Traffic Island Socks

Traffic Island Socks

Things are zigging and zagging at my house. I love this pattern. The pattern designer says she called the design Traffic Island because the design reminded her of playing the video game "Frogger" where the player helps the frog safely cross two sets of highways and two sets of waterways, using the traffic islands in between as breathing places, safe from cars, trucks, snakes, alligators, and submerging turtles. 

I used to play Frogger many moons ago and I don't really see it, but the colors in the yarn I am using kind of remind me of frogs a bit. The yarn is Knit Picks Felici in the Acquarium colorway. This is the perfect pattern for self-striping yarn and it's a super fun knit!  You'll have the pattern row memorized in a jiffy if you give this pattern a try. 

I am knitting these socks two at a time in two sets of dpns (2.25 mm). This pattern would be a great Magic Loop pattern, a technique I recently learned (but am far from mastering). 

Happy Knitting!

Colorado Weather

February 20, 2015

I took this photo a week ago on Friday. We had taken the dogs for a walk and then put them in the backyard to play since it was so nice out. I ran to the store for groceries and got fried chicken and fresh bagels in the deli section for our lunch.  This has become a nearly weekly ritual with the dogs; some weeks we eat outside under the pergola and then we hurry indoors as its too cold to linger. But last week, we enjoyed staying outside for a bit. It was so nice out. In the photo above, I am reclined in the chair and Brutus is lying on my lap. Sweet boy. 

Then it started snowing on Saturday and it's been very snowy ever since. We did get a break from additional snow on Tuesday and Wednesday, but it's been snowing on and off since Thursday. 

February 27, 2015

No picnic under the pergola today. 

The big, overgrown evergreen in the front of the house is rather droopy. 

I love the brilliant blue sky peeking through the pergola. 

And even more, I like the shadows the snow covered pergola makes. 

In Colorado, there is a saying about the weather:  "If you don't like the weather,,, just wait 15 minutes. It will change!"

Top This! Hat Knitting Kit

Check out those cute hats!

 

This is a fun novelty yarn called "Top This" by the company called DMC.  My local yarn shop just had one version in the shop so I bought one "kit".  The kit is a single ball of yarn and a hat topper.  The ball of yarn is wound continuously but the yarn changes from one type of yarn to the next with no knots or breaks in yarn.  You just cast on and knit.  The pattern on the label calls for US Size 9 circular needles (16 inch) and you can make a child size or an adult small size.  For the larger size, you just cast on more stitches and knit more rounds. 

Pretty cute, right?  I made the adult small. It knit up very quickly on US Size 9 needles. The yellow yarn feels like chenille. 

 

I love the topper. It can be easily removed for laundering. 

I took all these photos at the knit shop this past Saturday. Marilyn tried it on and we thought it matched her beautiful shawl quite nicely!

 

The one problem I had with this project was my fear I would run out of yarn knitting the larger size.  When I got to the point in the pattern where I began the decreases for the top portion of the hat, I noticed the pattern said to complete decreases EVERY row.  In most hat patterns I've knit, you complete decreases on one round and then you just knit the next round with no decreases. This results in the hat being a bit longer and the hat tapering in at the top a bit more gently.  As I was knitting,I kept looking at my remaining yarn, concerned I would run out. I did knit a few rounds in the decrease portion with no decreases. Turns out I had PLENTY of yarn left over.  If I were to knit a hat with one of these kids in the future. I would definitely knit one round with no decreases after EACH round WITH decreases for a hat which would be a tad longer.

I found a few more versions on the Internet.  I love the giraffe and the unicorn a lot, but I really want a puppy hat for me!

 

 

Odd Socks

Turns out these oddly colored socks have really grown on me. I love how they turned out!

I finished them up yesterday afternoon. I knew I was coming down with the same cold my son had last week. As soon as the toes were grafted shut, I pulled these buggers on and they kept me toasty warm all light long. 

These are not the greatest photos. Maybe I'll take some better photos another day when I don't have the sniffles. 

Strangest color way... EVER!

Plymouth Yarn Company, Inc. Diversity Sock Yarn in the Oasis color way .

Plymouth Yarn Company, Inc. makes a great sock yarn called Diversity. I have made a few pairs already and I just love this yarn.

This color way is called Pizazz. 

I call them my Patriot socks. I am sure you can imagine why.

I also think U.S. Postal Workers should wear these socks. 

Am I right?

Then there is the color way called Palm Pink. 

I was surprised the stripes were not as defined in this color way. I expected them to stripe just like the red, white, and blue/grey colorway, but the stripes were more irregular.  I called these socks my Neopolitan Ice Cream Socks. 

Don't you see it, too?!  Ice cream. 

So now here is the Oasis colorway. 

I see watermelon colors but the black is an unexpected surprise. You will not believe how bizarre this looks knit up!

I am calling these my Ugly Socks? My Really Odd Socks?  I just don't know what to make of this odd colorway.  I never imagined the yarn would stripe this way. I am making the socks two at a time on two sets of double pointed needles to make them matchy-matchy. 

Tell me. If you worked for a yarn company and it was your job to name yarn based upon color and appearance, what name would you put on this yarn's label?  

Sewing Class: Foundation Paper Piecing

First Stitches Quilt Shop and Sewing Store
Canon City, Colorado
www.firststitches.com

I am so lucky to have a great quilt shop in town!  I snapped the photo above last summer. The quilt shop is in the cutest little old brick house and is filled to the brim with fabric, notions, sewing machines, and assorted sewing paraphernalia.  I've been eyeing the classes offered at the shop and I signed up for a Paper Piecing class a number of weeks ago. The class was cancelled due to a big snow storm a few weeks back. The class was postponed until today... Valentines Day.

The technique is called Foundation Paper Piecing and the instructor, Faith Wellman, provided the center pieces with words, which were printed on special fabric using an ink jet printer. We had lots of phrases from which to chose.  Everyone in the class (there were five students) picked their own phrase and everyone had a very different color schemes in the fabrics they brought.  I liked every one's finished product better than mine.  There is really an art to selecting fabrics in quilts and projects like this.  I have a lot to learn when it comes to fabric choices.

 

 

This is the backside.

 

A little close up view.  I stitched in the ditch to quilt the object a bit.  I used my new sewing machine for this project. I struggled a bit with my new machine but am still pretty happy with my final product.

 

Oh, I forgot to tell you what this is... it's a Mug Rug!  Cool, right?

 

We all posed for a photo at the end of class.  The building behind us is a called "The Dollhouse".  It's a nice little building behind the quilt shop where classes are held.  It's a great little space.

 

Our instructor, Faith, is both an instructor and designer.  She sells patterns on Craftsy and you can see more of her designs by clicking HERE.  

Slowly... but surely: Two at a Time Socks are DONE!

Two at a time socks. I took this photo a week ago while I was waiting for an oil change. 

Slowly but surely, I've been working away on my Magic Loop two at a time socks. 

I finally finished them this past Monday. This technique is really amazing. It was not as straight forward as I anticipated. The heel portion was a bit complicated but I found myself so ridiculously impressed with the cleverness of the person who figured out how to knit socks this way.  I need to cast on another pair soon to help solidify what I learned.

I think I was anxious to finish these. They are a tad short for me so I mailed them off to a friend who I believe has smaller feet than mine.