More Sock Yarn

Can any one really ever have enough sock yarn? Thats how i justify my inane purchases anyway. I went ahead and ordered some lisa Souza sock weight yarn. It arrived on Wednesday...very, very quick service I may add considering she had to dye it. (It was dyed on May 10, 2006...so it says on the label..which was after I ordered it) Its beautiful to look at, but it is destined for socks. I bought the colors South Pacific, Mahogany, Pacific and Wildthings. South Pacific will be some sort of cable, wildthings will become the cascading leaves, and mahogany...well I'm not really certain yet, and Pacific is in the process of becoming the pomatomus from www.knitty.com . This picture doesn't do the colors justice, they are darker in real life.

The Pomatomus sock is fun to knit and the pattern easily memorized. I don't know who will get these socks yet. Maybe me. I may just hold off wearing them until the fall and enter them in the Big Lake Fall Fair. I've never entered anything and it might be kind of fun.

I got another email from Renee at www.bopeepswoolshop.com who told me that the Cream kidlin Pixie I ordered was also on back order until August, so I went ahead and ordered the deep cerise. I wanted to do the shawl in pink to begin with, but since I didn't know the sex of the baby I went with Woodland, but it ended up back ordered, so I asked for Cream, now it is back ordered so I'm going for the pink. Guess I might as well ordered that from the beginning as it was obviously meant to be no matter how hard I tried to make it some other color.

Woodland Cream Cerise

No matter what I am sure it will be beautiful. Reneee does such nice work. The mystery shawl alongs are so much fun.

Oh a couple of other new yarns to report. My mother is desparately trying to track down some Koigu for me. I guess the supplier is having trouble keeping up with demand, as my mother is looking in Ontario and I believe that is where the company is situated. I also joined another sock club. This time 4 balls dyed my mama E. I haven't seen it yet...except internet pictures, but am looking forward to it. She only dyes 15-20 skeins at a time so these will really be on of a kind's. That is kind of exciting.

I will be asking for a spindle for christmas as i really want to try my hand at spinning. I've bought books and read stuff on the internet and think I'm ready. Do you think I'll be able to wait for Christmas? Toni at www.handspinning.com has some lovely ones. Although I don't think they need to be beautiful to work.

And of course this is May and I am eagerly anticipating the arrival of the new kit from Socks that Rock Rockin' Sock Club. I hope I love the color this time.

Well I'm going to post this now and get back to knitting the pomatomus. I'd like to be finished before going back to work. But i guess that depends on if I work Monday or take the day off.

MS3 Finished~

Did you think it was ever going to happen? I finally finished the Mystery Shawl along 3. I started off gung ho... but somehow fell behind after the clue from week 3, and that was the beginning of the end. It played on my mind constantly as things kept coming up that I "HAD" to do instead of knitting. (What is that all about?) But I didn't give up...I perserved and finally results...I am so pleased with it. Lace is like magic...you never know what it is really going to look like until its stretched out and blocked.

I took this baby off the needles at 9:00PM last Sunday evening, raced to the bathroom to soak and wash...then on to the floor for blocking. (My dogs love it when I am on the floor with them....hmmmm, not the easiest way to block) But got it stretched out and pinned...probably could have pulled the "scallops" out a bit more, but need a proper blocking board and wires...as the quilt I had under the shawl kept bunching up as I was pulling and pinning.

Anyway I finally got to bed, and could hardly wait until morning when I could take out the pins and lift the shawl for the true test. And I was pleased.

So here it is in all its glory. I was pressed for time taking the pics but you get the idea. I've stuffed it into an envelope and it is winging its way to Yarmouth right now. I am sure my Aunt will love it.

I got a note from Bo Peeps saying the color I wanted for my mystery shawl 4 would be backordered until August, so decided to go with another color. I chose cream this time. I know that sounds boring, but this one will be going to new grandbaby, and since Rebecca was thinking it was going to be a boy I didn't think I should do the shawl in pink. (Even though I highly suspect this baby is going to be a girl). If that is the case there will be lots of time for Pink.

Well must run. This is the only day I get off before going back to the 1st aid course. (Have to practice on Sunday) I'll be glad when I am done this...its wearing me out and little knitting time, other than socks.

Which reminds me...we should be getting our next installment of the STR Sock club yarn this month. That is something to look forward to. (Yikes is that a preposition?....Mom don't look)

Spring Fever

Well it must be spring...I've started cleaning and can't seem to stop. I even went so far as to order a new feather duster from www.flylady.com. (and one for my sister!) Somebody stop me before I buy a robot vacuum cleaner.

Along with my cleaning comes having a glance thru the stash to see what needs to be completed etc. So I've been busy "finishing up" this week. With the exception of my Mystery Shawl Along 3. (I haven't touched it all week long.) I've had good intentions though as I have taken it with me everytime I go out...but it just sits in the knitting bag while I knit something else. Maybe I should take only it and then I would have no choice but to continue on. I'll have to get busy next week and set the timer for 1/2 hour every night. Even then it will take me 28 or 29 days to complete. I must get it finished at all costs as I have gone ahead and ordered the yarn for Mystery Shawl Along 4 from www.bopeepswoolshop.com This one starts in June which gives me plenty of time to finish # 3. I should have been cautious and ordered white or cream yarn..but no I've thrown caution to the wind ordered the color "woodland." If I'm going to knit it I want it to be fun!
www.louet.com/kidlin.htm I understand that this mystery shawl is going to be circular. Nice for wrapping up a baby.

I dug into the container holding "nearly finished" items and came up with this Poinsetta Shawl from Lucy Neatby. I ran out of yarn with about 8 inches of edging to go last August. It took me almost 8 months to get more yarn ordered in. But it finally arrived in late March. I finished it on Friday. It still needs to be blocked but thought I would wait until weather clears up a bit (we are still getting snow!) This is the secnd Poinsetta shawl I've done, this one in "Hair" by Schachenmayr. Its fun to knit and believe it or not this pattern knits up quite quickly. I did the first one in White Douceur de Soie which was beautiful and went to a baby for baptism. Of course this one will end up for my new Grandbaby, due in early November. (Things are pointing to it being a girl, but I'm not confident enough yet to start making anything pink! )

Next, I finished my Rocking SockClub socks from Socks That Rock. They are called "Cedar Creek Socks". As you know I was struggling with the color. And not really liking it at all. It hasn't gotten any better even as I completed both socks. As it turns out I didn't have enough in the skein to finish the second sock and you will see the very tip of the toe with lots of ochre color. Thats a second skein I had to use. Not STR but Nature Spun fingering. Color seems to match OK and you can't really tell when they are on one's feet. Its disappointing as I was really hoping that the skeins would be big enough for size 10's. I actually made the leg part a little shorter than I would usually make it just so I wouldn't run out. I hope I like the next yarn color that comes more. But now that I know the skeins are not big enough for me...I guess I have all my Christmas socks planned for next Christmas. I hope the recipients realize what a NICE gift they are getting! Certainly didn't have enough for the "Baby socks" as I promised my daughter. But I did cast on Lorna Laces sock weight in Bittersweet and started another pair. I was holding this yarn for baby sweater when I found out for sure that the baby was going to be a girl. But wouldn't you know it I got a new sock book in the mail (Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks )and couldn't resist starting a pair. These are the fancy silk sock. True the color "bittersweet" may be a bit too busy for the pattern. But they are fun to knit and the pattern is easy to memorize. I did most of these out walking and didn't have to take the pattern. It's a fantastic color isn't it? Of course, I know only one person who would actually wear these socks in this colorway and that is my young neice, Kelsey. I've asked my sister, Pat, to measure up Kelsey's foot and I'll complete them for her. Of course another very nice gift for a child! I must add that I still prefer Fleece Artist yarn to both the STR and the LL sockweight. (I loved the LL worsted) However in all fairness, I will give the LL another try as perhaps the gauge I had to use for this sock is just looser than I would like on a normal everyday sock. It's on a 2 1/2 mm needle and I usually do socks on 2 or smaller. I did the STR on 2's and liked the gauge. I like my socks tightly knitted.

I found a website the other day that gave me a pattern for a mobias cowl made with one skein of Fleece Artist cashmere. I happen to have a ball of cashmere just waiting to be made into something...so here it is. I really don't know the point of a Mobias other than to say I made one? Maybe I just haven't made enough of them to really understand how great they are. So perhaps this won't be my last. I do have both of Cat Bordi's books on Mobias's and think I may embark on one of the baskets or bowls she offers. I don't know..I hate too much stuff around cluttering up the house. So if I can justify it by having it "hold" something...I'll think about it.

Its Easter in this home and the Easter Bunny has found my stash of Easter Bunny and Chick covers. Can anyone really have too many of these? I think these ones will be going to work with me tomorrow to place on the desks of fellow employees for a little treat! I may whip up a couple more this afternoon...its hard to make just one!

Well that is said and done. I must add that I got to see an Ultra Sound picture of my new Grandbaby. Its a beauty already. 10 1/2 weeks and growing strong. Heartbeat 163 (points to girl!) and moving up a storm. Due date November 5, 2006. Count down is on!