I finished the rose baby sweater last night:
I love how it came out! The seaming was kind of tricky, especially sewing in the sleeves, so I created something of a tutorial on how I did it. I hope it helps someone!
Rose Sweater Finished!
Crafts
Stunning Sock Yarn
I received my sock yarn order today. Wow. I mean, wow. Isn’t it gorgeous? And you can’t tell from the picture, but it’s incredibly soft and squishy, too.
The skein on the right is for my kit swap pal. The skein on the left…well, see, here’s what happened: I fell in love with the Nova Scotia colorway for my pal. The place where I found it had a minimum order, which was a mere $6 more than the yarn cost. I scoured the internet, looking for that particular colorway in that particular yarn anywhere else, with no luck. So what could I do besides order a second skein of yarn? (Don’t say order a $6 knitting accessory, because obviously I couldn’t do that when there was yummy sock yarn to be had!) So the skein on the left? It’s for me. (Yes, I know, I need to do penance or something. I have a sinful amount of sock yarn. This will not stop me from acquiring more.)
The Elusive Knitting Post
How long has it been since I posted any pictures of my knitting? I swear I knit. Honest! It’s just that the majority of what I’ve been knitting is secret knitting at the moment. (I have 3 and 3/4 Christmas gifts done already.)
But, I do have a new baby sweater project to show off!
Pattern and yarn details are on the project page.
I’m really enjoying how this project is turning out so far. I like the drape of the fabric, the heathery color of the yarn, and the flower motif. I’m going to make another one of these little sweaters in a bolder color for Carrie after this is done.
Gorgeous Sock Yarn
Oh, I really hope my sock kit pal loves this yarn I just bought for her as much as I think she will!
Don’t ask me why I’m up so late. Either the white chocolate raspberry mocha I had at Sit & Knit wasn’t really decaf or I can’t handle that much sugar. I’m going to regret it in the morning.
But at least I finally found the perfect sock yarn. Now I just need to actually implement the bag that’s been floating around in my head. There’s what, three-ish weeks until the deadline? Yikes!
You Know You’re A Crazy Knitter When…
You go to the same yarn shop twice in an hour to buy enough yarn to make one tiny little sweater as a gift. I always try to buy something really easy-care when I knit gifts for small children, but then I discovered that the Debbie Bliss yarns were 30% off, and the cotton cashmere came in such a perfect color and would work so wonderfully for the pattern I wanted to do. So I bought six skeins, enough for the smallest size. Halfway home, I realized that it was just cruel to give a sweater that required special care to a family who was about to have their second child. Cruel to the sweater, that is. What if they, in a sleep-deprived stupor, put it in the dryer?!? (Cue the scary music.)
But the yarn was on sale, and therefore couldn’t be returned. What to do? Then I realized that just one more skein would be enough for a Carrie-sized sweater, so I went back to the yarn shop to buy another skein of cotton cashmere and picked up a machine washable/dryable yarn (also very pretty) to knit the gift sweater in. Bonus? That yarn was also 30% off.
Never mind that I have more yarn, projects and kits than I could ever knit in my lifetime. No knitter in her right mind could possibly pass up cotton cashmere for $5.25 a skein, especially to make a lovely, lacy sweater for her baby girl. :)
Snowmen In July
I can hardly believe it, but look what I just finished last night:
I’m going to guess that I started this snowman cross-stitch in 2000-ish. It was definitely in the 2 year post-wedding/pre-blogging era of my life. In fact, I started it so long ago that it was before the stick-on velcro stuff that you attach to the scroll bars and fabric – the fabric is actually sewn to the scroll bars.
Of course, this project is not exactly finished. I still have a separate section that hangs below this part to stitch, which says “Snow! Snow! Snow!” all in one color of blue. I’m toying with the idea of bringing it to Florida with me on vacation. We’ll see how much room there is in the suitcase.
I also finally took pictures of the finished pair of falling leaves socks. I finished them up on Father’s Day, right when I was having issues with the internet, so I never got around to posting about it. Sorry about the blindingly white legs sticking out over the top of them. I’ll try to work on those on vacation too. ;)
One Down, Many More To Go…
Believe it or not, I just finished the first of my hand-made Christmas gifts. Yes, I know it’s only June, and that Christmas is a long six months away, but after last year, where I had so much left to finish the week before that Christmas basically came and went with more relief than enjoyment, I figured it would be best to start way early this year.
I know what I’m making for almost everyone on my list already, I just have a few (those hard-to-buy/make-for type of people that everyone has on their list) left to figure out.
Sick, isn’t it?
KSKS Swap Questions
You didn’t really think I’d stay away too long, did you? I’m feeling better, and the thing that’s making me crazy-angry remains unresolved and therefore not something I can/will blog about. However, I have some Knit Sock Kit Swap questions to answer for my pal, and there are things I’ve really wanted to blog just since Saturday, so obviously I’m not ready to give this up yet!
Without further ado, the KSKS Questionnaire:
What are your favorite colors? Blue, green, orange, pink…um, really about any color! Those are really the ones I wear the most, though, with a bit of purple thrown in when I feel like it.
Are you a new sock knitter? How long have you been knitting socks? I’ve been knitting socks for three-ish years, but I usually get stuck on the second sock so I don’t have too many completed pairs to show for it.
Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? I have a lot of self-patterning yarn, but I’ve been thinking of getting some solid or nearly-solid yarn to try some lace or fair isle patterns with. Really I have no preference.
What fibers do you prefer in sock yarn? I like both wool and wool/cotton blends. I look for machine washable yarn that will hold up to being tossed in the dryer, because I’ve had a pair of handknit socks ruined in the dryer. :(
Where do you usually knit socks? Since they’re a nice portable project, anywhere I can knit. Less so now that I’m usually chasing a toddler wherever I go!
How do you usually carry/store small projects? Sometimes in my purse if I’m carrying a big enough one at the time, otherwise in my knitting bag. Or in a basket in my craft room. Or a drawer. Or the closet. Sometimes in a plastic grocery bag stuffed somewhere out of sight. Sigh. I really need some project organization help!
What are your favorite sock knitting patterns? I usually knit a basic toe-up pattern, but I like various lace and cable patterns too. All-over ribbing I’m more likely to abandon after a while…which is why you don’t really see any finished pairs of ribbed socks on my sock page!
What are your favorite sock knitting techniques? Magic loop, definitely! And although I love the way heel flaps look, I’ve used short-row heels on my last couple of pairs and love how they fit.
What new techniques would you like to try? Fair Isle isn’t new to me, but I’ve never done Fair Isle socks before.
Do you prefer circulars or dpns for sock knitting? Circulars all the way! (Honestly? DPNs that tiny scare the snot out of me!)
What are some of your favorite yarns? Sock yarn or any yarn? I really like a good, basic smooth wool. Let’s see, the latest one I’ve used is KnitPick’s Wool of the Andes. I also love the few skeins of Koigu KPPPM I’ve managed to get my hands on. None of my LYS carries it and it’s so hard to pick out colorways on the web!
What yarn do you totally covet? I’ve never seen Socks that Rock IRL, but I love the finished pairs people post on their blogs. They’re such pretty colors.
Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? There’s a pattern for entrelac socks I’ve been drooling over in my copy of Socks, Socks, Socks, but they look like they’d be super time-consuming.
Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? I love my Addi Turbos!
If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? I have no idea!
Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? Hm, favorite candy? Dark chocolate. Not sure how mail-able that is in August though, so maybe taffy or something like that? Pretty much anything without nuts in it. (Not an allergy, just a preference.)
What
Another Swap!
After making and receiving great socks for Sockapaloooza this spring, when I found out about the Knit Sock Kit Swap I decided to take the plunge. I think it will be fun to make up a sock knitting kit for someone, and get one in return. Because, you know, I don’t really have enough sock yarn yet…
And by the time that’s done there will hopefully be another sock swap to join. Because you can never have enough hand-knit socks!
Snowmen in June
I’m still up because I can’t put the snowman cross-stitch down to save my life. (Not even long enough to take an updated picture!) I suppose I should be happy, because at this point I think I might have enough momentum to get through the project before I get distracted by something else. (Say, the leg of the second falling leaves sock.) There’s just one more largish snowman to stitch and a few buttons to add. There’s also a smaller section that says “Snow! Snow! Snow!” that hangs in a separate part of the frame (this was a kit) below the snowmen. (That part is guaranteed to make this project hide in the closet for another few years, since it’s all one color. Ick!)
If I can ever put it down long enough to take another picture, I’ll let you all know.