SOCKS ON SUNDAY

Finished the Shirtsy  Cat Designs yarn socks--very soft and the colors were wonderful going through my fingers!

I chose this yarn with closed eyes--a very different pop of colors from the pastels I just worked with for the last pair of socks!

 

AGAINST ALL ODDS

...the mail must get through!  This package took 3 weeks to get here, the package was a wreck and my name and address were hardly legible.  I think my own private UPS guy saved the day.   This means I can knit socks for 4 more months.

  Be still my heart!

 

TPT?

Since I haven't touched my embroidery since last week, I have tiny pins to show you this Tuesday!  They are made especially for quilters to number each block so you don't get them out of order when you walk from the design wall to the sewing machine--sometimes those few feet are just too much and the blocks get out of order or upside down! lol  Problems solved when numbered and if you put the pin in straight showing its orientation, no goofs should result!

I managed to load the table runner on a bit of scrap for a backing.  I didn't have the oomph to actually do any stitching because I've come down with a cold--a good old-fashioned one.  I spent most of the last few days horizontal.  

This was my snuggly--a new skein of yarn came in the mail!  I am working to finish up the blue sock so I can start another pair in this tropical looking yarn!  More info when I wind the yarn into a ball and actually start the socks.

  (or maybe a shawl like Meredith is knitting!!

I have to go today and get my final examination from the hand doctor to make sure I have reached his motion expectations.  I definitely don't have full range or stamina in the thumb, yet I can do almost everything I need to do so time will just yield better results will be my guess!  Bill is driving me so I can close my eyes and rest on the way.  And maybe even knit a bit!

 

SATURDAY'S STUFF

I pulled the first of the QFK's off the quilting frame

 and loaded the second one and started quilting it but I was tired of standing by then 

so I put the put the binding on the jar quilt--it still needs to be washed and dried but it's done being sewn.

Bill took the box of Autumn things of the high shelf in the garage so I could put a few things out and about the house!  It was enjoyable to add the pops of orange around the house.  I even hung two pumpkin watercolors on the wall, too.

I added some orange to the tall vase in the corner of the dining room.

While I waited for the pizza to bake, I signed all of the newest bowls with the wood burner so they are official.  I do need to seal the bottoms, though, but that is a job for another day!

Bill brought in the mail and the order from KnitPicks came--sock yarn!  I've missed having some socks on the needles!

 

Sock Yarn

I always take along some knitting when we head out for church on Sundays because we have a 40 minute drive each way so I can get some nice car knitting in.  I wanted to begin a new pair of socks but I hadn't put the skein into a cake to knit from so I grabbed the sock blanket and some little balls of knitting and away we went!  Bill had some errands to run after church so I also knitted while I waited in the car.  I am adding a row to the length of the blanket while also adding a row to the width!  

A very enjoyable knitting project!

This was the skein of yarn I bought at HobbyLobby on the last visit-I liked working with the last skein and so will enjoy this colorway, too, I think!

It caked up beautifully and Lena even held still for a photo! 

 I will cast on today!

 

Another Row

A friend had a branch fall from her cedar tree and she thought I might enjoy it.  Her young son asked for something real from it....

I cut the branch up into pieces and even split one that was already cracked-it had more damage inside.

I have only cut dried cedar and it wasn't fun.  I thought this branch would be easier to turn because it is still fresh but I was wrong-the wood is still hard to play with-it cracks easily and it is a bear to work with.  I made a little saucer and bowl for her son and am working on a little bowl for her but that is it--I'm over cedar!!!

Look at the Fringe Tree blossom!  It is about 10' across-it is very dry out so Bill is bringing a hose over to water this tree-it looks like it is struggling!

 I managed to finish painting the white shelving--it took several coats to look all better.  Now I have to cut and paint the shelf between the layers of shelving for a center rack--you will see what I mean when I do it and show you a picture.

I also finished the row I added to the sock scraps blanket---

Lena approves.

It is long enough to wrap under my feet and warm them up!

Beauty is...

... a pile of fabric to back all of the quilt tops I've been making the last few months!

...a pair of socks out of a very nice yarn, Static, from KnitPicks that matched perfectly.

...a heel turned in perfection without holes of any kind!

...a lot of yarn left over from a pair of socks even though the socks have tall legs!  (1 ounce)

...a sunset that looks like the whole western sky was on fire!

...a cute new entry in the art journal that is a lot more fun than the real thing!

(another tote bag art from KnitPicks)

Yesterdays postcard was my attempt at rendering a synagogue in Budapest from Deborah's blog.

 

Accomplished

 I've worked on this little 5 x 7" line and wash of the kids' home while they were here;

they liked seeing their house come to life! 

 I was relieved that they recognized it right away!

This is a gift for their Mom.

 This is how that skein has looked since last Thursday.

When the kids went home with Dad last night, I sat the winder in front of my recliner 

and began some serious unwinding!  

And it worked!

I rewound the ball into a cake-a lovely cake just the way I expected to happen! lol

(The only odd part of the whole experiment--I had dyed this dark red and green but it is now

rust and teal! 

 Not a bad thing but different than the Christmas skein I had planned for a pair of socks!)

Try , try, again!

A Grand Meeting

 For the car ride yesterday, I worked on this sock.

I thought I was going to do some patterning on this one but didn't enjoy having to count for the lace 

I had picked out.  

I settled on k3, p1 up the foot and then will do the leg in the same pattern all around.

I had just started on the gusset increases when we got back home.

 And I did work on the whole ride up to tame this tangle!

Look at the progress I made!

 The strands are really looped through each other and not really tangled unbearable.

I patiently (see, Nancy, I was patient) teased each loop through its neighbors until they were side by side again.  And yes, Dee it was very much like a good puzzle.  Bill still thought I was crazy! lol

And the reason for the trip---

to bring the Fernandina grands back to spend a few days with us!

By the time I had taken this photo, I was already 'pooled' out two hours later

and grandpa was about wrinkled beyond his years!

I coaxed them out with the lure of a ice cream cone!

It worked!

Socks!

 The LionBrand Mani-Pedi yarn socks are finished.

Against all odds, I managed to get a matching pair even.

The first skein was a perfect skein-no tangles, pulled right out of the center nicely, was a dream!

The second skein was wound opposite of the first skein-no problem, I found the spot 

and began to knit all the way up to the dark pink on the leg and then I hit a knot.

Bad enough to have a knot but the ends weren't related at all! 

 I had to untangle the center

 and  then wind it all the way from the other direction to find my spot.

  I was persistent and can't believe I pulled it off!

A matching pair of socks, against all odds.

I have two little balls left from each skein-I will use them to add a square to the sock yarn blanket!

Rambling Rows

 I don't need to wonder what to stock in my new kitchen island...

it contains a very satisfied cat already!

(this is what I saw when I came out to the kitchen in the morning!)

The Rambling Rows sock scrap blanket is progressing nicely--I had a lot of knitting time in the car yesterday!

Today, I hope to cut out another quilt or two!

Bill is cutting down some more tree tops with a new friend so I am going to stay cool in the housse (we've hit mid 90's again!)

Mostly Yarn

 I've pieced all of the Churn Dash blocks...now to assemble them.  

Today, I will see if I have enough of the paint brush fabric for a border!

This isn't the final layout, it is just the order I built them and put them on the wall.

Already the patriotic quilt is calling to me!

 Isn't this a pretty pair of sock toes?  I am knitting in the Hermione pattern for texture on this pair.

I will up the ante and see how I do with them!

This yarn is another skein of Regia in Native color this time.  

It is a nice dusky red like the colors in the Grand Canyon.

 I also knit a swatch in SilverSpun yarn which was gifted me when I first came home from the hospital.  It is a wonder to be so loved!  This yarn needs to be knit in a larger needle so I had to figure out how many stitches I needed to cast on.  I've got the info I need now to cast on only 44 stitches instead of the usual 64 so these should be on my feet in no time!

This yarn is supposed to be great for people with neuropathy and circulation problems so I've got the perfect pair of feet for these socks!

 Look what I finished spinning!

This 2 ounce skein has 122 yards and is very lofty.  

I will be washing these three Cotswold cross skeins and the Polwarth skeins I spun months ago because it will be a perfect wool drying day! 

While I still want to dye 2 of the 3 skeins and use them on the loom, I haven't made any definite plans.  I will just enjoy looking at them washed , dried and filled with possibilities!

An Old Pattern

Remember the basket of ripped out sock blanket yarn (the Northeasterly)?

The yarn balls are all of doubled yarn and I wasn't going to try to separate them!

For a change, I pulled out this old pattern.

I am thoroughly enjoying the quilt-i-ness of this blanket!

I'm knitting with the doubled yarn and # 7 needles.

It has a page you can copy so you can  keep track of where you are 

since you do not just knit this in rows!