FO! Autumn Embossed Leaves Socks

Pattern: Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt from Favorite Socks
Needles: 2.75 mm DPNs
Yarn: Fleece Artist Nova Sock in Mahogany from my SP10 Pal

I loved knitting this pattern! And looking back I have enough yarn to lengthen the leg (which I will be sure to do next time). I'm seriously debating getting another skein of this colorway and knitting them again.

Cast on last night...

Something that I can't post yet!!

Good thing I always write at work, save a draft and post when I get home (once photos are added)! I had written a huge speel about what I'm doing for my cousin's upcoming baby, pictures were to be included and then, sitting here bored at work I check Facebook...

Cousin left me a message that she "Loves my knitting blog"!! GAH! I have to go back and make sure I haven't posted too much information!! Damage control!

All I will say is it took me 3 tries to get it started. It was bit tricky casting on 5 sts and working them in a round on DPNs. Husband was laughing at me because I finally decided to sit indian style and prop the not-in-use DPNs on the couch so they wouldn't slip out of the yarn. (This led me to being horribly hunched over, face right over the needles... good thing he didn't get photos!)

Oh, but if you're really dying to see what I've got on the needles for her (and can't figure it out from the above... thankfully she doesn't knit) I will post pictures on Ravelry as it progresses. Wait! You have to register to see Ravelry right? She can't go snooping for pictures on there? Hmm... I must go investigate!

Rainy with a Good Chance of an Afternoon Nap.

The weekend was wonderfully conducive to knitting. There were thunderstorms both afternoons and most of Sunday was raining, dreary and damp anyway. And luckily our house has a metal roof (which if you love to sit inside and listen to the rain I highly recommend), the pinging of fat raindrops on the roof is a welcome sound.

Saturday was mostly for cleaning but I did get a few rows done of the Autumn Embossed Leaves sock done. I have noticed that I will post a crazy goal for my knitting and never come close to meeting it. Example the previous post hoping that the sock would be finished on Saturday. I should know better! I am a slow knitter. If it took me a week to knit the first half of the sock, and 3 days to turn the heel I should not expect to complete the gussets, foot and toe in one day! I have to laugh at myself looking at some of the outrageous goals I've set for myself in previous posts. At least there is something to aim for!

Oh, and sock progress??... They're done!
(I finished the toe just now, 6.12 pm on Monday will post pictures tomorrow since it's raining and dark.)

Knit pretty much solely on Sunday. Husband, brother and I spent the rainy day with our butts parked on the couch having a random movie marathon. (South Park season 7 in its almost entirety, Blade 1 and 2, and Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets). There was some lulls in the knitting during movies, mostly because after awhile my wrists would be sore.

So far from this list:

-Sister's Birthday Scarf was started and completed. A smashing success!

-I have the first ball of husband's sweater finished.

I'm 62% sure that I will cast on the project for cousin's baby after the socks are completed, you know just to give me a break from socks. There is a 25% chance that the Padded Footlets will be re-cast on. 3% chance that the Diamond Scarf will be worked on, 0% chance that the garter stitch scarf will be worked on and a 10% chance that I will start something brand-spankin-new.

Two in One

So I sat there and contemplated. I could try to fix it so that it wasn't messed up at all, or I could just k2tog twice and call it a day. You have no idea how alluring the second option was. After almost 30 minutes of debating I took action.

My friends, I accomplished what I thought I couldn't do. I studied the extra two stitches and I fixed it!!! That's right, I actually fixed something! Sure it doesn't look exactly perfect, but it definitely looks a lot better than two k2togs would have.

See?


The screwed up portion is at the 5 1/2 inch mark. Sure if you look closely you can see it, but I think I did a pretty decent job at it. Oh yeah I've got almost 7 inches (as you can see in the photo) completed with a slight amount on the first ball left. I don't know if this is good yarn mileage or not, but I did knit a good size swatch out of the same ball. I hope so.

And...



Well, you see... this past week was a fairly slow week knitting-wise. I just didn't want to knit anything at all. So I cast on the second sock, just to get the mojo flowing... well, one thing lead to another and there it is. All the way to the gussets.

And can you see the difference? Maybe this will help.



The second sock is most definitely and assuredly red whereas the first sock is brown. Both knit from the same ball. I love it! I'm hoping that the toe of the second sock ends up brown since the first sock's toe ended up red. *Crosses fingers* Hopefully they will be completed and ready for their photo shoot tomorrow!

And she's off!

FO Friday! Huzzah! The first Autumn Embossed Leaves sock is finally completed!

Pattern: Embossed Leaves by Mona Schmidt from Favorite Socks
Yarn: Fleece Artist Nova from my Secret Pal
Needles: 3.75 mm DPNs

The one thing I loved most about this pattern was the way the gussets were constructed. Usually I have a big problem with holey gussets or uneven gussets. Not so with this pattern! And for that I am incredibly overjoyed (which makes husband think I'm crazy).

See the pretties?



About the previous post. Yes my friends. I have taken the step. I am beginning a sweater for husband! My very first sweater! It's "Havana" from Ella Rae book 6, and I'm using the recommended yarn (Ella Rae Amity) for a few reasons.

A) It's my first sweater and it will be just easier on me if my gauge turns out close to the recommended (*Crosses fingers*), and this I hope will be easier with the recommended yarn.
B) Amity is 75% acrylic and 25% wool, true most don't like acrylic but this sweater will be machine washable which is a HUGE thing because husband throws everything in the wash and the dryer.

Once I purchased a 100% Cashmere sweater for him from Banana Republic (for $15!) and within a week I found it in the dryer. When confronted, husband was confused and defensive stating that there was no tag in it as to how to wash/dry. He didn't realize that lots of clothes have a tag with that information on the side of the garment. He was cute in his naivety but that did not stop me from banning him from the laundry room.

Well, I hope this FO, satiates you for the next week because I'm off to Baltimore and Washington DC! (And the other Autumn Leaves sock will not be coming with me... the new sweater will.)

Until then! Hope everyone has a wonderful week!

Time? Time? Anybody have some Time?

First sock update.

Yes, yes I had wanted to have it completed this weekend. Problem is I sorta got sidetracked. There was a realization that I will be gone ALL of next week on a work trip (again). Panic set in as I figured out all that needed to be accomplished before I leave and therefore little knitting was done. Not only that but I'm trying to plow my way through washing the fleeces. So what little time I had between panic attacks was spent washing wool.

Seriously, how do multi-crafters do it? I've read about "Tuesdays is for spinning" which seems like a good idea, but "Wednesdays is for wool washing" just doesn't sound appealing. Maybe "Fridays are for carding"? Plus it's been taking me quite a few rinses to get all the soap out so it's been going slowly.

If you're a multi-crafter how do you do it?

Actual Knitting Content!

Staying up all hours of the night + Company = Sick

Meh, husband has given me his cold which really started to kick my rear yesterday. Luckily for me I had already cast on a sock. "Embossed Leaves" from Favorite Socks.



I'm using the Fleece Artist that my Secret Pal sent to me (see this post). The yarn is mostly a cranberry color with browns tinted with green and a small bit of gold (I love these colors together!) Gender-neutral socks were going to be made because husband really likes the colors as well, and neutral socks were cast on. I hated the pattern. They were frogged.

Then I started seeing all of the Embossed Leaves socks that were finished on Ravelry and figured I'd make them Autumn Leaves Socks. I think these are going to be my favorite socks ever! I'm debating adding a repeat at the top because I like my socks tall (and then I can wear them with boots too).

Anyway, today also marked the beginning of wool washing. I'm starting out with just a tiny bit of wool, using hose, Dawn, the bathtub and the thermometer from the fish tank (it was cleaned) to wash the wool and a huge screen that husband used to use on his back porch to keep out the sun to dry it. Cross your fingers for me!