Faster Voting Lines?

Faster? Really? Amazing what a difference a day can make!

Poor PJ Bear. He looks a bit pig-ish. Too many M&Ms maybe?

I'm still glad I've got the socks. Speed is relative.

Leave It To Beaver Socks

Wasn't it only last week when I was adamant about finishing the Anniver-
sary Socks so I would have no other WIPs and could knit my RED shawl with my full attention?

Gee. Where is that knitter? A little head cold and I cast on for the pajama bear and then the very next day.....the very next day!...I cast on for another pair of socks.

There is method to the madness. (I think.) Neither the Estonian shawl nor the pajama bear would be suitable for knitting while standing in line to vote. And from the look of today's headline, I'm going to need a project!

Way back the Yarn Harlot talked about some Lion Brand Sock-Ease so I kept my eyes peeled for it to appear at the big box. When I did find it, they only had three colors; a hot pink, an eye-searing yellow, and the one I chose - Rock Candy. It didn't really look like any candy I ever buy but at $6.94 for a pair of socks, I couldn't pass it up.

So I cast on today to get it ready and, instead of being reminded of any candy, I immediately thought of those striped t-shirts boys wore in the 50s. And even though my episodes of "Leave It To Beaver" were in black and white, I just knew he must have had a shirt in these colors!

Pajamas for all

I had been looking forward to this past weekend with visions of spending lots of time really getting into the red Estonian shawl. But it was not to be. I came down with some bug and didn't feel like doing anything, certainly not concentrating on charts and lace yarn.

Finally today, with a little energy, the urge to knit returned and I decided to cast on for a baby gift - a Baby Bear to be exact.

I made one a couple of years back. That one was a solid chocolate brown that was christened Hershey.

This time, for a baby gift, I decided to make one of the pajama-clad bears. Seemed fitting since I've been living in pajamas all weekend!

He's an ugly garter stitch mess right now (hum....we have much in common!) since he's knit at a loose gauge intended for felting. I remember how horrible Hershey looked at this stage though, so I'm not too concerned.

veniv kootud serv*

Here is just the very beginning of my new project - Nancy Bush's Triangular Summer Shawl. The pattern appeared in the Jul/Aug 2008 issue of "Piecework" as a preview to her upcoming book, Knitted Lace of Estonia.

Go look at the preview pages. ALL are wonderful.

Oh, oh I hope I can pull this one off. I can't believe I bought RED yarn!

*in Estonia this cast on is called veniv kootud serv or "stretchy knitted cast on"

Happy Anniversary!

Pattern: Anniversary Socks by Nancy Bush

Sep/Oct 2003 "Piecework" magazine

or "Favorite Socks: 25 Timeless Designs by Interweave Press"

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock

color Harvest - 8NS

a gift from knit night pal, Claire

Needles: Size 1 (2.25 mm) Clover 5" bamboo dpns (the shorties)

Nothing to say that I haven't already said. LOVE the pattern, LOVE the fit, LOVE the feel.

I love how the back half is stockinette with just the mini-cable and rib cuff.

I LOVE the yarn. It's LACE in a sock!

In the pattern Nancy called this a French toe from "Weldon's Practical Needlework", Volume 1. It is a really quick toe to knit and fits and feels better than I imagined. I'm smitten.

The Motivated Knitter

It seems that all I want to knit is lace; specifically lace shawls.

I had in my mind to branch out, maybe (finally) try a garment - a sweater. Instead a trip to the LYS, ostensibly only to browse (yeah, right!) resulted in a ball of blood red Lacey Lamb coming home with me.

I had become smitten with a red shawl that a knitter on Ravelry had made. She's made the most stunning Estonian shawl from Nancy Bush's pattern in "Piecework" a preview - a tempting foretaste - of goodies to come in her new book.

I have absolutely loved knitting Nancy's Anniversary socks. I've enjoyed every minute, but I told myself that I wouldn't start the new shawl project until the socks were done. They are in a great fall color and I didn't want to postpone them. So instead, I (happily and) furiously knit on sock 2 using my wonderful shorty dpns (5"). The only problem is that they are just short enough that the end of my right working needle began to rub a blister on my palm! Good thing I'm almost done!

Speaking of "Piecework" (have I mentioned how much I LOVE this magazine?), have your seen the preview of the next one due out Nov. 4? The cover features Nancy Bush's Extraordinary Norwegian Wedding Gloves. Oh, my. I think I'm in love.

First Anniversary

Some time spent in a waiting room yesterday and having the morning off today was just what I needed to finish up the first of the Anniversary Socks.

I worked it exactly by Nancy's perfect pattern. It was my first time with this particular toe, which decreases 6 stitches every other round at three points. It fits well and no Kitchener required. I'll have to wait to see how it feels in a shoe.

After today's walk, I raked some leaves that have covered the driveway. One shouldn't have to rake in 80 degree weather!

But this was more a cosmetic effort than a real rake. It didn't take too long and was only to make the drive look nicer. The real rake will come much later.

There are still MANY leaves left on the trees. [I try not to think about it.]

Futility

....because, really, all I need is more patterns!

I was telling Mary only the other day that I don't know why I persist in buying Vogue Knitting. I don't fully trust the instructions, many of the projects are beyond my current knitting ability, and many are not exactly my style.

And in the whole time/patterns/materials equation, patterns are not the problem!

Still I'm off to make coffee, put my feet up and enjoy browsing through it. (Would enjoy this interlude much more if the neighbor's dog would quit his daily yelping!)

Slowly Coming Along

The Anniver- sary Sock is slowly coming along. Not much progress to show in almost a week, but it's been a busy, tiring week here on the cul-de-sac.

All of the knitting I have been able to do, however, has been pure pleasure! The Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock is a joy to knit with, and I think, is working well for this pattern. I know you can't tell too much at this stage.

And you can't really tell from this picture, but there are mini two-stitch cables in the cuff and running between the openwork columns and these have provided a new stitch for me. I guess you could say I've been cabling without a cable needle (even though I think WAY too much is made of this). The directions have you knit into the back of the second stitch, leave it on the needle then come around and knit the first stitch. A neat little technique.

As usual, that Nancy Bush writes a nice sock.

Socks 101

I seem to be knitting yet again with gift yarn. Am I lucky or what?!

One of the other knitters at knit night said a friend had passed along to her some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock and she was going to pass along to me.

I was quite excited as I had not knitted with it before. It is very nice and I'm really enjoying it.

I dithered for days about which pattern to start. The color is Harvest 8NS (I assume that means nearly solid?).

The "Child's Sock in Miranda Pattern" in Nancy Bush's "Knitting Vintage Socks" calls for this exact yarn and color and I briefly considered it. And, of course, I had a look at the Evelyn A. Clark sock patterns.

I kept returning to Nancy Bush's "Anniversary Sock". I have the pattern from the Sept/Oct 2003 "Piecework" magazine Anniversary issue. I am loving this pattern. After the cuff, the back is stockinette with all the pattern on the front "where all the work would show to best advantage beneath a long skirt".

At the time I checked Ravelry, 100 pair had already been entered. My project was number 101. Fitting. I learned a lot about sock knitting and got such a confidence boost from all the wonderful tutorials and pictures by Terri Lee Royea at Socks 101.

Some people like magic loop or two circulars for sock knitting, but I love my short bamboo dpns.

Heartland Lace

Pattern: Heartland Lace Shawl (free pattern/pdf)

by (my hero) Evelyn A. Clark

Yarn: Socks That Rock - Laci

colorway: Red Clover Honey

the leftovers from Mary's North Sea Shawl

Needles: Size 4 KnitPicks Options circular

I wanted to get a better picture, but this seems the best I can come up with at this time. I did one extra 20-row repeat of the Bison Tracks chart, making it a very nice size; big enough to be a shawl, but soft enough to still wrap around as a scarf.

The yarn is just heavenly. It's heavenly to work with and it's heavenly to wear. The color is so yummy - such a rich, warm, buttery color and absolutely perfect for this wonderful fall weather we are having.

Heartland made it's debut last night at The Atlanta Opera's Madama Butterfly. This was my first opera as well and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed it.