Old Shale Socks ...

are finished!



I really enjoyed knitting this pattern. I did have to go to the LYS for more pink yarn. I ran out just as I started the toe decreases. Next time I knit this sock, I'm going to try the colours the other way around with the variegated for the foot and the solid for the lace, heels and toes.

Of course when I went to get the pink I couldn't walk out with only one ball of yarn! So I picked up some Candy Kisses, they had a sale on Kroy. This is going to be perfect for a sock design I'm working on right now. The stitch pattern is a wide rib with a little lace done over the knit stitches that looks like butterflies, hence I'm calling them Butterfly Rib Socks.



Also made a toddler beret, these are so quick to knit.



June is almost over and I have 2 (Chutes n Ladders; Old Shale) of the 4 Sock Knit-alongs completed. The next 2 will be done over July. An early start on the Scallop Stitch Socks, has resulted in one finished sock. A lot of people knitting this sock found the cast on not to be enough stitches, so I went with a heavier worsted weight, Noro Kureyon, and the size is perfect. I had a hard time with the heel and gussets as written, there are some mistakes, so I re-wrote that section and am very pleased with the way they have turned out. Fit is perfect and I am going to have toasty toes next winter.



Crochet update: I received the last set of squares for the May purple exchange and have been working on the "funky afghan" I have 8 out of the 14 motifs finished at this point. The large square goes in the middle.

Wishful Thinking

One Old Shale sock done and I'm at the heel on the second one. I am suffering a serious case of SSS with this sock, it is so hard to work on the second one. But there is a reason. I am going to run out of the pink yarn, there is hardly any left. I know I need to go buy another ball but every time I pick it up I can't help thinking "Well, maybe it will last....".



So to relieve my anxiety over this sock, I did a quick-knit this week. A baby beret! Isn't it cute?



I also finished putting the blue and white crochet exchange squares together last night. It was so hot last night, too hot to have an afghan in your lap, but I just had to finish putting the border around the whole thing, even with the sweat dripping off my eyelashes. It was worth it.

Chutes n' Ladders

Ta dah! The chutes n' ladders socks for the six sox kal are finished. I love this pattern and the yarn.



On to the next sock! This is for one of the SAM knit-alongs. Old Shale Two Yarn Sock Pattern. This is a beautiful pattern I've been wanting to knit for a while.



Remember, this mitre square blanket? Well, I was working away on it and I decide I hate the colours. I like purple and yellow but all the different shades were not coming out how I'd expected. So I decided to go with only the purples and am much more pleased with it now.



One more small package in the mail this week. Noro Kureyon!



And my crochet exchange squares have been coming in the mail regularly. These three are now finished for May. Blues, Yellows and Oranges:

Goodies to Share

Lots of goodies to share with you today. First I've finished the Regia Cotton rib socks. I've enjoyed knitting with this yarn so much I ordered another ball in a different colorway which you can see further down.



I've been busy crocheting and mailing squares for this month's exchange and can now sit back and wait for all my puffies arrive.

I've gone and joined "four" sock knit-a-long's for the June/July period and for the first one have made good headway on the 6sox chutes n ladders sock. I'm using yummy Lang Golf cotton in Vivid Orange. This yarn is a dream to knit with, cotton usually hurts my hands when knitting but this stuff is like butter it slides through my fingers so easily and soft, too. Hmm, can you tell I kinda like this yarn?



And now for the piece de resistance! The mailman was kind to me twice this week. First from funknits some more Regia Cotton Tip & Top and some Opal Handpainted, which just doesn't show the colours in my pic. but it is a burgundy/pink/blue blend.



And from my midnight excursion at elann.com a big box filled with (from top to bottom): Schachenmayr Micro Color Tutti Frutti, Sock It to Me Esprit Summer Sky, Forever Jaquard Mayan Coast & Fieldstone, Schachenmayr Catania Lime Ice, Lang Golf Pumpkin Spice & Vivid Orange.

Sporty Socks

Decided to do a basic rib sock. I always come back to the ribbed sock. I love the way they hug your feet and I can just cast on and not have to look at a pattern, great for mindless TV knitting.

I'm using Regia Cotton Tip & Top and I love this colorway, very sporty. Here's a pic of the first sock and I've just got a couple inches of the second done.



Also been working on my "funky afghan" but will be putting it away for a while now as I've run out of odd balls of pink and red and need to collect some more.

Today is the first day of exchanges for the June crochet square round robin. So I'll be busy crocheting my squares to mail off over the next few days.

I also put some yarn on ebay today. Link is over on the sidebar.

Ordered some gorgeous orange yarn from elann the other night. Why do I always buy yarn online at midnight? I think I'm going to use it for the nex Six Sox KAL sock that was posted today, a very pretty cable & rib sock.