WIP Wednesday: Mostly Focused

I logged a lot of knitting time this weekend and though I didn't manage to stave off startitis, I still made quite a dent in my WIPs. To wit: my Tortie Cat socks are now more than halfway done! On Sunday, I put in the placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels and switched to a much-less-fussy stockinette stitch for the feet. I fully expect these socks to fly off the needles now...dare I even hope to finish them this weekend?!

I also have been working on the secret gift knitting project for my nephew's birthday - here is the first blobby piece that I've knit so far in a very hard-to-photograph bright red (aka, the only color he deems acceptable these days). Any guesses what I'm making?

I'm signed up for the next 3 months of the Fiberista Club and got my first shipment last week - a mini-skein pack of Cheshire Cat merino fingering from Wonderland Yarns in a specially-dyed colorway (Roger's Park, which is near where I used to live here in Chicago). Naturally, I couldn't resist diving in to start a new project with them; the club suggested 3 knitting patterns and 1 crochet pattern for this yarn, and after some deliberation I decided to cast on for the Sail Shawl, which is available for free here on Ravelry. It's total potato-chip knitting - it was a huge motivator to keep going til I reached the next colorblock section. I just started the third colorblock section, so here's hoping this is another fast project!

I can't believe February is halfway over. I need to start thinking about travel friendly projects for next month, any suggestions?

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Overdyeing A Finished Knit

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I was really excited to step outside of my comfort zone and try something new as part of my "Christmas in July" theme this month. The kind folks at Solid Oak Inc offered me a chance to review one of their Nostalgic Christmas beaded crystal ornament kits I couldn't resist. My tree is already full of ornaments I've inherited or been gifted from other family members and friends, so these pretty crystal beaded ornaments will fit right in I think! I was super impressed with this compact little kit , which includes everything needed to create three gorgeous vintage-style ornaments - just add a pair of round nose pliers (I found mine on Amazon for less than ten bucks). The instructions had some fabulous tips for newbies like me; for example, it recommended sorting the beads and laying them out in order on a towel or beading mat to prevent them from rolling away. That may seem obvious, but I was totally ready to start beading on my kitchen table without a...

What If I Didn't Add Heels?

Last weekend, I finished the first sock with my Waterlilies yarn , and just for yuks, I tried it on even though it was basically just a tube sock. Much to my surprise, it fit really well, even without a heel. Who knew? So, that got me thinking: what if I just didn't add the heels? I never thought a tube sock would actually fit nicely, but I genuinely like the fit, so...why spend time to add the heels? As the saying goes, if it ain't broke, don't fix it.... Let's say I decide not to add heels once the second sock is done - there will still be placeholder yarn for the afterthought heels, as you can see above, so should I leave it in and just weave in the ends? Or should I remove it, put the live stitches back on needles and at least graft them together using more of the Waterlilies yarn? I plan on mulling all of this over as I knit the second sock, and I'd love to hear your opinions of what you think would look best (or if you think this whole "n...

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