God Bless the Teachers

I'm guessing that this will be the first spring of many that my knitting will be monopolized by teacher gifts and I really can't think of more deserving recipients of my hard work. Being the wife of a teacher, I know how difficult their days are and seeing as Stink-butt is part of a class of 4 year olds, I take my hat off to these ladies.



This first one is actually for her Kodaly teacher (for those of you who are wondering, Kodaly is music theory and appreciation for kids) she has also accompanied Stink-butt on a few occasions at violin recitals so we thought that it was only fair to give her something nice in return. This is a pattern called Midwest Moonlight from Interweave Scarf Style. I stash busted some Lorna's Laces DK Swirl in "Ravenswood" (possibly the oldest thing in my stash) for it.




This next one is for the aide in Stink-butt's pre-school class, she's a nice conservative older lady so I thought that a triangular lace scarf in a solid colourway was the way to go. The pattern is from Bad Cat Design called "Hydrangea shawl" but I just did the smaller version in some louet gems "Caribbean". It'll look good underneath the collar of a black jacket.






I came upon this pattern on Knitty recently and thought that it would be a quick, easy knit for a gift. I was right. This is the "Lace Ribbon Scarf" done in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock "Gold Hill" (I think this might be my favourite colourway from Lorna's. I have used it in three different weights now). I hope that Stink-butt's pre-school teacher (who I think has hippie leanings and likes to sing ALL the time) likes it. My kid never stops talking about her and the way she does things (as opposed to the unfun and mean ways that Mommy does things).

On to the socks.

These are shipment #2 of the Rockin' sock club. Everybody who knows me knows I love green so when I saw this "lucky" colourway, I was stoked to try the pattern. Before I say anything else, I want to say I dig the final product. They are cushy and comfy BUT; the pattern is weird. They are knit top down (normal), after knitting the leg you increase for the gusset, then you turn the heel, then you knit the heel flap (WEIRD!) Still, I tried something new and I like the socks.


These are just some ankle socks that I knit it a plain 3x1 rib but I wanted to include a picture to say woohoo!! Lorna's Laces yardage. I had a single skein of this "purple club" colourway and I knit this pair from it. Yes, from ONE skein. I do have small feet but Lorna's does have the best yardage for the quality and price.

This was a Cookie A pattern that I picked up from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. They are called "Sock with No Name" but I think they look like sunbursts in this "Chickabiddy" colourway. More yellow and red socks... why do I keep knitting socks in colours that I have absolutely none of in my wardrobe????

Here is a picture of SB with some artwork that she had done at the zoo. We went for a nice Sunday morning stroll (being as the zoo is just on the other side of the hill) and there is a lady with a tent set up giving demos (turns out she is has won medals internationally for body painting, not just some shmo off the street with some paints and a chair) and she picks the little ham in the front to be a model. People asked us all day long where we had it done and we had to disappoint them and say the lady was gone and she had just used Little Drew Barrymore wanna-be as her model.

These are the hubby's socks. They are a study in the unreliability of dye lots. I purchased 2 skeins of Cherry Tree Hill DK weight sock yarn "Java" (should be enough for 4 regular socks or these "Uptown Boot Socks" I wanted to make for the man from Interweave's 25 Timeless sock patterns) even though the label says the dye lots are the same, you can see that they are OBVIOUSLY not. Good thing the man doesn't care. This would drive me nuts.

May comes in like Lion

So it snowed in Calgary on May 1st. Yup forget March people, that lion came in March, April and May to us folks on the prairie and I was smart enough to knit this lovely sweater for the husband just in time for the last two weeks (I hope) of bad weather. I am extremely pleased with ow this came out, it fits him perfectly and looks good on him to boot! Most importantly (I guess) he likes it too. For those of you that want to know, it is the Cobblestone pullover from Interweave Fall 07. The yarn is just good old Lamb's Pride worsted "Winter Blue". I went crazy and bought WAY too much yarn so now I have enough for a ladies size sweater in my stash always good to have around.

Now for the socks....

These first ones are yet another Cookie A pattern. Probably one of her most famous (cause it's free on Knitty) called Pomatomus. They're supposed to look like blue fish scales so I knit them in Claudia's hand painted "Ocean Depth" and I think they look fantastic, really stretchy and comfy to boot.

These are the socks I knit for my beloved Calgary Flames for the playoffs. Alas, just like the team, these socks were done by the end of the second period in game 7. Oh well, there's always next year. The pattern is from Fiber Trends called "raindrop lace"and the yarn is called (as you might have guessed) "Flames" by Lorna's Laces Shepherd sock.

We now interrupt this blog post for some gratuitous YARN!!!!

I used my discount coupon the other day when I was feeling particularly low to go on a spending spree at Blue Moon Fiber Arts. This (and three patterns) is what I ended up with. I am pleased to say I have no buyers remorse and I'm particularly in love with the "Seastone" colourway. They are, from left to right: Raven clan "Haida", "Lucy in the Sky", Hard Rock", "Seastone", "Pixie Park" and "Love in Idleness".

Say it with me now, Ahhhhh......

These are, perhaps, the most deceptively easy socks I have even knit. They are Gothic Spire from Cookie A. If you out there are holding on to this pattern at home but thinking they look too complicated (this means you blogless Coreena)I urge you to go ahead and give them a try, the pattern repeats around the leg and the wraps are explained nicely. A solid colour is definitely needed to show the pattern off and I chose Louet Gems in "Cherry Red". I just realized that I have knit a whole lot of red socks lately. Huh, wonder what that means?

Last, these are a pattern from Interweave 25 timeless Socks called "Go with the Flow" that I have seen knit up by my friend Elizaboothy. She liked it enough to knit them twice so I thought I'd give 'em a try. They are stretchy, tall, and pattern simple enough to show off variegated yarn. All good things. These are made using Cherry Tree Hill colourway "Green Mountain Madness".

Phew, that's all for now. See you soon with something other than socks, I'm on a bit of a scarf binge right now and I have four on the needles. Who needs scarves in May you might ask, Calgarians, that's who!

What I did in March

I know, it's been a long time since my last post but I've got a lot of pictures and finished things to make it worth your while.

This is the Entrelac Scarf from the freckles and purls pattern. I found some Silk garden for a rediculously cheap price on boxing day and it turned into this! I wasn't sure who I was knitting it for but the husband claimed it before it was off the needles.

These are some cardigans for very good friends of ours. The smaller is the rocketry kit from Dream in Colour made for newly arrived Henry Aaron. The larger is also a Dream in Colour pattern for the Tulip Cardigan but made up of scraps left over from my babette blanket (Elann Highland Wool) for big sister Ruby. I know what it was like to be three and have a new baby brother foisted onto you. Be strong Ruby.

These are some beauties done in Art Yarns (blue and brown is my favourite colour combo) the pattern "Cable Rib Socks" is from Interweave 25 timeless sock patterns. They are tall and comfy with rib give.

My two explorers off to find new ways of driving mommy crazy....

Stink-butt got an Easy bake oven for Easter from Nana and Grampa. Her favorite is the yellow cake with the chocolate frosting... really mostly the chocolate frosting.

These are my very first pair of knee length socks. I can't wait to find a short skirt to wear with them now that I have uber skinny legs. I used 3 skeins of Koigu and the pattern (Spiral Boot Socks) is from Interweave Summer '07.

These are some Jaywalkers for Daddy in Socks the Rock lightweight "Farmhouse". Boy, this guy loves yellow and I have to fight him for all my sock yarn with any yellow in it! The art work was done by the petite Picasso who lives with me and is entitled : "Me and Daddy with Ketchup and Mustard on his face" Where do they come up with this stuff?

Last, but certainly not least, these are the first kit from the Rockin' Sock club '08. The pattern is called Serendipity and the colourway is "Dragon Dance". Can I gush about this sock club? Not only is the yarn gorgeous but: 1) because they send the colour it makes me knit outside my colour palette. (Which is mostly green and blue)

2)The patterns they send make me knit outside my comfort zone! These have a star toe AND an wrap and turn heel, neither of which I would have attempted on my own.

Whew! That was a lot! I have to post more often so I don't have so much to show at once....

In Like A Lion

March is finally here, after an especially long February, but as we all know in Calgary, we may still have another three to four weeks of winter left. I have to be optimistic about spring though, so here's my first lightweight shawl in awhile. This is "Oyster Bay Shawl" from Ocean Wind Knits done in Mama E laceweight merino.

This shawl is so pretty, it's already flown from my house.

Olive green socks for the husband, to wrap his large paddle feet like comfy canvas. They're called "Embossed Leaf Socks" from Interweave Timeless Socks, knit in Koigu.

These are for me. They are the "RPM Socks" from Knitty. The colour is "Pirate's Booty" in Socks That Rock Lightweight. They're cosy and comfy.

Finding Mates On Valetine's Day

This year, Valentine's found me staring at eight single mismatched socks, and being Valentine's, I felt it only fair to make some mates for these poor lonely souls.

I've had this skein of Socks That Rock "Thistle" for a long time and was looking for a pattern to suit its vibrancy, so I picked up a couple of patterns from Blue Moon Fiber Arts. One called "Central Air Socks" caught my eye. I made them nice and tall (and just barely had enough yarn).

I started off making these "Crusoe Socks" for myself but this pattern from Knitty is more than fishy. After going up a needle size, these socks fit my four year old and were no where near big enough for my miniscule feet. They came out very pretty though and my daughter loves the bright red and purple. I only needed one skein of Koigu for them.

Lastly, I finished these socks just in time to wear them on Valentine's Day. The pattern is "Waving Lace Socks" from Interweave's Favourite Socks Book. The yarn is Lorna's Lace Shepherd Sock "Tickled Pink". Aren't they purdy?

Still Winter In Calgary

So the groundhog was wrong, what else is new?

Here are some recently completed winter essentials:

The scarf is the "Plum Lotus Scarf" from Bad Kitt Designs, worked up in Schaeffer Anne. It's for my aunt, whose birthday is at the end of February. A nice lightweight scarf for the beginning or end of winter.

The purple and green kind of make the plum lotus look like thistles, but that's okay.





With all the -30 C (plus windchill) weather lately, it's fitting that I finally finished the Socks That Rock toques from Interweave Knits Summer 07. Now my whole family can stay warm.

If I Don't Knit, My Football Teams Lose

I need to have the Packers and the Patriots in the Super Bowl and the knitting mojo is proven. That means, this Sunday, I'll be glued to my couch, most likely knitting a sock.

The Australian Open tennis is also going, and while Roger Federer doesn't need my help to win, I can't help but knit while watching great tennis.

Thanks to my genius economical yarn usage, I had enough Dream in Colour yarn leftover from the "Tulip" Baby Cardigan Kit to make a snazzy matching toque. Hopefully, this suits baby Cassandra.

The socks (pictured below with my "special" helper and her friend) are Louet Gems, "Violet" knit up in Cooke A's pattern "Mona Sock".