Hell in a Handbasket

Sometimes, despite one's best efforts, life turns into "Hell in a Handbasket". Life goes along so smoothly for so long, and suddenly and abruptly, one is blindsided by misfortune. It can be random misfortune (someone close dies, a storm or a fire destroys a home) or misfortune created or eminating from those around us, or regrettably, by our own bad decisions. Even if someone makes moral (and often tough) choices with their own life and relationships, misfortune hits all of us sometime in our lives. It must be the happy, carefree smoothness of the ride that makes the bumpy ride of the misfortune that much more difficult. It takes a great deal of strength to get past the "why me?", forgive oneself and others, and to count one's blessings. Perhaps that is what misfortune is for: to build compassion for others, and to make us stronger, and make us more thankful for what we have.

I named this basket "Hell in a Handbasket" because I was struggling with this basket as I coped with some turmoil in my life. The spokes of the basket resisted coming together at the base as well as bending upright. In the end, the slightly curved shape of the sides was more interesting than other baskets that I've made. Perhaps the best way to reach a point is not a straight line, but a more accomodating curved line.

The socks are a Christmas present for my sister in law, Wendy. I think that she will like the red wool socks with the graduated colors. It's the second pair of toe-up socks which I've made; an interesting technique that I'll use occasionally. The Cherry Tree Hill socks which I completed a few weeks ago were a present for my Mom's birthday. She loves them! :)

Carpe Diem!

It's an incredibly beautiful fall day today, and I've taken the day off.
Carpe diem! (Seize the day!)


As it's close to the end of the year, it's time to use up those vacation and personal days or lose them!

Here's a picture of a basket which I finished last week. I love the round shape, double rim, and the color, but the rim was a real struggle. It took hours, and some boiling water to shape up this rim.



One of my favorite colors is red, and it's not much of a coincidence that the colors in the basket are similar to the multi-colored yarn selected for these socks.

Rainy Saturday

It's very windy and rainy today; a great day to stay in, snuggle up with a warm afghan, and knit. I started a pair of socks with Cherry Tree Hill, a color called Winterberry. It's made in Vermont, and is 100% superwash merino. Great yarn; it's so smooth and silky. It's a bit pricey, but it takes so many hours to knit a pair of socks, that the quality of the yarn is more important.

Will post sock progress tomorrow, today is for a bit of housework, knitting and, who knows?

Tiger Lily knows just how to spend a day like today. :)

Autumn Saturday

A heavy rain and high winds on Friday blew down many of the beautiful autumn leaves, and today is sunny and cool. The bear which I had photographed on Wednesday was missing something important: a smile! He's looking a good deal better. I'll keep him until I make a few more; one may go to a coworker whose wife is expecting, one to a neice, and the rest to a police program which gives out stuffed animals to children who have experienced trauma. More bears and more knitting (including socks) to follow.

Knitted Teddy Bear

I'm not sure why I knitted this bear. I was planning on starting some socks, until I stumbled upon a cute teddy bear designed by ax174, on her blog, "Blah Blah, Blahhhing". Had a little trouble with the ears (not sure if I did them right), but everything else went well. Great use of scraps of worsted weight yarn, and knits up pretty quickly.

Gotta Love Sundays

It is one of those terrific Sundays! A beautiful, crisp, autumn day. The trees are just beginning to change color here; it's peak color in Northern New England, but it's a few weeks from happening here. It's a relaxing day; time to spend with family, catch up on hobbies (and even housework). Or, perhaps, to loaf around and take pictures of one's socks!



Just finished the red toe-up socks with the cable pattern. It was an interesting new technique. Although I had little difficulty in doing the Turkish cast-on and knitting the toe, the knitting itself was too tight, and off from my usual gauge. Had to tear out the first toe, move up to a larger needle, and the next try was much improved. The heel with the wrapped stitches looked better on the second sock; I think that I'll look for another way to form the heel.


Here's a picture of the first try at the toe and the improved toe:

Socktoberfest Questions

When did you start making socks?
I made my first pair a couple of years ago.


Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class? I taught myself from free patterns and many tutorials which I found on the internet. Nancy Bush's book, "Knitting on the Road" was a good source for different techniques.


What was your first pair? I used a self-patterning Regia yarn using a free pattern that I found on the internet. It was a cuff-down pair.


How have they "held up" over time? Pretty well; they have been washed and worn many times.


What would you have done differently? The first pair, I changed to stockinette stitch on the cuff. Now I prefer all ribbing on the cuff for a tighter fit. I also prefer cable socks, or socks with ribbing continuing down the top half of the foot.


What yarns have you particularly enjoyed? I've enjoyed Regia, Opal, Cherry Tree Hill, and KnitPicks Essentials. There are so many different brands, and many more to try out!


Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method? I've never croched socks, but have crocheted afghans. My preferred method of knitting socks is two (16 inch) circulars. Favorite kind of needles are currently KnitPicks. They are so reasonably priced, and I love the points, and everything about the needles. I also have Inox and Addi Turbos.


Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?) The flap heel.


How many pairs have you made? It's hard to say; I've made socks for friends and family, and also quite a few pairs for me. A guesstimate would be between twenty and thirty.

First toe-up socks

The yarn and pattern are part of a swap sent by Colleen. Have been busy, and have had little time to work on them. The first toe was too tight; I took it apart and switched to a larger needle and had a better gauge. It's much better to test one's gauge first, but I don't think many knitters actually do. Used the turkish cast-on directions from FluffyKnitterDeb; she has nicely written (and illustrated)directions. Everything progressed nicely until the heel. Not sure yet if I like the wrapping technique to form the heel. I've made so many socks from the cuff down that I didn't even have to think about how they were made. It is a nice break to make some lady's socks with cables, though. Only time will tell if I convert to toe-up socks.


Tiger Lily looks on from the lower deck.

Second Pair of Man Socks finished

Continuing the k2, p2 ribbing down the top of the sock gave the socks a closer fit. I like it better than the straight stockinette on the entire foot; I'll leave it up to the recipient each time. They were made with Knit Picks Essential, a superwash wool. After two pairs in a row of (too big) MAN socks, I was happy to start the toe-up pattern that Colleen sent. It was a beautiful sunny day today, and I spent lunch outside with a co-worker. The turkish cast-on was remarkably easy, and it was a shame to have to go inside!

Friday!! and a Square for Grandma Purl

It's been an interesting week, and thankfully, it's Friday! The house is in pretty good shape, amazingly, and I also completed an 8 inch square for Grandma Purl. The yarn is a Superwash Cascade, and chose a basketweave pattern (because I make baskets). There are pictures already posted of some of the squares; it looks like it's going to be a beautiful afghan. Off to the mail tomorrow!

On to the socks! Men sure do have big feet!

Knit a Square for Grandma Purl

For those of you who enjoy reading Crazy Aunt Purl's Blog , here's an opportunity to help her Grandma:

Tiger Lily

would like to join Knitting Kitty. She loves to lurk near my (her) computer, and lay on my (her) knitting bag. Can we join, please? :)

KSKS kit received

from Colleen. She put together a fun package of a felted tote (favorite colors, green & brown), along with red Fortissima Socka yarn, a lamb with tape measure, and treats of Dots and "Knitting Girls" mints. It was all so neatly packed into a cardboard box that actually fit in the mailbox. Love the toe up pattern, it's a new technique that I wanted to try. It also has cables! Here's another picture:

I wasn't quite sure at first if the sheep had a tape measure. It did suffer some pulling on its tail and hands before I discovered the correct one. How did she know that I had wanted one of those? Very thoughtful kit! Thanks, Colleen! :)

Blue Man Socks

Just finished the first sock of another pair of "Man's socks". The first pair that I made had stockinette stitch for all of the foot. This pair has the k2, p2 ribbing continuing down the top (1/2) of the sock for a tighter and more comfortable fit. I think that K will like this pair. :)

This really is a

knitting blog, not Wild Kingdom! My co-workers had a good deal of fun with the chicken story.

Why was the chicken sitting near the phone? Because he needed to make a call! (An even worse variation of the why did the chicken cross the road joke).

On the knitting front, I've started another pair of MAN'S socks. I am using "Essentials", a washable wool yarn and circular needles from Knit Picks. Have read some good reviews from other knitters, and decided to give Knit Picks a try. The circulars are definitely as good as Addis at a fraction of the cost, and the yarn was good quality, too.

My Chicken Story

This is embarrassing but true! I live in a large city, and went to a small quickie market near a major road to buy the Sunday newspaper. I was a bit surprised to see a black chicken on the sidewalk just outside the store. I joked with the attendant about the store raising its own chickens. He said that he had tried to catch it, but couldn't. I felt bad for the chicken as it curled up near the pay telephone outside. I felt bad about doing nothing about the chicken, worried that it might be hit by a car or cause an accident, and when I got home, I ended up calling the police (the routine number not 911!) It was REALLY embarrassing, having to apologize and all for calling for such a trivial thing (and as my DH said, it's only 69 cents a pound). The dispatch actually said that they would send someone to check it out. Imagine the police officer's embarrassment to be sent to a call concerning a chicken! Sorry officer!

Nature

A deer visited our front yard yesterday. It was about five to ten feet away from the house initially and then moved closer to the street by the time I took its picture. It was content to eat the overgrown vegetation on the fence, and wasn't too quick to leave. The deer are used to people, and my dog was totally unaware of the visitor.


A very large spider is spinning an equally large web by the front door. It's been very successful at catching insects, as they are attracted by the porch light at night. Plan to keep the web there, as it will be a natural decoration for the kids who will be trick or treating. Nothing like the real thing to scare the hell out of them!

In knitting news, I finished Dad's socks last week, and began another pair for someone special.

Waiting is somehow easier.....

when I knit. It is calming, and makes me feel the time spent waiting is worthwhile, and to look forward to it. My current project is a basic sock in medium blue pair for my Dad.

I'm not sure what my pets were looking at (when I took this picture) but they seem to be quietly waiting for something or someone.

The Kit was sent to....

Margit who will be bringing her kit to a tropical island for vacation! Really! I'm not making this up! She liked the "tropical getaway/beach" theme of the kit. Visit her site to see the truckload (ok, a suitcase full) of yarn that she's taking with her on her trip.

The stich markers were fun and easy to make. I visited a local bead shop, and the owner was very helpful. She wasn't a knitter, but I brought in some purchased stitch markers for an example. She showed me some beading/jewelry techniques, and selected the right gauge of wire and a great wire cutter. The stitch markers came out much better after visiting the shop and with a bit of practice.

Meanwhile, Dad's socks are progressing very slowly. Usually, it takes a week for me to finish a pair of socks. Between bringing work home, working late, and trying to keep up with the housework, there's been less knitting time. Too much work, and too little personal and family time.

Singer Sewing Saturday

for the Knit Sock Kit Swap. On to the second kit! Inspired by the many varieties of bags everyone is making, thought that it would be fun to try something new.

BTW, Jeane received the first kit which included a felted bag and will soon receive an additional surprise in the mail. Shh! Am sure that she doesn't read my blog!




My Singer Featherweight has been stored in its case in the closet for quite a few months, unused. Although I like to quilt and sew, knitting and basketry have taken up my free "hobby" time. Time to bring it out!

So, in between the usual (and unexpected) Saturday happenings, I sorted through numerous fabric, and tried to figure out what would fit the receipient's (R) taste and personality. It would seem if one were to read someone's blog, it would be easy to figure out, but not for me! Wonder if my swapper is having an equally hard time?

Finally decided on a tote bag with shorter handles and reversible. Yes, I'm being a bit of a coward; what are the chances that R will not like either one? :0

Finished the bag on Saturday and assembled the main portion of the kit for the picture. Did not include R's favorite candy in the picture, as it would spoil the surprise.

Sorry Dad, I'm still working on your socks! I promise!

Brown Cable Socks

Completed the brown cable socks in the Regia wool & silk blend. The cable pattern shows up better on a solid color. Brown is one of my favorite colors for work, while blue is my favorite color for casual wear. Here they are, relaxing on the back porch, before I drag them (kicking and screaming) to work! Just kidding! I LOVE my job!

Sister to Diamond Felted Bag

was finished on Monday. It's finished with different buttons than the first. Decided to go with a decorative spiral black button in the middle and two matching black buttons on the side. Took this picture in the evening, and even with the flash, it doesn't come out as well.
Have been toting around Dad's socks, but have been working on them mostly at home. Initially, I had cast on 80 sts, but it looked much too big. Gauge, bah! Looked at the gauge on a pair of brown cabled socks (same yarn, different color) recently finished, and discovered that it was 7 sts=1". The socks would have been HUGE! Ok, tore out about 3" of ribbing to start again! Chose the correct sts this time at 72 sts. The yarn is really nice, a Regia fingering weight of wool & silk blend.

Joined a new group of knitters

who are knitting very tall black socks (army regulation color) for our soldiers overseas. It's a bit like the Red Cross knitting circles, where groups of women knit the dark olive green socks for the men. There are some interesting vintage patterns on this site. Now, there are both women and men in the military who are receiving the gifts of socks, and women and men knitting them. Hoping that this will also bring a bit of comfort to me as well, as my son Kevin joined the Army, leaving home in the early morning hours of July 5th.

While I'm waiting for the black yarn to arrive, am busy working on Dad's medium blue socks. Sorry Dad, this is only my second pair of "Man socks", I'm hoping that they fit!

Organizing............

knitting patterns. Have always found it helpful to step back and organize things, even with knitting. It's so frustrating not to be able to find something! One of the ways I organize patterns found on the web or purchased, is to place them in a binder, in the plastic sheets, using the "post-it flags" that can be written on for the categories.

Projects:: Currently finishing up the toe on a pair of brown cabled socks. Have to finish up the socks in order to free up my favorite circulars for some medium blue socks which I promised to make for my father. Looking forward to starting them. :)

Summer travelin'.....for the Knit Sock Kit Swap

The felted bag has been mailed to my KSKS kittee, Jean, from Utah, and will arrive in the mail today. Instead of a zipper, I used some rounded cherry colored buttons, along with a chain stitched loop to fasten from the other side. The buttons were selected to coordinate with the purse and to look like my pal's favorite candy, the atomic fireball. Legal disclaimer: not intended to be eaten, not by child or adult! Included also some colorful sock yarn, Cherry Tree Hill, which is one of her favorites. The sock pattern which was included was Wendy Johnson's toe-up, a new technique my pal wanted to try.



Just agreed to be an "angel" and make another kit. Very uncomfortable with the term but happy to do the kit. More kittin'(not to mention my own knittin') to come.

Love to see what everyone is making! :)

Posted a few pictures

of some completed knitting projects. One of the pictures added to flickr was the french market tote (from knitty.com). Made it in a two color- dark & light blue combination. Am not a big fan of the tote, it's too large on the bottom. Made an accessories case which I like better than the tote. Can't like every finished project!

The KSKS kit.....posting pics and identity of secret kittee........soon......
Plan to mail the completed KSKS kit on Wednesday. When it reaches its destination, I will post the completed kit, and the identity of my kittee.

Thanks for the comments and the kind words about the diamond felted tote! :)

Shhhh.....don't tell anyone.......but

this is one of the places where I stash my yarn. Have been making baskets for a year or two, with the idea that baskets and yarn go together. The problem is, the baskets are multiplying faster than the yarn stash! The picture gallery contains some of my favorite baskets, some filled with yarn.

Recent purchases are hiding here.............

Where do you stash your yarn? Would love to know! :)

It's fuzzy!

....and felted! Just placed it outside to get a better picture, but it's drying inside. I must admit something, however. The first bag I felted, was by washing machine. It took forever and plus, the washing machine was needed for laundry.

So......instead, I felt by hand in a pan in the kitchen sink, using hot water and dish detergent. If the water is super hot, I use a spoon to agitate the item. Yes, beat it with a spoon! It takes less time, honest! It does seem that I'm breaking some sort of rules; can't find anyone who does it this way.

Hi, I may be your mysterious kitter! The sock yarn is ready to go, and there are some fun extras to pick up. The bag may take a few days to dry, then it will be on its way! :)

Prefelted bag

Finished knittin the bag!! Yes! And the sun is finally out (on the weekend even)! It's an incredibly beautiful day. Finished the bag early in the morning, then completed an errand, washed two cars, watered the garden, and swept both decks. The house is a bit of a mess, but decided to clean the house from the outside in, and enjoy some sun.

Thanks for all the comments! :) I'm overwhelmed as a newbie blogger! In response to Cayli, the pattern is the Kristina Bag and was created by Julie Anderson of Black Sheep Bags . She has some great patterns on her site. The directions were well written. Her Booga Bag directions are free, the rest are reasonably priced.

Have already purchased yarn to make a clone (to keep!) with a different (color pattern) Noro yarn while keeping the black Cascade.

On to the felting! :)

On to the messy house? :P

Out of work for four days ..........Whoopie!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! spelling?? Whooppee! spell check? help?

Knittin' a Bag for My Pal

Hi there, I've been putting in long hours at the office, but managed to start this felted bag last Friday. Love the diamond pattern, the black is Cascade, and the multi-color is Noro. It reminds me of argyle. The bag is tentatively earmarked for my KSKS pal. Wonder if she will like it?Thinking of making a fabric bag, also, then deciding which to send.

Here's a closeup of the pattern:
Bye, must go knit! :)

Rainy day blues

It's another rainy day (week) here. It's been a very rainy spring; hard to believe that it can rain any more than it has. Have been busy working on a felted bag for the KSKS swap, and wanted to post a picture, but they are coming out too dark. Just look at the picture of my cat, Mindy, she's a gray striped cat, and looks black. Will try again when the sun comes out.

Just finished dyeing a basket that I had been working on. It's made out of grapevine, reed, and seagrass.

Trip to the LYS

On Thursday, I visited a yarn shop (after work) which I've never been to before. It's about 1/2 hour away and was having a 30% off sale! :) Purchases included the Debbie Bliss's book, "simple living", a good amount of yarn (including sock yarn), and a felted bag kit. It took quite a while; there was so much yarn in the small shop, but was very well organized.

Have started the felted bag; this project should go pretty quickly. It may be earmarked for the KSKS buddy...........but I may make an equally interesting fabric bag instead. I'll make both, and then decide. Wonder if the KSKS organizers will mind if I ask and give her a choice?

When I checked out of the LYS, I was asked for my birthdate (including year!). This is not a time to trim years off one's age; one may be tempted to do the opposite! They have a birthday club, where you receive a discount of 1/2 off your age, which can be used from one week prior to your birthday- one week after your birthday. What a fun idea!

Will definitely visit again, even though there is a LYS one block away from my workplace.

The DH wondered whether it was worth it to visit the new shop, after all, it must have cost $6 to get there! After seeing the receipt, he had no comment! None needed................

I've started this web blog after meeting many knitters, who asked, "Where is your web blog and what is your screen name?" Although I had a web page once upon a time, it's been a number of years since I've maintained a site. Have recently completed a knitting needle case, using some fabric that was purchased and stashed away. Also used the fabric from a pair of jeans. It's great to use up the stash, whether it's yarn or fabric. Had originally intended to use the fabric for a pillow, but think that this was a better use.

I like the way that it rolls up. In addition to two rows of ten pockets each (for double points and circulars, as well as singles), there is a zippered pocket and a buttoned "flap" pocket.


Each pocket is 1 1/2 inches wide. The zippered compartment is great for stitch markers, cable needles, and other small items.
If anyone is interested in directions, post a reply below, and I'll post them.
Here's the case all rolled up.














My favorite wildflower, very hard to find, the lady's slipper.

Knit Sock Kit Swap

Q & A for the Fun Swap:

What are your favorite colors? Brown, Red & Blue
Are you a new sock knitter? No
How long have you been knitting socks? A year or two
Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? I like both!
What fibers do you prefer in sock yarn? Wool Blends, must be machine washable
Where do you usually knit socks? Everywhere!
How do you usually carry/store small projects? A knitting bag
What are your favorite sock knitting patterns? Small cables or plain
What are your favorite sock knitting techniques? Two circular needles
What new techniques would you like to try? Toe up knitting
Do you prefer circulars or dpns for sock knitting? Circulars
What are some of your favorite yarns? Regia, Opal
What yarn do you totally covet? Like Regia solid wool/silk blend, but would like to try some new yarns, also.
Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object?
Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? Addi Circulars
If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be?
Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? Dots
What’s your favorite animal? Cat
Do you have pets? What are their species/names/ages? Two Cats & one Dog
If you were a color what color would you be? Red or Brown!
Describe your favorite shirt (yours or someone else’s)..
What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature? Lady Slipper
Tell me the best quote you’ve ever heard or read.
Do you have a wishlist? Liked the mini duffel bag pattern on the crafster bag site.
Anything else you’d like to share with the group today? No, that's it!


I'm looking forward to designing and making a bag and sock kit for ----(can't tell you yet!! :)