YOP: Long Overdue

Last week I promised a YOP post on Tuesday. Well, it is only a week late. Not so bad right?

Well I decided that I wouldn't make a blog post until I finished my socks. Well, I finished them this afternoon. Finally. I am sorely behind schedule. Opps. I finished no socks for the month of August. I've determined that I probably will not knit through this book in a year.

However, that doesn't mean that I will not knit through this entire book... eventually. I will try my damnedest though to get it within about a year. Maybe two years at the rate that I am going.

So. Here are my Jade Escher socks. They are knit out of Dream in Color Smooshy in the good luck jade colorway. One of my favorites in the sock yarn. If the rainbow garter socks have everything that I didn't like about socks. These had everything that I love in socks. A simple but strong pattern that is memorable. A heel flap and gusset and square toe.

Also. Remember the story of the yarn trail? Well here is the remainder of my yarn. Yes, infact more yarn went on a walk then what took me to knit this sock. Wow.

FO: Friday FINALLY

Back in April when my sewing machine broke I was just about the sew the binding together for my "Who's Hungry?" quilt. Now finally in August I finally finally got a working sewing machine. And not the first thing, but one of the first things I did, was get my binding all together and on my quilt.

You've seen the quilt top (quite a while ago) but now I can finally show you the entire thing.

I was supposed to borrow my friend Tanya's baby for the photo shoot. But he lives a little far away and I was unable to get him. Babies lead very busy lives you know. He's almost ready to learn how to walk.

So instead of a baby model I took my quilt home and got the next best (better?) thing. A puppy model. Every time I feature Esme on my blog she always has her tongue sticking out and looks so derpy. I don't know why. I swear she doesn't always look like this. Oh well at lease she is happy.

The finished quilt size is about 61 x 70 and was made with fat quarters that were my Christmas present from my sister. Which is exciting because that means I get to keep it. Cause it was a present. Yay.
For other FO: Friday posts be sure to check out Tami's Blog for the Mr. Linky

And Then There was One

Good news. I finished my first pair of socks. I am a little bit behind schedule but with the Tour de Fleece I figure July is an okay month to only finish one pair of socks. Though, it does mean I get started off to a bit of a slow start. Hopefully August I will pick up speed and knit a little faster.

My camera was fogging up because it was so muggy outside!

As you can tell by the swing bench I am once again at my roommates parents. Not only for the free air conditioning but we are also celebrating our birthday (we were born on the same day but I am a year older what are the odds) which is actually tomorrow. So far her parents have been spoiling the crap out of me and I love it. best. birthday. ever.

But socks! They are paca-peds in tye-dye knit in the collision pattern. And were the first out of my sock grab bag. I am really happy how they turned out especially the top of the foot looks very nice. It is currently way too hot to be wearing them now though. I will put them away in favor for cooler weather. Last year I was stubborn enough to wear hand knit socks until June. This year I learned my lesson.

What finishing one sock means though is that I only have one (YOP) sock on the needles. So this means I get to cast on again right? RIGHT? Casting on it one of my favorite parts of a project.

Here is the progress of the Jade Schooner socks modeled by an adorable kitty named Bootsie! I am just past the heel of the first sock!

FO: Friday The Hipsteriest Scarf that Ever Hipstered a Scarf

Remember those huge needles I showed you a while back? Well I'm starting to remember why for the first four years of my knitting life I didn't own a needle under a size 11. And even then I rarely used a size 11. I spent a lot of time knitting scarves out of chunky yarn. And then I discovered socks.

But there is something about the clicking of giant needles that are just sort of fun. Really Really fun. I saw this sample at my LYS and immediately fell in love with it. It looks hard but it is just one ball of yarn that they make to look very complicated and messy(in a good way).

When I bought the yarn I also bought the size 35 needles. At first I was hesitant buying such big needles. When would I ever use them again? Well so far I have knit two projects on them and I am currently spinning the yarn for a third. So other than my size three needles that constantly have a sock on them in recent times these have been the needles that have seen the most action in a while and I will eat my words.

I am not one of those "knitting is only for winter" people. I love knitting at all times. The bad thing about summer knitting though is that I have to wait until winter. Or at the very least until it is not 90 degrees out to wear them. Maybe I should look into knitting tanktops.

But I don't know hipster scarves are just so cute. Especially when they are this darn hipstery. Look at that! the fringe came with it too. Which is just awesome.


Also currently off the giant needles? Here is a sneak peak of the rainbow scarf I've been raving about. But more on that when it is actually complete.

FO: Friday Rainy Days

First I want to apologize for the horrendous pictures in this post. I waited all day to see if it would stop raining and the sun would come out. But I think this is just how bad it is going to stay. (sorry rain is hard to get a good pic of but trust me is terrible!)

But I do have FO's that I want to share with the world! (I also wanted to share my new hair cut but that will have to wait for a day that i didn't walk home in the rain).

First, The latest in my Tour de Fleece progress. Spindle spun wheel plied. I've been having terrible luck with spindles lately. I broke another one! from the two that I showed you last time. And it was my favorite so I don't want to talk about it =(.

But this turned out fantastic and I've already started on the next one of the set. It is 80/2o Merino/Angora blend that is so scrumptious I wish you all could reach into your monitors and touch it. Soo soft and omnomnom delicious. It is n plied about 167 yds. and is squishably soft

Second, I finally finished this pair of socks! I was originally going to give them up for an MPIRG silent auction but we ended up not doing it. So I put them on the back burner.

Then recently decided that I needed to finish them before I started my Year of Projects (didn't happen). But now they are done and I have another set of needles free to start a Year of Projects sock. WHoo! And I have a new pair of socks. Double whoo.

FO: Friday Rainbow makin

My first FO since the last FO. I really haven't been finishing too many projects. I currently have Second Sock Syndrome and I have it bad. Good thing about shawlettes though. When one is done that is it. No pesky second shawl to knit before it is actually done. Most of them though are knit flat rather than in the round. I am a die hard in-the-round type of girl, but the little shawls (or as I like to call them Hipster Scarves) are just so dang cute.


Take this one for example, miles and miles of garter stitch. Now I am not one of those that find garter stitch comforting. More than anything I find it annoying. But for rainbows the miles of annoying garter stitch are kind of worth it. Because just look. Isn't it pretty?


I am a sucker for rainbow yarn. Especially when it turns out to look like this.

I'm showing it off unblocked because it is Friday and I am impatient. Blocking won't do this piece that much good anyways. It'll even out the stitches but ultimately there is no lace to stretch out. I was planning on finishing casting off last night, but then I got sleepy. And then I got in a twitter argument with a friend. Have you ever tried to argue back and forth in 140 characters? It's actually kind of hard.

But enough of me blabbing. And more to me knitting more rainbows (after I do my dishes, clean my room, and other responsible adult-like things)

Congrats!

And now for the winner of my first ever giveaway.



Is KATE!

congrats dear. I think I still have your address on file, but I will pm you to double check it for sure. I'm excited that some of my handspun is going to be in Germany. I think that is furthest some of my handspun has ever travelled.

Here is a sneak peak of your yarn! I'm only about 1/3 of the way through it right now. So please be patient it will get to you!

FO: Friday Where have I been?

Oh my what happened to me? I haven't blogged in nearly two weeks. It's not from lack of doing stuff, it is almost being too busy.

I've moved for the month to my mom's in Wisconsin to help her out with the restaurant. My sewing machine is STILL broken as my friends dad is currently on vacation. No worries though he should be back in a few days. Although, I have been looking at some sewing machines on craigslist... early birthday present maybe? I'm currently taking advantage of the fact I have a car and am mobile.

I'm currently bar tending or waitressing every night, but that still leaves enough time for knitting. and I currently have plans to take over the dining room and turning it into my own quilting station and eager to have the room for it.

Right now I'm just happy to be reunited with the worlds best puppy


anyways enough housekeeping, on to the FO. I finished a delightful rainbowy (ish) shawl from my handspun the silk in it makes it incredibly drapey and I might be in love with it. Even though the weather is now officially spring (after snowing on Tuesday) I might just wear it today out of stubbornness.

Lace is so fun not knit. Not because of the small yarn or the complicated pattern, but because of how it grows. Bind off the edging and all there is, is this sad little wrinkled mess. But get it wet, stretch it out pin it down and it is like magic. It grows to such a nice shape as if it was supposed to be that way.

For now though i will leave you with the worlds cutest puppy modeling my brand new scarf! (she was kind of unhappy about it)

FO: Friday sock edition

I love the weather it currently is out right now it's hovering around 50 ish and that means it is perfect weather to wear shorts tights and socks. Not because I like the look especially (although lets me honest I do, its the bright colors that get to me!) But it's because I get to show of my socks! and it's not too warm to wear them yet. perfect sock showing off weather!

Yesterday I walked around with my pants rolled slightly up to show these lovelies off.


They were for the my other hobby swap malabrigo march knit a long and I actually finished them a few weeks ago but didn't take pictures until yesterday when I wore them for the first time. I need more malabrigo in my life.

The pattern is Sam by cookie a. my favorite sock designer.

Duct tape is my only friend

A few weeks ago when I first attached my design wall, i used command hooks and painters tape. Well it kept on falling down and down and was annoying and refused to stay and got annoying. So I went back to my old favorite way to get things to impermanently stick to walls. Duct tape... it is strong sticky and doesn't leave a residue. Why didn't I use it in the first place?


Oh? The owls you ask? They look familiar you say? Want a better look? okay let's pull back...

I finished my quilt top! YAY!

for the close up!


I have to clean my room (oops) before I can baste my quilt and hope to be sewing it tonight!

FO: Friday

I finished my first shawl that was extremely blocking intensive and very lacey. I think I'll just like the pictures do the talking.


Wonderful