Freshisle Fibers

15

Last Christmas I knit a mobius cowl and gifted it away.  Apparently it was worn to pieces all last winter so I thought something similar would be appreciated for this Christmas.

It seems like every other new pattern posted on Ravelry has been a cowl or neckwarmer variation.  Lacy ones, cable ones, plain to fancy and everything in between.  I just didn't quite get the attraction.  Until now.

I decided on a free pattern - Simon Cowl.  It looked simple and quick.  It was.  And I am totally and absolutely in love with it.  I finally get the attraction.

My variation of Simon Cowl(Ravelry link) was knit with Manos del Uruguay, 30% Silk, 70% Merino Extrafine Wool, color 3008, one skein, 50 g/150 yds.  I used 6.5 mm needles and 48 stitches, doing the short rows every 5th garter ridge bump at 16 stitches.  The finished cowl before seaming measured approximately 16 inches.

It is so soft.  So cuddly.  So warm and snuggly.  And so easy and so fast to knit.

So very fast that another one has found its way onto the needles.  This one is with Hacho 100% Hand Dyed Merino Wool, Shade 307, 50 g/137 yds.  The same 6.5 mm needles but with 52 stitches and I'm doing the short rows at the 20th stitch.

 

A new addiction is born.

Christmas Knitting Progress

We have been to the big city of Sudbury and returned laden with parcels.  Our Christmas shopping is done.  I'm in shock.  I have never, ever, ever been finished Christmas shopping this early.  I keep checking the lists to make sure we haven't missed anything. 

The Christmas knitting, however, is a different story.  There is progress but still lots to be done in that department.

I have completed the classic grey men's socks.  These are knit with Patons Decor - 75% Acrylic, 25% Wool.  Claret, Grey Heather, and White.  Available in the shop.  It's my basic sock pattern of 56 stitches, 3.25 mm needles.

Of course, photo shoots are made all the more interesting (and time consuming!) with the help of the ever-curious, ever-growing Dusty puppy.

We're headed into report card season and that will consume most of my attention this week.  I'm hoping to manage an update to the shop (maybe Monday?) and also start decorating the house for the holidays.  December is going to be busy!

Onward

Earlier this week was a drag.  I had stomach cramps, headaches, stuffy nose, and on and on.  Miserable.  Could I dare to hope that's it for the season?  I'm still a little run down and the drippy nose isn't quite gone yet, but much better.  Onwards and upwards.

I have finished another pair of socks.  Another Christmas gift off the list.

 

These were knit with our own Suffolk wool.  The brown was naturally dyed with black walnuts and the blue with acid dyes.  It's my basic sock pattern with a little Fair Isle chart thrown in at the top for interest.

Two skeins (but I didn't use all of the blue), 3.25 mm needles, 56 stitches.  Man size.  Huge.

 

Given my recent bout of illness and the pace of school these days, plain socks are about all I can manage in the evenings.  Lace and cables are on hold for a little while!  

Ribber Rubbers Socks

Today was sunny.  Thank heavens.  After a week of grey and cold and rain, my spirits needed a little sun.

In between raking leaves and playing with the Dusty puppy outside, I even managed to finish the pattern writing for the Ribber Rubbers Socks.  These have been off the needles for a while now waiting for the pattern writing to be completed.  Finally done!

They are knit with our own Freshisle Fibers Suffolk wool yarn and are perfect rubber boots socks!

The cuffs, afterthought heels, and toes are in natural and the rest is a variegated skein dyed with leftovers of natural dye baths.

These will likely be a Christmas present as the Christmas knitting is already behind schedule.  Must get knitting!
 

Last Day

Today is my last day of summer holidays.  Some summer.  Let me complain.  My sweet husband keeps telling me at least it was a holiday!  I'm trying to tell myself that, too.  Sometimes it helps, but overall, this will rank in my memory as one of the worst.

The weather was miserable.  Rainy, grey, and sometimes downright cold.  We actually had the furnace on yesterday!  I'm still missing my Shadow puppy terribly. I do believe that once school starts it will get better.  My days are mostly good, it's just the odd moments of remembrance that are hard.  I gave up any hope of sleeping in early on in the summer.  The road construction into Gore Bay starts about 7 a.m. and the noise continues all day.  My usual quiet days were not to be. 

There was some knitting this summer and also lots of dyeing.  The problem is I haven't shared even half of it.  I have a camera full of pictures that haven't yet made it to the blog or Ravelry.  I have patterns partly written and patterns completed that need posted.  One of the things on my list for today, my last day, is to sort through all of that and get them ready for sharing.

I'll start with an easy one.  A little scarf  for a little nephew so he doesn't have to keep taking his sister's!

It's my second  Noro Striped Scarf.  This one was completed with a leftover skein of Noro Silk Garden and some vintage Eaton's 100% wool on 4.5 mm needles.  One Christmas gift ready to go.

Another of my plans for my last day includes dyeing.  I have dyed an unimaginable number of self-striping watermelon skeins this summer and many are measured and wound and ready for dyeing today.  Preparations for school are almost done but I still need to have one last look just to make sure I'm ready.  Summer holidays are over, it's back to school tomorrow! 

Curling Rings Socks

A pair of socks just for me.  99.9% of the things I knit are for other people.  These are mine.  Mine, mine, mine.  And I am thrilled with the results.

These will be my new socks for curling this coming winter.  They are cozy and warm, fit perfectly, and match my curling attire.  Maybe I should start looking for a summer bonspiel???

The pattern came first, then some swatching, the winding and measuring of the yarn into exact lengths, the dyeing of the yarn, and finally the knitting.  A slow process, especially at the busy end of the school year.

The pattern is available in the shop and there are a few more skeins of the same yarn.  More skeins will be dyed over the summer and some with other colours as well.

We held a giant yard sale at the school this morning.  The result of cleaning out some rooms and storage areas in the school.  There was a great turnout and we made lots of money to buy newer school items.  Now my real holiday can begin.  Yipppppeeeee!!

Man Socks

Another pair of socks are completed and off the needles.  I loved knitting these.  Usually I'm tired of the pattern and/or the yarn by the time I get to the heel.  Not on these.  Even though they are huge man-size socks, I could have kept going.

The pattern is Escher Socks by Lorna Miser from the book, Knitting Socks with Handpainted Yarn.  It was an easy pattern to follow and mine were knit with 60 stitches on 2.75 mm needles.  I did add a k2, p2 ribbed cuff before I started the pattern.

The yarn is Cat's Pajamas from Lucy Neatby and is 80% wool, 10% cashmere, and 10% nylon.  I loved the yarn and the finished socks are very squishy soft.  Perfect for my dad's feet!

It might not be the best yarn to show off the pattern, but it was lovely to knit.  I was also a little worried about the yardage when I started.  The yarn band says 100 grams/328 yds.  I thought that the socks might have to be a little short or I would have to add another yarn for the cuff because I tend to think that 400 yards is necessary.  Amazingly enough there was lots of yarn for the entire project.

We still have cool weather and today we had rain.  I'm slowly trying to plant some flowers but the weather isn't cooperating very well.  I'm guessing we will still have at least one more frost, so I'm telling myself that the weather slowing me down is a good thing! 

I'm a Twit

I have another new addiction.  I have joined the masses on Twitter.  Follow me on Twitter!!  It truly is fun, quick, and another totally useless interesting social network.

I've also been knitting a little.  Not so much on the cable vest, but on socks.

 

Another pair of huge, man size socks are completed and ready for baby brother.  This is Vesper Sock Yarn, Tartan colourway, 3 mm needles, 64 stitches, and a variety pack of stitch patterns from Barbara Walker treasuries.

I kept mucking around with different stitches and ideas so these socks ended up a bit of a mish-mash.  They are fine, but not a pattern worth writing down and sharing.

Friday is a Professional Activity Day and we're off to Sudbury again for the day.  This makes for a jammed pack week at school and lots of traveling at the end of the week.  Not something I'm particularly looking forward to.  Hopefully I can squeeze in a little shopping and maybe even a bit of knitting during the workshops!

Bits and Pieces

My weekend went so fast!  We had beautiful days and the snow was starting to slowly go away.  Then it snowed again!  Right now it's raining/freezing rain/snowing, we have a wind warning, and more snow flurries in the forecast.  Ugh!

This picture was taken a couple of weeks ago.  It's our backyard.  In town!  I guess he thought it was a safe and cozy place to spend the night.

 

We watched him wake up, covered in a dusting of snow, turn around, do his bathroom thing!!, and then lay back down.  After a couple of hours, he slowly rose again and meandered off.

The bits and pieces socks are completed but I had to wait for my model (dear hubby!) to get some pictures.  Sock pattern to come - with some revisions - 3.25 mm needles, and naturally hand dyed Suffolk wool yarn.  Very sturdy and warm work socks.

Two more school days until March break, until I can sleep in, and rest, and knit, and dye.  Soon.

Socks or Slippers

Dear baby brother asked for socks with some sort of sole on them.  These are my attempt to satisfy that request.

The socks were knit with the no longer available Lindenhof Mill's handpainted sock yarn - 50% mohair, 50% wool on 3mm needles, 60 stitches, and a basic toe-up sock pattern.  They're lovely and cozy all by themselves.  I hesitated to do the sole because I was afraid I would ruin the socks.

So ... I didn't.

My wonderful and talented father did.

 

He did an amazing job!  So amazing that he too wants a pair!

I ordered more slipper soles from Patternworks and now I have the job of knitting some more socks!