Happy New Year to all!

I finished up 2009 by knitting up a pair of socks done in Briggs & Little Durasport, a blend of 80% wool & 20% nylon. The colour is a most beautiful shade of a dark green & an ivory colour for contrasting toes, heels, & some stripes.

I started these socks with the intention of doing them the Queen Kahuna way (Crazy Toes & Heels fame) then changed to a pattern from 'Folk Socks' by Nancy Bush then to inspiration from 'Simple Socks' by Priscilla A. Gibson-Roberts.

This means I did them toe up with the cast on by Mary Ann Beattie (aka Queen Kahuna), did the increases (incorrectly) then as I was knitting up the foot I was side tracked by 'Simple Socks' (which I was reading while I was knitting) before I did the heel.

'Simple Socks' is a book I got in 2009, I think, and since it was still early in my sock knitting learning curve when I got it, I put it away to concentrate on 'Crazy Toes & Heels' by Mary Ann Beattie.

Anyway, the idea of trying a short row heel interested me & I thought I would give it a try on these. So I did & the first one wasn't so great, so I tried again on the second sock (because I do 2 at a time) & it really pleased me. So then I went back to the first sock, took out the heel & did it over. This time it was good. I like this method - even if just for a change, but I wanted to learn something new.

I don't like doing things the same way all of the time - I need variety in everything. I started with Knit Picks circulars in 2.25mm & when I got to the heel I did one on circs & the other with dpn's.

As I was knitting, I was also reading the socknitter's list where someone introduced me to the 'Fibronacci sequence'. This is a method of planning pleasing stripes. Since I had planned on putting a stripe of ivory near the top of the cuff, I decided to include Fibonacci sequence stripes.

I'm going to wear them today!!!

February Lady Sweater Completed

The February Lady Sweater, which I knit following the directions given at:

http://www.flintknits.com/blog/?cat=61

by Pamela Wynne is finished.

It is the first lacy sweater I have made & the pattern was really easy. I used Cascade 220 & no it is not a superwash wool. I must remember to be careful washing it!! It took 5 skeins & I used 5mm circular needles.

Apparently there are more than 5000 people that have knit with this pattern. That is so impressive Pamela. Thank you to Pam for generously posting the directions.

Lacy sweaters are not the first thing I would knit for myself, but I was drawn to this one.

What new lately? Mitts & hats

and a pair of socks that have been on the needles a few months.

Felted mitts. Thrummed mitts.

People are going to have warm hands this winter.

I've been working on a couple of sweaters too; one for my hubby with a cable going up the sleeve and a lacey one for myself. More on those another day because I'm tired tonight.