Top Secret Knitting! Shhhhhhhhh!

Well, since you last checked in I did not finsh my last pair of socks for Socktoberfest, but they are still in progress and maybe they'll be done for November.
I have however knit 2 blocks for the Great American Aran Afghan. Our guild decided that this would be a nice project to work on at our meetings. We have all just started randomly with the blocks we like and we'll be able to help each other if anyone runs into problems.



My next project is a secret. I'm sorry I can't share it with you because it's for someone special for Christmas and she reads my blog. (NoSamantha it's not for you!) I would actually like this one to be a surprise for a change.
I had started it in Dale of Norway Tuir but found it was a little too scratchy for my liking, so I broke down and had to buy yarn. It's knit with Filitura Di Crosa's Zarina. OH MY GOD!
This yarn feels like butter. I may not want to give it away when it's done.

Now I'm off to cast on, I hope the Halloweener's are quick tonight, I have alot of knitting to do.

Socktoberfest...9 days left.

There's nothing quite like a quick project to get your mojo flowing again.
2-day socks for Miss "P".
1 ball of Bernat Sox, perfect for an almost 3 year old. Machine wash and dry. Easy for mom.
Yarn bought in the discontinued bin for less than $2.





Now on to bigger things.........

Shelagh is done.

It's done!
Shelagh is done.
Pattern: from the Garter Belt
Yarn: Super10 Cotton 5--125g skeins
Needles: 4.5mm Addi turbos

I love doing top down sweaters. No seaming.

This was a great pattern easy to follow, lots of sizes, and you could do it in a lot of different yarns.








This is what I took home today at 1pm. I only left the room for a minute, I needed a pee break, honest. I should have elaborated on the make-up. These were the new stamp markers we bought at the dollar store.

Last sleep.

Another wet day for Gramma and Miss "P".
So there was storytime for Mr. Tibbs and
Lady-dog.
A little craft time to make momma a welcome home card.







Then Aunt Valerie went shopping with us. That was girls gone wild. It didn't take Paisley long to learn her aunties shopping habits. A couple of new pairs of jammies and off to Swiss Chalet for lunch then home again.



Instead of a pumpkin she turned into a princess.
And this princess did her own hair-styling.
















And now the little princess is having her last sleep at grammas.















I did get some knitting done but I'll post about that tommorrow.

Day 2!

Julie's bag is done. Miss "P" and I will making a trip to the store tommorrow to drop it off just in time for the Creative Festival.













We took these pictures for momma. Hope she's not missing us too much.
These are from Sunday. Paisley loved beading and she was at it all day. Got to love that cheesey smile.





































It's cold and
rainy today so we're having another indoor fun day.

We went to the dollar store and got some scissors, stamp markers, and more beads.

Not sure what we're cutting out. I think it's supposed to be a pumpkin

Now we're off to the library and the grocery store for milk, brocolli and bologna, and Gramma desperately needs a Tim Hortons. Then we'll be making some supper for Aunt Valerie tonight.

It's dryin' time again....

I was so excited about getting Julie's bag done and felted that I forgot to take the before picture. So here it is felted and drying.

Pattern: Nashua Handknits Holiday.

Yarn: Naturally Vero

Needles: 5mm , crochet hook 4mm

All are available at the Needle Emporium.

This bag was a lot of fun to make. The flowers, seedpods and corkscrews are crocheted and the leaves are knit. I'll post another picture when the bag is dry and the handles are attached. (if I remember)

So the rest of the day has been for cleaning up the house, bringing in the plants, and keeping the dog occupied. She really misses Mr. D.

This is for mommy. We know she'll be checking the blog when she has time.

Love ya momma.

So now it's back to the Shelagh cardigan and socks, socks, and more socks.

It was a cold and rainy day.......

Man is it cold and wet outside. This just makes a girl happy that she didn't have to go and work in this today.
Right now Miss "P" is having a nap, so I made a hot cup of tea, and thought I would share Miss Lolly's Socktoberfest questions:

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?
I started making socks about 15 years ago. I taught myself with a very basic pattern.

What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?
My first pair was with Koigu handpainted sock yarn. You would think a girl would start with a less expensive yarn, but I had to have it. Unfortunately I did wear holes in the bottom of the heels because I wore them so much, probably about 5 years later. I thought they stood up quite well.

What would you have done differently?
I don't think I would have done any thing differently, they were the best socks. They just made me want to make more.

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?
I have enjoyed almost every yarn I have knit with, Regia, Opal, Lana Grossa, etc.
I have some Trekking to try and I would like to try Socks that Rock.

Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?
I prefer to knit my socks on DPN's. I have tried circs and the Magic Loop method and didn't care for them much.

Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)
I like the flap (dutch heel). I find the short row heel doesn't fit as well.

How many pairs have you made?
I have probably made 30 or so pairs (for myself and gifts). I never really kept track.


These are the ones in my personal drawer.











This is my sock stash right now.














Here's is Julie's new project I'm almost ready to put it together and felt it.
Can you guess?












And these are my new Cherry Tree Hill socks.












Next week I have the whole week off from work.
Mr D has gone hunting with the boys and Miss "P" is coming to stay with me because Momma is going to Winnipeg to see her friend and Daddy has to work all week. I'm not sure how much knitting will get done, she has a lot of fun things planned for us to do.

Socks in the Mailbox!

Yes, they're done. And in honor of Irisheyes Knitting I give you Socks in the Mailbox!


















And just in time the mailman brought me this......






but they will have to wait because I'm working on a new project for Julie to take to the Creative Needlework show.
And you'll have to keep tuning in to see when it's done.









So I leave you with Mr. Relaxo.......

Socktoberfest 10-04-2006

Sorry, can't talk right now, I'm trying to get my sock finished.

Socktoberfest 2006

Socktoberfest starts tomorrow. Anyone can join. The rules are very simple. Grab a button and get started.

Another Birthday.

Happy Birthday to Wannietta!..........and me!
This is what I came home to today.
Thanks Mr. D. and Lady( he says).
Almost forgot, dinner out at the steak house.













Other booty includes earrings, a new knitting book, a scarf, a dvd burner (thanks guys, love ya!)
And some really nice cards and cake(my favorite part.)

Your Birthdate: September 26

You lucked out the the skills to succeed in almost any arena. Put you in almost any business or classroom, and you'll rise to the top. You're driven and intense, but you also know when to kick back and cooperate. Your ability to adapt to almost any situation is part of what's going to make you a success. Your strength: Your attention to detail Your weakness: You can be a little too proud of your successes Your power color: Turquoise Your power symbol: Arrow pointing up Your power month: August

What Does Your Birth Date Mean?

Working weekend.

The tree removed.














The Crew.
Tree moved to new location.

Lovin' the dirt.

She's no help.

Gramma's job.

One sleeve finished, the second started.

She figured out Gramma's got the easy part.

Porn Tuesday!

ForAlisha! Warning!!!!! Explicit photos!




























Knitting content tomorrow!

Random Thursday!

The Postman cometh!
What's a girl to do!
This lovely package came today, courtesy of ebay! I think Miss P will look smashing in Denim blue.
(must knit faster--- stop blogging and get knitting)














Shelagh is coming along, just not fast enough. I'm at
18 1/2" and need to go to 24". Then onto the sleeves. I keep reminding myself that I am knitting the back and fronts at the same time so of course it's taking longer.
(must keep knitting---stop blogging---go and knit)







I almost forgot, here's a picture of my sewing machine for Samantha. Cadillac eh?

Knitty's out!

Well, I must say I'm very impressed by this issue of Knitty.
Check it out.

Knitter's Fair Loot!

With so much stash in my wool room to knit, I decided to look for something different. A lot of the vendors were selling the same things as last year, so the hunt was on.

Alot of the Fiddlesticks Knitting patterns were the same as last year but I did find this one, and I'm sure I have some stash in my room for it.












I picked up 7 skeins of Shelridge Farms Wool-Cotton DK for a sweater I've already knit about 3 years ago, but it's one of my favorites and getting quite worn out.






This is a lovely shawl pattern from Sweaterkits. It's hand-dyed silk yarn. I knit a tank top from this yarn about 2 years ago and love it so much, I thought a shawl to throw over my shoulders on cool nights would be a nice change instead of my bathrobe.










And last but not least, the colours in this yarn caught my eye as I was walking by. It's a shawl pattern from Apple Laine, and the yarn is a wool and silk blend.







And after all is said and done, I think I did okay and I didn't break the bank.
So now I'm off to knit like a mad woman and finish the knits on my needles, then I can get into the new stuff.

Gotta love fall...

Two days and counting to the knitters fair. I'm still plugging away on my Shelagh cardigan, so I'll leave you with one of my favorite fall things. (after sweaters, of course)

Quiet long weekend.

This is my lovely daughter. She won't have to look at her father this way anymore. We just moved her into her first big girl apartment on Saturday. Oh, it's so wonderfully quiet this Labour Day weekend.



So alot has been accomplished. The house has been cleaned, the roast is on the BBQ, all the animals are napping, and blogger is being incredibly slow. Looks like poor Russell is wondering when his girl is coming back.

So onto knitting. I am making some progress with Shelagh cardigan. I have just got past the armholes and the sleeves are on holders. I love doing top downs. Less sewing.














Miss P needs some fall cardigans, so this gramma dug into her stash and found 6 balls of Crystal Palace chenille that I had bought on ebay awhile ago. It showed the yarn as a kit, but didn't come with the pattern. So I'm making my own version , no bobbles. I'm using a pattern from the Miss Bea series by Louisa Harding, and changing the colours from memory. Hope It works.











I had a surprise visit from my next door neighbors on Thursday. One young lady is 13 and the other is 8. They asked if I could teach them how to knit. I was a little nervous, but everything is going great. They are really doing quite well, and haven't lost interest yet. So I guess I'm doing okay. Once they finish their garter stitch scarves, it's on to purling. Julie told my to check Melanie Falick's book Kids Knitting. It's fantastic, and has lots of kid friendly patterns.
Tomorrow night is guild night, then off to the Knitters Fair on Saturday. Whoo Hoo!!!!