Showing posts with label SAM KAL. Show all posts
Showing posts with label SAM KAL. Show all posts

Friday, January 13, 2012

Stash Mania!

Hello Dear Friends!  I've been doing a "stash-free summer" the last few years.  And it's actually been pretty successful.  And those stash-free summers usually carry over into the remaining part of the year with very little additional stash accumulation.  So from the end of May through the end of December, I usually make a pretty good dent using my current stash (you would think it would show more, but there you go.)  But when my birthday rolls around in December, I'm usually jones-ing for something new (and it usually has to do with socks.)

Wrap birthday, sock yarn and sale all together and this is what you end up (courtesy of Webs)...


I've been researching sock-yarn-clubs (where you get a skein of specially hand-dyed sock yarn and an exclusive pattern and sometimes a few extra little trinkets show up in your mailbox every other month.)  But you know, forking over $240+ for 6 skeins of yarn is not in my budget.  And what if I don't like the colorway that shows up?  I figure I can spend a lot less and get a little more bang for my buck by doing my own little sock-club.  Heck, I already own almost every sock pattern book published not to mention the 100's of free patterns out there.

So here is the first installment of "staci's frugal sock yarn club".  Whoops...how'd that red yarn for a skirt get in there???  I have yarn for 4 pairs of socks and a skirt at a fraction of 4 shipments from a club.  In fact, it cost less than 2 shipments.  (And no, I'm not going to be doing this every other month, LOL!!!)


The last of my stash I have to share today is this gorgeous hand-dyed thread I won from Nancy of Victorian Motto.  I first purchased thread from Nancy back in 2008 and her thread is wonderful to work with.  You many remember that my rooster is stitched with one of Nancy's reds.  She's currently having another floss giveaway on her blog so you better head over for a chance!  Thank you so much Nancy!!!


 
My friend Wendy Jo's birthday was yesterday and I knit her a pair of plain picot socks and included a collectors edition Whitman's tin I found at the holidays.  We never get the Whitman's tins around here so you have to believe I snatched some of those babies up, lol!!!  Happy Birthday dear friend!!!



Well goodness, that was quite a lot of stuff!  Thanks for stopping by my neck of the woods and for your sweet comments.  Happy Friday the 13th...Make it a Great One!!!


Friday, December 9, 2011

Aaahhh!

Much better!  Thank you all for you kind comments and get well wishes...I'm feeling back to normal today :)




Got the socks for Youngest done.  I swear I'm not playing favorites, he's the only one of the Kiddos who wears handknit socks daily.  The other two only wear them occasionally (not sure what the occasion has to be, but...)  And, since his socks are the same size as mine...I figure next winter they'll be in my drawer, lol! 


60st basic stockinette socks
Zwerger Garn Opal Zirkus/Circus
(gifted to me by Margaret clear back in 2008!)
2.5mm dpns

Because I finished those socks, I was able to cast on some new ones (for me of course!)  And these just seem to be zipping along (but maybe that's because I'm no longer in an achy, hazy fog.)

 


I saw these in the store this week and couldn't help myself.  I just got done telling Hubby last week that I am a total sucker for stuff with retro/vintage packaging :)



And finally, thank you everyone for leaving a comment on my giveaway post, I really wish I could send you each a little something.  Drumroll please!  The Random Number Generator picked #42:

Tea at Weasel's said...
Hi there! What a gorgeous blog you have here. Thank you for the kind comment you left on my post today :)
I would love to enter your givaway if you don't mind? The little jumper is just too cute!!
My email address is graytrips@hotmail.co.uk

Hope you are having a fab weekend,
Louise xx



Thank you everyone for stopping by my neck of the woods...your visits brighten my day!  Happy Friday!

Thursday, December 1, 2011

Busy, Busy!

Hello My Lovelies!  My how time does fly!  The Kiddos and Hubby were off all of Thanksgiving week and we've been very busy and my usual routines have been turned upside down, so things are really piling up blogging-wise ;)

My needles have been busy clicking away!  A pair of socks for me...


See the sparkles???


A pair of socks for Youngest...



I've been having the most fun knitting sweaters from leftover sock yarn for the tree!!!


Hubby even fashioned some miniature "hangers" out of paperclips...



Hubby and I also celebrated our 19th Anniversary the day after Thanksgiving.  And my dear friend Wendy Jo remembered our day with this sweet card and beautiful bracelet.  Thank you so much Wendy Jo for being such a thoughtful and generous friend!



There is actually more left to share with you, but I'll leave it for another day :)  All the knitty details can be found on my Ravelry page.

Thanks for stopping by my snowy neck of the woods!  Happy December!!!

Saturday, July 16, 2011

So far this month...

*the boys rescued a baby bird
*we went to the mountains for a picnic and hike
*watched fireworks and ate s'mores
*took Oldest for her yearly physical and got kinda sad that she's outgrowing her pediatrician
*picked the first jalapenos from our garden and made salsa
*we got rained out of the same softball game two days in a row
*went to a cookout with some out of town relatives of Hubby's
*Middle got bitten by a dog while riding his bike resulting in a trip to the ER
*dog-sat a 3-month old Chihuahua named Chloe
*had a garage sale
*saw the final Harry Potter movie
*finally finished that softball game
*picked 2 cherry tomatoes, 1 yellow tomato and 1 zucchini from the garden
*watching the Tour de France
***Wonder what the other half of July has in store, lol!!!

Oh yeah, I finished some socks~~two pairs in fact!


Simple Textured Socks by Kay Redding
free pattern found here
size:  women's med
needles:  sz 2.5mm dpn's
yarn:  Ty-Dy Socks by Knit One Crochet Too,
color #1518
1 skein:  100g/436yds

(and what a happy chance that they ended up matching almost perfectly just by knitting them straight off the skein!)



Winterscape Socks by Kay Redding
free pattern found here
size:  women's med
needles:  sz 2.25mm dpn's
yarn:  Bamboo & Ewe by Jo-Ann Sensations,
color Red
2 skeins:  262yds/60g

I received this darling prim Liberty pillow from my dear friend Wendy Jo...it's such a wonderful addition to my Americana decor.  She also included a sweet pin-cushion filled with crushed walnut shells too.  Thank you so much Wendy Jo for your beautiful and thoughtful gifts, I love them!!!



I was also lucky enough to win this cute chart from Melanie.  Now to find some stitching mojo because this sure would be cute to have displayed this fall!  Thank you so much for your kindness Melanie!!!




And that, my dear friends, wraps everything up in my neck of the woods.  I hope you are having a wonderful July too!


Wednesday, June 29, 2011

Knitting Frenzy

Still knitting...A Lot.
The goal of making a substantial dent in my yarn stash is fueling my knitting frenzy.
And Ravelry is to blame too.
Case in point:  this wrap.
I never wanted to make it.
Until I saw a finished one on Rav.
Oh yeah.
Ravelry is just a synonym for Enable.


Turns out this wrap is fabulous.
Nice mindless knitting (perfect for summertime and watching baseball.)
I can see myself wearing it...A Lot
(unlike some of the knitting, though wonderful and I'm pleased with, I just don't wear it much.
Surely, you can relate?!)
I wanted this to be wider than the pattern
and to also have a deeper ruffle.
You can find all the details here.

 

I had a sudden deep, fierce desire for cozy, over-the-knee socks to wear with my boots and short skirts this coming fall/winter.
(Thank you again Ravelry.)
Nothing like deciding this as we are now reaching 90deg temps.
You can find the cliff notes over here...


Did you catch that?
I'm trying to get you hooked on Rav too?

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

2~4~April

I didn't knit any socks in March.
But I have two pairs this month for the SAM KAL...


Blueberry Waffle Socks by Sandy Turner
freebie found here
size:  women's sm/med
yarn:  Crystal Palace Yarns Panda Superwash,
color:  Violets
2 skeins:  50g/186yds each
needles:  size 2.75 mm
modifications:  I cast on 56 stitches since the pattern is written for a slightly heavier weight yarn



56-stitch basic stockinette sock with picot edging
size:  women's sm/med
yarn:  Heart & Sole by Red Heart
color:  Blackjack
2 skeins:  50g/213yds each
needles:  size 2.75mm


It's a chilly, gray day with rain in the forecast.
My work is caught up,
so I'm going to go spend a few hours with this...


And this...


Happy Wednesday!!!

Monday, February 28, 2011

It's Monday...

So it's time for a sock post!!!


October was the last month I added new socks to my drawer.
Now I have 3 new pairs of fun stripes and simple picots...




48st stockinette socks with picot cuff
size:  women's sm/med
yarn:  Patons Kroy Socks Stripes
needles:  sz 3.00 dpn's
colors:  from top to bottom,
#55315 Sweet Stripes
#55135 Sailor Stripes
#55617 Sporty Stripes


Love, Love, Love!!!
Wishing you a Happy Monday too :)

Monday, January 31, 2011

Pausing...

Hello Dear Friends.
Thank you all so much for your kind comments on my ornaments.
I really appreciate that you take the time to visit me here :)


Just a short and sweet note to let you know that I'm going to be taking a blogging break.



Hugs till next time, Staci

Tuesday, December 21, 2010

Wrapping up before the Big Day

Good Morning Dear Friends!  I got up this morning and got cracking on the last two gifts.  This one just needed all the ends woven in and a ribbon tied 'round...


And just needed to knit the toe of sock #2...


And that concludes the 2010 edition of the Handmade Holiday Gift List!  Hurrah!


I received some wonderful gifts in the mail yesterday from some really wonderful friends.
Dear Julianne sent me two ornaments, one for last year and one for this year...how incredibly sweet is that?  Thank you so much Julianne, you are so kind and thoughtful and I just absolutely adore them!


And thoughtful and talented Harmien sent me this clever ornament.  I just love it!  Thank you Harmien for being such a dear friend!


And then this pretty card with some equally pretty red thread came from sweet Michele W.  Thank you so much Michele for thinking of me, you always make me smile and it seems we're often on the "same wavelength"!


I feel so lucky to have made some really wonderful friendships through blogging.
Thank you everyone.
And a BIG HEARTFELT THANK YOU to each of you who stop by and visit me here.
Wishing each and every one of you a Very Merry Christmas and a Wonderful New Year!
I hope this holiday season finds you surrounded by peace and love.
See you all in the new year!
Hugs, Staci

Tuesday, November 30, 2010

Two to give and One to finish

Oh, woe is me! 
My coffee maker died last night...RIP my faithful servant.
A replacement will be acquired once the kiddos are taken to school.
Now, on to 2 more for the HHGL*:
A couple of pairs of simple, but cozy gift socks...


56 stitch basic stockinette
size:  women's med
yarn:  Patons Kroy Socks Stripes, color #55301 Sultana Stripes
2 skeins:  50g/166yds
needles:  size 3.25mm dpn's


48 stitch stockinette socks with a twisted rib cuff
size:  women's sm/med
yarn:  Patons Kroy Socks FX, color #57242 Clover Colors
2 skeins:  50g/166yds
needles:  size 3.25mm dpn's


Found 9 matching buttons in my stash...to sew in the project from last week.
Hopefully I get around to it today :)
After coffee...


HHGL*:  Handmade Holiday Gift List

Wednesday, November 3, 2010

Happy Wednesday!

Hello everyone!  Yes, the "clever title gods" have abandoned me.  It's late start day, so I'm just popping on here to show you one of my knitty finishes before I take the kids to school and do my volunteer stint with one of the boys' reading groups :)

One of the first additions I like to make to my fall wardrobe is a new scarf (or two, or three...)  And this one is a really fun, easy and quick knit.  I used 2 full skeins of yarn and wish I'd had about half a skein more...it's an "ok" length, I just like mine a little bit longer.


Cable and Lace Scarf by Kimberly Powell
from the 2010 Knitting Calendar
yarn:  Country by Caron, color #0017 claret
2 skeins:  185yds/85g
needles:  sz 8


I've been doing the Sock-A-Month Knit-A-Long this year.  The only rule is to knit a pair of socks every month.  Joining has really boosted my sock production.  That and my desire to have a drawer like this.  I've knit a total of 30 pairs so far this year.  5 pairs are covering other people's feet, which means I've kept 25 pairs.  I'm totally obsessed and don't see myself stopping anytime soon, LOL!!!  (Maybe I'll never have to wear store-bought socks again?!?)


That's about it for my neck of the woods today.  I still have a couple more knitty finishes to share, but gotta get some pics first. 

We've been having the most wonderful fall weather!  The boys have been wearing shorts the last couple of days and there were a lot of people handing out candy on Halloween in shorts too...amazing!  I think I always had to wear a coat over/under the costume as a kid!!!  Hoping you're having a fantastic fall too!!!

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Sock Weather

Hello Friends!  It seems I've lost my blogging mojo along with my stitching mojo...so if you find either one, can you send it back?  I thought I'd better make an appearance because the knitty finishes are starting to pile up!


64st basic stockinette
size:  women's sm/med
needles: size 2.5mm dpn's
yarn:  Serenity by Deborah Norville, color Jasper
2 skeins: 50g/230yds

(my photo "helper"...not really considering he sat on the socks and then tried to lick the camera) 



Eyelet rib cuff pattern from
Knit Simple, Fall 2010
I cast on 49st for the cuff and then decreased one stitch to 48 for the stockinette leg and rest of sock
size: women's med
needles: size 3.25mm
yarn:  unknown thrifted sportweight (?)



56st basic stockinette
size:  women's sm/med
needles:  size 2.75mm
yarn:  Vanna's Glamour, color #153 onyx
2 skeins: 50g/202yds


We've been having some gorgeous fall weather, but the temps are definitely more seasonal this week.  The chill in the air makes me thankful for a drawer full of handknit socks! 

Hoping you are having some fabulous fall weather too!  Thanks for stopping by my neck of the woods...I really enjoy your visits!

Monday, September 20, 2010

More Autumn Things

Hello dear friends!  Lisa P (no blog) has received the private Autumn Exchange I made for her.  And I'm sooo happy and relieved to hear that she likes it!


Autumn Leaves
Book #132 by The Prairie Schooler
fabric:  32ct lambswool linen
fibers:  DMC
scissor fob filled with crushed walnuts



I even made the rusty bells myself!  I found some instructions in the Oct 2010 issue of Create & Decorate and it was a cinch to do with materials I had on hand :)


You might remember that I've mentioned many a time or two that I love to start the week with a new pair of finished socks.  Something about it makes the dreaded Monday so much better :)  Fall seems like the perfect time to get back to that, seeing that my previous pair of finished socks were, ironically, a Monday post.

Presenting my Simply Ginny socks.  I love everything about them......the pattern was simple and enchanting, the yarn soft and cozy, and the color is cheery and delightfully fall!  


Simply Ginny
(freebie pattern found here, rav link)
size: women's med
yarn:  Socrates by Alpaca with a Twist, color #5017
1 skein:  100g/400yds
needles:  size 2.75mm dpn's
modifications:  5 pattern repeats worked for each leg,
my standard stockinette heel and wedge toe



I'm ready for these 90-degree temps to take a hike.....bring on some wool-sock-weather!!!