Into the pool

We are having a few days of very warm weather - in the 90s - and I was seriously considering jumping into Cowboy's pool after our walk last night. But he flip flops around so much, I'm not sure there would be room. Plus I'd come out covered in dog hair - not thanks in this weather!

As for other kins of pooling, I was checking out blogs of the many knitters participating in SOS 07 and came across Angeluna who is working on the same pattern as I am. She was commenting on how her yarn was pooling and I had just been contemplating that very same thing! Usually with STR yarn, the pooling is different than what I am experiencing with this pattern. It is pooling up vertically rather than out horizontally. I'm sure it's a result of the gauge and pattern - I'm doing stockinette on my sole and Angeluna is doing the pattern all around - but I did find it interesting. I am making slow progress but I do like the results. I think I may have to keep this pair!

All knitting, all weekend!

I did absolutely no stitching this weekend, not even on my beloved Stitchers Wallet. I was all about knitting and I have some results to show for it!

First off is my Summertime Tunic which I'm pleased to say is at almost 8 inches above the ribbing with only three more to go before I can start the front and back separation. I really like the fabric the Elann Callista is making. It's going to be dense enough that you can't see through it yet it is very light weight and I think will be comfortable to wear during the summer months. I can't wait to get it done! Sorry the photo is lousy but we've lost the light at this point.

And here is my SOS progress - 2 and a half repeats of the Solstice Slip pattern. I really like this pattern and am very pleased with my progress. I plan to focus on both pieces during this week and hopefully I will have a lot more progress to show you soon!

The weather here was heavenly and I went to the beach for the first time this summer. I took both projects and worked on them - it was divine. I tried a new beach not too far from my house and it was easy to find, get parking without having to walk too far and it was not at all crowded. It's at the end of a road so I think you have to know where it is to find it. Now that I do, I'm going to become a regular! Hope you had a great weekend.

HoHoHo, I have a toe!

This

has become this!

I had the day off from work today so I started it off with a cup of coffee and the completion of the toe for my first Solstice Slip sock. I am so in love with this color way - I know I rave on and on about Blue Moon but they are just genius!

I had a lovely day - the weather was awesome, I had lunch with a friend, went to the library, took a nap, watched two good movies while making some progress on my summer tank, and I plan to put in a third movie and wind some more of the yarn for my Summertime Tunic. I hope your Friday was as fabulous as mine!

Summer Solstice - Let the Sock Knitting Begin!

Today is the start date for the Summer of Socks and I'm so happy to be starting a pair of socks. I think I was having withdrawal symptoms! And just in time for today's start, this fabulous package arrived on my doorstep yesterday.

It's my third installment of the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Sock Club and it's so appropriate that I decided it would be my first pair of socks for the KAL. The pattern is called "the Solstice Slip" and the yarn is STR Lightweight in Firebird. It's a heavenly combo of orange, pink and red. I would it into a ball last night and cast on this morning before work.

The pattern can be worked toe up or cuff down and I decided to do toe up to practice my skills. This is going to be another great pattern for expanding my knitting skills! Hopefully I will have some decent progress to show you tomorrow.

Back from the deep end

Real life has taken quite the turn lately so my blogging has been very sporadic. I've been busy working on things but just haven't had the time to take photos and sit down and document my progress.

Here is my latest progress on my Stitcher's Wallet. I didn't get much time to work in it on Friday so I did a bit on Saturday morning. I had to frog a bit on the letter A so part of my time was spent ripping out and redoing. It's nice to be working with more colors than just the blahish browns from the first panel.

Most all of my time this week has been spent working on my Summer Tunic piece. I've spent quite a few hours at the hosptial with a close friend whose cancer has come back. He had not seen a doctor in over 2 years so the cancer has had a lot of time to grow and did. But the doctor has given him a 95% cure prognosis so I'm very hopeful this will be behind him by the end of the summer. He is out of the hospital and may even return to work this week. You can bet he will never again go without seeing a doctor on a regular basis. Many of us had been bugging him to go for about 6 months but for some reason (I think he knew) he just didn't make the appointment - he was too busy. Please encourage anyone in your life - especially men - not to put off seeing a physician at least once a year - even if they are healthy. Early diagnosis is the best treatment hope for any disease but most especially cancer.

I am three inches above the ribbing at this point and have 8 more inches of mindless stockinette work. My goal is to be done with this project by July 1 but I think it might take me a bit longer as Summer of Socks 2007 starts tomorrow and I'm really excited about my first project for this KAL. Stay tuned!

Stitchers Wallet Progress

I'm quite late in posting this progress pic -it's been quite the week. I've completed the first panel and made a start on the second. You may or may not notice but two of the motifs at the right are reversed. I realized after I had stitched about half of the third star motif (from the top down) that I had been looking at the wrong part of the chart. I started to rip it out and then decided to leave it be and just reverse the two bottom star motifs. I don't think it's too bad and it makes the piece uniquely me. This project continues to be a pleasure to work on and hard to put down!

Birdy Progress

I've been back at work most mornings this week on PS Autumn. I've completed the Owl block and have now moved on the the Crow next door!

Sort of Satisfying Sunday

It was quite cool here today - in the mid 50s with a rainy mist and very damp, chilly wind. I decided to go to Portland today as I didn't have the size 3 needles I will need to move to the next part of my Summertime Tunic and I was needing a sushi fix. I had never been to Central Yarn so that's where I went for the needles. Unfortunately, they didn't have any Addi Turbos which is what I'm currently using (my very favorite needles) so I had to buy bamboo. The shop had a great selection of buttons that I will definitely visit again if I ever get a cardigan knit.

It was Old Port Festival and that means lots of families and visitors crowding the streets of the Old Port where the sushi restaurant was. I had a deliteful lunch and then headed to the bead store to look for beads for my tunic. It turns out they had relocated (which I finally discovered, after quite the long walk, was just a block and a half from Central Yarn). I decided since I was in the area, I would track down where Seaport Yarn was located. It was a lot farther (I was walking all this time) than I thought and they are closed on Sundays but now at least I know where to find them!

Here is my progress on my summer tunic. I have about 2.5 inches knit so just two more before I start the ribbing at the waist which is why I need the #3 needles. I'm planning to go to the Maine Fiber Frolic next weekend and if I find the Addi Turbos, I'm going to get those to use instead of the bamboo.

It was also a UFO Sunday with my Friends in Stitches group so I picked up my PS Autumn Winds piece and worked a bit on that this morning. I think the designer is just a genious with color - and the designs use DMC. I think this is going to be really cute when it's done.

I'm off to give my Lotus Tank some attention as it's been neglected this weekend for the summertime tunic. Thanks for stopping by!

Stitchers Wallet SAL Progress

I never got to post a photo of my progress last week on the Stitchers Wallet - I only worked on this Friday evening so there wasn't a whole lot accomplished.

Last night I picked it up again and made some progress. The motif with the round "balls" is one square (two threads) lower than it should be but it was multiple threads so I just left it the way it was. This morning I put in a little more time and started the motif along the bottom. I may work on this a bit more this weekend as it's such a pleasure to work on. But it's also a UFO weekend so I may drag out my PS Autumn Winds and put some time into that. And then there's knitting!

I have very carefully reconstructed my Lotus Tank (IW Knits Summer 2006) - utilizing a lifeline - why I didn't think of using one in attempt 2 or 3 I'll never know - and here is my progress. I've moved beyond the row where I kept getting screwed up so that's a good thing. I hope to put some time into this sitting out on the porch today. I'm also planning to cast on for my Summer Tunic SAL as I got the right gauge after changing my needle size. Lots going on here so stay tuned!