Learn to Knit Socks!

**CLASS FULL**

Do you know how to cast on and do the knit stitch?  Have you always wondered or wanted to learn to knit socks?

Here is your chance! 

I will be teaching a top down (meaning knitting from the cuff to the toe) using double pointed needles (those five short sticks you may have seen knitters using - don't worry, it's fun I promise), sock class here in Calgary!  

Details:

We will be meeting Monday nights from 7-9pm in a central location May 30th, June 6th and June 20th (the break in between the last two classes will give everyone a chance to get some knitting done so the last class we can work on the toe!)

Cost:

$40 Please send an e-transfer prior to the class start, or bring cash with you to the first meet up.

What to bring:

Fingering weight/sock weight yarn and double pointed needles.  Many knitters find they use between a 2.25mm and a 2.5mm.  You will also need to bring a stitch marker.  I will bring the pattern for everyone.  

If you are interested, please leave me a note below and I can provide you the details of where we will be meeting!

Exciting Knitting Announcement!

This blog has lately been filled with a lot of running.  Fairly enough since training for a marathon is an almost full time consuming passion.  HOWEVER, I do still find some time to fit in some stitches.

When my youngest daughter potty trained, I quickly changed her diaper basket into a knitting basket, and it sits nicely at the end of our couch.  One project started, another one joined it, (and another), and quickly it was near overflowing.  I've been working hard to empty the basket (mostly because I really want to cast on a pair of socks).

My eldest daughter turned 8 a week ago, and I ordered some special yarn from the US to make her a ballet shrug.  More often than not she would be cold at ballet class during the winter so this seemed like a great solution.  The pattern search however was not.  Knitting patterns are not cheap, and lately pattern price seems to have taken another leap.  Some costing anywhere from $6-$10.  I don't mind spending the money if I know I will use the pattern more than once, but likely for a kids pattern like a shrug, I won't.  A little daunted, I set about altering this adult pattern.  One I have knit for myself.  Calculations set, I cast on, and.... it worked!  It fits her like a charm, and I even had enough yarn to make the arms full length and with thumb holes (because who doesn't love thumb holes?)

One down in the basket.

Next in the basket was a capelet for my Mom.  I started this project for her 60th birthday.... two years ago.  Gosh wow seriously.  I was having knitting guilt everytime I passed out a finished project and it wasn't hers.  That included Christmas gifts, birthday gifts.  It was becoming a knitterly heavy burden.  Ballet shrug done, I picked that capelet back up, and cast it off this past weekend. It's beautiful, but I am glad to not see another p5tog for a while (that means purling 5 stitches together.  A feat that my needles are not very fond of).

Finally (and here comes the annoucement), is my icelandic sweater.  I finished up the arms this past weekend and have joined the arms to the body, so only have the yoke to go.  I'm excited to be entering it into the Western Showcase.  Every year at the Calgary Stampede,there is an art showcase tucked away in the corner of one of the buildings, wonderfully placed by the wine pavillion.  There are paintings, quilts, cakes, and oh yes, knitting and crochet.  Two (?) years ago I entered in two of my knits.  I loved seeing them on display and even won a ribbon.  The icelandic sweater is pretty unique in that the yarn is actually from iceland, as is the pattern, and I made a number of alterations on it to have a proper fit.  When I realized a couple of weeks ago I could have it completed to submit, I became determined to get it done.  I checked the brochure this morning and I have about a month left to get er done.

Once the sweater is complete, I will have a cowl left in my basket, and then SOCKS.  That should correspond nicely to the start of summer, where knitting socks is a wonderful light project.

What do you have in your basket right now?

A week in phone photos

After my short long run of 14K this past weekend, I met up with a good friend for lunch (er breakfast because the kind cafe was willing to make me french toast).  Such a tasty way to end a run.  And check out that mochachino!

I expected french toast but got so much more.  All that fruit was delicious!

Once home my middle dressed up in all my running clothes (including my compression socks).

Not to be unincluded, my littlest found my new runners and got in on the dress up action.

I started the sleeves to my Icelandic sweater.  I did the cuffs seperately on double pointed needles, then once past the colorwork joined them for two at a time on two circulars.

Our Golden Retriever affectionately called Red (or Clifford, or Cliff, or with his middle name Clifford Rufus).  He requires so much more than a caption.  He hasn't been well and we are preparing to say goodbye.

A swap!  A Rav member sent me a message about a skein I was willing to part with.  She made me these two awesome bags as an exchange.  I've already put my sweater sleeves into one of them!

I retired these shoes this week.  They ran a total of 403K.  Wow!

What's on your phone this past week?

Knitting an Icelandic Sweater

This past July/August, my parents went on a trip to Iceland to celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary (wow!) as well as my Dad's Retirement (yes!).  We always miss them alot when they travel.  I look forward to their trips with dread.  My parents not only help alot with my kids, but I talk to them (or text) them, sometimes multiple times a day.  When they are away, I really notice the silence.

As I write this they are currently off again visiting a warm weather destination.  The silence is filled with comfort this time as I've cast on an Icelandic sweater kit they brought me home as a birthday gift from their trip last Summer.

The yarn itself is Icelandic, Lettlopi, comparable a bit to Cascade 220.  The original kit colours had the main colour as black which my Mom switched out to an awesome yellow/lime green (pictured on the left).  She switched out a couple other colours for me as well.

The sweater is knit from the bottom up, and has been an interesting project in sweater shaping and sizing.  I cast on for the womans small size, decreased to just above a childs 8-10, then back up again to somewhere between that and a 10-12.  My arms are crazy long, so in order to acheive the right length I think I have to knit the men's large.  Ha ha.  Other than the bottom which had some colourwork it has been round and round stockinette.  I think it's all the math calculation which has me working on this so fiercely.  I keep wondering "will this actually fit?" and have tried it on twice just to be sure.

I'm currently sitting at 37cm and have to get to 42 in the body before I switch to the arms.  This sweater saves the best for last.  All that awesome colorwork is waiting for me.  Must knit faster!

Out of some stockinette boredom today I skeined 4 of the darker balls to give them a pre-wash.  I also added some conditioner into the mix to see how much it would soften up the yarn.  Amazingly the yarn hardly lost any dye at all, but I'm still glad I checked.  It would be alot of work to knit this all up then have the dark colours bleed.

I'll keep posting progress photos as I go along!

'Stache with Stash!

I recently did some stash busting, to create this adorable 'stache for my eldest daughter.

We had a week of incredible cold (temps in the negative teens), and she asked to wear her scarf to school.  A fleece scarf that came free with her snowsuit, when I think she was 2.  A knitting Mom can do better than that!  Plus she was using it as a balaclava and was always having to ask someone to tie it behind her head.

I turned to an online group of friends on Ravelry who suggested Incognito.  Seriously, how fun!

This knits up in no time flat, and there are about six possible 'staches to choose from.

I first knit poirot, which unfortunately was too wide and narrow and didn't look like a moustache at all when my daughter wore it.

This one is just perfect and was an alternate moustache a Ravelry user created.

Bonus is I didn't have to buy any yarn for this project.  All stash I had tucked away.  The pink and purple are Cascade 220 and from a ballet bag I knit for my daughter 4 years ago.  The 'stache is created from a hat I made for her I believe when she was 2!

The weather has warmed up, but we are all ready for the cold when it hits again now :)

Ain't Noyone Have Time for That!

Laundry.  The bane of my existance.  I manage to get laundry washed, but folded and put away is a whole different gamat.  And that being with not having to wash my hubby's stuff, and having help from my big two to get theirs put away.  It just seems never ending.  (Especially after 13 days of sickness, but who is counting).

Regular laundry aside, I've had a basket of handknits sitting in our bathroom for the past two months.

I came clean (ha!) about it yesterday to a friend who chuckled at me.  I haven't been knitting, because I haven't been washing.  And if I'm not finding the time to wash the handknits, then why am I knitting?  It's a bad circle of thought for a knitter to be caught in.

After confessing to my friend, I confessed a little bit broader.  Here was my IG post.

The feedback I got was really lovely.  That these handknits represent alot of love.  That they are precious.  Wash them a bit at a time.  Make a 'pattern' so I don't need to measure each time.  Buy superwash.

I woke up this morning to find a class of my sons had been cancelled, and all of a sudden we had a whole day layed out before us without plans.  It was 8 am and I set to work.  I brought down the entire basket, and am proud to say, in 45 minutes I had washed all but one shawl and a hat, and covered almost my entire bedroom floor in clean handknits.

I used two sinks, a number of times, and I gave up on the wires, the blocking mats (I wouldn't have had enough), and I gave up on the measuring tape.  I washed, I hung, I layed them out scrunching when necessary, and tugging when needed.  I just hope they all will still fit - ha ha!

It feels really good to have this done, and now I am going to do my best to stay on top of it.

And you know what else?  Today is #iloveyarnday.  How appropriate!  I hope to find some time today to pick up those needles and set to work.

Thanks for all the encouragement friends!  I needed that gentle push.

Goldilocks Tunic

For my daughters second birthday, I dug deep into my yarn stash, and found some Shibui Knits Kiwi yarn.  It was originally destined to be a shawl (to be honest half is knit into a shawl), but that project was never going to see completion.  So I took the remaning skeins, and though bright, thought they would look great on her.

The Goldilocks pattern has just under a medium difficulty rating on Ravelry, and I would agree.  The pattern is quite confusing at the beginning, and only offers initial help in getting started.  After a little bit, I soon started to figure it out and find a rhthym, but I wouldn't recommend it to a knitter just starting out on garments, or on faux cabling.  There is still one section under the arm I'm not convinced is done properly, but noyone knows that but me (and maybe you if you can tell from the photos!).

Mods I made:

I knit the dress to 10.5” before doing the mock cables on the bottom.  

After the increase rows on the back I did a row of mock cables. I love the way it turned out.

I also added mock cables on the sleeves. I picked up a total of 50 stitches for each arm.

I'm a love gifter.  As most craft people would say (I assume), that one way they show love is by giving of their handicrafts.  I would never have thought that one of my kids would end up potentially (because I'm not giving up hope!), not being knit-worthy.  

I finished up that knit, lovingly tucked it into a gift bag, and waited for the moment she would open it, envisioning her asking to wear it right then.  And it sort of worked like that.  She opened it, tried to put it back in the bag, I encouraged her to put it on, she did.  For a mere second or two.  Then tried to rip it off.

Oh the craft heart broke a bit.  My eldest tried to reason with her.  We went on a bike ride instead in the clothes the little actually wanted to wear.  I tried the next day.  She would throw the tunic across the room.  I'm as stubborn as she is.  So I emptied all her drawers leaving only the tunic, and a choice of leggings.  (Crazy, perhaps, but determined).

She went to her dresser, opened the drawer.  Closed it.  Opened the next "nothin there!" she said.  Open, close, open close.  Then the tears started.  She left the room diaper clad.  Tried to put on her sisters clothes.  I put that tunic on her.  Showed her how nice it was.  We praised her all day long about that dress.

I got some good photos.  Not sure if she will ever wear it again.  But it was worn for one glorious day.

I had plans to knit her sweaters for the Fall, but I think I might need to stick to hats.  Hats seem safe.

Happily Ever After Mitts

I didn't realize how fitting the pattern name of  these mitts would be to the owner!

My eldest turned 7 on Monday, and Sunday night found me frantically tucked away in our bedroom finishing up some fingerless mitts for her.

When she entered Grade 1, I knit her this hat - Happily Ever After by Susan Anderson using Studio Avenue Six Bellwater Sock yarn in the colorway Cheshire.  If I recall correctly I received it in a yarn kit, and it was perfect for my girl who loves purple and pink.  The hat only used a portion of the skein, so I figured accessories to match with the rest she would just love.

And she did!

From the moment she unwrapped the mitts, they only occasionally came off.  She wore them at breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

She wore them to the play center (she skipped school on her birthday).

She even wore them to bed.  On her birthday, and last night.

And they are being worn to school today.

These mitts are LOVED.

And I'm so so pleased :)

Charity Knitting?

Alright all you knitters out there who lurk this blog - yesterday I came across two articles involving charity knitting.  They are both so great that I want to share them with you here, and if you have the time and resources, a gentle nudge to do some knitting!

Here's the first.  I came across it posted by another knitter and runner on Ravelry.  After the tragic bombings in Boston last year, the church near the finish line is collecting scarves to wrap around the necks of those who cross the finish line.  They are encouraging the scarves be knit in the colours of the marathon - blue and yellow.  Read more about it here.

And the second, a chance to knit for some little penguins!  A girlfriend linked this to me on Facebook this morning.  It would be a great way to use up scraps.  Read about the Penguin knits here.

Unfortunately with the Boston run coming up so soon, I don't have the time to get a scarf knit and mailed down.  I wish I would have known about that one sooner as it combines two of my passions.  I will be looking to see all those scarves on the runners come April :)  Extra special I read that the marathon is being run on Easter Monday.  The year I ran it it was also on Easter Monday.  Made me smile and think about alot of great memories of that day.

Now the penguin sweater.  That I think I can do!  Want to join me in a little penguin charity knit?

March 8 Edit - sadly I have heard the sweater knitting for the penguins is an old story, and they no longer need them :(

Knit Parade - Heather Hoodie Vest

This was my January project for my knit group, but I actually started this sweater/vest back in 2013 (the Spring or Summer I believe).  Maybe I knew this project would end up languishing for awhile, which is why I never set a start date.

Most other Ravellers have knit it in a short amount of time, which is no surprise given it is knit with bulky yarn on big needles.  It should fly off fast!

I made a couple of mods on this project, the first knitting the body one inch longer than the pattern called for.  The second was the hood.  As other knitters had commented, the hood as per pattern would be quite huge.  I knit it to ten inches before beginning the decreases.  I also found a standard bind off to be quite tight to comfortably pull it over your head, so around the top of the hood I used an elastic bind off.

I love this hoodie and have already worn it alot.  A great layering piece for the temps we see here late winter, Spring, and Fall.

Yarn:  Cascade Eco colorway 8010
Pattern Link:  Heather Hoodie Vest

Ravellenics Knitting

When my eldest turned 3, I knit her a birthday dress.  She coined it her "party dress", and has worn it to every birthday party she has attended, since the age of 3.  She will be 7 in May.  Thankfully the dress was meant to be worn for that long, going from dress to tunic, but it has had alot of love, and a new dress needed to be knit.

Brand new Birthday dress.  Age 3.

Wearing her birthday dress.  Age 6.

We picked out her favorite colours, pink and purple (do 5-7 year old girls ever love a colour other than pink and purple?), and a super cute pattern.  Check it out! (Image taken from designers page on Ravelry).

Still working on my monthly knitting challenges, this dress became the challenge for February.  I decided it was my #1, which was to knit something from my Favorite listings on Ravelry.  I added this one to that list back in June.  However, February also brings the Olympics, and with it Ravellenics.  Ravellenics in short, is a knitterly "competition" with oneself, to knit as many objects as you wish, during the Olympics, with "medals" given out by "Bobicus Maximus" (a cute dog image on Ravelry.  Not sure if he is an actual dog in real life).   So how do I fit in knitting for the Olympics, and also work on Grace's dress.  The only solution was to do the crazy, and try to knit her dress, start to finish, during the Olympics!

A few days before, I set about winding the balls of yarn into skeins, washing them to make sure there would be no dye transfer, drying them, then rewinding them into cakes (not the edible kind.  Cakes of yarn.  Knitting can be so deceiving).  

I've gotten through the body of the dress (a little concerned it will be too short, but hoping I can fix that by blocking), the seed stitch waistband (so sweet), and now onto inches and inches of plain stockinette.  Just over a week left in the Olympics, and I must say I'm feeling a bit like this may have been biting off more than I can chew.  But I'm giving it my best shot.  Here's where I'm at as of this moment:

I have about another 7 inches to knit straight, before I start on the edging.  

Big thanks for this post go out to my inlaws, who have taken the big two on a shopping trip, while the littlest naps, after also bringing me a Venti Caramel Macchiato.  They are here until Monday, and with their help with the kids, I may just be able to pull this off!

Monday Night Knits

My eldest takes ballet on Monday nights.  It's become my quiet time to knit and drink a latte, while I wait for her to finish her 45 minute class.

It's a great little getaway from my usual busyness with the three kids.  The highlight is always being able to drink my latte with no lid (& still hot!)

It's a short school week this week, and as a bonus, my daughter has been assigned no homework (I think we are equally pleased about this).  I had all my knitting packed, and was about to head out with G, when my hubby suggested that I keep her out late, and take her for a drink.  At first, after dropping her off, I headed out the door to cross the street to my "watering hole".  And I stopped.  He's right.  That would be fun.  So in I went, found a bench, and worked on my knitting outside of G's class.

My daughter shares the love of sitting in a coffee shop, so she was pleased as punch I invited her to join me on my Monday night "escape".

We sat and people watched, visited, she opened up and told me stories of school, dance, and bus stops, as she spooned whip cream, and I sipped my latte.

I'm glad my hubby suggested I share my Monday night :)