Kittens, things got busy here at Chez Knitpicky, and it's going to continue to be that way into the summer. I will hopefully adjust and get back to blogging more regularly again so I do not have to do these "catch up" posts. And as fair warning, being the last day of March and the end of Q1, you will be seeing more posts from me today. I'm catching up on everything it would seem.
Truth be told, there's been a lot of knitting going on here, but not so much finishing. This post will not be too FO heavy compared to the previous ones; it's the amount of time it took me to blog these that bothers me.
Needles: US size 2 (2.75mm)
Yarn: Sunshine Yarns Luxury Sock- Pumpkin Chai
Finally, a pair of socks for 2012! It's a shame they are not for me, but my mother seems to be appreciative of them. And really, who can feel bad about that? ♥
I was sorely tempted to knit them a bit longer and keep them for myself. At least I have some of the yarn left over that I can play with. With my affinity for anklets, I could probably just eek out a pair... definitely one with a contrast heel and toe.
I've knit this pattern
before, and I have to say that I like it much better in a less variegated colorway. Instead of knitting the toe as-written, I decided to change it up to a more commonly used one. I didn't really use the pattern for anything except the decorative stitch. I used a website for the math needed to turn heels and just did my own thing. I really do love this pattern and the look of these socks: there will be more pairs in my future.
This was my first time working with
Sunshine yarns, and it will certainly not be my last. I bought the yarn through a destash and was not disappointed with what I received. The yarn was most remarkable. The colorway was beautiful (but changed a lot depending on what form it was in, more on that a bit later), the yarn was soft, it did not tangle or give me any trouble going from the skein to the cake, and there was not a single defect in the skein. No broken plies. No breaks that were rejoined with a knot. No white spots. No slubby bits at all. Not one. Sunshine just popped up next to Goth Socks on my list of Indie Dyers who DO IT RITE and can have all of my money. If you've been thinking about giving Sunshine a try, I would recommend it based on this first experience.
The colorway was a bit tricky and mischevious, though. If you look at my picture of the two socks, you may notice they appear to be two completely different colors. This is because they are. The first sock knit up much lighter than the second.
In the skein, this is what the yarn looked like:
It was very golden with hints of spicey oranges and browns. Once it was in the cake, it took up a decidedly more brown with highlights of gold look. Then the first sock (the back sock in the FO picture) was a mostly wheat color and the second was more of the warm spice browns. I found it rather fun, but I can see how it would be a possible annoyance if one needs perfectly matching twin socks.
Anywho, if you're in the market for it, by all means try this yarn. :)
The second project I'm going to share with you today was a spur of the moment fun one. On 01 March, The Boy bit into an apple and complained that it made his tooth hurt. As a mother, of course I had to go check it out and my suspicions were confirmed: he had his first loose tooth. I decided he had to have a tooth pillow and after searching through images on Pinterest, I chose do to this....
Needles: US size 6
Yarn: Lion Brand Cotton-Ease
I think it turned out pretty well, though I could have stuffed the legs a bit more. This pattern was really easy to follow and I did for the most part. Instead of knitting a square for the pocket on the back and sewing it down, I chose to pick up stitches from the body, knit as tall as I wanted the pocket, do an applied i-cord bind off, and then seam down the two loose sides. I think it gave the pocket a nice neat appearance and make it easier to find the pocket opening thanks to the structure. I also prettied up the front with some felt and embroidered embellishments.
The Boy was really pleased with the pillow and a few days later, he was able to put it to use. The Girl decided to reach into his mouth while they were wrestling, and she literally ripped his tooth out. Yep, she's dainty and demure, that one.
How about you, kittens? Have you been getting much done during this strangely warm and wet late winter/early spring?
