Super quick to knit, and the stitch pattern is easily memorized

This is a quick, super-warm knit done in a lopi-style yarn (in this case it’s a custom yarn of 80% alpaca, 5% merino and 15% bamboo, so it’s snuggly *and* luxurious!).

I used 6 oz (170 gm) yarn and US 11 (8 mm) needles to make a scarf 7 x 70″ (18 x 180 cm).

Please let me know if there are any mistakes or unclear bits in the pattern. Download the PDF and enjoy!

Quick Easy Peasy Scarf

Amelia has that top fashion model aloofness down pat

I finished the hat for Elisabeth (made out of that yummy llama/bamboo yarn I mentioned a post or two back) last night, and this morning convinced Amelia to model it out on the back deck in the fall sunshine.  I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out, and if I can scam obtain some more of this yarn from Elisabeth, I’ll try it with a few different cable patterns.

Autumnleaves has bestowed a blog award upon me, which is so sweet of her!  I will write more about that in my next post, after I’ve had time to take care of the responsibilities that come along with this award.  This afternoon I’ll be outside working in the glorious sun, dealing with a different sort of autumn leaves, and contemplating the seven things about me that I have to share with you in my next post….

September, 8 x 10" acrylic on textured canvas

Yet another internet challenge painting, this time for the Wet Canvas landscape forum, which Karen the blogless (no blog, no web site, what’s wrong with that woman?) pointed me at.  Every month several photos are posted, and people choose one (or several, in some cases) to paint.  The one I used as my reference is here, but I’m not sure if you can see it unless you sign up as a member to the Wet Canvas site (if you make art, or want to, it’s worth signing up and taking a look around — there are hours’ worth of inspirational browsing and some great information there).   There are an awful lot of talented people out there, and it’s always interesting to see the different takes on the same picture.

I’ve started texturing the canvases before I paint, and I’m liking how that turns out.  One of my next projects will be a winter scene for a Christmas card, and I’m looking forward to trying out snow on the textured support.  I think it will add to the look of the snow.

Pinned out a bit so you can see the pattern better

Elisabeth’s llama/bamboo yarn is slowly becoming a hat.  I am really loving working with this yarn — it’s soft and cuddly and smooth and creamy (well, fellow fibre people will know what I mean by that), and just a really wonderful yarn to play with. By the way, the colour in this photo is much closer to the actual yarn than the picture in the previous post.

This may look more like a scarf than a hat, but it is the bottom band of the hat, which I’m working flat and will graft into a round.  Then I’ll pick up the crown stitches along the top edge and work those in the round.  When the hat is finished, it’s going to Elisabeth and may end up in her shop, or on her Christmas market table.  Hard to believe it’s time to start thinking about Christmas, but it’s not that far away….

A cable and rib patterned boot sock

Seems like ages since I’ve written here.  It’s been a busy time of appointments and classes all to do with Frank’s new diagnosis of diabetes.  Life is settling back to normal again (the new normal), though, and I’ve found the time for some knitting-pattern writing and some painting.

The half-a-sock on the left is something I’ve been working on with only a little enthusiasm as the weather gets warmer and warmer.  Knit in sport-weight yarn, it really is more of a fall and winter sock, and in summer my knitting fancy tends to turn to lacy shawls and scarves.  At any rate, there’s very little left to do, and virtually no figuring out of things because the foot will be a very standard heel-flap, rounded toe, ribbed foot.  If I can muster up the wanna-do-it-ivity, the pattern should be ready for posting sometime next week.  I suppose it might be timely for my southern hemisphere readers, but I doubt anyone around here needs it any time soon!

"Early Morning", 5 x 7" acrylic on board

This morning I woke up around 4:30 (not unusual for me in the summertime), had a cup of coffee and some cereal, and then, perhaps because it was still early, I felt inspired to do a little painting (it’s only 5 by 7 inches) of a sunrise over a body of water.  To me, this looks like a sunrise when most of the sky is covered with clouds.  Frank thought it was the moon peeping through some nighttime clouds.  Honestly, some people!    In any case, I’ve titled it “Early Morning” so there’s no room for doubt.  Of course, the more I look at it, the more it looks like the moon peeping through nighttime clouds….  Hmmmmmm.

Aquitaine Sock version one, with ribbed ankle and foot

The Aquitaine Sock pattern, named after Eleanor of Aquitaine, contains two versions of a top-down lace patterned sock: version one, with diamonds on the leg and foot-hugging ribbing on the ankle and foot; and version two, with elegant beaded diamonds on the leg, and an unbeaded continuation of the diamonds on the foot.  Suitable for intermediate level knitters, it would also provide a nice challenge to an adventurous sock or lace beginner.

Aquitaine Sock version two, with beads and all-over diamonds

The lace pattern is both charted and written out.  Approximately 400 yards (366 meters) of sock-weight yarn are required, and 48 “E” or 6/0 beads are needed for version two (as well as a crochet hook that fits through the beads).

The downloadable PDF costs $6.50 USD.  Funds are payable through Paypal.

Many thanks to Laura H, Les M, Carla S, Wilma, Cathy W, Mary S, Kris P, Phyllis S, Mary A, Suzie H, and Christel V!  Here is some of their beautiful work:

Wilma's Aquitaine Sock

Cathy W's Aquitaine Sock

Kris P's Aquitaine Sock

Laura H's Aquitaine Sock

Mary A's Aquitaine Sock

"Four Trees" -- this one is in

“Four Trees” is a painting I finished this morning, inspired by the stormy skies we’ve been having the last couple of days. I know that objects “should” be grouped in odd numbers, but I wanted to try an even numbered group, just because.  It’s my painting and I can do what I want.  Phhht.

“Red Yellow Blue” is a picture I did a while ago, but just recently sold (thank you, Jason T!), so it will shortly be out of the house.  I always like to think of my paintings being out in the world, brightening someone else’s space.

For everyone who’s waiting for the Aquitaine sock pattern — I will work on it this afternoon (I’ve been busy with lots of non-knitting things lately, that’s my excuse for not having it done yet!) and should have it finished except for the photos, which are waiting on Frank, the house photographer, who has been downed by a nasty flu or something (no, we haven’t been to Mexico lately) and is draped over the sofa mostly sleeping and occasionally moaning a little.    However, this is day three of the illness, so he should be perking up soon, right?  After all, my model socks are waiting, eyeing me expectantly from beside the phone….

"Red Yellow Blue" -- this one is going out

Happy mother’s day to Mom, and Nellie, and all the other moms out there!

The beaded version

A few weeks ago I posted a request for test knitters for a sock pattern I am designing.  I was amazed at the response — so many people generously offered their time and effort.  Well, the other knitters and I have been working away at our socks, and I hope to offer the finished pattern next week.  There are a few final layout issues and photographs to take care of.

I’ve named the pattern “Aquitaine”, after Eleanor of Aquitaine.  She’s often portrayed in a gown with a diamond patterning, and I used that as inspiration for this sock pattern.  There will be two versions of the sock in the pattern, one plain with ribbing on the foot, and one beaded with the diamond pattern continuing down to the toe.

I’ll be posting some photos from the test knitters in the coming days, too.  It’s really interesting to me to see how the sock looks in different yarns.  And, speaking of different yarns….

Sock yarn

After taking a little time off from dyeing, I’m back into it.  These are all sock-weight yarn, and they’re all available to buy on eBay (along with a bunch of other things — I’m spring cleaning, lol).

Yesterday the weather was lovely enough that my painting class went outdoors to do some sketching at Britannia Beach.  This was my first outdoor sketching of the year, and I’m looking forward to lots more of it.  Cheryl has promised that we’ll be painting outside, too, and I’m happy about that.  I haven’t actually done any plein air painting before.  I hope we can get to it while the weather’s not too hot, and the bugs aren’t out in full force yet (mosquitoes and blackflies — I always wonder what made the pioneers decide to settle here!).  My friend Karen gave me an early birthday present (really early; my birthday’s in August!) of a little water-colour set suitable for packing along in my sketching kit.  I’ll be adding colour to some of my sketches, which should be fun.  I’ve never felt the urge to do full-blown water colour painting, but some of the things I sketch could definitely get some added interest from colour washes.

Today the temperature is supposed to hit 27C — time for ice cream!

This is the first bit...

Pictured at left is the start of my next sock pattern, which is worked out in my head, but not quite on paper yet.  I knit a bit, and try to write it down a bit, and in theory that should produce a flawless pattern, but it just doesn’t work that way.  Gremlins lurk around the keyboard, waiting for an opportunity to slip in a wrong number here, omit a bit there….

This particular pattern is one I am planning to offer for sale (my first!), so I would like it to be mistake-free when I publish it.  To that end, I’m looking for eight test-knitters to put the pattern through its paces — four who will follow the charts, and four who will follow the written directions.  There is no monetary compensation, but I will credit the knitters in the final pattern (and of course, you’ll get a final copy of the pattern for free).  I plan to have the draft pattern ready some time this weekend.  If you are interested and can commit to finishing one sock within ten days of receipt of the pattern, have some sock-weight yarn you can devote to this project, are able to suggest corrections for any errors you might find, and will promise not to circulate the pattern, please leave a comment and I’ll contact you by email.  Let me know in the comment whether you’re a chart or written directions knitter.   Thanks so much!

Update: I now have all the test knitters I need for this project, and many thanks to all who asked about it.  For those who want to know when the pattern will be available, my best guess right now is around the end of this month — I’ll make a posting on a few appropriate mailing lists, and of course I’ll mention it here. I’m feeling quite encouraged by the response to the photo of the first few inches of it. 

There are holes in my socks, and it's ok

I was wondering about putting holes in socks on purpose, and this is what developed.  It’s an easy pattern; there are double yarn-overs, which you work with one knit and one purl stitch in the next row, and the rest is pretty much just plain knitting.

I used Jojoland Melody Superwash Fingering yarn in colour MS12 (a really lovely dark blue and burgundy shading), two balls of 220 yards (200 m) each to make socks with 10″/25 cm long feet and 10″/25 cm legs from top of the cuff to the bottom of the heel, and had a fair bit left over.

If you find a mistake or something that isn’t clear, please leave me a comment so I can correct it.  Even if you don’t find a mistake, please leave me a comment (we bloggers thrive on comments, doncha know)!

Here you go: Holes in my Socks!