Horcrux Socks Done

I finished these last night, after frogging the heel on the second sock twice. No matter what I do, I get holes sometimes at the corners. I've tried to research tips and tricks, (God knows I love to research) but I think it's just that I'm a loose knitter and I need to tighten up a bit more. I think I tighten up, but tight for me is not tight enough, I guess. Any suggestions would be appreciated. Someone said to think of people that annoy me while I knit.
Son loves them. He's a big Harry Potter fan, and I knit these for him before Susan named the pattern, so it worked out perfectly. I'm a bit of a Muggle, so if you are like me and need a definition for Horcrux, click here. We have a Flickr group now, so if you want to investigate all the variations, you can see them.

Meet Clyde and my Monkey Sock

No, I haven't started naming my socks. But this sock

Pattern: Monkey
Yarn: Wildefoot Sock Yarn - color Ragtime
Needles: Toothpick Size adorable little Brittany Birch #1

is knitting up so quickly it is a pleasure. It's really more in the red family, but the pic makes it look raspberry-ish.
I have a sick kiddo home this week, which also happens to be our school's mid-"Whiner " recess. I'm going out of my mind, so, meet Clyde:



Made by dh.
Go to Roxik and make your own.

You don't have to name it Clyde.

Horcrux Socks - One Down, One to Go

Here's the first one:
Knit with Lion Wool, size 5 dpns.
Son wants it because it is green. No one please tell him it has a lace pattern to it.
Loved this project in the installment style. Thanks Susan!

Drops Design Cable Bag

Winter Bag for Daughter
Pattern: Garnstudio Drops Design Bag with Cable Pattern Drops number 98, pattern 54
Yarn: Patons Classic Wool, color Dark Grey Mix 1 1/2 skeins
Needles: Size 4 bamboo circular

This was my first cable project and I enjoyed it, although I should have went up a needle size because I found myself wrestling to get the yarn over. The lining is some repro vintage cotton and I stiffened the bottom with a board covered in fabric, so it sits nicely.

The buttons are real vintage from my grandmother's collection (which I am the keeper of!). I changed the handles because I hate knitting back and forth on 6 stitches. I knit long, and was happy with the little curve it gave it. This also makes them less stretchy. I was originally knitting this for myself but daughter #1 saw it and loved it and usually doesn't like my projects so I was flattered into giving it to her. It's working out to be the perfect day to present it to her because a letter just came home telling her she did not get into the art program she wanted this summer. Maybe it will soften things a little...

A Quickie In the Morning

I'm having a ball making Susan's socks. The directions are posted in installments. I was stuck in the house with son and later in the week daughter #2, and this little gem was a sanity saver. I'm using Lion WoolEase and size 5 needles, which after all the size 1 needles I normally do socks with makes me feel like I'm holding logs. But boy, what a quick knit.

NY Fashion Week and Knitting

Am I the only one that thinks that this is just wrong?





Knit dress by Benjamin Cho at NY Fashion Week - 2/5/07

SP10

I joined my first SP! Here's my info:

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I haven't met a yarn I didn't like, but I'd have to say that lately I'm loving fingering weight yarns, and hand dyed and/or hand spun yarns. I also want to try soy and other non-wool fibers. Acrylic and Fun Fur make me cranky.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I use retro 1950s bright fuschia metal highball glass that was my grandma's. I had lots of soda in that cup when I was young. My circs are in their packages until I figure out another method of storage.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I started knitting very young, probably around 6, but stopped for a long period of time. I quilted for a while but now knitting is back with a vengance. I just got into it more heavily in the last 18 months. I guess I'm an intermediate knitter, better than beginner because I'll try anything, but not advanced because I'm slow.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?
Check my sidebar for my Amazon and Wist Wish Lists. I also have Etsy favorites but I need to drag those to my Wist list, because I can't figure out how to post my Etsy faves.

5. What's your favorite scent? I have many. Sometimes though just plain clean is my favorite.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? DARK CHOCOLATE!!!!!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? Quilting (although knitting has buried it, R.I.P.), cooking, gardening, some beading. Haven't caught the spinning or felting bug - yet.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I love any current or classic rock, metal, classical, and jazz. I speak MP3 or CD.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I'm partial to red, but not crazy about bright yellow or bright orange. Love earth-tones.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? Married for almost 19 years to a terrific guy, 2 girls 15 and 4, 1 boy 9, a Portuguese Water Dog named Lola and some fish (husband's).

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? Yes, yes, no mittens but gloves/ wristwarmers, and no ponchos since 2003...

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? Socks, Shawls, scarves, sweaters - pretty much in that order.

13. What are you knitting right now? HA! A Storm Water Scarf, Wicked sweater, wristwarmers, Celtic Vest, and a few other items in bags I don't want to think about right now...

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? ABSOLUTELY! The best!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? Circular or straight bamboo, or other wood but lately I'm jazzed by addi turbos. No other metals are fun for my hands though.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? No.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? Knitted - 18 months (Quilted - 12 years...)

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas although it can be too much work... I get my Irish up on St. Pat's too.

19. Is there anything that you collect? Needles, vintage sewing items, teapots, Depression Glass.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? I'd love to get some Lorna's Laces, Socks That Rock yarn, and more knitting books. Need some Zimmerman.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Fair-Isle, Intarsia, mastering continental, more elaborate lace.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? YES! I wear a 9, length is 9", circumference 8", ankle 9" (skinny chick...)

23. When is your birthday? July 13th.

Jaywalkers on the Needles

I changed my blog a bit, taking advantage of blogger's new features, which I really haven't experimented with as much as I would like. I lost all my buttons, so I literally jumped back up from off the cliff and reverted back to my old template. I proceeded to copy my old template to Word, and cut and pasted the button code into the new template and now I'm cool. Trying to find usable information on the internet for doing this was pretty much impossible. But if I can figure out a lace chart, I figured I could do this, so I plodded on, in between other such mom duties, of course. We need a "Blogger-Help.Com" like our beloved "Knitting-Help.Com" to really show us newbies how to make this thing sing.
Anyway, here is a knitting picture just to keep this post on the happy side.
It's my latest, the Jaywalker. Late to the party? What party?