Frog Pond Redeaux

I just completely frogged both Friday Harbor socks. Both were on the second round of the instep pattern and now they are back to being just balls of yarn. What happened? Well, a couple of days ago, it became clear they were too long in the leg, so I ripped both back past the gussets, past the heels and a good 2" into the cuff and started over. Last night I got both heels done and was working my way down the foot once more feeling pretty stupid that I hadn't noticed this extra length earlier. When I picked them up today, it dawned on me that I just didn't like them...period. I love the pattern. I love the yarn. But I just didn't like them together and was concerned about fit. I had worked out the pattern to use fingering yarn instead of DK or sport or whatever she used and I just didn't like the way they felt. So it's back to square one with those.

On a brighter note, the Frolicking Shamrocks are coming along fine and I got more beads for a few more pair. These beads are much nicer than the ones I got locally...ordered them from Auntie's Beads online. A great selection and super colors. I actually got four different shades of green-three of which I love.

So I'm happy there and will sit on the gorgeous CTH yarn until some other pattern strikes me. In the meantime, I may try the Friday Harbor again with some of the Peruvian Collection Baby Silk I just ordered from Elann. Yahoo! Four balls of four colors...I'm in heaven!!

Full speed ahead

Well, i did frog the shamrock sock, took the beading section down a needle and I am very happy with the results. They are too cute for words. I will begin the second later today. I'm also making great progress on the Friday Harbors...both are almost ready for the heels and I am so in love with the color. Happy, happy, happy me!

The Frolicking Shamrocks

Hmm....I can do this! The pattern is so well written probably anyone could, but still.... I do notice however that my purling seems to have increased my stitch gauge considerably. That or the beads are too big. Hmmm...this may be headed to the frog pond.......

Friday Harbor in progress

This is the endlot yarn I got from CTH...I absolutely LOVE the colors! The Friday Harbor pattern (from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush) is proving to be challenging....but then I have added stitches to make it work with fingering weight yarn so what do I expect?? I'm liking the progress so far! I just wish the lighting was better so you could really see the gorgeous colors....

I'm bad...

..but I couldn't help myself. Not only did I send another order in to Elann, but I just did one to KnitPicks too. Yikes!

From Elann I ordered four more skeins of the Sock it to Me Colori in Highland Heather and Northern Forest as well as the Heartstrings Pattern for the "Frolicking Shamrocks" socks. St. Paddy's day is coming after all! If I can get them done, they will be nice gifts for Maureen and Nola.

Then I read about this new KnitPicks yarn and once I saw it, I had to try it. What prices!! Just $3.99 for merino in what look like fabulous colorways. I got two each of the Landscape in Redwood Forest, Yukon and Cape Cod...lovely, lovely. THEN I looked at their lace weight and fell for their "Shimmer" (70% baby alpaca, 30% silk) which I ordered in Morning Mist and Turquoise Splendor. At 440 yds for just $4.99, how can you beat it?? And it got really good reviews from the knittersreview.com. WTH, it's only money.

So the Glitzies are done and I love them! Now I'm finishing up the dreadful Opal Magic. I am sooo disappointed in this yarn. Clearly it was wound before it was completely dry and there are blue blobs of color where they clearly shouldn't be. Luckily DD won't care and will wear them happily as her toes stay warm.

And I pulled the needles off the purple Opals...I just wasn't happy with the way they were looking. Time to tos them back in the stash and attempt them another time. It also frees me up to finish the cashmere smoke ring while I wait for the shamrock pattern to arrive. I have plenty of Nylamb in a great green so I can get right on those when it arrives. The beading will be a new challenge, but I'm excited about doing it. We'll see if I can stay that way once I begin.

Off to watch "Shall We Dance?"

torture

I don't like making a second sock and can totally understand the much maligned "second sock syndrome". Once I'm done with that yarn, that color, that pattern...I'm done. I learned this a long time ago and if it wasn't for the fact that I was afraid these gilitzies wouldn't fit, I would have done what I always do...a little of one, a little of the other and finished them both within minutes of each other. I can barely stand making myself knit this second one...there are so many other things I'd rather be working on. But for now, I'm being good. Even I can see that I have too many projects going at once here.

But my blue/purple endlot of CTH supersock arrived today and omg, am I itching to work that up! The colors are simply sumptuous! One will be the Friday Harbor for sure. (I think.) It's nearly 15 oz and I paid just a few dollars more than what 4 usually costs. Gotta love that bargain!

There is snow coming tonight, tomorrow and into tomorrow night....a snow day tomorrow for sure. Except that I will probably venture out early to work...if I go at all as it will most likely deteriorate as the day progresses. Gosh, how I love snow days!

One Down, One to Go...

A silly looking sock..the foot looks enormous with the ribbing back all scrunched up! But here's one done...my CTH SuperGlitz in the Whitby pattern from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush. I love it! But I hate that I now have to make another one just like it. Now I remember why I always do them both together. I was just afraid they wouldn't fit...I've never done so few stitches (48) on such small needles (2 & 3) before. But they do fit! I learned something though...don't question the pros. When she asked for 17 heel repeats, that seemed like way too many so I stopped at 14. Sure enough, the heel is a bit short. But I was running very close on the yarn from my two guess-it-looks-about-the-same balls so I'll get the other nearly done before I consider frogging it back to the heel.

Now if the weather would just stop being the near 50s!!

Closeup of two front cables. There was supposed to be some purl stitches in this large space between the cables, but I opted to leave that out. I had plenty of purling as it was!

A super closeup of one of the two front cables

Are they cute or what??

My gorgeous LL sock...after many washings!

Smoke Ring detail

Flared Lace Smoke Ring in Baby Alpaca

Finally!

I finally found the perfect pattern for the Super Glitz!! I went to the big sale at my LYS and was so good! I bought no yarn at all....shocking! But I did buy Nancy Bush's Knitting on the Road and in there found exactly what I was looking for (even if I wasn't sure what that was). The "Whitby" is exactly right and I frogged once again and started it and I am very pleased. I've done about 5" on the leg and it's precisely the look I wanted for this fabulous yarn.

The only other thing I got was three more Addi Turbos...replacing the dog-chewed #7 and getting a #8 and #5 as well. I decided this was a better use of my discounted dollars than more yarn - which I tend to find cheaper online anyway. So I'm a happy girl!

I also finished off the Flared Lace Smoke Ring which came out beautifully! I think Gwen will love it. I have already cast on a second in the baby cashmere. It's lovely and sort of this color. It will be for Bea I think since she was the one that initially inspired the thought.

Hopefully the batteries will charge and I can post pictures tomorrow.

Frustration

Well, I got squat done today. Came home, eager to have an evening to myself to knit, and I still can't seem to find a pattern for the Super Glitz. I so love the yarn, but nothing is working and the poor thing has been frogged to death! I'm beginning to think it wants to be just a plain sock...no fancy pattern...just straight knit. But will that bore me to death or what??? Truth be told though, it's probably the sock I find most comfortable.

In searching I ended up printing a bizillion patterns I have gathered off the web. That felt good since I have been meaning to do it for awhile, but it wasn't what I wanted to do, nor was it in my game plan!

Oh well, it's the weekend and maybe just a plain ole sock is the perfect thing for Superbowl watching???

Ugh...what a day

Came home today to find the little darling dog had chewed up my brand new Addis. Thank heavens she only chewed on the ends and didn't lose any of the 168 stitches on the nearly finished Flared Lace Smoke Ring for Gwen. What a brat dog! (I discovered later that she also knocked over one of the pots of bulbs I was forcing...grrr!) I managed to move the smoke ring onto the Clover needles, so I am struggling with that nasty join once again. I actually think it's nearly done...not quite 18", but I doubt I have enough yarn to do another full 8 rounds. The Misti Alpaca is amazing...soft and sooooo luxurious!

I worked on the Super Glitz and don't like this pattern either. I have been having the hardest time lately finding patterns...both the Super Glitz (in the Country Garden colorway, which I LOVE!) and the purple toned Opals have been frogged at least 3-4 each. I just can't find the right design for them. I'll know it when I see it, I'm sure.

I didn't take up the Bartletts tonight...worked on them a bit this morning. The yarn feels like iron after so much time with the alpaca!

But I did cave in (again) and start another Spiralbuster for the SixSock List...I like this combo of colors much better...a lovely blue and soft green I just got from Elann mixed with some lovely LL from my stash of leftovers. It's very subtle and quite nice...no where near as Boy Scout stripey as the last one I started, but I still don't think I like it. I would really like to participate with the list, but at the same time, why spend time making socks I won't like?? I have too many other projects I'm excited about. And I really don't think I like toe up, but maybe I'm just being stubborn.

Anyway...there's not enough hours for all the things I want to do.