On the Needles November 23, 2012

I was unable to post earlier as the internet was not available here where we are spending the week.  We are lucky to be in Puerto Penasco, Mexico for the holiday.  The weather here is great and we have lots of friends, both Americans and locals.  We spent the holiday with our friends, Bill and Mary and 4 of their grown children and spouses.  We had a great dinner and an even greater time with our friends.

I finished the Malabrigo socks in the SKYP pattern for my friend.  This photos is a pretty accurate color  representation.

I also began these ZigZags sock pattern by Elaine Anderson, free on Ravelry.  I first saw this pattern done on Justquiltin with Denise Russart.  Although I'm using the same number of stitches, this is a larger sock then I am used to knitting but since it is for a friend 

I am usual doing.  But it is for a friend 

who has a larger foot them me, I think it will work just fine.  The pattern has 5 different rows but they are pretty 

to remember.  

This yarn is made in Romania for Pylmouth Yarn, Stiletto, color #200.  It is interesting to see 

all the foreign places that yarn is made.  This yarn has some silver flecks in it.  

Enjoy everyone's posts on Patchwork Times.

On the Needles November 16, 2012

I finished these socks last night while I was enjoying our first evening all month without company-sigh!  I love my brother and his wife BUT company for 2 weeks can be a trial.  We had lots of fun, great meals and more fun but I'm glad to have our lives back to "normal."

These are for my quilting friend Katrina-a late birthday gift.  This is KnitPicks Stroll tonal yarn in Wine Tasting.  Katrina had asked for red and purple socks and she enjoys a glass of wine.  I think these hit the mark!  The colors are more muted and wine-like then the photo shows.  I tried to photograph them on different backgrounds with little change in the results.

Then I went back to the green socks I had been knitting at the beginning of October.  I put them aside to take up the Socktober Challenge when the Opal yarns arrived.  I have barely started the second sock.  This is malabrigo yarn but I have misplaced the tag and cannot tell you the color name.  This photo is a fairly good representation of the color.  These socks are for my friend Dianne, a lover of green.   It is the first time I used this kind of yarn and it feels great!

I am still behind 2 pair of birthday socks for this year.  The yarn is selected and I think it is about time to try a new pattern.  The last 2 pair I have knitted or am knitting are from the SKYP sock pattern from Ravelry.  I did not join the 12 in 2012 sock challenge but looking back at this years posts I have made at least 12 pair!  I have given about half that away.  I have been looking at my over flowing sock drawer and it needs to be straightened and organized.  I'll save that for another post.

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SIL's design wall

My brother and his wife are visiting from upstate NY.  My SIL, Pam is a beginning quilter and hasn't sewn for a long, long time.  She has made some small projects and quilts recently without any lessons or patterns.  So we tried a few projects.

She made this lap quilt top with her first ever HST.  I think she had fun after getting over her fear of screwing up my "fancy" sewing machine or ruining my fabric.

My machine is 26 years old so hardly fancy by today's standards but her machine is very plain which is all she really needs at this point.  I was so pleased to have her use some of my stash.

She also made lots of pillowcases.  She was amazed how fast and easy they were.  The grandkids will be thrilled!

Then she got real brave and she made a reversible table runner following Sharon Pederson's method and pattern from the book More Reversible Quilts.  It is Christmas on one side and fall on the other.

My family is leaving on Thursday.  I am itching to get my sewing room back and get some sewing time for myself.  BUT I am so very glad that I have passed my addiction on to Pam.

On the Needles

Maybe the title of this post should be finishing leftovers and new beginnings.

These are the leftover Socktober Opal socks.  I started them first and the second sock had a fatal flaw in the pattern!  So I went on to other socks for the challenge.  I went back to them at the very end of October and pulled out all but the ribbing.  Here they are in all their glory.  I'm not very concerned about matching the colors in this yarn.  I'm not sure its possible so I just knit away!  This is the Jenk sock pattern, free on Ravelry.  It is an easy pattern but somehow I got it all off center-solely my fault.

 This the new beginning.  It is Simple Skyp and I think my most favorite pattern!  This is KnitPicks Yarn, Stroll Tonal Yarn called Wine Tasting.  The color is not quite right in the photos.  The colors are not so bright and they are more wine looking.  This pair is a birthday gift for one of my quilting buddies and we do seem to consume just enough wine when we are all together.

Check out the other needle reports at Patchwork Times.