One up, one down

Socks that is

The red sock is knitted from the cuff down and I am on the foot, the purple and green sock is knitted from the toe up and I am on the leg.

I can't decide which of these two I like best so they are both getting some attention.

The green and purple sock is about learning a new technique and I really like the way they are coming together. 

The design begins again on the heel to go all the way up the back of the leg which is lovely.

SanJaun free sole sock by Anna Zilboorg

 This one has a deadline but I think they should both be completed by then so I'll just keep doing a bit of each.

Two Horse Hitch design by Anne Podlesak

 Wishing you cosy toes.

A weekend with the hook

Finding this lot of yarn in the bottom of a bag totally distracted me from all the started projects, doesn't take much! 

Inspired by the combination of colours and for the most part just making it up as I go along, though the flowers are the centre of a granny square I've made recently.

First up some pretty flowers,

add some green for foliage.

Starting again with a little ripple.

Lastly a boring grey canvas for some fun decorating.

Maybe this week I will focus on finishing rather than starting - this month has seen me start way more than I have finished!

Wishing you a week of finishing.

Variety

Well there was some pink yarn. 
What about that lavender colour? 
Pretty green and brilliant purple. They all wanted in on the action this week.

Oh, I played nice and they've all had a turn.

Joining a sock knit-a-long to try a new technique - free sole socks by Anna Zilboorg.

Hooking up more hats because the weather is feeling just a little chilly in the evenings lately.

I even started a new book - like I am one chapter in and already think this book may have been written just for me. 'Second Chance' by Elizabeth Wren.

Sure I worked on last weeks projects too - there are more coloured bobbles and another unfinished sock (no evidence here), it is coming along nicely now that I have sorted out the pattern.

Joining the Ginny and the others yarning along. 
Hope your week includes plenty of colour.

The Mother made me!

I Spent a lovely afternoon with The Mother at AQC today.

We looked at all the amazing quilts and decided that there are some people out there with those special clocks that give extra hours - lots of exquisite work and lots of little pieces of fabric.

The 12x12 collection of quilts was beautiful up close.

All the pics here are from the art quilt section - sorry I didn't get the makers details, but most of them were advertised by the organisers before the event.

This lady is taller than the main body of the quilt and totally looked like an admirer

The sense of depth in all of these captured my attention - it was hard to know where to look there was so much detail in all of these, created by the different techniques employed.

Totally thread painted kitty - Cute

Thursday evening saw me once again distracted by my hook and these yarns. Fortunately these did not add up to a great amount of yarn so it was a quick to finish project - I need a little instant gratification sometimes.

Inspired by a doily I started playing with different stitches and made a decorative top.

Then I added sides to make this slouchy beanie style hat. 

Best bit - no pattern reading required.

Back to the other projects now - I am on the leg of the sock and the design is working up nicely, the coloured bobbly piece has grown too.

While I saw all the lovely stitchy sewing things today, I am definitely in a woolly creating phase, I was not tempted to buy anything. Shocking I know!

Have a wonderful Sunday doing what makes you happy.

Bright, Shiney, New

Project that is, after all the finishing lately I just had to start something new (maybe even more than one something?)

These pretty yarns were hanging out together in the stash and really wanted in on the action.

Neither yarn has a label attached so I am unsure what they might be but they do work together.

See...

First up there is a flat piece - well maybe not so flat!

Playing with design

I made two more granny squares yesterday, so I laid out the ones I have so far - a bit of a puzzle how these might fit together? I still have yarn to make more.

From The Granny Square Book by Margaret Hubert

I just couldn't resist and cast on another sock.

Two-Horse Hitch socks by Anne Podlesak

So far so good.
Joining the other yarn crafters over at yarn along this week.

Loving the cooler weather and the opportunity to wear some of my woollen socks.

Hope the sun is shining in your creative corner.

7 Day socks

I set myself a challenge last week after the Mother asked if the socks were ready when I hadn't started. Could I complete a pair in a week?

Obviously I can if I need to!

Diagonal rib socks designed by Ann Budd with minimal changes made by me.

Excuse my large feet in these medium socks.

 There are some recently completed blocks mostly from 'The Granny Square Book' by Margaret Hubert

Tuscan tile

The colours are the same ones I was using last month, they are brighter than they appear in the pictures here.

Tuscan tile - Savannah - and a ring in

Lots of nice blocks to try while I give the needles a break and plan the next project which may or may not be socks.

I am very pleased with the appearance of autumn here, finally and had a refreshing walk in the rain early today.

There is a little quilting going on in the background but not so much as to be photo worthy.

Hope your week is off to a beautiful start.

The evidence

I did finish the socks and the mint and citrus blanket. I even dealt with all the threads before I took their photo's while the sun was visiting today.

The blanket was a previously resting project which saw daylight again in March. It was started a few years ago to use up stash yarn but as I was fixated on the pretty white border I had to buy another ball of yarn to finish it. Fortunately I used more than half the ball completing the border.

The yarn is Patons Big Baby 4 ply in lemon, mint green, white and a multi coloured - blue/green/lemon.

The cream and burgundy Sanquar socks were started in March and finished this week.

Mother's day sorted - yippee.

Even the inside looks cool

Sanquhar socks designed by Beth B Parrott from 'Knitting socks from Around the World'.

Yarn from the stash - Bendigo Woollen Mills 3 ply and vintage Patons Beehive 3 ply.

 

Slowly working my way through my stash of yarn.

Thanks to Ana and Linda for the Stash buster initiative.

Wishing you sunshine in your creative space.

Rushing...

does not always equal quicker!

(warning - more unfinished sock pictures)

The mother had ordered a pair of socks for gifting towards the end of this month, then asks if they are ready this past Tuesday - well no, not even started! Fortunately I had a) finished knitting the last pair (they're still waiting for the ends to be woven in), and b) made a decision about pattern and yarn (there wasn't enough of my first choice of yarn) so I cast on pronto.

A conservative pattern but interesting enough to keep me knitting round and round.

Making good progress and then this - Mess!

One went the wrong way, it took a while to get the stitches back in order again, but I am once again heading the right direction.

Using my favourite Bendigo Woollen Mills Luxury 4 ply in the purple storm colour way - the sky was a very similar colour earlier today when it was actually looking like Autumn is putting in an appearance in this part of the world.

Design is Diagonal Rib Socks by Ann Budd, in a free Ebook from Interweave (they have resources for all kinds of crafts).

The other news here is that the Mint and Citrus blanket is complete and waiting for weaving in of ends and a new previously resting crochet project has seen some progress this week.

Hope you have time for a little creating this weekend.

Remembering...

 Thinking that I wanted to stitch at FNWF last night and dismissing all the new projects as requiring too much preparation I went in search of a resting project that I could just pick up and stitch.

At the very bottom of the pile was this quilt which I started early in 2008 the blocks are mostly machine pieced, though there are a couple that were stitched by hand. I duly stitched the top together and even started hand quilting it before I lost interest and moved on to  brighter and shinier projects.

I put some stitches in it last night, though as I am just quilting around the shapes in matching thread it is not obvious in the photo's. 

In this year of finishing more than I start, this quilt may actually be completed.

There was a little woolly action too but you don't need to see another half finished sock. As I got to knit today at my local knitting group there may just be a finish this week.

Now I'm off to see what everybody else was working on last night.

Thanks to Cheryll for hosting.

Hope your day is sunny.

Still Socking along

One is finished and the second is on the needles - nice.

The pattern is easy to knit and the interesting design repeats both around and down the sock.

Sanquar socks in cream and burgundy
The yarns are working up nicely together, with just a little stretch.

Of course all this knitting means the blanket has been sadly neglected - so close and still so far. That last round is taking forever! (oh, I know I need to pick it and work on it)

I finished reading 'The Necessary Aptitude - A Memoir' by Pam Ayres. A very enjoyable read. 
Now I am reading 'Small Acts of Kindness' by Bronwyn Donaghy, a novel about enduring friendship.

Joining Ginny and all the talented crafters Yarning along this week.