Sock two

Sock two has been started.  I have included a picture showing the finished sock along with the second sock. Why?  This is to show that I am actually knitting both socks.

This morning Joan and Joan visited.  Joan has knit the Ruffles Scarf a few times and gave me a great idea.  Can't believe I didn't think of it.  Some people think the Ruffles Scarf is too short when it is tied.  Why bother tying it?  Use a shawl stick. Brilliant.  Now it is a great length.  I can't wait to wear it.

Last week I started moving yarns around to get the new Noro on the shelves.  I need a bit more room so there are two Noro yarns on sale. These are on sale until Saturday April 16 while stock lasts.

Here are a few ideas for Chirimen.

This sweater is in Noro Flowers.

The regular price on Chirimen was $10.95 and we have it on sale for $6.95.

Also designed by Jenny Watson and can be found in Noro Flowers.

Chirimen knits to a double knitting tension so there are many options for patterns.

I typed Chirimen under Yarn on Ravelry to see what other knitters have used the yarn for.  What really caught my eye was a shawl called 198 yds of Heaven.  It is a free pattern that I already had in my library.  3 balls will make a great shawl.

Vintage is now $6.95 a ball (originally $11.95).
I used Vintage to knit Jared Flood's Noro Striped Scarf.

While supplies last
No returns
No layaways

To Do

My to do list is very long today.  The cool thing about my list is that I can add to it on my iPad, iPhone or MacBook and through MobileMe it updates my calendars on all three devices.  No more writing it on one and then forgetting to add it to another.  I can also set it to send me email reminders a day or a few hours before an event.  No excuses for missing an appointment now.

From my iPad.

From my iPhone.

Accounting and then write cheques later on?  Isn't this the same?  There was an important cheque that I had to write so I wrote it on its own so I didn't forget.  :)

The banking and accounting are done.  This is the chore that is always put off so I sat down and did it first thing this morning.

The kitchen has been cleaned and the dish washer is running.  I love my dogs but somedays I wish they would pick their dishes up off the floor and put them in the dishwasher!!

This is another one of those never ending posts with lots of pictures.

I make a quick trip to Burlington and stopped at the store to bring Jane lunch.  This is her current knitting.  Jane can't get enough of Kaffe Fassett.  This one is in Aran weight for her husband.  The colours look amazing.

People ask me how long it takes Jane to knit a garment.  She picked up this yarn on Tuesday and the back is done past the armholes.

On Saturday my dad changed the flags in front of the store.

The spring flags are up and they are talking about 10cm of snow on Wednesday.

My sock is done.  I am going to block both socks together. Yes, the second sock has been cast on and I am going to knit two socks that match.

The toe was different than the toe I normally do.  The pattern calls it the modified star toe.  I am laughing as I am writing this.  It sounds like I am some sort of sock expert.  :)

Finished Projects

It was a day of finished projects.  Not mine unfortunately.

Emma came in this afternoon with the Polly Pullover.  Knit in Spud & Chloe Outer (Cedar 7209) from the top down on 8mm needles.

With easy top down construction and simple waist-shaping darts, this quick knit is a great first sweater pattern! 

I will have Sarah or Lynn put it on at knitting class on Wednesday night and get another picture.  It is so cute when on a person.

A bit later Jane came in with a pair of socks. She made the Circle Socks in Mini Mochi from Crystal Palace.  I was in a rush and took some pictures with my phone.  I should have used my camera.

This is the yarn from the Crystal Palace website.

Picture one-taken in the front room with the socks on a chair.

Picture two was taken in the side room after I hung the socks on the wall.

One day I am going to take a course so that the pictures I take come out the proper colour.  :)

After looking at Jane's and now writing about them I think I had better get mine done.  There is about 1" until the toe shaping.  Criminal Minds and knitting looks like a great way to spend my Saturday night.

Many Visitors

My sock is progressing.  I didn't make it to the toe last night but I must say that it is looking good.

Since starting this post I have received a few visitors.

Mr. UPS brought in a box of Lamb's Pride Bulky from Brown Sheep.

Ms. Canada Post brought in a box from Prism.  More Saki including 5 colours in Laura's new Layer technique.

Colours, from left (we received the underlined colours): Mist, Mushroom, Straw, Prairie, Melon, Woodrose, Peony, Orchid, Plumberry, Deep Sea, Agean, Lichen

This method produces just that, layer upon layer of color that reads as solid from a distance, but reveals all of its subtle glory upon closer examination.

There were also 2 kits (different colourways) for the Athena wrap. This kit includes 8 colours of Merino Mia sock yarn.

Mr. CanPar brought in 4 HUGE boxes of spring Noro.

Silk Garden Lite was discontinued but is back again for spring in seven colours.

Taiyo has 6 new colours.

Taiyo Sock has 420m
100gram ball ($18.95)

50% Cotton
17% Wool
17% Nylon
16% Silk

The yarn is on the website (colour swatches coming soon).  A box is going out to Ann (one of my knitters) in the morning and I'm going to include a ball so she can knit up a pair of socks.

I need to get this done before leaving the store this afternoon.  Beth and I are throwing a dinner party tonight.  Our kids (okay, our friend's kids that we call our own) had birthdays this week.  Thank goodness for XBox to keep them busy.  :)

Entrelac

Over the next few weeks we have a new yarn and patterns arriving from KnitWhits.  I will talk more about them closer to their arrival date.

Why am I telling you this?  In the shipment there will be a pattern for an Entrelac hat.  I am going to teach Entrelac in April (more about that next week as well).

I have played with Entrelac in the past but wanted to know it inside and out if I am going to teach it.  How do I do that?  Knit something in Entrelac.

Here is my practice piece.

I learned something very important.  My cast on is way too tight.  I am knitting with 5.5mm needles and I should have cast on with 6mm.

After work I had an appointment with my chiropractor and then back to the store for class.  I did a bit of work on my sock.  The heel is turned and it should be smooth sailing the rest of the way.

Beth is upstairs yelling for me to hurry up.  There are many TV shows taping-Survivor, American Idol, Criminal Minds and the new Criminal Minds (I must learn the name of the show).  Can I get to the toe before bed tonight?

Socks are progressing

Many customers ask me how I count my rows on double pointed needles.  Row counters won't stay on your needles.  A pen and paper?  That works until you can't find a pen and for some reason there is a pen fairy in my house who steals them.

This is a screen shot from my iPhone showing how I keep track of rows.  You can download the Vogue Knitting app to your iPhone or iPad.

The app also lets you keep track of the needles you own.  Great when you are in a yarn shop and don't know if you have the needles for your new project.

My socks are progressing. I'm not even bored with them yet which is saying a lot. I don't think there is going to be a problem knitting the second one.  :)

I really like the pattern and am going to ask Jane to knit a pair in the new Noro sock yarn that (fingers crossed) should be arriving today.

I like working with the 5" needles until it comes to the heel.  32 stitches on the 5" needle is tight.

This heel is called Eye of Partridge.  It is easy to do-you are working K1, slip 1 on the right side rows.  The only difference to the heel I usually do is that my slip ones line up and on this heel you are staggering them.

The Amazing Race last night was a bit unsatisfying.  I don't like To Be Continued.  Tell me who was the last team to arrive and has been eliminated!!

Celebrity Apprentice.  Those women sure are opinionated and if you don't follow their thoughts then look out.

Am I crazy??

Yes, I started a pair of socks last night.  I don't know why.  I love sock yarns but I'm not into knitting socks.  I wear a sweater to work almost every day so my knitting time is usually spent on garments.  Maybe it was the sock newsletter that just went out.  Maybe it was the shipment of Shepherd Sock.

-Circle Socks (free pattern on Ravelry)
-2.75mm (5" square needles)
-Lorna's Purple Mustang Shepherd Sock
-2-50gram skeins

So far the pattern is very easy.  If you have knit a pair of socks then you will have no problem making these.

For some reason I remember socks as being slow to knit but so far these are going faster than I had hoped for.

Heel from Soak has arrived.  Spearmint.

Heel is a rich, nourishing foot cream for feet worthy of hand-knit socks.

Our unique combination of ingredients restores the skin and soothes tired feet. Cucumber extract, vitamin E and the soothing powers of menthol work together to form a luxuriously rich treat for sock-worthy feet. Go ahead. Indulge.

Like Soak, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it.

Cucumber.  I wonder how it tastes.

Scentless is available for those who are sensitive to smells.

It is time to get back to the knitting.  Now that I have started I don't want to stop.  :)

Double Pointed Needles???

I'm going to show you a few pictures and then head upstairs to watch CNN.  My thoughts are with the residents of Japan and their family and friends around the world.

I wound this ball before coming home.  It started out as a centre pull ball but somehow I made a mess of it.  When I go to work tomorrow it is going to be covered in dog hair.

Shepherd Sock in Lorna's Purple Mustang.

Yes, those are double pointed needles.

I'm going to let you think about this tonight.  :)