My Etsy Store has Opened

I told you I was inspired by my new stitch markers. When I realized people would make such beautiful stitch markers for their knitting I knew it was right up my alley. I've made jewelry of all types for years and the stitch markers are an easy add to my repertoire. I went to the local bead supply store, bought some beautiful sterling silver posts and split rings, and used beads from my jewelry collection to make several sets. I decided to go ahead and put them up on Etsy and see what folks think. Even if they don't sell, I think they're great and at worst, I've got several new sets for my own enjoyment. Check out the shop!

Where has the time gone?

Wow, it has been a while. We've been changing internet service providers and it has been an ordeal. Well, we finally got the internet back up and now it's time to catch up on my knitting stuff. So, what have I been working on? A bunch of stuff. I've made some progress on Spanky's sweater. I find myself getting bored with plain garter stitch pretty quickly so this piece can really only hold my interest for about 30 minutes or if I'm sitting around talking to others and not paying attention to the knitting so much. It makes a nice feeling fabric and I know Spanky will like it if I ever get it done.

I've also made some progress on my sock. It's slow going, again I'm just not motivated by the plain knit stitch around and around and around and again. I get dizzy just thinking about it. I think I'm doing better with the tension now and I decreased down to 60 stitches around the foot area. I've actually tried it on and it fits great in the foot area. As of Sunday it is about 1/2 inch from my toes which is when I start decreasing for the toe area and the end of the sock. Oh my, how exciting!

I've been knitting purely from my yarn stash lately and I decided to dig a little deeper this past week to some stuff I've had for quite a while. I found this orangey/yellow sort of bulky and shiny yarn and combined it with some Boa I bought a long time ago and viola. The scarf is pretty simple with garter for 3 ridges and then stockinette until I got tired, then back to garter and That's All Folks. The hat was fun. I cast on some circular needles and knit about 1 1/2" of ribbing then switched to just knitting so I would get a stockinette cap. Well, then I got to thinking and end up dividing the 60 stitches into 6 groups and I did a purl stitch at each start of the group. So basically I knit 10, purl 1, knit 10 ..., then, on the next row, I knit the purl stitch and then purled the next stitch instead. So what I ended up with is a really cool swirl pattern around the hat. The hat's a little loose on me, but I love em.

I also treated myself to a couple of knitting related items these past couple of weeks. I had some gift cards and Ebay money and decided I needed a treat. I got a super cheap copy of Knit Two Together with Tracy Ullman and a LYS (Local Yarn Store) owner from her neck of the woods. The book is a lot of fun and a couple of the patterns are intriguing. We'll see how adventurous I feel. I also got a copy of The Twisted Sisters Sock Workshop.

The most exciting thing I got is my new set of stitch markers.

Aren't they adorable. I'm sorry, but these just totally appeal to a very irreverant side of me. I love 'em. They look especially adorable when knitting assorted baby gear. :) Sometimes, I am just so wrong. Anyway, I got these on Etsy at SeeJayneKnit's shop. She's got some great stitch markers and some beautiful looking yarn. She was great to deal with and I am thrilled with the markers. And also inspired....

P.S. Yes, the hat is too big, but the colors are wonderful! Who would have thought I would need a bigger head?

September Already?

Wow, I can't believe it's September already. I really need to start thinking about Christmas presents and get knitting! I've been purusing some web sites and I have some ideas for presents but I can't really write about them because most of the people who will be getting them, have this blog address. Oh well, it will just have to be a surprise.
I gave RED his camera case the other day so I get to post the photo now so Mom can see too. It really is this small. I looked up the dimensions of his camera prior to knitting and I couldn't believe how small it was. Needless to say, it didn't use much yarn and hence the reason Spanky is getting his first sweater. I am modifying the color pattern and frankly, I'm just winging it with what I feel like knitting next. We'll see how it goes. :)

I also started working a a new shawl. I got this yarn at Big Lots (no yarn snobbery here) and I just wasn't sure what I would use it for but I really like the colors and shininess. I've decided to name this the "Candy Shawl" because thats what it makes me think of when I see it. I'm just doing a simple dishtowel pattern with a yarn over 2 stiches in on each row to create the triangle. I don't have enough yarn for a full size woman's shawl but I have a cute little young lady in mind for this one.

I also worked some more on my sock. I have now officially "turned the heel" of the sock. I was pretty cool. I did a short row heel turn right out of the Yarn Harlot's book and I think I finally understand how this works. It's cool. She also has a pattern to create a shawl in the shape of a circle by knitting pie like pieces using short rows. I really like the idea now that I understand the concept of the short row heel so I'm going to have to look into some yarn for this.

Lastly, I created a Flickr site where I've uploaded a good number of my knitting photos for viewing. So Mom, if your reading this, I'll send you an invite to the site and you can see all the pictures you like. Anyone else out there who wants to see them, let me know and I'll send you an invite too, unless you're creepy. :)