The Little Red Hen

Abbey Road Socks

I've been a knitting fiend in the evenings the last few weeks. I finished the mate to Addele's Abbey Road.

I love the texuture pattern in these socks and the way it flows directly into the ribbing at the top. The cable pattern also goes down the heel flap.

It was an interesting change to make these toe up socks. The pattern was fairly easy to follow. I ended up knitting the heel and flap a couple of times but that was because I miscounted stitches not because there was a problem with the pattern.
The yarn was also really nice to knit.

Pattern: Abbey Road Socks by Ann Budd.
Yarn: Tern by Quince & Co. 75% wool 25% silk.

I have also made a couple pair of crew socks for B in the Midnight Stroll Sport by Knit Picks.

Ladybug Picnic Mittens

You may remember this project from last winter...

I won the pattern and yarn in a mitten group on Ravelry last year. Adele and I knit them for our two make a pair project.
With most of our projects our guages have turned out to be the same. With these mittens, one came out tall and thin and the other shorter and wide. Hmmmm.

Not sure what happened there but we decided to go ahead and each make mates for the first that we knit. So, this time two make TWO pair.
The pattern is Ladybug Picnic Mittens by Elinor Brown. The yarn is Brown Sheep Nature Spun Sport.

I love the little braid around the cuff.

After knitting so many mittens in 2011 I have learned a bit more about what I like and don't like in a mitten.
I like thumbs with a gusset and long cuffs that are snug to the wrist like these two. But these are probably not as warm as needed in our cold winters. (even if they weren't fingerless)

I like fun colorwork designs like the ladybugs, and these two pair. The stranded work mittens are a little warmer with the extra yarn carried on the back.

The warmest mittens I have made are these double layer felted mittens.

The knitting continues. If I find the perfect balance of thumb and cuff design, fun pattern, and warmth I'll let you know.
Here's one last photo of the ladybugs. My little photo assistant said I needed a butterfly hand shot. So here ya go.

Nine-to-Five

Also finished this week was the mate to Adele's Nine to Five sock.

Pattern: Nine-to-Five by Nicole Hindes
Yarn: Supersock Select by Cherry Tree Hill @00% Superwash Merino
Color: Moody Blues
Needles: 2.5 mm

The pattern was easy to follow and fits great. I like cable detail that flows down the heel flap.

And look, those are grape hyacinths in the background. Spring is springing!!

Lavender Quinault

This week I got a package from A that had the second of these fingerless mitts.

The pattern for these is Quinault by Marjorie Walter. It was an easy to memorize pattern for elegant looking mitts. I love the braided look to the ribbing and plan to make a pair of socks with the same rib pattern.

The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll in color Twinkle Heather.  It is really soft after blocking. I think these mitts turned out really great. Thanks A.

I've started on the second of a pair of socks for her. I'll let you know when that is finished.

Almost Summer Sox

If you are looking for some quick knit socks this pattern is for you.

I really zipped along with this sock. The only problem is that A didn't send me quite enough yarn. She assures me that she has more at her house and can finish the toe.

These are Cookie A's Summer Sox knit with Sockotta by Plymouth yarns. We used size 1.5 needles.

 

 

Sweetheart Socks

I am so happy that A and I have started back with our Two Make a Pair project. Here's the latest pair!

The pattern is Sweetheart Socks by Chrissy Gardener in Interweave Knits Holiday Gifts 2007. We knit them on size 0 needles with Knit Picks Stroll Tweed.

I love all of the different cable designs around the socks.

They were not a quick knit. It was a little tedius to follow the charts and work in a darkish color yarn. Also, this yarn tended to split while knitting the cables. I do love the resulting socks but I'm also glad that I only knit one of them!

And look what I get to knit next, Cookie A's Summer Sox in a fun bright yarn.

 

 

 

Tortoise and the Hare

I have been working on this cable sock for a couple of months. It is the next in the "two make a pair" project. I love them but the cables were a bit tedious to work on in short spurts. I was also trying cables without a cable needle. I think that would probably be easier when not using size 0 needles.

Monday evening I started a pair of simple crew socks so I would have something small and easy to work on if I had to wait at the polls on Tuesday.  Well, it ended up that I didn't have to wait at all before voting. However, in two short evenings of knitting I completed the foot, turned the heel, and have started the ribbed cuff.

A quick knit project is a nice change.

 

Lacy Rib Socks

I've finished another sock! These are adapted from Evelyn Skae's Lacy Rib Baby Socks pattern.  Adele chose Bare by Knit Picks for the socks. It is a very soft Merino wool and silk blend. (70% wool, 30%silk)

I'll be taking a little break from the sock knitting to work on some other projects the next month or two.

I actually started a mini shawl - the infamous Ishbel - and found that I am very used to knitting in the round. Knitting rows in two directions took some getting used to. I am trying it in lace weight alpaca from Briar Rose Fibers. 

There are also a few secret sewing/knitting/crafting projects in the works with a deadline in a couple of months...I think you probably understand that.  

I  have a couple of shows coming up and would like to get some quilts finished for those.

How are your fall projects going?

John Moores Crew Socks

You would think I could have whipped out a crew sock pretty quickly. I have done it in just a few hours before. Well, not so this time. I have been working on this sock since back in July. I guess the problem was that I was NOT working on this sock since back in July. The end of summer brings so much to do with the garden and harvest that there just is not time to sit and knit. We work outside until it is dark most nights which can be quite late in the summer. It is getting dark at about 8:00 now so I have been squeaking in a little knit time before going to bed. Ah, fall.

So, here they are, the next in the "Two Make a Pair" series. These are A's. She has been very patient waiting for them. I think she has taken to finishing some of her own pairs in the mean time. Sorry, dear.

I do like the colors in this yarn. Very pretty. And the stripes matched up perfectly!

These crew socks were knit using Sox by Berroco in color 1425.

75% Superwash wool, 25% Nylon.

Matching Socks on a Beautiful Blue Sky Day

For our latest pair of socks in the two make a pair project we used some yarn I spun in the early spring. We whipped up a pair of crew socks to show off the color in the yarn. There was enough of the yarn left that I knit a pair for P too! Now we have matching socks. The roving I used is an interlacements superwash merino.
 
The sky was such a pretty blue we felt we had to capture that in our photos too! But we got a little itchy, and the sun was in our eyes so we had to be quick.