You can find me HERE, still with the same blog name.

You will need to change any bookmarks, as URL is different.


I'm giving Betablogger a go, at least for while.

how to use up leftover sock yarn

Go here for the perfect way to use up leftover bits and pieces. Be sure to click on the picture for more ideas.

However, I can't help you with ideas for the models. LOL

Saturday sky

Saturdaysky2
Originally uploaded by Jan2132.

I was playing around with Paint Shop Pro yesterday and rather liked some of the effects I tried out. As you can see, yesterday was an absolutely beautiful one. Clear, blue, quite warm.

Quite the opposite today. It's well over 30° here this afternoon and blowing a northerly, hot gale. The backsteps are covered with leaves and twigs and the flat surfaces feel dry and dusty.

I've knitted up one sock in the Wildfoote sock yarn shown below. I'm using the green to make the Lombard Street sock from the latest edition of Magknits. My sock looks somewhat odd because I shortrowed the heel over a full 60%of the stitches. It makes the instep fairly narrow. However, it fits well and feels good on my foot. I didn't carry the pattern down the foot, although I like the look of it. It's a bit chunky and I often wear shoes with laces, like joggers or my Rockports, and I thought the pattern might be uncomfortable.

Click for larger image.

wildfoote sock yarn

wildfoote
Originally uploaded by Jan2132.

Click for a larger picture.

My yarn arrived by Post Office courier this afternoon. Very quick service.

It feels absolutely lovely, silky smooth.

I'm somewhat disappointed in the colours. I realise there is always a difference in the colour on the monitor and real life and that everyone's monitor varies in portrayal of colours.

I've been buying sockwool over the net for quite a while now and only been disappointed once before. One colour of Elann's sock wool was fire engine red, instead of a duller red. That was in a group of about 15 different colours, so I did pretty well. All other wool has been remarkably similar to the colour shown on the monitor and has come from varied sources.

I know I am introducing yet another variable in these photos - that of your monitor too. Not to mention my camera's take on things.

However the colour of the two wools in the photo is remarkably similar to what I make of them in good daylight.

The inset is the colour shown on the webpage. Particularly in the geranium, there is no similarity. I bought it because it looked a fresh feminine colour for either me or my little girly granddaughters. In real life, it's a dark solid masculine type colour. I'll wear it, but it wasn't what I was after. The green also shows much, much lighter than it really is. I had patterns picked out for each colour but will ahve to find others more suitable to the colour.

I find this a pity, because the wool feels so nice and I am looking forward to knitting it. However, I am not enthused about buying more if the colours are so out. The camera shows the colour, the web page doesn't. I've never had this problem before, and I'm disappointed.

monday sky

monday sky
Originally uploaded by Jan2132.

Here's a Monday sky which is not much different to Saturday sky! Once again, five minutes after the photo was taken, it was pouring again.

My creamy briar rose, covered with spring blossom and the star jasmine which also has a lot of flowers because of the ridiculously warm weather of a couple of weeks ago, have been badly battered by the rain and wind. Not really a complaint, we are desperate for rain, just a statement. Work tomorrow, but today is good knitting weather if I had anything to do which won't be affected by the mushy head from this cold.

I hope my Wildfoote sock yarn will arrive today. It was posted about an hour after I ordered it last Friday.

As with all these photos from Flickr, clicking will produce a larger image.

slippers and socks

slippers and socks
Originally uploaded by Jan2132.

I have actually been doing some knitting. The white pair is another set of pocketbook slippers for a friend. These are smaller than the black ones. I did not increase quite as much as the pattern suggested. A couple of flowers on the strap and some more on the toe.

The green is cheap sock wool from Lincraft which I bought some time ago. I've done one adult size sock and developed SSS. Then I made this pair for Miss Four. There is a leafy pattern on them, and a roll top. I started them so long ago, that I can't remember where I found the pattern which does not really show much on the variegated fabric. The wool is OK to knit, although nothig amazingly wonderful. Still, it was less than $10 for 100gm, so I can't complain about the price.

The blue, which is a fairly accurate representation of the colour is Seebreeze from the Knittery. It's the pure merino, 4 ply. It's beautiful to knit with and feels great moving through the fingers.. These are for me and I've been doing them at work. That means something basic s to pattern, because I can be often interrupted.

Both sets of socks had the cuffs knitted on 2.75 mm needles and I then switched to 2.25 for the foot and heel. It's not noticeable at all on the foot, although it does show just when looking at the socks.

saturday sky

saturday sky
Originally uploaded by Jan2132.

It's been odd weather here since last Thurday. September average rainfall has been well and truly pass in the first week of the month. It's grey here, tending to light grey. Just after this was taken, the heavens turned black again and down the rain tumbled. Add some gale force winds which turned most umbrellas inside out and it's been a wet week.

I've finished another pair of the pocketbook slippers shown below. This pair is white with some embroidery on the toe and the strap. I've also finally finished my socks from the merino I bought from the Knittery. I was doing them at work in odd moments when I was free.

Life has been hectic here. MIL has been in a hospital for nearly a month before having her third hip replacement of the one joint. I'm not sure if I mentioned it here, but she was continually dislocating the hip. Even did it while she was asleep in bed in the hospital. A total of seven times over about three years. Each time it's very painful and she goes downhill more. We did not want the operation, there were a large number of associated risks, but we couldn't leave her as she was. She was in the coronary ward for some days after as there were some problems. Now she's back at the nursing home. It seems that the hospital did not get her out of bed after the op. She's stubborn and refuses to do anything she does not want to. We have been trying to get her to do some therapy etc. No use at all. All she wants is to stay in bed. She does not realise, or won't acknowledge that her actions will lead to her losing her single room and bathroom and she will be moved permanently to the nursing section if she can't/won't get herself to the bathroom and dining room. We'll have to cross that bridge when she realises it when that inevitable decision is made next week.

We've also sold her house and have spent a lot of time on financial matters. Today I have come down with a horrendous cold and am stopping indoors, doing very little. I'd like to start some more knitting, but my brain seems to have turned to mush.

People talk about comfort food. I've done some comfort shopping. I've just bought some Brown Sheep Wildfoote sock yarn from Yarns Online. I bought geranium and mistletoe. Postage was more than reasonable, $4.80 internal Australian postage. I'll photograph the wool when it arrives and perhaps other finished stuff too. I take most of my photos outside. Today has returned to winter. It's very cold with a strong wind and there's no way I'm poking my nose out the door.

Later
Barely an hour after I had placed my order with Yarns Online and received confirming email, I had another email to say that the order had been dispatched. Now that's what I call quick service.

I also picked up a second sock for Miss Four made from sock wool from Lincraft. I had got tired of it and just pt it aside. It took about 45 minutes to finish, so that's something else off my mind.

And have you seen the sock patterns in the new MagKnits? I like all of them.

Magic

pocketbook_slipper_2
Originally uploaded by Jan2132.

I showed my husband the tiny basket from the photo below. His reply was that it looked pretty. I think he was just saying something so I would know he had looked. When I told him it was a slipper, he would not believe me till I had put it on.

pocketbook_slippers_1

pocketbook_slippers_1
Originally uploaded by Jan.

I have been knitting, just no photos and quite a bit of frogging too. I'm on the tail end of socks for granddaughter and am knitting at work on my merino socks for myself. Unfortunately I had to rip out all the heel when I noticed a stitch I could not easily pick up had been dropped.

These pocket book slippers are for my sister. She starts radiotherapy today for a recurrence of the breast cancer of ten years ago. Five days one week and four the next for the next six weeks. Then some more chemo, hormones and probably a finish up with the new drug herceptin.

Her birthday is soonish and I thought she might like a comforting slipper to wear around either at the hospital or home. Two years ago I made the fluted banister socks for her in 8 ply as house socks. My mother says she wears them often and really likes them.

These are super easy and very quick to make. Some of the 8 ply wool I bought for $2/100gm recently. I think each slipper took about 2 hours and it's an ideal pattern to use while watching TV etc.