Random Snapshots

WIP: Rusted Root

Here's my Rusted Root so far:

It's not as bright, lime green in real life.  The color is more of a bright grass green.

I finished the shaping last night and now just have to knit the body to the appropriate length.  After I finish the body I need to go back and do the ribbing on the sleeves and the neckline.  I hope the rest of the knitting goes well because I am anxious to wear this.  I tried it on the other night and it seems like it will be a good fit after blocking.

And I can't help but plot my next cast on...being so close to finishing this WIP and all.  :)

One sock down + Outfit remix

I finished the first Spring Forward sock yesterday and made a little progress on the second.  The yarn is a little darker than it shows in this picture.

I was able to make it to knit night last night.  It was really good to get out and catch up with everyone.  I even got a little knitting done.  :) 

I worked on my Rusted Root - started the shaping under the bust.  I'm hoping to finish up the shaping tonight and snap a photo. 

Speaking of going to knit night...I remixed my work outfit into a casual night outfit last night.  I've been making an effort to mix up my outfits lately using the current pieces in my closet.  I'm such a creature of habit.  I tend to wear the same outfits over and over instead of having fun and trying to create new ones.  That's definitely something that I'm working on changing.

Here's my easy day to night remix:

Day: Sweater - Forever 21, Tank - Old Navy, Black Pants - NY&Co, Peep Toe Wedges - MaxStudio, Earrings - Bitten

Night: Sweater - Forever 21, Tank - Old Navy, Jeans - Ann Taylor Loft, Peep Toes - Bandolino, Earrings - Bitten

Those blue peep toes are quickly becoming my favorite pair of shoes.  They have the perfect little kitten heel and are very comfortable. 

And lastly, since this is turning out to be a random post I'll share my happy lunch from yesterday.

Yesterday morning I was running late (what else is new) so my cutie husband made my lunch.  I was craving a PB&J and he even let me use his Wonder Bread sandwich holder.  This lunch just made me happy when I opened it up.  :)   

WIP: Spring Foward

I've made some quick progress on my first Spring Forward sock.  I picked it back up again this morning after working on my Rusted Root (photos coming) for a few days. 

I'm ready to start decreasing for the toe now.  I think I will bring it to knit night tonight and hopefully finish it up.  I plan on starting the second sock immediately so this one isn't sitting lonely for long.  I haven't knit socks one at a time in a quite a while so I don't want to fall victim to second-sock-syndrome.  :)

I really like this colorway and how it works with the wavy lace stitch pattern.  The stitch pattern is really easy too - it's making the knitting fly by.

So, what are you knitting (or crocheting or crafting) right now?  I'd love to hear about the WIPs that my knitting-readers are working on.  :)

WIP - Spring Forward Socks

I started these socks on Sunday night and they seem to be knitting up really quickly so far.  The lace repeat is really simple even though it produces a complex-looking pattern.   

The pattern is Spring Forward.  Found in the most recent issue of Knitty. 

The yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock Lightweight.  Colorway is Valkyrie from the Raven Clan line  This was in my Christmas stocking and I've been waiting for the perfect pattern.  I was a little unsure when I started these about how the pattern would look since the yarn is so dark, but I'm really happy with how the sock is turning out. 

The dark colors made the yarn difficult to photograph so I included a few photos to show off the wavy lace pattern.  The top picture is probably most true to color.

  

Happy Wednesday to you all!  Half way to the weekend...

FO: Noro Clapotis

I finally finished my Noro Sock Yarn Clapotis this past weekend. 

• Clapotis by Kate Gilbert
• Noro Sock Yarn - 1 skein - Colorway 164
• Size US 5 needle
• Ravelry Link

This has always been one of my favorite Noro colorways and when I bought the sock yarn I wanted to do something different with it.  I've also wanted to knit the Clapotis forever, but never got around to it.  When I saw a smaller version of the scarf on Ravelry in this yarn I was sold. 

The only modification I made was to make it smaller.  I think I only increased to 77 stitches.  That made it less wide and not as long.  I really love how it turned out.  It just wraps around once and kind of sits on my neck and shoulders.  Perfect for an accessory. 

FO: Jeweled Steps

These are the socks I made for my Mom for Mother's Day.  She says that they fit really well. 

I used the same skein for both - pulling from each end since I did two at a time, magic loop - but they look like they came from two different skeins.  You can see the left sock is a lot darker than the right sock.

Either way, I really love this colorway.  Fleece Artist Basic Merino Sock is one of my favorite yarns.  This is my second time using it and I find that it creates a nice sturdy, but soft sock when knitting the right gauge.

I love the reinforced heel used in this pattern.  The texture looks so rich in person. 

And the whirlpool toes are really pretty as well.

But, my absolute favorite part of the socks are the Jeweled Steps.  Little jewels are created by wrapping a few stitches together and they trail all the way up the sock.  They really stand out in person and look like jewels.  Because I used a variagated yarn mine stand out really well.  The jewels are solid since just a little bit of the yarn shows.  As you knit it is interesting to see what color or tone in this case will be shown on the next jewel.

     

• Jeweled Steps by Cat Bordhi - New Pathways for Sock Knitters: Book One
• Fleece Artist Basic Merino Sock - Grass
• US 1 2.25mm KP Circ (32")
• Took about 1 month start to finish
• Ravelry Link

These are definitely my favorite socks that I've ever knit.  I've had the Cat Bordhi book for a while, but was a little intimidated by Cat's language and instructions.  These took me a bit because I needed to really get the hang of her methods.  Once I got past the interpretation though the knitting flew by.

Cat's method involves creating a custom fit with various measurements of the foot.  I didn't really believe it would work until I was finished.  My Mom's foot is longer than mine, but the rest of our measurements are the same so I was able to see how these fit on my own feet (the photos above show the socks on me).  I have to say that I can't wait to make my own because the fit is amazing.  The arch expansion that Cat uses is genius and I'm not sure why I'd want to knit a sock without it ever again!  I have really high arches and love tight socks so this custom fit approach is really appealing to me.

In other knitting news...I have a few rows left on my Noro sock yarn Clapotis as well as some seaming to do on my niece's cardigan (which she now won't be able to wear until fall since it's about 95* back home!).  I also have started a Rusted Root, but put it down a couple of months ago so I could finish the Mother's Day socks.  Maybe I'll pick that up again. 

FO - Elfine's Socks

• Elfine's socks by Anna Bell   
• Schachenmayr nomotta Regia Color 4-ply / 4-fädig
• US 1 2.25mm KP Circular (I did these magic loop)
• Ravelry link
• No modifications or issues with the pattern - it was pretty easy to follow

I made these for my Mother-In-Law for Mother's Day.  This is the first pair of socks that I've knit as a gift and I was nervous about the fit since I was guessing.  She got the package last week though and reported back that they fit - she was wearing them that night! 

I love the striping in this yarn and the colors are so vivid.  I would have liked the pattern to pop out a little bit more, but I think they look better on the foot than on the sock blockers. 

I finished blocking my Mom's Mother's Day socks last night and will be mailing them off this week.  I'll post photos after she receives them because I want them to be a surprise.  They took me longer than expected because I got hung up with the pattern a bit.  They happen to be my first Cat Bordhi socks so they are extra-special-custom-fit for my Mama!  I hope they fit.  :) 

I had a few extra minutes the other night after running some errands and decided to make some jewelry.  I found some pretty beads at Joann's and couldn't pass them up.

The photos aren't great, but you can get an idea.  I made stitch markers out of the blue beads - the beads are really light and perfect for markers I think.  I also whipped up a couple of pair of earrings - the left pair is like a smoky grey color and the right is silver.

Special Sweet Swap

It's Special Swap time again!

The theme for this swap was *sweets* - packages filled with sweets, goodies, candy-colored yarn, etc.  I'm almost finished packing my partner's package and it's been really fun to shop for.

Awesome-swapper Kathy sent my package a couple weeks ago and it was so fun to dig into!

2 skeins of gorgeous sock yarn.  Blue Moon STR (this colorway was actually on my wishlist!) & some Regia - I love the tiny stripes this yarn makes.  Love them both!!!

Some yummy, gummy (my favorite!) candy!  I actually wolfed down some of it before I took these pics - haha!  And how awesome are those vintage clip-on earrings?  I cannot wait to wear them.  I adore vintage jewelry.

This candy cracks me up!  A gummy candy lunch bag - so cute.

And these gum drop stitch markers are delicious, aren't they?!  Such a cute idea - love them.

Thank you for an amazing Sweet swap package Kathy - I love it all!       

Eye Candy Friday

Some pretty sock yarn that I got a couple of weeks ago.  It's called Emerald Mine and I got it off of Etsy.  I ordered it for my birthday.  Can't wait to cast on.  :)

It's been a while since I've updated.  There isn't much going on besides the usual stuff. 

I feel extra busy lately though and a bit behind the curve in general.  I have many things to do and catch up on - emails, mailing and finishing Mother's Day gifts (oops!), homework, cleaning the house...etc. 

I hope to catch up this weekend and have more time for blogging soon. 

Have a great weekend!  :)

Wee Tiny Sock Swap + Sweet Survey

Last week I signed up for the Wee Tiny Sock Swap.  Denise sent me the link and thought it would be fun for us to do.  You can see her Wee Tiny Sock on her blog - I love the tiny stripes! 

I finished my sock in about an hour and mailed it off yesterday. 

See? Tiny!!!

I actually read the instructions wrong and made a pair of wee tiny socks instead of a single sock.  This little one is in photos is mine to keep and the other one is en route to my tiny sock swap partner. 

You're probably asking yourself "what the hell is the point of knitting a TINY sock and sending it to someone?" right?  Well, I don't have the answer to that!  It's just all in good knitting fun.  And who can resist a knitting project that's finished in an hour?  Not me!  Seems like that's all the free time I have lately.

Now I wait for my tiny sock to arrive in the mail.  :)

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It's Special Swap time again and this time our theme is Sweet Treats.  We're doing things a little differently this time around and I can't wait to see how it turns out. 

Our swap mama, Lynne, sent us a survey to post to our blogs so our swap partners can get an idea of what kinds of sweets we like. 

Here's my answers:

1. What were your 3 favorite treats in your Halloween bag?  Anything gummy and/or fruity (gummy bears/worms, Jujy Fruits, Dots, Twizzlers, etc), Snickers, Reese's Cups.
2. What were the 3 treats that you would trade away? Hmmm, this is tough because I really like candy!  I don't like toffee candy like Werthers, or regular hard candies (individually wrapped) or cheap chocolate - hahaha.
3. Do you bake?  Not very often.  I like baking, but I don't really have the time.  When I do I make Adam take it to work anyways so I don’t eat it all.  :)  I do like baking treats for birthdays though.
4. Do you order dessert in a restaurant? If so, what is your favorite dessert? Only if Adam will split it with me and I didn't pig out on dinner which is NOT often.  We love Tiramisu, Cherry or Apple Pie, Gelato and any kind of fruit tart with ice cream.
5. Tell me about your favorite Candy-colored yarns, and what candy are they inspired from? STR comes to mind because they are so richly dyed.  Any sock yarn really - I can never get enough of new color combos.  Reminds of me bags of jelly beans 
6. When you knit a special "icing on the cake" accessory for your outfit, would you knit ...... socks, a scarf, a hat or a bag? Socks or a scarf
7. Describe the perfect ice cream sundae. Chocolate ice cream, peanut butter sauce, whipped cream and A LOT of sprinkles!
8. Are there any knitting treats that you would love to add to your collection? A book you would like for your library? A knitting gadget for your notions bag? A sweet yarn? I love suprises!  And sock yarn - haha!
9. Think about the best homemade dessert from Mom or Grandma. Do you have the recipe to share? My Mom and (her Mom) Grandma are both excellent bakers - maybe one of them will share a recipe and I will post it.  I also remember my Dad's Mom's baking and watching her make dozens and dozens of Italian cookies for the holidays.  I have a great family pizzelle recipe from my Dad's side, but I'd have to kill you if I shared it.  :)  The survey only mentions Mom and Grandma, but I have to add that my Pappy is also a great baker and cook in general! 
10. What local or regional treats would you insist your swap partner try if she visited your town? I'm not sure of anything that's particularly regional around here.  I've heard of a great cupcake shop somewhere in Seattle.  I haven't been there yet, but hope to try it out some day!  I would also take her to Rocky Mountain Chocolates which is one of my favorite places ever.  :)
11. Cupcakes....talk amongst yourselves. I love making cupcakes because they are easy and really fun to decorate.  My cousin Denise gave me some great cupcake goodies for my birthday last year which have been a lot of fun to play with!