Just In Time For Christmas

Last year, I had seen this Pumpkin Hat pattern for a baby, but instead of a hat for a baby, I saw a cover for my bathroom tissue. It was Autumn and I thought that this would be a cute idea. This is what I came up with.

I thought that it had worked out real well. I used an I-Cord for the stem. My hubby and kids weren't so impressed. As a matter of fact, they said, "Mom, you'll knit anything." Yep, I will. Now I had another idea for Christmas, but I couldn't find any "holiday yarn" (red, green and white variegated yarn.) But, then I had another idea! I had white, red and green yarn in my stash.

The white yarn was something that I didn't like anymore, and the red and green yarn was leftover from the 70's and 80's. I probably bought it at Woolworth's 5 & 10 store. The bell from this pattern, but I think that I like the cover better without the bell.

My family could care less, but I like it and I'm very please with it. It was a quick and easy knit and it didn't cost me anything, but my time, which was about 3 hrs. This was also loosely based on the pumpkin hat pattern. For the Christmas tissue cover, I CO on 64 sts. on 2-Cirs, one was a Denise Cir, size 9 and the other was a Denise Cir, size 10. I did a 2x2 ribbing pattern, but I knitted through the back loops, because I like the way it looks. Yes, I'll knit almost anything. My friend says that it reminds her of knitting that Grandmas do. Oh, well. Here's something else to get you into the Christmas mood....

Nothing New With Knitting, But I'm Still Here

I just wanted to stop by and post something. I'm still here. I haven't had as much time to knit as I would like, so I really don't have much to show & tell about.

Since my foot has healed so nicely from the surgery, therefore, hardly any pain to mention, I've sort of been making up for lost time and have been trying to get a lot of things done around the home and for my family. It feels so good to be able to get the house back to normal and to be able to run errands with my hubby. Not to mention, it feels so good just to be able to participate in things with my family like going out for a bite to eat or to catch a movie. I used to be in so much pain that I used to stay at home and encourage my family to go ahead and do things without me, so that they wouldn't miss out on fun.

Last week, we visited a rib place, a first, then we went to see A Christmas Carol with Jim Carrey in 3D in iMax, another first! We usually don't watch Christmas movies until after Thanksgiving...just on principal, but the timing was right and we all had a great time. Now, I'm not a big Jim Carrey fan, but he was excellent in this movie. We really enjoyed all the animation and all the 3D effects. I did hear mixed reviews as we were leaving the theater. Some loved it and they cheered and clapped. Some absolutely hated it and said that it was the worse movie they had ever seen. Would I go see it again in a theater? No. Would I buy it to add to our Christmas movie collection? Yes.

I've been knitting a little bit off and on with various WIP amd not making much progress. Maybe it's because I have too many WIPs or maybe it's because I realize that the holidays are just around the corner and I'm trying to get a few things done since I feel up to it for a change.

Anyway, I've been tinkering with baby blankets, afghans, baby hats and socks. Oh, those teal-colored (ovarian cancer awareness) socks that I had blogged about last time, well, just as I was showing them off to my DD, we discovered a gapping hole in the heel! It looked like a dropped stitch! How I missed it, I don't know, but it's been frogged and I'm trying to work on it, but my heart not in it.

Then, there's plumbing issues again. We have another major clog somewhere again! And...we just got done having the ceiling fixed from the last time it leaked. So, I'm waiting on the plumber guy to come. Why this always has to happen just before the holidays, I don't know. I'm no Martha Stewart, but just once, I'd like for the house to to look nice for the holidays. It's a good thing that I do knit or I'd probably loose my mind...just a little.

Until next time............

Happy Knitting!

Ovarian Awareness Socks finished!

I started these socks back in April. The pattern was great. Lisa Lloyd's Breast Cancer Awareness Socks aka Pink Ribbon Socks. The original link seems to broken, so here's another one from Mary Maxim: Breast Cancer Awareness Socks. I used Baby Ull Dalegarn in teal for the color of Ovarian Cancer awareness. I have 2 Ovarian cancer survivors in my family.

Here's the ribbons made by knitting cables.

The yarn is as soft as butter and I think that is would be nice for baby garments as well. I had to use two 50-gram skeins. The first skein was nice. The second skein, not so nice. The yarn was frayed and split in random spots. Grr....it was so bad that I had to cut & tie ends together. I hate having knots in socks, esp.; since this pair are to be gifted.

Well, I'm glad that this is another project completed. Now, I hope to finish the baby blanket soon and I can CO another pair of socks, of course. I already have several patterns in mind.

Still Knitting the Yellow & Black Baby Blanket

I'm still working on the Yellow (Gold) & Black Baby Blanket. (Please see previous post.) I made a batch of chili and threw it in the slow cooker, so that I could have a leisurely Sunday of knitting and watching the Steelers. I knitted and I knitted and I knitted. The progress is going so slow.

I'm really tempted to CO another pair of socks, but I've been thinking that if I really need a break from the baby blanket, maybe I should pick up and finish one of the many pairs of socks that I already have started.

Wish me luck.

Cauchy Socks Off The Needles

A couple of months ago, I started these Cauchy Socks from Cook A's book, Sock Innovation

I knitted them with Crystal Palace Yarn, Panda Superwash, Color: Tweedy Spice 2011. I love the feel and the wear of this yarn! I fell in love with color. I think that it's just perfect for the Fall and to wear with jeans.

I did something a little different for me. I stepped out of my usual routine of knitting socks on 2-Cirs and I knitted these on DPN's. I don't know, but this particular pattern seemed to work very easily on DPNs. There was a CO of 60 sts, 20 sts on 3 needles and the pattern was a 10-stitch pattern repeat. This pattern just sort of fell into place. I started out on size 2 Bamboo needles and I didn't like how the yarn stuck to the needles and I didn't like how my bamboo needles had become warped. So, I switched to a set of aluminum DPNs that I borrowed from my Mom. What a difference! Those stitches flew off of the needles. Who knew that I would actually enjoy knitting socks this way? These socks fit just right. Maybe it's the yarn or maybe it's the pattern or maybe it was knitting the socks on DPNs, but I love how these socks turned out.

I decided to knit the Cauchy socks from Cookie A's Sock Innovation book, because it seemed the less complicated of all the other socks that I found in the book. Yes, it was a fun and easy knit. Maybe one of these days, I will get brave enough to try one of her other patterns. In my opinion, most of the patterns in the book are not for beginner sock knitters. I don't think that I'm a beginner anymore, however, I did feel a little too challenged about the other beautiful designs.

Now that these are off of the needles, there are other socks that I'd like to start, but I really need to get back to the Gold & Black baby blanket. If only those sock patterns would stop calling me.

I'm Using My Mom's DPNs

I visited with my Mom last week. I went with her to an appt. & then we visited our LYS. Mom was sort of over-whelmed by all the selections of new and different yarns. We didn't buy anything, a first for me, but my Mom wants to go back as soon as she figures out what she wants to knit.

Then, we went back to her place and I raided her stash of knitting needles. I wanted to take a short break from the yellow and black baby blanket and decided to pick up a sock in progress. These socks were being knitted on bamboo DPN's which was OK, but they have become warped. I think from just being used and from the heat from my hands. While rooting through my Mom's stuff, I spotted a set of Susan Bates aluminum needles. She used to knit gloves and she has oodles of them. Most of them had a price tag of 50 cents, 55 cents & 65 cents. Unfortunately, the set that I picked up doesn't have the price marked on them, the last set of bamboo DPN I bought were about $9.

My stitches just glide off the needles! It feels real good to be using the same needles as my Mom. The Cauchy socks from Cookie A's book, Sock Innovations.

I'm still tempted to CO something new. I have a doctor appt. this afternoon, so I just might CO for a square from this Afghan book. I just can't help myself. LOL!

I Will Not Cast On, I Will Not Cast On

So much knitting and so little time. I have a gigantic zipper bag that is over-flowing with all kinds of yarn. I keep telling myself that I'm not going to buy anymore yarn until I have used most of it, but I don't think that's going to happen in this lifetime. (I have even taken up the notion of learning to crochet...maybe it will use up the yarn faster???)

I've been diligently working on a gold & black baby blanket as a baby gift for a family member. I've been feeling the need to switch to something else. Lord knows I have tons of UFOs all around the house that are just begging for my attention. My family can vouch for this as well.

Today was sort of lazy day for me. Hubby and all the kids have been sick with one thing or another. Hubby has a terrible cough which seems to disturb only my sleep. I didn't feel like working on the baby blanket, so I did some browsing through patterns on the Net. Yes, I went looking for trouble...temptation.

So, this is what is on my to-do-list in the near future, and I'm going to use yarn already in my stash.

1. Simple Textured Socks - A Pattern by Kay Redding. She's one of my favorite designers. Simple & beautiful! That says it all.

2. Log Cabin Baby Blanket using Cascade Sierra Yarn PDF

3. Dragon Scale Keyhole Scarf: Free Pattern!


I Will Not Cast On, I Will Not Cast On....