50 socks book update

This is the New Jersey sock, designed by Sheila Piasecki and called blueberry toes.
the model was knit by Beth in AK, using kid merino to get jus tthe right colors for the New Jersey blue and buff

new treats for your holiday knits!

Lovely neck-wrap design by Lisa Dykstra neckwrap

This uses Kid Merino - soooooooooooooo soft!! Kidmerino


Wonderful Princess Nadia blankie free pattern
This uses the amazingly soft and easy care Puffin Puffin colors
Debbie's gorgeous beaded socks in panda silk

Free sock pattern and gorgeous colors

the countdown on Pink is for February Lottery so far

1. Susi S, with panda silk socks

2. Kenyatta, with dragonfly in bamboozle

3. KyleAnn, with kid merino shawl

4. Adrienne, with her Menehune socks in PandaCotton/Panda Wool

5. Rachel and the fuchsia PC socks for her daughter

6. Kala and her sable PC headband

7. Adrienne's newest sock with the pink daisies

** 8. coming soon KyleAnn's pink puffin cabled socks

***9. another Kala - strawberry-lime PC socks [asking permission to post now]

blessings, :L

Pink is for Peggy Shawl

So here's our 3rd entry into the Pink is for February Contest. This is the Peggy Shawl another superb Jackie ES pattern Heartstrings which was knit by KyleAnn - and more details can be found at KyleAnn'sBlog

the yarn is one of my faves from Crystal Palace KidMerino It's just amazingly soft and well behaved and pretty pretty pretty!
Oh, the colorway here is "strawberries - limes". luscious!!

blessings, :L

Socks- Pink is for Feb

These pics are of socks made with Kid Merino yarn. I love this yarn... so soft and a hugely wonderful color palette. For me, the hardest part is picking only one color! The socks were knit and designed by Cathy Campbell and the pattern is HERE

You can find out more about these patterns at CrystalPalaceYarns.
This pic is a close-up of beaded cuff socks knit by Debbie Haymark, using Ann Norling pattern #12 and Bamboozle yarn. The Bamboozle is wonderful for kids things, and babies too, and i love the slight elasticity. This is my choice to use instead of a "not-to-be-named" summery yarn with too much elastic that gave me hurty feet.

blessings, :L

what's been happening lately

Well,

i've been drooling over the silk sooooooooooo much that i've not shared some other fun stuff.

this yummers hat is what i've been having fun with. the yarn is Iceland from CPY www.straw.com to see the colors. this pic is of the adult hat; am now working on one for a baby.

and doing a version in lovely Kaya.

the pattern should be up soon with other free patterns, and pics on models and etc.

as always, go to http://www.straw.com/ and click on links to find scads of free patterns, including some well-organized lists for amples and socks and more! there are also pages showing you all the yarn color cards.

also, this is "the peggy shawl" in strawberries-limes kid merino [oooh soft!]

with a starting closeup and a final view.

this was knit by kyleann williams whose blog is on the sidebar. the shawl is [i think] a jackie es pattern.

here are more shots of my nutmeg sock - the foot has a ribbed instep, which feels yummy,

the design is by me, and the yarn is panda silk.

you can see that i carried the leg design down onto instep until i finished the gusset decreases; then i ribbed the foot the rest of the way on top, and used another rib underneath.

the final pic is of the "wildwest" or cowboy/cowgirl puffin slippers. this pattern is in a baby size as well as being sized for adult woman or man. it is quick and fun and soo soft.

blessings, :L

This luscious Kid Merino shawl (in colorway Sage) was knit by Tigerduck, whose blog is dotsandyarn

Design comments: "I used only three balls of the Kid Merino yarn (the last three balls in that colour when I bought them at Stash), and therefore had to knit the border on a smaller needle in order to be able to finish. 4 balls would have been better..."

the pattern is the Melon Pattern from Victorian Lace Today, Au: Jane Sowerby.

i love looking at lace... just amazing and this yarn is beyond special IMHO.

blessings, :L, laura

kid merino- Runic Cables and Mystic Lace

True confessions: am totally in love with this yarn. you have to see the incredible diversity of colors kid merino and every color is amazingly even prettier knit up. Knitting the yarn is a real treat. on top of that, the yarn is so well behaved you can not only use it for cables, but also even for stranding and color work! i like the diaphanous [sp?] gauzy look i'm getting here with 2 strands on a #8 us needle - it's light and yet warm.

The Runic Cables scarf is for my dh, Al. I've put in runes for happiness, prosperity, partnership,

and all sorts of good things.

The 2nd scarf - presently called Mystic Lace - is for ?? possibly even me. It's also 2 strands, on #9 and a "not fun" needle. I didn't have the #9 in CPY bamboo, and have to use a bamboo with a bad join. I have addi's in the right size, but they are two slick for the yarn, and frankly made my hands ache.

An example of the gorgeous color versatility is the band of Nasturtiums at the beginning, in with the Violet mix, and the lace band, which is fall herbs, and soo much prettier than the picture or even the ball would have you expect. This scarf is about double in length now, and will take new pics soon, after i knit a wee bit more.

I've just finished a 2nd lace band in the fall herbs, and am dithering about a green to use as i have two - the new vine green, and the sage - both lovely but different tonalities.

This is a "right brain" scarf so the yarn has to tell me what's next, LOL.

I want to do a couple more rounds on the runic cables, and change colors, and then back to scarves and the mystic lace scarf.
I also have to decide about more colors or not... al says not to use too many, but they're soo pretty - i can't stop!

blessings, :L, laura

ps don't forget our panda silk contest! have more panda silk socks and etc to show you soon!

the kitten on the left is Shasta, who's so sweet she purrs every time you pick her up.

the rascal on the right is Shiva. he's not really cuddley, yet spends a lot of time sitting on the back of my chair or by my feet. in fact, i worry that he gets more attention.

they've learned not to touch my knitting. i've been lucky. the kittens only got the knitting once or twice - dragging a sock across the living room and of course pulling the needles out. since then, if they touch the yarn, i put it away and play with them instead. never give them any yarn to play with as they can't distinguish an ratty old ball from something special.

i goofed once and let shiva play with a short circ, size 3 us, i think, that i didn't use much. well, he chewed the cord so badly it's totally not usable for knitting anymore.

Vog 'on Panda Cotton

The socks shown here are by "Fluffy Knitter Deb" and are going to be Panda Cotton footies for Deb's mom - in a very yummy colorway called "Blueberries- grapes".

(I am using it, among others, for a luscious Kid Merino Scarf Crystal Palace Yarns and i promise the colors just sing!)

You can see more about Deb, including the amazing list of knail lacquers here Fluffyknitterdeb. I think she said that the pattern was "Vog'on" from Knitty.

blessings, :L, laura

Mist for Star Search Sunday

This luscious scarf was knit by Lisa Dykstra with Crystal Palace Kid Merino. The free pattern can be found at http://www.straw.com/.
It is just gorgeous, isn't it?

Kid merino is a very interesting yarn - lots of wonderful colors
- here are just a few - and fun to knit.





If you want to knit it double stranded, you can make smashing socks - like this lovely lace sock.















You can also do a mix and match with the colors and come up with a rainbow sock,
as shown here.

The patterns for the scarf and for both sock designs are in the pattern files at http://www.straw.com/.











blessings, :L, laura
ps i have an elegant man's scarf with KM in the works.