Too Much Yarn

I did it again!

I was hoping to post on my blog weekly, but I did it again, I missed it last week.  Well, for a good reason. I was knitting a lot.  How's that?

So the SKA Mystery Sock ended with all 4 clues being revealed a week ago Sunday. Of course, I finished my sock right away and then, I SLOOWWWWLY started the second one.  I'm working on clue 2 now so I know this one will not be saved for August 2015.  Here's the completed sock.

No progress on the purple sock because I'm working on the cuff (ribbing - YUCK!)

I cast on a shawl the week before for the LYS Mystery Shawl KAL, but I haven't been able to make it for all the first 3 weeks!  Anyway, I'm on clue 2 now and it looks like this:

I even wove in the ends already - right after I took the photo. I figured I'd impress you all!

AND, I started this shawl on Sep 17 and finished it on Sep 27!!  Unfortunately, I blocked the shawl incorrectly, ending up with a shorter straight edge on the lace panel so I had to wear it upside down.  But I  bet you won't know if I didn't tell you that piece of information.  The pattern is by Melissa Goodale -Sesheta.  I wanted to get this shawl done in time for my nephew's wedding this Friday.  But guess what?  The high is 59 and I think it may be a bit too cool to wear this outfit!

(no, I don't have a waist anymore!)

I thought of using a pin, as well...

And that is why I haven't blogged.

Tomorrow is Sep 30 - time to wind yarn.  SKA's theme is variegated yarn, mosaic/slipped stitches/Global... I'm leaning towards using variegated yarn and a slipped stitch pattern or have to look up Global theme...

See you in less than 2 weeks!

 

Thank you!!

Wow! I received a record number of comments on my last post.  Let me respond to some of them:

Jill - yes, I used to be a Longaberger Consultant and have been to Columbus several times.  I was there BEFORE the Basket Building, DURING, and AFTER.. Even sat on Tami Longaberger's desk.

This is the basket building in Newark, Ohio.  But it's not a factory.. It's an office building.. The factories are in Dresden, where I've made a few baskets myself.

As with my compulsion, I had/have many baskets.. at one time, maybe over 500?  I think I've dwindled down to 200.  I sold them on eBay, gave away as gifts, etc.  Some are hiding my stash from my family.

Dianne - I used to do cable cast on. I still do if I want a pretty cast on edge.  Otherwise, I've been doing the German Twisted Cast on, but I haven't figured out how to tighten the join.  I'll have to watch more You Tube videos.

Thank you again for your continuous support and reading of my blog.  I did open not 1, but 2 Instagram accounts.  I was asking my daughter's advice on Instagram so I opened an account "mapleweave" and she was following me.  Then, it occurred to me that I want to show photos of my stash which I don't want her or my son to see, so I opened another account, "mapleweaveyarn".  If you would like to follow me on mapleweaveyarn, please feel free to do so.  I'm going to reserve mapleweave for personal photos - food, garden, dog, etc, etc..

So as you know, I'm knitting the SKA Mystery Sock. Last week, I showed you the progress after Clue 1.  This is after Clue 2. The front and back are different.

BTW, this is more of the true color vs the one I took outside.  I guess the iPhone camera just can't handle this blue!

This is after Clue 3:

 (don't mind the dog!)

I'm so good that I even started the second sock. This pair will be finished before next August!

On Saturday, we took a day trip to Fargo, North Dakota, to see my son put on his White Coat at the North Dakota State University Pharmacy Class of 2018 White Coat Ceremony.. My husband drove the 3-hr ride there so I got to knit.  This is beautiful Minnesota plains... on the way up north to North Dakota.  I think I would buy yarn with these colors...

So I had been knitting the Slingback socks.  I really like how simple it is, but it looks so stylish:

But I finished the patterning and then, it got boring.. just ribbing and you know how much I hate ribbing.

So every night, before I can knit anything else, I knit about 4 rows of ribbing.  Then, I can knit anything I want.

I also started a shawl.  This is a mystery shawl sponsored by my local yarn shop.  It is starting to look patrotic!

I feel like starting another shawl... one where I don't need to stop and wait for more instructions!  We shall see what I do next! 

Have a nice week - it's my favorite time of the year - I just like Fall a little more than Winter.  Time for apples, apples, apples, and knitting.

 

Report Cards, New Socks, and Sock Drawers

This is going to be a photo-heavy post so if you have a slow connection, I'm sorry...

First off, I picked my knitted objects from the State Fair and these were the feedback given.  The two first place items scored 99 each, the 3rd place scored 97.  I wonder how to get 100.  HAHA!  One conclusion I've made is I'm going to show them I know how to kitchener!  I'm going to kitchener any socks I'm going to submit to the State Fair so they have NO EXCUSE!! LOL!

Look at the last one.. I scored Excellent for everything and it's 99... I almost feel like they look at the lot and pick out which ones they think should ribbon.. Then, they go back and critique what's wrong - if they don't ribbon.  So, my thought is anything I submit has to have a color that is pleasing to most... well, there's next year to determine that!!  Every item I knit now will have the question, "Is this State Fair worthy?" so I will do a better job at what I knit.

Finished socks from August... these are the remaining two pairs I haven't shown you.  In total, I completed 9 socks as they were all singles to complete the pair.  This is Squiggle Fraggle Socks from the Rockin' Sock Club - back in the ages... (2009)

and the final pair was a Hazel Knits Mystery Sock from 2011.

The socks are mirrored:

And of course, I started new socks right away!  The first pair is the SKA Mystery Sock.  I'm now knitting clue 2.  This is the completion after clue 1.  The front and back and different.  Front:

Back:

The heel is very different as you can see in my next post.  The heel flap/gusset flares out at the back.

I also started Slingback by Yarnissima.  I keep calling it Sling Blade like in the movie with Billy Bob Thorton - and his taters.

I thought I have a newer photo as I've completed the heel flap and am knitting the leg.  Oh well, perhaps next time, I can show you that I've completed ONE sock!

While we are on the subject of socks, I bought a drawer system by Elfa.  The short drawers are perfect for my socks, which have overgrown my baskets.  Each drawer can hold 32 pairs of socks.  The ones on top (on the right, including the watermelon socks) are going to Emily.  I still need another drawer!  Then, when once I fill out the 4th drawer, I think I have enough socks, but what am I going to do with all the sock yarn I have????  Shawls? Sweaters?  Designing so I only have to finish 1 sock?

If I really wanted, I can put all the blue socks in one drawer, pink/reds in another, ,but I just wanted to fill the drawers up quickly for the photoshoot.

And finally, I decided it's time I worked on my Mitered Squares blanket.  I've desserted it for over a year.  Though my goal is to finish it by Dec. 31, 2016, I'm hardly into 1/2 of the size I had originally planned.  As of Aug 31, I have knitted 342 squares.  But my efforts did go to the Crocheted Hexagon blanket for the last year (oops, two!).

Since this blanket consists only of yarn I used for my socks, I felt appropriate to knit a Watermelon Slice square:

Is anyone still reading my blog, other than Dianne, Pinky, Susan from Buffalo?  Drop a comment to say hi or message me on Ravelry.  So what is Instagram?  I should ask my kids... but I feel like blogging gives me a record of what I did.  I do go back and reference my posts for "research"...  So I'm going to continue blogging.. I posted a few knitted stories on Facebook and all I get from my non-knitter friends are "Can you knit me a pair of socks?" so forget it!  No one asked me to teach them how to knit!