Friday Faves

I know that usually I post Monday Faves, but today sounded like a good day to post my favorites from the last couple weeks!

As usual, a lot of fabric, quilts, flowers, but this time there are sheep and a snail

Click on the links below for more info

1. Daisy drama, 2. screen printed folkster dolls, 3. one quilt: march, 4. upholstery, 5. crafting for nellie, 6. crochet bits and bobs, 7. P1050303, 8. YIP.133 bagby peony, 9. Scrappy Starlings Hedgerow Quilt, 10. Modern Linen Quilt, 11. screen printing, 12. tiny zakka owl, 13. name that flower, 14. picnic stripes, 15. hearty sock custom order, 16. coco’s amanda, 17. Happy feet, 18. The Breath Of Life by Chitagun Aichi, 19. Toy sheepies!, 20. 11 | MacroMay, 21. allium, 22. 5.17.09 • post-houseguest, 23. rose, 24. Hexagonal Potholders, 25. marble champ, 26. Do The Math mini quilt, 27. guest bencher/prop master monday, 28. 365-62, 29. granny square goodness, 30. 5.15.09 • there’s a reason the icon for macro is a flower, 31. snail’s trail, 32. Kai-Mei

WIP Wednesday

After finishing all these projects in the last few weeks, the “castonitis” got me and I cast on left and right. Well, left and right for me, which is 2 more projects!

I cast on for a new sweater, Ursa by Berroco [Ravelry link]. I’m using Cascade 220 instead of the recommended Ultra Alpaca so after swatching with 3 different needle sizes I decided to start knitting a sleeve to see if I liked how it was working up. Since I’m working in the sleeve in the round and I’m going to be working the body flat, I realize that there’s going to be some differences, but I think it will be fine.

What I’m concerned about is whether or not I have enough yarn to knit the cardigan. But that’s a problem I will think about when I get there. In the mean time, here is a sleeve in progress.

I also cast on for the sock that I posted about a couple days ago. So far it looks like there are more votes for keeping it than frogging it, but I will keep thinking about it.

I would like to cast on for Mara [Ravelry link] as well but I think that will wait until I get the pair of socks below completed.

I’ve since then knit the heel and have just barely started on the leg. Hopefully, by the end of next week I should have a finished pair!

I’ve also started working on a new batch of box bags for the shop, there are over 20 bags that are going to be split between yarn4socks and my etsy shop. I’m also working on a couple new items to add to my selection, I hope it is well received. In the mean time, you can see what’s available right here.

Flop or not?

I cast on for this sock on Friday. My other sock in progress was ready for a heel, and I needed something easy to bring with me over the weekend. I didn’t have time to ball up one of my skeins of sock yarn so I went for my Sock Hop which was already balled up.

I got this Rasta Rasta Man colorway back in February from someone’s Ravelry destash. I happened to be on the Destash forum at the right time, and I had the money!

So I cast on and started with a toe and then yesterday, I was waiting for a wedding to start and had to make a decision: plain stockinette or not. I went for the “not” and started inserting purl stitches and purl rows. After a bit this is what it looks like

and I just can’t decide if it’s plain ugly or not.

What do you think? Keep going or rip out and go back to plain stockinette?

Thanks for your input! In the mean time, maybe I’ll just go knit a heel.

Unbelievable!

Somehow, I managed to finish 4 knitting projects in the last 3 weeks. I don’t think that’s ever happened before!

First up, my K1C2 Ty-Dy socks made up in my own pattern. I knit the first sock back in September 08 and waited until this April to knit the second sock. I’m really quite pleased with these socks and know I will be wearing them a lot. I finished those the day before we left for vacation.

The next day, on our way to Florida I was able to finish my second Sweet Baby Cap, soaked it in the hotel bathroom sink that night and gave it not quite dry to Alyson for her future baby the next morning (see previous post for cool picture). The timing couldn’t have been better!

A few days ago, again with an incredible timing, I finished my Ishbel, just in time to meet Ysolda at Stitch House, a totally cool, new to me, yarn store.

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It was really fun meeting her, she’s got the prettiest Scottish accent and the best taste in shoes! I loved seeing and even trying out some of her samples. I just might have to make her Liesl cardigan now!

This shawl was quite an enjoyable project. It took me a month and half to knit, but I was taking my time, enjoying each row. I knit the large stockinette section and the small lace section. I did have quite a bit of yarn leftover, so might have been able to knit the large lace section as well. I’m quite pleased with the finished size and have been wearing it every day since it was finished. I loved working with the HandMaiden Sea Silk, what a lovely yarn. I need to get more so I can knit something else out of it! [Ravelry details]

Last but not least, another pair of socks. I started working on the first sock in November 08 and didn’t finish it until the cruise a couple weeks ago. I promptly cast on for the second one and now they’re both done! I don’t think I’ve ever cast on for sock #2 the same day I bind off sock #1, it’s definitely a good way to finishing a pair of socks in a short amount of time!

It took me a really long time to get a hang of the two-row pattern but once I got it I could knit it as well as stockinette. For some reason though, the yarn didn’t spiral the same way on the leg of sock #2 as it did on sock #1. I don’t really like how it looks so different but nobody but me will see it, I guess. [Ravelry details]

I only have 3 WIPs left now, that feels quite good!

Back!

I’m back from our cruise and finally caught up enough to have the time to post about it. It’s crazy the amount of time you need to catch up after a vacation!

The cruise was really awesome, I would do another one any day. It was our first cruise and I’m really glad we picked a Disney cruise as it was perfect for us and very well organized like anything done by Disney.

We flew down to Orlando on the Friday and the next morning had breakfast with Alyson and Travis. It was great seeing them after about 2 years. Make sure to go over to Alyson’s blog and congratulate her on her big news!

We later took the bus to the Disney Magic and started a most wonderful cruise.

We ate incredibly well, like eating at a 5 star restaurant every night. There were shows every night as well and activities during the day. I got to knit quite a bit on the decks or in the cafe. I even brought the sock in progress on some of our excursions.

We went to Key West (I loved Key West!), Grand Cayman, Nassau and Castaway Key (Disney-owned island).

A Disney cruise is great for people with kids but it’s also great for a childless couple like DH and I. There’s an adult only pool on the ship, as well as adult cafe and an adult only restaurant. At Castaway Key there’s even one whole beach for adults only. I know I’m repeating myself, but I’ve never eaten so well in my life! It’s a surprise I didn’t gain the 5 to 10 expected pounds!

I’m already looking forward to our next cruise!

If you want to see more pictures, there’s more right here!