I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas. We had a white Christmas and have had to stay at the hotel an extra day. I'm looking forward to getting home. I am enjoying my first pair of socks. They are so warm. I do wish I had brought the yarn for the second pair, but I'm working on a kind of different design for a short shawl. If it works out, I'll post it here and on my Ravelry page.
As for the super secret huge project, it is finished and will be revealed (hopefully) Friday. I'm so excited, and I hope the recipient will be, too.
Until Friday, I bid you peace and a warm week.
txdonna
Wednesday, December 26, 2012
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Much Ado About Socks....
Here is what I wrote on Friday.
Friday is here again. I've been as busy as I could be this week. I found myself having a long conversation with a very dear friend without my knitting bag. I am so glad I could spend time with her, but I am that much further behind. My feet are cold, so I'm determined to try to finish this damn sock tonight so I can wear them!! If you're interested, here is a look at the nearly finished second...
Fast forward to Tuesday...
I didn't finish them that night, but I gave it a damn good try. On Sunday, though, I DID finish them while a got my car serviced.
Here they are on my feet.
They are very warm and I will really appreciate them when the weather is colder. Now I put them on and end up taking them off after the morning chill.
Today I am FINALLY going to make my sojourn to my local yarn shop (after many delays) in order to get some tutoring on my sweater pattern. I mentioned before that I have hit a snag and cannot make the math work on the front left panel. So I am looking forward to getting some help. I'm a few days early for the Woolie Ewe's end of year sale, so that should help my bank account somewhat.
I have to finish my secret project, and I'll post the pictures once I get the thing finished. I hope to give the gift before the end of the year, so hopefully you'll see it once it's given.
I need to start on the next pair of socks, but I want to get my head around the sweater and make some progress there before I get stuck in to more socks. I am glad that I had so many false starts on these toe-up socks, though. Now I can cast on and I have a pretty good idea about what I'm doing. It will soon become one of those patterns I only have to look to for certain numbers and then I can turn them out. I really like these because the hardest part of knitting socks from the top down was to pick up the stitches on the heel and gusset parts. No picking up means faster progress and faster socks.
If you want a good tutorial on toe-up socks, there is a great one on Ravelry. If you aren't a member, it's free and full of great patterns and tips.
Well, it's about time to pack up and go to get some sweater help. I hope you all have a great week and may it be full of wooly fun!
txdonna
Friday is here again. I've been as busy as I could be this week. I found myself having a long conversation with a very dear friend without my knitting bag. I am so glad I could spend time with her, but I am that much further behind. My feet are cold, so I'm determined to try to finish this damn sock tonight so I can wear them!! If you're interested, here is a look at the nearly finished second...
Fast forward to Tuesday...
I didn't finish them that night, but I gave it a damn good try. On Sunday, though, I DID finish them while a got my car serviced.
Here they are on my feet.
They are very warm and I will really appreciate them when the weather is colder. Now I put them on and end up taking them off after the morning chill.
Today I am FINALLY going to make my sojourn to my local yarn shop (after many delays) in order to get some tutoring on my sweater pattern. I mentioned before that I have hit a snag and cannot make the math work on the front left panel. So I am looking forward to getting some help. I'm a few days early for the Woolie Ewe's end of year sale, so that should help my bank account somewhat.
I have to finish my secret project, and I'll post the pictures once I get the thing finished. I hope to give the gift before the end of the year, so hopefully you'll see it once it's given.
I need to start on the next pair of socks, but I want to get my head around the sweater and make some progress there before I get stuck in to more socks. I am glad that I had so many false starts on these toe-up socks, though. Now I can cast on and I have a pretty good idea about what I'm doing. It will soon become one of those patterns I only have to look to for certain numbers and then I can turn them out. I really like these because the hardest part of knitting socks from the top down was to pick up the stitches on the heel and gusset parts. No picking up means faster progress and faster socks.
If you want a good tutorial on toe-up socks, there is a great one on Ravelry. If you aren't a member, it's free and full of great patterns and tips.
Well, it's about time to pack up and go to get some sweater help. I hope you all have a great week and may it be full of wooly fun!
txdonna
Monday, December 10, 2012
Good Intentions and the "P" Word
Happy December, All!
Today, 10 December is my father's 78th birthday! He is far away in more ways than one, but I remember all the times we made birthday cakes for him and bought him funny cards. I remember all the fun he had pestering me, and the jokes he L.O.V.E.D. to tell. Happy Birthday, you ol' boy!! Love you and miss you!
As you can tell it's been a while since I have written. I started out trying to blog each Friday, because that's my day to get away, listen to youtube and knit. Well, the first post was put up on Saturday, and the next week, I got so caught up in watching videos I ran out of time to blog. By the end of the weekend, I was not feeling well, and I've spent two weeks combating (successfully, thanks for asking) a mild infection. So after the longest weekend I've spent in bed in quite a while, I have broken my shackles and I am here! I hope I can post again this Friday and get back on track. So, as the old saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. My apologies.
In this time, though, I've been trying to finish at least ONE PAIR of toe-up socks that actually fit and look decent. I finished one that looked a bit like I had accidentally chucked it in the blender. I have since frogged the whole thing into a nice tidy little ball of black sock wool, just enough for a sock. It will later probably be either a sock or part of a hexi-puff blanket. So after I was thoroughly disgusted, I sat and pouted through several replays of NCIS (love those marathons!), and took several naps. Once I came to my senses, I cast on another sock and tried again. I NOW have one sock, and when I finish here, I will work on the mate. Yeah!!! I hope by the time I write again (on FRIDAY), I will have a pair to show! It is, as I mentioned before, Perseverance that knitting has taught me. So, I anxiously look forward to working on my sock tonight!
I also have a sweater that I am working on - my first! I have finished the back and cast on the front left side. I was working away and reading carefully, measuring every little bit so I knew where I was. However, I have hit a snag in the pattern where the numbers don't add up! I have frogged back a bit and begun again, but whenever I review the pattern again I get the same thing - an inch difference that does NOT make sense no matter how I figure it. I plan to go back to my yarn store and see if I can get some tutoring. If you are reading this in North Texas - it's the Woolie Ewe in Plano. These ladies are so helpful and knowledgeable! Well worth the trip!
Some of the best advice I have had was to seek out a local yarn store and use this resource. I find invaluable assistance whenever I visit yarn stores, and it's a necessity to have a local. If you are just starting out, go find a local store or at least a local fiber artist who is willing to be on-hand when you need help.
Another invaluable mentor I have recently discovered is Johnny and all the folks at New Stitch A Day. They have some really exciting things happening right now and their website is looking great!! Give them a look here. Johnny is a very patient, thorough, and generous teacher. So good to have resources like this, too.
Well, that's all I have for now. Time to fire up the youtube and get to knitting on that second sock! Next is a pair of striped grey and purple socks. I might make them a little smaller than the black pair, with a 2x2 all the way up the top. You never know when you make the same pattern only in different wool or colors or patterns what it will look like, but the more you do, the better you get!
Hope your week is warm and wooly!
txdonna
Today, 10 December is my father's 78th birthday! He is far away in more ways than one, but I remember all the times we made birthday cakes for him and bought him funny cards. I remember all the fun he had pestering me, and the jokes he L.O.V.E.D. to tell. Happy Birthday, you ol' boy!! Love you and miss you!
As you can tell it's been a while since I have written. I started out trying to blog each Friday, because that's my day to get away, listen to youtube and knit. Well, the first post was put up on Saturday, and the next week, I got so caught up in watching videos I ran out of time to blog. By the end of the weekend, I was not feeling well, and I've spent two weeks combating (successfully, thanks for asking) a mild infection. So after the longest weekend I've spent in bed in quite a while, I have broken my shackles and I am here! I hope I can post again this Friday and get back on track. So, as the old saying goes, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. My apologies.
In this time, though, I've been trying to finish at least ONE PAIR of toe-up socks that actually fit and look decent. I finished one that looked a bit like I had accidentally chucked it in the blender. I have since frogged the whole thing into a nice tidy little ball of black sock wool, just enough for a sock. It will later probably be either a sock or part of a hexi-puff blanket. So after I was thoroughly disgusted, I sat and pouted through several replays of NCIS (love those marathons!), and took several naps. Once I came to my senses, I cast on another sock and tried again. I NOW have one sock, and when I finish here, I will work on the mate. Yeah!!! I hope by the time I write again (on FRIDAY), I will have a pair to show! It is, as I mentioned before, Perseverance that knitting has taught me. So, I anxiously look forward to working on my sock tonight!
I also have a sweater that I am working on - my first! I have finished the back and cast on the front left side. I was working away and reading carefully, measuring every little bit so I knew where I was. However, I have hit a snag in the pattern where the numbers don't add up! I have frogged back a bit and begun again, but whenever I review the pattern again I get the same thing - an inch difference that does NOT make sense no matter how I figure it. I plan to go back to my yarn store and see if I can get some tutoring. If you are reading this in North Texas - it's the Woolie Ewe in Plano. These ladies are so helpful and knowledgeable! Well worth the trip!
Some of the best advice I have had was to seek out a local yarn store and use this resource. I find invaluable assistance whenever I visit yarn stores, and it's a necessity to have a local. If you are just starting out, go find a local store or at least a local fiber artist who is willing to be on-hand when you need help.
Another invaluable mentor I have recently discovered is Johnny and all the folks at New Stitch A Day. They have some really exciting things happening right now and their website is looking great!! Give them a look here. Johnny is a very patient, thorough, and generous teacher. So good to have resources like this, too.
Well, that's all I have for now. Time to fire up the youtube and get to knitting on that second sock! Next is a pair of striped grey and purple socks. I might make them a little smaller than the black pair, with a 2x2 all the way up the top. You never know when you make the same pattern only in different wool or colors or patterns what it will look like, but the more you do, the better you get!
Hope your week is warm and wooly!
txdonna
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