Socks finally revealed: Saviano Passione

I haven't been able to share these until the pattern was released. These socks, which are a current favorite on my feet this winter, were a test knit for Yarnissima (aren't I lucky!). They were finished back in April. Have a look:

The yarn was to die for. It is "Angel" by The Natural Dye Studio. Baby alpaca, cashmere and silk. For socks. I love wearing these! And to top it all off, the pattern is available for free from Knitty (click title link below).

Here are the details:
Pattern: "Saviano" by Yarnissima from Knitty Winter 2009; 2 circ needle, toe up
Yarn: "Angel" by The Natural Dye Studio, color: Bluebell, 1 skein with about 40g (or 40%) left over (enough for a pair of baby booties!)
Gauge: 6.5st/inch
Needles: US#3/3.25mm

Comments: Wow...

Done!

It took longer than it should have, but it was all worth the effort:

I actually finished this a month ago and have been wearing it all of the time. It is so warm! I am glad I went with the zipper instead of the buttons--a new challenge for me. Another great pattern from Claudia at CountryWool. I am thinking about knitting a second one of these in different colors as a gift for a family member (can't say it out loud, they might be reading!).

Here are the details:
Pattern: "Faroe Island Vine Cardigan" by Claudia Krisniski/CountryWool
Yarn: "Dalegarn Heilo" by Dale of Norway; 100% wool
Color: 4246 wine; 3841 medium sheepheather
Needles: US#7/4.5 mm
Comments: A well designed pattern and classic cardigan.

Ta da...Girasole complete

I told you I have been busy! This may be my favorite project of all time:

It worked out to 4.5' in diameter. Blocking it was a bit of a challenge!

Here are the details:

Pattern: "Girasole" by Jared Flood/Brooklyn Tweed
Yarn:"Canopy Sport" by The Fibre Company; 50% Baby Alpaca, 30% Merino, 20% Bamboo;
6 skeins
Color: Wild Ginger
Needles: US#7/4.5 mm
Comments: A wonderful pattern and an easy lace knit, once you get past the cast on!

SKP2009 sock 3: Mosaic

On July 1 the 3rd sock for SKP2009 was revealed. I managed to finish in 4 days which made the colors of this sock even more patriotic!

Here are the details:

Pattern: "Samarkand" by Andrea Krüß-Anders (available as a free Ravelry download)
Yarn: Misc yarn from my stash
Needles: US#4/3.5 mm
Comments: My first mosaic knit!

Hanami finished!

I love knitting lace in the summer and this has been one of my favorite stoles. I can't wait for the opportunity to wear this!

The details:
Pattern: "Hanami" by Melanie Gibbons/Pink Lemon Twist
Yarn: KnitPicks "Shimmer", 2 balls with plenty left over
Color: Sherry
Needles: US 5 / 3.75 mm
Notions: 8/0 beads
Comments: Here are the changes I made. I did the beaded cast on as called for and then continued to use beads at the beginning and end of every 8th row. Also, I added a bead to every other stitch the row before binding off.
I did not do as many rows of Chart G as called for. Instead, I repeated rows 169-191 of Chart F and worked 8 rows of Chart G. I did not want the end to be so symmetrical and I am happy with how this turned out.

July update...

Summer has been moving right along (inspite of the weather) here in Maine. We have had plenty of visitors to keep us busy and a minor computer issue, but I am back online and have some catching up to do. I have actually finished quite a bit of knitting lately (did I mention the lousy weather we've had?). Today I will share my finished Lady of the Lake jacket:

This was a great, simple knit and it knits up quick. So why did it take me 2 years to move it from UFO to FO? Well, first I lost it for a year during our move. And then, it was so quick and easy, I never took the time to finish it. But now I have finished and I am very happy with it! My favorite part is the collar. I can't wait for a chilly evening to wear this.

Here are the details:

Pattern: "Lady of the Lake" Jacket by Fleece Artist
Yarn: Novasomo: 65% Wool, 20% and Kid Mohair,10% Nylon, 5% Silk; 300 grams
Curly Locks: 78% Mohair, 13% Wool, 9% Nylon; 250 grams
Color: Ruby Red
Needles: US#11/8.0 mm
Comments: The jacket is knit sideways and is quick and easy. I made a size medium and had plenty of yarn left over. Highly recommend this!

Evenstar Gloves

I knit these a few weeks ago and have been wearing them quite a bit:

This yarn is so soft and warm!

Here are the pattern details:
Pattern: "Evenstar Gloves" by Audrey MacDonald, free on her blog
Yarn: WOOLganic DK in "Leura", 1.5 skeins
Gauge: 5.5 st/inch
Needles: US#7/4.5mm

Comments: Pretty quick. I knit these on 2 circ needles and charted the pattern. I only cast on 42 sts, not 48.

Beaded Charm Bracelets

I took a class at The Beadin' Path back in March and learned to make some fun bracelets:

I made this in class for me. Lots of green and blue glass beads. There's even a hidden 4 leaf clover mixed in...

And for my dear MIL:

I have a couple more of these planned as gifts. I love playing with beads! Now back to knitting...

Kool Aid socks

Way back in July of last year, Monthly Adventures (or MA) on Ravelry hosted a Kool Aid Swap and Dye. I received the lovely yarn below dyed by Kerrie, aka Destiknit (who has a great podcast that you should check out).

I finally got the chance to make a pair of socks with this yarn. Sock 2 for SKP2009 used an entrelac pattern. So, I got to use this yummy yarn, try entrelac for the first time, and learned to knit backwards (because the constant turning for entrelac got tiring!). Here's the end result:

This site by Knitty Otter helped me with the entrelac. And this video by Knit Witch helped with the backwards knitting.

And the pattern details:
Pattern: "Noro Entrelac Socks" by Buttercupia ; entrelac, top down
Yarn: Special and unique Kool Aid dyed yarn from Kerrie/Destiknit
Needles: US#1/2.25mm

Comments: I did a couple of modifications in the entrelac cuff and found the pattern a bit vague. I used an "Eye of the Partridge" Heel, with the standard heel turn, gusset, and toe. The socks look better on than the picture captured and I am happy with the end result. I can see why entrelac becomes addicting for some people!

Zur Lederhos'n finished!

Wow, I am a bit behind on posting. I have a lot to share over the next week or so. I'll start with my completed Zur Lederhos'ns. I love these socks! Here they are, modeled on my lovely daughter Grace:

And of course, the details:
Pattern: "Zur Lederhos'n" by Yarnissima ; 2 circ needle, toe up
Yarn: Fleece Artist Merino 2/6 in "Ruby", 1 skein with about 35g (or 30%) left over
Gauge: 8 st/inch
Needles: US#2.5/3.0mm

Comments: Fun! And I love the cabling up the back of the leg. I should have made these a bit longer, and I had plenty of yarn left over to do it.

A Fish for Eric--done!

As soon as I saw this hat on Knitty (winter 2008), I knew my DH would love it. And so here it is (complete with model):

Pattern: Fish Hat by Thelma Egberts
Gauge: 4st/inch
Needles: US 9/5.5mm
Yarn: Fleece Artist Blue Face Leicester Aran (.5 skein)
Colorway: Marine
Comments: quick and easy pattern.

SKP 2009, sock 1: Salida

Yesterday I finished the first sock for SKP 2009. It is a great pattern and I LOVE how these socks turned out:

The details:
Pattern: "Salida" by Janneke Maat aka Serena on Ravelry; magic loop, top down
Yarn: Fleece Artist SeaWool, colorway: amber; 3/4 skein
Gauge: 8 st/inch
Needles: US#2.5/3.0mm

Comments: The only change I made was to substitute an eye of partridge heel for the short row heel (just a personal preference). The twisted traveling stitches make a great design!

SKP sock 5 finished!

I have finally finished my last pair of socks from the 2008 Pentathlon. I actually finished them a few weeks ago, but finally got the time to post them here. But first, here is a recap of the pentathlon:

And the final sock:

Cable down back through heel
Lace around front and foot

Project Details:
Pattern: 2008 Summer Olympic Medals Socks by FrauHugs/char (group moderator); top down
Yarn: Lang Yarns Jawoll Superwash Solid, 1.5 skeins
Color: dark navy blue
Gauge (after blocking):
Needles: US#3/3.25mm

Thank you to the organizers of SKP2008 and the pattern contributors. And congrats to the winner, Barbros (an amazing knitter who completed every sock first). I have had a fun 11 month knitting adventure!

And now prepare for SKP2009...starting tomorrow! Click here for the Yahoo group or here for the Ravelry group.