pjbknit

Yet Another Sock and Bag

I tried yet again to make a shorter box bag. I think the secret is to sew the zipper in the short end, duh. I was inspired by Tonyia, after I found her blog with the easier squared corners technique. Anyway, this bag is rife with mistakes, but it matches my lnitting bag. The reason for the denim strip is that the zipper was already sewn in a leftover oiece from said bag. That is the beginning of Clessidra with the Knit Picks Gloss yarn.

I got some more fabric from a really neat place, the Fat Quarter Shop. It was packaged very nicely and arrived really fast. This is Moda Funky Monkey-it has sock monkeys! The fabric underneath is inspired by the song Five Little Monkeys (jumping on the bed) For the easily amused, I have embedded a YouTube video. My nephew, who is five, said he had never heard the song, and besides, he couldn't be a monkey because he had blonde hair.

Some Assembly Required

I got some KnitPicks Gloss wool/silk sock yarn in burgundy for Clessidra. I am trying to distract myself from casting on. But I would have to wind the yarn first. I need to work on DH's Lava Flow socks (link to .pdf) in Lorna's Laces Rainbow. Yes, he picked out the yarn.

More Socks Finished, Felted Fishies Featured

I finished the second Annetrelac Sock from IK Holiday issue last night. Look at the foot. Both of them had white striping with the aqua and burgundy until I hit the foot. Both have the white pooling or whatever it's called on one side of the the foot. One is  just not facing out. Thankewe (Etsy) sock yarn in Winter Chill.

Before I got to the sock, however, I made another box bag. I wanted one shorter and wider, instead I got one longer. What are the secret dimensions? I always forget to check before I start one. Sigh. I used Drago[Knit]-Fly's tutorial. I also used tips from here. I have ordered an OOP Butterick pattern for my next attempt. I had a fat quarter of Japanese lucky cat fabric, from eBay, I think. I made a bit of binding for the inside raw seams, even, and used grosgrain ribbon for tabs at each end of the zipper.. I lined the bag with red fabric with tiny white hearts. I got some lucky cat beads from Etsy, and used one for a zipper pull.

And, because Marsha asked, here are Fred and Bubba the felted fishies (FiberSpace pattern) who live in my office, suspended from fishing line..They are made of Kureyon and Mountain Colors/Cascade 220. Their photos are long lost in  former blog archive, so here they are again:

Embossed Leaves

I have been working on socks-alternating between the second entrelac sock and the first Embossed Leaves sock. I had to take my father-in-law to two  Birmingham doctor's appointments with the rheumatologist and dermatologist. because DH was too sick. I got that duty because DH's bronchitis was more severe than mine. My cough sounds better and I am blowing my nose a whole lot less. Anyway, I got a lot of time to work on the sock today at doctors' offices.. The Embossed Leaves socks have not been photographed in a long time, so I posed them with a magnolia and a maple. Ball and Skein yarn in Fallen Leaves.

And I made another sockie bag the other day. Itty bitty kitties in a tree.

I is for Iced Tea

I couldn't come up with an idea for I, except for Internet. DH suggested Insect, then Iced tea. I went with the iced tea idea. He dragged a heavy table into the shade and distracted the dogs so I could have a photo shoot. Boy.am I full of tea. I was getting warm and started drinking the props.

My photo assistant was lying under the tea table behaving himself, while DH restrained his friend the bulldog. Anyone need a sweet terrier and bulldog? DH named them Skipper and Little Buddy.

Yet More Entrelac

I kept messing up on the Embossed Leaves sock, so I picked up my long languishing entrelac socks from the Annetrelac Socks pattern. I wanted to prove that I was on the second sock.

I left out the last rectangle on a tier, and did not notice it for a while, so ripped back a tier and part of another one, This is Winter Chill from Thankewe on Etsy.( I am not linking lest I be accused again of enabling, y'all know how to find it.) I may not immediately start the Kureyon 92 entrelac socks upon finishing these, after that. I did get the Rhiannon pattern from Cookie A.  I got some destashed Louet Gems in champagne today. Hmm, the pattern is on the hard drive of my work computer, and the library is closed. Sigh... I also keep hearing Stevie Nicks in my head.

After a downpour/thunderstorm this morning, the sun came out in the afternoon. This is about 7 p.m.

Also,  yellow iris are blooming now

Little Bag Sewn

I made the sock bag tonight in the cherry blossom fabric for the winner from my blog contest. I used a different pattern that made the square bottom easier for me. I lined it with solid pink fabric from stash. In knitting news, I went back to the second entrelac sock from the Annetrelac pattern in the holiday 2007 Interweave Knits.. I planted dill and green beans in my raised bed.

Two Down, Two to Go

Pairs of socks, that is. I want y'all to know that the light is lovely at dusk, but there are thorny roses that snag sox,  bugs and mosquitoes and crazy dogs chasing horses, oh my. Anyway, I braved the elements to bring you Samus Socks, inspired by Lisa Lloyd's Saxony Sock. I used the Samus Saxon braid cable from the Knitty pattern, and generally ignored the pattern, especially the seed stitch,  except for admiring the photo. My socks are in Knit Picks Essential Tweed, Marine Blue. the back is 3x1 rib. My Samus is in Cascade 220 Tweed.

Look what I found where the peach blossoms were not long ago.

There were also crazed-looking possessed bunnies under the peach trees. Two rabbits came within about three feet of me. I was a little concerned to see the rabbit hopping directly toward me. (No killer rabbit thoughts, I thought it was a cat which 8 dogs would rip apart.)  I could not do anything with the eye  in two kinds of photo editing software.

River Run Done

I have finished the River Run socks that I started lo so many moons ago. I have trouble with toe-ups, but the only problems I had with these socks was the bind-off. Wendy's pattern, which Eva gave me in a swap,  was great. the yarn is Fearless Fibers in Pride, from the Seven Deadly Sins sock yarn club. Wisteria is about the only flower left.

Pattern close-up. Yes, that is a yarn end lying there.

Prizes!

DH picked three names at random, and here are the prizes and winners.
3rd prize is a set of four hanks of wool sportweight yarn. Karen S won this. It is going all the way to Denmark. From eBay listing: 4  skeins of fine quality  sock 100% wool yarn. It will felt. Total weight is 7  ounces. Colors:   white, blush, pink and burgundy. Each color is one skein. Sport weight. Yardage is 1,350  yards per pound

Second prize is Andromeda silk/merino yarn, Turquoise Dreams, from Stitches Under the Sun on Etsy. The winner is Jen C

And, drum roll please, Lisa won first prize.
Here are the fabric choices for a sock bag sewn by me (also useful for other small projects)

Kittens and yarn

Cherry blossoms

Mary Engelbreit teapots