"Just because I love you ... "

DH wondered while he watched me knit these socks and finally asked, "Who are you making those socks for?"



For you, Dear.

"For next Christmas?" Nope.

"For my birthday?" Nope.



"They fit so nice." "Are they for next Valentine's Day?"

Nope.




I knit them for you just because ... I love You!



Just because I love you.

What's this? Another WIP?

Nope ...

It's another FO !!!



Opps, I think I have the braid cable on the wrong side ...

Pattern: Sideways Grande Cloche by Laura Irwin for my Einstein Coat.

Yarn: Rowan RYC Soft Tweed (2 skeins)

Colorway: Oatmeal

Now ... what else might I have on the needles to finish?
Or should I "cast on" again? My fingers are itching to cast on.

Did someone tell me that knitting is an "obsession"??

WIPs? What's a WIP?

WIP in the "Knitting Dictionary" means: Work In Progress. So WIPs must mean "more than one" or "many" works in progress. Right?

This Winter has really been a good time for yarn to be jumping onto the needles too don't you think? An early March snow storm is my clue to stay in my pj's and knit. DH agrees. It means he gets to relax and watch TV while I sit with him and work my magic with needles and yarn.



Now I confess I have many ... or rather many works on the needles, not necessarily being worked on. So here's a pictorially record of what I'm actually working on right now while other projects remain hidden and marinating and waiting for me to return.

And what could be better than knitting with a fireplace going in the background?



Every morning I work on ... the first pair of socks for my DH.



Yup, that's right. DH has virgin hand-knitted sock feet! I'm about to change that with yarn from "A Swell Yarn Shop" sent to me in the Lucky Lurkers Club.



And then the other WIPs ...





And this just might jump on some needles today ...



But I've got my eye on something in this book also...



Could I be "Biting off more than I can chew?"

Or casting on more than I can knit?

Time will tell.


Wait .... wait ... wait! One of those just became a Finished Object ... an FO.

Project info

Name: Side Slip Cloche

Pattern: Side slip cloche by Laura Irwin

Needle and yarn

Needle

US 5 / 3.75 mm

Yarn: Rowan RYC Soft Lux

How much? : 2 skeins = 274.0 yards (250.5m)

Colorway: Blue 63873

Well ... back to my WIPS! Happy knitting!!

Spring must be just around the corner ...

Project info

Name: Beginner's Bear for Jayden

Pattern: Beginner's Bears by Sandra Polley

Needle and yarn

US 3 / 3.25 mm

Yarn: Naturally Magic Garden Buttons

How much?: 1 skeins = 135.0 yards (123.4m)

Colorway: burgundy with colored specks

Notes

Yarn is left over from the Darling Sweater for Jayden. This is a teddy bear for her doll.

What "Darling" Sweater did you just ask?

How about ...

Project info

Name: Darling Sweater

Pattern from: Lousia Harding

Made for:

Jayden (age 3 in March)

Size: 4/5 years (she's a big girl)

Needle and yarn

Needle: US 8 / 5.0 mm

Yarn: Naturally Magic Garden Buttons

How much?: 7 skeins = 945.0 yards (864.1m)

Colorway: Burgundy

Notes: for my little Jayden's birthday. She'll be 3 this month.

I can't wait to see it on her ...



Pictures will hopefully happen. (if she let's me take a few)


And before it gets too warm to wear, I FINISHED my Eistein Coat. Yah ... the one I started in November of 2007.

Would you say it's about time that I finished it?



It sure is warm!

Now ... what else can I pull out of my bag of unfinished projects? Got to be at least a dozen more to finish.

Well ... I better get knitting!

Progress happening in all areas ...

Not only is my DH doing better and more each day, I'm also getting some knitting done. Yes, I seem to be a fast knitter AND I knit in between a lot of other stuff that's going on whenever I can. It's because I can ... and it helps to relax me too.

I taught a "Beginner's Sock Knitting" class for the last 3 Saturdays and completed a Basic Rib Sock along with the class ... pattern is similar to:

Basic Ribbed Socks by Janine Hempy from Hipknitism.com

I used size 3 dpns because the sock yarn I used was Brookline Handspun "Instant Gratification", which is a DK weight sock yarn. Looks like "Springtime" socks don't they? Well the colorway is "Springz" so you're not wrong about that. I do believe I'll wear them for Easter.

I've also decided that from now on I'm reinforcing my heels. I can never seem to remember to knit it in as I go ... so I'm weaving in the nylon sock reinforcement "after the fact". Ah well, next time I'll try to remember to knit it in. Save myself that extra step.




And then I also finally decided what to make with the Lobster Pot Cashmere gift that the ladies at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn gave me as a "cheering up" and "healing" gift this past Summer. I pet the yarn for a long time but now I can wear it around my neck. Here's my Cashmere Neckwarmer ...



Just one more reason to be smiling huh?

Another Fly-by Knitting Post ...

Is the StitchingNut still out there knitting?

What has she finished? What is she working on? (if anything)

With needles and yarn in hand ... I present "Ricki's Rack Rib Scarf" using 1 skein Asteroid 100% Silk with glass beads (already in the yarn).

Basically a very easy knit ...



Sometimes that's all I can manage!

And sometimes ...



I bite off more than I can chew!

p.s. DH is doing well. He's getting stronger and more alert but requires a lot of attention, help and care. And ... that's my real job these days. So blogging has taken a back seat so I can at least carve out a little time to knit. If you write, I'll get back to you as soon as I can. I always appreciate hearing from my friends. Thanks for being there for me.

Background knitting.

That's what it is these days. I'm so busy. A good kind of busy taking care of someone I love. But I as still knitting in the background whenever I can. So that helped me to complete 2 projects and start a few others.

What have I got done?

First there's the

Pattern:

Nomad Hat and Scarf by Kat Coyle

from Interweave Knits, Fall 2007

Needle: US 8 / 5.0 mm

Yarn: Debbie Bliss Alpaca Silk (Aran)

I made one in blue a long time ago and loved it. Nice and warm. But ... not fond of the color on ME. I bet it would look good on my dear daughter though. It's certainly warm. And she does the plowing at her house. She's worn the felted mittens I made her all the time this Winter. So I know she'll use the Nomad Hat & Scarf as well.

I also finished some mittens. I hadn't intended to knit these but others in our group were and very excited about 'em. So of course they peaked my interested and I "whipped" some up. I ended out LOVING them!

Pagliacci Gauntlets

Pattern: #05 Pagliacci by Kristin Nicholas




I feel very "fanciful" when I where them!

And I said I would never do it ... never knit knee highs or boot socks right?



But what knitter doesn't changer their mind? [a number of times]

Anyone interested?

This was posted late on the website for Seed Stitch Fine Yarn of Salem, MA and it never got in this past newsletter from SSFY. But I'm still hoping to catch the eye of a few of my beginner students who might be interested in learning some more crochet while working on this shawl.



Woodland Shawl Workshop - Pattern from Interweave Crochet Fall 2008. Let's work on a beautiful crocheted shawl together. We will learn how to read a crochet chart, while creating the flower border. It's easier than it looks! Must know some beginning crochet, such as chain, single, and double crochet. (In-store sample @SSFY)
Intructor: Rhonda Culbert

Sunday, February 8, 1-3 pm
Sunday, February 22, 1-3 pm

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Just call Seed Stitch Fine Yarn!



I've been busy finishing a few small projects this past weekend ...

Socks anyone?



Just the Basic Sock pattern using Regia sock yarn.

And sometimes you need to cover something old to make it seem new again (sort of).



Great way to use up Bits & Pieces.

I just can't throw anything away ...

Sock yarn ... for walking or NOT.

Sarah mentioned I would not be quite "missing" if I wore those new mittens of mine ... LOL, she might be right. Bright enough aren't they? I started the 2nd mitt this morning, so we'll see how that goes later. But now is the time to give you a peak of the socks ... well I was going to say "on the needles" but there are some on the needles that I'm not working on right now. So I'm only showing you some pictures of the TWO pair of socks I'm presently working on at the moment AND also a hint of something to come with ... Duet Sock Yarn!

** Lucky Lurkers warning: don't look if you haven't received your January delivery yet. Love the colors.! I plan to use the pattern that came with it also. **


I mean it ... don't look if you don't want to ...





This is my favorite sock yarn club so far. Don't always have to make it socks!

But sometimes you want to ... and that's okay too.



These are the Basic Sock Pattern socks I've been working on for some time now. Only on the commuter train ... but it seems like I've been knitting them forever. Well I'm down to the 2nd foot now. Almost done. Yarn is Regia and I'm using size 1 DPNs.



Started these socks the night before last using Frog Tree sock yarn for the Norwegian Stockings to Knit. But as you see, I'm not using blue and white. Wanted to be different did I?

Must be walking on the wild side!

Not quite missing in action yet ...

Working on ... the Pagliacci Gauntlets

by Kristin Nicholas

from Vogue Knitting, Fall 2008

It's a work in progress and here's a peak at the progress.



Also working on 2 pairs of socks at the same time.

But there's no time to dawdle ... I'll pop in again later!

Where does the week go?

These days it seems the days are flying by faster than the speed of light. I barely open my eyes and then it's time to get back into bed again. In fact, I'm up too late most nights. Too much to do and just not enough time to do it. Which is hard on me because I'm usually in bed before NINE.

I apologize to everyone I usually leave comments with when I read their blog. I haven't even had time to read much at all lately. I also apologize to those I don't get back to right away when they leave a comment on my blog. You're such a friend to take the time to leave a comment, never mind the time it took to read ... so that's why I try to keep my babblings short. Less to read and more to look at. After all ... you're looking for pictures right? Pictures of knitting. Yarn stash and what's new.

That's right ... I haven't stopped knitting. So there's lots going on behind the skeins while I'm trying to get the house ready for DH's return. So much to do and remember. Phone calls to make. Money to spend. Arrangements to make.

And so I'll just give you a look at what I have done or in the middle of doing.



Another scarf. I can't resist those ruffles.



A gathering of yarn for gauntlet mittens.



Always more room for socks! This time it's the Evil Stepmother.



And of course I have to crochet another shawl when I give a class at Seed Stitch Fine Yarn on the Woodland Shawl. I'll use the same green for the border as I did for my first one. I had plenty left over.

Details later (or on Ravelry) ... when sanity sets in.

I'm baaaaaack ... but

Not mentally.

So much going on. So much to do. To knit. To prepare for DH's return ... dare I say 2 to 3 weeks? Close!!!!! My fingers are crossed.

So you'll see me coming and going. Between the running of errands, cleaning house, cooking and preparing healthy meals, knitting and knitting, I'll stop by the computer once in awhile. But not as often as I'd like.

But for now ...

How about my Holiday PJ party with the Knitting Kittens ...



[Looks like I cut Rae out but if you click on the picture you'll see all of us.]

I'm the squinty-eyed hip cat in the middle with the wild 'pink elephant with knit hats and ice skates' outfit. [If only I could keep my eyes open when jumping into a picture after setting the timer.] We had lots of fun and laughs as usual.

Had a Yankee Swap too.

This is what I ended with as my swap gift ... and I love it! Not what I had planned on but it's even better than I had expected.



These were so popular at Christmas that you can't even find one anywhere right now. Not even on Amazon.com.

Now how about some pictures of recent finished WIPs? Well let's start out with the first project on the 2009 Knit-a-day Calendar ...



That's only one ... I've already knit up 4. They'll make cute hostess gifts or stocking stuffers for next year, huh?

And I knit up this with left-0ver Debbie Bliss Aran [from hats I made 2 years ago] ...



It's a Hot Water Bottle Cover. It's to cover the hot water bottle I got for DH when he gets home & I'll fill it with nice hot water and put it under the covers at the foot of the bed to keep his toes and feet nice and warm on these cold Winter nights. Aren't I the good wife?



And he's coming home soon. Very soon.

I can't say a 'matter-of-days' but maybe ... in 3 weeks!