Jan
9
Monday I got 2 lbs of dried flower buds in the mail. TWO POUNDS. Do you have any idea how many flowers that is? Or how much volume it takes up? OK, not as much as I expected when I ordered them, but still, about 2 shoe-boxes.
I immediately whipped up these little sachets. Lavender. YUM. I also got Chamomile, another favorite, but doesn’t come close to my love affair with lavender. I suppose I’m going to have to come up with a lot more ideas for dried flowers.
Speaking of ideas, I got the best idea for storing all my knit picks needles – and yes, I just took the plunge and ordered some of the interchangeable circulars. I really dislike their cases though, and I have come up with what I think is going to be a great solution. I’ll show it to you when I’m done. (I know, I know, I’ve been promising the same thing about the sewing room for months now! Someday it will be either clean enough to show you, or I just won’t care that day).
And I got my new yarn for someone’s birthday present. I should take pictures, but that would ruin the surprise. I mean she already KNOWS I am making them, I’m not giving away the entire picture before I gift them. It’s not bad as far as cotton blends go. In fact, it really doesn’t have too much of that sticky cotton feel at all. I might’ve had to trash it if it did. Cuz knitting with that kind of yarn is like fingernails on a chalkboard to me.
I also figured out how to wind centerpull balls. Do I need to get a winder? Is it better than using your fingers? I know my thumb starts to go numb after a while, but no pain, no gain, right? At any rate, centerpull balls is SO much better than using balls or knitting straight from the skein. For one thing, they stay put. Um, well that’s pretty much the only advantage.
So, as usual, I’m way too busy. So busy that I’d like to just crawl back into bed. But I can’t, because I have to go to the dentist now.
Jan
3
Socks!
Filed Under Crafting, Geeking, Knitting | 4 Comments
I did it! I finished my first pair of socks. Well, my first adult sized pair. Two at once is definitely the way to go for big people socks. No second sock syndrome. It didn’t really even take me that long. Maybe a week or so?
Anyway, they are far from perfect. There are so many accidentally picked up stitches that I later had to “decrease out”, so the stitch rows are all a bit off. And the short row heel has a bit of a hole on one side on both socks. I guess I didn’t pick up enough stitches there? Still, I really like them. I’m wearing them right now, in fact. So soft and snuggly on my always cold feet. You can’t see it, but I finished them off with a pretty long 4×3 ribbing on the cuff (cuz I have an odd number of stitches foot size).
And check out the cute little tiny socks I made for a friends (upcoming) baby. I swear they are sooo teeny. I think I cast on a total of 20 stiches – on size 1 needles no less!! I based the size on Alexis’ newborn foot print, so I hope they aren’t too big for the new baby. I can’t stop playing with them. They’re only as long as my index finger (which is small to begin with). I love making them walk and dance. I know, I’m a giant dork. But they’re so cute!
For those of you interested in such things, the yarn is two balls of Knit Picks Felici Arugala and I used two circular needles (also from knit picks). I had plenty left over even after the baby booties.
And, like Susan, I’ve been sucked in once again. After much looking I found a single ball of Regia Cotton Surf 5410. Why does no one have that? I have looked EVERYWHERE, and you know where I finally found it? On Etsy, of course. I hope I don’t hate it. I’m not very fond of cotton yarns, but this one is mostly wool, so I’m hopeful.