Ding Dong the Sock is Done!

Oh yea, that's right. The first sock is done. Lots and lots of mistakes but it fits.



And while I was at my knitting group this week, I picked up some more sock yarn!

If I ever finish this sock...

I'm going to make a second one. Drat!

Actually, I've enjoyed knitting my first sock for the most part. I think it has pushed me past newbie status more than any other project I have done. As you can see in the photo, I have successfully turned the heel. This was done with the help of the internet as well as a pattern I had to decipher. Prior to this experience, I was never very good at patterns. I don't know how to sew. In high school I refused to take home ec as a liberated woman and joined FBLA. Now I wish I had taken home ec and the computer classes.

I have also learned how to pick up dropped stitches with this sock. I hope you can't see my many mistakes from the photos but let me tell you, I got plenty of practice picking those little suckers up. And it was always like 15 rows back that I noticed the mistake.



I really hope my second sock turns out much better than my first. For those that asked, the yarn is called Crazy Cotton color #89 from Schachenmayr nomotta. It's a German fingering weight 100% cotton yarn.



On a lighter note, I added some new yarn to my stash which is growing by leaps and bounds and at the moment has no home. It's hanging out on the daybed in the spare bedroom. I try to keep my husband out of the room so he doesn't see all of the yarn and freak out when I come home with more. Which I usually do about once a week.

I picked the Snuggly up on sale and think it would be great for baby boy socks. It's a nylon acrylic blend. Only problem is that I only know 1 person with a baby boy and she lives in Georgia. By the time I get the socks made the kid may be off to college.



The Serenade I also got on sale. (I'm too cheap to buy full price yarn as you might have noticed.) I really love the colors in it. I only bought two skeins and am not sure what I will make with it. There is a pattern for a one skein scarf on the label so I thought about doing that and a matching hat.

I Am Cotton

You are Dishcloth Cotton.
You are a very hard worker, most at home when you're at home.
You are thrifty and seemingly born to clean.
You are considered to be a Plain Jane, but you are too practical to notice.


What kind of yarn are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Okay, some of this is true, I am a hard worker, plain, practical, and thrifty. Born to Clean??? Sooo Not True.

The very first sock

Okay, I started my first sock. Ain't it pertty!

Last week at my knitting group we were discussing socks from striping yarns and how/if you should make them match. If you've read At Knit's End, there is a great little philosophy on this. One of my fellow knitters has started her second sock over multiple times to get it to match her first sock. I said that I didn't care if mine match and now that I see that they never will. Take a close look at the yarn that I'm using...there is no repeat! The color pattern is totally randomn. I'm almost to the heel of the first sock (which I can't figure out how to turn for the life of me) and the colors just go on and on. I think it's absolutely hilarious and great! Needless to say, I will have an interesting pair of socks.

Nothin' On My Needles

I guess that's not entirely true. I did start a scarf in seed stitch about 2 weeks ago but I have lost all interest in it. I think the fact that it is 78 degrees outside might be the reason for this.







I finally bought some dpns to start a pair of socks. I've been trying to get up the courage to start them and Wednesday night I finally did a gauge swatch so now I just need to cast on. I might do that tomorrow. Here's my sock yarn, isn't it great!






I also purchased some Cascade 220 in a beautiful shade of blue. I am going to knit the Sophie bag. I've only felted one bag before with Cascade 220 and I enjoyed it even though I had to seam up the side. In knitting class we learned to needle felt so I put my initial on my bag.






I finished another dishcloth this week, the Purled Heart. I thought it turned out nice. I sent the other discloths to my mother and 92 year old great aunt who was "very proud of it." I think they are just glad to find out that I'm not a total craft retard. Growing up I was the unartistic one in the family. My great aunt and grandmother quilted, my mom crocheted, my cousin did floral arrangements, and I tried my hand at multiple projects but never found anything I was good at or enjoyed for very long. I think I've found my niche with knitting.

I must sing the praises of the Yarn Harlot. I checked out At Knit's End from the local library and loved it! I'm going to pick up a copy as soon as possible. I also hope to get to her other books too.

It's Raining, It's Pouring and My Husband is Snoring!

Woke up this morning to the delightful sound of rain. We've been way behind on rain here in Kansas City. Last I saw, we were almost 2 inches short of the average for precipitation in February. I snuck out of bed, went into my room and opened the blinds to watch the rain and update my blog.

I used to hate rainy days. I think it was because I grew up in Arkansas and winter there is made up of a lot of gray rainy days. We didn't get snow much. Now that I live further North and we do get snow, I've started to appreciate a good rainy day. I've also found that it's a great excuse to knit. Who wants to go out in the muck when they can sit home and work without guilt on their latest project?

Speaking of latest projects, I just finished a hat for my mom. She has been hinting around for one for a month or so. Now I just need to send it to her. Which means I have to go out in the muck to the post office! Oh, the things we do for love...and knitting.

Mom's Hat. I used the same pattern as the hat for my husband but changed it to a K4P4 rib instead of K2P2 rib.