Three socks...

in the making.

I finished one of the happy socks last weekend and cast on two new socks this week before starting it's partner, so now I have three socks on the needles again. This much knitting does not leave a lot of time for reading but I am enjoying 'Needles and Pearls' by Gil McNeil. A knit themed novel picked up at a recent sale, it's worth my time for some light hearted entertainment.

Great wall IV socks by Qianer in Wendy Happy Bamboo/Nylon yarn

I'm using the last of the purple vintage yarn in this pair of socks that are a test knit over on Ravelry. I like the combination of cables and texture used to create the pattern, even if it does mean they require all of my attention. It is good to concentrate sometimes!

Little BonBons by Revi in vintage Patons Beehive Fingering 4 ply wool

The green stripey socks are being knit from a previously gifted pair of almost finished odd sized socks. I was given them to finish but decided I did not like the knit fabric and the size was a bit odd so I started over with my own pattern. Rib with little cables working their way around the sock. They should work up into another perfect pair for the Father, this time for Christmas.

You're right I'm knitting directly from the previously knit sock.

 Joining the Yarn Along this week.

Wishing you all sunshine and colour in your space today.

Are those new?

There was some knitting which involved thick yarn and fat needles this week. I made this cosy cowl in teen colours, mostly because they were the ones I had in the right thickness, but we'll just keep that between ourselves, okay?

After I signed on to help with this one I thought I may have made a mistake, we are after all heading towards summer down here, not so this week, (it would have been a very welcome addition on some cool mornings). Just need to find some suitable buttons to attach and this will be done.

Two coloured checkered cowl by BillS

Pretty yarn for a pretty sock.

I bought this yarn a little over a year ago when the whole sock thing was just gaining momentum.

The Great Wall IV Socks by Qianer

Then it sat patiently waiting a turn because of the whole multi coloured look of it, when I decided that my preference really is to work with solids. An opportunity to knit along with others over on Ravelry saw me looking for suitable yarn in the stash, time to pull this out and see whether it would work. The yarn, Happy by Wendy, has a high percentage of bamboo and just a little nylon so it is perfect for warmer weather socks. Means I won't need to wait until next May to get my feet into them.

Coming along nicely I'm onto the foot and really enjoying the knit and the yarn.

Total impulse buying in the supermarket today, just had to try these TimTams with strawberry filling, well they had the new sign on them! Delicious even if they weren't coated in Dark chocolate. At the back of the pic you can see the mess I made with the buttons. I'll get some real photo's next time the sun is shining in my space.

Enjoy creating your weekend.

Playing with buttons...

is such a relaxing thing to do.

First I took out all the large ones - I only need the smallish ones for this project.

Fortunately I have lots of small buttons in many pretty colours.

Sorting the colours was so much fun.

Pretty blues and

Christmas colours - or greens reds and yellows.

I used a Christmas themed serving plate

Sure there I'm doing something with them other than sorting and counting,

Knitting - Not a sock

Threaded them onto string.

A lovely afternoon activity for a quick project, well it will be now all the sorting is done.

Hope you have all the rainbow colours in your happy space.

Spots and flowers

It didn't take a whole week to finish the project I was working on last time I was here. I even got the photo within a couple of days, as I had gifted it without taking a pic. (That's what happens when I do things at the last minute.)

Pretty fabric for bag lining

So the little splash of blue crochet on the edge of the photo last time was the clue. Around two years ago I made a similar craft bag for myself in purples, which led to a lot of crochet spots being made, including these blue ones. It helped that I was commuting on public transport daily and these little spots were very portable. I sewed the spots together and completed the bag a little while ago.

Another long term project completed but there are more where that one was hiding, as well as some others that I found while searching for the fabric, (that I may or may not have neglected to remember) - no chance of running out for quite some time. On the positive side some of these old projects are almost done so there may be a few quick finishes or not?

A pretty rose that grows right next to the railway line to brighten the day of all who pass. Needed a little brightening up today as the sky has been dark and gloomy.

Hope there's sun in your creative space this week.

Fabric with Friends

Ooh, look I found the fabric I went looking for.

All I accomplished with the fabric on Friday night was to cut the pieces required and then I reverted to sitting on the couch.

I pulled out this project too. The fabric and pattern were collected back in 2009. It is true I have pondered the instructions (all 45 pages of them) on a number of occasions since the purchases were made, but I am still missing some of the important bits required to get this lovely useful bag together.

I may have just the excuse looming in the not too distant future to use this type of bag so I need to collect the remainder of the requirements to get construction under way. It was lovely reacquainting myself with this array of Ink and Spindle fabrics and I am looking forward to getting back to my sewing machine regularly.

There was a little knitting last night and today at my local knit group, but I think you've probably all seen those two socks often enough lately. I can report though that the burgundy sock has progressed to the foot and the purple sock going in the opposite direction is up to the leg.

When I got back from socialising this afternoon I turned on Nomee for a little run through. Since the last time I used her, about a year ago, she has spent a little time visiting first 'the old people' and then the sewing machine doctor. All's good and she's quite positively purring again. I started with something small and it is almost done, just some finishing touches to add. I will have evidence soon.

Thanks Cheryll for having us round, it's so much fun to create with friends.

Wishing you all a creative Sunday.

The Paws socks

have been welcomed into their new home.

So I played a little more.

Using leftovers can be a lot of fun, if sometimes frustrating.

The amazing generosity of fellow a crafter was essential to this project. I am not a planner, I'm guessing you already figured that out the way I flit around from here to there. I had some leftover yarns, same brand and weight, which I thought would work in a particular way, but it soon became evident that there was insufficient of the purple colour to complete the socks the way I envisaged. The wonderful woolly world of Ravelry came to the rescue, a quick message there asking if any bits out there needed a new home and all was sorted very quickly. A little lovely purpleness flew south for inclusion in these socks.

A little paw detail on the bottom of the foot.

This project began after a discussion about odd socks, so I made 'not quite a pair'. While the two socks are not the same they are complimentary.

As they were headed to a home where the pets are important members of the family I played with some colourwork cats and dogs. I am very happy with the final product and hesitated at the mail box, they nearly didn't make it to their destination.

They're happily keeping toes warm in their new home.

The last day of holidays here and the sun has been shining so I spent a little time at the beach with my needles in hand this afternoon. The sock partners will be finished this weekend.

Looking forward to Friday night with friends tonight, hope to see you there.

If I can find the fabric I'm thinking that I will get some sewing done. It's been a long time since Nomee has been out to play.

Hope the sun is shining in your creative space today.

Partners...

for two socks.

While I really want to cast on another sock I am focussing on making a match for these two that have been lonesome for the past month.

The purple is the second of the 'Twisted Drops' socks which I started as a test knit in August, by the end of the first sock all those twists had made my hands/wrists sore. The designer has a note at the end to be adventurous and make a mirrored sock for the other foot, I took this option as it is less stressful on my hands doing the majority of the twists left rather than right. It is coming along nicely now that I sorted the mistake which required a little going backwards.

I've done a bit more since the pictures were taken and am now working on the heel.

This is close to right colour

The burgundy sock is a dress sock for the Father, fortunately he is not the kind who gets upset about delayed presents, though he does make a fuss if I don't make something.

I'm still reading the same book too! I knew the small writing would slow me down but I have been listening to audio books in the past few weeks. Finished audio books include 'The Horses' by Tim Winton, 'Does my Head look big in This' by Randa Abdel-Fattah and 'Where the Streets Had a Name' also by Randa Abdel-Fattah. All of which were very entertaining, perfect for listening while knitting.

Joining the yarn along late this week.

Hope your Friday is a colourful one.