Whee!

I’m soooo excited! One of my collages is EBSQ’s Art of the Day today! This is the second time since I joined in January that I’ve had art chosen for Art of the Day. It is quite the honor!

Hot Beads!

I know, I said I’d share some of my purchases on Friday. But then I felt ashamed sharing them in their natural state. Especially since they were budget yarns… But, I don’t make much money so if I’m making gifts for someone as just a nice gesture I have to watch the pocketbook. That said, it is picture day today… I’m almost done with the RAK scarf which I’m calling hot beads…

Here are some of the beads I’m using for the fringe detail on this scarf.

This scarf was knit from CottonEase in Orange with a very open stitch. (You’ll get to see the actual scarf better when I finish the fringe.) Then I’m using a 100% cotton that is mercverized for the fringe. I wanted the bright pink and needed something a bit smaller so the beads would fit it.

That said, I’ve busted one beading needle so far. I can’t find my dental floss threaders which I think work much better and are significantly cheaper so if you bust a few on a project you’re out about 20 cents! But, they are getting a bit harder to find these days. I have a few errands to run today though so I’ll try to locate another pack of them. I’ve only started the fringe on the one end, but the in-laws came up for the afternoon yesterday so I only got to work on it for about an hour yesterday. I hope to be done before Stitch ‘n Bitch tonight, though I really have to get some actual work done on my on-line classes as the test term starts on Wednesdy… Yikes!

Done! More or Less…

1 ball Trendsetter Dune, Color 30
Sz 13 US needles, CO 11 sts

Done, done, done! I actually completed the knitting on Tuesday at knitting tea, but didn’t have time to take photos and post until now I don’t think it is quite finished yet. I’d like to weave some nice bias silk ribbon in similarly verigated colors through the openwork. However, it doesn’t seem that nice ribbon is very readily available here in Ft. Collins and I’m a bit scared to order on-line for fear that it won’t actually blend in with the scarf and that sort of ribbon is not cheap! But, we’ll see. I haven’t exhausted all the places to check here in town yet, but I must pace myself. Plus, I don’t even know what/who the scarf is for. If it’s just for me or someone else… LOL!

This easy, but great looking pattern has had my mind spinning in the last several days of ideas for other scarves and such. So I headed to good old HobLob for some less expensive yarns to play with. I’m planning on one for me I think and another as a RAK and yet one more just to use up some yarn I had bought for one project that ended up not working to the right gauge. I think they all will be variations on this same stitch pattern. They go quite fast if that is what you are focusing on. And, frankly I’ve had such bad luck with the two new socks I wanted to start that I think I’ll focus on the scarves for a bit here and let my frustration tolerance build back up, LOL! I’ll probably have pics of those purchases tomorrow…

Handmade Lace & Patterns by Annette Feldman and
A Gathering of Lace by Meg Swanson

This openwork pattern also has given me the courage to finally delve into knitted lace (not quite ready to tackle a whole new hobby like the tatting or the hairpin lace just yet). So, to whet my appetite I checked out a couple of books from the library. One is older and includes crochet, hairpin lace and tatting in addition to knitting, but the projects are really cool and timeless I think. The other is much more contemporary but the projects are even more elegant and gorgeous (though that might be due to color photography and glossy pages vs. matter page with screened black and white photos).

Then to not leave my other creative pursuits to dry up and whither away (I haven’t done collage or bookbinding in at least a few weeks) I picked up a couple books. Probably 6 months ago or so we went to this amazing exhibit at the Denver Art Museum and there were a couple of pieces by Paul Klee that had really attracted me, so I checked out a couple of books with his artwork in it so I can become more familiar with his art and perhaps a bit of his process.

The Blue Four: Feininger, Jawlensky, Kandinsky, and Klee in the New World
& Paul Klee by Jean-Louis Ferrier

More socks!

Reynolds Saucy
Sz 5 needles

Not as good as the opal socks, but they’ll do for hanging around the house I guess. They aren’t as quite a good match size-wise as the Opal - I think because there was something like a 2 month break in between them.

I’m now sort of floating around in project land with little direction. I have the Dune scarf going and would like to get going on the hats for my sister and my mom, but alas don’t have the input I need from them yet on what they want. There is of course the front of my Shapely Tank, but I’m loathe to pick up the Bernat Cottontots again for a while as it’s sooo darn hard on my hands. We are cooling off a fair bit. I suppose I could get started on my poncho I want to do…

Well, for tonight it’ll have to just be the scarf. I think I have enough left to keep me busy for the two hours. Oh, who am I kidding - I talk too much so I’m really, really slow when I’m at Stitch ‘n Bitch. I should have more than enough left…

I have also started kniting some wire. I was wanting to make some ribbons of knit wire to use in an art journal project I have going on. I’m thinking it is a bit too slow of a process to be able to make as much wire ribbon as I had wanted, but I’ll keep poking along at it for a while and try use some of it. This is the first little bit so it isn’t looking as good as I hope it will once I get a better hang of working with wire.

26-gauge Copper Wire
Sz 5 Needles
Garter Stitch

My First Complete Pair of Socks!

Opal Croccodile Color 9
Sz 1, 80 sts, K3 P1 Ribbing for Cuff

I did it! I’m even pretty sure I got the Kitchner right on the second sock I’ll have to ask Amanda on Monday night at Stitch ‘n Bitch if it looks right this time. If I did indeed get it right, it was just a matter of not worrying so much about how the yarn carried from the front needle to the back needle and vice versa.

Some notes…

• While the sz 1 made a really dense fabric that should hold up to a lot of wear, it is just that - dense and I don’t think I have enough yarn left over to have made a pair of men’s socks using sz1 so next time I’d probably up to a sz 2. I tend to knit tight when on DPNs.
• The toe is too pointy and feels slightly akward on my feet. I worked to 40 sts decreasing every other row then every row down to 12 and then grafted those twelve together (6 and 6) as recommended in Ann Budd’s book for this gauge. Next time, perhaps decrease every other row right down to 20 and graft those (10 and 10).
• I can’t wait to make more! Next up, worsted weight sea weed cabled socks for John and the bright Sockotta with Whisper cuffs ones for Karen. I think I might work a bit of a lacy pattern (perhaps the same one I’m using on my scarf if I can get it transferred to the round properly) on the cuff since she is in Houston until real close to Christmas probably.

However, before I jump on new socks, as much as I just want to go, go, go on figuring out the patterns for the new ones I’m going to finish the second pink cotton one. There isn’t really that much left on it anyway.

Some Interesting Sock Patterns…

In my search for sock patterns for John’s socks I’ve run across some interesting sock patterns I’d like to try my hand at sometime…

Not Really Cable Socks
Blueberry Waffle Socks
Fancy Feet Slipper Socks
Links of Lace Socks
Seaweed Socks - This would be perfect for John’s socks since the color was inspired by a photo he took while scuba diving off the Yucatan… Hmmm, if I can adjust to the worsted weight and men’s size I should be set!
Cable Check Socks

And just for a *ton* of socks by yarn weight check outSocknitters.com!

In other sock news, I’m closing in on finishing the Opal socks! Perhaps tonight if I make some knitting time today! Whee! Oh, and I got the second pink sock ripped back to the heel gusset goofs I made and have maybe 15 rows or so before I start the toe decreases. So, hopefully two completed PAIRS of socks will be done by next week. That’s the goal anyway… Though work is a bit busy at the moment and yesterdays technical garbage didn’t help that.

Picture Day

Okay, as you can see there are still some kinks to work out. If any of you are familiar with WordPress and could help me out with what I need to do (files or tables to edit etc.) to get rid of those error messages I’d appreciate your leaving me comment on how to fix them…

In knitting news, it is picture day!

Openwork Scarf
Sz 13s
Trendsetter’s Dune

The above is a picture of the beginnings of a scard I am making with some of the yarn I picked up in Loveland last week. It’s Trendsetter’s Dune, which contains two strands of yarn. The funny thing is that I have a cone (not full) of the glittery strand or somethin *very* *very* similar, LOL! But I’m really liking it with this pattern, though it is verging on too fuzzy as the openwork is lost in this picture.

Deteil of openwork.

If you have a bit of space between the scarf and a light background you can see the openwork a bit better. I just love this pattern!

Crystal Palace’s Whisper

This was the other ball of yarn I purchased last week. This will be combined with the Sockotta yarn I bought last Tuesday at Lambspun and be used to make the cuff on a pair of anklets. I think it’l make for some fun socks that will make you smile. That’s the goal anyway since I’m making them for a woman fighting cancer and away from her family for 4 months to get the best treatment she can.

Now, I’m late because I’ve been messing around with this WordPress stuff, but it’s time for me to head out to knitting tea for this week. I think the break from the computer might do me some good. But, please, please, if you know anything about WordPress shed some light. I never get responses of any help at the support forum…

Men’s Sock Patterns…

I’m ready for a more challenging sock pattern. I’m getting tired of just plain ribs for the ankle. Today I did not leave my wallet in the car and I bought some worsted weight Lamb’s Pride to make some really warm sort of house socks for a friend of ours who lives on the top of a mountain in NM in the middle no where and his housing is less than comfortable in the winter. When he was visiting a while ago he happened to give me a hint as to his favorite color. So, I’m set, except I’d like a more interesting pattern than a standard 1X1, 3X1, 2X2 etc. rib. I’d preffer the pattern to be free or downloadable. But am somewhat flexible. So, please enlighten me with your favorite patterns for men’s socks. It doesn’t have to be worsted weight. I can do okay adjusting to match my gauge or I hope to knit some socks for DH as well so I’d like to build a set of links…

Oh, and while I’m asking questions… I thought I remembered reading somewhere that you could carry sewing thread with to reinforce toes/heels - is this true and if so is it a particular type of sewing thread? The stuff I bought last week just doesn’t come in enough colors to look good with the yarn purchase I made today so if I could just use some sewing thread I could pick a color that blended better.

TIA!

We’re Moving…

I’m moving to http://www.designedlykristi.com. I’ve successfully moved the archives and such to the new domain. In a week or less this URL will point to the new home, but in the meantime, all updates will be taking place over at http://knitting.designedlykristi.com. If we’re all lucky the process of point kurki15 to designedlykristi won’t take long, but as it is a tech support request I don’t have any control over.

I hope you’ll continue to visit at the new home. Any current links and such should point to the new place in a week or so. Otherwise just manually head over by using the link above!

More Stash Expansion…

In knitting news, I went to Woolen Treasures in Loveland on Wednesday after DH and I met with the retirment planner. I was only going to pick up a set of Bryspuns to try, but I caved and picked up some different eyelash for the sockotta yarn and Trendsetter Dune to make this cool fall-like scarf that I’ve start a bit of. I wasn’t going to start anything until I had my opal sock done, but I really needed something on large needles to alternate with the sock. I’m not too far, but will show you a pic once there is enough progress to see the cool pattern.

Oh, and this week I’ve been carrying my knitting and purse essential stuff in a tote bag I got with one of my collages on it from CafePress and *everyone* has just loved it! It’s pretty big and doesn’t have pockets on the inside, but it does allow me to consolidate my knitting and my wallet, cell phone etc. into one bag which is nice. It is really heavy canvas and has longer handles that easily go over your shoulder. It also works great for the farmer’s market or the grocery store. If you are interested in any I’ve got a pretty good variety of totebags available plus many other products. Here is my Cafepress Bio which will direct you to my various shops.