Coralicious Socks & Kollage Yarns Sock-a-licious

A new thing for 2014 here on the blog is I'm going to start sharing a pattern and my thoughts on it and the yarn as I knit it. Maybe you will even want to knit a long with me and post your commits and questions. Here is the first one.

• Pattern: Coralicious Socks (found on Ravelry )
• Yarn: Kollage Yarns Sock-a-licious  (found Here )
• My Ravelry Project Page (found Here)

Over the years I have knitted many pairs of socks, but there has been one pattern that I have knitted that I always look forward to and actually hunt yarn to make these. A couple of years ago I made these socks for a place I worked as a sample to show how the Mountain Colors yarn would look made up. At that time, I knew this pattern was special. So recently I found a skein of one of my favorite sock yarns, Kollage Yarns, Sock-a-licious, on sale and knew when I seen the yarn it would be perfect for this sock.

The Designer is Paula McKeever and her blog is SnapperKnits. The link to Paula, goes to her Designer page on Ravelry so you will get to see all of her designs.


Coralicious is a very well written pattern. The sock pattern is knitted toe up and if you have not tried that, this is a good time to start. Personally I enjoy toe up socks, you have the ability to do some sizing and it's always a good thing after putting all the time into knitting a pair of sock that they fit. :-)
Here are a couple of photos from the beginning. 

After finishing the toe increases the stitch pattern begins. This stitch pattern goes quickly and is easy to follow. This is about the first 16 rows. I now have about 6 of the repeats finished and beginning the heel. More pictures and info about the heel coming next.

Please let me know what you think of the pattern, and if you have knitted it. And by all means check out Paula's designer page on Ravelry. You wont be sorry. 

Blessed Be

Dorset Batt, The Process I've Been Wanting To Share

A few months ago, Smoky Mountain Colors met a wonderful local woman who raises Dorset Sheep. We obtains one of her cleaned and processed batts and I couldn't wait to start spinning it. Here is a photo of what the batt looked like after I divided down to 4oz bundles.

As you can see it has a beautiful color, it's clean and a lot can be spun from 4oz. I've found it be airy and a little stretchy (which is fantastic for nice warm socks). Now I have to be honest and say that almost everything I spin has some silk or bamboo, or something in it to made it super soft. This is one of the few things that I have spun straight up, not blended. So with that said, I feel comfortable saying that it's a little softer that Lamb's Pride wool. If you have never used Lamb's Pride I guess it's comparable to Cascade 220 and maybe Galway.

So here is the next photo. I spin a little on the thin side, mostly fingering to sport weight. I spun this so that I could knit some socks since everyone has been telling me what great socks this fiber makes. :-) There is about 400 yards, 2-ply.

So my next step is to dye see how this yarn handles dye. I have changed the dyes I use and this gave me an opportunity to try out my new "goodies." Needless to say I was pretty excited about both learning how the new dye worked and seeing how the Dorset took the color. Let me insert a little side story, when I first started dyeing I did a colorway that I loved but sold it. So I've been looking forward to dyeing it again, and this was my opportunity. There is nothing like bright reds and yellows blending into a clean crisp orange, then that fading and then adding a touch of green and lightening it up to a lime so it will the blend into the color pattern. So here are my results.

 

Two days ago I started the socks and will have photos for you when they are finished so you can see how they look.

 

www.etsy.com/shop/smokymountaincolors

 

Don't forget...

Ok, so in my excitement and the fact that I'm just not use to doing things this way. That's my excuse.

I finished my Toe Up TOFUTSies. That part was great, until I realized that I had done the bind off too tight and I couldn't get them over the widest part of my food. :-( So lesson learned, when doing toe up socks get a bigger needle to do the bind off so you don't have to frog the bind off and add more yarn. Oh and try them on before and during the bind off.

He's turning 20!!!

One of the crazy things I started when my kids were little was if a birthday fell on a Monday, (which isn't a very fun day for a birthday) we would celebrate all weekend. Well, GT's birthday is Monday (tomorrow the 6th) and we have been celebrating. Yesterday we went to Longhorn Steak house and had a great time and great food. Today we went to the King Tut exhibit in Atlanta

It was a wonderful experience and we had a lot of fun. I stood there in front of this huge statue and just could not believe how old it was, how beautiful it was and that it was actually in his tomb. There wasn't any part of it that wasn't amazing. If you ever have a opportunity to visit anything like this please do it will be well worth it. When we finished we headed off to Wolfgang Puck's Express Restaurant. Dang they serve a huge amount of food. But it was good and I have a doggie bag to snack on tonight!

Knitting wise, since I didn't' drive I got to knit in the car, so I finally started the cuff on the TOFUTsies. I know that wearing those will be a lot of fun. I looked at all the socks I have queue on Ravelry I have no idea which pattern I'm going to pick. Probably what I'll end up doing is looking at my stash and letting the yarn decide.

Hope you are having a wonderful weekend.

Blessed Be

Spring, I love it!

Even though it's taking me a little while to get back into my routine here in Georgia, I am so enjoying Spring. Everything is new and fresh and the air smells good. We've had some good rains and the blooming trees are fantastic this year.

On the knitting scene, I've just about finished my Two at a Time TOFUTsies. about another inch of the leg and then the cuff. I really love how these socks feel on. Can't wait to get them on. They will be great for Spring.

I also have started a Friendship/Prayer shawl for a friend of mine. She's only 30 years old and is facing some serious breast surgery. They have to do a couple of experimental surgeries before they can say she has or doesn't have cancer. It's crazy what these doctors put people through. Anyway I am making her the Triangle Entrelac Shawls
by Diane Conroy .

This is a close up, but I am making it pretty big so she can wrap up in it and snuggle. I'm using Jo-Ann's Sensations Rainbow Classic in what they call Red/Turq Multi.

While I was in Tennessee, I exchanged some yarn that I had bought too much of for something totally out of my color scheme. I've been really trying to get out of ruts, so I picked this....

If you haven't tried knitting with Heritage, you should try it. I think you will enjoy the experience.

Blessed Be

Back Home

Hello,

It's been awhile... again. But it's not because I'm bored with blogging. Back in January I got a call from my mom she needed to have another surgery. This time it was for a knee replacement. She needed to have her other knee done. So I've been in Tennessee since January caring for mom again.

Tennessee has turned into my second home, though at some point I would love for it to be my first home. ;-) It was beautiful watching Spring come to the Smoky Mountains. I made a lot of new friends and got to spend time in my favorite yarn/spinning and weaving store. I have some pictures that I will be putting up showing the snow on the mountains. If you are ever in Gatlinburg, TN. please stop in and see Nancy at the Smoky Mountain Spinnery. She carries some of the most beautiful yarn and roving. You will not be disappointed. In fact you may want to just stand there and take in all the beautiful colors.

While I was up there I got to work on a couple of projects. One was my first pair of socks for my son. I totally made them to fit his feet and they turned out a lot nicer than I expected for my first "man" socks. LOL. The details are on Ravelry. I also worked on a blanket that I started some time back. I keep it there at mom's so I have something to work on. Also I got to buy yarn! Some of it I have posted in my stash on Ravelry.

I'm hoping that over the next couple of days I can add more pictures and totally update my blog. I miss blogging and I miss all the wonderful replies and the fantastic knitters.

Blessed Be

First finished project in 2009

I finished my toe up socks last night. I'm so excited.


They were hardly off the needles before my daughter had them on her feet. I did good to get her to slow down and let me take this picture. LOL. She loved them. I kind of had a love/hate relationship with them. But they won't be my last pair of toe ups. My only wish is that I had done both at the same time.

Details:
2 hanks of Knit Picks Memories in Carnival (from stash)
US 2 needles (Knit Picks Options, 2 circulars)
Pattern: Lifestyle Toe Up Socks - No Swatch Needed by Charisa Martin Cairn
Short Row heel

Blessed be

New Year, New Yarn, Finished Socks

Happy New Year to all of you who read my postings. I hope that it's been a wonderful
14 days for you.

Since my last post a lot has happened. 2009 has started with a blast. I've got several things on the needles right now, but I finished my Monkey socks New Year's eve. How cool is that? That was my goal and I did it. Below are a couple of pictures for you. I can truly say that this won't be my last pair. I love them. I think I may do my next pair something solid or nearly solid.

Recently I was in Tennessee taking mom to the Ortho Ped Doctor to schedule her next total knee replacement (Jan. 27th) and while I was there I went to my favorite place in the Smoky Mountains. Smoky Mountain Spinnery. I have talked about this shop before and I just love it there. When you walk in it feels like you have the softest blanket wrapped around you. It's just an awesome place for me. You all know how crazy my life has been, so going in there is almost like a sanctuary of quiet and peace.

Well while I was there I made a couple of purchases. My son wants a pair of socks so he picked out this fantastic Heritage. These colors are so him. I promised him that I would start these while mom was in the hospital, because he made me promise to do a lot of relaxing knitting while she was there.

Then I seen where Nancy had woven a beautiful shawl out of Nikki . I just had to have that yarn. The colorway is nearly all my favorite colors. I have no idea what I will make out of it yet, but for now I am just enoying the color.

My other news, last buy not least, I finally started my first pair of toe up socks. Yup, I have one done and the second is just about finished. The jury is still out on how I like doing them though. Speaking of jury duty. Guess where I'll be next week. Yup. Sitting. they won't let me knit, so I'll reading and I have some patterns in my mind that I will write out. So I'll be knitting in my heart. LOL.

Have a great day,

Blessed Be

I've been busy

I'm a few minutes from leaving for a long weekend in Tennessee but I wanted to post a few pictures of what I've been doing. (when I'm not on Ravelry, LOL)

A neck warmer pattern for my knitting students. As they finish theirs I'll post pictures of them.

I LOVE these socks. If you are like me and think that you are the last knitter on earth to make a pair of Monkey socks (found on Knitty.com) go ahead and start a pair. You will wonder why you waited so long.

This is Cindy. She is modeling her "Beacause I Care" shawl I made for her.

Quickie

Being under the weather always has a sweet side. That sweet side for me is that I have more time to knit. (I bet you all feel the same way too.) Anyway, I haven't had much of a chance to work on my Monkey Socks so that was my project to start with. Throughout the day I worked on everything that I have on the needles but these socks have my attention. Here is a picture of them. This was take the other day, but I wanted to share with you how they are looking with the Knit Picks Felici.

There are 4 of the lace rounds finished in the picture but I've finished the 5th round and I'm starting on the heel.

So it's back to knitting, letting the Day Quill work and sitting in my knitting chair.

Blessed be

Back in Georgia

WOW, it was just beautiful in the Smokies over the weekend. I have a couple of pictures to show you. From when we got there till we left to come back it was busy. I think we spent 90% of the time there out running the roads. Gatlinburg was just fantastic as always. I love that place.

While I was there I did find time in the evenings to finished my Alternate Moss Stitch socks. They turned out pretty good. Tomorrow I will give them to my friend Suzan who went nuts over them while they were still on the needles. LOL.

More pictures coming soon. (that is if I can leave Ravelry alone enough to come here and blog :-)

Blessed Be

Pictures for you

Well I thought since I only have a couple of things on the needles right now, I'd get a few pictures of them up on the blog.

These socks are going to be sooooo nice when they are finished. I'm using Lion Brand's new Sock Ease yarn in Toffee. We'll see how the yarn wears pretty soon. LOL. The ribbing is a 4 stitch rib, with the typical 2 knit, and then the Moss stitch, that you have to see pretty much up close to enjoy, but I think it may become my favorite ribbing.

The next pictures are of a project I started out of frustration. For some reason knitting wasn't relaxing me so I got the drop spindle out a few weeks back and started hand spinning.. Then I decided that I wanted some yarn that was thick and thin, for the up and coming cooler weather. So I started spinning whatever I reached in and got. ;-) And this is what it's become. I'm naming it Neapolitan, since it reminds me of strawberry, vanilla and chocolate.

OMG, Ravelry! I know I'm a late bloomer and all that, but I have to say that I could seriously waste a lot of time there. LOL. I'm still getting setting things up and looking around but I hope this coming weekend that I can get a lot done on it. Keeping track of projects, needles, etc will be so nice.

I have one more picture for you. Everyone knows that my daughter is a Pastry Chef. (don't we all love her? ) But over the weekend she turned 22 and did her own birthday cake. Now let me explain a little about Sara. Since she was about 2 years old her favorite holiday has been Halloween. When she was 3 or 4 she wanted me to change her birthday to Halloween, so you can see where we are going here. ;-)

Blessed Be

Christmas is on it's way

It's good to have friends that work in yarn departments. The girl who works in the yard department at the Hobby Lobby where I teach, showed me some new stuff. It wasn't even marked yet. In fact she was holding it in one of the boxes to be put out for me.

See me and her had been discussing some things I wanted to make as gifts for Christmas and when this yarn came in she held it for me. SWEEEEETTTT!

The red, beige and green will be wash clothes and hand towels that will be given with a long with a handmade bar of soap. (closer to Christmas I'll have pictures) I all ready have one washcloth made. LOL. You can see the beginning of it with the first ball of cotton up at the top. By the way I'm using blocks from the 200 Knitted Blocks book for my washcloths. That is one of the handiest books I have for quick ideas and patterns. I love it.

Now I have to decided what to make with the green and beige. I got that just because I loved the color. LOL.

Sad news, once again I have frogged the Black Purl sock. For some reason this damn sock is driving me nuts. I do believe though that I have found a pattern that will show the yarn off and still be fun to make. Not too complicated, easy to memorize and yet classy. Cross your fingers for me.

Just when I posted things were going good, things got crazy again. Ok stop laughing I can hear you. I know that you know exactly what I'm talking about. (it is a little funny) Seriously though I almost lost my new pup. You can read about on Gunther's blog. Gunther. And if that wasn't bad enough, one of the thorns in my flesh from earlier this year has raised "it's" head and started stirring again. But, it's all good, a pain in the butt, but it's still ok, because it's nothing compared to what the kids and I faced at the beginning of the year. And that just brought out the best in us. I will say that it is truly a shame that people take forgiveness as weakness.

Knitting again, has brought so much peace into my life. It has also brought some of the nicest woman you will ever meet. I can't imagine my life without them. They are such a precious gift. I am grateful for each of you.

Blessed Be

I'm back home, finally!

Oh my goodness, what a trip. We ended up staying longer because of my mom's health and doctor's appointments, but finally here I am. It feels so good to be back home.

I got some knitting done while away. I finished the scarf that I was helping one of my students with and I got a huge portion of the Black Purl sock done. That sock was perfect to work on while on the road and waiting in doctor's offices. There's no pattern to it, just ribbing and stockinette stitch, but the yarn is magical to use. I don't think I have ever really gotten so caught up in the pattern of the colors before.

Did I get any new yarn while up there? Nope not this time, but I did come back with something. It wasn't really planned until the last minute.

Yup, Gunther has a little brother now. We call him "T" but his AKC name is Sir Hagan Tru, son of Shockin. The explanation of his name is the Sir is a reference to his father, Royale, Hagen is the mythological brother to Gunther, Tru is a reference to what the breeder called him, Truman, and the son of Shockin is the acknowledgement of the breeder's kennel name. But, we just call him "T". Here is a link to his sire CH Stone Valley's Rocky Raccoon CD, RE, CGC, TT, HIT and a link to his mom, Shannon's Shockin You Again. T, is 16 weeks old and will be in his first dog show in October of this year. He weighs 45 lbs as of yesterday (Friday).

Some times it just makes you feel better

Like many knitters I need another book and yarn like a hole in the head, but some times it just makes you feel better. Getting a new book with new projects and then finding some yarn that perks you up and gets you excited again, about not just knitting but you find you are actually smiling late in the day when your ass is usually dragging. So some times even though you shouldn't have, and some times when your yarn stash is over flowing, it's a good thing to make the purchase. So here we are. this is what I got in the mail today.

and then I ordered this.

yup, it's Lorna's Laces Yarn: 2 skeins of Shepherd Sock #27 (Black Purl) 80% Superwash Wool, 20% Nylon. Out of all the socks I have made I have never used Lorna's Laces Yarn. So I'm treating myself. I can't wait till it arrives.