It has been a while since I’ve updated my site consistently. Renewal of the domain provides a great annual reminder not to let my website and space go to waste! As I’m paying for another year on this website, I’m feeling renewed in using it. …
I found this yarn at Rhinebeck (New York Sheep and Wool Festival) in 2017 and knew they needed to be a shawl all together of various textures. For a while I thought I would have to come up with the pattern on my own. I …
This is a very delayed posting of my Dotted Rays shawl! The shawl was completed in early 2018. Dotted Rays was designed by Westknits. This is all Yarnpimp Yarn dyed by Kelly of Mom Yarn. I LOVE this pattern, I highly recommend knitting it! The …
Whew! I didn’t think I would finish everything in time but in the end the cranked out enough knitting to have Christmas presents on for some of my wonderful family. Keep in mind I also was knitting Aiby’s sweater during this timeframe. I love that my weird family enjoys receiving socks and will wear them until they develop holes!
First up are the JellyRoll socks by Orange Knits!
These were knit using mostly Hookers Corner Yarns with a little Machete Shoppe. This is a wonderful and fun pattern, I can’t wait to make more in a variety of colors and modifications! This whimsical pattern was perfect for my artist sister, Megan, of All Around Style!
Hooker’s Corner Yarn in Feelin’ Lucky, Here Comes the Sun and Sweet Thang. Machete Shoppe Yarn in Bad Banana.
I also did the Confectionary socks by Orange Knits. I love how these color ways play together and it is perfect for my litter sister who LOVES purple! The pattern was challenging for me as to get the polka dot effect, you must pull the yarn super tight for the dotted rows. This irritated my wrist so I only did it six times on each sock rather than 18+ times. The pattern creates extremely beautiful socks but the dot pattern and the twisted rib down the whole sock made for a mentally consuming knit.
Hooker’s Corner yarn in Wisterious and Temptress.
Then there is the Gather shawl by Andrea Mowry. Green and pink are my mother’s favorite colors so I knew Succulent was perfect for her and Tea Party pulled the same bubble gum pink out of the Succulent.
Machete Shoppe yarn in Succulent and Tea Party.
I really like how Andrea writes her patterns, they are relatively easy to follow and to knit while also very beautiful pieces. My favorite is that eyelet border detail on the end.
It looks stunning on my mother!
Last but not least my future Brother in Law got a “Bae Toque” out of The Petite Wool from We Are Knitters.
He almost matches my bae in his Toque! He is from Georgia so I made it Falcons colors for him and he will need the thick wool hat for the Michigan winters.
It was a lot of work to get everything finished in time but I think the gifts were enjoyed by the recipients. I enjoy knitting for other people as well so its a win win win for everyone!!
Next up I’m making my baby brother socks. I think poor Robert might be the only family member without anything I’ve knit before.
Does your family love receiving knitwear too? I have heard of some people who don’t!
Happy Knitting!
Susan
Water and Wool
I did not know there was a curse around knitting your boyfriend a sweater, until after I had knit one and promised my handsome man a warm layer. Not that a “curse” would have stopped me, I’m not terribly superstitious. I just love sharing warm …
As some of you know, my partner and I don’t get the privilege of being together often. We met while he was going to high school in the U.S. while his sister was on a student visa. We fell in love while he was in …
I have done some cable work or other complicated stitches before but the idea of lace work had been intimidating to me. To increase my nervousness, a friend of mine asked me to do Monkey Socks by Cookie A. as a sample for her yarn trunk show in California. While I felt confident in my abilities to knit socks, this would be my first pattern with any type of lace work. I would also do anything to help Machete Shoppe as she is a wondrous human being. Always willing to try something new and be challenged I took home the gorgeous yarn, downloaded the pattern and cast on. It took me a few tries to get out of my normal sock habit of beginning them at the toes and knitting both socks at the same time, although I did do the slight adaptation of the pattern for magic loop method.
Once I got to the actual lace work I did have to frog it a couple of times. I wanted them to be as perfect as I could possibly make them! I have that personality type where I need to please people. It is sometimes a blessing and a curse but almost always feels like a curse.
After I got the hang of the lace pattern it was quite lovely to knit while doing some Netflix binging. I kid you not, I finished them both in 16 days.
Now that they are cast off I am in love with how the lace work turned out. I can’t wait to cast on my next pair of lacy socks. Only problem is that Fall is right around the corner so its time to put energy into winter Holiday gifts.
I also took this opportunity to buy my first pair of sock blockers. Mind you, this is my first time blocking anything! I must say they did look better once they had been blocked. These photos are all post blocking, except for the couple below.
It is either placebo effect or the lighting that makes me think the blocking appears so much nicer.
Regardless, this pattern is a lot of fun to knit, I thought it went extremely quick for size 2 needles and fingering weight yarn. I would recommend this for knitters trying out their first lace pattern. Also a good pattern for lace knitters who want to try socks.
Thanks for perusing 🙂
Susan
Water and Wool
Pattern: Monkey Socks by Cookie A.
Yarn: Peachy King by Machete Shoppe
