Woolies For a Friend

Finally finished two pair of wool socks for a friend’s mom.  She got the wool yarn and sent it to me.    The wool is by Moda-Dea, 100% Merino wool, superwash that comes in 100 gram skeins.  Just enough for a pair of ankle socks.

The wool is very soft and easy to work with.  I also decorated each pair with charms and buttons.  The green pair have shamrock charms and the red pair have heart buttons.  I hope she enjoys them.  I have also included some Lavendar in the box.  Lavendar is supposed to keep bugs away in addition to smelling nice.

Here’s a couple of pictures of the finished socks.

Add a Little Zing to Your Knitting

I love to knit, but inticate patterns tend to bore me after awhile.  Adding a little ZING to your knitting can be done in other ways.

Fun fur (eyelash) yarn can be added to almost anything that you knit…socks, mittens, gloves, hats, sweaters, etc.  Buttons, beads and charms also make good embelishments to finished items.  Also crocheted edges or flowers look good if you don’t over do it.  And don’t forget the ever useful I-cord as pictured through the cable part of a belt below.

Here’s a few pictures to give you some ideas for your future knitting projects.

I Think I’m a Yarn Snob!

A co-worker recently asked me to make her some flip top mittens so that she could go bow hunting with her husband.  I agreed.  She got the yarn, a camo, multi-colored yarn from Red Heart.  She’s allergic to wool. 

I didn’t realize until I started using it that I HATED it!  It was stiff, scratchy and didn’t slide smoothly along my bamboo needles like wool and other natural fiber yarns that I normally use.  What should have taken only  2 to 3 days to make has taken more than a week.  I could only work on them a few minutes at a time as working with the yarn made my hands hurt.  I felt like I was dealing with sandpaper in string form.

Needless to say I won’t volunteer to make anything else out of Red Heart yarn.  If the recipient is allergic to wool, I’ll ask that they get Lion Brand yarn.  Their acrylic yarn is at least softer and not so rough on the hands.

So, I guess that makes me a yarn snob.  I do prefer the natural fiber yarns such as wool, camel, bamboo, cotton, etc.

Now for a picture of the painfully created mittens:

When It Rains, It Pours!

I’ve heard that phrase before, but never really associated it with much until this past Sunday.

When I got home from work Sunday morning, I noticed my son’s car was gone.  So I asked my hubby where he was.  He told me he was in his room.  Then I asked where his car was, thinking  maybe it had been stolen,  and he told me he had wrecked it.

My first thought and question as a Mom was, “Is he alright?”  Yes, he is alright.  No one was hurt in the accident.  Thank goodness!!

So what happened?  He had gone to Taco Bell to get some Cokes just after I left for work at 10:30 p.m. Saturday night.  He had the accident while trying to exit Taco Bell.

Of course, all kinds of thing were going through my head at this time…insurance claims, tickets, deductibles, college schedule, etc.  I managed to calm myself down and think….it’s Sunday.  All of this can be figured out tomorrow (Monday). 

Then my husband’s cell phone rang, but he didn’t get to it in time.  Someone left a message.  So I checked his message for him and it was his younger sister asking him to call her.  It was important.  He called her and got some disturbing news.  Her husband had died during the night of an apparent heart attack!  Bummer!  So sad and distressing for her.  Her son was handling everything for her and I’m sure she was relieved not to have to do that herself.

Now, when I hear “when it rains, it pours”, I can definitely relate.  I hope and pray that all works out well for all of us.

My Latest Sock Adventure

Have I mentioned that I love knitting socks.  And I especially love wearing them.  Keeps my tootsies warm.

This time I knitted the socks WITHOUT using any self stripeing yarn.  I love the results but, boy oh boy, weaving in all those loose ends was a job.  Still I  like the idea of making the stripes I want instead of waiting on the outcome of the self stripe yarn. 

Now don’t get me wrong.  I like the self stripe yarn.  It is convenient and there are no loose ends to weave in.  But sometimes you just want something different.

I used a 100% wool yarn, except for the rust colored stripe.  It is a wool/cotton blend.   Sinces these socks will have to be hand washed, I don’t think the blend will cause a problem.   All of the yarn is a DK weight, so the knitting went a little faster than with sock/fingering weight yarn.    Glad my shoes are about 1/2 size too big as these socks will make them fit a little tighter.

Where Is Your Camera?

I have often heard folks say, “I wish I had my camera with me.”   How many times have you said that?  

I keep mine with me in my purse at all times.  It really comes in handy for those spur of the moment shots.  Mine is small enough to keep handy.  If it were larger, I’d get a larger purse, LOL! 

I also keep extra batteries with me.  Nothing is more frustrating than to have the camera shut down because the batteries are dead. 

You might consider finding a way to keep your camera handy for those unexpected shots.   Or at least get a small camera to keep handy.

Dyeing Yarn With Koolaid!

I recently bought 10 hanks of undyed wool sock yarn so that I could experiment with dyeing yarn.  After searching the internet for recipes, I settled on my own modified version.

Equipment Used:

2 unsweented packs of koolaid (or any powdered unsweetened soft drink mix)

White vinegar

Wooden spoon

Large heat proof bowl, either glass or plastic (I used a large tupperware bowl)

Measuring cup (1/2 cup size)

2 quart tea kettle

1 hank of wool yarn (mine is 100 grams, 92% wool and 8% acrylic)

The process:

First, fill your tea kettle with water and set it to boil on your stove. 

Empty your koolaid packets into your bowl and add 1/2 cup of white vinegar.  Stir to dissolve koolaid.

Now add the 2 quarts of heated water to the mix and stir.  Then untwist the hank and add your yarn.  Gently push the yarn down into the mixture with your wooden spoon.

Place the bowl in a draft free area (I used my microwave).  Let sit until all of the color has been taken up by the yarn. The water will turn clear.  Let sit until it reaches room temperature.  Then rinse the yarn in cool to lukewarm water.  Gently squeeze the excess water from the yarn and hang it to dry.  This may take a day or two. 

What I learned from this process:

The yarn does not take up the color evenly.  Some areas are darker than others.  The result will be, in my opinion, beautiful in a pair of socks.  When I knit some socks with this yarn, I will be sure to post a picture.  Here is a picture of some of the yarn I have dyed using koolaid.

This was a fun experiment and did I mention, cheap!?!   My next experiment in dyeing will be using Rit dye.  I’ll let you all know how that goes.

Yarn Categories

I have a friend who emailed me about a particular yarn size.  So I thought I would post a yarn categories chart for all you knitters and crocheters out there.  This is the most commonly used one for most of the kntting and crocheting patterns out there.

http://www.yarnstandards.com/weight.html

Standard Yarn Weight System

Categories of yarn, gauge ranges,
and recommended needle and hook sizes

Yarn Weight        Symbol & Category Names	0	1	2	3	4	5	6
Type of Yarns in Category	Fingering 10-count crochet thread	Sock, Fingering, Baby	Sport, Baby	DK, Light Worsted	Worsted, Afghan, Aran	Chunky, Craft, Rug	Bulky, Roving
Knit Gauge Range* in Stockinette Stitch to 4 inches	33–40** sts	27–32 sts	23–26 sts	21–24 st	16–20 sts	12–15 sts	6–11 sts
Recommended Needle in Metric Size Range	1.5–2.25 mm	2.25— 3.25 mm	3.25— 3.75 mm	3.75— 4.5 mm	4.5— 5.5 mm	5.5— 8 mm	8 mm and larger
Recommended Needle U.S. Size Range	000–1	1 to 3	3 to 5	5 to 7	7 to 9	9 to 11	11 and larger
Crochet Gauge* Ranges in Single Crochet to 4 inch	32–42 double crochets**	21–32 sts	16–20 sts	12–17 sts	11–14 sts	8–11 sts	5–9 sts
Recommended Hook in Metric Size Range	Steel*** 1.6–1.4 mm	2.25— 3.5 mm	3.5— 4.5 mm	4.5— 5.5 mm	5.5— 6.5 mm	6.5— 9 mm	9 mm and larger
Recommended Hook U.S. Size Range	Steel*** 6, 7, 8 Regular hook B–1	B–1 to E–4	E–4 to 7	7 to I–9	I–9 to K–10 1⁄2	K–10 1⁄2 to M–13	M–13 and larger
* GUIDELINES ONLY: The above reflect the most commonly used gauges and needle or hook sizes for specific yarn categories. ** Lace weight yarns are usually knitted or crocheted on larger needles and hooks to create lacy, openwork patterns. Accordingly, a gauge range is difficult to determine. Always follow the gauge stated in your pattern. *** Steel crochet hooks are sized differently from regular hooks–the higher the number, the smaller the hook, which is the reverse of regular hook sizing

 

Also for your information 0 = lace, 1= super fine, 2 = fine, 3 = light, 4 = medium, 5 = bulky and 6 = super bulky

My Camilias Are Blooming!

Here it is January and my camilias are blooming.  It’s cool here in northwest Florida, but not cold.

Thought I’d take a few pictures and share them with you.

 

Just a splash of color for all of you in snow covered areas around the country.  Enjoy.

Baby Socks and Baby Feet

One of the CNA’s that I work with just became a new grandmother to a 6# baby boy.  So I knitted some baby socks for him. 

I used US size one double pointed needles and sock yarn.  I cast on 36 stitches and did a ribbing of K2 P2 for 1 inch.  Then I did 3 rows of stockinette.  The heel flap came next for 1 inch in length.  Then I turned the heel. Once the turning was complete, I proceeded to the gussett and picked up 9 stitches on either side.   After decreasing down to my original 9 stitches per needle (I use a total of 5 needles, 4 to hold the stitches and 1 to knit with), I knitted for 1 1/2 inches before decreasing the toe area.  Once down to 3 stitches per needle, I cut the yarn about 8 inches out.  Used a large eyed needle and slipped the yarn through the remaining stitches and fastened off.

Here’s a couple of pictures of the finished socks and the proud grandma.

Here’s the pattern for those of you who want to knit some baby socks:

Sock yarn

Set of  five size US 1 double pointed needles

Large eyed sewing/yarn needle

Cast on 36 stitches and divide evenly (9 stitches each) over 4 needles.  Join.  K2 P2 around for 1 inch.  Then do 3 rounds of stockinette.

On the next round slip 9 stitches from the second needle to the first needle so that you have 18 stitches on one needle.  Slip one, knit one alternately to the end of the needle.  Turn. Slip one, purl to the end of the needle.  Repeat these two rows for 1 inch ending after a purl row.

Turn the heel.  Mentally divide these 18 stitches by 3 (6 stitches).  Knit across the first 2/3 (12 stitches), slip the next stitch, and knit the next one.  Pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch, and turn. * Slip one stitch, purl over the middle 1/3 (6 stitches), then purl two together.  Turn, slip one, knit 6, slip one, knit one, pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch. Turn.*  Continue in this manner until all stitches have been worked.  You should have 8 worked stitches on your needle and have the knit side facing you.  Knit these 8 stitches.

Pick up 9 stitches along the side and knit them.  Knit the next two groups of 9.  Then pick up 9 stitches on the other side, knit them.  Then knit 4 stitches from the next needle.  You should have 13 stitches  each on two needles and 9 stitches each on the other two.

Decrease the gussett stitches.  Knit 10 stitches, knit 2 together, knit one.  Knit 9 stitches on the next two needles.  Then knit one, slip one, knit one, and pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch.  Knit one round even.  Continue in this manner until you have 9 stitches on each needle. Knit even for 1 1/2 inches.

Decrease the toe stitches.  Knit 6 stitches, knit 2 together, knit one.  On the next needle, knit one, slip one, knit one, pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch, knit 6.  On the next needle, knit 6 stitches, knit 2 together, knit one.  Then on the next needle knit one, slip one, knit one, pass the slipped stitch over the knit stitch.  Knit one round even.  Continue in this manner until 3 stitches remain on each needle. 

Cut the yarn about 8 inches out.  Thread your yarn needle and slip the yarn through the remaining stitches.  Slip the yarn needle down through the hole in the toe area and turn the sock inside out.  Pull the yarn tight and secure the stitches by running the yarn needle through the stitches several times.  Cut the yarn leaving about 1/2 inch tail.  Turn the sock right side out.  One little baby sock made.  Repeat for other sock.