SparkleShan

I finished my first pair of socks that I blogged about last week! I am so excited to add more knit socks to my small collection. They fit great and I am pretty pleased with how they came out. The only thing was that I did get small ladders from using the DPNs. Eventually I will trying knitting socks on two circular needles, as I have been told that helps to eliminate the ladders. But these are just for me and I can live with them. My feet are really tiny so it took me only about 8 days to knit the pair. I have already began plotting and planning more socks. Luckily Ravelry.com has a ton of patterns to choose from and I have about 50 skeins of sock yarn. Here are my first ever pair of knitted socks. Yay!

This week I cast on for a Craft-a-long being hosted in Colorsong's Ravelry group.  I am using Fleece Artist Trail Socks in the color Passion flower to knit an Ishbel Shawl by Ysolda Teague.  I knit this pattern 3 or 4 years ago and I love it and have been wanting to knit it again. I bought this yarn for a shawl (I didn't have a particular one in mind) from Colorsong yarns, so I thought it would be perfect to use for this along and pattern.     I finished working on the Magine Shawl by Ambah O'Brien and it is now blocking. I couldn't wait until it was dry to get a picture.  I really love how colorful this shawl is, thanks to the awesome Knit Circus gradient yarns.     Knitting all these shawls is really inspiring me to come up with some shawl designs. So I am working on a swatch sample for a design I have in my head for a three colored shawl. I knit the sample using some Sunrise Fiber Co mini skeins that I bought 4 years...

It's been a while since I did a knitting work in progress Wednesday and boy do I have a few things in progress. I'm still slowly and hear and there plugging away on the Boxy Sweater that I started in October. I still have another 9 inches of stockinette stitch before I even start the arms. And did I mention its in fingering weight yarn?? I am also knitting a second Terrafrom shawl with sparkle sock yarn that I dyed myself. I am going to add a second skein of some sparkle sock yarn that I also dyed myself, that is a little bit light then the current skein to make it longer and give it a cool ombre effect. My little sister is having a baby girl at the end of August so I am crocheting her a blanket. I am using some Cotton ease yarn that I have had for about 5 years, since they live in Virginia and the baby is being born in the summer I wanted to make a light weight blanket she can use right away. I also started a Bias Wrap in the left over Handmaiden mini maiden s...

I counted the number of knitting projects that I have on the needles that aren't hibernating and I have 8! I have a bad case on chronic cast on! Luckily I finished one of those projects tonight, a headband to keep my ears warm.  I'm also working on a linen stitch scarf with scraps of sock yarn.  My first sweater, the Boxy. The Sastrugi Cowl designed by my friend Brittany Wilson in some yummy angora blend yarn. The Bee keepers quilt has been brought out of hibernation.  I'm also working on a test knit for a friend, designing a shawl and another head band and some wash cloths for Christmas gift.  I made a challenge for myself that I won't cast on any new projects until I finish two. Hopefully I can stick to it!

This past weekend was crazy with the knitting work in projects. I actually managed to spend time on all of my active projects on the needles and finished two projects! I am still working on the Boxy Sweater, the Stole with One sleeve. I am also working on the Terraform Shawl/Scarf for a Fall knit a long, with hand dyed yarn from Bohoknitterchic . I also started the Sastrugi Cowl, designed by my friend Brittany Wilson, with Fleece Artist Peter Rabbit angora/mohair yarn and that yarn is a dream to knit with. I also worked on one of my own shawl designs.   

This weekend I finished up a child size hood that I was test knitting for a friends pattern, made for Emma. She also had instructions for an adult sized one and I loved Emma's so I had to start one for me. It only took me a few hours to finish. Emma's hood is made out of hand spun yarn from my friend Sara for the brim, and hand spun yarn by me for the main hood. For my hood I used Loop hand spun Yarn for th brim and Fleece Artist Bfl for the main hood. 

My first project I finished knitting project, the Herbivore by Stephen West, after my 7 month knitting break. I started this back in April and it was more then half done so it was a really fast finish. I gave it to my mom for her birthday. I knit it using hand dyed sparkle sock yarn from my friend Carrie, It was an easy, fast knit so I would definitely knit this again. Excuse the crappy cell phone picture.