Kelpie Socks Done

Yup, finished them last night and here they are.

Let me just say that hand knit socks fit so well they can't help but be comfortable. And if knit of wool or other animal fiber they are warm.

Samples of other handknit socks,  The last pair were knitted by my daughter who won an honorable mention at the state fair for them.  Lest you think I'm absented minded, I do remember posting these photos previously.

And you know I do love socks. 

If you love socks or know someone who does, look at the amazing variety at Sock Dreams.

You may wish to revisit my sock love post here.

Tomorrow I should get to weaving on my towels and working more on my pullover.

Happy days!

Did I Mention

I love socks?  Yes, I did here.  My beloved eldest child, Elizabeth (the mother of my cool grandson) also loves socks.  She knits faster and better than I and I'm in awe.  So looky here.  For me!

They are so detailed and intricate. Who would want to wear shoes?

We knitters are  fond of things for holding knitting projects and tools.

Here is my current project inside the Sock bag by Slipped Stitch Studios .

Uh oh. You can't see inside this way.

That's pretty yarn and those are pretty small needles.

You are right. It's a pair of socks in the making.  l knitted one to the point where one starts the heel, so I'm now doing the same for sock 2.  This beautiful yarn is  Kelpie from Dragonfly Fibers .  More about socks some day soon. "That's a promise and a threat." (from a song by Heart)

Warning; the video link to the 'song' is really only a photo while the song is playing. May be ads.

I Know It's Tuesday

For all of you who might have stopped by yesterday because of my mentioning Monday in my last post,  I am sorry.  It was a blue Monday so I didn't do much of anything.  Well, I escaped into the world of British television and did a bit of necessary stuff on the Internet, but it didn't amount to a very productive day.  Lo siento mucho. (Well, it was Cinco de Mayo).

Nothing to show you so far, but it's coming along.  I wasn't as near completion on the project as I thought.  Been working on it this morning. Part of the difficulty for me was adding a pocket in the seam when the pattern didn't call for it.  The basic steps were familiar to me, but this has a flat waistband in front and elasticized one in back so I had to do some figuring out.  Looks okay so far.  Plus, I was only putting one on the right so I had to make sure that's where I put it.  Yay!  Photos coming, maybe today.

In the mean time, I have started another pair of socks.  I had planned to knit this pair with a  fancy pattern, but reverted to the Basic Sock from Knitting Rules  by Stephanie Pearl-McFee  (the Yarn Harlot ).  It's basic and she is fun to read.  The yarn is from Dragonfly Fibers , their Djinni Sock yarn which is superwash merino, cashmere and nylon.  This color is Kelpie.
I bought that one and this one.

It almost looks the same, but this is Blue Morpho Butterfly and is all blue.
I bought them from Dragonfly at this year's Stitches West.  This link takes you to the main site for all the Stitches events.

So that's all for now.  I'll be back with photos of my sewing project asap.

Vapor trail at sunrise.

Socks done

Just a short note today to say one of my original unfinished projects is done.

On the left, the little yellow sock start?

Part way through sock one.

First sock.

Both done, a pair.

How wonderful that today is a little cool and rainy so I can wear my socks before the summer weather arrives.  Thank you, Lord.

Changing the name

Hello, my name is Susan and I'm hopeless at finishing things.  Therefore  I am thinking seriously about changing the name of my blog to "Whatever".  Then I can write about whatever I want to and perhaps throw in some finished projects whenever.  Maybe it should be called  "Whatever Whenever"?

On March 9, I posted a picture of my next project.  Another baby dress, remember?

I took it out of the bag again and found I had it partially sewn, but today I wrapped it back up and am sending to the the Hospice thrift shop in hopes someone will make it up.  There are also two blouses I have cut out and they are going too.

I am sorry to say that I no longer have any interest in finishing those things.  There are some others I will finish.  Maybe.

I am so thankful to the Lord that we are given second (3rd,4th 5th etc.) chances.  The new goal is to clean and tidy my sewing room. Weed out and replant some of my fabric (it is the first day of Spring) and see what grows.

I belong to the Hangtown Fibers Guild and every month they have a raffle.  I'm donating yarn and knitting books to them to make room.
And you know what, I'm not going to buy any of it back.  Did you see the photo of my loom?

I bought this at the Guild campout auction 2 years ago.  Someone had donated it.  I'm thankful they did.  Perhaps others will be thankful for the things I donate.




The weather is so lovely now.  Chilly in the mornings and evenings, warm and pleasant in the afternoons.  I've been planting seeds and digging weeds so I can try once again to have veggies and potatoes. I haven't a photo of this year's efforts, but here are some from last year.

 I love my enclosed, raised bed garden built for me by Buddy Crook who is also the one who put the new siding on my house so the woodpeckers --who plagued us for years-- now leave us alone.  He also built my new deck to replace the 28 year old one dying of dry rot.  Mind you, he did not do it gratis.  Never-the-less, I am thankful to him.

My sister likes her socks. And I am needling along on my second yellow sock, here is the first one, which fits well and feels so good on my foot.

I love socks I only wish I could knit faster.  So I could make more socks.  Do you remember my sock post?  Well,  what can I say?  I love socks.




Here's what going on with the Finnish towels.

I've knotted the ends into bouts and tied the bouts onto the back apron bar.  Soon, maybe tonight, I'm going to wind on so I can get ready to weave those lovely (sigh) towels.  Stay tuned.

It's Spring and lambs are being born all over the place.  These were born at Meridian Jacobs and are darn cute.  They are too.  Photo credit to Robin Lynde, the owner of Meridian Jacobs.

For more great photos and other interesting stuff, go  here  for Robin's blog or here for the website.   That's all for today.  Happy Spring.

A SOCK STORY

Hi, it's me unabashed sock lover.  My children will tell you that socks are, perhaps, an obsession with me.  However, I have no idea when this began. It wasn't always like it is now.
  It may have started in 1994 when I got my first job as a nurse.  We graduates had longed for the chance to get out of our student uniforms and into the cute scrubs we had seen at the hospitals where we obtained our clinical experience.  For me, this was not to be,  I was hired at a Catholic hospital where all nurses wore white.  (Oh, Hallelujah, we did not have to wear our caps.  Mine looked unlike any nurse cap I had ever seen.)  Consequently, I tried to accessorize my whiteness with color. I got a turquoise stethoscope and little belt pack to carry my tools and bandages and tape.  When not wearing a skirt, I wore the most colorful socks I could find.  It made me happy to see them whenever I got a moment to sit.

Today, I have many socks. 
I have a section for ankle socks, one for knee socks, one for handknit, and a large drawer for the crew style socks.  Most of them are in good shape, but some may have holes.  I have a hard time throwing them away, and I have learned to darn.

Did she say 'darn'?  What is that?

It's a way to repair holes by making a little woven section in the hole using a similar thread or yarn.
 
The following photos are from my collection.

 Ankle socks

Knee socks

Crew socks, all mine.

Handknit.








Several years back I took a sock knitting class at Lofty Lou's yarn shop in Placerville, Ca.  My teacher, Pam, taught me and also became my good friend.  What a deal I got that day!!

These are the socks I made. My first ones!  Note the difference in the toes.  The left was easier, but the right looks nicer and I've done it that way ever since.







As you may know, socks are a very portable project.  I took them occasionally to the theater to be productive during off stage times.

See the beginnings of a yellow/green sock there on the pillow?  I recently started finishing it.  Much to do yet.

               

Doing the gussets and it is tedious.  I'm using size one needles and I have the feeling I'm using toothpicks.

See these?

I fell in love with them HERE.  Knitted by Stephanie Pearl-McFee.

Here are mine,  I didn't take time to make them line up as Stephanie did with hers.

                                    It's okay,  I love them anyway.

Only one more,  I've one sock done in this striped yarn color Red Lips and Smoky Eyes and started on the second. For my sister, Pat.

The colors are bright.  I think it may have been foggy in my house when I took these photos.

Come back soon, maybe next week, for more of something.

Finished my first week of rowing

Yes, it's true.  I did manage to do all three of this week's lessons..  Big deal you say?  Wait a minute.  Two of those were at 5AM and 50 miles away.  Tuesday morning it was very chilly.  The wind off the river was cold a rather nice change from 95 degrees during the day.  Today not so much wind and we really rowed for a long ways down the river.  Eight row people and a coxswain (instructor) in each boat.  And another coach in a launch watching our technique from a distance.

Just before dawn. Waiting on the dock.  Waiting to be assigned a position.  What a lovely start to the day.

Notice how choppy the water is?  That was Tuesday with all the wind.  Today the water was smooth, but I was too busy rowing. seat 2 in the bow, to get a photo. But I did take one after we got ashore.

We carried it out in the dark, but thank goodness it was light when we had to put it back.  You should see us lifting it out of the river.  Maybe I can get a photo of that on Saturday.  

My class is a mixed group. Young working people and retirees, fit folks getting fitter and not so fit and chubby,. ( This would be me.)  Our instructor is wonderful, informative, caring, and positive.


THE CHALLENGE:   I have been working on my knitting and sewing projects this week and making progress.  I'll have the scrub top done by next post and I've already picked out which one to do next.  The knit hoodie will easily take me the full month to finish.

Here are a couple of finished items from my past so you can see that I do get things done.

Going to church on Easter in their "Little House on the Prairie" dresses.   I used a Hollie Hobbie pattern which had a knee-length or long version.  I just shortened the long one to make it more like Laura's and Mary's.

Ninja Boy AKA my grandson.  His mom is the little one in yellow above.  Making costumes is lots of fun.  That's one of the reasons I volunteered to help at the theatre.



I love to knit socks.  Here's a pair knitted with Noro Kureyon.   I am mad about this yarn  How I love hand knit socks,  the fit is excellent and they look so cool when wearing Birkenstocks.



I close for this time, but I will be back.  To quote a song from Heart, "That's a promise and a threat." Bye