doviejay knits

I’ve been knitting at the speed of light this week, trying to finish the Henly Hoodie so I can show the blog some pictures – also because I wanted to wear it to our big sale this weekend – but it’s not going well. I have a little blue line across the tip of my finger actually, where I tension my yarn, but I still don’t have a sweater.

Anyway, I thought I would show you the little shop model I knitted up last weekend for the store: Tilli Tomas’s Grommet Bag #153 using her Rock Star beaded silk, one of my favorite yarns.

It’s a pretty ingenius little pattern actually – under the flap there are grommets and you pick up stitches through them and then knit down, but the bag is already fully lined, so there’s no finishing whatsoever. It was a cute, quick, enjoyable knit. And as you can see – the colors are completely gorgeous!

Other than the Henly, work continues most vigorously on the Ireland Boot Socks. I’ve been knitting them and lurking in the Socks that Rawk group on Ravelry. The more I knit, the more I fall in love . . .

I meant to post this earlier, but it slipped my mind -

My during the week job is at an After School program, and I work mostly with 2nd and 3rd graders. On Thursday one of my kids came running up to me on the playground with a 1st grade friend of hers shouting, “Miss Jennie, Miss Jennie, show us your socks!”

I duly lifted up the legs of my jeans to reveal plain white ankle socks. “Why do you want to see my socks, Maria?”

A sigh of disappointment, “You usually have knitted socks on. Why don’t you have your knitted socks?”

“None of them are clean.”

“Well, wash them, okay? Geez.” and then they sprinted off.

because I can hear the trains go by. I’ve never lived by trains before, but for some reason hearing their “whooooo” over the noise of the fan at night makes me feel safe.

Since my last post I have made almost no progress with the Henly Hoodie or the Gold Shell Socks. I had a bad day at work and came home and decided that the only prescription was more Socks that Rock. I actually have a soft deadline – I want to be finished with the Hoodie at least by May 1st – but what have I been doing for the last three days?

This my third attempt with this yarn and I’m finally loving it – the Uptown Boot Sock from Favorite Socks, which I long to own, and IK Winter 2003 which I happily do own.

Initially I was going to do the Blackrose Socks with this yarn, but the CO number made the yarn pool in a very weird way. Jorah really liked it and I was tempted to go with it, but you couldn’t really see the lace, and then I went and perused the Ravelry gallery for County Clare Lightweight and they were just all so lovely I couldn’t stand it, so I ripped. Uptown Boot has a CO of 80, which makes for a lovely spiral striping.

I still want to make the Blackrose Socks of course, I really enjoyed the pattern while I was knitting it and it was super fast, but I’m going to need a different yarn. The pattern suggests using something from the Raven Clan and that’s the way I’m leaning. Probably Pallas Athena or Rauen.

I tried something else in there too, but it has vanished – I don’t remember anymore. Anyway, I’m on the heel flap for the first sock after doing quite a short leg and that’s essentially the only useful thing I’ve done since Tuesday.

I’m in a hurry to finish up some UFOs because the next semester of the Harry Potter Knit and Crochet House Cup is starting May 1st and I want to be able to sign up for some classes. I’ve been lurking in this group since early March and am really looking forward to participating in the summer term. I need to finish the Henly and these two pairs of socks because I want to be able to cast on a new project guilt free!

Speaking of Ravelry Groups – I started my own this week. I’m now the moderator for the Lakeside Fibers Love Group- yes, Lakeside is my yarn store. So far it’s small, but we have lots of fans, so I’m sure it’ll be as big as the Facebook group soon.

So, self: Henly Hoodie, Gold Shell Socks, Ireland Boot Socks, Wisconsin Heartwarmer! Time to buckle down!

I ended up not doing much sewing on Sunday – actually the only thing sewing related was that I bought a pattern for a maid of honor dress. I found some GORgeous fabric but I want my bride’s approval before I shell out for it, so I haven’t purchased it yet.

Most of the day on Saturday was spent knitting on the Shell Socks. It was a lovely day and I wish I could have been knitting outside, but at least I got tons of progress done on the socks. Took some pretty great pictures too, if I do say so myself.

These are the Child’s First Socks in Shell Pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks. These are the ones I made back in January for my mom – you can tell I like this pattern because I knit three complete socks for her (the first didn’t fit and I had to reknit) and now I’m making some for myself. I have had to alter the pattern though – my gigantic feet require a less dainty and more manly sock.

The last couple of days we’ve had a cold snap here in WI. Well, it’s normal for this time of year, but it feels like a cold snap this year. It’s been all wet and rainy, and so the work forges ahead on the Henly Hoodie.

I must admit, all this stockingnette is somewhat tiresome, but I have Hercule Poriot to help me with it, and the color – the color is lovely. I’m really tailoring it to myself too, so I hope to have a really flattering final product.

I love a nice overcast day when you can get good photos. Hopefully the Hoodie will start zipping along – I want to be able to wear it this spring! Until this blessed cold snap, it was getting too warm!