Bright Tofutsies Sock

This brightly colored Tofuties sock yarn was calling to me from the bin at the Rose Tree We have had such rain and gloom for days on end that I really need some sunshine. I decided I had to make some socks from it because the colors made me think of a sunny summer day.

I am going to try something different with this pair. I am not going to tell you what that is just yet. But I will let you know soon if it works the way I hope it will.

Candy Wrapper Hat

My newest pattern!

Candy Wrapper Hat

You will find the pattern available on my web site.


It started with a challenge from my friend Jennifer to "make a sample" from this heavenly soft new yarn that Rosemary got in at the Rose Tree Fiber Shop. It is Silk and Merino from Russi Sales 30% Silk, 70% extra fine Merino from Italy.


I tried a series of cables for a swatch and found that the yarn shows them off beautifully. I wanted to be able to use every inch of this wonderful yarn but I was also worried about running out before I finished the hat if I started at the bottom as most hats are. I only had 120 yards.


Then I thought of the Pinwheel Baby Blanket pattern that has this beautiful spiral start. I combined that with a double cable twist that looks like candy wrappers.



Oh, and I did use almost every little bit of the yarn. I have only a tiny ball left over. I even frogged my swatch and used it!

So come on into the Rose Tree if you can and check out all of the beautiful new colors of Silk and Merino. It is so soft that you may want to take some home too!






My model is my beautiful daughter, Amy. She is rather shy.

Pi shawl--A Fresh Start

So, I was knitting along on my shawl, and noticed that the circular needle was giving me much smaller stitches than the double points that I started this with. I kept knitting for a while hoping that it was just my imagination but no, it was true.

Since the beginning was a little shaky anyway, with the ladders that had formed between the needles, I sought out a second opinion from the LYS owner, Rosemary, at the Rose Tree Fiber Shop. We decided that it must have been the fact that this needle was more slippery than the dpns. I have had that happen with heavier yarns before but somehow thought that it wouldn't make that much difference in this lace weight on such small needles.

I wasn't liking the 16 inch circular I was using anyway because it wasn't very flexible. While I was at the shop I bought 16 and a 24 inch circulars in the size 4 so I could restart and hopefully have all of the stitches come out approximately the same size. I used the 2 circular needles to do the cast on and the first few sections. I still have a bit of a ladder between the needles even though I tried to keep those first stitches very tight. I think it is just the yarn!

Now I am almost back to where I was and things are going smoothly.

My knitting bag is packed for vacation. I probably have way more than I will find time to work on I wouldn't want to be sitting there just wishing I had some knitting!

TOFUtsies sock goes visiting

My finished sock went down to the Rose Tree Fiber Shop to visit all the other TOFUtsie yarns. It will be on display for a while until I can finish the second one. Then I want to wear them!

It joins several shawls, a baby outfit and a couple of tank tops that I have knit. Customers love to see sample projects!

I taught a crochet class last night at the shop. It was a great class but I am afraid that I may have overloaded them. I was trying to get to the basics stitches and how to read a pattern so they would feel confident enough to try something on their own, but we only had 2 hours. I may have to set up a crochet clinic so people can come in for extra help.

The house is quiet. The kids are at Vacation Bible School mornings this week so I am trying to get some patterns written up. Keep an eye out for them....

Fair Isle finally!

I finally finished it earlier this week! I really, really, hate finishing! I try to knit as much seamlessly in the round as I can but I was teaching a class how to make this sweater so I felt that I needed to basically follow the pattern. So armed with caffeine and chocolate, I was finally able to sew underarm seams, add buttons and weave in all the ends!

So the nitty gritty: This is the Fairly Easy Fair Isle from Stitch 'n' Bitch Nation by Debbie Stoller. Knit with Lamb's Pride Bulky, 85% wool/15% mohair, on size 11 needles.

This yarn is sooooo fuzzy! I had fuzz everywhere as I worked and now wearing it, I feel like I am eating fuzz. I even took the lint roller to it before putting it on. When I took it off, my top was covered in more fuzz. Does the Lamb's Pride always do this? or is it just this color? I have worked with smaller projects in this yarn before which didn't seem as bad but maybe it was just the size of the project. I have heard of the mohair halo but I have been pulling handfulls of fuzz off the sleeves and body!

This is the second time I have knit this sweater pattern. It has been a great pattern for my beginning sweater knitters and those that want to learn how to incorporate some fair isle color work. My class decided that doing the color work on the sleeves, which are knit simultaneously on straight needles, was the most difficult part of the sweater. This is such a nice basic pattern.

My first sweater was rather baggy in the waist especially at the back. I wanted this one to be a little fitted so I started with the small size and increased at the underarms up to the medium for the bust and shoulders. I really like how well it fits me! No more cold draft up my back!

I also added short rows at the back neck ala Elizabeth Zimmerman because my last sweater seemed to droop there. Much improved! Now that I have the fit worked out I can see myself making this pattern again maybe with some texture stitches...

I had to share a close-up of the buttons. These are made of polymer clay by a local artist. When I ran across them in the Rose Tree I knew they had to go on this sweater! They really pick up the cream in the color work.


Behind me in the photos you can see my new bookcase. DH and I put it together on Sunday with the "help" of our 4yo son. It will house my knitting books and magazines primarily. It is getting to be quite a collection. So much inspiration!

TOFUtsies (toe-foot-sies)

TOFUtsies "A Great Yarn for Socks" is what the label says. This is a gorgeous new yarn from South West Trading Company

It contains:
50% Superwash Wool
25% Soysilk Fibers
22.5% Cotton
2.5% Chitin

Chitin is fiber from shrimp and crab shells. It's naturally antibacterial! And it is machine wash and dry! Amazing!

My LYS the Rose Tree just got this yarn in. I had to bring some home to try! The colors are so bright and pretty and the yarn is really soft. It was really hard to choose a color, there really isn't a bad one in the bunch!

It knits beautifully. I am getting about 8 to 81/2 spi on size 2 needles. I can't wait to get started on a pair of socks from this!

Happy Knitting!

Denise