MontanananaDesigns

Caught Up!!!

2011-08-29T11:34:00.001-07:00

WOW! I think I'm FINALLY caught up with my blogging again.
It's been quite awhile since I've posted here.
I've been busy making beads and jewelry, plus
knitting socks.
I also have printed out and laminated several of my sock patterns and put them into tins
for easy reference. I have them listed on my Etsy Store.
They can be found here:
This is what they look like.....

So as you can see, I've been a busy, busy girl!!
But it's been fun.
I hope I have things in my store that will make it easier for you
to do your Christmas shopping. :)

Feather Lace Toe Up Socks

2011-08-29T11:12:00.001-07:00

This is my Feather Lace Toe Up Socks.
The chart needs to be followed closely, and I don't think it would be very easy to memorize the pattern. But boy are these pretty socks!!
I used KnitPicks Risata yarn.
These socks turned out very nice.

The pattern can be found here:
I am charging $5.00 for the PDF file.

Wings Of A Swan Toe Up Socks

2011-08-29T11:03:00.001-07:00

This was such a fun pair of socks to design.
I named them "Wings Of A Swan" toe up socks.
The pattern chart is a little more detailed than my charts usually
are, and you most likely won't be able to memorize the pattern
but will have to keep the chart handy.
This pattern is for sale at my Etsy store for $5.00 in
PDF format.
It can be found here:

I am sooo in love with these socks.
I used Wendy Happy yarn and it's oh so soft!

Ladders and Lace Toe Up Socks

2011-08-29T10:54:00.001-07:00

I named these socks "Ladders And Lace".
I have the pattern for sale at my Etsy store for $5.00 in PDF format.
You can find the pattern here:
I love the look of 'ladders' in my socks.
I hope you will like this pattern as much as I do.

Lainey Lou Socks

2011-08-29T10:40:00.001-07:00

I named these socks "Lainey Lou" socks for my sweet friend Lainey.
These socks turned out very cute.
I am selling the pattern on my Etsy store for $5.00 in PDF format.
You can find the pattern here:

I hope you will like the pattern as well as I do.

Diamond Panel Toe Up Socks

2011-07-05T19:38:00.001-07:00

I finished these socks several weeks ago and forgot to write up the pattern, so that's what I did today. I named them "Diamond Panel Toe Up Socks" and you can find the pattern in my Etsy shop here:
I am charging $5.00 for the pattern.
There is a chart included in the pattern.

Leaf Stitch Toe Up Socks

2011-07-04T16:20:00.001-07:00

I finished another pair of socks today, and got the pattern written up.
I named them Leaf Stitch Toe Up Socks.
I LOVE this pattern, and actually have made 2 pairs of socks from it.

The yarn I used was from Knit One Crochet Too and is named Pediwick.
It is a yarn made of bamboo and nylon.
LOVELY yarn. It's a little 'splitty' to work with, but I love it and will
make more socks with it. They will be nice warmer weather socks.

The pattern can be found here:
on my Etsy store.
I am selling the pattern in pdf format for $5.00.

Double Cable Toe Up Socks

2011-05-19T10:43:00.000-07:00

My first cabled sock pattern.
I named it "Double Cable Toe Up Socks".
I love cables!
I'm happy with these socks!

I am charging $5.00 for the pattern, and it can be found
in my Etsy store here:

I Got A New Camera.....

2011-05-14T18:18:00.001-07:00

Out on our back deck

One of my African Violets

Terry and Muffy

Muffy

My Hen and Chicks

....... I'm loving it!!
It's not the one I 'wanted', but it's the one I could afford.
I'm happy with it!

Polyclay Tropical Barefoot Sandals

2011-05-14T16:34:00.001-07:00

Barefoot Sandals are fun, fun, fun! For those of us who love to go barefoot, but yet would like to 'dress up' our feet, these are the perfect answer. You will feel special and dressy in these' sandals'. The beads are chunky and colorful, and will be real eye stoppers at any casual get together that you will go to......perfect with your favorite sundress, or a pair of denim shorts, or with a bathing suit, or a pair of capris. They will go with just about anything you choose to wear. They are bright and summery, and you will be wearing a one of a kind product that everyone will love.

They are listed on my Etsy store, and you can see them here:

These Barefoot Sandals were created using my own handmade beads. The beads were created with Premo polymer clay without the use of a mold, so each bead is unique in size, shape and color design. No two beads are exactly alike.....and no two sandals will be exactly alike. I used stretch bead and jewelry cord in the construction of these sandals, so they will fit most ladies sized feet.

(Please ignore the feet in these photos. I didn't have anyone here to model for me, so I had to put them on my own feet)

Drunken Ribs Toe Up Socks and Pacific Coast Toe Up Socks

2011-05-07T11:38:00.001-07:00

I have some new sock patterns uploaded.
These I named 'Drunken Ribs Toe Up Socks'.
They are made with Knit Picks Stroll sock yarn.
You can find the pattern here:
I am selling the pattern for $5.00 in PDF format.

I've had so many people ask me if I would sell some of my socks,
so I am going to put these sock up on my Etsy store to sell,
and they should be up in the next day or so.
The address for my store is here.
I am going to list 3 different pair of socks.

Here is another pair of socks that I made. We were touring
the Oregon Coast last week, and the coastline inspired me to make these socks.
I named these socks "Pacific Coast Toe Up Socks "
and they are made with Deborah Norville Yarn.
I have uploaded the pattern for these socks also, and the pattern can be found here:
I am charging $5.00 for this pattern in PDF format.
I will also put these socks up for sale on my Etsy store.

Herringbone Ribs Toe Up Socks

2011-04-21T12:40:00.000-07:00

Boy, it's been awhile again! Being a Great Grandma took away from my sock knitting.
I've knit so many baby things....... *grins*

Anyway, this is my latest sock pattern.
I named it Herringbone Ribs, and I love these socks!!
I used KnitPicks Bare yarn, and it's just so nice to work with.

I am charging $5.00 for the pattern and it can be can be found here:

Thanks for looking.

Ribbed Diamond Toe Up Sock Pattern

2011-01-08T18:43:00.001-08:00

Here is another new sock pattern from me. I like this pattern, and I named it
Ribbed Diamond Toe Up Socks.
The ribs are obvious, the diamonds are very subtle.
The yarn is Knit Picks Bare that I dyed myself.
These socks will look great with my new yellow sweatshirt!

I've been having fun creating new sock patterns. I have another pair on the needles now.
I love knitting socks......and I love wearing them even more!!

HAPPY NEW YEAR and Celebration Toe Up Socks

2011-01-02T11:07:00.001-08:00

Here is my first sock pattern for 2011.
I named this sock pattern 'Celebration Toe Up Socks' and you can find the pattern here.
I am charging $5.00 for the pattern.
I really, really like this pattern!
I hope you will like it, too.

Today is Jan. 2, and both of our kids are on the highway heading to their respective homes. Man, the house is quiet!! We will miss them...and Muffy will miss them too!

I pray you will all have a blessed New Year.

New Years Toe-up Socks

2010-12-23T09:32:00.001-08:00

Here is my latest sock pattern. I named this pattern "New Years Socks" because they are the last ones that I will create this year. I made these socks out of Wildfoote Sock Yarn that I purchased at Fabrications. It was very nice yarn to work with!

Here is the link to the pattern

It's been a long, long time since I posted on my blog.
The puppy (Muffy) keeps me busy, and she doesn't like it if I'm on the computer too long. LOL
She rules the roost around here!

I want to wish you all a VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
And remember to
KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS....
for HE IS the REASON for the SEASON!!

Painting and Spinning...never a dull moment!

2010-10-27T08:34:00.001-07:00

Just a couple class projects that we did in my watercolor class.
The gals all did really great.

Last night was supposed to be our last class, but we didn't get
completed, so we will have a final class next week.
What a great class!

I've been doing some spinning also.

This will be sock yarn. I love the color. :)
I can just see it made into socks!

Muffy......

2010-10-26T09:30:00.000-07:00

Muffy is sure growing. We are enjoying her so much.

The last picture was taken this morning.
She is 12 weeks old now.

I am going to spin today. I have some periwinkle roving that I'm spinning into sock yarn.
The weather is icky, so it's a good day to be inside.

Puppies and Socks

2010-10-11T09:38:00.000-07:00

I finished another sock pattern last week.
I named these "Autumns Harvest".
It is an easy pattern to memorize, and I really
like the way the socks turned out.

I will use this pattern over and over, as I really like
the way they turned out.
I LOVE my handmade socks!!

Now....news about the puppy........

So, Muffy has decided to hold up the other ear
and let the one that she was holding up flop down. LOL

Gotta love the look!!

Heeeeerrrrreeeeee'ssss Muffy!

2010-10-07T11:43:00.000-07:00

We have a new baby Yorkie at our house.
We've missed our Sassy soooooo much, so couldn't resist when
this little girl became available.

This is Muffy....taken when she was 3 weeks old.
:)

Here she is at 7 weeks. She weighed in at 1 1/3 lb on the day I got her
at 6 1/2 weeks.

Here she is at 8 weeks. She decided to hold her ears up for a couple
of days, and then got tired of that look and let them droop again. LOL

Here she is at 9 1/2 weeks (taken yesterday)
She's trying a new look with the ears. *ggg*
She weighed in at almost 2 lb today!
She's getting BIG. *grins*

Our 110 - 120 lb yellow lab is scared of her!
She's a bully. LOL

Well, this is it for me for today.
Hopefully I can start being more faithful here again.

Another Waffle Stitch Toe Up Sock pattern

2010-08-26T10:24:00.001-07:00

I finished another pair of socks the other day.
I named them "Another Waffle Stitch Toe Up Socks".
I used Wildfoote Luxury Sock Yarn in the color 'Symphony' for these socks,
which I purchased here at FABRICATIONS, our local fabric/yarn shop.
The pattern can be found here:

http://tinyurl.com/2f8kbxe

This is the pattern I will be using when I teach the sock class this winter.

I'm FINALLY back!

2010-08-03T09:45:00.000-07:00

Our grandson got married on the 22nd of July.
The entire month of July we had company so I wasn't
doing a lot of knitting. I LOVED having my kids home so I'm definitely not complaining!
I sure miss my Mandi now that she's gone. She was here with us for 3 weeks.
What a good kid she is!

BUT.....last night I finished a pair of socks that I started after
everyone left. These socks are made with either 3 or 4 balls of scrap
yarn. What a GREAT way to use up leftovers. And a challenge to
get colors to coordinate and all. I really like these socks!

Painting for tonight's class

2010-07-13T14:03:00.001-07:00

I have spent the day today preparing for tonight's watercolor class. This is what we will do tonight....at least for those who want to do it. :) This was a fun painting to do.

I've been MIA lately. It's been really busy around here, but after next week it should slow down for me.

Wavy Lace Rib Toe-Up Socks

2010-05-29T20:41:00.001-07:00

This is my latest sock pattern. I named it "Wavy Lace Rib" and the pattern can be found here.
This is a very easy pattern to do, and easy to memorize. I love this pattern. I will for sure make this pattern again!
I used Cascade Fixation yarn for these socks.

Mountain Laurel Toe Up Socks

2010-05-24T18:04:00.000-07:00

I finished another pair of socks today. I named them "Mountain Laurel Toe Up Socks".
You can find the pattern here.
I really like these socks. The yarn is Debra Norville and it's very, very soft!!
I like the pattern also as it's very easy to memorize.
I had fun writing up this pattern.

Paintings

2010-05-22T11:16:00.000-07:00

Each of these watercolors is on approx 7" x 11" of 300 lb watercolor paper.
It's been fun painting again! :)
They are ready to be mounted and framed.

I am also working on another pair of socks. I will have them finished and the pattern up and ready in a few days.

It's a gloomy, rainy day here. I think I'll go knit for awhile. :)

Shells and Eyelets Toe-up socks

2010-05-20T08:15:00.000-07:00

I finished these socks this past week.
They are my Shells and Eyelets Toe-up Socks
and the pattern can be found here.
I am working on another new sock pattern now.

Twisted Rib Stitch Toe Up Socks

2010-05-11T10:23:00.001-07:00

It's been over a month since I last posted to my blog.
Losing Sassy was hard, but we are healing. I sure do miss that little girl, though. The house is awfully lonely without her following me around and watching over me. :)

I finished these socks the end of March, but didn't get them photographed or the pattern written out until now. I named them "Twisted Rib Stitch Toe-Up Socks" and they are a very simple pattern to make, and I really like the way they turned out. You can find the pattern here.

During the month of April I spent all of my knitting time making little burial gowns for preemie babies for the funeral home here. Yesterday I gave them to the funeral home. I had 5 gowns with caps and booties made up for them, plus a little cocoon. Joyce also made a cocoon for them. We are excited about our preemie funeral home ministry, as the funeral home here serves about 6 or 7 different towns in our area.

Our Sweet Sassy

2010-04-06T10:55:00.001-07:00

Our sweet Sassy.
You were my special fur baby.
I will always love you Sassy.
Rest in Peace sweetheart.
You gave us 12 wonderful years.
I will miss having you underfoot
I will miss napping with you.
(You took such good naps, and it felt so good to snuggle with you)!
I'm glad you aren't hurting anymore.
There never was a dog who was loved more.

Watercolors

2010-03-13T22:19:00.000-08:00

I got a chance to do some watercolors last week.

Both of these paintings are approx 8 x 10 inches.
The first painting has been sold. :)
It was fun to play with the paints again, as it's been many years since I did any serious painting.
It was a nice change from knitting socks.
I hope I will be in the mood to do more painting in the next few weeks.

Sweet Spring Toe Up Socks

2010-02-22T08:39:00.000-08:00

I am so ready for Spring, so that's why I named this design "Sweet Spring"!
This really has been a tough winter for us, and I think we're all ready for spring!
I love spring....the new life, and green grass, and trees budding out...tulips, and
apple blossoms. I can hardly wait. We haven't seen dry ground since before Christmas, and we still have about 8" of snow on the ground where we live.

The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll.
The pattern can be found here:
If you find any errors in the pattern, please let me know.

I Heart Socks Toe Up Socks

2010-02-12T11:12:00.001-08:00

I have been sick. I mean, I've really been sick. Waaaaahhhh....
I've coughed up both lungs in the past 6 days, and have breathed so much steam that I feel waterlogged. *sighs and blows a couple bubbles*
Sooooooo....what can you do when you feel like c**p?
You KNIT, of course!!
I designed these socks just in time for Valentine's Day.
The pattern can be found here.

The colors in this yarn reminded me of chocolates, and red roses, and caramels....Yum!
So I decided that it needed to be made into Valentine's Socks.
The yarn is TY-DY SOCKS, and the color is #1289
Very pretty yarn!

Dreaming of Spring Toe-Up Socks

2010-02-05T20:07:00.001-08:00

I completed another sock design tonight.
These are my "Dreaming Of Spring Toe-Up Socks"
I uploaded the pattern here:
Indeed....I am dreaming of spring. I am sick of winter,
and we have more snow coming this weekend.

The heel on these socks is slightly different, as I used a heel stitch
up the center of the heel.
I hope the pattern can be understood, as I had a hard time
coming up with instructions on how I did the heel.

Weaving

2010-02-04T10:19:00.001-08:00

I finished weaving my pink bag (it's a PERFECT knitting bag...I LOVE IT!) and have started a turquoise one now. :) I only have a little over 6" done on the turquoise, but it's coming out really pretty. The 'bumps' you can see at the bottom are from the knots where I tied my warp threads. Once I get more done, those bumps shouldn't show.

I have roving on one spinning wheel, and singles plying on the other.

I have a new sock design on the needles. :)

SnowDaze Toe-Up Socks

2010-01-30T16:44:00.000-08:00

Last weekend we had a 'good old fashioned' Montana Blizzard.
I spent the weekend designing these socks.
What better way to spend a weekend when you can't get out and go anywhere?
I named these socks "SnowDaze Toe-Up Socks".

More weaving

2010-01-27T16:01:00.001-08:00

The beginnings of another bag. :)
This one is almost ready to take off of the loom. Then I will have to weave the handle.
Weaving is FUN!!

Weaving!

2010-01-26T13:23:00.000-08:00

Terry bought me a weaving loom, and this is my first project. I love this cute little bag!!
It was so much fun to make. I see lots more weaving in my future. :)

Below is a picture of the weaving in progress. :)

Shells And Eyelets Toe Up Socks ... and Weaving!

2010-01-22T21:30:00.001-08:00

I just finished another toe-up sock design.
I named these socks "Shells and Eyelets" because they remind me of
sea shells. These were fun, fun socks to design.
The yarn is from KnitPicks.

I also have been working on my new weaving loom, and this is what I have done so far:

I think I will make this into a knitting bag. It is 13" wide, and so far I have 8 1/2" done. I have a LOT to learn, but it's been fun! This is my first weaving ever, and I should have chosen different yarn, but it's a learning experience, and one I have really enjoyed.

That's about all I've been doing lately. :)

It's been awhile!

2010-01-10T19:34:00.000-08:00

Well, we made it through Christmas!!
I made several of the gifts this year.
I made scarf/cap/mitten sets,
some purses,
some necklaces,
some stitch markers,
and some scissor/tool totes.
Everyone seemed to like what they got.... I HOPE, anyway!

Now I've managed to get back to my sock knitting and was able to complete some that had been waiting on the needles for me to get back to them! :)

This is my Spiraling Eyelet toe up socks. This is my latest sock design.
The yarn is from KnitPicks, and is Gloss.
I have the pattern uploaded, and the link is above. :)

This is another pair of my Spiraling Eyelets toe up socks.
The yarn is roving that I bought from ilashdesigns, and her etsy shop
is here. It was very nice roving to work with, and I can sure recommend her shop. :)

These socks are made from my Diamond Chains toe up sock pattern.
The yarn is Debbie Norville.
I really like the softness of this yarn, but it splits very easily so can be difficult
to work with at times.

I am working on a simple sock design now, and am almost done with the socks.
Then I will have to write the pattern up, and can post pictures of it. :)

Happy New Year, Everyone!

Sterling Silver Necklace

2009-12-01T20:16:00.001-08:00

I made a sterling silver necklace today. I will be putting some of these up in my
Etsy shop. :)

I've been trying to get some Christmas gifts done. I also have a special order for stitch markers that I need to do. I do keep busy!!

Big Little Bags.....

2009-11-17T11:47:00.001-08:00

I've been busy working on bags for the past couple of weeks.
These adorable Big Little Bags, made by me, are the perfect little bags for
someone (like me) who doesn't like to carry a large bag. They have a
zipper front, a pocket on the back, nice long straps, and are
quilted. They are 'no frills' cute little bags, and I absolutely love
mine. I am able to carry my ID, Credit Cards, Cell Phone, Pack of Gum,
Dental Floss, Ink Pen, Hand Sanitizer, and Money in my bag with room to
spare should I need to throw in my MP3 player or something else small.
It's perfect to carry alone (as I do), or put into a larger bag should
you wish to carry more stuff.
My 16 year old grandaughter saw mine last weekend and said that it was a bag
that she would actually use!
I have 3 of them listed at my Etsy Shop, which can be found here:
Feel free to go and take a look. :)
I'm thinking I will design some to make to attatch to walkers for donations at the rest homes.

OK....back to sock knitting. :) I have a couple different pairs of socks on the needles, and would
like to get them done as I have another design in my head that I want to try. :)

No rest for the wicked!! grins

Crocus Toe-Up Socks

2009-11-16T20:12:00.001-08:00

I finished another pair of socks today. This yarn was purchased when I was in Helena at a cute little shop that Amanda found for me. Here is a link to the shop: http://www.theknitandnosh.com/

We had fun browsing around in this shop, and it made me wish I could have a shop of my own!!

The yarn is 'Knit One, Crochet Too" in the color Ty-Dy Socks 1767 Tropicale. I LOVE this yarn!!

The pattern is my own, and it can be found here.The pattern chart is very easy to memorize, and the socks knit up really fast! :)

More socks!

2009-11-15T14:24:00.001-08:00

I finished some more socks last week. These are made with my
Diamond Chains toe up sock pattern which can be found here
The yarn I got from ILashDesigns at Etsy.
I'm working on another sock pattern, and will post it when I have it done.

Diamond Chain Toe Up Socks

2009-10-30T12:07:00.000-07:00

This is my last pair of socks. I really like them. They are toe up socks, and my pattern can be found here
I really enjoyed making these socks and want to make another pair of them.
The yarn is Knitpicks Bare that I dyed with kool aid.

I've been bad about keeping up with my blog. There just isn't enuff hours to the day!

Mallow Socks

2009-10-16T10:21:00.000-07:00

I can't believe it's been almost 2 months since I blogged. I've been doing a lot during that time, but just didn't get a chance to show you all. :) For one thing, I've posted some of my handspun yarns, and also some of my cards on my Etsy story. The address to it is: http://www.etsy.com/shop.php?user_id=7071174 Susan made me a banner and an avatar. *THANKS SUSAN*. :)

I've been doing some knitting, but my thumbs have been bothering me so have retrained myself to knit differently, and the new way is pretty slow compared to my old way of knitting. The above socks are the 'Mallow Socks', and the pattern is by Wendy Johnson. You can find the pattern here: http://media.wendyknits.net/media/MallowSocks.pdf I'm happy with these socks. :)

I am currently working on another sock pattern of my own and once I have the socks completed I will post pictures along with the pattern. :)

Socks, socks, socks!

2009-08-21T19:38:00.000-07:00

I've been busy knitting socks again. Above is my version of Wendy Johnson's 'Ribbed Ribbon' socks. The pattern can be found in her book. :)
I'm happy with these socks.

Here is my latest sock design, my 'Mock Cable Lacy Toe-Up Socks'.
They are toe up socks, and the pattern can be found here:

http://billiesplace.tripod.com/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/Socks/mockcablelacysocks.pdf
I'm happy with these socks, and will be using this pattern again.
The yarn is from KnitPicks.
If you use this pattern, and find any mistakes, PLEASE let me know.
I proof-read my patterns several times, but after awhile I get pretty bleary eyed,
and it's easy to miss a mistake.
:)

Another Eyelet ZigZag Sock pattern.....

2009-07-25T20:56:00.000-07:00

Here is another pair of socks I just completed.
I named them "Another Eyelet ZigZag Sock" because they are a take-off on my
Eyelet ZigZag socks.
To make these socks, I used my basic pattern using a chart for the 28 stitch pattern stitch.
The yarn is Opal sock yarn. I'm not real happy with the yarn. You pay a pretty good price for Opal yarn, and the color pattern matched pretty good until I got above the heel, and then it went all haywire from there.
There were also several knots in the yarn. If I'm going to pay that kind of price for yarn, I want to get good quality.
Oh well......No one sees the cuffs usually anyway, as my jeans cover them unless I'm sitting down. My feet show pretty good because of the Birkies I usually wear. :)
I'm still looking for clear Crocs to show off my socks. I have wide feet, so need something that comes in a wide size.

I do love making socks....and especially toe up socks!

White MiniDiamonds Toe-Up Socks finished

2009-07-21T18:25:00.000-07:00

I completed the White MiniDiamonds Toe-Up Socks last week, but am just now getting around to uploading the picture of them. I have also uploaded the pattern for any of you who would like to have it. I really like these socks.
These socks are made with natural handspun 100% merino yarn that I spun.

I have a couple more pairs of socks on the needles right now, and hope to have them finished and uploaded by next week.

Mini Diamonds Toe Up Socks

2009-07-14T11:09:00.001-07:00

I've been playing again.
This is my latest pattern.
Mini Diamonds Toe Up Socks
By Wilma, July 2009
Both of these socks are made with my handspun yarn, and is 100% Merino wool.
The blue/green was dyed before spinning. The cream was not dyed at all, but is the natural color of the wool.

I am leaving for a few days to go on a camping retreat with the Friday Morning bible study gals. I'm sure looking forward to it. I love those gals!! :) Terry will be on his own. I will leave Sassy with him.

We had company over the weekend. Terry's sister and her husband were here, and we sure enjoyed them. What a blessing they are.

Eyelet ZigZag Toe Up Socks

2009-06-30T19:40:00.000-07:00

Eyelet ZigZag Toe Up Socks
by Wilma, July 2009.....

I finished another pair of socks tonight. These are from a stitch I found and liked, so I charted it and wrote up a pattern for toe up socks. I really like the way they turned out.
Click on the link to go to the pattern. :)

I have another pattern I'm working on. Hopefully by next week I'll have it finished and ready to show.

I love knitting socks!

Socks........and Grandkids!

2009-06-28T11:43:00.001-07:00

This is a picture of our grandson Warren and his girlfriend, Winona.
They spent most of yesterday with us, and I took a quick shot of them.
Such a cute couple, and fun to be with. I feel so blessed that my grand children like to spend time with us. ;)

I've been working on socks......as usual!

Waterfall Socks, a Wendy Johnson Pattern
Done as a knit along in the "Socks Toe Up" group. This is some of my hand spun and hand dyed merino wool yarn. :)

Field of Flowers socks,
done as a Knit along in the "Just Socks" group.
I knitted them toe up, and charted the flowers to have more background
and fewer flowers. Purchased yarn....Cascade, Fixation.

Waterfall socks, by Wendy Johnson
Another pair of the Waterfall Socks.....I love this pattern. I love all of Wendy's socks!
More of my hand dyed, and hand spun merino wool yarn.

* * * * * * * * *

It's been quite awhile since I've posted here. I've been busy knitting socks
plus trying to just keep my head above water. lol
Sometimes life throws a curve ball at us, and we have to either duck or
get hit in the head. I ducked.....I'm still hanging in there! :)

My dear friend Pam, whom I've known since 4th grade, passed away last night.
I will miss her something awful, but I'm glad that her suffering is over, and she is safely with the Lord. I hurt for her daughter and g/children. I know they will miss her even more than I will.

We branded last weekend, and Thad was here to help....as were Warren and Winona. Now Terry is starting to hay. The grasshoppers are pretty bad, so he needs to get the hay up while there is still any left.

This is all from me for now. Summers are always so busy, and this summer is no exception.

Felted Bag......and Cards on Etsy

2009-05-21T07:43:00.000-07:00

I made the "Around About Bag", and everyone who sees it loves it.
It was fun and easy to make, and is perfect as a knitting bag for SOCKS! :)
It is a free pattern.

It has been suggested that I sell some of my cards on Etsy,
so I am going to make up some sets and get them up.
It will be a few days before I get them up though, because tonight is Buncos,
and my Friday's are always busy.
Anyway, look for my cards in the near future! :)

Yesterday I figured out how to upload the PDF file for my sock recipe,
so if you want the pattern, you can get it here.
I use this recipe on every pair of socks I make. I love the simplicity
of the heel, and I love the way they fit.

Another Pair Of Socks Finished

2009-05-20T08:37:00.000-07:00

I finished another pair of socks. They are my version of the daydreamer socks . The pattern is a free download at ravelry. I'm very happy with them. The daydreamer stitch is:

Round 1: *P1, YO, SSK, K2TOG, YO, P1* - repeat this six stitch pattern around.

Rounds 2, 3, and 4: *P1, K4, P1* - repeat this six stitch pattern around.

It was a very easy pattern to memorize.
So here's how I got it to work with my toe up sock formula. It's a 6 stitch pattern repeat, so using my 'pattern', I increased to a total of 56 stitches when doing my toe increases, (56 is my usual number for socks). Since half (figuring for the instep stitches) of 56 is 28 and the pattern is a six stitch repeat, I had a remainder of 4 stitches.... 6 x 4 = 24 + 4 extra stitches = 28 .... so I began and ended my pattern rows with a k2 so that I had the right number of stitches for the six stitch pattern. Does this make sense? In doing this you can get just about any pattern stitch you want to work with my instructions. You just have to work around the numbers a little bit. :)

Anyway, I finished these socks Sunday in the car on our way home from the
Women Of Faith
retreat that was in Billings (MT) last weekend. What a GREAT time we had. :)
It was great to spend the weekend with Kris, Joyce and Elaine. :)
I just love those gals!!

Socks again.............and May Stamp Class

2009-05-09T13:33:00.000-07:00

Here's my last pair of socks. Used my own pattern for them.
I love doing toe up socks!

Last night was stamp class, and here's the cards we made.

Mother's Day Card

Generic Birthday Card

Sympathy Card

Christmas Card

Roving............

2009-04-29T08:51:00.000-07:00

I dyed roving yesterday, and this is what it looks like.
I'll start spinning on it today. ;)

Another Pair Of Socks.......

2009-04-28T16:17:00.000-07:00

I finished another pair of socks. These are socks that I had on the needles for awhile. One thing about having several projects on the needles, you finish them all around the same time. LOL These are toe up socks (again) and done in the waffle stitch. I wrote up a pattern for these socks and you can find it here.

Spinning, and Knitting an Afghan, and MORE Socks....

2009-04-27T08:44:00.001-07:00

Here is an afghan I made for charity, plus another pair of socks.

The socks are toe up socks, and such a fun, simple pattern. It's just

k2, p2 for 2 rounds and then k for 2 rounds, and then repeat these

4 rounds. It's a no-brainer and fun for when watching tv or traveling or something. :)

The afghan is so so very soft.

The color is closer to the above picture with the socks....but this gives an idea of the pattern.

I just used my fav. dishcloth pattern (Spring Is In The Air) and did it big for an afghan.

Anyway I intended it for charity, but I like it so much I may have to

keep it.

I haven't made any stitch markers for a couple of weeks.
I need to get busy and make more.

I have been dyeing roving and spinning though, as you can see below.

This yarn I named 'Sweet Watermelon'. It's a mixture of kelly green and pink acid dye.....lots of variations of color. I haven't done the WPI yet, but I'm guessing it's going to be around 18 or so. It would work for socks or a scarf or mittens... There should be enough yarn for a pair of socks.

The yarn below I named 'Plum Purdy'. I used burgundy and teal to dye this roving. Again, there is lots of variation in the colorway. The WPI will be close to the same as the above yarn, but I haven't taken it yet either. There should be enough yarn for a pair of socks.
(This is why I love doing toe up socks......if I don't have enough yarn, I just make a shorter cuff and stop when I run out of yarn! :)

Socks.....

2009-04-10T18:56:00.001-07:00

I finished the socks that I made from my fuchsia and purple hand dyed yarn.
I'm very happy with them. They're so bright and cheerful!

Socks.......

2009-03-30T14:45:00.001-07:00

Here's the finished socks from the hand dyed yarn that I spun up last month.
I'm happy with these socks.
I may send them to CIC for the kids, I haven't decided for sure yet.
They are toe up socks.

Owls, turtles, and gift for Jan......

2009-03-25T20:38:00.001-07:00

This is a gift I made for my dear friend Jan. It is a family of sheep.
On the bottom it says "We are the sheep of His pasture......"
It is for Jan's 70th birthday.
Each sheep represents a member of their family.
(Mom, Dad, and three kids)

Here is a set of turtle stitch markers that I made.
They were really hard for me, but I'm pretty pleased with the finished product.

Owls.....I was scared to try these, but am happy with the way they turned
out. :) I want to make a set for me!

Tha-tha-tha-that's all folks. :)

March Stamping class....

2009-03-24T10:31:00.000-07:00

Jodi has been doing the craft for me each month, and this month we did a really neat scrapbook page. :)

Since class was on March 20, (the first day of spring), I decided to do a Spring card.

Each month I try to do a Masculine Card, and this is the one we did this month.

We also did an Easter Card.

Last but not least, this is our Christmas Card for the month. It's all glittery, but you can't see that in the scan.

We have stamp class again in two weeks. (YIKES)! We've been off schedule all year so far, and I'm trying to get us back to the 1st or 2nd Friday of the month....and the 2nd Friday in April is Good Friday, so we went with the 1st Friday.
Anyway....that's what class was this month.
I've not been very faithful about posting class stuff, and will try to be better.

Hummingbirds and more.....

2009-03-22T21:54:00.001-07:00

I made these hummingbirds yesterday and have them listed at my Etsy store.
:)

I also listed this sheep family at my Etsy store.
There is a baby sister, a big brother, a momma, and a daddy sheep.
They make me smile! :)

I was able to spend the entire day yesterday playing with clay!
It was so much fun, but today after church I had to do some laundry and then I did

some knitting. I need to give my hands a rest, as the clay hurts my thumbs.

Brown and white sheep

Small dolphins

Tomorrow I have to go to town and mail out packages. Then I will go

to Joyce's and knit with her and Lainey, and will probably have lunch with them.

It is supposed to be cold tomorrow, and we're expecting more snow.

Can you believe that it was 75 degrees yesterday, and last night we had

thunder and lightening like you wouldn't believe. WEIRD weather!

I hope to dye some roving tomorrow after I get home. I miss spinning, and don't have
anything on my one wheel. I do have some cotton on the Lendrum wheel, and will resume working on it. Spinning cotton is way different than spinning wool.

Etsy shop and more stitch markers

2009-03-22T06:58:00.000-07:00

I have opened an Etsy shop for my stitch markers. The last photo above is how I am sending the sets out. The tins protect the markers during shipping, plus they are a neat little container for them. The address of my shop is: http://MontanananaDesigns.etsy.com
This has been fun! :)

Doves......

2009-03-13T22:12:00.000-07:00

I made some Dove stitch markers tonight.
I really like the way they turned out.

More Stitch Markers

2009-03-12T21:25:00.000-07:00

Panda Bears

Ice Cream Cones

I've been playing with the clay again.
I made some Teddy Bears tonight and they are curing now.

Kitty markers......

2009-03-09T09:28:00.000-07:00

Black kitties.....one is playing with a red ball of yarn.

Brown kitties. One is playing with a blue ball of yarn, and one has green eyes.
The 'pins' holding the markers are handmade also. :)

We are getting a blizzard today. I guess it's a good day to stay in and play with clay.

Markers....cows and pigs.

2009-03-08T12:31:00.001-07:00

My first few cows looked like a mix of a pig, a sheep, and a cow! LOL I think I'm finally getting it though. Terry helps me critique my pieces. We really laughed over the mixed up cows! I'm happy with the way these cows turned out.

The pigs are easier than the cows because you aren't having to fool around with different colors.

I've sure had fun playing with the clay, but my sock knitting is suffering because of it. I think I got burned out making the 13 socks for the CIC kids. I'll get back to socks again soon, though.

Spinning again.....

2009-03-04T15:24:00.001-08:00

I completed the fuchsia and purple yarn. It is 17 WPI, and is about 300 yards total. It is 75% superwash wool, and 25% nylon. It was a dream to work with, although a little difficult to dye the roving as it kept wanting to fall apart. I'm very happy with the way this yarn turned out. The details on where I got the roving is below in the February 26 message where I show it still wet from the dyeing process.

I also finished the pink and blue yarn. It is 17 WPI and about 300 yards. It is 100% merino wool. I got it from the same place as the purple and fuchsia roving.

Stitch Markers

2009-03-03T22:21:00.000-08:00

I'm working on putting the wires onto the polyclay without having to worry about
having any joins that would snag the yarn. The first two pictures show what I came up with on the last sets of markers. No ends at all to get caught. I'll have to use them to see how I like them.

Dyeing Roving and Spinning Pink and Blue Roving....

2009-02-26T17:21:00.000-08:00

I dyed some roving today. This is Microblend Super Sock roving that I got from Paradise Fibers.
You can see it here: http://www.paradisefibers.net/Paradise-Fibers-Microblends-Super-Socks-p/
2498.htm
It is a superwash wool/nylon blend, and so, so soft! It was difficult to dye because it wanted to come apart. It is still wet in this picture, and I can't wait for it to dry so I can start spinning it. I use Hot Fuschia and Purple acid dyes.

Here is my pink and blue roving on the wheel. I'm plying it now. It will be a 2 ply yarn, and will be a sock yarn. I'm not sure of the WPI yet, but it 'feels' like a sock yarn. I should finish plying it tonight or tomorrow.

We are getting a blizzard tonight, so it will be a good time to stay inside and spin. :)

Socks completed.....Plus Stitch Markers

2009-02-26T09:08:00.000-08:00

Socks......

I met my goal of a dozen pairs of socks for the CIC kids. They range in size from about a 10 year old to about a 2 year old. I will get them mailed off today or tomorrow. I also have some caps that I will hang on to until they are needed. I will continue to work on socks and caps until I have enough to make a package to send off again.

Stitch Markers...

I made some more stitch markers. I LOVE playing with the clay, but it hurts my thumbs so I have to limit myself on how much I do. I could sit all day and play in the clay!
Next I want to make some pigs. I have so many ideas! But I have to remember to pace myself.

Finished yarn

2009-02-16T08:47:00.000-08:00

The yarn I was plying is done and has had the twist set. They will work GREAT for the CIC kids if that's what I choose to use them for. I may gift them to a friend. I'm not sure yet. Either way, I'm happy with both of these yarns.

I have some more roving that I dyed last week. It is hot pink, and bright blue. It is on the wheel as I type, and below is a picture of the singles in progress. I hope to be able to have pictures hopefully by the weekend of the finished yarn.

I am on sock # 11 for the CIC kids. I want to have an even dozen to send to them in a few days. I really need to get them finished so that they are received on time. This is stamping week also, so it's going to be a busy week!

Socks, and Spinning, and Sheep!

2009-02-10T21:03:00.001-08:00

I have 8 pairs of socks completed for the CIC kids. I would 'like' to send

them an even dozen, but don't know if I can get that many done in time.

They are having a drive for socks in Feb, and I'll need to have them mailed

out in about another week or so.

Anyway, that is what I've been doing with my time. They range from

about an 8 yr old down to probably a 3 yr old in size. The larger ones will

fit on my feet, but are snug. The red pair, gold and purple pair,

purple and black pair, and the smallest pair are all made from my own home

spun yarn. :) They are all knit toe up.

I have some yarn on the wheels now, and this is what it looks like.

On my Lendrum Wheel:

On my 'purdy' wheel:

This is the roving I'm using for these yarns. They were both acid dyed by me.

I'm in the mood to dye more roving, but don't think I'll have time for

a few days as this week is heading into being really crazy. And next week

is stamping week. ARGHHHHHHHHH!!!

This morning as soon as I was out of the shower I ran to town and

had brekkie with Joyce and Lainey and then we just knitted and gabbed.

Tomorrow I have to work at the daycare in the afternoon, and then on

Thursday morning I have to decorate the church for the 55+

Valentine Banquet....and Thurs night is quilting club. (I've just

been invited to join the quilt club here in town and am a little nervous about

going for the first time, but I'm sure I'll have a great time.) Friday a.m. is

ladies bible study, and then Fri. night is the Valentine Banquet. So

that's what the rest of my week looks like.

I saw some of these cute little sheep stitch markers on the web and fell in

love with them so I ordered them.....and then I thought to myself....
" Self, why don't you make them for yourself??" And here's what I
ended up with.

I haven't put any sealer on them yet, but they are baked and I'm really not sure if I need to seal them or not. I used fimo to make them. I just love them, and want to make more of them. :) They were so much fun to make. There's so many things I want to do, and so little time! I don't know when the ones I ordered will be here, but it will be fun to compare them with the ones I made.

Spinning two colors together

2009-01-19T08:59:00.001-08:00

I found some pretty periwinkle roving and some bright yellow roving in my stash. Mona's beautiful hand dyed purple and yellow roving gave me the idea of spinning them together to see how it would turn out. I've never spun two completely different colors together before so I wanted to see
what would happen. Here's what I ended up with.

Here's the singles, ready to ply together into a 2 ply yarn

Here I'm plying the singles together. I'm getting nice variety between mixed tweedy colors and solids.

Here's the finished yarn. (My flash didn't work on this shot so the colors don't show up as well). The top hank is only about 30 yards of navajo plyed yarn. (3 ply) The bottom is about 250 yards of 2 ply, approx 20 WPI, so it will work good for socks

Here's a close up that shows the variety I got in the yarn. I'm very happy with it. :)
I wouldn't hesitate to spin two colors together again......or even 3 colors! Ooooh....I'll have to try that next! :)

Red Heart Heart and Sole Sock Yarn

2009-01-16T06:39:00.001-08:00

I just finished these socks the other night. They are made with Red Heart 'Heart and Sole' Sock Yarn. I like the yarn itself all right, but was very unhappy because when I started the yarn from the center pull it came out in several pieces. Several pieces were about 6 inches long, and then there was a piece that was about 18 inches long, and another piece that was about 3 yards long. These pieces were just stuffed down into the center of the skein like they were an afterthought to make the weight of the skein right. Fortunately I have small feet and never use a full skein of yarn, but I wasn't happy with the way all of those pieces came out of the center of my skein of yarn. Then it took me another several yards of yarn to find the match to the pattern so that I could begin my socks. No one wants to have knots in the middle of their socks, and I'm not sure that when I get my stash of Red Heart sock yarn used up I'll ever buy it again. It all left me with a bad feeling toward the company.

UPDATE!!!!!!!
I contacted Red Heart about the yarn and they replaced it for me. So I'm feeling better. :)
THANKS RED HEART!!!

Charity knitting.

2009-01-12T10:02:00.000-08:00

Here's a preemie cap and bootie set I knit over the weekend.
They are so cute. I have a friend who had 2 preemie babies, and so I had her help me with sizing. She said I could make them even smaller, as one of her babies was 2 lb 5 oz, and was
15 1/2 inches long, and this set would have been too big for her!

My sweet friend Susan sent me some chemo caps for Pam.
Look at all these great caps!! Pam will have a nice warm head now! I can't wait to drop off all the caps I have for her. :) She's going to be so surprised. I think I have something like 13 for her now, plus I've already given her a couple. So that makes at least 15 caps that she will have. She shouldn't have to worry about laundering them every day just so she will have one to wear. I mean, when you're doing chemo, who is going to feel like doing laundry all the time?
THANKS SUSAN!!!

Caps, Cards, and Ice.

2009-01-10T11:55:00.000-08:00

I completed a couple more caps for Pam. This is my own pattern, and I've very pleased with the way these caps turned out. I made up a PDF of the pattern if anyone wants it.

I received some chemo caps in the mail yesterday for my friend, Pam.
Thank you Ariel, Mona, and MJ! Pam's going to love them. I know with this frigid weather her head gets very cold. Your loving gifts will help to keep her nice and warm. :)
THANKS AGAIN......and God bless you, sweet friends!!

Last night was stamp class, and here's the cards we made. The pink and white floral card is glittery, but it doesn't show up. The Valentine card is copper embossed. The Christmas card is all glitter. The masculine card is pretty plain and basically the only one that actually looks like it really does in the picture. We had a small class last night, but it was fun.

These pictures don't even begin to show what it looks like outside. We had about a foot or 2 of snow, and then we had a day that caused some thawing, and that night it rained. The pastures are all a glare of ice. I thought my eyes weren't focusing right when I first saw it, and Terry said the same thing. But it's the sheen of ice reflecting the poles and hills. It's like a huge white lake. Just beautiful!!

Chemo caps.....

2009-01-08T11:01:00.000-08:00

My dear friend has cancer and has lost her hair due to the chemo. It's so, so cold here, and her head really gets cold so I've made her some hats. This is just a couple of the one's I've made her. I have some good friends (at Knottyfriends@yahoogroups.com) making caps for her too. The pattern for this hat can be found at: http://www.piecefulstitches.com/files/DiagonalRibAdultHat.pdf
It's probably my favorite hat pattern at this point in time.
I have another hat on the needles now, and am doing a pattern of my own on it. If I like the way it turns out, I'll put up a picture with the instructions. :)

Diane Scott and I have decided to start a charity group on the web.
"Threads of Love" is a simple ministry with just one purpose: to use our
talents and materials to provide much needed items to those less-fortunate
than ourselves - afghans, lapghans, quilts, slippers, chemo caps, hats,
gloves, mittens, socks, shawls, scarves, leg warmers, tissue holders,
jewelry, pins, decorations....anything to help to make their lives more
comfortble and to brighten their day by letting them know they are loved.

We will be a low-volume, non-participation mandatory group where you set
your own pace, decide what you want to make and where you want to donate
your projects. You can take your projects to locations of your own
choice......your local rest home/nursing home, shelter for the homeless,
cancer center, orphanage or etc; or you can send them to Wilma or Diane
for dispersal. It's your choice.

We will furnish links for free patterns, will help in doing
searches for special projects and will try to help with any knitting,
crocheting or sewing questions you might have.

Diane and I both have had a burden for this kind of ministry on our
hearts for quite some time, and are just now getting into an
organizational mode. We're just getting this group up and started and
would welcome any suggestions you might have. If you are interested,
please reply to this email and let us know or send a blank email

to: threadsoflove-subscribe@yahoogroups.com.

Whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus,
giving thanks through Him to God the Father. Colossians 3:17

More socks...... and a bag!

2009-01-03T13:39:00.000-08:00

The pattern for these socks can be found at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/cauchycomplete/2022502004/
They are called "Socks of Kindness".
Instead of following the 'recipe' as written, I did my socks toe-up.
I really like this pattern.

I've also been sewing. This is a very very soft suede leather purse that I finished a week ago. I like soft bags, as they are kinder to my painful hands. I made the pattern out of freezer paper and then cut it out of the leather and sewed it up. My sewing machine really didn't like sewing this leather and I broke 2 or 3 needles in the process! I really love this little purse as it holds everything I need but is small enough that I don't overload it and end up carrying something that weighs a ton. It is fully lined and has pockets on the inside as well as on the outside. It has a magnetic closure, and I put the angel pin on the closure tab as an added accent. The color of the leather on the 2nd picture is the most accurate to what the purse actually looks like.

I have another bag cut out now and need to cut out the lining and fusible pellon before I can get it sewed up....I will try to get at it soon. The unfinished bag is not leather so it should be kinder to my sewing machine, however it looks a lot like leather. I will post pictures of it also when it is completed.

Spinnin'nKnittin'

2009-01-01T10:30:00.000-08:00

I've been playing. The weather has been icky, so I've had time to knit and spin. Above is a pair of socks that I finished yesterday. I have another pair on the needles and knit almost to the gusset, and then will do the heel and cuff and will have pictures up of that pair soon. These are toe-up socks.

This is some multi-color fingering yarn that I spun up this week. There is approx. 375 yards of yarn @ 3 1/2 oz. I haven't taken the WPI, but am guessing it to be around 20 or so. Will make nice warm socks!

This is some worsted yarn that I spun up this week. Approx 175 yards @ 3 1/2 oz.

I have some lime green on one wheel now, and some bright yellow ready to put on the other wheel.

Next week is stamping week, so I won't get much spinning/knitting done then.

Rainbow Sherbet Socks

2008-12-29T09:05:00.000-08:00

Here's is the Rainbow Sherbet yarn made up into socks. I think they turned out really cute.
They are toe-up socks.

Rainbow Sherbet Yarn....

2008-12-17T21:01:00.001-08:00

This is my Rainbow Sherbet Yarn.
It is 3 1/2 oz. of Merino wool, handspun, 320 yards, approx 21-22 WPI,
hand dyed with acid dyes.
I love the way it turned out. It will make cute self striping socks! :)

More spinning done.....

2008-12-15T10:59:00.000-08:00

I finished my blue and white roving. It ended up being approx. 300 yards of sock yarn at 20 - 22 WPI. It's 100% Merino wool. I spun this yarn up on my Kromski Minstrel wheel.
I have some multicolored roving on my Lendrum wheel. Perhaps I will get it finished this week. I have some white yarn that I just plyed that I am going to dye maybe tonight or tomorrow. I will post pictures of it.

Socks and keychain

2008-12-09T21:50:00.000-08:00

Here is my hand dyed, hand spun pastel sock yarn all made up.
I made myself some socks and a little keychain.
They are both knit toe-up.
The Socks are a variation of the Herringbone Lace Socks. The pattern is found here:
http://home.comcast.net/~fibergal/blog/Herringbone_Lace_Panda.pdf

There is no pattern for the keychain as I did it off the top of my head.
Here is how I did it:
I cast-on a total of 12 stitches using the Judy Becker magic cast-on.
I then worked increases every other row until I had a total of 20 stitches.
I worked the foot until it was the length I wanted it to be.
For the heel, I did a no-wrap short row heel (demo can be seen here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zu5YAKsAEpY )
and then I worked the cuff to the length I wanted it to be, and bound off.
It was very easy, and I like the results.
I cut a little plastic piece to fit inside to sock to use as a sock blocker.
I made a couple more of these little key chains for gifts and the gals said they loved them.

Spinning again..........

2008-12-07T19:46:00.000-08:00

I finished the lilac roving that I've been working on for the last few days.
It turned out beautiful. Approx 21 WPI....perfect for socks!
I won't be able to do much spinning or knitting next week because it's stamp class week again already. I sure miss it when I can't be playing with the yarn!

Busy, busy, busy

2008-12-06T10:53:00.000-08:00

Here are some of the snowflake ornaments I did on my machine.
It's hard to photograph them, but they really did turn our pretty.
I can't remember the link where I got the patterns, but if someone really wanted to know I could prolly find the link. :)

Here's the Bow Tucks Bag that I made. The patterns are at www.quiltsillustrated.com
I made the medium tall bag, and the small bag.
I love the way they turned out and have a large bag cut out now to use as a knitting bag.

Caps for the kids.....

2008-12-04T18:02:00.000-08:00

My red/blue/yellow handspun yarn didn't want to be made into socks.......it wanted to be caps for the kids at CIC....and here are the completed hats. I'm pleased with the way they turned out, and I think the kids will enjoy wearing them. :)

Pastel roving spun up

2008-11-29T21:00:00.000-08:00

I finished spinning the pastel roving tonight, and here's a pic of it. It is 4 oz. and I ended up with almost 600 yards @ 22 WPI, making it fingering yarn, and perfect for socks. I think I should get busy with some of my Christmas projects now, and put the spinning aside for awhile....but I'm so addicted to spinning! LOL We'll see. Anyway, I'm pleased with the way this yarn turned out, and it will go for socks, I'm sure.

Purple yarn......

2008-11-29T14:38:00.000-08:00

My latest yarn....it ended up being 22 WPI.
Of course, it will be made into socks. :)
I'm almost done spinning the pastel roving that I dyed on Wed. (see below) and will
take a pic of it when it's completed.

Everyone's gone now, and the house sure is quiet. I love having those kids here.

Thanksgiving...so much to be thankful for!

2008-11-27T15:20:00.000-08:00

Here's a picture of Sassy taking a nap in her bed today (Thanksgiving). It makes me feel so sad to see her aging, and not being playful and up and about when the kids are here. She spent most of the day asleep. I sure love my little girl, and feel bad to see her not feeling up to par! Her arthritis in her poor little back legs bothers her.

I completed some socks this week, and thought I would post a picture of them. Both are made from my own handspun yarn. The yarn in the multicolored sock was dyed with acid dyes to form a striped pattern.

Here's some yarn that I dyed on Wednesday. Can't wait to make socks out of it!!

Here's roving that I also dyed on Wednesday. Ooooh...it's going to be fun to spin this roving!! Will post pix of it when it's spun.

Happy Thanksgiving to everyone who celebrates today!

Three Generations....

2008-11-25T09:08:00.000-08:00

Our son and grandson were both here, so I got a 3 generations picture. Pretty good lookin' fella's, eh? They are all keepers.
Pictured is Thad (our son), Terry (DH), and Warren (grandson)

Here's the lime green yarn and the pink and white yarn that I spun up. I'm happy with them.
I have some white yarn that I plied last night, and am going to try to dye it today.

Spinning.....

2008-11-20T14:42:00.000-08:00

I've been spinning. Here's some roving I have on the wheels. The lime green roving is on my Kromski Minstrel wheel, and the pink and white roving is on my Lendrum wheel. The lime green roving reflected the flash, but when I tried to not have any flash it looked like avocado green. I hope you can get the idea of what they look like by these photos. I want these to both be sock yarns. Hopefully I'll be able to finish them this weekend sometime.

Spinnin' Wheel Goes Round 'n Round.....

2008-11-13T09:58:00.000-08:00

I got it!! My new spinning wheel is here and put together and sitting in the living room. I love it. It's so purdy!! I actually spun up some yarn on it last night and then plied it. I know, I know.....it's 'supposed' to be for Christmas, but do you REALLY think I could wait that long? *teehee* I love the way the wheel looks in my living room. The 'feel' is different than with my Lendrum wheel. The Lendrum is scotch tension and this one is double drive, so I'm sure that makes a difference in the feel of the wheel, but I'm a firm believer that it's good to learn new things. If I were to compare the 2 wheels, I would have to say the Lendrum runs more smoothly and is quieter. I find it easier to spin on the Lendrum, but that may be because I'm used to it. I'll get used to the Kromski too! And the Kromski is purdy, purdy, purdy! LOL It's spinning really nice singles, and it plied a nice 2 ply sock yarn....so all in all, I'm very, very happy.
I love both of my wheels.

Finishing up WIP's! What a good feeling!

2008-11-09T21:40:00.000-08:00

I plied some of the yarn I had spun up,
and I have the coral yarn balled and ready to knit....it will be socks!
I have a knit top that this yarn will match perfectly. :)

This cranberry yarn (below) is sooooooooo yummy! It will also be socks.
Both yarns are Merino wool.......so soft, and the colors are so vibrant!
I love, love, love this cranberry color!

I have completed all of my sock WIP's.
That's a GREAT feeling, since these green ones below have been cast on for
several weeks now, but I kept working on other things!
Now I can start some more socks tomorrow!
I will cast on the coral yarn (above) in the morning. :)

It's such a feeling of accomplishment to get some of these
socks done that have been sitting on the needles for ages.

This is my second post for today.
Man, I'm just getting so much done!
Terry should have retired sooner.
Hahahahahaha!!
I'm lovin' having him at home!

Another pair of socks.....

2008-11-09T11:10:00.000-08:00

This pair of socks is done with Knitpicks Imagination yarn. It's very soft.
These are toe-up socks.

Spinnin' Wool 'n Knittin' Sox

2008-11-04T16:28:00.001-08:00

Just some of the 'fruits of my labor'.
These yarns are all merino wool, and are between
fingering weight and sport weight. Some are 3 ply (Navajo plied) and some are 2 ply.
I'm sure excited about getting my new wheel. :)

I finished these socks today. They are done in garter rib stitch.
They are toe up socks. They are made out of Red Heart Heart and Sole sock
yarn. I'm very happy with them.

There's just not enough hours in the day......

2008-11-03T22:05:00.000-08:00

I'm on a sock knitting binge again. I just love knitting socks!

I took pictures of a couple of my completed socks this evening.
The blue and yellow socks are Knitpicks yarn that I dyed with Easter Egg dyes.

The aqua, blue and purple socks are made from merino roving that I spun myself into sock yarn, and then dyed with koolaid and easter egg dyes. They were way fun to make, and I really felt a sense of accomplishment when they were done, knowing that they started out as roving and I created the yarn, dyeing and everything myself. :)

Both pairs of these socks are knitted toe up.....my new favorite way to knit socks. They are easy to do (once I figured out a heel that I liked!), you can try them on easier as you are knitting them, and if you run out of yarn midsock you will most likely be at the cuff and can just bind off then rather than running out in the middle of the foot as would happen with a cuff down sock. I have another pair of socks nearly completed, and will post a picture of them when they are done.

There just isn't enough time in the day for me to spin, knit, quilt, stamp...... Sleep is such a waste of time.....but oh so enjoyable!!

Terry is retired now.
I'm enjoying having him at home, and I think he's really enjoying it too.
It's not nearly as lonely out here with him around. :)

Tomorrow is election day. We will go to town and vote, and then I am meeting my two sisters for lunch. It should be a fun day.

I ordered my Christmas gift tonight. YAYYYYYYY!! It is another spinning wheel......the Kromski Minstrel (like what Mona has) only in a walnut finish. I'm so excited!!
Merry Christmas to meeeeeeeeeeee!!!!
Here is a link to the wheel that I am getting:
http://www.paradisefibers.net/Kromski-Minstrel-Spinning-Wheel-Kromski-Minstrel-p/2352.htm
Mine will have a walnut finish that I hope will match my grandmothers rocking chair that is from the 1800's.

Just Knittin' 'n Spinnin'!

2008-10-14T16:19:00.000-07:00

I've been knitting and spinning the past week. The above is a pair of socks I just finished,
and below is some spinning on my wheel. My right thumb is giving me fits again, so that's slowing me down considerably. :( Getting old ain't for wimps, that's for sure!

We had a big snowstorm last weekend and here's a couple pictures from that. We still have snow, but it's been melting off today. I guess it was just a friendly reminder that winter is right around the corner for us.

10 Reasons to Buy Lots of Yarn!

2008-10-07T11:40:00.000-07:00

10 Reasons to Buy Lots of Yarn

1. It insulates the cupboard where it is kept.
2. It keeps the economy moving. It is my patriotic duty to support wool
farmers, textile mills, and yarn shops.
3. It is less expensive and more fun than psychiatric care.
4. I'm participating in a contest - the one who dies with the most yarn
wins!
5. It keeps without refrigeration, you don't have to cook it to enjoy
it, you never have to feed it, change it, wipe its nose or walk it.
6. Because I'm worth it.
7. Like dust, it's good for protecting previously unprotected spaces in
the house, like the ironing board, the laundry basket, the dining room
table
8. It's not immoral, illegal or fattening. It calms the nerves,
ratifies the soul, and makes me feel good.
9. Because it is on sale. Because that is such a beautiful colour... I've never seen it
before... I must have it.
10. Buy it now, before your husband retires and goes with you on all your
shopping expeditions.

I've been so busy!

2008-10-04T11:46:00.000-07:00

I've been so busy, and feel bad that I haven't posted in ages. Last night was stamp class, and here's the cards that we made. One of the cards is laying down because I scanned them all together, but you'll get the idea. :) Jodi has been doing the craft for me lately (thanks Jodi!) and I sure appreciate that. We did a scrapbook page last night, but I didn't make one because I was helping the other table.

I've been doing a lot of spinning on my spinning wheel, and have made quite a bit of yarn. Here is a picture of my wheel.

And here is a picture of some of the yarn that I have spun:

I have made 3 pairs of socks from my own handspun yarn. I LOVE spinning! And I LOVE knitting my own yarn! And I love wearing hand knit socks. :) Sounds like a win, win situation!!

Donna was here in Sept. for 3 weeks. We had a great time while she was here, and I sure miss her!
Here is a picture of us when we went out to lunch with my 2 sisters one day.
From left to right is me, my sister Lillian, my sister Darlene, and Donna.

And here is a picture of Terry, myself, Dale, Kathy and Donna when we went to Medora, ND for the musical. What a fun trip that was!

Another Stamp Class

2008-04-17T12:22:00.001-07:00

Well, it's stamping class time already, and here is what we're doing this month. Tomorrow is class night, and I'm thinking it's going to be a pretty small class.......but only time will tell. :)

I am getting a spinning wheel for my birthday, and I'm excited about that. Will put up pix of it.