A Few Christmas Knits

Thick Comfy House Socks For The Big Guy


Pattern: Sock It To Me Socks
Yarn: Bernat Denimstyle

Needle: Size 6

Made for Hubby whille he was out of town on his last business trip.

Mods: I made them extra tight because I read this yarn really stretches. These are soft and smooshy. Very comfy.

Big Yarn = FAST Socks. Gotta love it.

Pattern: Bow Knot Scarf (Oooooooh, Luxury. I love my Meunch Chenille.)

Yarn: Meunch Touch Me in Dark Blue 3603 (I think. Where do all my labels go?)

Size 6 needles

This was made for my Mom for Christmas. (I got the idea from another gal's blog and darned if I can't remember who's blog it was now. When I find out I'll edit for that. FOUND IT! Thanks Irisheyes!)

Mods: I did 14 rows for the insert part instead of 16. I also made the wrap part around the neck longer than the pattern instructed. My Mom and I don't like anything wrapped close around our necks. Just a comfort thing and we tend to overheat easily. Couple of Hot Momma's!

Vesper Socks

Yarn: Vesper Self Striping in "Love Stinks, Yeah, Yeah" colorway.

Size 1 needle 64 st cast on.

What can I say, these were going to be my "happy" socks, but a sweet little girl of mine loves them a whole lot so she'll be getting them for Christmas. These took an unusually LONG time for me to knit up, I just couldn't stay with it for very long but they finally got done. I messed up the decreases on the second toe, but it's hardly noticeable, it just proves how scattered my brain is these days.
Pattern: Noro Fingerless Mitts (for Mom for Christmas.)

Yarn: Noro Silk Garden in Colorway 232

Size 4 needles - magic loop - TAAT

Okay, Confession Time: She wanted GRAY ones, but I wasn't having any luck with the ones I was working up. I must've bought 4 different kinds of gray yarn too. I flat out had to get out of that zone for a bit so these were born.

Mods: Some splicing was done due to a muddy brown that was in the middle of all the other pretty colors. I went down on the needle size because my Mom has small hands, and in my own experience NSG grows or blooms upon washing. I just wanted to make sure they'd stay snug to some extent.

I know one of the thumbs *looks* bigger than the other one, but that's what you get with the thick/thin variation of Noro! It made me think I had messed up, but they're the same! Honest!

I'm fighting sinus issues still, getting headaches almost everyday. Can't wait for winter to be over with over here! Still trudging along though, I still can't believe I have ANY knits to blog about! Wow! Maybe I'm doing it in my sleep! LOL!

Happy Knitting!!

Where is my blog mojo?

I've got my knitting mojo going somewhat with Christmas looming closer, but blogging has been WAY on the back burner for me lately. I've always thought it was kind of sad and wondered why people just abandoned their blogs, or decided to say their "blogland farewells" when I'd be browsing. Now I understand. I'm tired. And time gets away from me because of other things going on.

But I got the push I needed today because Dawn in CA is having a contest on her blog. I'm adding your button Dawn.

Gotta keep up with my knitting at least. Here's some of the latest:

Pattern: Embossed Leaves
Yarn: Cherry Tree Hill Select Semi Solids
Colorway: Lotus
Size 1 needles magic loop
Heavily modified: Long tail cast on used, not as many repeats on leg, didn't cut yarn for heel, and I did a regular toe as I didn't like how the star one looked. All in all, I changed it quite a bit! But I got a sock that was more fun for me to knit.

I really liked this yarn worked up in simple stockinette but thought "LEAVES would be GREAT with this!". Sometimes it's better to leave things alone. So what do you do when you change your mind after the fact? Dye them.
I used my Knitpicks acid dye to make them a deeper emerald green. I think patterned socks look so much better in a solid color and now these make me happier. Now I can see the leaves and the pretty details even with some slight varigation still.

Next:

Pattern: Merlot
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden
Colorway: #8
Needles size 7 & 9 (I always use a smaller needle for the brim of hats).
This is a Christmas present for my Auntie in CA. She loves, loves, loves Blue. This was a cool pattern, I'll defiitely use it again. The yarn is such a pretty, bright, and vibrant blue (even though my picture doesn't portray that as much) so I made her these to match:


Pattern: Cranford Mitts
Yarn: Knitpicks Bare Superwash Fingering - Dyed with Sapphire Acid Dye
Size 2 needles

Loved this pattern but they aren't very warm! I may make her a plain set as well for a bit more coverage. It's funny, my hat picture is too dark and this one is too light! These are a deeper blue than they appear here. Someday I need a digital photography class!!!

A few more things have been in the works. Not always working out to my satisfaction. I just finished a cabled scarf for The Big Guy for Christmas but it turned into a big, fat UGH! I used Caron Simply Soft in Black (because I've always been happy with this yarn) but I could tell even when I was knitting it up that there were fuzzy issues already happening. I should've just STOPPED, but I thought maybe with a wash and some de-fuzzing it might be salvageable.

NOT.

He's getting a store bought one this year. I'll try the pattern again one day in a different yarn. Fathers Day 2010?

Happy Knitting!

More of the Same

Another pair of fingerless mitts for my cousin.

Pattern: Jacoby
Yarn: Dream In Color Smooshy in Black Parade
Size 1 needles
What can I say? You can't go wrong with 2x2 ribbing. These are SO comfy, I've started another pair for her in a softer yarn and will probably keep these for me.

I HAD to switch to a lighter colored yarn (as well as thicker), because all those black fingerless mitts just about crossed my eyes. I plan to make more of these to donate soon to a local chapter of Newborns In Need to distribute. They're quick and easy, just perfect for a tired knitter. Being a preemie myself I know those little people are pretty darn special!

Patterns: Preemie Hats for Charity
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby in Pink and a Blue Marl colorway. (You can get several hats out of one skein. I've knit two from each colorway and have PLENTY of yarn left for more.)
Size 3 needles. (I had to order a needle to do magic loop, DPN's were making me tired. Darn Fibro.)

I won this cool tool from a friend in one of the yahoo groups I'm in. We play games and I think her hubby may even make these himself. When I first saw it I was baffled at how to use it. Isn't it cute though?

Luckily Janet sent me this youtube video to help me figure it out. What did we ever do before YouTube? I had so much fun and got the hang of it right away. All I have to do now is learn to work on my tension. I was pretty loosey goosey at first but got the hang of it after watching the video more. I can see many possibilities here.

And here is "Sad Pink Sock" still waiting ever so patiently for her turn to be finished. I think I started this a few months ago.

Her mate is already done but the heck if I know where I put it. I may need to make another one in the end! Oh joy! She's going to have to keep waiting too, I have a request for a helmet liner from my nephew in Afghanistan (Army) that I've just started and pray I can finish before it's a zillion degrees there (or he's sent back?).

I have another Rheumotologist appointment tomorrow. I better go drink more water in case they have to take more of my blood. I just hate getting poked over and over. Owwww.

Happy Knitting.

Some Christmas Knitting

I finished a few things that are holiday gifts for my family. Here's The Big Guy's Scarf.

Caron Simply Soft Heather in Charcol Heather (Dark Grey)
Pattern: Scrunchable Scarf (here's the Ravelry Link)
It's so soft and squishy and I made it a bit long so he can wrap if he needs to.
I just finished weaving in the ends today. I started a hat with the left over yarn, but it's a big question mark if that gets done.

Here are Miss J's fingerless mitts:

Dream In Color Classy Blue Lagoon
Pattern: Malabrigo Hand Thingies
(My pictures are SO terrible! I'll try to get some when they have them on after Christmas).
I used size 5 DPN's instead of 7's to size them down for my daughter.
I did make a mistake on one of them but that just gives them character, right?
The good thing is I have plenty of yarn left over to make another one. There's always a bright side.

These are Miss C's fingerless mitts.

French 75 - Sport Weight yarn -Color Angelina Jolie

Pattern: Mitt Envy
Size 1 DPN's - sized down to 40 sts for her tiny hands.

This yarn has almost no stretch, it's like knitting with cotton (although it says it's superwash merino wool) and was painful for my hands and arms. I tried making a sock out of it a couple of summers ago and couldn't get my foot into it. Using it this way at least makes me feel like it wasn't a total wasted purchase though.

The past few weeks have been stressful and painful but I'm glad I got these projects done. The holidays seems to creep up on me faster and faster for some reason. We managed to get the rest of our Christmas shopping done this weekend so that's a big load off of my mind. The Big Guy and I ditched the kids and even went to breakfast in between shopping! It was sure nice to not have to hear "are we DONE yet?" (They're not big shoppers, they take after their Dad). The crowds are definitely out there, which for once was kind of a relief when all we seem to hear is how terrible and downhill things are right now. But still, I don't want to be out there with them all if I can help it!

Of course, when I feel stressed - I hurt. I hurt BAD! Knitting is going to have to take a back seat for a bit until I get rested up and to where I'm not in so much pain. You gotta do what you gotta do. I see a new Rhuematologist next Monday so I'm hoping I can get some answers about what's causing it all. Keeping my fingers crossed for a decent doctor.

Now I have to go try to dig a hole into the closet to get things ready to wrap. At least this year I'll have help since the girls bought things for each other and us as well. There are always things to be thankful for, I'm tickled pink I won't be doing it all by myself on Christmas Eve!