So many projects, so little time...

I've been doing a lot of planning and internet searching to decide what I want my next project to be. This is a little dangerous, because I am not done with my current project. I do occasionally need to remind myself to stop looking for inspiration on the internet and keep working on my socks.

So here are some of my ideas on what to do when I'm done with the socks:

• FINISH THE BABY BLANKET!!
• Amigurumi animals - Loved these quick little projects, and they'd make good birthday presents for the  toddler twins I watch.
• Found these cute things on Ravelry. Great baby gift for my friend expecting in October!
• Why I am even considering a big project is beyond me, but I kinda sorta want to tackle my first sweater. Love this pattern, and it seems doable!
• Oh, and I want to make some kitchen towels and cloths, but this isn't high on the priority list at the moment. Still seeking the perfect pattern. I would love to have them "embroidered" one as a hand towel and one as a dish towel. That's all I got so far :)

Back to my socks...the end is in sight! I hope to have these puppies completed in the next couple of weeks (maybe sooner if I really devote myself to the task). Here's my latest WIP picture:

On the sock blockers....less than an inch to go before starting the toe!

An Overdue Update

I'm still the slow pokin' knitter I've always been! Here I am 3 months from the start date with an update on a pair of socks that seems to take other people on Ravelry a month to do...but this isn't a competition, right?!?

Spice socks are still coming along. I got kinda bored with the ribbing on the leg of the sock: k2p2 OVER AND OVER AND OVER. But then I got to do the heel! Yay! And now?? k2p2 OVER AND OVER AND OVER! Haha. Well, almost, I'm still finishing the gusset stitches. I'm a little ADD, and it is hard to do the "boring" parts. But this is why it's good I'm knitting 2 at time, I guess. No way I'd want to do a second sock after doing the first one, lol.

But these are for my dear mother, so they are happening. Didn't get them done for Mother's Day. Didn't get the done for her birthday (2 days ago). Christmas, maybe? They will get done!

Progress as of June 2, 2012

Progress as of June 19, 2012

Where I am now! Leg ribbing done, heel flap done, heel turn done,
gusset stitches picked up and 1st few gusset decrease rows knit!

Spice Socks Update

Here's my progress on the fair isle section:

Up Close

Both Socks

If you look at the time stamp on this post, you will see how late I stayed up tonight working on them. I have never stayed up late working on a knitting project. Knitting is more of an evening while I'm watching TV kind of thing, and I get tired after awhile and put it up. I really love working with all of the colors. But we shall see if I am still saying that when it comes time to weave in all those ends you see hanging from the top of the sock :)

Spice Socks!

These socks took FOREVER and a day to get started. Well, okay, maybe I'm being a bit dramatic, but they were definitely problematic. I cast-on, knit a few rows, and then had to restart twice. Then after that, one sock had a dropped stitch and the other was twisted, so I fixed the dropped stitch and restarted just the one sock. FINALLY I feel like I am going to town on these socks. I'm 12 rows in. There is 2x2 ribbing at the top, a small fair isle section, and then it will be ribbing down the rest of the leg. The fair isle was scary before I got started, but now that I'm a few rows in, I'm actually really liking it. It will be boring when I have to go back to all blue.

I'm making these for my mama's birthday in July, and I pray that they'll be done in time. I am a slow and easily distracted knitter :)

Spice Socks from Melissa Morgan-Oakes's 2-at-a-Time Socks

Find more details about pattern, yarn, needles or keep up-to-date on my progress here.

Socks!

My needles have been awfully quiet lately. Some how I finally got motivated to fix that. Finished my first pair of socks! Two months later...

Toddler Sample Socks from 2-at-a-Time by Melissa Morgan -Oakes

I'm going to go ahead with the Spice Socks mentioned in my last post. I ordered the yarn last night, and as soon as it gets here I'll get started. I might have to order new needles though. The pattern recommends size 2 - 40", and I only have 32" in that size. Size 2 is unfortunately not covered in my interchangeable set (they're too small), so I'm running into the problem I was trying to avoid: I don't want to buy new needles every time I start a new project. I'll try the 32" and if it's too challenging, I'll order the 40" and transfer it over.

Oh yeah, I have a blog!

Hmm, so this blog has been a bit neglected. But no worries, because my readership is very limited. This is mostly for me. As I said many times, I was working on that crazy baby blanket for a third time. I'm sad to say it has officially moved into hibernation. I kept telling myself: "no new knitting projects until you finish that blanket". All that talk resulted in resentment of the blanket. I wanted to other things, so I would pull it out and do a few rows, but then I'd get frustrated at the slow progress and put it back away. It's hibernating, not frogged, so hopefully I will resume one day.

I got a few new books from my brother of my Knit Picks wishlist for Christmas:

• 2-at-a-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes
• Toe Up 2-at-a-Time Socks by Melissa Morgan-Oakes
• Sock Knitting Master Class by Ann Budd

So, as you've probably deduced,  I am interested in tackling the world of socks! I have DPNs on my wishlist, but not in my possession, so I'm starting with the the 2-at-a-Time book, which knits two socks at the same time on one circular needle. Another great use for my Knit Picks Options!. I am doing the sample project out of the book first to learn the method, and then I'll be on to making adult-sized socks. I can give the sample socks to the twins I work with, if they end up fitting them. I like these as my first project, and I'm already shopping yarn. I'm deciding between Knit Picks Capretta, Stroll, and Comfy.

I'm ready to stop buying Simply Soft and Bernat yarns (which make up 95% of my stash) and start transitioning into Knit Picks Yarns. They get great reviews, are reasonably priced (although they are more expensive than SS or Bernat) and come in a fantastic assortment of colors, fibers, weights, etc.

So that's my knitting world. I'm out of my temporary hibernation and ready to be a knitting fool again :)