I finished another pair of socks:

Pattern: improvised – (a  basic cuff-down 64 stitch sock with short row heels)
Yarn: Collinette Jitterbug in colorway Gauguin, with colorway Velvet Plum for the heels and toes
Needles: US 2 (2.75mm)
Started: January 12, 2012
Finished: January 24, 2012

Nothing spectacular about these – I did a 2×2 rib for the cuff and short row heels, and then decreased to 58 stitches for the foot after the heel, for a better fit.  Then I did a basic wedge toe.  Not sure I like the pooling going on, but the colors are wonderful.  It’s nice to add another pair to my sock drawer!

Short row heels with small gusset

I have two other pairs on the needles for my ‘art class’ knitting, so I’ll most likely have another finished pair to show you very soon.  Socks do make such wonderful ‘waiting room’ knitting!

Happy Knitting!!

So, here’s the pair I’m working on right now:

I’m using Lotus Yarns Charka yarn in the colorway Katherine.  I’m loving this yarn – it has 10% cashmere in it, which makes it so soft and sumptuous.  On top of that, I’m loving the colors in this skein – sable browns, and blue-greys.  I can’t wait to finish this pair so I can get them on my feet!

I’ve got another WiP I’m actively working on, but it’s a new shawl design – so I can’t show it to you just yet.   But I can show you the yarn I’m spinning for it!

It’s a cream colored 100% Polwarth, which I’m spinning as fine as I can so that I can then do a two-ply lace weight (or as close to lace weight as I can get!!)  It’s spinning up pretty slowly, since I’m spinning so fine, but I’m enjoying it so far.

Thank you for all the condolences for losing Harpo- my heart is still sad.  Our other cat, Minnie, has been depressed ever since he passed, so about a week ago we decided to go ahead and add another kitty to our family.  Meet Gracie, a 7 month old orange/brown tabby calico:

She is quite the kitten, and attacks my yarn and knitting needles, as well as my spinning wheel, so trying to knit and spin has been interesting these last few days.   Minnie is slowly getting used to her – she keeps looking at us as if to tell us that she didn’t want an annoying kitten, she wanted Harpo back.  But hopefully with a little time they’ll be best buds… and our hearts won’t hurt so badly from missing Harpo.

I have a sad bit of news – my kitty Harpo passed away the week before Christmas, so it made the holidays bittersweet for me.  He would have loved all the wrapping paper and excitement.  The vet was so sweet and did a set of his paw prints in clay for me, and the staff even hand signed a condolences note for me as well.  The sadness is fading slowly, but I still miss him.

Harpo in his prime

In knitting news, however, I have lots to share!

I finally finished my cashmere shawl – it turned out just lovely, I’m so happy with it!

Pattern:  Queen Silvia Shawl from Knitted Lace of Estonia
Yarn: 100% Cashmere : 220nm heavy lace from Colourmart
Needles: US 4
Started: February 17, 2011
Finished: December 15, 2011
Finished measurements: 60 inches by 26 inches

This was my last finished object of 2011!  I made absolutely no modifications to the pattern.  The machine knitting oils washed out of the yarn really nicely (the yarn is machine knitting remnants, so the yarn is pre-oiled) and the shawl blocked out very well.  It was done in time for me to wear it to the Nutcracker ballet with my son. My goal with this was to have an ‘heirloom’ quality shawl when I was done.  It turned out so very light and airy, and I think it meets my goal to a T!

My first FO of 2012 is my linen stitch scarf:

Pattern: Koigu Linen Stitch Scarf by Churchmouse
Yarn: Claudia Handpainted sock yarn, in colors ‘Driftwood’, ‘Truffles’, and ‘Yo! Sailor Boy’
Needles: US 5
Started:  October 2, 2011
Finished:  January 9, 2012

Finished measurements:  6 feet, 10 inches long, not counting the fringe.

This was an easy knit, and mindless, but it was a bit too mindless after a while.  I’m very glad that it’s done, actually.  After about 1/3 of the scarf was done I had the bright idea to work every row from the right side, which made it go a bit faster, but didn’t relieve the tedium that much.  Don’t get me wrong, I think it looks great, but I can’t see myself making another one anytime soon!

My second FO of 2012 is a pair of socks that have been on the needles for far too long:

Pattern:  improvised – 64 stitch toe up socks.
Yarn: Knit Witch Celestial Bounce in ‘Starry Night’
Needles: US 2 (2.75mm)
Started:  March 19, 2011
Finished:  January 11. 2012

These were started when I was teaching a two-at-a-time sock class, and I never finished them after the class.  I decided to do an afterthought heel (since I had never done them before).  I used waste yarn where I wanted the heel, and  I used Jeny’s Surprisingly Stretchy Bind Off at the end of the cuff (wonderful bind-off!).  My first heel was a little wonky – it had ‘ears’ like you get on your toes.  It fits alright, but has a bit too much extra fabric on the sides of the heel.  I altered the second heel to add extra decreases for the last few rows and that fixed it perfectly!  I’m going to leave the first heel as it is, though, since I don’t feel like ripping it back.   Overall, I’m happy with these – I don’t mind the heel as much as I thought I would, and I like that the stripes stay consistent throughout the sock.

This is the second heel - turned out great, I think!

So, that’s it from me for today! I have a few new projects I just started on, so I’ll show you those next week! And don’t forget to check out Tami’s Amis for more FO Friday posts.

Happy Knitting!

I pulled my Girl Friday sweater back out, and finished up the right side just the other day.  So instead of starting the sleeves I decided to seam up the sides and do the shawl collar next.  I read the directions wrong the first time and had to rip out the collar and start over yesterday.  But now it’s chugging along nicely.

(sorry for the crappy photo - it's rainy and dark here today!)

I think I’m going to do the shawl collar for a few more rows than the pattern calls for, since I want a really big and cozy collar on this sweater, and the shawl collar as written is a bit on the shallow side for my tastes.

The pattern is Girl Friday from the Fall ’09 Knitty, and the yarn is recycled from a previous sweater that I knit several years ago (very poorly!) - it’s Plymouth Yarn Silk Merino in brown.

On the spinning front, I finished up my green merino and already plied it (I went with my knit-night gang’s advice and did a 2-ply instead of navajo plying it) – I’ll show it to you guys on Friday.  It’s drying right now after it’s soak bath.  But, since I cleared that fiber off my bobbins, I dug out another batch of roving that I was in the middle of spinning – a merino/bamboo roving from Miss Babs - in a colorway called Rope Swing.  I love these colors – pale blues, pale green, creams, and browns.

(again, sorry for the crappy photo! The colors really don't show well in this one.)

So, that’s what I’m working on now!  I’m hoping to pull out my Master Knitter swatches now that the gift knitting is done, and I have a couple things I want to buckle down and design as well, so who knows what will be on my needles next week!  (Be sure to visit Tami’s Amis for more WiPs!)

(And thank you so much for all the kitty mojo last week – Harpo is hanging in there for the time being.)

Happy Knitting!

If you would please send some kitty mojo to my poor 17-year-old furbaby Harpo, I’d greatly appreciate it – we discovered that he has a growth in his belly (most likely his spleen enlarged) and fluids in his abdomen.  Because of his age and heart condition he is not in any shape to survive an operation, so it’s only a matter of time.  I’m preparing myself as best as I can, but it’s going to hit me hard when it’s time to say goodbye.

My furbaby, Harpo.

I’ve finished more of my Christmas knitting, and I’m almost done!!  Which is a good thing, because both sides of our family are exchanging presents way before Christmas – my side is exchanging gifts at Thanksgiving, and my husband’s side is exchanging gifts the second week of December.  So I’m very happy that I’m almost done with the planned gift knitting!!

Other than gifts that I can’t show you right now, I have a couple other things on the needles – firstly the linen stitch scarf:

Up close

All 450 stitches squished on the needle.

It’s coming along slowly, since it’s worked from side to side instead of length-wise – so each row is 450 stitches long.  whew!  But I’m very happy with how it’s looking so far.  (The pattern is the Koigu Linen Stitch scarf by Churchmouse Yarns and Teas, and the yarn I’m using is three different shades of Claudia Handpainted yarn.)

I dusted off my spinning wheel this last week and I’ve been finishing up my Knit Witch merino/bamboo roving in this lovely green shade:

I hope to have the singles done in the next day or two and then I’m going to attempt to navajo ply them.  I’ve never navajo plied before, so I’m going to finally give it a go!  (hopefully!)  I should have a nice heavy fingering to sport-weight yarn when I’m done.

Well, that’s all I’ve really got in progress right now that I can show you for this week! Be sure to check out the other WiPs over at Tami’s Amis!

Happy Knitting! (and spinning!)