Overcoming a Knitting Fear

I had some handspun that was calling me. I decided that I wanted a Morning Surf Scarf. I am using the Festival from Gale's Art for this project. I only casted on 26 stitches hoping that it would be a decent length. We shall see.




I have a knitting fear of toe up socks. I always avoid patterns that are knit toe up. Some people swear by toe up socks. I have heard all the reasons why to knit them this way. (use all your yarn, no kitchnering the toe together, easier to try on yada yada yada) I still didn't want to but I decided I wanted to be able to use most of the yarn since it was handspun so I gave it a shot. Oh my goodness, I love how these are turning out and couldn't say enough good things about Cat Bordhi's book New Pathways for Sock Knitters. My biggest fear was the heel. I don't like short row toes and I didn't know how to do a toe up sock with a heel flap. I do now though and even if a pattern doesn't have this method I can still knit the sock. Also, with the Master Numbers this sock fits perfect perfect perfect.

Defeated

I did not (and will not) finish Tour de Fleece. I got really close but have no gumption to finish right now. I only have a bobbin and a half left which is about an ounce. I did have lots of fun and I did get lots of spinning done.

I just want to knit with what I have spun.

TDF Wednesday Update

I finished one spinning project that puts me over halfway done with my goal. This one took longer than I thought it was going to. I ended up with two hanks. One is three ply which is shown here and I have about 214 yards. The other one is two ply and I have about 160 yards.





This is what I have to finish by Sunday to reach my goal. I am not sure I am going to make it but I am going to give it a good try. I am trying to spin this into two hanks of three ply. I am on the second bobbin for the first hank and I am about halfway through that bobbin.






Well, I guess I better get spinning, huh????

13 Years

Thirteen years ago, I married my Prince Charming. He is the most wonderful husband, father, best friend, and one of the most amazing men I know. I am so blessed that I get to be his wife.

Brett, I love you with all my heart and thank you for the thirteen years that we have spent together. I wouldn't change any of it because it makes us the couple we are today.

My First Pair of Handspun Socks

I can't believe it. I finished my first pair of handspun socks today. When I started wanting to learn to spin one of the reasons why was so I could make handspun socks and I did it. I used the Gale's Art Black BFL that I got from The Loopy Ewe.

Details---
Pattern: Textured Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks
Needles: 1.5 KnitPicks Options DPN's
Started: July 1, 2009
Completed: July 12, 2009





The other night we went to dinner at a drive in and on the way home we stopped for a minute, while Punkinbug and I waited for the others she came up front and kept me company. I think I am in trouble. Scary thought in 9-10 years she will be driving.

TDF Update

Wow this week has just flown by. I have been doing quite a bit of spinning which is probably a good thing since I am participating in Tour de Fleece.



This yarn is the project I started before the start of TDF. One of my goals was to finish it. I have succeeded with that goal. I have two hanks of finger to sport weight yarn. One hank is approximately 150 yards and the other is approximately 138 yards. The top was from Gale's Art in the Wildflower colorway. The fiber was Corriedale and it was one of the limited edition Siblings.




I am now in the process of working on the rest of my goal which was to spin another 8 ounces of fiber. I am starting to think I didn't make my goal very challenging. I am about one third of the way through this fiber. I might have to up my challenge. I guess I will see when I finish this and then make a decision.

Sunday's are for Spinning

Well, at least this one was. I have been doing pretty well with my participation of the Tour de Fleece. I have spun yesterday and today. My goal is to finish the spinning project I am working on and then spin 8 more ounces of fiber. I am hoping to get sock yarn out of all three of them. Yesterday, I finished the second bobbin and started the third. Today, I finished the third bobbin. I am spinning this into six bobbins total since I split the fiber in half and then split the halves into thirds. I should end up with two skeins that I can use to make a pair of socks.


On a totally non spinning or knitting note does anyone know why my photos get turned the wrong way sometimes??? I didn't mean for this photo to be vertical like it is, it was supposed to be horizontal.

Tour De Fleece

Well, I decided that I would participate in this year's Tour de Fleece. I have set my goal to finish this spinning project that is about a third of the way done. I am going for two hanks of a three ply sock yarn. I am almost done with the second bobbin of the first hank.






I would also like to spin two more pairs worth of sock yarn. I might use this one or I might use something else I have in my stash.








Here is another of Punkin's self portraits.

Fun in the Sun

My wonderful husband had a day off today. Those don't come very often around these parts. So I thought I would share some of the things we did today with some pictures of the kids thrown in. First, he got up, and drove to get me breakfast at McDonald's and a Frappaucino. (These are some of the flowers that I planted after we finished the remodeling the flowerbeds, I think they are looking pretty good.)







For lunch, I made him home made pizza. While I was making the pizza Wonderful Husband and the kids washed the cars. (Cars= 1 Van, 1 Truck, and 1 Economy Car that helps our gas budget tremendously since the truck is a gas hog.) Punkinbug after she played in the sprinkler. Thanks again, dear, for washing the van and doing the windows.






A Punkin still playing in the sprinkler. She didn't want to stop playing but since she gets sunburned easily I had to make her. I actually ran through there with her a few times and I forgot how much fun it was.







And what would a Fun in the Sun post be without a picture of the Little Buddy. I thought this was an awfully cute picture of him.





On a knitting note, the yarn from yesterday didn't become either one of those projects but it is in the process of becoming something else that I am pretty excited about. (That is a Minnesota accent "about".)

New Month = New Post

Well, I have to admit that I am glad that June is over. I was stopped in my tracks last week with some earache thing that I am extremely glad is over. I really didn't get much knitting done last month either, which I guess is another reason for being glad that June is over.









I did finish spinning this.








Which became this.
248 yards of fingering weight yarn in Gale's Art Fiber's Black BFL in the Grape Vine colorway. I think it might become this or this. (Ravelry Links) The colors are more accurate in the above photo compared to the finished yarn photo.





I am STILL working on the Mockery socks. I really have no idea why they are taking me so long. I like the pattern and I love the yarn. I guess I just haven't had much motivation to work on them since I won't be wearing them until the fall. I have finished the first one and I am on the leg of the second one. Hopefully they will be done soon.

Spinning and Knitting

Well, I have picked up my sweater again. We went and saw the new Star Trek movie last week so I took it with me since it was knitting I could do in the dark. I have to admit I didn't get much knitting done on due to the movie being really good and I dropped a stitch and couldn't get it back on the needles in the theater. I will admit I fixed the stitch in the ladies room where I could see after the movie was over.





This is my new spinning project I started last week. I can't tell you how much I love this fiber which is Gale's Art Black BFL in the Grape Vine colorway. I want a sweater out of this fiber really bad.





This is what I finished spinning before I started the yarn for the Meret that I made. This is Bonkers superwash merino in Calendula. It reminds me of Kansas City Chiefs so I am thinking of making it into socks for Sunday's this fall. I ended up with just a little over 400 yards of a three ply out of four ounces. I think I have finally made it to spinning for socks.



Punkinbug had a knitting lesson today and my Punkin is asking for them also. Here is Punkin holding my sweater this evening when I was taking pictures of it. I just hope if I teach them to knit they won't get in my stash.

The Story of the Meret

I had some beautiful handspun that I thought would make a great Meret.
(Ravelry Link)










It did make a beautiful Meret. It was just a little big. Okay it was huge. I mean massive huge.











So I washed it. It felted a little. It fits much better now.











Looks even better on the Punkin. It was a perfect hat for a tea party this afternoon.

First of Many (Hopefully)

Last week, we did some landscaping improvements around here. We tore out some old landscape timbers in a couple of our flower beds. This was the before picture.






This is the after picture. We moved 110 of these landscaping stones. Each one of these stones weighs about 30 pounds. I have mucho respect for people that do this for a living. I felt a great sense of accomplishment after completing this job.




The girls have "learned" to use the camera. They have been very busy taking self portraits of themselves and other things around the house. I am going to show off some of these photos in the future. This is the first of this series. This is Punkin. I am so glad that they aren't using film.




There will be some knitting and spinning posts coming up. I promise.

Would-a, Should-a, Could-a

I would-a been blogging but it has been really busy around here.



I finished these footies. They are pretty comfortable but not sure if I like them or not yet. I know if I make another pair, I should have enough for a few more rows of the cuff before starting the foot. I actually did a short row heel (which I hardly ever do).





I should-a posted about the girls last days of school. I took this on Thursday after making the final lunch for the year. Friday was their last day but they ate at the picnic at the park. I also went to school on Thursday to visit a plastic company that is in our small town and to take freezer pops to the children in Punkinbug's kindergarten class.




I could-a posted about the dishcloths that I churned out earlier this week. I made five in five days. I made these for the helpers in the girl's classrooms. I had one already done from a while back it just needed the ends woven in. I wove in the ends the morning they took them to school.




These posts might have happened if my son hadn't become the little computer geek. I mean geek in the best way possible here no offense intended at all.

This And That

The wind caused this. This is our street sign on our corner that blew down due to the terrible winds we are having right now. The weather people say that they should die down here in a little while. I also know that I didn't really miss hot weather all that much. It is too hot to knit even. I am not willing to turn on my air conditioner just yet especially when it is supposed to be back in the 60's tomorrow.










One bump of this roving.











Became that yarn. Which is about 482 yards of lace weight or light fingering. It might end up being a Shetland Triangle Shawl, I am not sure yet.








This is the reason why the Mockery Socks from the last post have not grown any. I am trying to finish up some projects that were in my knitting and this seemed like the easiest one to finish up first. Socks go pretty quickly when you are working on size 3's.

Friday Post

I have been doing some spinning this week. This is the current wool on the bobbin. It is a Bonkers fiber that I got last summer on vacation. I am trying for a three ply fingering weight and it is going pretty well so far. I haven't spun much of it yet so I still have a long way to go. Spinning finer yarns takes a lot more time than worsted weight.





I was trying to find the bottom of my knitting bag and this project was in the way. I have started working on it again. I am hoping to have it finished by the end of May.








My current "new favorite" sock pattern, Mockery. I love this pattern and this yarn. I am using Malabrigo Sock in Velvet Grapes. This yarn is so soft. I am not very fond of the really thin spots but I am enjoying this yarn otherwise.

Have a good one, I think I am going to go knit.

They're Done

The Boring Brown Socks are done. They will head to their new home tomorrow.
Stats:
Pattern: Undulating Rib Socks from Favorite Socks
Yarn: Regia Silk in Brown
Needles: Hiya Hiya 0's (I love these needles)
Duration: Started them sometime in March 2009 and finished May 11, 2009






Here is an up close shot of the Handspun Adamas Shawl.

Stats:
Pattern: Adamas Shawl by Miriam Felton
Yarn: Hand spun Bonkers Raspberry Superwash Merino
Needles: Size 8 KnitPicks Options
Duration: Started April 6, 2009 finished May 8, 2009





Punkinbug has really taken a shine to this shawl. She asked me if she could wear it to school. She told me she wanted to wear it on the day when she was the Line Ender so nobody would pull on it. I think she gets that she is supposed to take care of the handknits.

Can You Say Gorgeous?????

My hand spun shawl is done.












I am pretty pleased with it.

Making Progress

The sweater is getting longer. I have finished the increases and joined to work in the round for about 14 inches of stockinette give or take. It is great for TV knitting. I don't think I will get a chance to wear it before this fall though so I have plenty of time to finish it. I also have about three more sweaters I want to make this year too. We shall see.









I am FINALLY on the second Boring Brown sock. I am just starting the heel flap so I am hoping to have them done by the end of the week.











Just a cute picture of a little boy.