Thursday, May 29, 2014

In and Out Socks

It's a good thing that Cookie A. has published over 100 sock patterns because her designs are all I want to knit right now.



These socks, In and Out, are from her book, Knit.Sock.Love. I used a skein of Plucky Feet yarn in the Flannel colorway. They are mirror images and have some nice detail on the heels. One sock is a shade lighter than the other, which is just something that happens when you use hand dyed wool.






Tuesday, May 27, 2014

Monday, May 26, 2014

May 2014 Bee Blocks

Here is my contribution of two red and white blocks for another charity quilt. The inspiration for the design and one method of making flying geese segments is shown in this link. It will be pretty!


Sunday, May 25, 2014

Yarn Bowls

I made a few yarn bowls after seeing a version online. The pottery ones are pretty but they seem like they would need stability, like a coffee cup. These fabric bowls are soft and will sit comfortably on your lap or on the sofa cushion next to you. 

It took a few tries to get the size I wanted and to keep the top from flaring out. Now I'm happy with my pattern but I don't think I need any more.

 
                   






Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Lissajous Socks


I felt hopeful about these socks at several points along the way but I also felt a nagging, constant unease. The pattern is part of a knit along that I have been participating in for a few months and I liked it more some times than others. I finally decided that the way to like it all the way was to knit it up in a gradient yarn. 

But the yarn was a disappointment from the moment I opened the package. I thought it might look better wound up and then that it might look better knit up but it actually never really did. So the boost the pattern was going to get from the gradient effect did not materialize. Oh, well. Not every pair proves to be a favorite.

Lissajous Socks





Thursday, May 15, 2014

Low Tide


It made me happy to go for a walk today. It was completely flat and under a mile but it was the first real walk I have had for a few weeks. I was done in by a sneeze that sprained my back and regular exercise and routine chores had to all take a major pause while I recovered. 

There were things to be grateful for along the way. I finished reading "I Will Bear Witness", a diary of a Jewish man during the Nazi years in Dresden. So, yeah, my back was killing me but I was well fed and there was no risk of fire bombs or the gestapo. A friend loaned me the book; she also came to visit while I sat on the couch and other friends came as well. Everybody has a back injury story, it seems, and I'm glad I wasn't out on a wilderness kayak trip with diarrhea when it happened or stuck on the kitchen floor for hours with a package of Lorna Doones. 

I was thankful to be retired. I can't imagine having to call in sick for three weeks straight. 

And, boy, Dave just stepped up and did whatever needed to be done. I am lucky to have such a kind man in my life. I could read and knit and play with my phone and laptop and I could almost always sleep, so the days seemed to pass by, one after the other, and now I can go for a walk. 

Monday, May 12, 2014