Strawberry goodness

I'm not really a girly girl but I couldn't resist starting a sock from The Yarn Yard sock club yarn for July - entitled Strawberry Patch. This little ankle sock was finished in about 2 days.I used the scalloped top of the Mock Wave cable socks pattern in Favourite Socks. Luckily for me 64 stitches to makes it stripe beautifully. This is a tiny bit too short so I think I need to rip the toe out and knit about 4 more rounds on the foot....
I've also deviated a little from the secret knitting because I couldn't wait to try out the laceweight from the Yarn yard for the Mystery Stole. Rather than swatching I decided to make the bottom of the stole my swatch - as you can see there are a number of mistakes.
However it did let me practice knitting with laceweight and also placing beads with a crochet hook. I do love this yarn, but I think it is a bit too lacey for this design. I love Nic and Emily's versions and they are using a little thicker yarn. So I decided to get my hands on some laceweight. Emily recommended some Malabrigo Lace - so I've ordered some from the US in outlandish style! I also bought some Jamieson's Ultra, as that is what Emily is using. I'll wait until the Malabrigo arrives before I choose what to use. Exciting stuff.
In other random news, Tony and I celebrated our 5th anniversary together last weekend. We decided to get away from the flooding and go to the lake district. We had a lovely time and even made it to the seaside on the way home. This is one of my favourite photos from the weekend.... some fungus on the walk up to Aira Force waterfall.

Socks and Sewing

I can't show you the secret thing I'm making at the moment... so you will have to do with new socks:Madder Ribbed Sock from Vintage Knitted Socks by Nancy Bush. In Lorna's Laces Safari. These are anniversary socks for Tony. 5 years on Saturday! (Looks like the present might be a tad late!)
On Sunday the Weather was so hideous I decided that I needed to get my birthday sewing machine out.I made this bag for my travelling sock project (colour co-ordinating and everything). I used this pattern, and it worked really well and all the mistakes I made were due to me not paying attention! I'm sure it will be 8 times faster next time.
I also made this ickle case for my Brittany DPNs from this pattern... cool eh?

Mini-Swap

Bryony and I were discussing sock yarn on Ravelry the other day. She wanted to try The Yarn Yard semi-solids and I realised that I had a mini-skein I could send her. This initiated a "mini" swap. Look what arrived in the post on Thursday....Lots of left over sock yarn, enough for baby socks or contrast heels and toes or maybe just to swatch with to see if I like it! Top is "The knittery" Cashmere Merino blend in Orchid. This is what Bryony has made her fab Sockapalooza socks from. L-R are Fleece Artist Sea Wool in Rose Garden; White Willow Yarns Medicine Woman and Schaefer Anne. Thank You Bry! Your parcel went in the post yesterday. If anyone else is interested in the same kind of mini-swap (maybe with a certain weight yarn, or certain colours, or another theme) Then let us know!

Finished Sockapalooza Socks

My Sockapalooza Socks are finished

FISHTAIL SOCKS
The pattern is my own - I have made a vague attempt at writing it up below if you are interested.
Started: 26th(ish) June 2007
Finished:12th July2007
Yarn: Yarn Yard Sock Yarn - June Club colourway
Needles: Addi Turbo 2.5mm 30cm circular (it is what I knit all my socks on, I switch to 5dpns for the toe)
Pattern

Materials -
100g of sock-weight yarn
2.5mm Needles (you choose whether you are a 5 dpns, two circulars or a magic loop kind of person )
Cable Needle (unless you can cable without a cable needle)
Size - The socks I made are approx 18-19cm (7") from top of leg to bottom of heel and 22-23cm (9") from heel to toe. However these can both be lengthened or shortened by adding/removing pattern repeats. Approx 22-23cm (9") around the foot - but there is quite a lot of stretch.
Gauge - 32st over 4 inches in stocking stitch
Abbreviations -
LC4 - slip next stitch onto cable needle and hold at the front of the work, knit the next 3 stitches from the left hand needle, then knit the stitch from the cable needle.
RC4 - slip the next 3 stitches onto the cable needle and hold at the back of the work, knit the next stitch from left-hand needle, then knit sitches from the cable needle.
Leg
Cast on 60 stitches. Place marker at the start of the round
Begin ribbing - K2P2 rib for 10 rounds
Fishtail pattern:
Row 1: p2,k9,p2,K17 PM, p2,k9,p2,k17
Row 2-5: Repeat Row 1
Row 6: p2,LC4, K1,RC4,knit to marker, p2,LC4, K1,RC4, knit to marker
Rows 1-6 make up the pattern
Work the pattern until the leg is the desired length. End on row 6. I make 9 repeats and it is approx 15cm long.
Heel:
I worked a short row heel over 30 stitches using the instructions from "Beyond the Basics" in Interweave Knits Summer 2007. I kept in pattern (with the purl stitches as far as possible) but the instructions are for a plain heel:
Row 1 - Remove the marker from the start of the round. K6 PM, K29. These 29 stitches are the ones you will work the heel over.
Row 2 (WS) YO backwards (wrapping the yarn from back to front). Purl to the last stitch leaving 1 unworked
Row 3 (RS) YO. Knit to the paired stitched made by the YO in the previous row
Row 4 (WS) YO Backwards and purl to the paired stitches made by the YO in the previous row.
Repeat rows 3 and 4 until 12 stitches remain between the YO's. End with a RS row but do not turn
Row 5 (RS) K1 (the first stitch of the pair), correct the mount of the YO, K2tog (the YO with the first st of the next pair) this leaves a YO as the first st on the left needle
Row 6 (WS) YO backwards, purl to the paired st. Purl the first st. SSP
Row 7 (RS) YO, knit to the paired st (the following 2 loops are YOs) Correct the mount of the Yos , K3 tog.
Row 8: YO Backwards, purl to the next YO, SSSP (slip 3 st knitwise one at a time and purl together through the back of the loops)
Repeat this until all of the heel stitches have been worked. End on a RS row and do not turn
Foot
When the heel is finished continue working across all of the stitches in the fishtail pattern from above (starting from row 1) Place the markers before the first of the purl stitches - 30 stitches apart
Work as many pattern repeats as required (I worked 9 pattern repeats)
Toe
Row 1: Remove the marker from the start of the round k3, K2tog, k1 PM, k1 SSK, knit to next marker and remove it, k4, k2tog, K1 PM, k1, SSK.
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: (Knit to 3 stitches before the marker K2tog, K1, Slip marker, K1 , SSK) twice
Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until 24 stitches remain.
Divide the stitches onto 2 needles (12 stitches on each) and kitchener stitch together.

I've rushed through this a bit, I use lots of markers as I knit on 1 small circular needle, but you will probably eliminate the need for markers if you use any other method. Once you have started the pattern, it is fairly obvious where the heel and toe should be worked! Let me know if you have any questions or decide to make them

Cricket Pullover

Here, at last, is the finished Cricket Pullover for Toby. The polo shirt underneath is 12-18 months, and this fits nicely over the top - so far more successful than the last attempt! This came out exactly how I wanted it to (second time around). Not bad for a first(make that second) attempt at design!
Details Started: 26th June 2007
Completed: 9th July 2007
Yarn: James C Brett Kool Kotton 50% Cotton 50% Acrylic - about 2 balls.
Needles: 4mm Addi turbos and 4mm crochet hook for the arm and neck edging.
Pattern: My own! I followed the sizing of the Traintrack Slipover from Louisa Harding's Miss Bea's Rainy Day for the second version (above). Knit in the round to the armholes. Pattern of k6p2 rib with a cable 3 forward every 10 rows on each alternate "rib".
Comments: I found it much easier the second time around with measurements from a similar pattern. I like this much more than the first attempt too. The cotton should wash really well and it is stiff enough to be able to cable without a cable needle quite easily. I really hope it fits!

Now onto the next project......I can't blog about Lauren's birthday present as she is likely to read here - so you will have to hop over to Ravelry to see the big thing I'm working on for her.
Meanwhile you can look at the lovely Yarn Yard Organic Merino that Natalie has dyed for me for the Mystery Stole if I decide I am brave enough.
I may have also bought some more sock yarn from her at the weekend, or it may just have magically appeared in my stash.....

Secret Pal 10 reveal...

Another fantastic parcel from my SP 10 arrived today... this time all the way from Turkey! Some fab spices and amazing looking fig sweets (I'm sure Tony will LOVE these!) a little purse with an eye to ward off evil and finally 3 skeins of purple yarn - just perfect for me.
Thank you Robert - you have been an amazing Secret Pal. I hope you are having a lovely time on Holiday :0)

Finished Fishtail

I've finished the first of my Fishtail socks for my Sockpalooza pal. What do you think?
I may have accidentally ordered some more Noro for my blanket too. Oops. Right, I have a busy night of knitting ahead of me so I'd better be off to make potato wedges for tea....

Lazy Sunday afternoons...

I am really looking forward to a lazy Sunday afternoon, it feels like I haven't had one for so long!
I''ve spent most of the morning adding more hexagons to my blanket. I pulled this out of the WIP pile whilst photographing projects for Ravelry. I realised how much I like it (and lots of other people have left lovely comments too), so I'm crocheting away on this instead of working on Toby's pullover or Lauren's secret birthday present.
I have also found out the last of my Noro from the stash.
Enough for about 20-22 more hexagons I think; which will nearly double the size. I probably need some more red shades to balance it out.
Finally, a little stash enhancement happened this week. I ordered some Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock from a US ebay seller as it is so much cheaper over there even after shipping. However I got stung for customs charges of an extra £12 which ended up making it about 10p more expensive per skein then from Get Knitted! I think I've learnt my lesson there.
I still have some lovely new sock yarn....
Turquoise and Jungle Stripe. Plus another shade which has gone into my reveal parcel for my SP which will be posted on Monday.