a bit of looming...

Howdy! 

You're still coming back? thanks. Sorry it's only once a week and not much crafting going on. I'm still de-cluttering. Here a good tip: If you bring a box of donation to Goodwill, don't go in the store and bring more stuff home!!

But how could I pass up this baby!?

 A fashion weaving loom at that.

 Love the comb. I also made a shuttle you can see in the 1st picture. It came with a long plastic needle, but how do you have a ton of yarn behind that every time you pass it through without getting it all tangled? Neve is loving it. She may only do 2 lines at a time, but she goes to it a few times a day.

 Here's a question for you gardeners...
What are the spiderwebby things on these plants? Is it indeed some kind of web or egg covering thing? Sorry, my gardening language is not very elaborate. Your knowledge is most appreciated.

That's it for now.
Thanks for looking,
Amanda

Yarn Along

WOW! It's been only a week since I last posted, but my blogger dashboard does not look the same. Has it changed I am unaware of it? Or is it just one of those days? I seem to be figuring it out. But whoa. 

Anyhow, the pictures are all backwards for the way I imagined to compose this post. So I'll start at the end.

I'm playing along with Ginny over at Small Things for this weeks Yarn Along.

here are the books that are getting my interest this week. Stitched Whimsy and Super Cute Felt. I'm enjoying the eye candy and wishing I would just get out the felt, thread and needles to do a little late night stitching. Lovely things in those. I'm also catching glimpses of the East Coast magazine my mom sent DH for his birthday. It's from the East coast of Canada, featuring articles from Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Newfoundland and Prince Edward Island. Places close to my heart.

And now for the knitting.. Finally, my self striping sock. This is a merino with a cashmere blend. It is so soft and lovely. Everything i wanted in a sock. 

The heel is much better on this one.  After I turned the heel, I picked up 16 stitches on the side rather than the 19 they suggested. I think It may have done the trick.

As you can see from the sock below, the 19 stitches makes it a little too saggy and big. The sock below was the 1st one i knit in real sock wool. Small needles. I used needles that were .25 bigger than the pattern called for. That may have something to do with it I'm sure.

I decided to keep knitting it after I found the merino/cashmere wool. But after awhile, I realized that I probably would not be wearing this sock. it is kind of itchy. I have a very particular foot. Fussy it is. So I stopped and started the one above. Much happier.

Anyone get callouses on their finger tips when they pick up their knitting after having stopped for awhile? Or is that a silly question because you always have some sort of knitting with you!? I'm just an occasional knitter.

Thanks for looking,

Amanda

P.S. Geesh, With the new format, I don't even know where to click to publish. Oh, see it at the top.

red sock, bluey greeny sock

I finished my red pair of socks

Then I promptly started a new one in this varigated wool.

It's so much fun. Now to start the next one and to really knit the pair I want to. Self striping yarn. whoot.

Salvation Army Thrift shop had a 50% off sale today. So of course, me and my ladies had to go!
Some good sweaters were had....


Can you see this as a few pairs of mittens? The colours are not showing true. There is a bit of neon yellow in there which throws me off, but I'm sure it will be fine in a mitten.

And I just HAD to get this awesome fabric. It is in the shape of a scrub shirt. The front has pockets, but the back is all plain. No interruptions. It will be fun to make a kid's toy with this one.


Have a good one,
Amanda

one red sock

After a bit of a stall, I finished my sock. And I did the toe decrease by reading the pattern without assistance. Yep, I'm proud of that little thing.

There are so many holes, extra rows of knit instead of purl on the ribbed top

but I don't care. It is a learning process for me. The heel was fun and the merging of it with the rest of the sock. See, I don't even know the lingo.

It fits. If you call a sock sliding around your foot fitting. Maybe a little bath will help.

I think Neve likes it too.

And it fits in my boot. Oh, that hole on the top, it's to hold my pencil.


Just wondering, should I finish the pair with the other sock, or knit up a new pair with some self striping wool I have in my stash? hmmmm, what do you suggest?

Edit to add: I have indeed started the 2nd sock upon the suggestion of my tutor. :} I figure, I'll go this one alone and see what I do or don't remember. Then my rainbow one will be perfect. I probably won't even wear them, I'm a little sensitive to bumps on the bottom of my feet. As someone said to me, "I think there's a story about that. There's this pea, they put under a load of mattresses." To which I replied, "yes, the secret is out, You may now address me as your highness!"

I'm off to a tutorial this afternoon at the Sewer's World, where i bought my machine. I'm going to learn about all the stitches and tricks of the machine.
Of course i'll share!

Cheers,
Amanda

Yarn Along

I've been reading Ginny's blog, Small Things for some time now and would drool a little in awe on Wednesdays when she had the Yarn Along.
Like many, I get the knitting bug in the colder weather. I can't read a pattern, but wanted to make something other than a scarf. I enlisted my knitting fanatic friend ( I have many actually) to teach me how to knit socks.
She suggested a ribbed sock and let me raid her wool stash. I chose to go bulky to make the experience a little more positive by being able to knit it up faster.

But I was left on my own to try the next phase. Like I said, I don't read patterns (yet) and messed it up a bit. There are 4 needles on there right now. I have a feeling it was only supposed to be 3. I took the sock to my rehearsal last night. It's amazing how many knitters there are about. 2 came directly to me and started chatting it up. My eyes got that glazed, fear look to them. They recognized it and offered to help, but the rehearsal resumed.

The sock has been in my bag all day. Hoping it wouldn't unravel and that I would have a moment to sit with someone in the know. Not to be today.

So I'll just look at the close ups. Ain't it purdy?
Oh, the needles are from the stash my grandmother had. I inherited them. A great stash. Anything you need in there.

The book I'm reading, but not in the past week or more, is the Scotiabank Giller Prize winner this year, Half -Blood Blues

A good book. Not something I would normally go towards, but it's keeping me interested and letting my imagination grow.

And nice bookmark from Marie over at Soft Earth Art. I won her fall giveaway and she sent some extra postcards and book marks. lovely.

k, that's it for now.
have a good one,
Amanda

wool, glorious wool!

I've been wanting to pick up the knitting needles for some time now. When i happened across this glorious wool at the open house this weekend, I traded some of my wares for it.

It is so chunky, colourful, warm and heavenly.

I only know a few stitches and can't read a pattern. But with this wool, who cares. You want to bring out the irregularity of the wool, not a design.

This one is what I bought. It is so over the top. And warm. And fluffy. I love it.


After I complete my Christmas orders, I have a few more scarves to make. Can't wait.


Have a good one,
Amanda