Shut Up & Knit!

Lovely Monday

Fabulous day for a fake rage-making holiday Monday.  At least, the wind stopped.

Isn't it fabulous?! 

 

This arrived in the mail over the weekend.  It is a Stitched By Jessalu wedge bag.  She did two different prints for Halloween this year, and this is the one that I fell for.  Not hard to see why.

Had a wonderful, supportive chat with a much loved friend this morning.  We don't talk enough but, when we do, I always come away feeling better for it.  Now that all the (bad) crazy, judgy, and downright dreadful is gone, it's a joy to have the people I have in my life.  This morning was a wonderful reminder of how lucky I am and how loved.  It's that whole thing about making your own family in adulthood.

If the weather apps are to be believed, it's looking like summer is over.  Time to switch around the wardrobe and ponder going boot shopping.  No switching of bedding until next month because I don't trust the weather apps.

There are still man socks happening...

Okto Socks

The color of the yarn is off but we're not surprised by that.

Love the pattern!  Love the socks!

I had to add 2 stitches on each side to get the right stitch count but that was an easy thing to do.  I knit this pair of socks toe-up with CCSRs and a sewn bind off.  The chart is fun, easy to follow and easy enough to memorize.

Planning on re-watching the new Lewis & Hathaway mystery and perhaps spin a bit.  Yes!  The new upright for my wheel arrived over the weekend also.  Changing things around wasn't too involved and I'm back in the spinning business.  Good thing with Rhinebeck this weekend..

Hoping your Monday is happy, too.

Did you know I'm funny?

Yeah, I have my doubts, too, but whatever.

Regarding the wheel:

I emailed the girlie at Kromski and after a misunderstanding, we're all sorted now.  She has mailed a new upright to me.  In theory, I'll be a spinner again soon-ish.  Although, I still want an espinner...

Look!  Man socks!

Trekking XXL sock yarn.  2x2 rib, magic looped, toe-up with CCSRs and a sewn bind off.

Nothing exciting but that's okay.  I'm not sure I like the idea of exciting socks.  They are a bit scrunched on the blockers because the blockers aren't really big enough for man socks.  Need to add bigger blockers to the shopping list.

Did I tell all y'all that I'm working on a Box of Sox project for my best guy friend?  Because I am and that means it's all socks all the time over here.  This and my wheel issues are a big part of why I'm struggling with the blogging.  Oh, and the head full of allergies that are trying to kill me.  I think it's the fall air and smoke combo that's getting me.  I don't remember last year being this bad.  Then again, last year was bad for other reasons.

I can't hear you over those socks

I don't think I will live long enough to stop being cranky about the fact that men have dainty little ankles.  I think that fact of life will always annoy me.

What? 

Oh, hai.

I knit socks for my best guy friend.  He wanted ORANGE but had to settle for ORANGE AND PINK that may or may not be seen in space.  The yarn is that Neon Now stuff from the other day.  It bleed like a mofo.  Shocking, right?  I added some vinegar to the soak and everything got better. 

Smooshed onto too small girlie sized blockers for the photo taking only.

The pattern is my usual go-to.  Partly because I don't really have to think much, but also in part because it's been a long time since I made this man socks.  CCSR toes and heels, knit toe-up using Magic Loop, a sewn bind off and 2 x 2 ribbing. 

Like close to a hundred other pairs of socks I've shown all y'all over the years.  Although, I think this is the first pair that have been this bright.  This pair of socks was a good cure for the ghosts of socks before.

Oh, and he loves them.  Imagine if he got hand-spun, hand-knit socks.  ;^)

Outlined in Pink

 

Outlined

Project Page

A friend, whose style I really like, suggested Outlined as a possible knitting project for me.  Twelve inches of ease through me for a minute, but I had a yarn that I figured would/could work and an interest in knitting something new.

Thanks to this pattern I am now the slightly confused owner of three pairs of circulars and I'm okay with that.  The construction of those pattern was interesting in a good way.  I used an i-cord bind off because the Vikkel Braid and my yarn did not get along.  I'm okay with that.  I think the i-cord works well with the three-needle bind off at the shoulders and under-arms.

I used Bamboo Pop, which is a bamboo/cotton blend.  A bit splitty but I've worked with worse.  I chose the yarn because I had the Strawberry already in stash and because I wanted a warm weather top.  While friends are already dealing with snow and frost warnings, it's going to be 100F again today.

I spent a slightly shocking two weeks and two days on this project, must to the shock of my friends who figured it would take less than a week.  Perhaps I could done in that time if I wasn't busy being social and having fun now and then.

Shocking, right?

Perhaps even more shocking is that I am currently working on a pair of socks for my best friend.

/gasp

Happy Friday, people!  Make it count!

Sometimes I do as I suggest

I linked a girlfriend to the Citrus Coaster a couple of months ago. She's a stylish thing, who enjoys crocheting, and is always looking for something fun and creative to do.  After knitting Happy Half Moon, I had some leftover yarn and an evening with no real plans...

where I found out I hate crab stitch...

I made exactly one.  Thought it was cute and moved on.

A week or two later, it is my coaster of choice and I may need to make more.  Make more if I ever finish that sweater. 

Yes, I am really still working on that sweater. 

Yes, I am shocked, too.

Yes, I know...