Dashing Through the FOs

  The finished May Day project - socks knit in Miss Bab's Cosmic yarn in Vlad colorway - was started March 20th and finished May 5th.  The stitch pattern is from Simple SKYP Socks by Adrienne Ku and the heel is from Basic Strong Heel Socks by Gerdine Crawford-Strong.  

  STASH DASH - PART 1:

Stash Dash, sponsored by The Knit Girllls, began on May 23rd and runs through August 7th.  This year our goal is 5k of yarn (5,468 yards).  

Over these first few weeks I finished: 

1) The second bump of Annunaki at Tiaman colorway from Crown Mountain Farms. I started spinning this fiber January 1st-ish and finished May 24th.  All singles were spindle spun and chain plied on either spindle or wheel (depending on whether I was home or on vacation). Some of this fiber was used to teach spindle spinning, which is why my 394 yards weighs only 3.7 ounces. Total singles yardage is 1,182, and the average wpi is 16.  

2) The white Oxford/Border Leicester cross fleece (10.1 oz raw, 8.5 washed) was hand combed then run through my drum carder, and spindle spun semi-woolen for a traditional 3ply yarn that was plied on either spindle or wheel from plying balls.  I got 306 yards (164 grams) of 3ply DK weight from 918 yards of singles.

3) Another leisure hat for the Socks For Soldiers group (168  yds) from leftover sock yarn. Started May 8th, finished June .

4) Spun Cloudlover's merino/cashmere/silk blend in the Mother of Dragons colorway.  This four ounce bump gave me approximately 350 yards (underestimated - twist hasn't been set yet - probably higher) of yarn with an average wpi of 15. It was wheel spun semi-worsted and chain plied. Start/Finish June 6-19. 

5) a small, 17 yd woven rectangle made on a mini loom I got to make washcloths with some old yarn that I don't like knitting or crocheting with.  Not too bad for a first try but I definitely need practice.





Brought To Me By: Crafting accomplished with the following audio/video accompaniment:    
  Audiobooks: Skinwalker by Faith Hunter; The Tale of Briar Bank by Susan Wittig Albert; These Old Shades by Georgette Heyer; The Black Echo by Michael Connelly;          
  DVDs etc:   Murder She Wrote; Veronica Mars Movie; The Big Bang Theory;                  
  Pod/VideoCasts:  The Knit Girllls; Two Tangled Skeins; The Knit Wits; Twinset Designs;                                  
 

On and Off Knitting

  ON MY NEEDLES:

I cast on a new pair of socks using gift yarn - Bali Hai colorway sock yarn from Hanalei Strings in Hawaii. The socks are for me, of course. I'd originally planned to use the SKYP stitch pattern but after about an inch I decided it got lost in the colorway and switched to plain stockinette. I will still use the Strong heel as planned, though.

I am actively working on finishing the Charlotte Bronte shawl. I attached what I'd knit of the second lace border to see how far I'd actually gotten, and it wasn't as far as I thought. I still have to knit enough border for a full short side and slightly more than half of a long side.

There's also the Piccolo Mondo Antico sock by Karen Aida that I started earlier this year. I'm using Zen Yarn Garden's Superwash Sock Yarn in the Esmeraldus colorway and their Aufust 2009 Harmony Sock Yarn Club yarn in the Tangerine colorway on 2.50mm (US1) needles.

For my Socks For Soldiers knitting, I have a pair of olive drab socks and a leisure hat on the needles. Unfortunately, I've had a number of migraine headaches over the last few weeks which cuts down drastically on my knitting. This too shall pass, and I will get them done.


OFF MY NEEDLES:
B's socks were started back in September 2013 and finished on May 6th. They have a ten inch leg and slightly less than a twelve inch long foot and were made with about 118 grams of Schachenmayr Regia Racing Color yarn. Have I mentioned how much I like Regia yarns? I have about 80 grams left of this yarn which would do for a pair of toe-up socks for a smaller foot. The color is way off in this picture - I couldn't get the color right no matter how I changed the lighting. They are actually a darker charcoal gray-ish blue.

  The May Day project was finished on May 5th, but it's a gift that its recipient hasn't gotten yet, so no picture until next time.