Mr. Aitch and I have a very low-key Christmas.
Our “rustic” tree was decorated with some themed ornaments that reflect our year.
I hope you all have a very merry holiday celebration at this time of the year. We do Christmas.
My daughter asked for more scrubbies from Red Heart Sparkle Scrubby yarn. I bought some black (Licorice) and added some colorful accents: Ice Pop, Avacado, Orange, and Strawberry.
These should last her for a while.
Our 11-year old granddaughter stayed with us over the weekend. We went to Blackwater Falls near Davis, West Virginia, and walked to the falls. It was a crisp, sunny day. A bit chilly for our picnic but by sitting in the sun we managed to stay comfortable.
After we got home, Jayne and I dyed some Knit Picks Stroll fingering-weight yarn using Easter egg dye and some food coloring. We soaked the yarn in water with three tablespoons of white vinegar before we left in the morning so it would be ready for us when we came home.
She decided on teal, purple and pink dyes alternating the colors all the way around the oval of yarn. I bought some 20ml syringes to apply the dye. They worked much better than the cheap squeeze bottles I used before. The syringes did not leak or drip.
Once all the dye was on the yarn, we wrapped it in plastic wrap and placed the bundle in a glass dish. Then we microwaved it for two minutes, let it cool anywhere from 5-15 minutes, and repeated that process for a total of four times to heat set the dye. (I was so involved that I forgot to take more pictures. Oops!)
When the yarn was cool, she rinsed it thoroughly in warm to cool water with a little bit of clear soap. The yarn absorbed most of the dye and she only had a small amount of purple dye wash out. By Sunday morning the yarn was ready to wind into a ball.
I’ve already started knitting a pair of Helen Stewart’s Dorsal Fin socks (her choice) for her with the yarn she dyed.
Two pairs of socks. Done.
The first pair is from Helen Stewart’s Handmade Sock Society season 3: Luminary. It’s the first sock pattern that was issued in February 2020 I got a late start and cast on the stitches on April 21, 2020. At that point, the third pattern had just been released.
Using Knit Picks Stroll in the Inverness colorway and US #1 (2.25mm) needles, I managed to complete these socks on July 11. Three months is a long time for me to knit a pair of socks.
But here they are in all their glory.
I love the texture and the color. I just might keep these for myself!
The second finished sock pair was a long time on the needles. I cast on these in March 2019 when I needed something to occupy my time while I was waiting to do something. I don’t remember what that was, but the distraction was important at the time.
Finished on July 28, 2020. Seventeen months in the making.
The Twilight Socks is from Melissa Morgan-Oakes book, 2-at-a-time Socks. My daughter-in-law gave this book to me in 2018 when I expressed a curiosity for knitting two socks at a time. I didn’t have the required circular needle size (US #1 or 2.5 mm) so I just used my old stand-by: double point needles. Then I switched to a mini Chia Goo 9-inch circular needle. And I knit them one-at-a-time.
I didn’t think I’ve mentioned these socks before. The yarn is Knit Picks Stroll in the Fedora colorway that is no longer available. It’s a rich chocolaty brown that I cannot truly capture.
It’s a simple knit-purl texture similar to a waffle weave that will keep one’s feet and legs very warm.
This pair may or may not be gifted.
I could be more productive with everything (knitting, laundry, cleaning, etc.) if I wasn’t addicted to the Matchington Mansion game I play on my iPad. I even put a time limit on how long I play in one day but I can bypass it so it’s not really helping. I really need to step away from the game.
What keeps you from being productive?
Knitting In Flashes 