Knitting with Bright Colors

These are my crazy-colored Jaywalker Socks that I started for Jessica.  Knitting with bright colors kind-of makes my eyes hurt!  Nothing else new going on here.  Tomorrow is Mercy Sunday.  I could sure use some mercy!
Oh, I did get up for the wedding and we had fun, but I was tired all day!

Chocolate Monkey Socks

Hello, all!  I hope you had a great Easter and are enjoying the Easter season!
I am on a definite sock-knitting-kick lately.  Today, I finished the first of a pair of Monkey Socks in a yarn called Crock-o-Dye in a color called Chocolate.  I really like the Monkey Sock pattern and am liking the yarn, too.

Monkey Socks in Crock-o-Dye by Knit One Crochet Too

We've been getting thunderstorms everyday, which has been making life interesting.  The grass is growing like Jack's beanstalk and scheduling the mowing around the rain is tricky! 
Tomorrow is the Royal wedding, which you may or may not care about.  I am going to a party at 4 am, mainly because my sweetie of a niece is going to be there (also she's making scones).
Cheers!

Palm Sunday

Hello everyone!  I hope that you are having a good Palm Sunday.  We are doing fine here.  

I finished the crazy jaywalker socks and am starting a pair of helix socks with this yarn:

Green and Orange Yarn for a Pair of Helix Socks

Hope you have a blessed Holy Week!

First Japanese Knitting Project

Many greetings to you!  I hope you are all well!

This week, I have begun my first project using a Japanese pattern.  It is a cape by Hitomi Shida (志田　ひとみ), published in Couture Knit 15.  I swatched for it using panel A, Rowan Felted Tweed DK and 3.5mm needles.

My Swatch for my First Japanese Knitting Project.

The decoding is coming along fine due to the abundance of online resources for English-speakers wanting to use Japanese patterns.  The crazy thing?  Casting-on over 400 stitches.  I am using super-long double pointed needles because I don't have circulars in this size.

Crazy Lots of Stitches

Notice the clever use of waste yarn to mark off every 50 stitches?  Yeah, well, I didn't do that until I had finished casting-on and had counted to 428 about seventeen times.

Looks like I haven't gotten much done?  I am not too proud to admit that this has taken me many hours.

Next week is already Holy Week!  Seems like this Lent went really fast!

Jaywalker Socks and the Dreaded Moths

Well, I had a sad experience on Monday night at Knitting Group.  I brought a lacy shawl to work on, one of my unfinished projects that I've been working on for a long time (couple of years).  When I was showing the ladies, Carol noticed some broken threads.  The more we looked, the more holes we found.  The only reason we could think of was Moths.  So, I sat stunned for a while, Carol assuring me that she could mend it.  No good.

Shawl Eaten by Evil Moths

The upshot is that I have been baking all of my wool in batches all week.  I put it in the oven for an hour on 200 degrees and then I froze it in Zip-Lock bags for 3 days.  Most of my stuff was in bags already.  It's mainly my Works-in Progress and my already-completed garments that have been laying about all exposed.  Now I am fighting the unseen menace. :-(  And trying to remain detached from my earthly treasures!

Meanwhile, my sock yarn being pretreated to be moth-proof, I felt that I would work on a new pair of socks to make me feel a bit better.  So, here's what I've gotten done:

Crazy Jaywalker Socks in Self-Striping Froehlich Yarn

Monkey Socks

Good Morning!  I have been working away faithfully on my unfinished projects, although I have been sorely tempted to cast-on several new ones.  I finished Ginny's socks (Hurray!) and gave them to her (Hurray!).  Now I am finishing the second Hermione Mitten.  Since I have shown you the completed first ones, I won't waste your time showing you the second of either.  Suffice it to say, the mates look the same (or close enough!)

I have had an idea that I like-I would like to have a Hobbit-style birthday party this summer.  (Hobbits give gifts to everyone who comes to their parties).  I would like to knit up little things and wrap them and then have a gift exchange (as is done at many a company Christmas party).  I think it would be fun.  So I am hoping that someone will be around when my birthday comes!  Summer birthdays, ugh.  Relatives who constantly have their houses on the market, ugh!

Here is a picture of a pair of socks that I knit and gave to my friend Carol who subsequently had to mend them a dozen times.  Warning to all who are wooed by the gorgeous colors of Shibui Sock Yarn!  It doesn't wear well!

Monkey Socks knit in Shibui Sock Yarn

So Proud!

I am so glad that Theresa had the opportunity to be in Phantom of the Opera and I am very proud of her!  It sounds like tonight's performance will be sold out, yeah!
I am knitting away on the Second Sock and listening to "Jeeves in the Morning."  There's something about the way Wodehouse writes that really delights me.  If the book is being read by Jonathan Cecil, it's even better.  If you need a good laugh, get it on CD from your library.  You'll love it!