Tea for two and two for tea

And 2 sweaters I've finished that I'll actually let people look at!
The first is Sweetness from www.knitty.com. I knit it out of a mohair/acrylic yarn from Sirdar - Mum found it at an age concern and sent over almost 1500grams. It was super quick and fun to knit and gave me confidence to knit on and make another sweater.
After that, I read my first Elizabeth Zimmerman book (Knitting Without Tears) and started my second sweater with more confidence than practicality. I plugged the numbers into the EZ formula for a yoke sweater and I think I made it just a bit wide - the shoulder part looks kind of funny, too - but that could be due to my using the Wendy Velvet Touch wool I received from MIL-to-be (that's optimistic thinking). Judge for yourself : http://community.webshots.com/album/77714133OuVwgi
Other than that I've only done one pair of socks this summer after finishing up the MIL/Traveler's-Socks/Nightmare-In-Blue (picture of those to come soon). I tried the refootable sock from Socks Socks Socks and I'll be using this method for all of BF's future socks. Loved it!
I was dying to use the Rowan DK new-wool I won off of E-bay and after swatching it with some white merino and blue 3-ply (another age concern snatch!) I decided to use the 3-ply and the merino to make a girl's cardigan. I'm finishing up the arms now and it looks like this particular piece of knitting will be better suited for a small lady (Helen or Mum!) than a youngster. I'm glad it's a small sweater though - knitting with this wool for anything larger could take a lifetime!! I mean I like knitting, but I like finished-objects even better! :)

Mother In-Law Socks

Okay, she's not my mother-in-law yet. Maybe that's why I'm trying to kiss up by knitting socks for her. Even worse, I'm trying to crank a pair out in 2 weeks and I chose the somewhat complicated Traveler's Stockings from Nancy Bush's Knitting On The Road book - your basic in-law nightmare. Tomorrow's the big day and, needless to say, socks won't be finished - I'll just have to show her my progress and make some noises about measuring her feet before I finish the product. Let's hope that comes across as well-meaning and I intend it.
In the meantime, I'm begging to the knitting Gods that my Denise needle set arrives soon and I can start a couple of sweater projects that I've been waiting to do. I definitely don't want to have to seam any more knits than I can help.
Maybe mom's wool will show up soon, too and I can at least start planning a project for it.
Maybe, maybe, maybe!!

Hello World!
This is the first entry into my new knitting blog. Mostly this will be a place to post pictures and hopefully share techniques with other knitters. Case in point- here is link to a picture of my nephew Bobby showing off the socks I sent over this spring. Adorable, simple to knit and extremely rewarding to see on the wearer ;)

Plaid Socks

I spent all summer designing socks for my hearty, umm, out-doorsy neighbor who had helped up so much in the garden of our new house. Nothing was big enough and no heel/toe was strong enough. After much playing around with slip stitch patterns, I incorporated two strands of yarn and created my own two-stranded heels and toes. The plaid effect from the colours was a complete surprise but is now one of my new stand-bys.

Materials: Regia Canadian Color 100g - colorway: 4743 : CC in pattern
Lana Grossa Meilenweit Tweed 2 x 50g - Color: 114 (dark green) : SC in pattern
Needles: 2.5mm Addie Turbo Circs

Ribbing
Cast On 80 stitches with CC and knit 25 rows of 2x2 rib

Leg
Join SC and knit all stitches increasing 1 at end of row -
commence plaid Pattern:
Row 1: with CC - knit 2, slip 1, *knit 4 slip 1* continue until last 3, then knit 2, purl 1 (seam line)
Row 2: with SC - knit all the way around until last stitch, purl 1

Continue in this pattern until leg length is achieved - my socks were 9 inches with 100 rows

Heel
You should now be at the seam of the leg, which will correspond to the middle of the heel. Arrange the stitches so that there are 41 heel stitches and immediately knit 2 tog with SC and alternate CC and SC until end of heel row, ending in SC.

Row 1: Slip 1, Purl Across with SC and CC held together, purl last stitch with SC
Row 2: Slip 1, Knit 1 with SC, Knit 1 with CC alternating to end of row, end with SC

Continue for 30 rows

Round Heel
With both strands held together, purl 21, p2tog, p1 turn
Slip 1, k 3*, slip 1, k1, PSSO, k1, turn
Slip 1, p 4*, p2tog, p1, turn
Continue with these two rows, always increasing 1 at the * (or working until the last stitch before the gap and then starting the 2togs).

You should end up with 22 heel stitches. Pick up and knit 16 stitches from the side of the heel, knitting with double strands for 9 stitches, then drop the SC.
Continue across the foot, keeping in pattern, pick up and knit 16 stitches from other side of heel.
Knit across heel until spot where SC and CC switch, drop CC, p/u SC and knit until last 3 stitches, knit 2tog, k1.
Knit across foot and start next heel row with k1, slip 1, knit 1, PSSO.
Continue in this manner, always switching yarn at side of heel and decreasing every other row until you return to 20 stitches on each needle.

Foot
Knit the foot until desired length, keeping in pattern on the top stitches. Mens size 12 takes 94 rows. Finish with Row 2.

Toe
The toe is knit like Row 2 of the Heel, alternating SC and CC strands to get checkerboard effect. When you need to knit 1 strand twice to keep the effect, use the SC.

Row 1: Alternating strands, K1, Slip 1, Knit 1, PSSO, across top of toe until last 3 stitches, K2tog, K1 - repeat on bottom of toe
Row 2: Knit while alternating strands with every stitch

Knit these 2 rows until 52 stitches are left and then continue with Row 1 until 10 stitches remain.

Kitchener toes closed with both strands together and weave in ends separately. Weave in ends at top of sock and dare the recipient to wear through these bad boys!

Alpaca "Furry Goodness" Scarf

This ribbed scarf is a fairly quick knit. I did it over a weekend in my spare time and had it finished and tassled almost exactly when the snow started to melt on Monday. But Man! was my neck warm :)

Materials: dk weight alpaca, doubled
US #10 needles

Directions:
Cast On 34 stitches
Row 1 and 3: Slip 1, Purl 1, *Knit 2, Purl 2* until end
Row 2 and 4: Slip 1, Knit 1, *Purl 2, Knit 2* until end
Row 5: Slip 1, Purl 1, *Knit 2 Together without slipping sts from needle, then k first st again, drop sts off of needle, Purl 2* until end
Row 6: Slip 1, Knit 1, *Purl 2, Knit 2 Tog as above*until last two stitches, Knit 2

Continue this until 5 feet or desired length.
Then tassle the heck out of it - I did 9 times on each side to be exact