Work-in-Progress Wednesday

For the next several days I plan to knit monogamously on projects already on needles. First up is this Kandahar sock. I've finished the leg of the first sock and am facing the heel set-up chart next.

I'm not enamoured with the yarn and with every stitch I hate it more. I ordered almost a dozen skeins online with the idea of knitting a lightweight baby shawl but when the yarn arrived it was clearly too thin, too splitty and too scratchy. So it's destined to be socks. Maybe it'll soften up with a washing or two?

I'm not enamoured with the pattern either - although it's growing on me - so it has been hard to find motivation. The pattern in one of seventeen from the book Socktopus which I am knitting as part of KAL on Ravelry. I'll concede right now that I might really like this pattern with a softer, squishier yarn but this yarn needs to be made into socks so I'm pushing on with it. After looking at the projects for this pattern in Ravelry I really wanted to knit the pattern in a solid colour, so my stash choices were limited. The pattern already looks nicer worn than on the needles, so maybe I'll continue to warm up to it!

The good news is my friend Nancy has let me know that she'll happily take the finished socks off my hands. After scrunching the sock and the yarn, she thinks the yarn isn't too scratchy at all. Nancy also has considerably smaller feet than me, so that's more good news.

The big news is that my Willow Ware kit arrived in the mail yesterday! A fellow Raveler bought the kit at the Maryland Sheep and Wool Festival, but decided that the pattern was so intricate and so much work that she wouldn't enjoy knitting it. Instead she offered it for sale to recoup her initial investment. I've been mooning over this pattern for ages and I can't believe my luck to get a kit. The yarn is Tsilk Tstocking -  a 30% silk + 70% wool blend which is custom spun to the designer's exacting specifications with a "high hosiery twist" for an attractive sheen and wonderful stitch definition. I can't wait to try it!

Happy Wednesday! After a holiday Monday, we're on a short work week here in Canada so it's hard to imagine it's Wednesday already. This week is flying by! I'm linking up with Tami's Amis for Work-in-Progress Wednesday - why not click through to see what the others are working on?!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

We've snuck away to Florida to find some sun and some spring weather, so I had to plan what project to take on my travels. I'm nervous about bringing knitting along - what if security objected to my expensive carbon fiber needles? - so the safest bet seemed a plastic crochet hook and some acrylic yarn. Nothing threatening there.

The pattern, Retro Circles Baby Blanket, looked ideal for using up some mismatched scraps of DK. I've started with all the bits and bobs of James Brett Marble DK. Too bad I haven't enough to do the whole blanket as the variegation is very interesting, but at least I was able to complete 16 of 64 squares this way, so I can arrange them as an X from corner to corner and fill in the middle sections with solid colour(s).

The stitches of the centre circles are worked in the back loops which create those circular ridges. I think it does give it an interesting retro look. I'm weaving in ends as I go, because the idea of facing that many ends after the last block is crocheted is just too much to bear.

It's Wednesday, so I'm linking up with Tami for Work-in-Progress Wednesday. As always, I encourage you to go visit some of the blogs linked there to see all kinds of things that clever people have on the go!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

Over at the Socktopus KAL on Ravelry we are knitting Mince Pie Mayhem socks from December 1st to January 31st. I've finally cast on and made a start.

As written there are small, medium and large sizes knit on 2.5 mm needles knit over 72, 80 and 88 sts respectively. After reading the comments in project notes on Ravelry I decided to cast on 80 sts and work the sock on 2.25 mm needles. So far I've found it necessary to shift down a needle size on every pattern in the book to get a nicely fitting sock, but now with this sock, the sock might end up small. It's really quite amazing how much the fabric is condensed by the criss-crossing twisted stitches. Still, it fits over my heel, ankle and leg, so I'm continuing as is.

The yarn is a colourway called "Big Red Barn" from Wandering Cat Yarns. Every year I knit a pair of red socks for a friend whose birthday falls just before New Years, so this yarn was the perfect choice. It's Alley Cat sock which is a light fingering - nice tight twist and not splitty. With this many twisted stitches, that "not-splitty" part is a must. And with this dense a fabric, the lighter the yarn, the better I think.

That's it for me, this work-in-progress Wednesday. I've been finishing up some other projects to show on Friday, all with a view to ending the year without any WIPs on the needles. So far, so good. As you can see in the photo, it has snowed AGAIN and there is more and more snow in the forecast. Can't wait to see what my drive to work is going be today!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

The Brain Hat pattern by Alana Noritake makes me giggle every time I look at. Seriously, I think every one of my nieces and nephews needs one of these. And now that I've started, some coworkers have expressed interest as well.

The pattern is written for fingering weight yarn but in the interest of using stash yarns I'm producing my first version from an Aran yarn. Of course that means a bunch of modifications.

The hat is a pretty standard plain beanie and then the brain tissue is created by nearly endless amounts of iCord sewn in folding and looping patterns. So far I've knit 10 feet of iCord. Will it be enough for the left hemisphere? Probably not. Once I get it all pinned into place I'll know how much more to knit, so that I can bind off and start on the iCord for the right hemisphere.

I'm not 100 percent sure that heavier weight yarn will turn out to be practical. It might just be the heaviest and thickest hat ever when I'm done.  Time will tell! It'd sure be nice if it works; I've got lots more of this yarn in grey and a pinky-grey to knit up into brain tissue. If it comes down to it, I also have some sport weight acrylic in my stash that may work. Maybe that's something to try next?

It's Work-in-Progress Wednesday, and I'll be linking up with the gang at Tami's Amis (no link posted yet). Why not take some time, click through the links and prepare to be amazed?!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

It's not a bowling pin, although you'd be excused for thinking so. When it's done, it should look something like this. At least, I hope so.

Once again I'm using scraps from my stash to make up items for a Christmas Craft show. The grey is leftover from some fingerless gloves I made a couple of years ago. The white and blue yarns were bought by the bag at a yarn sale in 2011, specifically with the intention of Christmas crafting. And the eyelash yarn came into my possession as part of a prize lot from an online contest put together by another craft blogger. Looks like this is the year that I really make some progress working through my stash!

By the end of this week I hope to know two things: whether I can produce a little gnome as cute as those shown on the pattern photo, and, whether it's easy enough to make multiples gnomes feasible. Maybe I'll see you on Friday with those answers? That's my goal!

It's Work-in-Progress Wednesday; I hope to see you over at Tami's Amis to check out what the rest of the gang has been up to!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

For the last several weeks my focus has been almost exclusively on socks - mostly because I signed up for a Socktopus KAL in May and by the time I cast on the first sock I was almost three pairs behind. But I'm caught up now and have made a start on Hundred Acre Woods. The KAL for this pattern runs until the end of September so there's no need to hurry.

It's one of my early favourites in the book. I've cast on the medium size on smaller than suggested needles because it seems like the socks in this book knit up largish. Much better to take steps towards more snug-fitting socks!

The KAL has a number of indy yarn dyers as sponsors and donating prizes. For this yarn I ordered some Djinni Sock from Dragonfly Fibers. It's a nice, plump MCN and the colours are gorgeous. This colourway is called Oberon. The variegation looks a bit busy now, but I expect after I knit a few more repeats the pattern will emerge more strongly.

On Saturday I cast on a blanket to use up the remaining Berroco Vintage DK in my stash. Surprise has been in my queue forever - it'll make a lovely baby gift for some expectant parents I know. The baby is due in early November so, again, I have plenty of time. But considering that I've knit almost a third of the blanket in just a handful of days it doesn't look like I'll need all that time. The pattern really is as simple and mindless as the designer advertises.

And it's quite lovely, I think. I cast on 167 stitches for a slightly larger blanket. Initial measurements suggest my finished blanket is going to be about 38" x 48". That's a good size right? On smaller needles it would have been smaller and sturdier, but I decided I wanted a light, drapey and lacy blanket - something the baby could actually be wrapped and swaddled in.

That's it for me today. It's a rainy day here for Work-in-Progress Wednesday. As always, check out the links at Tami's Amis!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

This sock pattern - Spring Shoots - has very unusual construction. The foot is knit as a closed tube, and then a row is cut open at the midline of the ankle to add an "afterthought leg". It's Cat Bordhi's idea, and you can find out more in her Houdini Socks pattern from the Twist Collective.

I've never tried it before so I was excited to see it as part of the Socktopus KAL on Ravelry. Frankly the idea of cutting into my knitting scares me - so much can go wrong. But it's actually pretty easy when you follow the step-by-step directions.

The first step is to knit a closed tube for the foot of the sock. At the point where the midline of your ankle will fall string a lifeline through the instep stitches. Then knit two rounds and string another one. The knit row between the two lifelines is where you cut. Before you get your scissors out, grab some smaller needles and use the lifelines to pick up the stitches on each side including a couple of stitches on either side of the lifeline to really anchor the cut ends.

Then snip a stitch near the centre of the instep stitches and unravel that row from one end of the lifelines to the other. Hint: a light coloured working yarn and a dark coloured waste yarn for the lifelines makes it a lot easier to see what you're doing. Once you've unravelled, then you can rearrange the stitches and start knitting the leg. It looks odd at first, but it works. My sock fits just fine and look at the cool "star heel" I've got!

It's always fun to learn a new technique but I doubt this is something I'll do regularly. After all, I don't really see an advantage to this construction method compared to a traditionally constructed sock. One big disadvantage is that it creates six ends to weave in per sock rather than two.

That's my show and tell for today. Lot's more to see over at Tami's Amis for Work-in-Progress Wednesday! That's where I'm headed now; want to come along and see for yourself?

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

At the end of March I decided to gather up all my Berroco Vintage scraps to crochet African Flower Hexagon motifs. And for the last several weeks my finished hexagons have been awaiting a border colour. Finally I went to my LYS and made a decision. Okay, truthfully, I didn't really make a decision. Nina and I laid out all the possible border colours and then settled on this navy blue - the only one that had several balls available in the same dyelot. I wasn't sure how many I'd need for joining and borders - more than one and less than three I guessed - so I'll use whatever's left in a Surprise baby blanket. That pattern's been in my library for months, awaiting yarn and inspiration!

My original thought was to "join as you go" according to this tutorial, but after trying it I decided it was simpler just to join it all up with single crochet. Both Gavin and I have terrible head colds, so simpler is definitely better right now! This morning I wove in all the ends, so all that's left is a couple more rounds of navy blue border. Yes FO Friday, I have my sights firmly set on you!

At work, when I haven't the energy or focus to plug away at my Shark Week Socks, I'm also working on a Teapot Cozy as requested by Linda. The pattern has vertical stripes that are gathered in pleats by short floats on the wrong side. It's clever construction but it's a really unpleasant knit - all those stitches tightly bunched on the needles ... never mind this splitty and squeaky acrylic from Michael's Art and Crafts! Yech! I hope she likes it because I don't plan to ever make another of these!

It's Wednesday, so I hope you have time to check out the links at Tami's Amis. There's almost always some surprising and inspirational things going on!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

You're forgiven if you glanced at the photo and thought "Looks like a mess." That what it looks like to me too. In fact they're bits and pieces of Jerry the Musical Monkey ... two arms, his body, two ears, one complete foot and the start of a second.

I'm working him in sock yarn from the stash. The yellow is Loopy Ewe Solid Series, leftover from Star Trek socks made for Christmas last year. The natural colour is SRK On Your Toes, scraps of which have been used in various projects over the past year.

When I started out I did think that this might be a good choice for the craft sale, but now it looks like I'll struggle to complete more than 1 or 2 monkeys in time. We'll see. There are project notes available from another raveller to make a mini version, so once this guy's complete I may look at that. In the mean time, it's an entertaining little knit and it's stash-busting so it's still a win.

It's Wednesday so you know the drill - have a look at what all the other peeps are up to over at Tami's Amis! Thanks for stopping in to look at my show and tell.

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

It's the hardest thing I've ever attempted in crochet. This Maple Leaf Motif in Irish Crochet is rated as "intermediate" - way outside my beginner crochet comfort level. The instructions are written and charted, but I'm finding the visual clues provided by the chart invaluable.

With the craft show falling just over a week before Canada Day I'm keen to produce some Maple Leaf themed crafts. It'd make cute little hostess gift or table decoration for a Canada Day BBQ, wouldn't it?

This first sample is being made from a DK weight Egyptian cotton on a 2.25mm hook. Looks like it's going to finish up about 8 inches wide. I wouldn't want it any bigger than that so typical worsted weight dishcloth cotton is out of the question. Maybe a fingering weight cotton is the way to go? Any suggestions?

It's Work-in-Progress Wednesday at Tami's Amis. Take some time to check out the links posted. It's a fun way to connect with crafters at every corner of the earth.

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

Almost from the moment I cast off Cladonia on Sunday evening, I've been working on Summer Flies. You see I'm hoping to complete it in time for my Sister's birthday ... cast off no later than Friday evening, block and gift on Saturday. Seemed like a crazy plan, but now that I find myself more than halfway on Wednesday morning, I think it can be done!

The shawl is written for worsted or DK weight yarn, so it's working up pretty quickly. Because of the larger gauge there are considerably fewer stitches and rows than you'd find in a pattern written for lace weight or fingering weight. I'm using Shelridge Farms Soft Touch DKW - a superwash wool in a colourway that matches the top I gave my sister last year. In fact, one of the two skeins I'm using is leftover from that pullover - luckily I was able to pick up the last skein in that dyelot a few weeks ago at the DKC Knitter's Frolic.

Since Sunday I've completed three butterfly sections and four sections of ridged eyelet. Like so many Ravelers before me, I added an additional section of each for a bigger shawl. I'm just about to start the knotted openwork section, which is written as seven patterned rows but I'll work thirteen before buckling down for the ruffled edge and picot bind-off. With shawls I usually find it hard to estimate my progress. Not this time; I have two skeins, I've knit one, so I'm at least half way.

It's work-in-progress Wednesday, and I can't be the only person knitting as if my life depended on it, can I? Why not take some time to click through the links at Tami's Amis to see what other crafters are doing?!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

This morning I'm working on my Linen Stitch Coin Purse. The purse is knit in two pieces, seamed and then inserted into a 4 inch purse frame. As of this morning I've completed the knitting, seamed the purse, glued the fabric into the metal frame. With my very smallest sewing needle I've started hand sewing to secure the fabric through the pre-punched holes in the metal frame.

I've used Hand Maiden Sea Silk (fingering) left over from a Clapotis knit last year so this is a stash-busting project. The two pieces of this purse used 22 grams of yarn leaving me with enough to make one more. Knitting on 3.25 mm needles has resulted in a nice sturdy fabric in linen stitch.

When I was knitting the pieces I did notice that my overall width was 4.625" rather than 4". Being larger isn't much of a problem at the bottom of the purse below the frame but where the knitted work is inserted into the channels in the frame I had to force the excess width in resulting in some subtle puckering. When I do this again - and I will be doing it again because I have five more purse frames - I think I'll narrow the width by four stitches. And if you're interested, I ordered the frames here.

I used my sewing machine to stitch the bottom and side seams but that was a mistake. My machine struggled with the bulk of two thicknesses of linen stitch and it was hard to keep those seams straight. My bottom corners look a bit pointy but I'm hoping to block it to a more rectangular shape once I've got the purse securely sewn together. Next time I'm going to hand sew these seams. In the designer's photo her seams provide really nice bulk to the sides of the purse; nicer than had it been knit in the round.

On her purse the designer also added a fabric liner. My attempt was an epic fail but it would be a nice touch, so maybe I'll be more successful at this on my second time through the pattern.

I was really nervous about the step where I was to glue the purse into the frame but that ended up being easier than I feared. I used Super Tacky white craft glue - the stuff that dries clear. I thoroughly lined the channels in the metal frame using a toothpick to distribute the glue evenly. Then I jammed in the fabric, again using the toothpick to really force every edge in there. After letting it dry for about 20 hours it didn't look half bad. Once those edges are reinforced by sewing I'm going to see if I can't clean some last splotches of glue off the metal frame with rubbing alcohol.

Overall, there's room for improvement, but my worst fears have not been realized so I'm feeling pretty positive. It's work-in-progress Wednesday - you'll find plenty of inspiration in the links over at Tami's Amis!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

With quieter days at work this week, progress continues steadily on my Cladonia Shawl. "You must knit a sweater a week" remarked the Staples delivery guy yesterday. Some weeks I knit more than others - it just depends on the work.

The pattern directs to continue the increases through the striped section until you have 28 stitches between markers. I'm almost there - I've got 25 stitches between markers - but I think I'm going to follow the lead of other ravellers and lengthen the shawl by continuing to 35 stitches between markers. If work stays this quiet I might manage to reach the lace section by Friday. And then the fun begins!

I've also been working away at my Shark Week Socks but I'll spare you the picture. It's been more knit, rip, re-knit, rip than any real progress. Maybe this weekend I'll find some quiet time to sit down and get myself sorted out on this. The pattern is challenging, but it seems like I screw up the easy parts more than the hard parts, so it must just be me.

Between bouts of frustration with the Shark Week Socks I've been crocheting Sock Monkey Cup Cozies. My friend signed us up for a craft table at a local market in June, so I need to put together a few things to offer for sale. The pattern for these cozies is pretty simple, the finishing isn't bad and they work up pretty darned cute. My thinking was that they'd make a good teacher's gift when paired with a takeout cup and a coffee shop gift card. And it doesn't hurt that I seem to have a good selection of suitable yarn in my stash for them, either. Please don't hesitate to offer any pattern suggestions you have for craft sale items; it's my first sale, so I don't really know what will go and what won't.

That's my week this week. Looks like the weather's about to turn warmer and sunnier too! Don't forget it's Wednesday, and there's lots of great stuff to see at the links at Tami's Amis this Work-in-Progress Wednesday!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

In my spare time at work I've been knitting away at my Sarcelle scarf. Slowly but surely it's coming along but I'm beginning to think that my goal to finish by the end of April was optimistic. Of course, with work as busy as it's been I'm only finding time to knit about six rows a day. Still, in this economy it's better to be busy at work than not.

Last night I hoped to make good progress on my second Ensnared sock while Gavin and I watched an action film on DVD. Turns out I can't knit that lattice band correctly while distracted, and as a result, after knitting and ripping back twice I ended up not much further ahead than I started. The pattern is lovely and it's an interesting effect to have the gusset decreases arranged on either side of the top of the instep, but it's working up small. After determining to rip out one pair of socks this week I haven't got the heart to rip out another. The finished pair will fit my friend with size 5 feet beautifully. My size 11s? Not so much. I've been thinking that I could knit a pair for myself by adding 16 stitches and then switching down needle sizes. I'm definitely considering it.

My African Flower Hexagons are hibernating. The ends are woven in. Now the hexagons are awaiting yarn to add borders and join them. I'm vaguely optimistic that I might find that yarn on discount at the DKC Knitter's Frolic a couple of weeks from now so I've set them aside until then. What colour the joins and borders will be is still entirely up in the air, although I seem to be leaning towards a denim-y blue in my head.

As usual, I'm linking up with the gang at Tami's Amis for Work-in-Progress Wednesday. Well worth the time to visit the posted links and have a look at all the amazing work being done!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

At last count I've got 26 African Flower hexagons with ends woven in and a slightly shorter pile of hexagons awaiting attention. There's no rush to complete these as I haven't purchased yarn for the borders and joining yet. I'm thinking about postponing that purchase until the DKC Knitter's Frolic at the end of April. Maybe I can get a deal?

One more pair of socks are off the needles - I'll save that reveal for Friday - and another pair of socks will be cast on today. I've rewound the yarn, printed the pattern and am all ready to start on Ensnared. I'm a little afraid of the pattern because of its unusual heel and gusset construction but the designer assures the knitter that it's easier than it looks.

So the project that's getting the most attention over the last couple of days is this Sarcelle Scarf. When I was given this Schoppel-Wolle Lace Ball for Christmas a couple of years ago I knew I wanted to knit it on the bias. After months of hemming and hawing over patterns I jumped in. So far I'm loving the pattern. I've knit the increase and transition sections and am just starting the even rows that make up the main section of the scarf ... aka the interminable boring part. Wish me luck!

It's Work-in-Progress Wednesday so I'll be linking up with Tami's Amis once her post is up. Please take some time to check out the posts from all the other talented crafters who've linked up! Happy Wednesday!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

Lately my knitting has been all about socks, shawls and scarves, and as a result the needles have been in the 2.0mm - 2.5mm range. I'm not complaining, but as a consequence the stash-busting is proceeding very slowly.

That's why after weighing up my Berroco Vintage DK stash, I decided to give into temptation and start making hexagons with the African Flowers pattern. The truth is that pattern has been calling me since I first saw it on a blog more than a year ago. I'm guessing I've got enough yarn to make 40 or so hexagons, and if I add another colour for borders and joining I should be able to manage a reasonably sized blanket for the Warm Hands Network. Another great thing is that there's a tutorial about joining the hexagons here - that's going to be a big help because I wasn't really sure about where to begin with that.

After knitting on tiny needles over the last few weeks, the speed and gratification of popping out a hexagon every 15 minutes is a nice change of pace. Fast forward through a couple of days of crochet and I find myself with 22 hexagons and counting. Now that's some fast progress on the stash-busting front! But what yarn for the border? Any ideas? Light or dark? Cream or Navy or something else entirely?

It's Wednesday so I'm linking up with the gang at Tami's Amis. If you have a few minutes you should check out the links posted there. Lots of great ideas there!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

Bunny bits! I need four finished bunny egg cozies by Friday for my niece and nephews. Number one was knit and finished to double-check fit - she sits atop a Kinder Surprise Egg perfectly! Bunny two is knit but all the assembly remains. Bunny three has been started. Fortunately they're a quick knit. Even the finishing doesn't take long although it's a bit fiddly ... especially the embroidery which is really not my strong suit.

The pattern is here. I'm knitting entirely from sock yarn scraps; no shortage of colour choices in my stash. I'm just trying to decide about bunny fur colours. I could make them all different if I include some grey bunnies, but I'm leaning towards another cream and another tan instead because grey just seems a bit ... well ... grey. Besides, I think grey faces would necessitate black embroidery rather than dark brown, and I'm not enamoured with that thought either.

Happy Easter everyone! Our celebration takes the form of a long weekend spent with family and chocolate. It's Work-in-Progress Wednesday over at Tami's Amis. I bet you'll find more Easter ideas in the posted links :)

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

When casting on this latest pair of socks I was determined to make them scrappy. After all I've got about a shoebox full of odd balls of sock yarn that I need to work through. I'd picked out the pattern Gentleman's Shooting Stockings in Fluted Pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks, with the half-baked idea that I'd work odd rounds in dark grey and even rounds in scrap colours. But recalling this advice from Weldon's vintage patterns - when changing colors, the first RS row or round of the new color must be knitted plain -  I quickly realized that wouldn't work. Given that this fluted pattern is constructed from knit and purl wedges, working plain knit rounds with any regularity would entirely disrupt the pattern. And I wasn't prepared to ignore the advice and let purl bumps of the previous colour disrupt each successive round, so wide stripes it was. That one knit round after every 18 rounds of pattern just disappears into the work.

Until you try it you just never know whether the colours are going to work together. When combining scraps I try to think about how quilters do it. In this case I gathered all my cold coloured and neutral coloured scraps. Working in my favour is the fact that most of my scraps are solid colours or subtle tonals - they'll all play together fine. I've also tried to make sure there's sufficient contrast between adjacent colours and tried to avoid putting blues side-by-side. So far I'm pleasantly surprised by the effect. I'd wear that.

It's Work-in-progress Wednesday and I'm linking up with the group at Tami's Amis. Please take a few minutes to click the links and see what the others have been working on. You may find the next great idea for your stash yarn!

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

Over the last few days I've been dividing my time between my Lace Ribbon Scarf (at work) and my Lichen Ribbed Socks (at home).

As a result I'm almost at the heel of the second sock. I'm still thrilled with how the colours are playing together ... and it looks like my math was correct and I'll make it through with the scraps of yarn I have left.

Unless the next few days are quiet at work, there's little chance I'll finish the Lace Ribbon Scarf before the end of the month. Could be that deadline was a little unrealistic. The important thing is that it IS being worked on and it IS making progress. Maybe it'll be finished by the end of next week?

There's also some secret Christmas knitting going on that I can't show you. Thank you to all the kind people who assumed I was speaking of next Christmas ... in fact these are gifts that are late for last Christmas. A couple of people on my list got little more than wrapped intentions and I need to make good on my promises.

It's a slushy day - inches and inches of soaking wet mess - so I'm going to cut this short and get ready for a long commute. It's Work-In-Progress Wednesday, so I'm linking up with the gang at Tami's Amis. Take some time to check the links and see all the other works-in-progress. Maybe you'll find some inspiration for your next project?

Work-in-Progress Wednesday

My squares for SIBOL are done, my French Socks are awaiting a second skein of yarn so that I can finish them, and my Lace Ribbon Scarf awaits my attention at work .... I HAD TO cast on another pair of socks, didn't I?

Taking a cue from Tangled Up In Sticks and String I decided on No Purl Monkeys. After all, Dee knows sock knitting. I'm knitting the large size from Knit. Sock. Love. because I don't find that this pattern has much stretch. They look too big on the needles, but they look okay when I try them on. I just hope I'm not left with baggy ankles!

The yarn is Top Cat from Wandering Cat Yarns in a colourway called Mermaid's Delight. With 10% cashmere it's lovely to work with and the colourway IS delightful. It's refreshing to have a variegated yarn that behaves nicely - no pooling or misbehaving so far. There are blues, purples and greens in there, but none overwhelms the others. Well done Rhonda and Valerie!

It's Wednesday ... work-in-progress Wednesday ... so go on and have a look at the wonderful things through the links at Tami's Amis. You know you want to!