4th Of July coming up

Happy Happy Hump Day.  Today is like Friday to me because I have a long 4 day weekend.  Tomorrow is the 4th (Happy Independence day USA) and I took Friday off.

I plan on doing lots of knitting!

I finished the Sock Monkey sweater for Antonio, I am not 100% sure if it fits yet, but I hope to try it on him tonight (maybe more pics in the future).

Now on to Camp Loopy!  Project 2 started Monday, July 1 and I cast on during lunch and got 6 or 7 'teeth' done...I was soooo excited!

But then I realized that my 3rd tooth was 'off'.  I kept knitting because I did not think it was that bad, but in the long run, I decided to tink back to the 3rd tooth and retry:

Then, I realized my stitch count was still off but could not find my error...I am a numbers person and I knew this would bother me and I ripped all the way back and have my 2 stitches cast on....I will try again at lunch today!

In other news....my parents got a new dog!  Their last dog passed away on Christmas Eve last year and they did not think they would get another one.....but my sister found a great website for a no kill animal organization and gently pushed them to look and they found Bella!  She is perfect for them.  She is 15 months and is a little rambunctious (did I spell that right?) but she is perfect (that is a little sock monkey toy she has...I just love sock monkeys)!

I also had a great surprise this past weekend.  One of my knitting friends,  was in town from Austin.  We texted over the weekend and went out to an early dinner on Sunday!  It was a great dinner.  Paige had to work so I took Antonio with me.  Judy played "Peek-A-Boo" with him and he ran around the restaurant that, thankfully, was fairly empty.  Thank you Judy for a great dinner, taking pictures and playing with Antonio!  Here is a great picture that Judy took of me and Antonio and one  that we asked the waitress to take of the 3 of us.

There is a giveaway on Facebook for a free yarn tender...these are super cool (I have also seen them used to wrap wine bottles).  You can go to her website to see all about the Yarn Tenders, but before you send her an email with your shipping address, be sure to Like her Facebook Page and send her a screen shot that you did Like her facebook page.....I am anxiously awaiting mine!

Remember my friend, Jo, that made awesome hats, booties, and leg warmers for my two newest grand daughters?  Well her crafty-ness is awesome.  She makes these cool magnetic boards so you can put your patterns on them and a magnet over them so you can follow your pattern perfectly.  I asked her if she could make me a longhorn one and she went one step further....she made a longhorn one that is also motorcycle themed.  I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  It is sooooo awesome!!!!  Thank you Jo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, it seems like my week was busier, but there is really not anything else to report.

I hope everyone has a fabulous 4th of July and a super duper weekend!  Here is a 4th of July Knitting Monster pic I found:

Happy Happy Knitting everyone!

I am embarrassed that it has been almost 2 weeks since I posted

I am embarrassed that it has been almost 2 weeks since I posted....I am so sorry!  But Happy Happy Monday!

I have been crazy busy knitting (hence the non posting).  Last I posted I was in the ditches of tour de sock.  I did not finish sock #2 pair.  I have the legs done on both of them, but I did not make the deadline.  I have decided that I will finish the socks, but the foot will be stockinette instead of the fancy pattern because the fancy pattern is just too much for me on size 2.25 mm (or probably any size for that matter).  So what have I been doing?  Camp loopy of course.  I have one sock done and the other right behind it (about 4 more inches to go).  Here is my first sock completed:

I posted the pattern here right before this post....so please check it out and try it some time.

On tour de sock #3, I took a back seat.  It had stranding, mosaic, and intarsia and I was just not 'feeling' the pattern.  So, the next clue comes out on June 30th.  It will be the pair of socks that requires 500 beads, so wish me luck on that.  In the meantime, I will finish up Camp Loopy and I am also working on the sock monkey sweater for my grandson.....I really need to get moving on this sweater as I am way behind:

My daughter asked me to make her a cardigan.  I will make her this one, called Birch Leaves, but not as long as in the picture using some Knit Picks Shine Worsted I have in colorway Wallaby:

I went on a motorcycle ride this past Saturday with my boyfriend and a group of friends...we just happened to be near comfort so I asked him to stop at Tinsmith's Wife so I could see their new location (they moved next door to where they used to be).  It is big and gorgeous......I think the guys felt like this:

But one of the other gals went in the store with me.  She asked me if I could make a shawl/scarf that they had up as a store display.  I said I would love to make it for her.  So she and her hubby got 6 skeins of Berroco Elements yarn in a gorgeous Cobalt Blue and I will knit her this pattern, called Tauri (it is great when someone else spends the money and you get to go home with the yarn!

Speaking of spending money on yarn.....TLE had wollmeise this past week and I just could not help myself.  So I snagged 5 skeins.  2 in Thriller, 2 in Birkenrinde and 1 Pitahaya (I already have one at home).  I love them all.  I had originally purchased ShiBui yarn in black for my project #2 camp loopy project, but I think I will switch to this wonderful Birkenrinde or Thriller or Birkenrinde or Thriller....argh, I do not know which one yet, but it will be one of those two...any comments or suggestions on which one?

Lastly, I leave you with the cutest grandson on the planet (sucking BBQ sauce off his french fries)!

Happy Happy knitting and Happy Happy Monday!!!!

Free Pattern:

Afterthought Heel Toe Up Self Striping Pattern

Supplies:

100 grams self striping yarn (My friend test knit this in Biscotte & Cie Felix in colorway Loopy Kisses)

Size US#2 (2.75mm) needles (or size necessary to obtain gauge of 8.5 stitches = 1”)

Sizes S (M, L)

Cast on 20 (24, 28) stitches using Judy’s Magic Cast on with 10 (12, 14) stitches on each needle…. After cast on, k all stitches once.

Increases:

Round 1: Needle 1: kfb, knit to last stitch on needle, kfb; Needle 2: kfb, knit to last stitch on needle, kfb

Round 2:       Knit all stitches

Repeat rounds 1 and 2 till toe reaches 48 (56, 64) stitches

Next, increase 8 stitches evenly:  *k5 (6, 7), kfb, repeat from * to end of round.  56 (64, 72) stitches.

Knit in round until sock measures 2 ¼ ” less than desired length.

Now, k28 (32, 36) with waste yarn and then return them to the left hand needle (do not knit to end of round).

Now knit the waste yarn and continue knitting in round until sock is desired height minus cuff height.

Next round, decrease by: *k5 (6, 7) k2tog, repeat from * to end of round.  48 (56, 64) stitches.

Knit in k2, p2 rib for desired length of ribbing.

Bind off (I recommend using the “Sewn Bind Off” method)

Heel:

Using a needle, pick up the right leg of 28 (32, 36) stitches.  Flip the sock around so that the top of the waste yarn is facing you and repeat picking up the stitches.  Using a spare needle, carefully remove the waste yarn to create an opening for the heel.

Work in the round….in the first round, *knit 28 (32, 36) stitches and then pick up and knit two stitches in the gap, repeat from *.  Now total of 60 (68, 76) stitches.

Shape heel as follows:

Round 1:  *k1, ssk, knit to last 3 stitches on needle, k2tog, k1, repeat from * on next needle

Round 2: Knit

Repeat rounds 1 & 2 until 16 (20, 24) stitches remain.

Cut yarn with tail long enough to Kitchener Stitch the heel.

Enjoy!!!

Edited 4/7/2014:

The stitch count after the decreases and before the cuff were incorrect.  I have corrected them.  I also got some great feedback from Jeri on Ravelry.  She makes a great point by saying:

"I have found that most people have a bigger measurement up the leg, where a sock ends, than they do around their foot and ankle. Generally, I use a larger stitch count for the legs vs. the stitch count around the foot."

With this in mind, you could leave out the increases after the toe and knit the foot as 48, (56, 64) stitches.  Then, do the increase after the waste yarn for the heel, and not do a decrease before the cuff.

Thank you to everyone for pointing out my error and for the terrific insight.  This was my first written out sock pattern.  I will probably make another very soon for self striping yarn (because I love self striping yarn) that is a little smaller than this.  I gave my socks to my mother.  She is getting older and has a very large (sometimes swollen) ankle.  This pattern was perfect for her and fit around her ankle for a perfect fit.

Happy Happy Happy Tuesday!  It has been a week and a day since my last post and man have I been busy knitting.

I told you guys I signed up for Tour de Sock?  BIG MISTAKE, HUGE!  (Imagine me saying this like Julia Roberts says to the lady in the store that works on commission after Julia Roberts goes on a huge shopping spree).  I did not really read everything that I was getting my self into....remember all my complaining last week?  Well I am sorry for that.  I did finish the socks and I LOVE them!  I am going to give them to one of my best friends, Darlene, but she does not know it yet.  I barely made the cut off, finishing the socks with about 12 hours to spare.

Now, I started the second sock...it calls for a contrast color and I went with dark grey, but you cannot see the contrast pattern very well.  I am not going to tink it.  I figure I barely have enough time to even finish the socks and with this pair of socks, I will only have one weekend to knit on them, not 2 weekends like the last pair of socks.  The first picture has all the colors I could have used for a contrast color.

Last week I also mentioned about a sock coming up in Tour de Sock that will have 500 beads and that I will use Bussi colorway in Wollmeise Lace....well, now I am trying to decide between the Bussi (red) and the Magnolie Dark (purple).  I think I might go with Purple...the picture does not do it much justice.  The supply list calls for two colors of beads...in the 3rd picture, there are extra colors of beads I have.

The 3rd sock for Tour de Sock calls for 3 colors.  I went to one of my LYS's and got some frolicking feet in a bright green and raspberry pink...then I ordered a dark grey from Handu (a Tour de Sock sponsor).....One I get the dark grey, I will take a picture of them all and post it.

There is also a sock in Tour de Sock that calls for a self striping yarn.  I ordered a gorgeous seagull pattern way from a lady in Australia, her name is Sarah Lambeth and here is her etsy page....she has some awesome things....check her out!!!

Well, that is it so far for my Tour de Sock news....Oh, and I got my Tour de Sock project bag :)

Now, on to WWKIP!  Yup....it was WWKIP last Saturday and the local SNB groups met at a local mall.....it was tons of fun for all of us.  There was Sara from InSkein Yarns with lots of samples of new yarn they have...and Stacie and Steph from the Must Stash Podcast.....if you have never listened to these girls, you have to.  Go here for their blog and podcast...their podcast is also on iTunes.

For WWKIP day there was some knitting, some eatting, some chatting, some petting of yarn and some people just inquiring as to what we were doing.

Lastly, Camp Loopy.....how can I leave Camp Loopy for last?  Well, it just keeps getting pushed to the back because of Tour de Sock.  However, I did find a little bit of time to work on them.  Maybe an inch or two:

I leave you with two pics for the week.....one picture that you would think is my house but it is not....but I thought it was cool....and the second is for the best basketball team in the Western Conference!  I want to say the best basketball team in the world, but I do not want to jinx anything so I will wait for the finals to be over.

Just keep knitting and Happy Happy Tuesday!!!