A Quick Sock Update

The Checquerboard socks are slow in the making

Just checking in with a report that not much is going on fiber-wise except slow progress on the Checquerboard socks. I reached a snag when I was ready to start on the 2nd sock. It seems I left myself no notes or details about the first one, not even what size I was knitting. So. I had to recalculate and hope for the best. It appears that I've become more relaxed since moving to the homestead, which means my tension is looser! I'll finish up the cuffs when I see how much yarn I have left (a nice thing about toe-up socks). And no, I don't care if the colors in the check stripes match. :)

A Quick Sock Update © 27 January 2012
by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Found: Abandoned Sock Project

I know this won't take the prize for the longest running UFO, but I think 2 & 1/2 plus years at least gets a nod.

Chequerboard sock found after being packed away for awhile

This is the first in a pair of Lucy Neatby's Chequerboard Socks. I started on the project back in April 2009, knitted diligently until May, and then set it aside because I didn't like the way the first sock fit across the instep. That was shortly after we moved to our homestead, and we've been so busy since then, that I didn't think much more about them until they were forgotten.

I found the project recently when I was cleaning out a box of odds and ends, and I recalled that I was going to correct the fit. I tried it on to see what the problem was, fortunately having had the sense to transfer the stitches to a length of yarn when I pulled the needles out. After slipping it on, I decided the fit wasn't so bad after all! Project resumed.

Found: Abandoned Sock Project © 15 November 2011
by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Hemming Dishtowels

I'm keeping my hat in the crafting ring by hemming the Summer & Winter dishtowels I wove in ....... 2007! I posted about them here, "Summer & Winter - 1st Dishtowels", and here "Summer & Winter - 2nd Dishtowels". They've been sitting in my trunk of handwovens all this time, just waiting for me to do something with them. Now that we're working on my kitchen remodel, I've discovered that they are a prefect match for my new kitchen colors!

New kitchen cabinet & handwoven dishtowels, yet to be hemmed

I wrote a post on this blog a long time ago, about machine hemming dishtowels (How Do You Hem Your Handwovens? along with a reader comment motivated follow-up, Hemming Handwoven Fabrics). These however, must be hand hemmed because my sewing machine has a broken bobbin case, and I haven't done any sewing lately to motivate me to replace it. Even so, I find handwork relaxing after a long day of gardening or working on the kitchen. :)

Hemming Dishtowels © 6 November 2011
by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

Baby Sweater

I have been a very bad fiber blogger. But, I have finally completed something!

This is for my first grandchild, who is now 6 months old. Details on this post. I admit I wasn't in a terribly big hurry to get it done. The pattern was a 6 to 12 month size, and the weather timing hopefully works out so that it will fit.

What's next? Well, maybe some rag rugs. We've begun our kitchen remodel and I already have the dishtowels (here and here). What I'll need is upholstery fabric for the chairs and rag rugs for the floors.

How soon will I get to it? Who knows, my studio is currently stuffed with boxes full of kitchen stuff. Ah, the joys of remodeling.

Baby Sweater © 24 October 2011 by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal

More Baby Knitting

Once Dan's socks were finished, I wanted to knit a baby cardigan to match the hat I gave my DIL for Christmas. I wanted to use the same self-striping yarn with a solid, and found just the pattern in Debbie Bliss Celtic Knits.

This is the from the Arygle Twinset on page 62, but I'm using the self-striping yarn instead of doing the stranded argyle knitting. It's a little quicker and will match the hat! Well, it won't match perfectly because the self stripes weren't intended to be worked over this many stitches.

The only problem with my idea was trying to match a solid color to the multi-color yarn. I looked for something in the same line by the same manufacturer, but nothing matched! Neither pink nor blue, and I didn't want to go with white. I settled on another brand of blue, same size, but a better color match.

I've got about a month before my granddaughter makes her debut, but this is knitting up quickly. It will be too large, and I can only hope that she'll hit this size at a time when she can use a sweater!

I'd love to do some baby weaving too, but with our house in a constant state of remodel/repair, my yarns and supplies are still packed away and spread out over several rooms. It's frustrating, but it's the way things are.

BTW, I have baby goats on the way too, but I'm not doing any knitting for them. :)

More Baby Knitting © 31 March 2011
by Leigh at Leigh's Fiber Journal