On the Needles - 11-8-13

Since I was so burned out on quilting after Moonglow, I kicked up my knitting projects a notch in the past few weeks!  I find it really relaxing to just sit with needles and yarn, and quietly, gently make something beautiful appear out of nowhere :*)

I just finished a wonderful new pair of plain jane socks.....

These are my Surf Serenity socks that I finished up in just 10 days!  You can see more pictures and read about them in my last blog post HERE.  Several have commented that the color bands match so well - that was totally unexpected!  I did take off some yarn at the beginning of one of the balls of yarn so the toes would be the same, but I never dreamed they would keep the same bands of color throughout most of both socks! :*)

In that post I also shared about a new-to-me method of stretchy binding off that worked like a charm!!!

I've worked a little on Wingspan - two "wings" are now finished and I've started on the third.

Joanne and I are going to Knaughty Knitter tomorrow and I hope to pick up a longer pair of #4 circulars because I'll be running out of room on these soon I'm afraid.  I'm also not really liking the way these Clover bamboo needles are "grabbing" the yarn, and the tips are too blunt for it as well.  I like the Knit Picks wooden circulars that I've been using for my socks - much smoother and with pointier tips.  The only metal needles I've found that I like are the Addi's.  They don't get "tacky" and they don't slip off the loops easily like other metal needles seem to do.  Although they are quite a bit more expensive, they may be worth it.  The right tools really DO make a difference!!!

As Denise at Justquiltin' promised, Wingspan is the perfect take-along project!  Very little thinking involved, so you don't have to follow a pattern every stitch.  And it is light and compact enough to carry in my purse.  I'm really enjoying the colors too, and this yarn is heavenly!!!!  This project will move slowly as its purpose is to have a "take along" project when I will be sitting somewhere and need to have my hands busy.

I have a couple of new projects in waiting.... all of them pretty involved and requiring some concentration and skills that I may not yet have :)  I need to decide on which one gets to be next, and get it started.

My husband gifted me with all the materials for my 100 Diamonds shawl for my birthday.  (Isn't he a pretty awesome guy?!?!  Yup, he certainly is :*D)  Ooo-la-la!!!!  I love this shawl!!!  So elegant and delicate.  And I'm very happy with the color yarn I chose...Raspberry - Yum!!!

I also decided to add the beads to this project.  It calls for one tiny little 3mm Swarovski crystal bead in the center of each diamond intersection.  Ya know I just love that bling, right???  I was too chicken to try them with my Cloud Illusions shawl LOL!!!  But I think I may be ready now, and I'm in love with the idea of how they will sparkle ever so gently on this delicate shawl.  Yes, I do believe I am waxing poetic!!!

I was shocked when they arrived - sooooooo tiny!!!!  And I had to order a special crochet hook for attaching them.  You can get an idea of the miniature sizes of the beads and hook by the toothpick added to this picture....

And by the way, I found a wonderful supplier for Addi needles and hooks - addi Needle Shop .  They have any Addi needle you might want and free shipping in the US!  I found the crochet hook I needed - the price was less than Amazon's, it included a protective cap, and there was no shipping!  They were very friendly, and they shipped quick.  I couldn't have asked for anything more!

But I think I will wait just a little longer until I have a little more experience under my belt before I make this special shawl.  I want it to be glorious!!!!  Well, I want it to look like Sachiko's flawless shawls, but that's not going to happen LOL!!!  This is a chart pattern which I've never done before, so I think I may find a simple chart pattern on Ravelry and practice that first.  Plus, I really want my knitting to be even and smooth on this shawl, because it will really show up if its not.  You can only get that from practice, practice, practice!!!!

So the project I think I'm going to start next has been waiting in the wings for a while now, almost since I started knitting again.  It is the Neck Down Swing Coat.....perfect with winter on the way!  Of course, it may be next winter before I finish it LOL!!!

I got the pattern and that wonderful hand-dyed worsted yarn at Knaughty Knitter - don't you just LOVE that yarn!!!!  I believe Meredith (shop owner) dyed that herself :)  I've put off starting this project because I am terribly nervous about successfully knitting a garment that will actually fit me!  I've never done anything but shawls and socks, so this is a new animal altogether :*)

To help in this learning process, I signed up for a Craftsy class - Knit Lab - Fit Your Knits....

I'll keep you posted on how the class goes and whether I am able to make any progress on this Swing Coat!

In the meantime, I will be putting yarn on the needles for another pair of socks to relax with in the evenings while watching my taped shows....

I've promised my daughter a pair of purple socks, and I just loved the colorplay in this yarn.  I wanted to try out the Kroy socks yarn to see how I like it.  There are a lot of colors that I like, but it is more expensive than some other sock yarns at Joann's, so I had been passing it up.  I was able to use coupons to get these relatively inexpensively.  I like that this yarn is mostly wool and it has a really nice soft feel to it.  I think my daughter will enjoy these! =^..^=

I'm linking up with Judy's On The Needles linky party at Patchwork Times - come see!!!

Have a wonderful & creative weekend my friends!!!

Hugs & Blessings!

Teresa

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