Counting is....

Counting is something that, as a math teacher, I should really do well. I usually do it without thinking. My Mitered Baby Blanket is elegant in its constant and finite reduction of stitches. You start with 50 stitches between each marker and work your way down to zero. 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, .... when you get to 36 stitches you are half way done. A lovely sigma function....

As long as you don't drop a stitch.

As long as you don't drop a stitch, right along the miter, and don't notice that your count is off until 30 rows later.

Lets look.


This is my version of surgery.


<----The dropped stitch is strung on that circular

The other needles are holding the other stitches next to where the miter should be.


I could have just sewn in the dropped stitch at the miter. No one would have noticed.

But I like my nice stitch counts.

Dancing Legwarmers

These Legwarmers are a quick knit and the pattern can be adjusted for different yarn weights and needle sizes. Made originally for Barbara, who does a lot of ballroom dancing in a cold barn/garage.






Yarn: 140yds Aran weight, I used Mission Falls 1824 Wool (superwash)
Needles: US 10 Doublepoints
Guage: 3 stitches per inch

TR= knit the second stitch on the left needle, then the first one, then slide them off together.

Pattern:
CO 36 stitches (or any multiple of 3).
Join in the round being careful not to twist.
Rows 1-9: *K2 P1* repeat around
Row 10: *TR, P1* around
Row 11: *K2, P1* around
Row 12: *TR, P1* around

Do K2P1 rib for 8-10 inches then repeat rows 10-12.
K2P1 for 8 more rows.
Bind Off LOOSELY. (The legwarmers will stretch to fit over the leg)

Knit another one and you'll have a cozy pair of legwarmers!

Knee sockin'

I'm using the Noro Sock I bought in Seattle to make a pair of knee socks. I actually started knitting a patterned rib sock but realized that I could make a MUCH longer sock with the amount of yarn in the ball...there is 462 yards here! Crazy! SO I rewound it into a couple balls.

Notice the repeats? Count the bits of purple... there are 3.

Essentially this means either I use a single repeat for each sock to make them 'match', ignore the repeats and have completely screwy socks. OR my choice of working the 2nd sock'backwards' staring from a green section heading towards a purple and maybe, just maybe having the same amounts of the colors on both socks. Being that they are knee socks and I want to wear them with a skirt I don't want them to be too horribly obviously mismatched. Which is an odd thing for me since my socks rarely match... So rarely that my mom bought me 3 pairs of the same coffee cup patterned socks for christmas in the hopes that with 6 socks I could manage to make 1 pair!

Old year DONE! New year begun!

I finished as much as I really needed to! All presents for Christmas day were done, Finished a pair of socks on the plane to Seattle, and finished 2 more pairs while there! Then I knitted a pair for myself!

SO I still have this scarf to finish, and a pair of thick leg warmers to knit, but really I feel I have been quite successful in my holiday knitting.


Seattle was fun, I printed out a list of yarn stores and went to 5 of them... my stash has regrown itself after my holiday stash reduction... but the yarn is SOOOOO nice!

I got some Fleece Artist!

Some Smooshy!

Some yarn for someone who may recognize her signature colors....


and well... this whole stack!

I've done it!

well.. nearly! I'm pretty damn close... I have about an hours worth of work on dad's arm warmers than I'm completely done for the Christmas day stuff! I have also finished 1 of the needed socks for our trip to Seattle.

I'm very proud of myself, and I will be knitting a nice par of socks for ME as soon as all this is over!

knitting along...

So, I'm not done, but I may still make it! The key here is disjointed holiday gatherings. I only need 5 things done for the actual Christmas day. 2 of which are completely finished, 1 that is 75% done, 1 50% done and 1 not started (But is a quick knit and could be abandoned if needed). Then I have rthe trip to Seattle where 6 presents are needed. 2 could be put off until returned home. 2 are finished (stretching a point for a couple little heels....) and 2 are started and each is 25% done. and one gift for sunday which is finished.

So thats 12 presents, 5 finished, 4 started and 3 not yet started.

Wish me luck! I've got to get back to the knitting. If I finish things I'll attempt to take pictures!

Everything Started....

I believe I have started all my major knitting for christmas. I just haven't finished much! There are two pair of socks which haven't been cast on yet. But I've picked the yarn... that counts as starting, right?
Here's the fast picture montage, because I obviously need to get back to knitting! Less than 10 knitting days left!

Here are those stripy socks almost done.


















Here is a binary hat with binary initials. I'm just closing in the top.














OH Shit. Here is the pile of stuff I'm still working on!















No more blogging! I need to knit!