Socks and more socks

My Gelato Socks have been done for a while now:



just in time for some serious cold weather (if you do not live in California, go ahead at laugh at 56F, but I am from Italy and I just do not get why people living in places with snow on the ground do not run someplace else.)


Pattern: my standard toe-up vanilla sock
Yarn: Knit Picks Felici (a yarn is felice, not felici, but this one is so soft that I do not even care at the usually irritating misuse of the Italian language.)
Raverly project page: here.

I have about 5 more pairs of socks on the needles at various stages:







These are the only one that are not my usual toe-up vanilla socks, I am knitting Back to Basicsby Deb Barnhil, that is based on a Cat Bordhi's sockitecture: usually this new sockitectures irritate the hell out of me  (why look at something and think, "there must be a way to make this unreasonably more complicate"), but I am actually enjoying knitting these (the fact that the yarn is really squishy and yummy does help.)

Pixie Hat

Not only this hat is the most adorable hat I have ever knit (with the most adorable baby picture on the pattern)



but it goes like this: I buy two 50gr balls of sock yarn, I knit a pair of socks, with the leftovers I knit this hat, and I still have enough leftovers to make either an iPod Touch Sock or Keychain Sock Blocker Sock.


Pattern: Pixie Hat by Diana Chan Taylor
Yarn: Løve Garn Baby og Hosegarn
Raverly project page: here.

Sun is out.

Pictures coming soon.

Where did the hats go?

I love knitting hats, problem is, I do not wear hats, so I seldom knit them. Or at least that is what I think, but then I made 10 last year and 8 this year. I wonder where they went.



From left to right, Cash Vero Ribbed Hat,Winter Night Crossroad Hat, Serengeti Fetching Hat

Sock Obsession

1. Paton Stretch Vanilla Toe-Up Socks
2. Turner Socks
3. Stroll Socks
4. Gelato Socks
5. Italy Vanilla Socks  

When it comes to socks, I go by KISS (Keep It Simple, Stupid): I need them on the go, to relax, not to give me a headache. If they have complicated charts or a worksheet, I pass.

I knit my sock toe-up with a heel flap, and I have three cheat cards in my purse with all the essential numbers for gauges 7,8, and 9 per inch.

That said, the Stroll Socks are the Gentleman's Shooting Stockings with Fluted Pattern by Nancy Bush, because I am determined to knit my way through Knitting Vintage Socks.

Off the blocking board

While it looks like that things go on the blocking board and stay there forever, they eventually come off:


Pattern: Forest Canopy Shawl by Susan Lawrence
Yarn: Artyarns Ultramerino 4
Ravelry project page: here


Pattern: Icarus Shawl by Miriam L. Felton
Yarn: Newton's Yarn Country Cashmere/Merino 4-ply
Ravelry project page: here

And one more goes on:

More Projects Blocking

Blocking

I finally blocked the Peruvian Baby Silk Pi Shawl that I finished in May:



and so it is done:


Pattern: PI Shawl (July) by Elizabeth Zimmermann
Yarn: Elann Peruvian Baby Silk
Ravelry project page: here

Now blocking the Black Icarus:

Hitching for new projects

Will October be less hectic?

Pattern: Nutkin by Beth LaPensee 
Yarn: Plymouth Yarn Sockin' Sox
Ravelry page here

A Fantastic Knitting Fundraiser for MSF

Catching up

Last time I was around here, I said that I brought seven project with me for my seven weeks summer vacation (plus socks, those does not count exactly like sock yarn does not count as stash.) How did it go?

On the flight to Italy I finished Mr. Pitt's Magic Socks, no photo taken before gifting them to my uncle.

I did not work a stitch on Sahara and I have actually decided it is going to the frog pound: I love the yarn and the color so much that I have decided it should be something that I would wear way more than a form fitting top. Like this one, for example.

I worked a little on my Karabella Cece, and I finished the Katia Jamaica Cardi: no photo of this either because my sister-in-law grabbed even before I could sew the buttons on. I requested pictures but nothing so far.

The Forest Canopy Shawl was finished and now it is no more: it came out quite small, so I decided to add an extra repeat since I had leftover yarn. Turns out, not enough, so I am altering the border a little.
It will join my pile of unblocked shawls soon:



I started Pretty Thing about 3 times and never got the count right, but I finished Icarus (see pile of unblocked shawls) and the Sweetheart Cardigan:



Pattern: Sweetheart Cardigan by Laura Brown
Yarn: Cascade Yarns Arcadia

Ravelry page: here

The niece this was intended to declared, while watching me knitting, that she likes yellow. Well, I have plenty of nieces, and plenty of yarn, so here it comes Helena in yellow:



On my way back I finished the Purple July Socks:


Pattern: July Socks by Lucia Tedesco
Yarn: LuLu's Yarns Supersock Merino Heavy
Ravelry page: here

And I started the Nutkin Socks in Sockin' Sox, that are now my on-the-go project: soccer season has just started, lots of knitting ahead of me!

This one is about knitting (while I was offline)

Before I left for Italy I managed another very quick baby knit:


Pattern: Boheme by Allegra Wermuth 
Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport Multi
Ravelry project page here.

It took me only a couple of days to make it, another last minute gift!

Of the seven projects I decided to bring with me for my seven weeks of vacation (I marvel a my self restrain), I already finished two: Mr. Pitt's Magic Socks and Katia Jamaica Cardi. No photos yet.

I started Icarus (another black shawl, this is done and blocked), but I was not loving the yarn, so I casted for the Sweetheart Cardigan in pink Arcadia as well.

While I was offline .......

I brought the kids to Fontana di Trevi and to eat ice-cream at Giolitti, I went lingerie shopping in Rome, I had dinner at the Osteria Scaloni (highly recommended for sea food lovers), I went to Florence that was strangely cooler than Rome, visited il Palazzo Vecchio, had dinner at L'Osteria del Cinghiale Bianco and lunch at Il Santino (the young brother of Il Santo Bevitore), visited il Palazzo Pitti, read three book (Gods Behaving Badly: A Novel, Goodnight Nobody: A Novel, Best Friends Forever: A Novel), cried for Brazil (but at least Germany got Argentina out), and drank way too many espressos.

Summertime

World Cup Knitting

With six hours a day (3 games per day) dedicated to watching soccer, you would think a lot of knitting is happening. Actually, no.

Reason #1: I actually watch soccer, it is entertaining; other so called "sport" that are actually "past times" Paperino was playing lately, I only pretend to watch.

Reason #2: I actually enjoy watching so I do not have to do anything else while I am watching, the game itself is enough.

But before last Friday, I actually finished some projects. I made this baby shrug in two days, if you ever need a quick baby gift, this is it!

Pattern: Confection Baby Shrug by Tonya Wagner
Yarn: Supermerino by Artyarns 
Ravelry project page here.


Green and Yellow Daisy is finally all ready to go:


Pattern: Daisy by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee
Yarn: 1824 Cotton by Mission Falls

Ravelry project page here.

The Purple Sleekit Mitts are done:



Pattern: Sleekit Mitts by Star Rabinowitz
Yarn: Nature's Palette Fingering by Hand Jive Knits
Ravelry project page here.

And the Katia Jamaica Shrug:


Pattern: Little Girl's Shrug #288 by Diane Soucy
Yarn: Jamaica by Katia
Ravelry project page here.

Now, if only could I peel myself off from the TV to organize the projects for my stay in Italy ........

A month?

Yes, a month since last post. So this is a pity post, just to say I did not more than a month without blogging. There has been knitting, and I have photos to prove it.
I have started CeCe:


Ravelry public link

and a black shawl:


Ravelry public link

and I made baby socks:


Ravelry public link

I am sure there was more .... maybe?

I have a new nephew

So I really need to weave these ends in and attached the buttons!


Pattern:Daisy by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee from Knitty, Summer 2003
Yarn: 1824 Cotton by Mission Falls
Ravelry project page here.

Fence

Not only I finished Fence and I love it (you may remember that this is the third incarnation of this yarn), but given the weird weather, I even got to wear it:


Pattern: Fence by Maria Leigh from Knotions, Winter 2008
Yarn: Aurora 8 by Karabella

Ravelry page here.

Who ordered winter?

It is the perfect weather for knitting if I could just stay home on my sofa, but getting my wool sweater out in April? Is this supposed to be California or what?
I really thought I was done for now with my winter knitting and the other day I took of out of hibernation Sahara. Surprise, surprise, I really did not remember I was done with the body:



Of course my 16" US 4 needles are nowhere to be found, so I can't really start the sleeves. Maybe I'll go back to my Sesia Two Colors Sweater, who knows, I may need it!