The Yellow Pair of Socks is History

These yellow socks will soon become history. It appears that I don't have enough yarn to finish both socks. I am about to frog the sock and start over. Now before you feel bad for me, please don't. I don't really like the lace pattern anyway. The leg part bags and I just don't feel that they would fit right.

I started to watch the ball of yarn go done dramatically fast, leading me to believe that maybe I wouldn't have enough. So I stopped on Sock 1 just before the toes and started Sock 2. I only finished about half the leg and decided to call it.

I love the color, so I am going to start over with another pattern -- maybe more of a rib pattern than a lace. I haven't decided yet.

The good news is that the green pair are a complete hit. They are just snug enough without being tight and I love the lacy pattern. Now all I need is some cooler weather so I can wear them.

Well, back to the needles -- and the ripping.

It's Not Easy Being Green

Several years ago -- I think in the late 1970's -- there was a fad of 'doing your colors.' You would be draped with a variety of fabrics around your face (without makeup) and see the effects of this color on your skin.  Then you would categorized as a Winter, Spring, Summer or Fall. I have mine done back then, and discovered a couple of interesting facts.

First, I should just live in purple, which I think I already do. Look in my closet and you will see the entire range of purples from Barely Lavender to Deep Wine. Scattered in is also a variety of blues and blacks, with some reds and pinks. One of the ways to determine your colors is to look at your closet and see what colors you are most comfortable in. There is some theory that we all know what is best for us. If that was true, my life wouldn't be ruled by chocolate.

Secondly, I discovered the color that was lacking in my closet: any shade of yellow. I saw what happened to my skin tones when anything with a yellow tone was put next to my skin. My face turned that same ugly yellow cast. It didn't matter if it was a lime green, peach, or orange (noticing a lot of references to food in my color descriptions. I must be hungry), I look like I am beginning to suffer from liver failure.

But I really love the color yellow. I even have a couple of pieces of yellow in my closet. And that is where they stay. I might put those sweaters or t-shirts on occasionally, but within minutes I end up hanging them back up, and putting on my Colorado Rockies purple t-shirt.

So what can I do? Easy -- make socks! Feet are a long way from my face and I don't care if my feet look a little jaundice. So here are my green socks. I just finished my lacy green socks and I am casting on my yellow socks (yes, Amber, I am finally making socks from that neon yellow yarn you got for me.) Stay tuned to see the socks as they go along.

Back to the needles.

Time for Socks

It has been so hard to get back to writing on my blog since I went back to work. Therefore, it is even harder to keep up on my knitting. Even my kitty looks at me wondering where I am all day -- not that he treats me any better when I get home.

I am knitting during my lunch hour at work, so I have been taking small projects along every day. I was working on a hat, but somehow, I just can't get into it right now. While at home, I want to work on sweaters. I have three different sweaters going right now, but I just can't deal with all that wool on my lap. So I pulled out my sock needles.

Now, one of the things that I don't need is more socks. I always tell people that I haven't purchased a pair of socks in 20 years, but I have spent more on socks than anyone they know. A couple of years ago, I was knitting socks like crazy, and my stash still contained the yarn for about 50 more pairs. About half of the stash I inherited from my Mom and sister-in-law, but I still have lots and lots of sock yarn of my own.

Of my 30+ pairs of socks I have knitted, this one is my favorite. I took the front Celtic pattern from one of Barbara Walkers' pattern book and built the rest of the sock with plain stockinette. I think I made this pair about five years ago. It is one of those patterns that you have to pay attention to while you are knitting, but during the quiet lunch hour, that shouldn't be a problem.

So today, I am putting my sweaters aside until the weather cools off a bit. Colorado has been so hot lately that being outside is not pleasant at all. I will get back to doing some socks in some unusual colors.  More to come.

Back to the needles.

When Does It Get Too Hot to Knit?

The entire western part of the United States is suffering with one of the worst heat waves in history. Temperatures were close to 100 degrees yesterday and there are places west of us that have even higher temperatures. Since we don't have air conditioning, it is really miserable. We used to have summers here in Colorado in the 80's with an occasional 90 degree day in mid-summer. Now we have more and more days in the 90's and the lack of air conditioning is becoming more apparent. And like I have mentioned before -- I really, really hate hot weather.

So what to knit on days like this? Usually I can handle hats or socks because they don't cover my lap while I knit. However, I have this overwhelming desire to knit sweaters right now. I am working on a blue hoodie in a worsted that I want to work on, but I can't stand the idea of it on my lap -- the sweater is done and I am working on the hood so there is a lot sweater below.

So what should I work on when all I want to work on is heavy sweaters? I have an entire room full of yarn downstairs begging to handled, so maybe I need to go look for some sock yarn and a fun pattern. Hopefully that will get me inspired. In the meantime, come on snow!

The February Sweater is Done!

Yes, it's done, but with temperatures in the 90's, I will not be able to wear it for a few months. I wish I could have made it about six inches longer because the sweater ends right in the middle of my hips -- not exactly the best place to end.  Once I finished the casting off, I had about four yards of red yarn left. 

Although it looks okay on me, I have to admit that if I tried this sweater on in a store, I probably would not have bought it. It is a little too bulky for an already bulky figure. But I love the color and I look good in red. 

I was ready to start on a project with some of the yarn I purchased at the Wool Festival, but as I was looking for some needles in my craft room, I ran across a sweater I started a couple of years ago. I was overcome with the desire to finish it. It is already about 75% done, so it would be a short term project. I am working on it, even though I still won't be able to wear it until the fall. I think I will put a hood on it too because I have plenty of yarn.

Back to the needles.

Hello My New Yarn and Welcome to my Stash

Last week was the Estes Park Wool Festival in beautiful Estes Park, Colorado at the foot of Rocky Mountain National Park. I know lots of people go to see the llamas, alpacas, rabbits, sheep and goats, but I straight go to the vendors' barn.

The dark blue and green variegated yarn is a worsted that I am going to use to make a  hoodie sweater. The grayish blue is a wool and silk blend, and is going to be used to make a lacy pullover. The dark pink is also a wool and silk blend and will become a lacy shawl. The bright blue lace yarn is probably going to be a scarf. I just loved the color so much that I had to buy it.

This year, my husband Ken came with me and we met up with some friends, Eric and Margaret and their baby Oscar. Eric has been my son Dane's best friend since grade school, so I have always called him my 'third son.' I guess that make Oscar my pseudo-grandson, and he is just adorable!  Margaret is the knitter so we touched and pawed and stroked yarn all day. Margaret is into making baby sweaters. Go figure! I go through the entire barn before I purchase anything, I brought three patterns along that I want to make. Now I just have to find the time to actually do the knitting.


As much as the new yarn is calling me to start, I vow to finish my teal shawl before I cast on more sweaters. Considering it is in the '90's, and it is only June, I have lots of time to finish them.

Summertime and the Living is Smokey

I have never been a fan of summer. I think it started when I was a kid on the farm in southeastern South Dakota. Summers meant working outside in the heat and humidity. We would get up early to do the chores. I did the chickens, feed and water them, and gather the eggs. Then my brothers and I would head for the soybean fields to cut the weeds, usually cockleburrs and stray cornstalks. We would stay in the fields until mid-morning when it got too hot. There was no air-conditioning, but we did spend some time at the river. School meant we didn't have to do the fields, so I loved school.

When I moved to Colorado, I was thrilled with the cooler and drier summers. It was rare to get temperatures in the 90's and the 100's were almost unheard of. However, in the past several years, 90-degree days are commonplace, and we even get a handful of days in the 100's. With the heat, we now have more fires.

The Black Forest Fire is about 20 miles southeast of our home. It has already destroyed 360 homes and killed two people. We get the smoke when the wind blows in our direction. We are also eyeing the side of the mountain to the west of our home covered with scrub oak and pines. It is truly beautiful, but this time of years, it is also frightening. We live in one of those subdivisions that could easily be wiped out by fire. Ken has removed most of the scrub oaks and underbrush bordering our home but it might not be enough. We have our pictures and home videos packed up from previous evacuations along with our cat carrier for Neko. We have good insurance and we would be okay. But every summer, we watch the ridge along the west for whiffs of smoke after lightning storms and cringe when we hear fireworks in our area (yes, they are illegal here). We get nervous when we see our deer herd getting nervous and when the birds stop singing. We hope it is because of a mountain lion or black bear in the area instead of a fire.

I am ready for the snows of winters that Colorado is famous for.

My Next Project - The February Sweater

February Lady Sweater

I know it is called the February Lady Sweater and it is May, but I am still having a wonderful time knitting it. I like built-in raglan sleeves because I never seem to get set-in sleeves quite right. They fit okay, but I can tell them are not exact. I also love doing lace

If you are on Ravelry, you are familiar with this sweater. It has been one of the most popular projects on the site. It is kind to all body shapes which is critical to me and all ages (since I just turned 60), and it has been on my bucket list for years. Be sure to check out the pattern yourself. http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/february-lady-sweater

The yarn has a story of its own. I purchased it at the Estes Park Wool Festival but I don't remember which year. It has been at least a couple of years because I know I didn't buy it last year. I figured I better knit it up since the Wool Festival is in two weeks and I will have to buy some more yarn. It's 100% merino wool in bright red and I think the reason it took me so long to pull the yarn out of my stash is because one of my sons told me the color reminded him of Elmo. For a long time, Elmo was all I saw when I looked at it. But it's okay now. I'm over it. Besides, I like Elmo -- I just don't want to look like him.

Almost Done with my Carmel Jacket

This working for a living sure cuts into not only my knitting time, but my blogging time as well! But ...

Ta-Da! All the knitting is done so now it is just the finishings. I blocked it and loved how it came out. It is light, but still had some body. It will be perfect for both warm and cold weather depending on the skirt I wear underneath. I still have to sew up under the sleeves, weave in the ends, make button loops, and add the buttons. I am thinking that the buttons I bought will be too heavy for this material. I need to go to the store and see what else I can find. I'll post a picture when I am completely done, but don't expect me to model it. I avoid pictures of myself as much as possible.

While I was blocking it, Neko decided to make it into a temporary bed. I wouldn't mind that so much, because all my clothes are covered with black cat hair, but it's when he thinks he can sharpen his nails on the sweater that he gets into trouble. The thing about Neko's hair is that it comes out gray instead of black. Could his blackness just be an illusion?

Meanwhile, I am onto the next knitting project.  Back to the needles ...

Baby Sweater in Blue and Orange

My friend Tara's baby is due next month. This is her first and she is so excited. Since they are big Denver Bronco fans, I had to make a sweater in the traditional orange and blue, but the colors are actually pastel orange and blue.

The sweater turned out really cute but the hat was a disaster. I tried to adapt a pattern for worsted wool to a baby yarn and it got weird and floppy -- and not in a cute way. So I will have to use another pattern. Tara's baby shower was yesterday, so she already has the sweater. I'll get the hat to her before her little boy comes in June.

Back to the needles.