The Cold of February Spent Inside

For February, basically down for the count, 100% recuperation and knitting time, that is when I could keep my eyes open (good drugs, prescription of course, can do that to you LOL!)

First and foremost was finishing my Fleece Artist Mohair Shawl (stage left) ... cause I wanted to snuggle in it ASAP. I bought the yarn on holidays, summer 2006 and proceeded to design my own simple design shawl. The colourway I picked, and yes it was so very hard to pick just one colourway, is shades of blues and greens. The colourway reminds me of the day we were boating our way through downtown Huntsville (Ontario) where we were visiting family and taking a nice summer holiday.

Glitten's (stage right) for my Husby, again of my own design, were next to come off my needles. We do a fair amount of winter heating with wood and he wanted something he could work his chain saw with to cut wood in the winter and still be able to keep his hands warm. I used some very old discontinued Braemar yarn. It is a wool/acrylic blend in a black/white/blue rag style colourway. Now my brother-in-law wants a pair too. I have started them but not finished them. Oh well there's always next winter.

Next was a blue hat for my granddaughter with novelty yarn trim. Perfect for a 9 year old girl, but sorry no pic of it right now.

A lacy scarf that I wanted to try the pattern out. The pattern was a free internet pattern and I can't recall it's name right now. I loved the look of the stitches and plan to make a 'real' scarf from that pattern one day. When I do I will post a pic then. I used a skein of slightly fuzzy acrylic from my odds and ends stash and ran out of yarn half way through the scarf. It resembles a large lacy dishcloth much more than a scarf but since it's acrylic I couldn't imagine using it for dishes. Ewwwww..... LOL.

The last finished project for February was for me. A gifted Fleece Artist Mitten's Kit that I have been petting for a long time. I had a strand of Merino and a strand of Mohair together for a wonderful thick comfy pair of mittens with enough left over to make a matching headband. I now have some nice warm gear for walking in winter!

In and among all this I found time to teach my son's girlyfriend to crochet. She can knit... sort of... LOL but it's much too slow for her. In her words, "Lets crochet instead! I hear it's much faster!" Well I taught her and she learned quickly. I have some very cool slightly misshapen sc, hdc, dc, and tr dishcloths added to my dishcloth wardrobe. Excellent starter projects as they are easy, quick to do, and you really can't mess up a dishcloth. If it's full of mistakes, it really doesn't matter as they will still wash your dishes. She had a lot of fun picking colours from my cotton stash and learning a new craft.

Dishcloths are done, and now she knows how, now on to a real project! A blanket for her baby sister for a Christmas present. LOL! I wonder how much of a baby her sister will be when, if ever, she actually receives this blankie as a present?

The other thing I did to keep me down and resting was have my husby make me some home made drop spindles so I could start to learn to spin.

Spinning... Wow! Something I have thought of for quite a while but never thought it would ever come about . I never even mentioned to anyone that I was interested. I already get enough strange looks over my totally addicted crafting obsessions!

more updating

After Mom's Rapid River socks were gifted, we found they were just a titch small so I frogged back the toes and redid them up with the little extra length added in. A simple enough process except for the woven in ends that were next to totally impossible to find and pick out and the extremely frustrating job of un-kitchenering after a couple washings and a day or two of wearing . It took a bit to convince Mom that they were indeed in need of another half inch or so of length. I was having nightmares of her ripping a finger through the lacey eyelet holes as she is yanking at them to make them stretch over her heel. UGGG! But she loved them and didn't want me to change them. Isn't that nice. I finally had to get tough though and let her know that she would NOT be pleased when they were ruined, if she didn't give them to me to fix.

*I have learned a valuable lesson from that.*

Today's valuable lesson: 'NEVER, NEVER kitchener and weave the ends in until BOTH socks are done, (in case you change your mind on foot length as you are finishing up sock #2) and BOTH socks are tried on and fit ok. Then comes the kitchener stitch.'



I don't remember when it came about, but after Mom's first pair of hand knit socks she wanted more! Imagine that. That's when I got out the big guns! I told Mom that since I don't have time to make socks for everyone and she has her pair that if she wants more she can make them herself. *now wishing I could shoot myself with the big guns more days than not because of this decision* Don't get me wrong, Mom can knit. She taught me to knit after all when I was a girl. Problem is Mom is 80 yrs (yay for her! what an accomplishment!) but her eyes just don't see as well as they used to. With a number of lessons in sock making, Mom has it down pretty good now and we have the Dance of the Socks happening.

1. I get her started. She likes it when I start it for her and I really don't mind,


2. then she knit's some.


3. At this point she either messes the pattern (no hard lace patts for Mom thank you LOL) or drops a stitch or two.


4. Mom brings it back to me


5. and I fix it for her. Like I said Mom's eyes have seen better days (excuse the pun) and it's much easier for both of us if I just fix it LOL.


6. Mom gets it back and works some more till another boo boo occurs


7. Mom brings it back to me


8. and I fix it again.

This is the Dance. This continues on till Mom's finished a pair of socks. In fact Mom is finishing lots of socks. Me? well I tend to spend my time fixing Mom's socks and not working on my socks when Mom is over, and Mom's been over a lot lately. But more on this some other time. I will post pics of Mom's socks too.

The Promised Picture

Here's the pic's of Mom's Christmas Pressie Socks.

Click on the pic to see the stitch detail.

This is the River Rapids Pattern from Sockbug's site.

Sockbug's patterns are awesome!

Back again

It's been a busy day here today. Which is nice as it keeps the day from dragging but it's not nice because I didn't get as much time to knit today and I would have liked. I am going to rush through this post though and then go put my feet up and continue on with my very first toe up sock. More on the later though.
Back to my updates.
I worked in husby's Columbine socks (see previous post) in hospital with my first surgery. After I was able to knit again I finished them off and worked on a Christmas gift pair of socks for my Mom. She was always saying how much she would love a pair of hand knit socks but never came right out and asked me to make her a pair. She would always leave off at maybe some day you might have some time to make some in my size but I know how busy you are and all... Nothing like a subtle hint eh? LOL. Anyways, I used Austermann's Step yarn, the yarn with the Aloe in it, for a treat for her feet, in colourway 03 Gras, the green/taupe using the River Rapids Sock pattern from Sockbug's site. It turned out great and I actually had them done in time for Christmas.(though I ended up miscalculating how big Mom's feet are and had to rip down the toe and lengthen the socks a bit after Christmas)

OH NO I just went looking in my puter for a pic of these socks and didn't find one. I guess I forgot to take one. I will have to take a pic next time Mom's over for a visit.

Gotta go and knit, Ta for now.

Good Bloggy Morning

Yes I am back, back the next morning. Now you can pick yourself up off the floor and continue to read my update! ROFL


My Husby LOVES hand knit socks Aren't I the lucky knitter? I have made him a number of pairs of socks during my absentia from blogland. Good thing for me he doesn't love sweaters huh?





After the Sassy Stripes socks, I chose to use Camo Bernat Sox to make this pair for him. (Socks to the left, stitch detail to the right)







Next in line was this pair of socks again in Bernat Sox ( I was gifted some from a wonderful friend and hit a clearance when they were selling out the last of it down a the mill ends store)



Now if I had a memory I could tell you what pattern I used ... or sometime I might go and look it up, but not now, sorry, but notice the garter stitch short row heel and garter stitch toe. Very nice to knit up and my husby says very nice to wear as well. There are still no holes in these socks, and as you can see by the pics that they have been well worn, so I must report that the garter stitch heel and toe wear as well as a heel flap. And they look really cool too!




Then there was these. This is the Columbine pattern from Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles by Cat Bordhi Husby took me to Cloth and Clay last summer and treated me to some goodies (my first Addi circ and a few other goodies) so I treated him to his own choice of whatever sock yarn he wanted for socks for himself. (Of course I made him pay for it all *snicker, grin*) He chose Meilenweit Mega Boots yarn by Lana Grossa in colouway 712. (Yes GOOD taste)

I enjoyed doing this pattern very much. Simple lace or should I say openwork as this is a guy's sock.. LOL was fun to do. I haven't knit lace in a long long time and my husby just loves his socks. I ask him again and again what pattern he would like for his next pair of socks and he keeps referring back to his Columbines!

Gotta go untangle a skein of sock yarn that I tried to ball up in a rush the other night. All I ended up doing was causing a tremendously horrid mess of it all. I refuse to take a pic of the mess as it would so totally embarrass me to have anyone out of my house knowing how badly I mangled a *good* ... *extremely good* skien of sock yarn. I promise to tell and show you what it is but not until it's balled and looking as it should. Ta for now.

Ok it's update time...

Quick synopsis of my past year... I have been basically sick since last May/June and on some real good drugs (prescription of course) Blogging was very low on my list of priorities as sitting at the puter much of the time just was not the sensible activity for me. I have had 3 surgeries and many many tests since then, 5-6 months off work and feeling much better now though still in recovery mode. (No it wasn't cancer, just some stuff that needed taking care of)

Now back to last year....
After the knittig olympics, I knit a pair of socks for my husby. Used the same pattern and yarn as my Olympic Socks just a different colour. Here's the pic.

Heading out for a bit of a thread hunting trip with husby. Be back later to finish updating. (No Nic I am not lying. I will be back, and I know what you are thinking)

Need Pictures...

Ok so I still don't have pictures. I have several pairs of socks done for my husby that I need to photograph but they are in the wash still. When I get them all clean I will take pics of all of them. They are the socks that I have made during my time of absentia from Blogland. Since then I have finished Little Shells Socks and taken a picture of them as they are to be gifted. I have also finished Field of Flowers Socks for myself, well actually I am grafting the toe as I speak and have 4 ends to sew in on each sock then they are finished. I will wash and block them today. It might be spring here but my feet are cold and I am anxious to be wearing my new socks. Conwy (another sock for me) from Knitting on the Road by Nancy Bush is on the foot of the second sock. I planned to finish that before starting Lacy Scallops a free pattern from Sock Bug but I would rather have it as an alternative so I can put down Lacy Scallops when I get frustrated from messing it up so much LOL (Nic u know what I mean) It won't take long to go down that second foot and finish up the pair anyways. So back to my needles and the grafting of the toe, then on to a website that can tell me how to do a crochet cast on.... and Lacy Scallops Socks will be born.

WOW It's now almost April...

and how time flys. I have been a very very bad blogger. Ok I have been a nonexistant blogger. I will do a very quicky update, been a busy almost year, I have had many health concerns (no nothing really serious) that have kept me down from doing my normal activities, and just life in general tends to get in the way of many of my plans. I have completed mostly socks over the last winter. Honestly best description is "ADDICTION" LOL. My name is Lyz and I am addicted to sock knitting. I am also 'Smitten' for Mittens' too. I will take pictures soon of my FO's (mostly socks for my husby) and get them posted. In the mean time I am off to knit socks and finish up a pair in the Little Shells Pattern which is a free online pattern to which I don't have a link handy but will try to get up on the blog. These socks are turning out very very pretty IMO and are going to be a special gift for a special Doctor that has taken awesome care of me this winter.
'Till next time.... happy KNITTING (and crocheting)

Socks Soc....

Ok OK I am getting there! I will be done in time I know it but the second sock isn't finished yet. Soc... yup about 3/5ths the way there is a good guess. I am working on the foot but still have a quite a few inches to go. Hoping tomorrow night to be nearing the toe region and finishing up on Friday. I will post a pic tomorrow. Camera is in the dark dark bedroom and my Husby is sleeping....shhhhh.....
night night.

The new quiz I just did from Nic's site. Thanks Nicole for drumming up all this fun stuff.

Your Candy Heart Says "First Kiss"

You're a true romantic who brings an innocent hope to each new relationship. You see the good in every person you date, and you relish each step of falling in love. Your ideal Valentine's Day date: a romantic dinner your sweetie cooks for you Your flirting style: friendly and sweet What turns you off: cynics who don't believe in romance Why you're hot: you always keep the romance alive

What Does Your Candy Heart Say?

Quick Update: Olympic Socks

We are interupting this program to bring you a special report. We will now cut into the event already in progress.....

...and Lyz is turning the heel on sock two........

now we take you back to your regularly scheduled knitting and blogging.

Round Two of the Sock Event...

Ok so I had a rough start with sock number two. I think that might have been due to the fact that I was casting on and working rnd 1 with dpn's in the car (wonderful Husby driving) on the very busy highway during a major winter storm. I think I was just a little stressed and the fact that I dropped the needles and bumped them around to twist my sts more than a half a dozen times really didn't come into play here did it???
After I got home I gave it another half a dozen tries and then all of a sudden, after turning my pretty sock yarn into flying sock yarn, I realized that for some stupid reason, unknown to everyone except Murphy, I was trying to do it backwards! Imagine that! Me... Backwards! Like it should have worked that way for me! ROFL! Well once I realized what my problem was, I got my first rnd done and I was off and knitting my way to Gold. I did well after that. I am up about 2.5 inches of ribbed leg now and coming along nicely.

Now for the quiz. Ok Nic, this is yesterday's quiz but done today....just for you :)



You are bamboo.
Warm, cozy, and thoughtful, you take your time and

enjoy how things feel, smell, and taste. You

love the craft and beauty of traditional

things, and you value the comfort and

experience of knitting as much as the

results. But while you are reveling in your

warm cozies, don't get stuck. Warm is

wonderful, but so is the whole wide world!


What kind of knitting needles are you?
brought to you by Quizilla

Time is Running Out! or so my Husby says....

Many THANKS to Anny purls for sharing the Knitting Olympics Countdown Timer that she has posted on her blog. I have put it here now so we all can see how much time is left until FO day and the always hopeful gold metal.

Olympic Sock Event Update: I am working through the foothills of the first run of the event and will soon be in the toe area and finishing off the first of the two socks. I am hoping to cast on for the second run of the event tomorrow.
Pictures to come.....
gotta go knit ttly