Friday, August 24, 2007

short row heel/toe trials #2 again

Thought this might be a better view of Cat Bordhi's short row, pulled tight. Pretty nice, Huh?
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short row heel/toe trials #2

This sample is from Cat Bordhi's videos on YouTube - do a search for Cat Bordhi - Little Sky Learning Sock, Part 1. This seems to have a jog in it, but I do not have the book and maybe there is a trick I didn't get.. I do like the look of the sides, and the inside is much smoother than the other. I guess I'm going to need to get that book!
By the way, Cat has a video for Judy's Magic Cast on, and she is wrapping the top needle incorrectly, well different than Judy's instructions...



This is a very smooth short row.
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short row tow/heel trials #1

Cast on two circulars using Judy's Magic Cast on http://www.knitty.com/. Used the short row technique from Ann Budd's Better-Than-Booties http://www.interweave.com/. I like the way the knit stitch runs all the way around.

Oh my God, are those my hands? How did that happen, I still feel 18!


Nice round toe/heel


Oh, the concords are starting to turn... yum
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Thursday, August 23, 2007

Pics of the pups

Thought I'd post a few........
This is Cookie, very cuddly and she likes to be held so she can wrap her front paw around your neck, but as long as she is close to you she is happy.



This is Baby, I know, the name is pretty lame, but it stuck when we brought him home at 1.5 pounds. He has to be touching you all of the time, if it is just sitting on your foot. He used to come to work with me, so loves when I pull out the laptop, he knows he'll get a lot of cuddling time with me.


This is Gin Gin, named after "I dream of Jenie's" little white dog. He is trained so well, I'm thinking of starting therapy with him. He loves Fred, and follows him around like a shadow. He waits for him at the door



One more of Baby, his coat is so thick but surprisingly easy to take care of. I comb him about once a week and he goes to the goomer a few times a year to get that undercoat cleaned out.
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comments

There was a comment for a pattern for the ittybitty socks and mittens. I made up the mittens, don't really have a pattern - but the socks are from http://www.socknitters.com/.

Thursday, August 9, 2007

nostepine etc....

This is the nostepine that we made from a chair leg....I'm still at the football stage though. I did download the instructions, and have tried several center pull balls, but I just can't get the hand of it. UGH....I do love a challange but sometimes you just want to have things work! Amy took a look and thought that maybe it was too big, that could be why I'm having some problems. I think we'll go back to Lowe's and get a smaller chair leg and try it out. For such little cost I can try several sizes. I guess I should start looking for antique legs. I was planning on painting Ivy vines up and around and then varnish, but I'll wait to see if the smaller one is a better fit.


The fish population is growing and growing, at least 2 dozen now, the biggest is about a foot from nose to tail tip.



Finally got the clog sock finished, I wish I would have used a smaller needle, they stretch out a bit too much. Maybe I'll frog and redo the toes, making them a little longer so they don'e stretch as much. I used the yarn I dyed with Jaquard dyes on the SNB's dye day, I really like the way the color pattern turned out.


These are Beatrix Clog socks, http://www.socktopia.net/patterns/beatrix.pdf. I love that the pattern runs up the back because I usually wear clogs in the winter. I think that this will be my go-to pattern from now on, it is very easy to calculate sizing because you can adjust the front stitch count to make gauge. I'm all for easy and simple.

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Wednesday, August 8, 2007

I've got a studio!

Thought I'd post a few pics of the new studio, ha - I'm an artist and I have a studio!!! I love my Pfaff, but haven't really done much embroidering lately. Now that I have my high table next to the machine it will be much easier. See those planes? I decided that I'm not going to take them down, for now at least. Since Fritz doesn't have a place for them now I'll just keep them up. I think they add a bit of, um, whimsy? I still have more embroidery thread to get up on these racks. Notice the yarn at the right, this is my collection of complete skeins, not touched yet..the top two are for socks. The WOP and odds and ends are in different places throughout. Too many to admit to.


Here is the great table with raised legs, and the chair has raised legs too. It has been difficult working on a regular table since I'm tall, my poor back. A perfect place for the serger, under the table, put away but close so I can pull it out when needed. The roller under the table has scraps of yarn, fabric and stuff for embelishements. I still have boxes of thread to put up on these thread racks.. Lots of work yet to be done. I love all of the sunshine in this room.



Here is the back wall, the closet holds all the fabric I've got. Well, not all, but most of it. I'm planning on using wire racks to hold and organize all of it, someday.... I'm still working on it so there are piles on the floor still. Geez, I didn't realize how much junk I have. Still piles of it in the basement.
The design wall needs some work, I need a bigger piece of felt to cover it, I think that will work just fine then.


I still have so much stuff to bring up, looking for some baskets or something to organize the stabilizer and backing here. The ones I want are so expensive, wondering how to do this. I guess I don't need everything out and available, but I'm finding that out of site, out of mind is true, I've got doubles of too many things to prove that!

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muggy muggy

UGh..... it's so muggy outside, staying inside again today. I worked all day yesterday in my new studio.....was oldest sons room, now it's mine, all mine MUHAHHAHAHAA. I've still got loads of stuff to bring up from my cavern in the basement, I think sewing with a view of the outside and using sunlight will really help to keep me motivated.

The one and only seed pod for the Arum is turning orange, I hope this is enough to propigate for next year.



Another lily started blooming, a bumper crop this year. The pond has been a wonderful place for me to sit and relax and contemplate. I love the way the seasons move and change in the water. Watching the plants and wildlife in and around the pond is fascinting and reasurring. No matter what drama is happening, there is a constant, God brought to life.

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Monday, August 6, 2007

extra yarn

Having some fun with extra sock yarn, ittie bittie sock and mittens.


these colors are closer to what I dyed the other day.......seperated into two balls and started the toes last night. I really am jonesin' for a ball winder, I'll go on ebay once more to see if I can find one at a better price. I weighed the skein and split it in half.




Two pretty lillies from the pond, this weather has made the plants wonderful this year, best year ever. There are about a dozen 1/2 inch babies swimming around, I thought they were all black but saw a few white and gold ones. All of the last year babies survived, so we have lots.


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Wednesday, August 1, 2007

busy day

Busy day, first started witht he yarn I seperated yesterday, wish I had taken pictures of it strung throughout the living room. Mostly eggplant, with some dark green/olive and mustard... my first attempt at self stripe-ing yarn. I'm trying to decide which pattern to use for these socks, hmmmmmm.
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