Sock Monkey Sweater Pattern

Directions:
on size 4 needles, cast on 50 st. join without twisting. mark beg of rnd.
K1, P1 rib for 3 rows
Set up round for arm increases:
Switch to size 5 needles. K 6, pm, K 19, pm, K6, pm, K19.
increase round:
Yo, K until marker, yo, sl marker, k until marker, sl marker, yo,k until next marker, yo,sl marker, K rest of rnd.
Repeat increase round a total of 5 times. 70 st total.
separate for sleeves:
sl 16 sleeve st on holder (I thread them on waste yarn). cast on 10 st over sleeve hole using reverse loop, k until next marker, sl sleeve st onto waste yarn, cast on 10 st over sleeve hole using reverse loop, cont k rest of rnd.
Body:
cont K until sweater measures 2.5” from neck cast. (1.25” from underarm cast on).
Switch to size 4 needles and work 3 rows K1, P1 rib
Cast off in rib.
pick up for sleeves
transfer st on holder to needles. pick up and knit 12 st along armpit and cont working 5 rnds.
switch to size 4 needles, work 2 rows K1, P1 rib. bind off in rib
Repeat with second sleeve.
weave in ends.
block it and rock it

Also, please let me know of any improvements or corrections to the pattern. Much appreciated!

On a side note:
This was the first "nice treat wool" I bought for myself as a beginning spinner. Knitting with it brought back memories of all the self criticism I gave myself for bumpy inconsistent yarn.
Over the course of knitting these 4 sock monkey sweaters, I knit from the more experienced yarn to the beginner yarn. It was fun to see how my consistency improved even over just 4 ounces. I remember being surprised that the sweater acutally looked decent and like "real yarn".
It was fun to revisit this yarn after it laying around for so long in the stash.

Diane's Thank you

This shawl was made in gratitude for a friend.
As a single mother of 5!!!! she completely understands what I have been going through. She has donated massages so I can get some time for myself. This is to show her how grateful and blessed I feel for such heartfelt comeraderie and support.

Happy Mother's Day

Happy Mother's Day to all of you mothers and grandmothers out there!
I hope your day is filled with whatever makes you happy. (whether it be with kids or without - I am certainly looking forward to a break!) ha ha.
Here's my present for my Mom!
Fiber from the painted sheep
Handspun into a dkish 2 ply.
brandywine shawl on ravelry Romi donates almost all of the pattern $ to Haiti.



By the time this post hits (I am pre-scheduling it)... Delaney and I will have gone to the circus, and 3 Generations of us mothers, daughters and granddaughters will have had an awesome brekky together! I can't wait for mom's Babka bread!

Drop spindling...

After a bit of youtube watching yesterday, I picked the beautiful drop spindle and went at it again. if at first you don't succeed, try try again! It definitely flowed better this time. I started off by "parking" the spindle and then built up a rhythm. One of the youtubes gave the helpful hint of untwisting the fiber as you draft. That helped. I still dropped it and got tangled up a few times, but I can see how this will (in time) eventually just flow.... Which will work out perfectly for my evil plans to spin at work on the overnights.
I finished the shawl for Mom's Mother's Day present. It is blocking now and I have to say I am pleasantly surprised with how my first official hand-spun project came out. Pictures to come, I don't want to spoil the surprise!
And this...

will be this...

WIP pictureless post

Trying to get back to a bit of crafting around here...
Some girls at work have expressed interest in beginning a weekly/monthly craft night. I think that our first project will be Valentine's cards. Maybe this idea from Martha
Adopted a new spinning ritual... Spinning until I get the "safe at home" text from our babysitter. Turns out a good 30-45 minute spin from 11:30-12:15 every work night. Just finished spinning some Mountain Colors roving. It will be a gift for a great friend whose heart needs a hug (I think in the form of a handspun scarf)
As far as WIPs go... My strategy: finish as many unfinished projects before the start of the knitting Olympics. (will be working on gawain out of my Ireland stash.)
Working on my entangled gloves that have been sitting since the birth of Einin. It's been a year, time to kick it in gear.
Also working on my first semi-serious handspun project, a v-neck vest for me, no pictures yet... almost finished though.
I'll aslo try sneaking in my February Lady Sweater. I'm so close to being finished - only 1.5 sleeves to go....
Sending my love and prayers to all of you.

Recent Craftiness around our house

We did some dying...

Um, I forgot to post about this... We did this well over a month ago. We had a 3 generational wool dye party!
We did the Martha's Vineyard undyed wool in 2 different colors - turquoise and cocheneal. I have an idea to do 2 different themed fairisle vests for the girls - one with crowns, one with birdies.
Delaney dyed the blank. Will be interesting to see how this works up.
We also turned her loose on this leftover bit of wool, it looks like easter eggs!

Other news:
The current haze of exhaustion from both kids not sleeping at all over the past 4 nights is really catching up
Delaney got sick from school in record time - a whole 4 days of class! Croup.
The baby is very close to crawling - she is doing a bit of rocking on all 4's. She is drooly and boogery - so I am unsure if the boogers and drool are from her immune system trying to fight what Delaney has or if she is teething or both.
Am is off in Massachusetts today doing some kind of crazy 100 mile bike ride.

Drops Cardi

Since there has been some commenting on this pattern... Here is the link to my Drops Cardi and the actual pattern
Reasons why I like this pattern
1. Cascade Eco Wool is a lovely yarn to knit with, eco-logical, eco-nomical. Soft.
2. Knit on size 9 needles = quick knit!
3. It covers my neck. ( I have a thing where I like my neck to be covered)
4. It is swingy.
5. 3/4 length sleeves make me happy. (I have a thing with 3/4 length sleeves.)
6. Moss stitch detail gives a classic yet simple interest.

I bought some blackish horn buttons, but I am not completely satisfied with them. I am on the hunt for some brownish, wooden ones.
The only other modification that I will be doing is securing the inside front flap of the cardigan near the neckline with a hidden button and crochet loop. If I only do the buttons, the front overlap of the cardigan hangs down from underneath.

Here is where I will add the invisible underneath button to keep the bottom hemline from hanging low. (you might be able to see the 3 button holes on the right side of the moss stitch, this mod will be on the private side of the garment)

Projects

A retirement gift for a friend. I think she equates herself with the energizer bunny, so now she gets to rest - if she wants to.

I am in love with these. The pattern, the fun, the theme, the yarn !!! heart heart heart.
Drying and then I just need to sew the buttons on. Ready for fall.

Insert Title Here

There are so many times I have formulated a post in my head, but then did not want to expose myself or family matters in this public of a setting.
So I will now proceed to insert activities my family and I have been doing, along with my crafty obsessions and projects.

First off, Baby Growing News:
She has started on cereal. Her bottom toofer is just breaking through. And all she does is smile.



I have an endoscopy scheduled for the middle of August to do a biopsy for an official diagnosis - ? Celiac. The bloodwork and genetics back it up, and so do the symptoms, we will know for sure soon.
A bit of health drama happening on the various generations of the in-law side. Barrett's Esophagus, a trip to the hospital, but everything is ok now.

I am in love with the Coventry Farmer's Market Nasturshum's in my salad greens, so fresh and tasty. Kettle Korn The package says on it "Warning - highly addictive substance" and they're not f***ing around. I love how we can just go and wander and sample.

This morning, blueberry picking with Mada. Sun, branches so laden with plump blueberries they bent to the ground. Yum!

I will be making these as soap holder/scrubbies. I am now obsessed with her happy colors and fun things on her site, check them out.

Knitting news: almost done sewing up the seams on the Drops Cardi, need to find good horn buttons. I also started the Melon Scarf from Victorian Lace Today. I am enjoying it so far, and not bored at all yet. 20 out of 60ish repeats!
Finished this today too!


Looking forward to seeing a dear friend on Monday, sounds like she is in just as bad of a rut as I am. I love her for so many reasons - the fact that no matter how long it has been since we have seen each other, we pick up as if we had never been separated; I love that we have a history with each other, which contributes to the profound trust I have with her; I can't wait to give her a hug.

Wedding in Colorado

Ah to be with friends in a beautiful place, celebrating wonderful people.


And OMG the NATURE!





Been doing lots of hand sewing for thank you gifts. Projects from Omiyage. I fell in love with this book again.



I finally picked up my knitting again!

What the heck have we been doing?

I think that I have gone into survival mode. Just getting through everything to make it work. I am pretty sure I have been enjoying myself at the same time.
What we have been doing...
Growing

Spinning

Sewing

Knitting


Farmer's Marketing



Getting inspired
I think I will do this kind of green bag next

Sock Monkey

Another sock monkey - this time for my friend's baby. Congratulations Erin and George!

Another painting for another wedding. I am really happy with how they came out. I can't wait to see them matted and framed.

welcome the new addition to the family...

Blue hue

One of my favorite things about knitting is working with color. I fully admit to fondling skeins of yarn in the store, but the color is what captures my attention. I love using bright punches of vibrant color to spice things up a bit. Lime green, hot pink, electric blue, here I come. One of my favorite hand-dyers is Gail, the kangaroo dyer. She has an amazing eye for color and mixes beautiful tones with a pop. Her talent is evident in the subtleties of each of her skeins. She was gracious to gift me with the most beautiful skein of blue hues today. The colors in this one skein range from stonewashed denim, to carribean sea, to robin's egg. I love it. It will be a February Lady.

Am's sweater, the conclusion. And, together again.

I can't believe that I have actually finished knitting Am's sweater. I gifted him the yarn 4 years ago along with the promise he would get the sweater in 5 years for his birthday again. I made the date by 11 months.
This may spark some startitis... It as already helped me "organize" some of my stash. It is amazing what you turn up when you do a little tossing. I found the Print O' the Waves Stole, the Turtle skirt and other random yarns hiding in baskets. I think I may try and finish another harder project that has been hanging around a while.

>side note: Dog crates are great for laying wet knits on to dry! :o) Thanks for sharing, Baxter.

I just received the present I ordered for my mother for Mother's Day. It is gorgeous. If you need an idea for a present go check out Lea's shop. The gift was lovingly packaged and she put a lot of care into her work. Plus, she put up with a pain in the ass customer like me.

I have been knitting the Ravelry: delaneysduds' Celtic Hat I just love it. I have hit a roadblock with poodle stitch. It must be like the first time you turn a heel, just trust the directions.

Delaney and I made this for a friend's baby. The shower is soon..

It is also great to be a whole family again.