Changing It Up

Most of the hats I've been making for The Preemie Project lately have been simple and basic (like the blue one and the multi-color one). That's because I can finish these quickly and therefore have more to donate. Sometimes though, I need a change of pace, so I searched my patterns and made the pink one that was designed by Libby. It's still a quick hat to knit and it turns out so cute! I need to make this one more often.

Pattern: Mock Rib and Eyelet Preemie Hat
Yarn: Bernat Softee Baby
Needles: US 5 DPNS
Size: I used the instructions for the Large Preemie size, but mine ended up one size smaller--Circumference 10"-11" for a 3-5 pound baby

New Knit-Along

Some of you may have noticed a new button on my blog. It's for The Lucy Ladybug Knit-Along, a charity knit-along that provides burial clothing to hospitals in Utah in memory of "LucyBug". Check out this worthy cause and consider joining. There are no deadlines and items can be knitted, crocheted or sewn. While you're there be sure to read the poem called The Incredible Feats of Lucy. I know it will touch your heart as it did mine. Though most of the bereavement outfits I make will be donated to The Preemie Project, it is my goal to knit one outfit a month for this charity. This month I have two tiny buntings to donate.


All the pattern details are posted on The Lucy Ladybug Knit-Along Weblog.
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Sock Fever

Hobby Lobby was having a sale on their books and I picked up several. Judging from the titles (The Sock Journal, The Sock Calendar, Sock Hop, Christmas Stockings, The Knitting Stitch Bible), I think it's safe to say I've officially come down with sock fever. I'd been warned that sock knitting was addictive. How true! I'm tempted to cast on a pair right now, but I'll show some discipline and knit some other things first. Right now I'm working on some baby items (also addicting) and there is a lace shawl I'd like to cast on too. Soon there will be socks on the needles though. I can feel it. And now the action photo of the last pair I knitted. Remember I said I was going to get John to help me with the picture? Well, he was willing, but I decided not to interrupt his fishing. He has addictions too!

On the Pier
Baffin Bay
Loyola Beach, Texas

The Curtain Closes

This picture was taken on Baffin Bay in Loyola Beach, Texas. We were in the area to attend the UIL Region One-Act Play Contest that my son, Matt was in. He played the role of Henry David Thoreau in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. You couldn't have asked for a better performance from the whole cast. And, I have to say I think it was Matt's finest performance ever. He had me crying during the flogging scene and the also the scene where he recounts the death of his brother. This is the third time I've seen this play, but it still got to me. I think it touched everyone. After all the schools had performed, we felt Needville had a good shot at advancing to the state competition, but the judge chose two other plays instead. Needville was selected to be the alternate play, which means if one of the other schools cannot compete, Needville will take their place. This rarely happens though. I'm not sure it's ever happened at the state level. In happier news, three actors from our play were chosen for awards. Matt was one of them, receiving a medal for All-Star Cast. Congratulations son, you are amazing! I'm really hoping that an encore performance can be scheduled for our community. I would love to see this play again. It's that good!

Sock Collection

There's a new pair of socks in my collection! Finished in only five days. That's a record for me. I find it difficult to take pictures of socks on my own feet, so this time I'm going to wait until I can get John to help me. Check back in a few days for the action photos. Now, back to knitting for the little babies.

Back To Basics

I almost called this post Believe It Or Not, because I'm sure you're surprised to see a finished sock here so soon. I'm a little surprised myself. I've been dying to try out my new sock yarn from Sugar Bunny Boulevard, so on Friday I knitted a swatch, chose a pattern and cast on. I decided a basic ribbed sock was all that was needed to show off the pretty colors in this yarn. The first pattern I chose is not the one I ended up with though. Evidently I'm not good at measuring my gauge, even with the aid of my new Gauge Wizard. I had gauge at 6 1/2 stitches per inch on size US 2 needles (or so I thought). That was perfect for the pattern I wanted to use, so I cast on 60 stitches and began to knit. The cuff was huge! I knew something was wrong. I switched to a pattern I've used before from the 2004 issue of Knit It! magazine. It uses a cast on of 56 stitches and this was just perfect. It seems I was knitting at a gauge of 7 stiches per inch instead of 6 1/2. Not off by much, but it makes a big difference with socks. The cuff of this sock is a 1x1 rib, then the ribbing switches to k3, p1. I decided to carry the pattern down the top of the foot which is like the sock I wanted to make in the first place. I really enjoyed knitting this basic sock. It doesn't require a lot of concentration, so I can watch a baseball game and knit at the same time (very important this time of year). And, it works up quickly. Maybe I'll have a new pair of socks by the end of the week...maybe.

Yarn: Hand Painted 100% Merino Sock Yarn
Color: Moccasin
Purchased from Sugar Bunny Boulevard

Yarn Shopping in Georgia

Part of the fun of traveling is checking out the yarn shops in the area. For this trip we were staying in Duluth, Georgia just outside of Atlanta. I consulted my Travel Guide and learned that there were a couple of shops in Duluth to check out. I stopped in at The Needlework House which was closest to our hotel. It was a great shop for embroidery supplies, but no yarn. The owner said she could order yarn for me, but no longer had any in the store. When I explained that I was visiting from out of town, she said Yarn Garden Knit Shop in Lawrenceville had a lot of yarn. It was only a short drive away and was just what I was looking for. I wish I could remember the names of the daughter and mother that own the shop. They were so friendly and welcoming! I learned that they have formed a group through their shop called Knitting For Others and that they regularly donate preemie items to local hospitals. Now that's my kind of shop! They have a great selection of yarn too. Here's what I bought.

Andes 100% Wool in a pretty color. I'll probably use this for a scarf. A Gauge Wizard with a magnifier that makes it easier to count those tiny stitches in socks and things like that. And, a rosewood crochet hook that was marked down 60%. I love things made of wood. I'm not a crocheter, but I can use it to pick up dropped stitches, also non-metal is great for air travel.

Historic downtown Lawrenceville was such a pretty place. If I hadn't been so tired I would have explored all the little shops. I saw several antique stores that interested me, but I decided to head back to the hotel to rest instead. I never got around to checking out the other shop in Duluth. It sounded like it was more of a quilting store that carried some yarn. Maybe I'll stop by next time. I'll definitely go back to Yarn Garden though!

There was knitting accomplished on this trip too.

I still need to finish up a few things. The hats are all variations of this pattern and the booties are versions of this one.

I enjoy knitting while traveling by plane. Preemie hats and booties are perfect for one to two hour flights. When I fly, I'm careful not to carry on metal needles or sharp scissors. I've carried on cheap blunt tipped kid's scissors before and they were allowed, but it slowed me down a little because they had to check my bag when a metal object showed up on the screen. I avoid this now by using the little cutter on a pack of dental floss to break the yarn. This is all I really need for the short time I'm in the air. I pack the blunt tipped scissors in my checked baggage to have later. I never travel with my good scissors, because knowing me, I would forget to move them to my suitcase and then I would have to surrender them.

On this trip I was chosen randomly for a search of my carry on items. The first thing the security agent saw when he opened my purse was a ball of yarn and then under that a toohbrush holder of wooden DPNS. He called them "pixie sticks", gave me the okay and sent me on my way. What else would you expect to find in the purse of a knitter?

Braves Baseball

You probably didn't know that I'm a huge baseball fan. My favorite team is the Atlanta Braves. So when John had to go to Atlanta for a meeting this week, I tagged along and we were able to attend the Braves home opener. We had great seats!

It was my first time at Turner Field and I took in the sights. I love the Coke bottle.

Look close and you can see it's a collage of all kinds of baseball gear--bats, jerseys, catcher's mitts and more. At night it is lighted from the inside. When the Braves hit a homerun, the lights flash all different colors and fireworks shoot from the top of the bottle. We saw this happen a couple of times. The first time was when Andruw Jones blasted one out of the park.

It's very impressive to see all the championship pennants. The Braves have had a good run. I'm hoping they can add another one this year, though I'm not sure how they will squeeze it in.

Fans were showing their team spirit. This guy stood out in the crowd because of his beard, but notice the tomahawk on his glasses and the tomahawk earrings.

It was a fun night and a good game. Braves beat the Phillies, 5-3. Here are John and I at the end of the game.

The next day I celebrated by buying yarn. More on that later.

Embossed Leaves Socks

At long last. I have a pair of socks. Not one, but two! I started knitting these socks in early January. I took my time on the first one and then did not cast on the second one until much later. The second sock took only one week to knit, so theoretically I could have made this pair in two weeks instead of three months. If you want to knit these socks, you can find the pattern in the Winter 2005 issue of Interweave Knits. It is a fun pattern and the lace knitting is easy to keep track of. I used the recommended yarn (Koigu), but in a variegated color instead of a solid one. Do yourself a favor and choose a solid color when you make these socks. I think you will be happier with the results. I used what I had on hand and like the way they turned out, but I know the leaves would show up better with a solid color. The only other thing I would change next time is to go down a needle size, because these are a little loose on my foot. I like my socks to fit tighter in the foot and toe than these do. I haven't tried them on with shoes yet, so I don't know how well they will work. But, I have tried them on for pictures, because I know you want to see how they look on.



Sock Update (4/10/06): I've worn these socks with shoes now and they are going to be just fine. In fact, they are possibly the most comfortable socks I've made so far! I think it's the Koigu. All the glowing reports I'd heard about this yarn is the reason I bought it in the first place. But as I was knitting with it, I began to wonder if people had exaggerated a bit. It was nice to knit with, but I didn't notice a huge difference from the last sock yarn I'd used. Now I'm a believer. Koigu is as great as everyone says!

Preemies and Plays

Normally at my house you can always find a preemie hat and a pair of booties already knit and waiting to be sent off to a little baby. So it was ironic on Wednesday night when I learned that my husband's niece had given birth to a preemie and I didn't even have one thing already made to send her. I pulled out the needles right then and started a hat even though it was after 10 pm. I had to (and wanted to) because I knew there would be very little time to spend knitting the next day. I finished the hat before I went to bed. Then yesterday morning I made one little sock before breakfast and the other in the car on the way to the UIL One-Act Play Area Competition.



All Finished and Ready to be Mailed

This is the smallest sized set (for 1-3 lbs). I used this pattern for the hat, but knit a 1 inch ribbing instead of the rolled brim. The socks are made from this pattern (Easy Socks).

The rest of the day was spent watching the play competition. There were six plays in all. At this level of competition, all the plays are good and the competition is tough. As usual, one judge choses two plays to advance to the Region Competition, one level before State. With only one judge, you never really can predict how things will turn out. I'm happy to say that Needville was one of the advancing plays and I have to brag just a little to let you know that my son was chosen as Best Actor for his role as Henry David Thoreau in The Night Thoreau Spent in Jail. What an honor! I am so proud of these kids and what they have accomplished. They will get to do it all over again in two weeks at an even tougher level of competition. Break a leg!



Needville High School Receiving Their Medals



Best Actress: Cuero High School
Best Actor: Needville High School

Progress

Embossed Leaves Sock

Cuff finished. Leg finished. On to the heel.

Preemie Project Donation

I originally made these booties for a baby shower gift, using a pattern from Knits From The Heart by Kristen Spurkland. They ended up smaller than I planned, so there was only one thing to do...

Knit a hat to match and donate it to The Preemie Project. This set will fit a baby that weighs 6-8 pounds. I'll be mailing it today to the Michigan Chapter along with all the other hat sets I made last month and these large sized blankets that I sewed today.

Sock Yarn

Isn't this yarn pretty! It's 100% merino sock yarn that has been hand painted with Wilton food dyes. This colorway is called Moccasin. I bought it from Laura. She has a new Etsy shop called Sugar Bunny Boulevard, just like her blog. Stop by to see what she has for sale. The first day the shop was open, she nearly sold out! She has added a few new items since then and will be adding more soon. When I checked the shop this morning there was still some hand painted sock yarn and a couple of cloth covered tape measures. I'm in love with the tape measures and almost bought one the other day, but decided I better wait. I have a feeling I'll be placing another order later. I'm anxious to start knitting with this yarn, but first I really must finish the Embossed Leaves Socks. So I cast on the second sock...

It's a start.