On the Needles–September 28th

It’s sock knitting time in my house….woohoo!

I’m gearing up for Socktoberfest by knitting some socks this week.

Last weekend I started a pair of socks that will be a Christmas gift for my husband.  He has very large feet (12 wide men’s) so I have never knit socks for him.  But this year when I was at the knit in at the Manning’s I decided to buy yarn for socks for him.  I cast them on last weekend and am almost to the heel gusset…YAY!

I also decided to start another pair of socks for myself.  Since I can only work on hubby’s socks when he’s not home or when I’m out at knit group I needed a project to work on while hubby and I are watching TV in the evening.  I decided to try out the Skyp pattern and modify the pattern to knit them toe up instead of cuff down as written.  I have now turned one heel and am working on the other sock’s heel turn now.  They should be finished this week!  I’m calling them Skyp the Tea Party Socks because the yarn is Fresh From the Cauldron SW Sock yarn in the Tea Party colorway.  Fun and bright!!

This week I also managed to finish the hat that was on the needles last week.  Love this Golf Pants colorway, the way that the color pooled looks like a golf course to me.  I’m very happy with the result!

Hop on over to JudyL’s Blog to see what’s on everyone else’s needles!

On (and Off) the Needles–September 21st

This week I have a project on the needles and one off the needles.

Last weekend I finished my Olympic Nanner socks that were on the needles last week.  I’m very happy to have them done well before they will be gifted to my friend!!  I love the pattern as well as the yarn.  I will certainly knit this pattern again and I have already bought another skein of this yarn in a different colorway to make a pair of socks for myself.

After I finished the socks I cast on a hat that will likely be a Christmas gift this year.  It’s a slouchy Sockhead Hat using Rock Creek Soper Soft Sock yarn in the Golf Pants colorway.  I originally bought the yarn for a mini swap but the skein was short for the swap, so a hat it is becoming…

Hop on over to JudyL’s Blog to see what’s on everyone else’s needles this week…

Yarntervention needed……

Well I’ve been telling my knitting group that I’m in serious need of a “Yarntervention”.  I have gone totally yarn buying crazy over the last year or so.  Hubby keeps saying that just because he got a better paying job doesn’t mean that I need to spend all the extra on yarn….

For some reason I can’t seem to pass up a good sale….a Loopy Ewe Monday Update…a Fresh From the Cauldron update….you get the picture…

Here’s some of the stash…

And another drawer…

This is the same drawer but you can see that the drawer is big enough that there’s a row behind the row that you see from the front of the drawers (the drawers in the first picture are the same)

And this is the bin that won’t fit into the stash drawers…

And then there was the Loopy Ewe Monday Update….

And finally the Opal Sock Yarn sale at Simply Socks Yarn Company that JudyL “mentioned” on her blog last week.

I really need to stop….Today I ordered yarn from Loopy Ewe for the Fourth Quarter Challenge and Fresh From the Cauldron had an update with more yummy True Blood yarns…..sigh

On My Needles–September 14th

I’m thrilled with the progress of my current knitting project!!  My Nanner Socks using Lorna’s Laces in the London 2012 colorway are nearly finished.  I started them last Saturday and finished turning the heels on Wednesday night at Margarita Night with my knitting group.  I have a few more inches to knit on the leg and then the ribbing to do before I can cast them off.

Coming up in a few days I should be receiving a couple yarn orders and will be posting about them….so stay tuned!

Oh, I also received my latest Thirty One order a couple weeks ago and I thought I’d share a couple of the items I ordered in use…

The totes are holding my most recent stash enhancements that I don’t have room for in the stash drawers.  I either need to start knitting fast or get some more storage space….

Hop on over to JudyL’s Blog to see what’s on everyone else’s needles….

On My Needles–September 7th (a couple days late)

Well I’m a couple days late with my post but I had to wait til I actually had something on the needles LOL

I finished the WestKnits Mystery Shawl and I did in fact run out of yarn.  But I’m very happy with the results nonetheless.  Here’s some pictures…

I also decided to frog my Skew Socks project.  The first sock was nearly finished but it was a long skinny sock and was never going to fit anyone.  I will need to figure out some modifications before I decide to knit these socks.  Here’s before….

And after…

I decided that I would go ahead and start the gift socks that need to be made this year.  Here’s the first pair…

Nanner Socks from Wendy Johnson using Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in the London 2012 commemorate colorway.  I love how they are turning out!  Here’s the skein before I started knitting….

Hop on over to JudyL’s Blog to see what’s on everyone else’s needles!

On (and off) My Needles–August 31st

Well I have been busily shawl knitting this week and managed to finish my Camp Loopy project 3 on Saturday.  I am tickled pink with my Derecho Shawl knit with Swans Island Organic Merino Fingering yarn.

I had a blast knitting along at Camp Loopy again this year and am thrilled to have finished all 3 projects in the 3 months of camp!

Today is the deadline to upload finished pictures of the Westknits Mystery Shawl in order to qualify for prizes.  If you know me, you know I love a challenge, so I am busily knitting away to finish this shawl today.  I only have a few more rows before it is finished.  The big question right now is will I run out of yarn before the end of the pattern?  Or will I have to cut the second “wing” short?  Time will tell….

After I finish the shawl I think I will work on my sock yarn blankie for a bit before I decide on my next project

Hop on over to JudyL’s Blog to see what’s on everyone else’s needles this week!

On My Needles–August 24th

My Derecho is still on my needles.  I am nearly finished and will be finished by the end of the weekend (I have to finish by Monday and post photos for the Camp Loopy Challenge).  At this point I am working on the final striped section and then I just have the border to knit.  This yarn lays and drapes so beautifully I don’t thin k I’m going to need to block it (YAY!)

Once I finish knitting the Derecho I plan to finish knitting my Westknits Mystery Shawl.  I have not made any progress since I posted this photo…

I have to say, once I am finished the mystery shawl I am going to shy away from garter stitch shawls for awhile (the final clue of the mystery is striped garter stitch sections – LOL).  I will have knit 5 of them since June once the mystery is done.

I think I will be casting on at least one pair of socks very soon LOL.

Hop on over to JudyL’s Blog to see what’s on everyone else’s needles!

On My Needles–August 17th

Well the Ravellenic Games was very productive for me.  I finished all of my projects on time and managed to start a new one before the games ended.

My Color Affection Shawl is lovely and quite large.  I can’t wait to wear it when the weather turns cooler…

I also finished my WIP Lacy Ribs Socks.  I’m glad to have them done since they were sitting on the needles for quite some time…

My new project that is currently on the needles is my Derecho Shawl.  This is my Camp Loopy project 3 and I need to have it finished by August 27th.  So I have 10 days to git-r-dun!  I think I can do it!

I’m also hosting an online Thirty-One Party that closes on August 29th.  These bags are fantastic especially for Crafters.  Lovely fabrics and fun embroidered personalization is available on most bags.  This is the last chance for some of the bag styles and prints so take a look at my party and order before the 29th is you’re so inclined

Don’t forget to hop over to JudyL’s Blog to see what’s on everyone else’s needles

My Sock Yarn Blanket….

I’ve had a few people ask questions about my long term knitting project, My Sock Blankie.  So I thought I’d go ahead and post some information about the project as well as an updated picture of the blanket laid out flat.

I started the blanket on August 6, 2011 (wow that was 1 year ago yesterday) during an all day knit in at The Mannings in East Berlin, PA.  My knitting group attends this annual event as a group and we have a blast knitting all day.

The squares are garter stitched mitered squares and are attached as I knit.  I pick up stitches from previous squares to start the new square and I am constructing this blanket on the diagonal.  The square measure approximately 2.5” square and the blanket will consist of 28 squares across by 36 squares down.  This is a total of 1008 squares.  I then plan to knit a solid black outer border with mitered squares in each outer corner.

As of right now I have knit 638 squares and I have set a goal this year of reaching the 900 square mark by the end of 2012.

Each square takes 30 minutes to knit so when I finish knitting the squares I will have put 504 hours of knitting time into this blanket.

During the Ravellenic Games I set myself a goal of knitting 50 squares onto the blanket.  I reached that goal this weekend and received this medal today

If you are a member of Ravelry you can see more information on the original pattern by visiting my project page.  Feel free to add me as a friend on Ravelry as well.

I hope this answered some of your questions.  I’ve really enjoyed knitting this blankie and I cannot wait to see it finished!

On My Needles ~ August 3rd

I’m moving right along on my Ravellenic Games projects….  My Color Affection is coming along very nicely.  Hopefully I will finish the final striping section today and then will just have the outer solid border left to knit…

I am also more than halfway to my 50 square goal on my Sock Blankie.  My goal is 50 squares knit during the games and I have already knit 32 squares…

I haven’t picked up my socks yet but I will work on them soon.

Hop on over to JudyL’s Blog to see what’s on everyone else’s needles….

On My Needles–July 27, 2012

I’m gearing up for the Opening Ceremonies of the Ravellenic Games tonight at 4pm my time.  I have the day off work and am making sure that I have everything ready for serious competition knitting for the next 17 days!!!

In the meantime I have been knitting on my Westknits Mystery Shawl.  I’m about 3/4 finished Clue 2 and Clue 3 was released this morning.  After the Games begin this shawl will take a back seat until my projects for the Games are finished.  Here’s the shawl progress so far…

I also finally got my Striped Study Shawl blocked and photographed.  Here’s the Off the needles pictures…

Hope on over to JudyL’s Blog to see what everyone else has on their needles…

On My Needles–July 20th

I’ve been getting ready to compete in the Ravellenic Games which means setting up Ravelry project pages and winding yarn into cakes.  I have all of my project pages ready and I will wind the skeins for my shawl over the weekend.

During the Games I plan to compete in the Modular Relay by knitting at least 50 squares onto my ongoing Sock Blankie.  I’ll also be doing a little WIP Wrestling by finishing my Lacy Ribs Socks (pictured below).  These are a Wendy Johnson pattern and the Yarn is Eidos by The Sanguine Gryphon

The final event I’ll be competing in is Shawl Sailing.  I plan to knit a Color Affection Shawl using the Miss Babs Yummy kit I bought at Maryland Sheep and Wool this year.  I have been itching to knit this shawl for awhile now and I’m very excited to cast on next Friday!

I’m also working on the Stephen West Mystery KAL and have finished Clue 1.  I’m patiently awaiting the release of Clue 2.  Here’s the result of the first clue:

Pop on over to JudyL’s blog to see what’s on everyone else’s needles…