Road Trip!!

My friends from the Yarn Garden in Charlotte, MI and I had a blast on our road trip to Ft. Wayne, IN.  We visited Simply Sock Yarn Company and Knitting Off Broadway.  My friends are such great enablers!  I stocked up on “sheep” and my husband asked me how many sheep’s worth of yarn did I buy!

I was so excited to go into the Simply Sock Yarn company building that I forgot to take a picture.  We spent quite a while in the store squishing yarn hank after yarn hank.  Here is a sampling of yarn:

Afterwards, we went to lunch at Acme.  Burgers and BBQ – Yum!

Lunch at Acme

After lunch, we drove to Knitting Off Broadway and bought more goodies.  I even bought the needle I required for my 3 color Cashmere cowl project so I could cast-on while we headed back home. Here is a link to the pattern on Ravelry.

Here is a picture of my “enablers”!

My “Enablers” and I –

Left to right: Jean, Susan, Kassie and myself.

On the way back, Kassie suggested we stop off at DeBrand Chocolatiers.  Oh boy was it good.  We had a pecan caramel dessert and we were glad they had water to wash down all the sugar!

Well, it’s time for me to get to some knitting!

Can’t show you….

I am working on a twisted stitch design for top down socks. I started one sock and got half-way done using my standard needle size of 2.25mm. Since the design has a lot of stitches, I increased my stitch count from 64 to 72. HOWEVER….silly me, it “looked” like enough stitches to fit my foot. I bet you can guess what I am going to write next huh?  

Well, the sock doesn’t fit. Since my design is pretty set to use the entire front half of the sock, there really wasn’t any logical way to modify the pattern for additional stitches. Plus, I really liked the design as it was.  So, I started another sock using 2.5mm DPNs. The fabric that is created is less stiff and I’m pleased with it. 

I would show you, but my goal for this year is to submit the design to a magazine and I can’t have any pictures posted online so for now, you will have to wait to see!

Latest sock pattern – Split Butterflies

It’s been a busy month at home with a son having tonsil surgery, him and I having respiratory infections, work, regular home stuff and me designing this latest sock pattern. Whew…..

These socks make me think of spring, which is on it’s way, but not getting here soon enough! I’m eager for fresh air, walks in the warm sun and time outside.

This sock pattern features a non-standard heel flap pattern. It’s basically a ribbing with the center stitches from the design carried down into the heel flap. I love the k2tog and ssk lines that form the “wings” and carefully placed yo’s make the body of the butterfly.

This pattern was test knit by fellow Ravelers and is free on Ravelry for all to enjoy!

Split Butterflies – top view

Split Butterflies – side

Have you ever used these?

Hi there! I am working on another pair of soon-to-be released socks on Ravelry. I needed a better picture for the pattern. So here I am at work in my lunch hour and I don’t have any stitch markers. Hmmm…..

So I decide to get creative and use these!!

So paper clips work for the time being and let me enjoy the relaxing art of knitting at lunchtime.

If any Raveler out there is willing to participate in the Free Pattern Testers group for this sock pattern, here is the link to the thread.