Friday, January 27, 2017

FMM - Knitting Catch Up

First things first - let me just say that finding these pictures was a challenge, considering I finished this hat in September and all pictures from 2016 are neatly in files that are on an external hard drive and are not easy to find, much less preview.  I love my new Mac Mini computer, but going back to my old pictures isn't simple.  I think these are the last bits I'll need, and now I can focus on my Mac photo folders - although they aren't as organized as I'd like.  I really need a friend who has a Mac to come sit with me and explain how to do what I think I should be able to do with them.  But until that happens, I'm muddling along, and without much in the way of photo collages, because so far I've only been able to do them on my phone, and I'll be honest - my eyes just don't see that well on that tiny of a screen.  One day I'll get it together...but today is not that day.

I made my mom a hat and a pair of socks for Christmas, and I'm glad I did, because they have had a very snowy winter in Oregon, and woolen handknits are surely helping to keep her warm.

Here's the hat:
Pattern is Cables and Twists Beanie, yarn is Madelinetosh DK, colorway is Coquette.
Modeling it - trying to look cool while it was easily 90 degrees that day.

This pattern was very well-written and the hat, while looking a bit complicated, was a really fun knit.  Plus the yarn is one of my favorites, and the color just made me happy to have in my hands. 

Here's the socks:
Pattern is my own basic vanilla sock, although I use the Fish Lips Kiss heel which is a million times easier than knitting a heel flap the old-school way.  Yarn is West Yorkshire Spinners Signature, colorway is Wood Pigeon.  Toe and heel yarn is Lang Jawoll Superwash Solids, colorway is purple.  
I really like starting the toes of my socks with a coordinating color - I think it gives the sock an extra POP of fun.
When knitting with a self-striping/patterning yarn, it's good to use a different color for the heel so you don't get a funky stripe on the heel.  Plus, POP of fun there, too!

I ended up with enough leftover from the sock yarn that I probably could make a hat with it - the only reason I haven't jumped on it is because sock yarn is so much finer than what I normally knit a hat with that I'd have to cast on probably twice as many stitches, and that seems like a lot of work.  Interesting what makes knitting enjoyable vs. tolerable to me - but that's the beauty of knitting for pleasure - you really do get to choose what you want to knit.

I'm sort of in the SQUIRREL! mode of knitting right now - I keep getting distracted by new ideas, which resulted in unearthing this pile of leftover sock yarn:
What are you supposed to do with all the leftovers?  
Here's a start:  mitered squares...which will become a throw blanket in about 10 years or so.

I saw this project on Ravelry and was intrigued - I like my sock yarn, but I'm not sure I'm a patchwork person - usually I like my colors to all coordinate together, and this will be stepping outside of my comfort zone, big time.  But at least I'd get to revisit all of my pretty yarn again, if I made something similar to this:
This could be interesting.  It will be the never ending project, what with all the socks I make.

Here's a peek at one last project that I'm working on - hopefully SQUIRREL! won't distract me too much, and I can get this one finished by next week's FMM:
I. LOVE. THIS. YARN.

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I can't let this post end without a picture of Paco - here's one where I actually was taking a picture of Henry, who was laying in my chair with his foot on the eye of the stuffed Mini bulldog nearby - I just thought it was funny...but then Paco had to run over and lay down directly in view of the camera.  He know's what's what:
Mom.  Mom.  Mommmm.  Don't look at Henry.  Look at meeeeeeee!

Have a great weekend!

17 comments:

  1. Your creations are always beautiful! It baffles me that you live in one of the warmest parts of the country yet you make knit hats and socks...lol

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    1. I don't think a hobby has to correlate to where one lives...I just love pretty yarn and I love to knit. Luckily I have family and friends who live in cooler climates who are knitworthy. :)

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  2. Love your creations. I have to try the different color for the heel and toe. Unfortunately I'm on the second sock. Next pair!!

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  3. I remember waaaaay back when you decided to start knitting - you've come a long way baby! And I'd bet that mixed up afghan will look really nice - maybe when you put it together you could do the colors in waves, i.e. one blue to the next, instead of just mixing them all up.

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    1. I thought about keeping the colors together, but with adding on over time with new sock yarn, I think I'll have to let go of that idea.

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  4. Sorry in advance if I should know the answer to this question but have you ever made a "temperature" afghan? I'll be glad to share our crazy mid-west temp swings with you so the it can be more colorful lol!

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    1. I've seen temperature afghans and scarves - ours would be mostly red, sighhhhhh. Have you seen the hue shift afghan? It's so pretty and uses all the colors in a gorgeous sequence.

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  5. Love the hat and socks!!! And I think the patchwork blanket made from leftovers is an awesome idea!!!!

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  6. Look at all that yarn you have to knit brain hats! :D

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    1. Haha, nope. I don't even like the look of the brain hat, much less want to do all the work for one - much more challenging than the pussy hat.

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  7. Wow. Beautiful socks, & lovely hat!!

    Also, how thoughtful of you to place that bulldog there for Henry.

    And, Paco is hilarious.
    Chrissy

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  8. It's been such a busy week for me, I worked a double a couple nights, and now just catching up with you. I love those socks! So pretty - I always get a kick out of how everything has to be matchy matchy for you, so that patch work would be completely outside of your comfort zone, but I think it's really cool!

    I of course, love how Paco got in the picture. It's funny Roman can sleep in my bed all night, but the next day I'll try to pick him up and he runs away from me as if I am a stranger :P

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  9. Ohhhhhhhh Paco you're the best! Bella says Hi.

    I love the idea of using your leftover yarn for a blanket. So step out of your comfort zone and just do it :)

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