Skipped a week with good reason!

I have something to show you.  I am so excited.  I did a lot in the past two weeks.  I was so busy last Sunday that I didn't have time to blog.  But I have pictures to show you what was going on to keep me away from the computer.

 I finished hubby's socks about midnight last Saturday.  I was so excited to get them off the needles.  The toe was different from  any toe I had done before.  It was very easy to do and it turned out very nice.

 I keep telling you about the top of the socks and how interesting it was to knit.  Since this sock is from the book "On The Road", this sock is from Scotland.  The top of the sock is suppose to remind you of a whiskey barrel.  The band above and below the middle part are the metal "bands" on the barrel.  It was a VERY unusual stitch (for me anyway).

Hubby wore them today and said they are so comfy and even though we are still VERY hot here the socks are 100% wool so they breath and keep his feet cool.

I did some cleaning out of my craft room last weekend and came across this:

A baby blanket I started YEARS ago for a baptism.  It needed 2 rows done on it to complete it.  So I grabbed it and completed it in about 30 minutes.  Isn't it silly how we put stuff away to finish later and years go by and then you find them and could kick yourself for not finishing it while you were still working on it.  I had to try and find the pattern that I used on it and then had to figure out where I was on the pattern.  I have a couple of close ups of this tool

These little motifs look like little flowers and I just loved them.  They added so much to the blanket..

Aren't they cute?  It is made from a baby pompadour.  I love that shiny thread going through it.  It shows up better in second picture.

Every year when I put down my list for the YoP I list a WIP "LaLa's Shawl".  Well, above is the picture of what happened to the LaLa's Shawl.  Yup.............................frogged it.  It just was not making me happy and I would pick it up to work on it and put it right back down.  I didn't like the looks of it at all.  I LOVE the yarn that I have for it and will use for something else.  Don't know what at this point but at some time I am sure I will find just the right pattern that screams BLUE WORSTED WEIGHT!.

I did clean out my craft room last weekend too.  It took me a day and a half to do it but it is all nice and organized again.  With Hubby having surgery and then trying to do all the housework, laundry, cooking, shopping and errand running, that room has just been kind of a catch all when I need to stick stuff somewhere so it is out of sight when company comes over.  But I painstakingly worked on the room and here is now what it looks like.

This is in the main part of the room.  Most of this is my sock and DK weight yarn.  You will notice the looms too.  I started out reintroducing myself to knitting by using a loom.  It was fun and I enjoyed it.  But it led to frustration when I could not do something that I saw in a pattern.  So I forced myself to pick up needles again and just go after it.  Now the grand daughter is interesting in learning to loom even though she can knit.  Glad I kept them!

My craft room has a HUGH walk in closet where I store the rest of my yarn and beading supplies.  No, the dog is not stored in there.  He is my little shadow.  I can not go anywhere with out him following me.  The bags on the floors are WIPs that need to be completed.

See the bag on the bottom right?  That is the Green Bay blanket, waiting for the weather to cool off to be completed.  In the blue bag is DD's log cabin blanket that is about 1/2 done.  The cream bag is a Radian Yoke sweater that I am making for myself and am not sure I am in love with the fiber I am using for it.  Love the fiber, just not sure I like it for this pattern.  In the argyle bag is a shawl that I started a long time ago.  It is simple garter stitch but the yarn is a pain to work with.  I work on it when my hands hurt as it is on size 17 needles.  The BRIGHT green bag in the very back is an alpaca shawl that I have been working on for a couple of years.  It is crocheted but I really need to pay attention when I am working on it as frogging out a mistake is darn near impossible with that fiber.

These last two are of the same cubby.  It was hard to take the shot since I had to stand at the doorway and just point and shoot without using a view finder.  But this shows the rest of my yarn and some of my beading supplies.

I love my craft room and got a new chair for it last week and now am able to spend as much time in there as I need.  The chair makes all the difference in the world.  Otherwise I was sitting on a backless block of wood or a right leaning broken dining room chair.  Neither were very comfortable.

In the process of all of this cleaning and moving things around, I managed to get two stress fractures in my left foot.  So now I am sporting a lovely 'boot' for the next couple of weeks.  Can't go to the gym while I am in it, can't do much shopping or cleaning in it, can't do much of anything while in it. So you know what that means??????????????

MORE TIME FOR KNITTING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Happy Crafting!

Monogamous

Two months have past since we started out YoP year 3!  It doesn't seem possible to already have two months of knitting/crocheting behind me.  I feel like I should have much more to show for it than what I have done so far.  So I looked again at the list I posted for the start of this YoP.

Doll Clothes for AG doll (uses up lots of 'scrap' yarn)

Lots of socks.  Hopefully at least 6 pairs made

Fingerless Mitts for me (one is done but needs a partner)

Scarf for me to match the hat and mitts I am making

2-3 sweaters for adults

1-2 sweaters for children

Complete GB afghan

dishcloths for gifts again this year

I have completed 1 sweater for a child and have gotten once sock done and the other sock is started.

I finished the first sock yesterday afternoon and immediately started on the second sock.  I am in the hardest part of the pattern so it goes pretty slowly at this point and I have to be careful where I stop.  I lost my place on more than one occasion on the other sock so know better this time.

I am itching to cast on a sweater or two but know if I do, Hubby will never get his socks completed.  So I am being a monogamous knitter at the present time.  I think I will work on dishcloths after I complete this sock and maybe some doll clothes.  Just because they go quickly and give me instant gratification........................and they are made with non-wool yarn!  Then on to sweaters.  And once this weather gets below 100 degrees, I will return to the Green Bay afghan.  Someday I will get my fingerless mitt and scarf completed but I seem to be more in the mood to knit for others at the present time.

Hubby continues to improve daily.  He is starting to put on a bit of the weight he lost. It is a slow process for him.  I don't seem to have any problem putting on weight.................I don't know what his issue is.  LOL

I am off to read other blogs and do some housework and laundry.

Until next time..............................

Happy Crafting!

YoP again

Again, I have managed to do a weekly post!  Sundays have been pretty quiet around here the past couple of months, so it has been pretty easy for me to sit down and actually write on my blog.

I started on DH socks on Monday.  I had a heck of a time deciding what pattern to pick for them.  I am very blessed to have such great blogging buddies though.  Lynn, from Minding My Own Stitches suggested Spey Valley socks from On the Road book.

They are such a great knit.  The tops of the socks need to have close attention paid to the pattern.

It looks hard but is really quite easy but the purls and knits get moved about quite a bit during this portion.  

It is a pretty easy knit and goes quickly.  I started the sock on Monday and turned the heel last night.  I am only able to work on it for 1-2 hours an evening and then only about 3 evenings a week.  Thank you Lynn for the suggestion.  I am hoping to complete this sock in the next couple of day and start IMMEDIATELY on the second one.  Hubby really likes the pattern too.  

I did have to make one change to the pattern...................I am knitting with a size US3 needle as he has a 9" foot and the pattern was for a 7" foot.  Other than that, I am following the pattern 100%.

I was asked to let someone know how I enjoyed working with this wool..........................LOVE IT!  There is NO splitting at all with it and the twist to it really defines the pattern of the sock.  I will say that the only problem I have is...............I am allergic to wool and working with this has made my hands, face and arms itch quite a bit.  But I will suffer through since it is such a great wool to use.  (now you know why I only get to work on this 1-2 hours maximum an evening)

As for the hubby............................he got his staples out this week and is doing so much better.  He is actually hungry again!  He is back on a regular diet and the only restriction he has now is..................NO LIFTING ANYTHING MORE THAN 10 POUNDS!  That means I am still doing all the laundry, house work, grocery shopping, and anything else that requires lifting or moving things about.  

Thank you all for all your well wishes for DH.  It has been greatly appreciated.

Until next week................................

Happy Crafting!