TA-DA!

Well, it's official, the Regia 'never ending socks'' have finally ended and I can say that I'm thrilled with them and their sheer comfort, especially with the garter stitch short row heels. One thing about Regia sock yarn is that they wear like iron and always snap back to their original shape after washing and air drying. My next pair will be for my mother for Christmas and they will be made using the same yarn (but in a different colorway this time) that I used to make these for her a few years ago.
This yarn is more of a DK or a light worsted so it's substantially toastier and lofty to wear which keeps my mom's tootsies nice and warm throughout the winter time. She wore the ones in the picture above so often that I had to perform some 'sock surgery' on them as best I could to keep them going for her this past winter.

I'm now working on 2 projects (trying to keep it down to 2 and not beginning anything else until at least 1 is completed). One is a Symbol CAL I'm doing at Ravelry . It's a mystery garment and the purpose is to learn how to read the symbols used in crocheting when the pattern is charted out, rather than using only the written patterns. It is a challenge I needed to take because I usually avoid crochet (or knitting for that matter) symbols like the plague since they have made very little sense to me in the past. Things are going along pretty well though since the gals on the Learn Crochet forum are the best.....always willing and able to answer all sorts of questions and hold our collective cyber hands as we attempt to actually 'get it'.

My other current project is a pullover sweater for my recently born grandson. I'm using Encore yarn so it has some wool but can also be washer and dryer friendly. I'm knitting it in the round from the bottom up and will incorporate some Fair Isle patterning into it, via EZ in her Knitting Workshop series. Starting it off in a medium blue and haven't decided on the other 2 colors I'll use for the patterning yet. Pictures will follow when there is enough done to show you. Until then, knit on and live each and every moment as it unfolds. Life is precious!

Working on Completing Socks

These socks are seemingly taking forever because no matter how much I knit, they don't grow very much. However, I've noticed that perhaps the reason for that is I don't work on one thing at a time and complete it before moving onto a new project. I realize that we are all different types of knitters but I see just as much (if not more) completed items knitted by those who take it 'one at a time' as those knitted by those who have 4 or more projects going at once. I'm not sure I could take one at a time for the boring factor involved, but I could limit myself to 'two' at a time which would satisfy the need to knit or crochet something a bit different and at the same time, complete 2 UFO's (unfinished objects for those of you not hep with the knitting lingo).

Speaking of crocheting, I tried this Pineapple pattern out once again to see how it would fly this time around. I've made 2 or 3 before but always with some difficulty understanding certain parts of the pattern, ergo, mistakes hither and yon. This time things went surprisingly well and I'm pleased with the outcome. My dear sweet friend, Kay, has asked me to make a new one for her since she has used the heck out of the former one I gave her and she (being the sweet person she is) didn't even mind the mistakes in it.

Some Basic Fun Facts

20 Of My Favorite Things

1. Color----All Shades of Purple
2. Dessert----Silk Chocolate Pie
3. Smell-----Honeysuckle Bush
4. Flower-----Pansies
5. Animal-----Cat
6. Month-----August
7. Beverage----Grape Juice with Lemon Slices
8. Pair of shoes----Clark's Slides
9. Snack-----Wasabi Rice Crackers
10. Song-----Bohemian Rhapsody
11. Book-----Leaving Home by Arthur Cavanaugh
12. Fruit----Peaches
13. Hairstyle-----Curly & Full
14. Piece of clothing------Silk Manadarin Collared Suit Jacket
15. Store to clothes shop---None Really
16. Season-----Winter
17. Hobby----Knitting & Crocheting
18. Thing to collect-----Teapots
19. Movie-----Godfather Part II
20. Restaurant-----Farmhouse

Spring (or should I say summer) is Here!

These are the rose bushes on our patio out back......who wouldn't love waking up to this explosion of vibrant color. My husband pruned them last fall and they were dwarfy little things when he was finished. I thought they might not bloom as much as last year but my suspicions were obviously unfounded. God has truly created such beauty for each one of us to gaze upon if we only have the eyes for it.

I've been working on my Regia socks and after much fiddling, finally completed my short row heels. I'm not sure what I did but I got all discombobulated (I think that's how it's spelled, LOL) and twisted around and had to take the heel stitches off the circular needles more than one time. Now it's just a matter of knitting the feet and completing the kitchener stitch on both and viola......a new pair of socks that can be worn with black slacks! Pictures will follow, I promise.

The weather in my neck of the woods has been hot and a bit humid too. When this time of the year rolls around I stay close to home so that I can partake of our wonderful AC......therefore, my walking has to be on the treadmill nine out of ten times because it's just too gosh darn hot for me to take it outside. I do miss looking at all the lovely trees, flowers, and bushes in my neighbor's yards though.

Until next time dear readers, I leave you with this gem of wisdom: "This above all, to thine own self be true, and it must follow, as the night the day, Thou canst not then be false to any man" Shakespeare

Happenings!

Many things happening on the home front since I posted last. The biggest announcment is the arrival of our brand spankin' new grandson, Matthew, who came into the world on April 26, 2009, weighing in at 8 pounds, 10-1/2 oz. and 20" long. He is as cute as a button and the entire family is thrilled beyond words that he is here and all is well. We have been truly blessed!

I've been crocheting more than knitting but I did manage to finish a pair of socks (one seen here) using a mystery yarn from my stash which I didn't have enough of, and had to get creative and add an agreeable color for the larger portion of the toe area. All in all they turned out well but I'm not a big fan of a short legged sock but since there wasn't a lot of yarn to go around, the leg is about 5-1/2" long rather than my standard 7"to 8'". At least I used up another ball of stash sock yarn, of which I have many......too many!

Today I am going to continue working on the Regia socks (2 on 2 circulars) which I began a short time ago (pictured in post below). I've made some progress with them since the last picture I posted and I"m about 3/4 of the way down the leg area and headed toward the heel. I think I'll do short row heels again as I did in the sock pictured above. I really like the way it feels on the foot rather than the standard heel. I'm using size 3 Addi Turbo circulars and I'm pleased with the way they're coming along.

Baby Blanket

I forgot to post a picture of the completed baby blanket which went with the sweater, hat, and socks I crocheted and pictured last time (although I forgot to take a picture of the cute little socks). I used the same yarn and a size I hook to crochet the squares and put them together using the slip stitch method which creates a braided effect which kind of frames each square. I gave the set to the happy parents to be and can't wait till the little one is all wrapped up in it.

As for other news, I've been trying to kick start myself (more kicking than starting, however) into beginning a walking program and sticking with it. There are few things I dislike more than exercising but I know it's important to my health and need to get real with my commitment to this.

The days are getting warmer little by little and the brown grasses are just beginning to look slightly green. It won't be long until our petunias look like this again. I saw the first robin yesterday so all signs point to spring. Much as I don't like the hot weather, it will be nice to be able to get out and enjoy the spring weather before all the heat and humidity set in.


I'm working on these socks knit in Regia and as far as the colorway goes, I lost the ball bands so have no idea. I've been wanting a pair of sock with black and grey in them so this yarn fits the bill. I'm doing both socks at the same time using size 2 circular needles and enjoying knitting the leg but I'm anxious to get to the short row heels.

Baby Items Completed

Drum roll please......the baby sweater, two hats, a pair of socks, and a blanket are finished! I gave my daughter-in-law the sweater set and the socks at her baby shower last Saturday and she loved them. I just completed the baby blanket today and will add pictures tomorrow once I block it out a bit. I crocheted textured squares about 10'" wide and 8" high using a size I hook and as I mentioned in my previous post, Bernat Softee Chunky yarn so that it can be put in the washer and dryer to make it as easy as possible for the new Mom and Dad to be. The whole process was a labor of love and I'm already plotting what I'm going to make next, with which yarn and when.


I'm also fixing one sock of a pair that I knit for my Mom a couple of years ago. There were two holes in it and these socks are her favorite ones for warmth. Trouble is I can't find the yarn for sale anywhere so if anyone reading this has some of this yarn they'd be willing to sell me, please let me know....color is not an issue. Anyway, after hours of trying to fix this sock, I came to the conclusion that the only thing to do was rip it out completely which was no easy task, by the way. However, it's on it's way with about 4" of the leg completed so even though this sock will be a bit shorter in the leg than the other, who's going to notice, and my mother isn't a bit concerned as long as she gets her favorite socks back as a two-some.

Time Flies!

I can't believe it's been over a month since I posted here and already February is more than half over! The worst of it is, I have NO knitting content to share with you as I've been crocheting since before Christmas and I'm still at it. Above is a picture of the baby sweater I'm making for my soon to be new grandbaby so if any of my other kids are reading this, MUM is the word until I present it to my daughter in law at her baby shower.

I'm more than halfway finished as this is an older picture so it should be done in about a week, counting the button band, collar, and body finishing. Then I plan to make a little cap to go with it and even though I know it will be large on the little one for now, he/or she can grow into it and get some use out of it. The picture above is before the sleeves were added on so it looks a bit different now. I used a size G hook and Bernat Baby Chunky and I've really enjoyed working with this yarn.

Next up is the baby blanket to go with the sweater set made using the same yarn but a size J hook. I'm crocheting squares and will put it together next week, although I'm not sure just what method I'll use to sew the squares together....any suggestions are welcome. I promise a picture of the completed set as soon as I'm finished for your perusal.

Happy New Year!

Once again, the holidays came and went in a flurry of rush, rush, rush, and just like that, they're gone! We took down all of our decorations this past weekend and I do miss seeing our beautiful tree with all of it's lights twinkling, especially in the evenings. On the plus side however, our home looks much less 'cluttered'. I picture myself at this time of the year, with the weather outside looking like the photo above, churning out all sorts of beautiful hand knit and hand crocheted items for those I love, all snug with a steaming hot cup of tea right next to me as I craft the hours away!


I'm in the process of crocheting (yes, no knitting content this time around) 2 baby blankets for my grandchild to be (expected in April). One is a ripple stitch blanket and the other is assorted squares using different, yet similar looking patterns. For the ripple I'm using Red Heart Strata in 'Bambino' (very appropriate, I think), and for the squares I'm using Bernat Baby Chunky in all white so that perhaps my son and his lovely wife might decide to use that one for the christening, who knows, but at least they'll have the option to do so.

My New Year's resolutions are few but I'm the type of person who definitely benefits from sitting down and thinking through which things I want and need to work on and which things don't. I only have a few to mention and they are thusly:

1. Continue on my weight loss journey and in so doing, lose 25 pounds in the upcoming year, which shouldn't be too lofty a goal since that only works out to be a half pound per week and even my sluggish metabolism should be able to pull that off.
2. Get back to Mass on a weekly (preferably daily) basis, and I'm thinking that this resolution should probably be in the #1 spot.
3. Exercise at least 3 times a week without fail and stop making so many excuses not to do so.


So, there they are, just three hopefuls but they're biggies and I will try very hard to live up to each one of them. I wish any of you who read my blog much success with your own resolutions if you make them, and if not, a very happy, healthy year with many rainbows in your future!

Almost Time for the Big Day!

Three days till Christmas Eve and four until Christmas Day.....can you believe it? Where has the time gone, I ask the same question every year and each time it seems to have gone faster than the year before. As for my blog posts, there haven't been many of late, but I've been very busy just like all of you out there reading this.

In between all of the shopping, wrapping, cleaning, cooking, card sending, etc., believe it or not, I've found time for some knitting and crocheting. I didn't get to do all I had in the back of my mind to complete, but all in all things turned out quite nicely. Above is another picture of my grandson's stocking which I'm really pleased with. I used Cascade 220 this time rather than an acrylic yarn and it really made a difference in the way the finished stocking looks.

I also completed the leg warmers for my mother as one of her Christmas presents using a hand dyed merino wool from La Lana and I loved the slight marling of the colors in this yarn. It's also very soft and warm which I know she'll like. I'm just hoping they fit her legs because I think I should have used larger sized needles. I knit them on size 6 and if I make another pair, I'll definitely use size 8's.


Finally, I joined a CAL on Ravelry to crochet the 'Divine Hat' and although this proved to be quite a challenge with the front post and back post doubles, it turned out rather nicely in the end and will be adorning someone's head this Christmas (although she will go un-named for now).

Please know that I wish each and every one of you a warm, happy Christmas filled with much love, joy, and good health, and naturally, lots of fiberly goodness in the New Year.