Ta Da! New Patterns!

I finally finished up some pattern design work this week. Some of these have been a really long time coming. I am glad to have them finished and hope people will like the patterns. You can find them all for sale on my web site www.denisesneedleworks.com along with lots of other great patterns, needles and some fun notions. I am working on adding more products to the site so keep it bookmarked and check back to see what's new!

Jessie's Blanket $5.00




Tutti Fruity Socks $6.00




Magic Family Socks $6.00-- This is the first of a group of "Denise's Favorites" patterns that I plan to do. They will be easy to follow patterns for some of the things that I have knit repeatedly and often teach others how to make.

Iowa State Fair

I entered the fair for the first time this year. I have thought about it before but never followed through to get it done. Some of the knitters from the Ames Public Library's Knit and Crochet group were talking about entering so I thought maybe this year should be the year I finally did too. I found that there were lots of categories in knitting. I thought I might be able to enter a few things so I started making a list of what I had and which categories they would fit into. I came up with 15 items!

Click on the picture for a better look.
If you make it to the fair check out the Fiber & Threads, upstairs in the Varied Industries Building.

Soctoberfest

This month is Socktoberfest again. Everyone is knitting socks for the winter. Or at least I and a bunch of sock enthusiasts are. I have joined a group of people who are trying to finish up the second sock of a pair. There are 3 on my list that I would really like to get finished soon. Winter is coming, the days are getting cooler and I have already started wearing my wool socks some. Of course today is not one of those days -- it is 77 degrees!

My take-along knitting project lately has been this Magi Sock. I finally finished it the other day and I now am started on the second sock. This basic sock has a ribbed cuff and stockinette foot. There is a free pattern on my web site called Magi Socks named for the yarn that they are made of. I tried to give easy to understand instructions so even a beginner could make these.
I used Magi yarn and size 2 needles and get a gauge of about 8.5 sts/inch. I think I would like to try this yarn with a smaller needle next time to see what it looks like. This is already knit tighter than they suggested gauge on the yarn wrapper but it still seems just a little bit loose. I like my socks to have a nice tight knit so they wear well. Magi yarn is from Rauma in Norway.


This pair is also my own design but the pattern is not completely written yet. This is Tofutsies yarn on size 1 needles. This yarn makes a spiraling stripe design on its own. The individual colors are blended into completely different colors and I feel that you lose the beauty of those colors. You can see that at the top of the sock. I found a stitch pattern that broke up the striping and keeps the colors separated a bit more. I really like how they came out and I will probably write up the pattern when they are finished.

The third pair of socks is one that I think I started last fall, just before Socktoberfest. I am not quite sure why I didn't get them finished then. These are made in Trekking ProNatura Bamboo yarn on size 1 needles. I really like the yarn. I think they will be very comfortable to wear. The pattern is Dublin Bay Socks. It has an easy lace design down the sides of the leg.

So, I have some great small projects and a nice large project to work on right now. Winter is coming I'm sure. It always does here in Iowa! They say it might be a really cold one again like last year and with the cost of fuels all going up it is probably better to wrap ourselves in wool to keep warm instead of turning up the thermostat, right?

Some 2007 knitting I can finally show off

Introducing
Tofutsies Weave Socks

I mentioned this project in October. It was an entry for a sock design contest so I couldn't give too much away then. Now that the contest is over I can show them off. Oh, and I got second place!

I love the bright colors of this yarn but I was disappointed with the way my first pair turned out. Two of the colors blend together as you knit to make a spiral of a totally different color! So with this pattern I decided I wanted a way to interrupt that spiral and have each of the colors stand out individually.

You can see in the close-up view the spiral that started in the cuff and also how the weave pattern changed that.

I really like the results! The pattern will hopefully be available on my web site soon.

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.

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....

One TOFUtises sock finished!

I finished the first sock! This is color 723, Put Your Foot Down. I chose it when the first round of colors came into my LYS because it had the most different colors. I loved all of the TOFUtsies colors! Now there are 15 new summer colors available!

I used size 1 needles and 72 sitches. There is a waffle rib stitch on the cuff and down the top of the foot. I think it is interesting how the dark colors and light colors separated into 2 groups to make dark and light swirls around most of the sock. On the toe you can see that there were actually 4 main colors.

And as I have said before they feel wonderfully soft! I am anxious to wear them....better get started on the second one!

Sock attack!

I went on a sock binge! I knit socks almost exclusively for more than a week. Most of these are plain vanilla stockinette patterns. I really like doing plain socks. These first 3 pair were all done on size 2 needles. That is big enough that I can knit without looking so I can read while knitting my socks!

I finished up the koolaid dyed socks. I even wore them already. These are lots of fun to show off.

The blue and brown ones and the Jelly Bean Stripes are made from Lion Brand Magic Stripes yarn. I started the blue and brown pair during Socktoberfest I believe.

The Jelly Bean Stripes were finished but I took out the toe and reknit them a little longer. I had tried a star toe on these. It seems to be a shorter toe than what I usually use. I decided to use my regular toe when I knit them longer. I like the tapered toe better for wearing, though the star toe doesn't require grafting. As you can see I still have one of each to graft.

I also made some progress on my TOFUtsies socks. This one is on size 1 needles. That alone makes it go slower. Then I decided to add a waffle weave stitch pattern to the cuff and down the front of the sock......really, really.......slow.

I love the TOFUtises yarn though. It feels really nice and the colors are wonderful! My LYS just got in 15 new colors! YIKES!

You may have noticed the little yellow tags on a couple of the socks...this idea was courtesy of my friend, Esther. I write the details of the pattern on the tag, number of stitches, rows etc as I knit the first one. It makes the second sock much easier! Thanks Esther!

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