Rye Socks

As January nears its end, I still think of and attempt to accomplish my New Year's Resolutions.  I wish to remember Socrates' quote "The secret of change is to focus all your energy on not fighting the old, but on building the new."

I would like to try and concentrate more on finishing and focusing on projects/w.i.p.s.  I would like to be just as excited and motivated on finishing a project as I am thrilled to start a project.  I would like to not be overwhelmed by the amount of projects on the go.  With focus and some dedication, I would like to greatly reduce the amount of projects on the go at the same time.

I am working on these Rye socks by Tincanknits.  It is a lovely free sock pattern that the Dublin Knit Collective have chosen for a KAL (knit along).  I am knitting two pairs, one in sock weight and one in worsted weight.  I am hoping to finish the sock weight first.  The sock weight yarns are my own hand dyed yarns - Ellie and Ada Sock Yarn in the Prismatic Colourway.

Happy New Year!  Happy Saturday!  Happy Weekend!  Happy Knitting!

Stitch Markers and Socks

 I've been making stitch markers and have been enjoying decorating my knitting with them.  The top photo is a picture of stitch markers that I made from a treasured bracelet.  One of my closest friends made me the bracelet whilst we were students, sharing a flat together.  The elastic broke and I kept the beads.  I made stitch markers out of the beads and I love them. 

That Fischer Price dog is another treasure of mine, a prized possession.

Vestigial Finished

This is my second pair of Vestigials.  Nice and easy pattern.  I love the stitch pattern Mistake Rib, it's my go to scarf pattern, delighted to see it knitted in the round.  I dyed the sock yarn.  It is a LHogan 4 ply wool with nylon and the colourway is Shady Shaman.  I was watching a lot of The Mighty Boosh at the time that I dyed the yarn.  Naboo was the inspiration for the colourway and name Shady Shaman.

The pattern is by Beata Jezek of Hedgehogfibres.  You can find the free pattern on Ravelry or on her website here.  And since, I am a fan of starting projects, I already cast on and started two more pairs.

Happy Knitting!

Feet and Flowers

This is a Notecard from the Roman Holiday Series.  You can find it at the Ellie And Ada Etsy Shop.  I love my cat figurine.  It was a lucky find at a second hand shop a couple years back.  I actually got myself this print on a tote bag from my Society Six page.  I love it so much and use it everyday.

Was going to do a granny square with a lot of sock scraps.  I stopped here a long, long time ago.  Laziness and uncertainty got the best of me.  I don't know if I want to knit/crochet another wool blanket.  I do love the look of an auld granny square, not going to lie.  What do folks do with sock yarn scraps?  I've knitted log cabin blankets with mine.  I might make a Lifesavers Cardigan with some of the sock yarn leftovers.  It is another Tanis Fiber Arts cardigan.  I mostly knit worsted/Aran or 4 ply yarns.  In Ireland, you pretty much need some sort of sweater or cardigan all year round.

The flowers are my pansies from last year.  Hardy Soldiers, I think they're going to be just fine this Spring.

Going to work on some soup and finish off a present of socks.  If you are a sock knitter and want a really handy chart of all the shoe sizes.  This way, at least this is what I think, if you know their shoe size, you can figure out their foot in inches or centimetres.  In my experience, it is hard to get people to measure their feet.  Funny but true!

Hello November!

It's hard to believe it is November!  It was a warm October but today is chilly and I have a fire on and decided to spin some wool before dinner.  I haven't been spinning as much but I would like to go through my spinning stash before getting any more.  It's a cozy evening here.

I finally started that scarf for a friend that I have been meaning to knit.  I hope to make a huge dent into it tonight.  I am also knitting hats.  I want to knit hats with knitted linings.  I even saw hats in Lidl's that have fleece lining.  I knitted my sister a hat a couple of years ago and my mother sewed a fleece lining in it.  I might look into making some of those. Also mittens with lining....  Operation Warm!

Lexi loves wooly blankets.


New socks that I knitted.  Love the colours.

Flowers

I took pictures of my knitted socks and my first attempt at gardening (this year).  I have somehow managed to keep these flowers alive.  They are amazing since they have practically died but have been revived many times.  Some family members are much more green thumbed than myself but I hope to learn as I go.

Wonder what the neighbours thought of me photographing socks on my feet.

The socks are plain knitted socks- what many knitters call vanilla sock pattern.

I dyed the sock yarn.

Finishing Projects

I started this sweater ages ago.  I guess I really didn't want to knit it during the warmer months this summer.  I'd like to finish it before starting another sweater or any other projects.

I finished the Vestigial socks.  I love them.  They are knitted with a smaller needle and only have 56 stitches.  I normally knit plain socks with 2.5 mm.  I would tend to be a looser knitter.  Also because the Vestigial socks are ribbed, they are a nice fit.

I also dyed the yarn used in the second pair of Vestigial socks.

A.A. Milne

Today was a lovely day so I was able to do some drawing outside.  I was messing with some inks.  I haven't painted or worked with inks in many years.  It was fun enough to mess around in the sun even though it felt a bit rusty.

I am hoping to finish a knitting project soon.  I'd just would love to finish what I am working on so I can start using them and also to share the photos. The handspun sweater that I have been working on is almost finished.  I just realised that the new ball/skein of yarn that I started is a different fibre/type of wool.  I will need to search my stash to see if I have another one.  I have everything done except the collar and half of one arm.

Isadora

Looks like Isadora is dancing on a scanned page of a very old college notebook. 

Looks like there is a very strong colour theme going through my knitting at the moment.  I dyed all the yarn photographed.  One pair of socks, that I am knitting, is a pattern by Hedgehogfibres.  It is called Vestigial.  Got into the sock buzz again.  And as soon as I get this sweater done, I want to finish one of the 4 ply cardigans that I have on the go.  Might alternate Aran and 4 ply jumpers because knitting 4 ply cardigans can get a little bit boring or 'Are we there yet?'  I was very grateful for the one 4 ply cardigan and sweater that I did make for myself this summer.

I got chips last night and the man in the chipper was laughing that I was already back into the winter gear.  I was wearing a lightweight cowl and hat.  

Was walking by the donkeys in our town (few can say that I am sure) and this little toddler cut loose and just walked out in the middle of the road.  Maybe he was from Dublin and was heading back.  I was walking Lexi and saw this.  I started running towards them shouting and pointing.  "The toddler is in the road.  Baby in the middle of the road.  The baby!"  Cars were beeping.  The little fella kept on trucking.  His family realised and all is well.  The little guy must prefer Shetland ponies to donkeys.