Socks, booties, and bags

I have a new pair of socks in the works. I really needed something to work on while waiting for PT to start and while my ankle is being iced. And these are working out nicely.



I really enjoy the way the colours are progressing. I admit I prefer the shades on the rightmost sock better. But these are the same colourway, so hey should even out eventually.

One of Bill's cousins is having a baby soon, so I've also been working on baby's things. First up is a cute little pair of booties.



The pattern is Oscar and I love it. I only made one modification and that was to make it so I cold knit in the round. I hate seaming. These guys are so cute that I'm working on another pair in orange. (I don't have very many 'boy' colours, and unfortunately the parents are the type where the pink in this pair will be pushing it)


A couple of weeks ago while Bill and I were out shopping I found this really nice straw bag at Target.



It's been perfect for carrying my knitting around, but it was in the bargain bin for a reason. It sheds little bits of it self everywhere. And I'm worried it won't hold together too well.
We went back last week to see if maybe I could get a backup replacement. But they were all sold out. I was a bit disappointed because, I really liked it, it was small enough that I couldn't over pack it, and hurt myself (my elbow is still quite delicate). Yet big enough to hold a project or tow as well as the sundry notions that I like to have on hand.

Luckily when we stopped in to Michaels to look around I found this beauty on clearance:



It's a little larger but definitely put together better. and I love the colours. Yay!

A gratuitous dog picture: Cayenne was helping as I to photos today

Saturday sky

Calumet Sky
Originally uploaded by Bill LaLonde


Bill took this picture a couple of days ago for his photography class, and I though it would be perfect for today's Saturday sky.

a knitting notions pouch.

I had an old beaded "silk" pouch from the dollar store which I kept all my knitting notions in, but it had always been just a tad too small, and it was getting quite beat up, so I made myself a new one. The pattern is similar to my change purse pattern, just bigger. The pouch came out to about 6.5 x 4.5 inches.

I tried a slightly different way of handling the zipper and I'm not quite sure I like it. If I do it again, I use the old way, I much prefer the results.



I added the little charm on a whim, and I'm glad it did, it adds just the right 'sparkle' and makes it easer to use the zipper. (And it can be uses as a stitch marker in a pinch)

And it fits all my supplies with room to spare. Sweet!


(btw, notice the little jar of badger balm I really love that stuff. I highly recommend it.)


I'm thinking of making more of these for my shop but I'm not sure if anybody else would want them (I'm thinking of charging around $10ish) but it's a moot point at the moment as my sewing machine has decided it wants a vacation.

I got a book on sewing machine maintenance from the library, but it seems my problem may be beyond the scope of simple home repair, so I have to call the sewing machine repair place on Monday to get a quote and figure out what to do.

Gimp knits

Despite a bum arm I still managed to get quite a bit done these last couple of weeks.

I finished my online striped socks Monday:


Stats:
On Line sock yarn in "tropic"
Size 1.5 (2.5mm) knit picks 40" circs
My usual boring old, toe up two at once magic loop pattern.

You can still see quite a bit of swelling in my right ankle in that picture.
(pssst, don't tell the doctor I took of the air cast to take the picture and was walking around without it, my leg gets itchy after a while)

I'm also thiiis close from finishing feather and fan!
(no pictures, because sadly it doesn't really look much different than last time)
I only have one patterned row and five plain knit rounds to go before I can start the crochet chain edging/bind off. (we won't mention the fact that each row contains roughly 1290 stitches...)

Also with feather and fan, it somehow managed to acquire a raspberry stain during its stay in the wip basket, so I was planning on dying it to hide the stain.

I'm thinking a turquoise blue, or deep sky blue or maybe bluish purple. (I'm going through a 'blue' phase)

That plan plus the plan of expanding my etsy shop as well as some other exciting news I have, culminated in my splurging on a ton of dying supplies. I have a big plastic bin filled with the assorted ephemera of yarn dying and the color theory and yarn dying books all read, and I'm just about ready to jump in!

I'm very excited.

Bill's aunt (who we rent our apartment from) has a small summer cottage down by the water, but isn't renting it out much this summer because she hasn't felt up to cleaning and upkeep. And she told me I could use it for my own personal dye studio. How cool is that!?

I'm back!

A little update on me before I get to the fiber fun:

So what happened to me?
I fell, because I am a giant klutz.
As I was leaving to work I missed the step down and twisted and sprained my ankle, as I fell I put out my hand to catch myself, and the impact dislocated my elbow.

I got a fun ride in an ambulance to the emergency room where I got poked and prodded and x-rayed. The ER doctor couldn't tell through all the swelling if my elbow was broken or just sprained. (It had gotten popped back into place during the move to the ambulance) so I got a temporary cast until I could go see the orthopedic doctor. My ankle also got a spiffy air cast, and instructions no to walk too much, since I really should be on crutches, but since I only had one usable arm, could only use a cane

A few agonizing days later I got in to see the orthopedic doctor and he declared me sprained.
I got rid of the horrible cast and left with instructions to take it easy and a prescription for physical therapy.

My elbow is healing nicely, as is my ankle. The first week and a half I couldn't do much, but I'm finally getting back into the groove of things. And actually have an FO to show you, but not today.

Today I talk about the Stone Mills Fiber festival.

Stone Mills is a little town near where I live, and every year they host a little gathering of some of the fiber producers in the area. And all sorts of fun ensues.

There were sheep:

(We saw some of them getting sheered, but I didn't take any pictures.)

And alpaca:


My husband bought a garden full of heirloom vegetable plants from a very nice gentle man, whose wife I taught in one of my sock knitting classes.

And I bought yarn and fiber:



clockwise from top left: 8oz Ashland bay merino wool top in "snapdragon", 8oz
Northern Lights Spacedyed Wool Top from Louet in "violets" JL yarns vinca in colorway "10" and JL yarns salvia in colourway "19"

all bought from pollywogs

I've already started a pair of socks in the rainbow Vinca. It's a superwash and nylon sock yarn, and was quite cheep but so far really nice. It's a bit thinner than my usual sock yarn, and only two plies. But the really cool thing is what goes on with those two plies. Each one slowly transitions through the colour wheel, and they are spun together slightly offset, so that the combinations make amazing effects in the knit fabric. it's really fun to watch them develop.

I also fondled the fiber, and the so far I can say the Ashland bay feels amazingly soft, and the Louet feels a bit rougher, but probably more hardwearing. I plan on spinning at least half of each of these tops worsted to make some nice sock yarn. not sure what I'll do with the rest yet.