Coming Together Slowly

Here we have the completed front fair isle. I still have some more rows of the plain old blue to knit then it will be placed on some waste yarn so I can work on the back fair isle section.
















Here is a different angle of it. It is a really cool pattern and I just love to watch how it slowly forms as I am knitting.





















I will do the sleeves before I work any farther on the front or back so I will have a better idea of how much plain blue to knit before I join the top back in the round again.
















I am really loving the way that this is coming together. So far the pattern has been easy to read and straight forward. I have read ahead though and the neck shaping and such and it seems a but cryptic. I will have to read it more carefully when I get to that point and see if I can go step by step to understand what they are trying to say.














At the rate that I am going I should have it done by the end of winter. LOL

Here is the beginnings of the first sleeve. I will knit in blue for quite some time then start another fair isle pattern before adding a few more rows of blue then casting off.







































This first sleeve is coming along nicely. I am so anxious to get this finished.

Thank Yous All Around

THANK YOU #1

Recently I won a contest that Brooke had a contest. She was giving away some wonderful prizes to the 500th commenter.

I happened across her blog from seeing a comment she left on a friend's blog. I had no clue that she was having a contest let alone that leaving a comment introducing myself to her, since she does live some what in the area I am in, would win me some nice goodies.

Thank you Brooke! Every thing arrived safe and sound and is just wonderful.

Here is the bootee all together. Lace weight Orange and Yellow KnitPicks yarn, Jawoll for socks for James, Green yarn winder, little wooden sheep and 3 stitch markers that were in the little drawl string bag.



















A closeup of the KnitPicks yarn.














Close up of the cute little sheep and the stitch markers. The one on the far right has the word "create" stamped into it.















Now I need a pattern for the laceweight. Anyone have any suggestions???


THANK YOUS #2

Last night at my FNSLYS they had a birthday party for me! It was a really nice surprise. We had a great time knitting, talking and of course laughing. Mindy even brought Liam to see everyone!

Not only did we have some yummy food, they also had gifts for me! I got some really cute cards, a gift card to Lambikins and Susan made her chocolate peanut clusters (OK I have to tell you that they are to die for) and she gave me my own tin of them. I am blaming any weigh gain on you, Susan, just so you know. ;)

Thank you everyone for the fun. Man I could eat a pretzel right now. LOL















Yes the picture was taken on James' Car's table. LOL I use it for my lap top and knitting while he is sleeping. ;) Shhhhh don't let him know.

Warm Fair Isle, Cold House

UPDATE: Kevin was able to fix the furnace. He was able to get it fixed Friday night. So we are warm again. Thanks for all the warm wishes. Keep your fingers crossed that it is fixed.

Slowly the little Fair Isle Sweater is coming along. One day it will grow up into a big sweater.

I am really enjoying knitting this. The Fair Isle parts are so much fun. I have finally found my groove again with the 2 handed/2 color knitting. It took me a while to get back in that groove and I am sure that some of the people at my FNSLYS (Favorite No So Local Yarn Store) were wondering what I was thinking knitting something so challenging. It looked like I had two left hands and neither of them knew what the other was doing. Guess that is what happens when you haven't picked something up for over a year.
















I do have my groove back. If you saw me knitting on this and thought "Wow what a mess that girl is". I promise it and I don't look like that now. LOL

I really wish I had more time to work on it. Between vet appointments, Dr. appointments, James' new found love for books again, (if he is awake I have to read his entire mass quantity of books until it is either nap time or bed time. I swear that I have them all memorized. Kevin laughs at me because I can read quite a few of them without even looking at them.) the normal daily household cleaning and such I just don't have much time to work on it. Hopefully things will settle down in a while and I can get back on a routine again and some knitting time will be included in there some where.



















Currently we are trying to stay warm. I had to call Kevin this morning to let him know that the furnace wasn't working! Currently we are at 50 degrees in the house. Burrrrrr. Kevin took a 1/2 day to hopefully fix it. He had to go and get a part that USED to cost $7 that now costs $75! Sadly at the moment it doesn't seem to be working. I just thank God that we have a heater (oil filled electric heater) hooked up in James' room. At least he will be warm. If we don't get it fixed I will be packing up and either heading to the In-laws or my Mom's. Please wish us luck that Kevin can fix it. We don't have the $$ to pay for some one to come in.

My feet are cold. Guess it is time to add another layer of socks. *sigh*

Knit Fix

For Christmas I received a gift card to a LYS that is about 10 minutes away from me. They are mainly for machine knitting so if you are a machine knitter or know one and you haven't been to the store you should make it a point to go.

They do have some nice yarns for hand knitters, but none of them spoke to me that day. So I went to look at the books, and then I saw it. Knit Fix was staring at me calling my name.

I have been wanting this book since I have seen reviews of it. Sadly my NSLYS hasn't gotten it in yet, so I decided that is what I would get.

I am so happy with it. There are so many techniques in it to fix any little to huge mistake. Granted there are a few that I already do, but there are even more that I have never seen, would never have thought of, or had no clue that you could do.

This is a great book for the beginner to the experienced knitter. I am very happy with my purchase and it will be added to my knitting reference library that I am slowly building.

Granted I hope that I never have to get the book out to use it, but I know that I will sooner before later. :) If you don't have it yet go out and get it. It will make a good addition to your library too.

Visiting an UFO

Last year I started a fair isle sweater for James. Sadly it ended up getting put in the knitting basket for later knitting and I just never picked it back up. I was learning so many new things in the land of knitting and I was so excited about it all that I was trying to knit everything at once. Which means that my old projects were neglected.

I am using the pattern from the Dale book # 149. It is this one on the front cover. Of course I am using different colors and added a few stripes in the pattern. I have held up what I have finished so far to see how it will fit the wee one and it is going to be big still. I am so glad.



















THIS is where I stopped last year on it. So I picked it up from there and have started to make some progress on it.
















It is no longer being knit in the round. Call me a wimp, but I just can't bring myself to steek it. I am not that brave yet and my sewing skills, or lack there of, leave a lot to be desired that is for sure. So I split it for the front and back.















I am a little farther than this on it, but I need to get pictures and all that fun stuff.

I am so excited about it again and I would love to be able to get it finished so that James could wear it this winter some time, if the weather would cooperate that is.

I am hoping to revisit all my UFO's that have been ignored. I really need to get some of them finished. Heck I have a pair of gloves that only need a few fingers knit in and then the ends woven in. I have a problem with being monogamous with my knitting. I think I need to work on that. ;)

Secret Scarf

Not only did I send something to my friend's son, I also sent something to her too.

I found this yarn of course at my NSLYS. Sadly when I took these pictures there was no sun out so there was no natural light. I had to settle for using the flash and it completely washed out the color. I know it looks completely blue, but I swear that there are purples, pinks and hints of grey in there too.





















The yarn is Wooly Feathers by Mountain Colors. The color is called Sweet Lavender. If you look at it on their web page it looks completely different than what I photographed.




















Details:

Needles: Sz. 13 Straights

Yarn: Mountain Colors Wooly Feathers Sweet Lavender (1 skein)

Pattern: Completely garter stitch

This was another quick knit and the only pictures that I got of it is what you see. Wish I would have gotten more pictures, but I was more concerned that I got it out in the mail and to the recipient before Christmas. I was so glad to hear that she liked it.

Do These Look Some What Familiar?? :)

Well here are the secret socks that I was making for a friend's son. I can show them now since we have revealed who had who in the ecxhange. They are made from the same Cascade Fixation that I made James' out of (different ball/dye lot).


I said that I loved this yarn and I wanted to make more of them. Well I was true to my word. :)
















I do have more of the Fixation in different variegated color ways and solids. I like the softness, stretch and cushieness of this yarn knitted up. Honestly I was a bit apprehensive at first, but once I tried it I was hooked. If you have never tried it get a ball or two and I think you will love it. It will take one ball for baby/toddler socks and two balls for adult socks. I know that my NSLYS sells it for $4.60 for the solid and $5.5o for the variegated. I think that is a really good price for sock yarn. Especially something that will be a good yarn for a child.















Here are the socks almost finished. All I need to do is the foot, the toe and then Kitchener it together. As quick as they went that part didn't take me long at all.















I really like how they look like some sort of weird zebra. Everyone that has seen them in person think that they are really cool too. Anja said that she loved them. So I am glad that they were liked and are appreciated.


On to the details:

Needles: Sz. 4 DP

Yarn: Cascade Fixation 1 ball (Black, Grey, White)

Pattern: Same as James' K1, P1 rib for cuff, plain stockinette for leg and foot, Round heel and classic toe

It is time to cast on some more of these in different sizes for James. I think that this might be my travel knitting. Small, compact and a quick knit.

I didn't get a picture of the second finished sock or a picture of it all cutely wrapped up in it's label. I was in such a hurry to get it out in the mail that I completely forgot.

Up next will be what I made for Anja and I think I will be pretty close to being up to date on my knitting.

James' Socks

First off Thanks for all the Birthday wishes you gave my little man.

Here are the socks that I made for James. I am keeping them for his Birthday party to go with some clear boots that I got as well. Hummm maybe I should stuff the socks and get a picture of them in the boots.

I already know that he likes them since he carried the first one around the house after it was finished. LOL He is so silly.

I haven't tried them on him yet and the boots I know are too big at the moment for him, but he isn't getting any smaller that is for sure. I just hope that the socks either fit or are too big so he can grow into them.

They knit up so quickly. I loved the fact that I could get them done so fast and have something to show for it. I have more of the same color that I am going to use to knit up a pair for a friend's son. More on them later.

Now for the details:

Needles: Sz 4 Circular

Yarn: Cascade Fixation Black, Grey and White
1 ball will make a pair of socks for a child. I had a decent size ball left over.

Pattern: K1, P1 rib for cuff, generic stockinette for leg, round heel and a classic toe. Made to fit a Toddler size 8.


Sock #1













Start of Sock #2













Finished Socks

Mom's Christmas Scarf

Still on the Christmas gift tangent here. As for 2007 knitting I have been working on pair of socks for Kevin. The man has a size 17 shoe! Please keep me in your thoughts and prayers as I knit these. LOL

I made my Mom a scarf this year as one of her Christmas gifts. Of course with the weather being so warm lately I don't foresee her needing it if the weather keeps it up. I guess she will be ready for next year if this winter doesn't get any cooler.


















I used the Yarn Harlot's One Row Handspun Scarf Pattern. The pattern was so easy to memorize and it was a fun knit. It knit up fairly quickly as well. I am very happy with the pattern and the way it looked and I would love to make more of them. Maybe I will list a few on my Etsy store.

Here are a few close-ups of what the pattern looks like knit up. Cool hu?



























I can say that the above pictures are washed put quite a bit. The picture below shows the color more true to what it is. It is a nice deep red.


















Details:

Needles: Sz 8

Yarn: Yarn Source Sol 100% Wool Burgundy (this is my NSLYS's own line of yarn click the link below the picture on their web page to see all the colors and to order it on line, plus check out their own line of silk called Passion the prices are really good for both of them)

Pattern: Via Yarn Harlot

I am really ready to knit this pattern again. It was fun and pretty much a mindless knit. If you can count to 4 you can do this pattern.

So my question to you is from all the colors of the Sol which one is your favorite or top favorites?