I reverted

Back to 4 DPN's for socks. I love the magic loop. I really do but I kept losing my place in my pattern stitch. I got so frustrated I wanted to toss the sock across the room. So I cast on for the 5th time on DPN's, suddenly everything fell into place and I was happily knitting along until I had a whole sock! Pictures to come of said sock soon. I have been lax on the pictures lately. Mainly because my camera was filling up and I didn't know what to do with the pictures. I opted for putting them up on myspace page. Now my camera is empty and I am back to taking pictures.

OTN

Right now I am knitting my Bella sweater.

Yarn: Knit Picks Shine Worsted
Colorway: Terra Cotta and
Needles: US 5 and 4
Size: 38 1/2

I love this yarn but I have noticed it gets a bit heavy after I get about 5 inches of the sweater done. I am having to knit it on straight needles, which I don't really like, because my Knit Picks options are metal and they were just too slippery for this yarn. My hands were starting to hurt and I figured out it was because I was physically trying to keep the loops up on the needle while trying to also keep it from sliding completely off the needles. So I switched to some generic size 5's I had laying around. I now know that I have to buy a set of wooden needle points too in case the yarn is too slippery on the metal ones.


All that to say, when this project gets too heavy for me I switch to a pair of socks. Love these socks btw. I think they are my best ever.

Enabler!!!

So I was just looking around on Ravelry and look at this sock yarn!!
You can get it at this website. Plus the name of the store is just the coolest too! I was soooooo drooling over this yarn. It is simply delicious looking! Now this is why I love socks you can by all this beautiful yarn that only comes in like one skien and make a pair of lovely socks out of it.

Oh yeah AND the sun came out again today! After 6 whole days without knowing if the big, round, yellow thing in the sky was fact or fiction the clouds finally lifted at 9:30 A.M. this morning. I think I even heard angels singing the Hallelujah chorus......

Tilted Duster

Has anyone seen this sweater Tilted Duster? It is in the new interweave knits mag. I haven't had a chance to go pick it up yet but I am in love it. I love the button closer and the half circles on it. Quite a few other people are knitting it on Ravelry, about 7 others and I love the yarns they have chosen for it. I am thinking I will use this yarn, in the chocolate colorway. I really want to use the slate colorway but since this will be my first sweater, I don't want to use black. I need to finish my mom's sock before I order the yarn and start it. I am halfway up the cuff now mom. I should be sending it off to you next week! I finished the first one while I was visiting her and she wouldn't let me take it home with me. She wanted to keep it lol. I think she liked it. It really is a pretty sock. I will take pictures when it is done.

Socks!

The completed infamous Monkey Socks....








New sock....After posting the picture on the blog
I noticed this weird swirling effect the yarn is doing
I have to say I really like it.









My last sock looks so much better then the first one I ever did. I am so glad they are shaping up and looking better each time. Practice makes perfect I guess. I was listening to a pod cast I like called Stash and Burn. They were talking about things that are intimidating to knit and how when they first knitted they thought, oh I will never knit a sock that's too hard. LOL It's funny, what some perceive as hard other's perceive as easy. A sock is what I graduated to after knitting scarves. I look at sweaters and say oh not sure if I can knit that it looks so hard. I have the book Knitting Without Tears now and I just need to take the leap. It really isn't that hard if you break it up in pieces. I saw this cute shrug being made on knitty gritty and I have the yarn for it. I think I will make it next. I am going to make it longer though probably to my waist but still just put one button on it. I liked the way it looked with one button. It is a navy blue chunky yarn and I was thinking of getting maybe a huge, pale, pink rose button. I like navy blue with pink. I think it would look classy and also use up this yarn. I bought it for a patten in a book I have but the pattern has a mistake in it. I don't want to knit it now because I am not experienced enough to see mistakes sooooo now I have this yarn sitting in my yarn box. I hate having yarn that has no purpose in my stash. It is nice yarn, thick and soft, that will be perfect for this sweater pattern. I will start it after I finish my sisters stole.

Monkey Sock Progress

I have my first monkey sock half finished now. I can probably start on the heel flap after one more round of lace. I am looooooving it. The yarn I am using is from the Brown Sheep Company Cotton Fine in the colorway Wisteria. It is 80% cotton and 20% merino wool. I know they aren't machine washable but I don't really have stinky feet and I can just wash them by hand. This yarn feels sooooo soft and it has a slight sheen to it. It kind of reminds me of the cotton skeins you use for cross stitching but it has a slightly rougher feel.

I also joined a Sock of the Month club. (click to see the page) I got my first sock goodie from them yesterday! It is the Tofutsies sock yarn in the colorway #733. Hmm guess they don't have names. It is 50% Superwash wool 25% soy silk 20% Cotton and 2.5% Chitin (which it says is from shrimp). So I will dub these the shrimp socks. I wonder if people who are allergic to shrimp could wear these? The pattern that came with the yarn is called Daylily. It is a very open lacy pattern. You will see what these look like after I have started knitting them but for now here is a picture of the yarn!

My Summer Knitting Goals

I was reading another blog this morning and she is having a contest. I figured I would enter. You can find the contest at this lovely little blog here.

1. I want to knit at least 2 more pairs of socks. I am going to make this pattern and I haven't decided on the 2nd yet.
2. I want to start on Christmas presents. I am not going to post them as since I have just sent links to my family to read my blog and they are for them. LOL
3. To blog everyday barring illness or holidays.
4. I want to start and finish this cute little tank top that I found in Vintage Knits by Sarah Dallas. I love the patterns in this book. Sarah took vintage patterns from the 30's and 40's and modernized them. Basically she changed up the colors. I love the outfits in the 30's and 40's they used to wear. They are still classics today. These are all sweaters or tank tops though no skirts. I know they wore knitted skirts too I have seen a few in movies I love to watch.

Well that's it for now on to knitting!

What I am working on

Here is a picture of what I am currently working on. I have to tweak the sock pattern a little. I have a high arch and it doesn't really fit my arch. The sock kind of bags in that area. All in all it is a pretty comfortable sock and I am happy with the way they turned out. I will try a lace pattern with the second pair. Also I will try it toe up. I like the toes on those better. They look more like socks should instead of all pointy at the toe.