cotton sometimes makes my hand really dry and isn't all that pleasant to work with). I will use some acrylic yarns, but usually only if there is some kind of wool percentage in it and it is soft.

With that said, after snooping around on some of the forums on Ravelry I noticed that some people were actually making their own yarn. What a concept! I mean you can choose the fiber, weight, and color of your yarn and make it yourself! You need a certain level of skill to get to that level of course, but it was possible. Thus I entered the world of spinning.....

This was a set that I bought on ebay for my first go at it. It is a bottom whorl spindle with a cute little leaf design. Unfortunately I tend to jump the gun when I am excited about something and had I researched this hobby properly I would have known that not all spindles are the same. In fact it seems as though 99% of people prefer a top whorl spindle. I will admit I was grumpy when I finally got it in the mail but after watching a few tutorials on YouTube and taking a class at Mind's Eye Yarns in Cambridge, I got the hang of the bottom whorl ( but I like top whorl better now =P)

Things were slow going for me with spinning. Its not like you can just finish a hank of yarn in an afternoon (maybe with a wheel, but not so much with a spindle) but like most new things I do, I was obsessed. I spun every chance I got for the first few weeks I had my spindle. I abandoned the bottom whorl pretty quickly and switched to a top whorl Ashford spindle I bought during one of my classes.

Sorry for the awful pic, these images are old and I didn't have a nice camera back then. This is my Asford spindle. It is a very good spindle for when you start, it has a good weight and is easy to control. That is some practice fiber I bought with it, not sure what kind but it spun up really nicely.

As my spinning got better, I got more spindles....behold my Kundert 1oz spindle (best one I own in my opinion) and my Butterfly Girl jade spindle. Both are super cute and spin like a dream! I enjoy this hobby, almost as much as knitting. It is relaxing and you can do in front of the TV! Some FOs tomorrow!

FO: Double Seed Stitch Socks

I finished a pair of socks a few days ago and I have to say I absolutely adore them. I don't usually knit things for myself, but after my beloved boyfriend felted a pair of handknit socks I made with my own handspun yarn ( I almost killed him!) after I specifically told him to give them to me so I could hand wash them for him I decided that it was time to knit something for myself and screw the non-wool loving people.

I went online because I wanted a really nice yarn to treat myself. After looking around some posts on Ravelry  I found that alot of people love the Socks that Rock yarn from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. I decided to give the yarn a go and ordered colorway Kaw Kaw in medium weight sock yarn. I am not going to lie, I was impressed.

Sorry for the lousy picture, there hasn't been much sun for a few days and I am pretty sure I should invest in some sock blockers =P. This yarn knits up so easily and beautifully I would recommend it to any knitter who loves to knit socks. It is soft and thick and deliciously squishy! It was a smooth knit, the yarn never split or frayed and it was a consistent size all around. I cast on 48 st and just used the plain vanilla pattern but instead of stockinette I did the double seed stitch. Super simple, super quick and super cute! Bottom line, I think I am going to have to order more yarn....

Sock Obsession: The Beginning

I didn't learn to knit socks until the first year I was out of college. My college roommate Christina was actually the one who got me back into knitting. She taught me the magic of decreasing and increasing, picking up stitches and binding off ( non of this was learned when I was 7, just an endless garter stitch scarf monster). I worked mostly on hats ( way more fun the scarfs) and I did make one pair of mittens, but I always wanted to learn how to make socks.

They always seemed to be a little more advanced than what I thought I could handle. I would watch her work knit away on 4 DPNs and I would immediately be too intimidated to let her teach me how. The heel flap alone was enough to make me run for the hills! There was no fricken way I would ever be able to knit socks, never ever!

Then came the day one summer we were in Maine at her mother beach house. It was around the time of mine and my other friend Lisa's birthday was (my other college roommate) Every summer we try to make it up to Maine for a weekend to celebrate. We go to the beach, exchange gifts, have a few drinks then go dancing all night! So Christina gave Lisa her gift and when she unwrapped it out fell a beautiful pair of handknitted socks in a self patterning yarn. The colors were light brown, light pink and gray in the prettiest fair isle motif. One sock was actually half done so Christina took it back with the promise of finishing it.

I was star struck by these socks! I had never seen a yarn do what this sock yarn did and I wanted to make socks just like them! So when I got home I immediately started surfing the internet for EASY patterns to make socks. I didn't want anything fancy, just instructions on a plain vanilla sock. I finally ( after what seemed like forever) found the perfect tutorial at ComeToSilver.com. Her tutorial on how to knit socks on 4 DPNs was the most helpful thing I could find on the internet! It was so easy to follow! I had a few mishaps along the way of course, but it was a learning experience after all. Behold, my first pair of socks.



These socks took me a while to complete but I couldn't put them down! The yarn was just so pretty and I was so excited to be actually be successfully knitting a pair of socks that there was no stopping me. These were done with Sockotta sock yarn, colorway unknown, 64 st on 4 DPNs. I was so proud I wore them to work the next day! Haha but I didn't keep them, these socks went to my mommy =P

So began the sock knitting obsession that has yet to be contained. Some WIPs and FOs coming tomorrow!

New Blog , New Beginnings!

This would be my second blog. Though I did enjoy writing the first one I feel that since it was my very first I didn't have much direction and pretty much just blabbered on and on about silly things. I am not saying I will not do that here ( I am a natural at run on sentences) but this time around I want to be more consistent with what I am writing about.

Bottom line, my passion is knitting. I can't do enough of it and I can't write enough about it! There is something about the peaceful way the needles flow through your hands that just completely relaxes me. And since I do not have a very relaxing life (busy busy busy) I crave having a moment to just sit in my favorite spot with a movie or season on the TV and just knit away! My skills are not entirely advanced, lace scares the bajeezes out of me and I still have yet to complete an article of clothing that would go anywhere but your head or your feet, but I have my moments when I am so proud of a finished piece that I literally stop people on the street to show them ( I have no shame when it comes to fibery goodness)

My plans for this blog are to record my knitting adventures (and mishaps) and maybe be a little entertaining to boot! The monotony of daily life can be a little....well monotonous and I feel this will inspire me to try new things and maybe finished a project or two! Haha that would be something indeed!

I will not be talking about just knitting. I am also the proud owner of two spinning wheels! I will post more about that later, but they are my pride and joys! I have an Ashford Kiwi and an Ashford Traveller single treadle. I also have a few spindles under my belt =).

Well there will be more where that came from when I get something pictures together. I started this blog just in time to show off a new pair of socks! Life is good =P