I think I have a Winner!!!!

Socks and I have had a little difference of opinion as of late. Okay I realize that most of it is knitter's error on my part but it still tends to be frustrating. I have finally found a pattern that I like and that it is working so far. I tried it on over my ankle and it went over fine so I think this one is a GO. I like that it is not too boring and difficult at the same time. It is a perfect pattern so far for the crazy yarn that I like.





Another project came out of hiding today. I sat and knit four rows on the Secret of the Stole this afternoon. I am almost halfway through the sixth of nine clues so I am making myself a goal to finish before the end of September. I have another lace project that I want to cast on but I am not going to do it until this one is done.

I have been spinning on the Merino Tencel from the last post but not enough to show progress yet though. It is really pretty but a little trickier to spin than the Corriedale Cross I had been spinning. I need more time in the day.

Stoles, Spinning, and Using the Snowblower

Clue 5 is finished. I am working on Clue 6 now. I hope to get this done soon. I am behind. Clue 8 will be out on Friday morning but I am not sure that I can get two clues done in two days especially since a little girl is having a birthday tomorrow.




I haven't had a chance to spin since Sunday but I can show you what I spent hours working on over the weekend. I finished up four ounces of the Corridale top that I got when I bought my wheel. I got about three hundred yards when it was all spun and plied. I am still learning but I see improvement already. WOO HOO!!!!!
This picture is before I washed it.





This last picture is both of the hanks after they were washed. I am really happy with them. I am not sure what to make with it but I will make something. Maybe a scarf or neck wrap. You can always use one of those in Minnesota.






We got snow overnight. We didn't get very much but it was more than I really wanted to shovel so I used the snowblower. I did all by myself and I hope my husband will appreciate it. I even did the sidewalk for the kids going to school.

Clue 4 and Getting Better

I have completed Clue 4 of the Secret of the Stole ii. I have also discovered that I enjoy knitting lace. It had always intimidated me in the past but now I am looking for new lace projects to knit. I am not sure what I will do with the stole when I am done with it. I am not really a stole kind of girl but I might just wear it to the grocery store or something like that. I think it would look nice with a turtleneck and some khakis. I might give it away too. I just don't know yet. I have started Clue 5 so I am not too far behind.




I really haven't spun much at all. I had spun twice (one of those two times was for maybe, maybe ten minutes) before I got my wheel. I really like my wheel and I really enjoy spinning. I have spun a little everyday since I got it on Monday. I could really tell a difference between Monday night spinning and what I spun up yesterday and this evening. I think this bobbin might even be worth trying to ply. The first bobbin I think I am just going to put it in a hank and keep as a memento from my first spinning on my wheel. I noticed a few pieces of grass and stuff that I missed when I was spinning it but oh well.

Meme

Linda tagged me and I have never done this one before so here goes.

Take the nearest book and turn to page 123. Skip the first five sentences and then put in the next three. I am reading Love Her to Death by Linda Palmer. It is one of the Daytime Mystery series books.

I had to use page 121 because 123 was a really short page.

"Some singers, and Al Pacino." Giving me Al Pacino's Michael Corleone stare, she lowered her voice again and whispered, "Freddo, you broke my heart".

I clapped my hands.

I think I will tag Guinifer, Janice, Hakucho and Tonni.


I have been making progress on the Monkey socks but not enough to post a picture. I am on the fourth repeat. I am still working on clue 4. I think I am officially behind but I might still catch up.

C.....

is for CHILDREN. I am very blessed to have three of them that are wonderful. Although this week the have been driving me CRAZY. It seems all I have heard is whining, CRYING, and fighting. I really love them alot and I am thankful that I have them even though sometimes they try my patience.




My two daughters are in school. Punkin is a first grader and Punkinbug is in preschool. I had a great Valentine's Day. I got some great handmade things from my girls and I really love them. I ask them on occasion if they will miss me when they are at school and they say "No, Mom, I will remember you." They are always so excited to share what they make and they are so proud that they made something for us.




Just in CASE you thought I forgot this was a knitting blog. I seem to have gotten a little of the sock mojo back. This is the first sock in a pair of Monkeys that I am making for myself. The yarn is the Posh yarn that has been seen in several attempts in the last month.

C is also for COCKY. I got a little too COCKY in my lace knitting and didn't take the time to move my lifeline and I had to frog about fifteen rows. At least it was only fifteen rows and not the whole project. I am plugging away at CLUE 4 and I hope to get CLUE 5 done this weekend since I think I will have other things to mess with next week.

Just the Stole Again

I still haven't been doing much sock knitting. I worked a little on the January pattern from Sockamania but just haven't been motivated to get very far on it. I keep telling myself that I will really like these socks if I finish them but I just can't seem to get into them. I am also trying to knit myself a pair of Monkeys but no progress there yet either. I am hoping the sock mojo will come back.


Or maybe it has been bought out by the lace knitting mojo. I am really enjoying this stole. This picture is from last week when I finished Clue 3. I am working on Clue 4 now and it seems to be going rather well. I am even learning to "read" my knitting which has helped a tremendous amount.





I am getting to the end of the first hank of the yarn I am using so I am hoping to be able to post a new technique that I have learned.

NO Socks, Just the Stole

No socks. I think I have lost some of my sock knitting Mojo. I seem to have to keep ripping them out for various reasons. Even so it isn't so much a big deal to me since I am enjoying knitting this stole from the Secret of the Stole ii. This is just a quick shot of the second clue completed. The lifeline on the bottom is where I took a picture the last time. I am working on Clue 3 and hope to have it done in time for the drawing.

I just realized this is my 100th post and I didn't even have a contest. I hope all my readers don't mind. I think I need to post more often if it has taken be 18 months to get to the 100th post huh???

Finished Object Friday!!!!!!

I promised Finished Objects and I actually have some to share. The first one is my new pair of slippers. I am thinking I should make the small size next time. They always seem to fit a little bigger than I like them. I have to wear socks with them if I want to go up the stairs or they fall off.




Next I have the socks that I was having serious doubts about making. I almost chucked them a couple of times. I am so glad I finished them though. They fit really well and I like how they feel. I will admit I didn't like working with this yarn much but I like the finished results so well that I am sure I will use it again. At least I better since there is more of it in my stash. The yarn is Lorna's Laces in the Flamingo colorway and the pattern is called Rib Zagger.




I signed up for Secret of the Stole ii. I am so enjoying this knitalong. The first clue came out last Friday and I finally finished it yesterday. I thought about throwing it across the room yesterday when it took me three hours to get the last eight rows done after I tried to figure them out for two hours the night before. I know that the problem was me I must have been too tired to work on it the other night and made stupid mistakes. I started the second clue today and I have done eight rows of it already. I think this is the farthest I have ever gotten on a lace project that I have not had to start over. I love lifelines, they have saved me several times already in this project.

This is a picture that I took of the stole yesterday after I finished the first clue. I am calling this a finished project everytime I get to the next clue so it is a recyclable finished object.





This last picture is just a picture of the Punkinbug. She wanted to have her picture taken yesterday and she just looked so cute reading her book. Yes she can read. She does ask "What is that word?" alot but she loves books and I think that is great.

Next time, the new sock on the block.

New Technique Tuesday!!!

Okay, a pretty lame excuse for a blog title but it works today. I might actually learn a new technique once a month and then post the one that I learned. Who knows I am always looking for something to blog about.

Now all you lace knitters, what are you waiting for???? Get over there and sign up to do the Secret of the Stole ii. I am so excited about this project and I am not really sure why. I know I really enjoyed knitting the swatch for it and I didn't want the swatch to end but it did. I think it turned out pretty good too.

Are you still wondering why she was talking about a new technique??? I learned to do the sewn bind off for the swatch. It really looked neat. I will use it again on baby blankets that have garter stitch borders too.



I had some questions about what kind of yarn I was using for the socks that were in the last post so the answer is: Lorna's Laces in the Flamingo Colorway. A portion of the sale of that yarn goes to breast cancer research I believe. I will admit I bought it because I thought it was pretty like so many of you did too. Oh, and by the way I beat the sock into submission and have picked up the gusset and I am in the process of the gusset decreases as I type.

Supper is in the crockpot (Beef Stew), the laundry is done so I should get to knit tonight hopefully.

A New Adventure

Well, I have persuaded one person to join the Secret of the Stole ii. So if anyone else would like to join us it starts on January 18. The swatch is already up so come on over and knit some lace.