Happy Halloween!

 

Needle Keepers I Love For Socks

 My favorite is this one that I bought directly from Rollie at Knitting Camp many years ago.

It comes in handy and easy to pop on the double points and keep them contained.

Stitchkeepers by Rollie can be found now at Web's.

Another fave that several Etsy shops sell is this one with snaps.  You just popped your needles, sock and snap shut, containing the needles.

And you can get cute fabrics too!

Episode 49 Socktober 2020 Is Up

Here are some of the things I talk about

And you can watch it on you tube under pjknits

by clicking here

Mail Call

Minis in the Peanuts Great Pumpkin Color ways from Molly Klein/Sweet Tea Yarns.  I need ideas on what to do with them that is not sock related.  90 yards each.  

Help me?

Socktober Saturday

One week until the end of October and it will be Halloween.  How did that happen?

Which means it will be the end of Socktober and for at least me, it will be full fledge Christmas knitting, but let's don't get ahead of the calendar quite yet!

And, unfortunately, my poor socks for Soctober are well behind where I wanted them to be right now, but I am going to concentrate on them today for Socktober Saturday.

I was wondering what needles you dear readers like to use for knitting your socks?  

Me?  I am a DPN gal!  I've tried the small circular needles, but my hands just do not like those small circumferences these days.

I started out with buying the set of Knitpicks Harmony DPNs and used them for quite a while.  Then, on a knitting weekend, we stopped at a shop in Janesville and I purchased a set of Carbonz DPNs.  I used them quite a lot and they were my preference for a long time, until Susan B Anderson did a series of blogposts on how she knit her socks.  She was using Signature DPNs and of course, I had to try them out.  I am using them quite a bit, 

 but as a PSA I have to warn you that they are truly stiletto tips so be careful or you could be sporting a bandaid on the tips of your fingers!

Friday Knitz

It's a rainy, chilly Friday here in Central Illinois, but that doesn't stop me from knitting via Zoom today.

But, it does require getting some knits out and putting them on, including socks.  The sock pattern is Susan B Anderson's, Smooth Operator Socks and the yarn is from Must Stash in Koi Pond.

The wrap is Scarfy Thing by Hedgehog Fibers, which I knitted years ago, and just now wearing it!

The yarn is from 2 Guys Yarn Company and purchased at Stitches Midwest several years ago.

I love it when I can pull a knit from the archives and get some wear out of it. 

 Puttin on the knitz for this Friday!

Finally Finished Friday

A couple of dishcloths for Comforting Crafts out of stash yarn.

 My Super Simple Summer Sweater by Joji.

Out of Briar Rose Fibers, Fourth of July from my stash.

No, I did not do helical knitting, I just wanted to knit it.

I made a few mods to it, to fit me as always.

After two years, the Harry Potter House Cowl is done and ready for gift giving.  I purchased the yarn at Stitches Midwest in 2018 and immediately cast on.  Then, put it away, where it made it to my list for this month's WIPS to complete for a birthday gift next week.

And finally, I finished Aise from March of 2017.  The yarn came from Espace Tricot, right after I first found their You Tube channel and free patterns.  It is out of a strand of Kidsilk Haze and a strand of Madtosh Prairie, that I do not think you can get any more. This thing is fabulously soft and I am going to get a lot of wear out of it!

Episode 48 - Planning A Knit Wardrobe

Episode 48 is up on You Tube and you can find it

by clicking here 

These are some of the things I talk about

Along with how I want to plan for my knitted wardrobe and where I got the inspiration!

A Beautiful Fall Day

 I know our days of knitting on the riverfront are waning down and so we took advantage of another Tuesday to sit down and enjoy the weather and each other's company.  I love the sights of the riverfront.

And then come home and see my roses still blooming amongst the changes of leaves.  

I had to cut some off and bring them in to enjoy them!  And I think to myself, this is what retired people get to enjoy and then realize I am one of them!

Mail Call

One of my many collections ( my new nice word for vices/no will power/search for the perfect one) besides the perfect tote bag, is the perfect cuppa to go.  When I saw the Grocery Girls were selling these on their new website, well, I had to have one.  

You see, I like having a handle to carry it in and to use while drinking out of it.  (Side note, when going to retreats and staying in hotels, I always take my own ceramic coffee mug)

I'll take it out on the riverfront for knitting on tomorrow and let you know how I like it.

I also ordered a couple of stickers, one for my current water bottle and the other I will hold in reserve for down the road.

In the box, the Girls included this cute progress keeper/stitch marker.  Isn't it the perfect color??

And their calling card/thank you, now is this just adorable??

What a fun mail day this was!

Just A Little Sunday Fun

 When your polish matches your project and bag.

What's In My Socktober Bag?

 Besides my sock project and pattern, I always have some knitting notions picked out especially for my sock knitting.  In my yarnmonster bag, I put them all in one of the outside zip pockets.  When not in this bag, I just put them in the bottom of my Norma bag.

These are some must haves for me. 

A ruler so I can measure my cuff, heel and instep.

A dentist tool I purchased from Amazon years ago or a small steel crochet hook for dropped stitches.

A scissors, I especially like this fold up one.

A small tapestry needle so I can Kitchener the toe if I need to or weave in ends, when I finish.

And in particular for this one, housed in my macaron container, a progress keeper or a coiless safety pin to mark the middle of my heel.

What's in your Socktober Bag?

Socktober Bags

 You all know I am a collector of project bags, right!  Today, I am going to share two of my sock bags with you.

First up is a bag my dear friend, Norma made me years ago to house my sock project, usually for her. 😊 It has always came in handy, because it only housed sock projects and was easy to pick out.  And, I mean the fabric, could it be any cuter? 🧦

And the second one was a gift from my Roomie, a couple of years ago at ZK.  A quick search on the internet, it looks like yarnmonster is still in business.  I especially like these outside zipper vinyl pockets. 

One side houses my notions.

The other side my notecards, with my instructions and yarn label.

These two are my go to sock bags right now, and both house a sock project in them, but then of course that is no surprise to you dear readers, is it?! 🧦

Knitting on the Porch

October style.

I love early mornings on the porch in October.  This is my first October I get to do that guilt free.  

There is so much to see, hear and appreciate as the sun comes up.  A bird or two starting to wake up, a couple of crickets winding down their night and a cuppa to get me started.

But then again, I love the late afternoons of knitting on the porch, the sun is warming, but not too hot.  The cicadas are still making their noise, but not as bad as a month ago.  The birds are starting to head towards their bushes and trees, and cars are coming home from work.  

But not me, I've got my knitting.  🧶 

 

October 1st

 

I love so many things about October!  How about you?

I love that I can start really wearing my sweaters, in fact today I have Pavement on out of Briar Rose Fiber Arts Sea Pearl.  Just because I'm retired doesn't mean I can't be wearing my sweaters.

I have all my Halloween decorations up today (I refuse to decorate for Halloween until the first of October).

It's also Socktober, and I have a sock started just for me out of SBY that was a gift from my roomie.

 I am in full sweater knitting mode, steadily working on my Joji KAL Super Simple Summer Sweater and I am a little further than the last time I posted, at the hem on the back.  I still have a bit of knitting to go on it, the front rib and the two sleeves, and am making myself finish it, even though...

 I am in full knit planning mode for Fall and Winter. Watch for blog posts down the road to come of my planning process and of course, the You Tube podcast is going to be all about the sweaters and knits!