Knitting Progress

I've been pretty busy on the knitting front. I've finished the bed socks for my mom. They're sooo soft! I know she'll just love them! The color is fabulous too - nice and bright to contrast with the dull grey of winter in the midwest. (I know...they're not done in this picture, but you get the idea, right?)

Unfortunately, I've somehow lost one of my colonial rosewood double-points - either at "Needles in the Haymarket" (another lovely LYS near me) or at the assisted living center when I visited my DH's grandma. I had taken the socks out to "show" them at both places...starting with 5 needles, but by the end of the day, I only had 4

Speaking of "Needles in the Haymarket", they have me checking out a new craft - new to me anyway. It's Punchneedle embroidery. There are some really cute designs...and the best thing is that the projects are small and compact.....and take up much less room than some of my other projects. My first project will probably be a sheep - it's a 2" by 2 1/4" project. However, with everything else that I need to do, and all of my UFO's, I'm not sure when I'll be able to "carve out some time" to explore this technique!



OK....back to my knitting progress. I just finished another feather and fan scarf - this time out of yellow-orange Haiku (60% Mohair/40% Silk). The yarn was actually given to me by Catherine...and it's the left-overs from the gorgeous shawl she made. (FYI - her shawl is on the cover of the book, Victorian Lace Today.) The scarf is light and airy and has an ethereal quality.

The walnuts that Elizabeth had given me several weeks ago are still drying out (it takes a while). They're no longer green and are a bit less moldy looking. Instead, they're a rather ugly looking crinkly dark brown. I haven't had any time to do any dyeing anyway, so the delay is not really bothersome at all. Believe it or not, I STILL haven't found the time to felt the "Skull Bag" or the purple and blue tote out of "Felt-it!".

I've also started working on a very cute cardigan jacket using Ulteppegarn. I love the deep charcoal color. The pattern actually calls for a much heavier yarn, but I prefer a lighter weight sweater that's not quite as bulky. I've finished the back and part of the left front. At this point, progress is slow as I do increases and/or decreases on both sides at different rates! Definitely not mindless knitting as I approach the edges!

I have started yet another pair of socks - easy socks....suitable for knitting on the Metro. Of course, I'm using my trusty pattern, "Hellen's Favorite Socks" 3x1 rib pattern. The yarn I'm using is Opal in the "Rendez-vous" colorway. I managed to knit quite a bit on the metro this week and have now completed the cuff of the first sock!

I've also taken the "Irish Hiking Scarf" out of "time out" and have frogged 3/4 of what I'd knit. This poor project has been in time out for SEVERAL months! I'd missed the proper border stitches in several places...and it was VERY obvious, so I KNEW the only thing to do was to tear it out and re-do it. I couldn't bear to do it at the time. Grrr! Anyhow, it's taken several months for the "pain to dull", and I'm finally ready to work on it again!

This little "Bluebird of Happiness" seemed to be enjoying the petunias on my front stoop. There had been two of them originally...both standing in my flower pot...but one flew away before I could go get my camera. Isn't he gorgeous? (And yes, it is a "he" - males have the flamboyant plumage to attract a mate whereas the female is rather plain in order to blend in with her surroundings so she can safely incubate eggs and care for her nestlings.)