Purse Junky that Quilts...

Weird title for a post isn't it? I've been bad because once again I have been surfing eBay and putting my Visa card to the test. I'm surprised that poor little plastic card doesn't self destruct. I love purses! I am a self admitted purse junky. There's not much in life that thrills me as much as a new leather purse. And being a lover of leather...the purses I covet tend to be expensive. I recently discovered the Hayden-Harnett handbag company. Awesome purses, and WAY expensive. I could never justify spending over $500.00 on a purse. Sooooo, enter eBay! Just on a whim I did an eBay search of Hayden-Harnett. And what should I find!? But the purse I love. Could I get so lucky as to find a $425.00 purse for $135.00? YES! And did I buy it? YES! Do I feel guilty? Hell no! I look at it this way...I just saved myself $290.00!


My mom is getting a quilt for Mother's Day...2006! I told her that was her Mother's Day present LAST year. I have yet to deliver. So I have set my mind to the task of quilting for the next couple weeks. I machine quilt, hand quilting is too time consuming for me. I figure I'd rather spend my extra time knitting, which is also time consuming. My mom's quilt will be done in vintage prints to look like it's from the 30's. I have the pattern and fabric...in fact, the fabric is all cut and ready to sew. Now I just need to get my ass in gear and start assembling! The quilt pictured is for a child, I am using that pattern but have added another row to lengthen it so my mom can use it for a throw. She always seems to be cold and likes something over her legs while she watches t.v. I promise to post a picture of the finished throw...someday!

Yesterday I had my annual review at work. Yikes, I hate that! My boss is younger than me and I have worked with him for 15 years. He is a great guy that I truly like and respect. I treat him like my son and he treats me very kindly. I still get nervous when I get called to his office! Especially when he shuts the door! Not to worry...he gave me an excellent review and was very happy with my work the last year. I do like my job, most days.

I am off to the fabric store for the quilt batting and I think I will stop in at Lens Crafters and look for new glasses. I have a pair I love that are a funky blue color but they are my old Rx. Maybe I will look for some frames in purple...my favorite color! Later...

I See A MacBook in My Future!

I need to post a picture and since I don't have anything of knitting interest I thought you'd enjoy seeing my granddaughter Mia. She is a cutie!

My little desktop iMac is struggling along. He is still working but is basically only good for surfing the net, and word processing. Since the CD rom drive is dead I can't update or load any software. I have been coveting, yes coveting, a pretty new MacBook. I've always wanted a computer that is portable, you know, like to your bedroom so you can surf the net in bed! I will stay with the Apple company since I still feel they make the best and most friendly computers. I use a PC at work and it is fine...I don't want to offend all you PC users out there. But for me, there is no better computer than a Mac.

Tomorrow night is my monthly knitting group. If there is anyone in the Minneapolis area that would like to join us, please do! We'd love to have you. My friend Janet and I started this group almost 5 years ago and it is still going strong. We meet the third Thursday of the month at the Chanhassen Fire Dept at 7:00pm. It is a very friendly group with all different ages and skill levels. We have a fun time knitting and talking. Sometimes more talking than knitting! Please join us if you can. E-mail me for directions or if you have any questions.

Since today is Wednesday and my day off, I guess I really should try and accomplish some things around the house. Like mop the floors, do laundry, and clean the bathrooms. ugh. Tonight is my favorite show...Lost. I look forward to it every week and this season has not disappointed me yet. I also love to watch The Sopranos...although I hate to admit it. Since when did my live start to revolve around T.V.? I guess since I got older (I'll be 55 in June!) and my children all grew up. Life is good!

Today I Baked Bread...

Today I baked a wonderful loaf of artisan style bread. It smells great, tastes divine, and it's everything a loaf of homemade bread should be. What's the catch? It took almost 24 hours to make!! That's right folks...almost a whole day to make a measly loaf of bread. Was it worth it? Yes. I am probably the last person on earth to make the famous and popular "No-Knead Bread" from the NY Times. It is so very different than the regular bread I would normally make. This bread is almost a batter that turns into a dough that bakes into a crusty delicious bread. You have to try it to see what I mean, just plan way ahead so it is ready when you want to eat it. I made the dough at 10:00pm before I went to bed and finished the process this afternoon so the bread was ready for dinner. It takes a bit of timing to get it all sorted out but it is well worth the effort. I also baked mine in a 3 qt covered earthenware casserole and it was plenty large enough. Let me know how the recipe works out for you. BTW-instant yeast is the same as quick rise yeast, the recipe calls for instant and people were going nuts trying to find it. It's just the fast yeast you get for bread machines. I used Red Star Quick Rise and it worked perfectly fine. And you might want to double the salt, I read on a few blogs that it needed more flavor.

I am still plugging along on the never-ending sleeves of my green cable pullover. I anticipate a done date within the next couple weeks. Then it is on to the purple cardigan or this little number. I think that is the cutest sweater I've seen in a long time. I just worry that my big-ass belly will look even bigger! Maybe I should lose some weight first...like, while I'm knitting the sweater I could also be on a stationary bike. Maybe not. I also am confused by the directions of "reverse shaping" for the fronts of the sweater. I'll need to read those directions a few times to figure that out! Why can't the pattern companies just write out the WHOLE pattern for us? That's one of my biggest pet peeves.

Well, the dog is outside waiting to come in and her feet are muddy...oh joy. Have a wonderful weekend and keep those needles clicking!

Happy Easter! Radical Waves Sock Pattern

Happy Easter to all who celebrate this holiday! I am having the big Easter dinner tomorrow at my house. Glazed ham, baked turkey breast, cheesy potatoes, asparagus, fruit salad, etc. Sounds like a pretty tasty feast to me. I am happy to report that thanks to a wonderful student who lives in Norway, and her excellent German translations, the Canklet Socks may be a go! I am going to try and knit the second one and if it works...I will post the pattern. For now I will post a pattern I wrote years ago that uses sport weight sock yarn and is a pretty quick knit. I call it the Radical Waves Sock but I'm sure all you seasoned knitters will recognize the pattern. It is a pretty lace sock that is easy to knit and looks good on. Without further ado...Radical Waves!

Materials
Yarn: 100 grams sport weight sock yarn, sample is knit with Silja Sock Yarn
Needles: US size 2 (2.75mm) set of 4 dpn
Stitch marker
Gauge: 7.5 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch

Radical Waves Pattern:
Rnd 1: knit
Rnd 2: *yo, k3, sl 1-k2tog-psso, k3, yo, k1*
Rnd 3: knit
Rnd 4: *k1, yo, k2, sl 1-k2tog-psso, k2, yo, k1, p1*
Rnd 5: *k9, p1*
Rnd 6: *k2, yo, k1, sl 1-k2tog-psso, k1, yo, k2, p1*
Rnd 7: *k9, p1*
Rnd 8: *k3, yo, sl 1-k2tog-psso, yo, k3, p1*

Slip stitches as if to purl.

yo=yarn over

sl 1-k2tog-psso=slip one stitch, knit 2 stitches together, pass the slipped stitch over the knit 2 together

SSK(slip slip knit)= slip 2 stitches individually as if to knit, then knit them together through the back loop.

Cast On

Cast on 60 stitches.
Divide the stitches evenly onto 3 needles, 20 sts each.
Join, being careful not to twist stitches.
Place marker at beginning of round, between needles 1 and 3.

Leg

Work *K2, P2* ribbing for 12 rounds, or desired length.
Change to Radical Wave Pattern and knit 5 pattern repeats. Ending after a round 8.

Heel Flap
Knit across the 20 sts on needle 1 and the first 10 stitches on needle 2. You now have 30 stitches total on needle 1 (move marker to the center of these stitches, this is now center back). Set the 30 stitches aside (on needles 2 and 3) for instep. You may leave the stitches on needles 2 and 3 as they are, or put them on a piece of waste yarn while you work the heel.

Turn work. S1, and purl back 30 stitches on needle 1.

Knit heel flap in heel stitch:
Row 1(right side): *sl 1, k1* across.
Row 2: sl 1, purl across.
Work 34 rows of heel stitch, ending after a row 2.

Turn Heel

This is a round heel:
Slip 1, knit 16 stitches, SSK, k1, turn.
Slip 1, purl 5, p2tog, p1, turn.
Slip 1, knit 6, SSK, k1, turn.
Slip 1, purl 7, p2tog, p1, turn.

Continue to turn heel, always working one more stitch each row, until all stitches are worked. End after a purl round.

~Tip~There will always be a noticeable gap between the stitches that need to be worked together (SSK, p2tog). The decreases are always worked across the gap using the stitch before the gap and the stitch after the gap.

Knit across needle 1 to end.

Gussets

Using needle 1, pick up one stitch through each slip stitch loop on edge of heel flap.
Knit across the 30 instep stitches, continuing with round 1 of Radical Wave Pattern. Combining all 30 instep stitches from needles 2 and 3 onto one needle.

With loose needle, pick up one stitch through each slip stitch loop on edge of heel flap and knit to center of heel where the marker is.
You should now have:
needle 1: half the heel stitches and the first group of picked-up gusset stitches
needle 2: the 30 instep stitches
needle 3: the second group of gusset stitches and the second half of the heel stitches
Marker should be between needles 1 and 3. This is center back.

Gusset Decreases
Ndl 1: *Knit to 3 sts from end of needle 1, k2tog, k1.
Ndl 2: pattern across (this is rnd 2 of pattern)
Ndl 3: k1, SSK, k to end of needle (at center of heel).

Knit one round even.*

Decrease as above from * to * until 60 stitches total remain. Always working a plain round between the decrease rounds with needle 2 remaining in pattern. When decreases are done you should have 15 sts on both needles 1 and 3, and the 30 instep stitches on needle 2.

Instep
Work sock on the 60 stitches (needle 2 always in pattern, needles 1 and 3 in knit) until foot reaches the point where your big toe is attached to your foot. Knit one round plain. You will discontinue the pattern on needle 2 for the toe.

Toe
Decrease round:
Needle 1: K to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts, k2tog, k1.
Needle 3: K1, SSK, knit to end.

Knit one round even.
Alternate decrease and plain rounds until 30 stitches total remain.
Now work decreases every round until 12 (ndl 1: 3 sts, ndl 2: 6 sts, ndl 3: 3 sts) total stitches remain. Combine the sts from ndls 1 and 3 onto one needle and kitchener together with the stitches on needle 2.

Kitchener Stitch:
With stitches on 2 needles, the working yarn coming from the back needle, hold the needles parallel in your left hand. Cut yarn leaving an 18” tail. Thread a yarn needle onto the tail.

~Hint~ Always work your stitches under the needles. The working yarn never goes over the top of the needles when closing the toe.

Do once:
Front needle: bring threaded needle through first stitch as if to purl and leave stitch on the needle

Back needle: bring threaded needle through first stitch as if to knit and leave stitch on needle

Repeat the next 2 steps until all stitches have been worked:

Front needle: bring threaded needle through first stitch as if to knit and slip off--bring threaded needle through next stitch as if to purl and leave on

Back needle: bring threaded needle through first stitch as if to purl one slip off--bring threaded needle through next stitch as if to knit and leave on

Weave in any loose ends. Knit another sock to match!
Karen Hoyle, Wren’s Nest Designs©2001

Visitors Are Leaving...Green Pullover is About Done

My daughter and granddaughter have been visiting from Florida for the last 5 days. Today they leave. It has been so much fun to have them here, although, I have to admit, I had forgotten just how busy a 2 1/2 year old can be. Mia, my granddaughter, is talking as well as an adult. She says the funniest things! Like the other night...we were watching Wallace and Grommet and she got a little freaked by the giant rabbit. She looks at me and says "Gramma, shall we watch Curious George instead?" Shall we?? She sounds like such a prim and proper little girl, but then the next minute she's running through the house naked, screaming, and throwing things. Typical toddler! I wish my daughter and her family didn't live so far away. It's hard to see them only a couple times a year. I usually fly there in the fall, if there's no hurricanes! Thank goodness for Xanax...I can self-medicate and fly now! If anyone has a fear of flying (and mine was BAD!) Xanax WILL help you. I do take twice the prescribed amount (I take 100mg) and it has made flying bearable, almost enjoyable. It has opened up the numerous possibilities of air travel which I never thought I'd have. Drugs can be wonderful! Just don't drink with the Xanax, I had some wine when I got to my daughters house and I about fell asleep in my dinner!

I plan to work on the green pullover the rest of the week since I am on vacation! I have 4 weeks of vacation to use by October, and since my daughter was visiting, I took this week off. After they leave this afternoon, I will continue knitting on the sleeves, they are about 6 inches done so far. I am knitting them at the same time, it's so much easier, and I'm guaranteed they will be identical in length. After the sleeves are done I may feel like I've accomplished enough to actually start on the purple cardigan without any guilt! I can hardly wait. Another project I've really wanted to knit is the Celtic Cable Pullover. I think this is the cutest sweater! I have some pretty grey yarn I am considering using for it. My biggest concern about this pattern is the boring back and sleeves. I have a real hard time knitting inches and inches of plain stockinette stitch. Maybe I will dig out my old Bond Sweater machine and knit the back and sleeves on that. I know, it's sort of cheating, but it works so good for that sort of knitting and it looks great when it's done. You can't tell the difference between the Bond knit fabric and the hand knit fabric. Really! Only thing is, since I moved (3 years ago!) I haven't unpacked my Bond and all it's accessories. Do I want to futz around doing all that or just hand knit the dang back? I guess I should finish what I already have on the needles and then worry about it!

iMac woes and Slackerness...

When I started my blog I swore that I would update it at least once a week. That lasted about 3 weeks! I could give some lame excuses, like I broke my arm, or I have been working 60 hours a week but those would all be lies. Truth is, I am on vacation and taking it easy. Or as the younger crowd would say...I'm a slacker. Plus, I am having major problems with my faithful little iMac. I have been a dedicated Apple fan for the last 14 years. The computer I have now is 4 years old and my 5th Apple. The disk drive is dead...dead, dead, dead. Which means that I can still use the computer but I can't load any software. Or, the saddest part...I can't load the new OSX 10.4 I just got! I cleaned out all my files, backed everything up that I wanted to keep and was planning on doing a complete erase and reload when the damn drive died. And to add insult to injury, I also bought a new digital camera and now I can't load the software for it. So I have all those awesome jpgs and I can't upload them to my blog. Many frustrated tears later I decide to take little Mac to the repair shop. The tech calls me the next day to inform me that little Mac needs 725.00 worth of repairs. Freaking A...I can buy a new iBook laptop for a grand, why would I even consider dumping that much money into a 4 year old computer!? So I schlep back to the repair store and bring little Mac home, still with a dead rom drive. I guess I shouldn't complain since I can at least access the internet. Basically, Mac is usable as long as I never want to add anything...sort of like owning a car that can only make right turns! Time to visit the Apple store unless anyone knows how I can repair this myself!

To Be Started..Soon

Last Saturday my 2 friends, Joyce and Janet (HI !) and I went to Yarn Cafe in Maple Grove, MN. We had an excellent time. That has to be one of the most fun yarn stores in the Twin Cities. And the service...the best! Barb wound all our yarn purchases even though it was busy. Most stores would have told us they were too busy to bother. And we had lunch at their awesome little cafe. The salads were good...really good. You can sit and eat while you knit, look at books, gaze at the walls of beautiful yarn, etc. They have delicious baked goods also, which we had for dessert, of course! I could have stayed there all day, and we almost did. I highly recommend this shop if you are ever in the Minneapolis area. Save room for coffee and a giant muffin! And be sure to check out the new yarn they carry exclusively called Mooncake Yarn. The color selection is huge...I would guess the worsted weight comes in over 50 colors and the heavy worsted in 25 colors. These yarns are reasonably priced and have great yardage, over 200 per skein. I bought some grey and purple to make some slippers. Joyce and Janet both bought green for vests. I'll let you know how it knits up. I noticed that they don't have it listed in their online store but I'm sure they will soon.

I want to start the Lisa Lloyd Basketweave Cardigan (look at that beautiful purple wool and the buttons...they are an iridescent pearl with purple streaks) but I am forcing myself to finish my cable pullover first. Don't get me wrong, I love the pullover and all I have left are the sleeves, which I plan on casting both on today and knitting at the same time. So when I'm done, I'm really done! This pullover has been a fun knit, I pretty much designed it as I went and it actually turned out pretty nice. I'll post a pic as soon as it's done and sewn together. I am going to start some slippers with the above mentioned Mooncakes Yarn. BTW, the Plain Jane Lopi slippers were a ginormous bust! Didn't felt worth a damn. I don't recommend Lopi for felting projects. This is the second time I've wasted my time with a felted Lopi project. Never again. Anyway...I am going to knit these slippers, which I think are really cute. I can't decide if I should knit them large and loose and felt them or just knit them regular. I'm leaning towards felting but after my last slipper disaster...

My basement flooded Monday. Yup, 3 inches of standing water because the sump pump didn't work. And to add insult to injury, I had about 10 loads of dirty clothes, waiting to become clean clothes, which are now wet, dirty, clothes. I am working on washing it all today since I was at a work meeting all yesterday until 8:oo pm (waste of time). I hope to finish it today and get my basement dried out. What a mess, I could've cried. This is what happens when you get lots of snow and then warm temps and it all melts really fast! At least I am off work today (love these Wednesdays!) so I will keep washing and knitting! C'ya...

Colonoscopy, Schmolonoscopy!

I survived the dreaded colonoscopy! In reality, it wasn't bad at all. Like everyone says, it's the prep work that sucks...and it does. Drinking that solution every 15 minutes was the pits. But the actual colonoscopy was a breeze. In fact, it was so easy I don't even remember it! When the doctor said we were all done I asked him why it only took 2 minutes. He said it had taken over 20 minutes! All I can say is thank goodness for drugs...especially the sedative variety! After all my fretting and fearing it turned out to be so easy that I sort of feel like a whiney baby. Sort of...but not really ;o) I have a healthy colon and no problems! It was worth all the shit (really bad pun intended) I had to go through to learn I was fine.

Today is the big shopping day! My first Saturday off in over 2 years! My friends and I are gonna eat, squeeze yarn, and have a good time! I can't wait. Another thing I can't wait for is a visit from my daughter and granddaughter. That little gal in the picture is my granddaughter Mia. She was adopted from China in October 2005 and is a real little spitfire. Smart...really smart...genius smart!!! I can brag like that since I genetically had nothing to do with it. I haven't seen my daughter, son in law, or granddaughter since last October when I flew to the Florida Keys to visit them. I was there for Mia's 2nd birthday, it was lots of fun! The Keys are a great place to visit. There's cool little shops, great restaurants, my son in law takes me for a ride in his boat, and best of all...my daughter and granddaughter are there! If you haven't already figured it out, that is a picture of the cutie Mia! You can check out my daughter and her husbands trip to China to pick up Mia at their website www.redthreadconnecton.com

Canklets Are A Bust! Pannekoeken Rocks!

After spending the better part of yesterday afternoon searching for my notes on the Canklet...I am willing to give up the fight. I cannot remember how I deciphered the German chart and I can't find my notes. I went through my numerous knitting bags and my computer notes to no avail. So, unless there is a kind knitter in blogland (who can read German) and is willing to help me translate the stitch pattern, the Canklets are going in the frog pond. I've tried the translators online but they were no help. A nice blogger even sent me this link for German knitting terms, but still no help. I know when to throw in the towel, or sock, and I think it's now.

Tomorrow I am going to the hospital to have a colonoscopy. I am 54 and have dodged the probe bullet as long as I can. I have a new doctor and she is a hard-ass, but I really like her. She finally got my diabetes medication figured out and I feel much better. Unfortunately, she saw on my chart that I had never had a colonoscopy, which I guess is supposed to be done at 50 years old. So, tomorrow at 4pm central standard time I will join the ranks of legends of others who have been through this humiliating test. Oh joy....

Since I can't eat solids today or tomorrow I made one of my favorite meals yesterday. I made Pannekoeken...or as we call it, Dutch Baby Pancake. It is sort of like a gigantic popover that you can put syrup or fruit on. I like to put blueberry syrup on mine, my sons like maple syrup. It's simple to make and your house smells like Christmas cookies baking! Here's the recipe. A few pointers, the edges brown first, watch the center for doneness. The center should have golden brown spots on it. Eat it right away after you take it out of the oven since it will collapse a little. You probably don't need extra butter :o) but fruit syrups and maple syrup is a must. If you bake it in a pie pan you can cut it into wedges for easy serving. Make 2, they get eaten fast! Bon apetit!

Dutch Baby Pancake
This recipe makes one. Double the recipe to bake 2 at once.
Preheat oven to 425 degrees

Melt 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) of butter in a pie plate.

Mix together, with whisk, just until blended:
2/3 cup flour
2/3 cup milk
3 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp sugar
pinch of salt

Pour the batter (there will be lumps, that's okay) into the middle of the pie plate that has the melted butter. Place in oven and bake for 16-20 minutes, until browned, firm and puffed. Top with syrup, fruit, cinnamon and sugar, whatever! Eat and enjoy. You can bake 2 at a time, this recipe is for one only.

I have today, tomorrow, and Saturday off work. I'm hoping I feel fine Saturday since my knitterly friends Joyce, Janet, and I have plans for lunch and yarn shopping. I definitely deserve some new yarn after going through a colonoscopy, any reason to buy more yarn works for me! There are many good yarn shops in the Twin Cities area. I think we will hit Yarnzilla, Yarn Cafe, and Coldwater. All great shops with good customer service. I have shopped at a couple other shops in town and had less than friendly customer service so they don't get my yarn dollar any more. Should be fun, it's always a joy to add to the stash! I am using up some of my old stash (really old!) and knitting some cute slippers. I found the pattern online. They're called Plain Jane Slippers, and are very cute. I am following the pattern but using Lopi and size 10 needles and I plan on felting them. I'll post a picture if it works out okay! Sometimes my felting experiments aren't the best, in fact, I have had complete failures. They are very disappointing after all the time I spent knitting the item. Keep your fingers crossed that these work. They should be cute, and toasty!

Cankle Anklet

Last night, after I had updated my blog, I went and tried on the Cankle Anklet. It's pretty, and now I want to finish it and knit it's mate so I can have some pretty socks. Here is the Cankle Anklet in all it's unfinished glory. A sock that celebrates ankles! What do you think of it? I haven't even started to write the pattern and the lace will have to be charted because it is too much to write out! The lace pattern is from a German stitch book that uses very different knitting symbols than we use in the USA. Should be fun. Speaking of fun, has anyone seen these awesome and fantastic socks by Cookie? She is unbelievable and her socks are truly works of art. I hope that someday soon she does a book of her patterns, it would be a "must have" for me! Many of her patterns are available free at Knitty.com but I especially love the pattern Thelonious which isn't at Knitty...bummer...

I Have Cankles...

Yes, cankles. What are cankles you ask. Well, cankles are a malady that I inherited from my mom, who in turn inherited them from her mom, my gramma Alexander. For all I know, cankles could go back centuries on my mothers side of the family. Yes, cankles are something you hope you don't inherit, but if you do, there's not a damn thing you can do about it. My mom prefers to call her cankles "the curse of the Alexander leg", but regardless of what she calls it, we've got it. It is the unattractive ankle that looks like a continuation of your calf, hence, calf going into ankle=cankles. Okay, so it's not like we have elephant shaped legs, not really. More like a fence post...sort of the same circumference from knee to foot. There's differing degrees of cankleness. I've seen worse than mine, much worse, but all in all, I'd say mine is the average cankle. Why do I tell the whole blogging world about my cankles, because I knit socks. Yup, cankles have a profound effect on sock knitting. Ever since I first laid eyes on the popularJaywalker Socks I have wanted to knit them. I can tell by the comments I've read and just by looking at the unyielding stitch that these socks will not fit a cankle ankled gal like me. I don't want to have to struggle to get my heel into my socks and I don't want my feet turning blue from the blood circulation being cut off. Nope, I need stretchy ribbing or delicate lace or even some good old cables with lots of extra stitches thrown in for good measure (pun intended :o). Today I found another sock that I had started many years ago. It's pretty, I like it, and it is a sock that draws your attention to the ankle (or in my case cankle). Am I going to finish it and knit another? Of course. And I'm also going to write the pattern up so you can knit it for thinner, regular ankles or for women who have a slightly "thicker" ankle like mine. So never fear...us cankle ankled gals can have a beautiful lace encircled ankle too. We need it, we want it, we deserve it! Check back tomorrow for a photo of the Cankle Anklet (I guess it's not really an anklet since anklets have a folded over top) but that's what I'm calling it!

Another Sock to be Completed...Someday Soon

After I gave it some thought, I decided that I can post my pattern I designed for a SOTM Club. The club is no longer active and hasn't been for years. I own the copyright so if I want to share, I can. I have changed the name from Falling Leaves Socks to Gated Vines Socks. I did this since there are so many socks with the Falling Leaves name on the internet. Although, I think mine was before all of the others. Either way, I took the photo on our gate hence, the new name. It is a fun knit that requires a small amount of concentration and is probably not a good pattern for a beginner sock knitter. I hope you enjoy it!

Gated Vines Socks
Wren’s Nest Designs©2001 All rights reserved.
Materials
Yarn:100 gms Opal Sock Yarn (any fingering weight sock yarn will work)
Needles: size US 1 (2.5mm) set of 4 dpn (or size needed for gauge)
Gauge: 9 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch
Size: Fits women shoe size 8-9 (adjust foot length for differing sizes)

Cast On
Cast on 75 stitches.
Divide the stitches evenly onto 3 needles:
ndl 1: 30 sts, ndl 2: 15 sts, ndl 3: 30 sts
Join, being careful not to twist stitches.
Place marker at beginning of round, between needles one and three.
Work K3, P2 ribbing for 1 1/2 inches or desired length.

Start Vine Pattern (multiple of 15 sts):

rnd 1, and ALL odd numbered rounds: knit
rnd 2: *k3 (yo, k1)twice, ssk, k3, k2tog, k1, p2*
rnd 4: *(k3, yo)twice, k1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1, p2*
rnd 6: *k3, yo, k5, yo, k1, sl1-k2tog-psso, k1, p2*
rnd 8: *k1, ssk, k3, k2tog, (k1, yo)twice, k3, p2*
rnd 10: *k1, ssk, k1, k2tog, k1, (yo, k3)twice, p2*
rnd 12: *k1, k3tog, k1, yo, k5, yo, k3, p2*

Knit 5 repeats of pattern.

Arrangement for Heel and Instep
You will be rearranging some of the stitches so that you can continue one repeat of the Vine pattern down the center of the instep. You will need to center those 15 sts that make the pattern PLUS add a “p2” at the beginning of the 15 st pattern repeat, just like there is a p2 at the end. This will insure that the pattern will be “outlined” with the purl sts and will remain symmetrical. Here goes:

Slip 12 sts from the end of needle 1 onto the beginning of needle 2.
Slip 10 sts from the beginning of needle 3 onto the end of needle 2.
Slip the last st on needle 3 onto the beg of needle 1.
Move marker over 1 st between these ndls.
Needle 2 should now have 37 sts on it.
Needles 1 and 3 should have 19 sts each.
Marker should be between ndls 1 and 3.

Now, look closely at the pattern on needle 2. You’ll notice that the 15 st Vine repeat has a p2 at the end of all the even numbered rounds. You will be adding a p2 at the beginning of the 15 st pattern rep on all even numbered rounds. So needle 2 will always be worked as follows: *k10, p2, work the 15 st pattern, k10*

Heel Flap
The heel is worked on the 38 sts on needles 1 and 3.
Knit to end of needle 1. Turn work.
S1, and purl back the rem stitches on needle 1 and 3, a total of 38 sts. Turn.
Start heel stitch with row 1 (right side) of pattern.

Heel Stitch Pattern:
Row 1:(right side)*sl 1, k 1* across to end
Row 2: sl1, p to end
Repeat these 2 rows until heel flap is square or about 2.5 inches long. End after a row 2.

~If you desire a longer heel just continue until the length you want. Remember, the longer your heel flap, the more gusset sts you will need to pick up.~
Turn Heel
This is round (French) heel:
Next row: (right side) slip 1, knit to center marker, k2, SSK, k1, turn.
Next row: slip 1, purl 5, p2tog, p1, turn.

*Slip 1, knit to within 1 st away from gap, SSK, k1, turn.
Slip 1, purl to within 1 st away from gap, p2tog, p1, turn.*

Repeat from * to * until all stitches have been worked, always working together the 2 sts on each side of the gap. End after a purl row. Turn. Knit to marker at center back of your sock.

Gussets
Pick up for the gussets:
With needle 1, pick up one stitch through each slip stitch loop on edge of heel flap. The number of sts you pick up will depend on how long you knit the heel flap. You may use a crochet hook for ease. Slip the picked up st onto needle one with the heel sts.

Knit across the instep stitches on needle 2 continuing in Vines pattern, this will be rnd 1 of Vine Pattern.
With loose needle, pick up one stitch through each slip stitch loop on edge of heel flap. When all loops are picked up, knit across the sts on needle 3. You should have equal amount of sts on needles one and three. You are once again at center back of your sock and ready to start the gusset decreases.
Knit 1 round, continuing pattern on ndl 2.

Now decrease for the gussets:
Needle 1: knit to 3 sts from end of needle, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2: pattern across, working appropriate round.
Needle 3: at the beginning of needle, k1, SSK, work to end.
Knit one round, continuing pattern down instep on ndl 2.
Alternate decrease and knit rounds until 74 stitches remain. (18, 37, 19) You will work on extra gusset dec to have equal st counts for the instep and the sole. This will make the toe decs easier later.

Instep
Continue to knit ndls 1 and 3 on all rounds. Continue to pattern ndl 2. End when the foot length is about where you big toe is attached to your foot or approx. 1 1/2 inches shorter than your foot.

Toes
This is a round toe shaping.
Decrease round:
Needle 1: K to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2: K1, SSK, knit to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1.
Needle 3: K1, SSK, knit to end.

Knit one round even.

Alternate decrease and even rounds until 18 stitches remain on ndl 2.
Knit decrease round every round until 8 sts remain on ndl 2.
Place stitches from ndl 1 and 3 onto one needle (should be 8 sts) and graft together with the 8 sts on ndl 2.
Knit another sock to match!
Wren's Nest Designs© 2001 All rights reserved.

I Love Wednesdays!

Most people love Fridays, it's the end of the work week and they are looking forward to the weekend ahead. Not me, I love Wednesdays. I have worked in the retail grocery business for over 22 years and everyone knows...retailers work weekends. I work weekends, every weekend, every single weekend. That is why I love Wednesdays, my two days off every week are Wednesday and Thursday, they are my weekend. So hats off to Wednesday, that middle of the week day when most are working hard and starting to think of the weekend, I am off and relaxing. It's not always easy having your weekend be in the middle of the normal work week but I have adjusted my life to accommodate it and it works for me!

Today I will clean my house, bake a chocolate sheet cake, think about American Idol and who I would like to see make it to the next round, and hopefully get some knitting done.

I have found the AWOL sock! He was hiding in the guest room closet with another sock that is also missing it's mate. I really like the other sock. I designed the pattern for a Sock of the Month Club that is no longer active so I may post the pattern here. It's a pretty sock that deserves a mate, especially since I would really like to wear them! I need to contact the SOTM coordinator to make sure that it's okay to post the pattern, after all, it IS my pattern and it is copyrighted to me so I don't see a problem with that. I'll post a picture so you all can see it and decide if it's something you'd like to knit.

We are in for another snowstorm. This time it's supposed to start snowing this afternoon and not stop until Friday night! We could get as much as 16 inches. Great. That's Minnesota for you. Mother Nature must have decided that our winter had been too mild and is fixing the snowfall discrepancy. Bless her frosty heart...

I just took our favorite cake out of the oven. I got this recipe from an "older" man at work who claims it's been in his family for years. I have to admit...it's pretty darn good. Here's the recipe if you'd like to try it. A few pointers: check for doneness often. It bakes very fast since it is a thin cake. It only takes 16 minutes in my oven. Enjoy!

Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake

Place in large mixing bowl:
2 cups flour
2 cups sugar
1/3 cup cocoa


Bring to boil and pour over flour mixture:
1 stick (1/2 cup) butter
1 cup water
1/2 cup cooking oil

Add to bowl:
1/2 cup buttermilk
1 tsp baking soda (mix into buttermilk)
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Beat until well blended. Spread in greased jelly roll pan and bake for 17-20 minutes at 400 degrees. While cake is baking prepare frosting.

Melt:
1 stick of butter
Add and heat until hot but not boiling:
1/3 cup buttermilk
Pour over:
4 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/4 cup cocoa
Add:
1 tsp vanilla
Beat until smooth.

Frost cake as soon as you take it out of the oven. Let cool, cut and enjoy!

* Do not substitute margarine in place of the butter. A cup of nuts may be added to the frosting if desired. Watch closely while baking, since this cake bakes quickly.

I can hear that darn vacuum calling my name. The bathrooms are whining too. I guess it's time to finish cleaning. I have decided that when I win the lottery one of my first priorities will be to hire a cleaning lady! Have a great day!

Lots of the white stuff!

Yesterday I drove home from work in sleet and freezing rain...well, that didn't last too long. About dinner time it all turned to snow and we got blasted! Some areas of the Twin Cities got almost 20 inches. I heard that the west metro where I live (area west of Minneapolis) got about a foot. The picture shows the drift in front of my front door. It's deeper than it looks considering there are 2 steps there, even though it looks like only one. When I left for work this morning at 4:30am (yes, 4:30am!) the roads hadn't been plowed so it was like driving through 12 inches of mud! The car kept pulling and sliding but I didn't dare slow down for fear I'd get stuck. The only thing that saved me was my Mariners All-Wheel Drive...gotta love it! I arrived safely at work and when I left 8 hours later the roads were clear! Yup, clear right down to the asphalt. Bless those snowplow drivers!

Now that I'm home and pooped from a hard, and early, days work I think it's time for a little t.v. and knitting. I'll reach into my bag where all the waiting socks are and grab one. Hope your weekend was fun, relaxing, and snowless!

Rain, Sleet, Snow, and Knitting

I just drove home from work in freezing rain and sleet...good ole Minnesota winter! We have had such a mild winter this year that I really can't complain, spring is just around the corner so I have something to look forward to. I actually like winter, and snow...I'm a true-blue Minnesotan of Scandinavian descent.

Another great thing about the cold and snow is you can knit with warm fibers. It's a bit uncomfortable to have a wool sweater in your lap when it's 90 degrees out, but not in this weather! The warmer the fiber...the better! I know that I have promised to finish all my socks but that was just a promise to not start another pair. I could always cast on for that cute Lisa Lloyd cardigan I've been anxious to start. I bought a beautiful deep purple wool from KnitPicks that will be perfect for that pattern. I love Lisa Lloyd's patterns. The cardigan I'm going to knit is her Basketweave Gansey Cardigan. Check it out:
http://lloydknitting.com/index.html
I hope to have that finished (I haven't even started it yet and I'm talking about finishing it!) so I can wear it next fall. Which would mean I would probably be working on it this summer. Yuck...hot, hot, hot! Bad idea. I guess the socks have guilted me enough that they will be my summer knitting. Small, portable, fun...what more could a girl ask of her knitting?

AWOL sock!

Okay...after my big plan to knit all the socks their rightful mates, I realized that one of my favorite socks was missing! It was a sock pattern I designed for a book (never got published but that's a whole different story!) and I really wanted to knit it's mate. I do have a picture to remember it by and the hope that someday I will find it. I will share my pattern so hopefully you can knit 2 of these socks and enjoy them as much as I wanted too.

Resolution Socks
Wren's Nest Designs©2002 All rights reserved.

Materials
Yarn: 100 gms Opal or any fingering weight that will knit to gauge
Needles: size US 1 (2.5mm) set of 5 dpn (or size needed for gauge)
1 st Marker

Gauge: 9 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch
Size: Fits womens shoe size 8 (adjust foot length for different sizes)

Stitch patterns:

Scallop Top Pattern (multiples of 9 sts):
rnd 1: knit
rnd 2: *yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k1* rep

Baby Braids Pattern (multiples of 6 sts):
rnd 1: *k5, p1*
rnd 2: *k1, yo, sl1-k2tog-psso, yo, k1, p1*
rnd 3: *k5, p1*
rnd 4: *k2, yo, ssk, k1, p1*
rnd 5: *k5, p1*
rnd 6: *k5, p1*

Cast On

Cast on 72 stitches.
Divide the stitches evenly onto 4 dpn’s (18 sts on each) needles.
Join, being careful not to twist stitches.

Place marker at beginning of round between needles one and four. This marker will always be considered the "beginning" of any round.

Purl 1 round.
Knit 1 round.
Purl 1 round.

Work 5 repeats of Scallop Top Pattern.
Knit 1 round even.

Work 10 repeats of Baby Braids pattern for leg. Stop at the beginning of
ndl 4 on a round 6.

Slip last st on ndl 1 onto beg of ndl 2. The 37 stitches on needles 2 and 3 for the instep are not worked at this time. The extra st on ndl 2 (the one you slipped on from ndl 1) will remain a purl st for the remainder of the sock until the toe decs.

Heel Flap
You will be knitting back and forth on the 35 sts on needles one and four only (you may combine these onto one needle if you desire) for the heel flap. This heel flap has a 5 st garter stitch edge on both sides of the flap. You will always be knitting the first 5 and the last 5 sts of each row. Start the heel stitch pattern now at the beg of ndl 4 with row 1.

Heel Stitch Pattern:
Row 1:(right side) knit 5, *sl 1, k 1* to last 5 sts, knit
Row 2: knit 5, p across to last 5 sts, knit

Work 40 rows of heel st or until heel flap is about 2 3/4 inches long. If you desire a longer heel (or shorter) just continue until the length you want. Remember, the longer the heel, the more gusset sts you will have to pick up. End after a row 2.

Turn Heel

Next row: (right side) slip 1, knit to center marker, k2, SSK, k1, turn.
Next row: slip 1, purl 5, p2tog, p1, turn.

*Slip 1, knit to within 1 st away from gap, SSK, k1, turn.
Slip 1, purl to within 1 st away from gap, p2tog, p1, turn.*

Repeat from * to * until all stitches have been worked, always working
together the 2 sts on each side of the gap. End after a purl row. Turn.

Knit to the end of ndl 4 to the center back of your sock (be sure your marker is between needles 1 and 4).
Gussets
Pick up for the gussets:
Knit across ndl 1, pick up one stitch between each purl bump on edge of heel flap. You will have the heel sts PLUS the picked up sts on needle one. The amount of sts picked up will depend on how long you knit your heel flap. I picked up 20 sts for my sock.

Knit across the instep stitches on needles 2 and 3 changing the pattern to a 5x1 ribbing. Always purling the first stitch on ndl 2, so instep pattern for ndls 2 and 3 is now:
p1 *k5, p1* across

With loose needle, pick up one stitch between each purl bump on edge of heel flap. Knit across ndl 4. You will have the picked up sts PLUS the heel sts on needle four. You are once again at center back of your sock and ready to start the gusset decreases.

Knit 1 round.

Decrease for the gussets:
Needle 1: knit to 3 sts from end of needle, k2tog, k1.
Needles 2 & 3: Knit across in pattern: p1 *k5, p1*
Needle 4: k1, SSK, knit to end.

Knit one round, always keeping ndls 2 and 3 in pattern.

Alternate decrease and even rounds until needles 1 and 4 are back to 18 sts each.

Instep
Knit all rnds keeping ndls 1 and 4 in stockinette st, and ndls 2 and 3 in rib pattern st. End when the foot length is about where you big toe is attached to your foot or approx 1 1/2 inches shorter than your foot.
Knit one round even decreasing 1 st on needle 2 so each needle is now back to 18 sts.

Toe
Decrease round:
Needle 1: K to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2: K1, SSK, knit to end.
Needle 3: K to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1.
Needle 4: K1, SSK, knit to end.

Knit one round even.

Alternate decrease and even rounds until 9 stitches remain on each needle.
Now knit decrease round every round until 4 sts remain on each needle.

Place stitches on 2 needles. The 4 sts each from ndls 2 and 3 onto one needle and the 4 sts each from ndls 1 and 4 onto one needle. Graft together. Weave in any loose ends.

Knit another sock to match!

Wren's Nest Designs© 2002 All rights reserved.

I May Never Knit A NEW Pair of Socks Again!

So, a few days ago I decided that I wanted to start knitting a new pair of socks. I've had this wonderful purple and turquoise Fixation that is just screaming to be socks. I hauled the giant Rubbermaid chest from my closet and dug through the dozens of skeins of sock yarn. There they were...those two beautiful little balls of Fixation. I grabbed my Crystal Palace bamboo dpn's and was about to cast on...when it happened! The guilt!!! It washed over me like a tidal wave and I couldn't do anything to stop it. I tossed the lovely Fixation on my bed and slowly walked to my closet door. I flipped the light on and stepped in...and there they were, the cause of my extreme and painful guilt. The single socks of years past, just waiting for their mates. So solemn in their singleness, never crying out for their mate that they so long for. I couldn't stand it! I had to make things right. So it was then and there that I vowed to never knit a NEW sock until I had married off all my single socks. This may take awhile......
That is my beautiful greyhound Summer watching over the single socks so they don't run off and marry up with the wrong mate! Good Girl Summer!

New Blog!! Old Knitter!!

Here I sit...in front of my little iMac, entering the big world of blogging. I read so many blogs, mostly knitting related, that I figured...hey, maybe someone would want to read a blog that I wrote. And maybe not. So, either way, I am now a real blogger that will write all about my interesting and exciting life! So stay tuned, check back often, and enjoy the adventures of a string-slinging, Minnesota gal that loves her knitting.