Simple Noro Sock

When we were doing the road trip to Disney World, I started on a pair of simple knitted socks using some Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn that I had purchased at the 2008 STITCHES Midwest. Yarn tends to linger in my stash for ages before I'll use it. I'm trying to break my hoarding tendencies and use up yarn that I have purchased. I'm not allowing myself to purchase any new yarns unless they are truly unique. As in, I'm not going to be purchasing any Cascade 220 at this year's STITCHES.

I've just completed the first sock of the pair. Picking up the stitches to turn the heel lingered longer than I had originally anticipated. I really did not want to go through the effort of turning the heel and knitting the foot. It took two months just to complete this one sock and I have another one to go. I'm hoping I can get it wrapped up in maybe a month.

Prep for STITCHES Midwest

In preparation for STITCHES MIDWEST from August 26-28, I've been knitting swatches. As a 30th birthday present to myself, I'm taking the following classes:

Custom Fitting Existing Patterns with Lily Chin - Friday
Design Your Dream Sweater with Leslye Solomon - Saturday
Crochet for Knitters Eckman with - Saturday
Round Up! 4 Ways to Knit in the Round with Beth Whiteside - Sunday

Two of the classes I'm taking require a total six swatches in terms of homework. The class with Lily Chin requires the most swatches and they reflect a variety of needles, yarn weights and stitch patterns. It seems it's to illustrate how using various needle sizes can augment the drape and texture of the fabric. As well as how stitch patterns can augment a fabric knit with the same yarn and needle. It should be an interesting class. I'm grateful that I completed Level 1 of the Knitting Guild Association's Master Knitting Program because I feel prepped for this.

Hippity Hoppity

This is the Bunny Blanket Buddy from Lion Brand Yarns. I knit it in Lily Sugar'n Cream (colorway: Toffee) with size 8 and 10.5 needles. The face is embroidered in Blue Sky Alpacas Cotton so that I was only using machine washable cotton. The head is stuffed with blanket batting. I was afraid polyfill would poke out through the stitches and considering the head isn't knit very tightly, it definitely would have. It's a free pattern that can be found at the lion brand yarn website. It used only 15 grams / 25 yards of yarn. I have a coworker who is having her last day next week and wanted to be sure that I give her something for the little boy that's about to enter her family.

What's most am zing about this little knit, is that it's knit entirely in one piece. One piece, in terms of arms, head and ears. Seriously, that is really, really clever. There's no way anything is going to come off and harm a baby. I loved that the head is knit using the double knitting technique. With the use of slip stitches on both even and odd rows you are knitting the front and back at the same time. I was doing a brand new technique to me without even realizing it. The ears are knit by casting on and binding off additional stitches. In order to stuff the head, I had to place the stitches associate with the front and back on two separate needles so that I could get the batting in. It worked out splendidly.

Overall time to complete (includes embroidery)...4 hours. Not bad for a gifted item.

Felted Slippers

I started on a pair of French Press Felted Slippers in May. While I was able to knit all the pieces in 2 days, I was rather slow going on blocking and sewing them together. I like to take my time...as in I really hate seaming. Hate it! Little did I know, that your seams will disappear in felting and so it doesn't matter if they aren't very good. They only need to lay flat.

The buttons are from Happy Owl Glassworks. I bought them ages ago maybe 2008) at the Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago. I'm not sure they even sell buttons anymore. They set me back $12, which I'm almost positive is more than I paid for the two balls of yarn it took to make the slippers.