This is crazy

Normally I just talk about myself in this space, but I wanted to link to this article because it's so crazy. I might just have to try it. Knitting two socks at one time on 1 set (yes, that's right 1 set) of DPN! The link was up on socknitters. It's from a 1918 needlecraft magazine although I believe there's a more recent book. Hmm. Might be faster if you got the hang of it. Does anyone know why the second sock is done wrong side out? Just to keep them separate? Hmmm. Well, here's the link.

Darning Socks

My cool striped socks developed this terrible hole in the foot. Not to mention that they're kind of fuzzing up. I have plenty of the yarn left so I decided to darn them. Searched online and found these very clear instructions from Holly Shaltz. I don't have a darning egg so I used what was handy -- a computer mouse. Not ideal but it seemed to work. I hope I get better at this with practice. On second thought, I hope I never have to do this again! Here are the pictures:

And now in other news...

Huge flattery received today - my dear sister told me she wore HUGE holes in the socks I made her. Why is this flattery? She must have worn them a ton -- I have a pair of socks out of the same yarn just made maybe a month earlier and they're just fine. COOL! She's sending them back to me and I'm going to repair them. There might even be an extra pair in the package on the way back : )

The lucky cardigan is going well. I'm chugging along on the back, probably about 5" up. Pictures to come, eventually.

Bought some Cascade 220 from my favorite LYS, felted a swatch, ready to go on my dh's camera bag as soon as he figures out how big he wants it.

Working on the scarf with the beads - about 31" along, I'm going to go until I run out of yarn (or almost, then do fringe. I still have about 40% of the skein left.

Working on the sockotta socks -- I'm slacking on them because I have a conference next week and I figure they'll be good for the trip and down times.

Easter Chicks

Walkersmom originally posted a link to a pattern on KR. Of course I had to make them better!

Here's the pattern I finally came up with:

Easter Chick Cadbury Egg Covers

Yellow cheap acrylic worsted weight yarn (I recommend the stuff that's about 88 cents)
4 DPN in size 6 (what gauge? if you have 7's, cool, 2 circs, cool, magic loop, fine...)
Plastic google eyes (huge pack at Michaels' for $2.99 -- should be available for less elsewhere)
Orange felt (about 20 cents)
Glue gun (or craft glue)
Scissors

Cast on 8 stitches evenly around the 3 needles
1) Join, Knit the first row increasing in every stitch by knitting in the front and back
2) Purl this row and all even rows (until you get to the ribbing)
3) Knit, increasing evenly 4 times around
5) Knit, increasing evenly 4 times around - total of 24 stitches
Continue on alternating K and P rounds until you've finished about 12 rounds total
13) *k1p1*
14)*k1p1*
Bind off in pattern (ok if it's tight).

Use the yarn left from your cast on to draw the top circle tight so there's no hole - darn over it if necessary. Weave the other end of the yarn.

Cut a small triangle out of felt. Use glue gun and attach eyes and beak to chick. Voila...

Getting Lucky!

I just got my yarn yesterday and I'm working on the swatch. I wanted to knit this sweater anyway (hence my little design for spike) but it's the perfect time right now: KAL, RC selling Rowan 4-ply, ready for a new project, spring is coming...

This color is Fandango. Isn't it great?

The big green monster... is ... GASP....

not wool?

nice little swatch before felting




after forever in the washer with 160degF water, dishwashing liquid, on "ultra heavy" cycle





eek. so then I lit it on fire a la Fran

bleep, bleep, bleep (the censors got to my blog), what the bleep? I distinctly remember buying wool and in the skein it looks just like lopi. What is this stuff? I'm guessing now that it's some funky wool-acrylic blend. When I held the flame close it melted and shrunk up. The wool caught fire and ashed but something melted and left a bump. I guess the old dh won't get a felted camera case out of this after all. Hmm. Maybe I'll have to go shopping at the lys this weekend...