Thursday, February 7, 2008

My Mom's Sercret Gift

I'm working on a Tuscany Shawl for my Mom. Lace and I had a very difficult beginning, I attempted to knit a very complicated piece of lace very early in my knitting career. It was too much too soon and I didn't know how to correct my mistakes without ripping the entire project (so very frustrating and tear-inducing). So needless to say I have gathered a few more knitting skills and decided that I would give it another try. I knew that I wanted to start with something easy that had a purl row between every lace row. I found just that in Amy Singer's No Sheep for You book, which ItShe gave me as a birthday present last year.

The pattern is straight forward and since you add a stitch on each side every row progress is made every row (which is nice). Here is a picture of the lace pattern up close:

Here is a picture of the shawl at 5 1/2 repeats (I have about 8 1/2 done right now)

I decided to knit this with Handmaiden Sea Silk (not the Silken that was called for in the pattern) in color Capri and I'm knitting this on Addi Turbo Lace Needles size 5 in a 32" length.

There is progress being made in my knitting and school work (which is good).

Tuesday, February 5, 2008

Rockin' Sock Club First Installment

WARNING THERE ARE PICTURES OF THE 1st INSTALLMENT OF THE ROCKIN' SOCK CLUB FOR 2008.




My very first Rockin' Sock Club installment has arrived and I must say I love it! I have a passion for the color red and after reading that Tina was overexposed to red as a child (and as a result doesn't really love it, hence the reason there isn't a lot of just red colorways in Blue Moon yarn) I'm even more excited and honored that she did different shades of red. I love red, my alma mater's colors were Scarlet and White, GO BU! So I was very excited to see the shades of red.

The colorway is called Dragon Dance and it's inspired by the red of Chinese New Year. The patter is called Serendipity by Adrienne Fong and it looks lovely, a little lace pattern and an interesting heel. I also ordered the binder which came with notes from the Dyer, a Sock Gauge Diary, a sock journal, how to measure your feet, a work area and a log of family and friends and their foot measurements. Of course the package also came with 2 buttons, a sticker, and the ever so cute and smile-inducing emergency sock yarn skein.

I'm so glad and very excited to be a part of the club even though I'm not casting on, I think I will try and wait till school is over and keeping the installments until I'm done will be a nice reward for me in the end. Let's keep our fingers crossed that I can resist.

Thank You Blue Moon, I love it!!!