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I was really wondering if it was just me in a knitting funk/slump but Christine has reminded me I am not alone in my knitting woe’s. I have been knitting, socks. That is it. No sweaters, no beautiful lacy things. And now it is making me a little sad. I would like to whip out a sweater in a few days but with the warmer weather I am finding the thought rather daunting. And what a let down! Finish a gorgeous, wool beauty & can’t wear it for the next 5 months. But there is hope! I went through all of my pattern binders today, there are 8 of them all categorized, reorganizing & putting new patterns in their neat little page protectors. I found a bit of inspiration in those pages! Duh, summer knits! I am not a big fan of holey items. Many magazines & patterns have turned me off due to their nippley effect. I won’t be shy about it, I don’t want mine showin’ all over the place like that! I am also too lazy to sew liners in them, way too lazy. I have 2 tanks from last summer that need liners sewn in them & yet there they sit in the cupboard behind me just waiting. No thanks!

Then I remembered I have 2 projects on needles that are summery, colorful & things I would actually like to wear this summer. The sweater from Spring/Summer Vogue knits

I do love the fair isle socks but once again, I won’t be able to wear them for the next 4 months until it really cools down. They are a fun knit, though I don’t like the instructions they use for a short row heel with no wrapped stitches, and the colors sure are interesting I am using. Once I have turned the heel & started on the foot I will post a progress picture, I am sure you are all dying to see how scary the colors are turning out!

My color choice is not so tulip-y though. I am using some Palette yarn I had on hand. I am not caring that they are not even close the the suggested colorway, I like the oddball colors. You know, the usual Chauntel thing. I am about halfway through the leg chart and wondering just how ugly they really will be

I guess they are fun enough. They are really fun to knit so the color choices are fine either way!

I am a cheap gardener. I hate to pay for plants when you can divide, take cuttings & conquer! Geraniums are ridiculously easy to take cuttings & root in water. Then when they are a bit more woody looking than the one in the glass on the right, you stick it in the dirt! Around here they can go straight into the ground, you don’t have to pot them first if you don’t want to. They take very little water & love the full sun we get! I have been known to grab a handful of geraniums out of containers around town & stick them in a glass in my car while I am out & about town. Hello?!!? Free plants!!!

I had high hopes for this holiday weekend being a fantastic one. Alas, I am too lazy & way too frustrated with people to venture out with the whole family to a suburbanized campground & just be grumpy.

We have had fun though, knitting, crocheting, bbq’ing, dinner out on the pier, Michaels 50% off coupons, church, Sunday drive, RELAXING, playing games, family movies, marathons on tv. See?? I put it all out there like that & I had a busy weekend!

Speaking of half off coupons, Tracy & I used ours at Michaels today. I love my Good to Go knit tote that I use for all my sock knitting. SO I thought my pal might enjoy one also. I also got 20 cloissone beads & lobster clasps to make her some stitch markers & row markers. For a shawl/lace knitter, which she is, there can be nothing better than receiving 20 stitch markers!!

Hers is all wrapped in the box on the left, I have mine out to show the size & shape of the bag.

I also finished one of the Eagle’s Flight socks that I am making. I do love this pattern. I am using Trekking XXL in color 101 on size 1 dpn’s. Here is a closeup of the stitch detail.

With how perfect the fit is I don’t think I will block these socks. I couldn’t get a good picture of them on, I hate the way the camera angles are all screwed up. So you will just have to wait to see them as a pair!

I didn’t get the SP package sent out because of Memorial Day weekend but I am now rethinking what I am sending. I may send her the knit bag in this package first. She has a trip coming up & I think she could possibly use it! Must repack the box, good thing I ran out of packing tape & didn’t get it sealed shut!

My sp sent me the cutest card! I love knit cards, especially when they say that there will be a package of goodies in the future!

On the other side of sp8 I have a package all ready to send, I just have to get my sorry ass to the post office to send it! That is one of my major faults, not sending things in a timely manner. If it needs a stamp, I got you covered! But don’t ask me to go out of the house to mail something. I hate it. But I will happily do it for my secret pal!!!

It will be called the sunflower package. She loves sunflowers! I made her a really fun kitchen scrubby & am sending the pattern with the yarns & an extra scrubby for her to make one on her own if she wishes. Plus a ton of fun sunflower stationary accoutrements, so cute!

It’s the last Thursday of the month & that means I don’t get to go to knitting this week. sigh. How depressing! But I am glad that George & his guys get together for their thing so I really won’t complain!

I started a sock out of the pink/orange/rust/wannabe-brown yarn last night. I think it needs a name. Let’s call it salmon copper or some such name. How about you leave a comment with a name suggestion if you think of one! It’ll be fun, come on!

Starting toe up I will consider using a fun stitch pattern on this sock. I am thinking of maybe a palm leaf pattern out of the Stitchionary1 book. But until I get the foot increases done I won’t start it anyways.

I keep looking at the Patagonia cotton I bought & want so badly to make something using it but I can’t seem to make my mind up. I am thinking a fitted kimono type sweater. 3/4 sleeves & crossover front. We’ll see. I have no desire to make a sweater right now anyway so that is just fine if I take my time.

I am so happy we get to see the sun! It makes for gorgeous May days!

The actual colors of this one are portrayed in the lower right section of the ball. It’s the only picture that I could get without the red flaring out the photo. Balled up I have decided I do like this yarn!

I found myself with 2 hanks of Knitpicks Color your own sock yarn & it was burning a hole in the basket waiting to be dyed. This morning, first thing after dropping the kids off at school, I dove right into that lovely colored water!

First hank I did yellow & green, with some blue but the yellow took over the blue so now it’s all yellow & green. Not nearly as exciting as I would like but it’s alright. Also it seems that no matter how much you water down these food dyes they still stay super vibrant! I would have liked to go for a more buttery yellow, not so shockingly bright. This is one hank that I am hoping will fade after knitting & washing.

The second hank was my failed attempt at a brown & light red/pink. The brown mix I got in the bowl was great! Then I steamed it & rinsed it. Yeah, all the brown left & now I have a not so lovely dark orange. I think it will grow on me but until then I just look at it with much disappointment.

I loved all the swirly & splattered colors so now you must enjoy them as well!

Here are the hanks drying out in the indirect, windy sunlight

That red isn’t really that color. Its’ more of a faded red, not so vibrant as in the picture. It’s alright I suppose. I will do pics of them in balls & knit swatches once they are dry tonight.

Here is the first 140 yard, worsted weight hank of yarn using 2 ounces of the new Ashland Bay roving.

Both sides. I used one ounce of the hollyberry then went straight into the ounce of cassis. So my plan is to do the rest of the roving in the same way so I get stripes/sections of each color when I knit it up into a sweater. It will be random & oh so fun!

I have been flitting from project to project since I finished the shortnsweet on Saturday. While watching the season finale of 24 (the Chinese?? On a ship to bangkok?? oooooh, I am so excited….) I got quite a bit of a sock done in stockinette. I was knitting so fast! Had the needles been wood & not bryspun I very easily could have started a fire with my cotton sock yarn!  Melissa, when it happens I will videotape it for you, okay??  If Survivorman can do it, well hell, so can knitters!

It came in the mail today, tonight will be an evening of spinning! Yippee!!!

Those are 1 ounce bumps. Cute little guys aren’t they?

I do believe I am going to try to spin up a sport or fingering weight yarn out of these. I tend to spin sockweight but I do think I will try for a little thicker yarn.

I have no clue what I will knit with the yarn but It’s going together in stripes so we’ll just see how it turns out!

Not only is it sunny but I have a finished object too! I am loving how fast the projects from the Happy Hooker are! So nicely written. Here is the finished short cardigan, Short ‘n’ Sweet in coffee bean brown Elann Sonata cotton.

I will do a picture of it at the wedding with my dress but for now that is what you get to see! I do like it, the pattern was easy to follow & the yarn, I love this yarn! It’s the same brand that I used for my Kyoto sweater. It does pill a little but with the lace pattern I won’t have much of that happening! I did leave off the sleeves. I think the cap sleeve effect without the full short sleeves is more of what I am going for.

Total cost for the sweater was $8.91, using 4.5 balls of yarn. I love it! I wanted it to go longer but it didn’t fit well with my dress line longer than it is. So I may just make myself another using the same brand of yarn & make it nice & long to wear with jeans, skirts, etc.

I was so happy to see the sun come out last night before setting that I took some photos to share with all!

And some happy sun on the purple flowering hedge

And just because, a sunny weed