Mom's Birthday Gifts NOW with Pictures!

Yes my mother got her birthday gifts with the needles still in them. But now that she has seen her gifts, I can now show you. This is the back of the Celtic Tote from Interweave Knits Winter 2007. This pic shows the true colour.

But this pic shows the cables much better. Cool, eh?!

This is my first knitted button hole. I had to do it twice but it turned out fine.
Even the handles on this are cables. I'm working on the front now.
These are the titled cable socks, also from Interweave Knits Winter 2007. I stopped the cable at the foot so they would fit better in a shoe. My mom was really glad because while she loved the cables, the sock would have bothered her with the cables on top. My mom has MS and her feet have weird sensations so plain and soft are best. I must keep that in mind with all sock patterns I knit for her. Plain Stockinette is best. No problem!

I'm just so pleased at how the colour pooled in this, with the ankle matching the foot.

I have one more thing to share. My mom gave me these pin cushions that came from my Nana's. Aren't they adorable?! I just giggle at them every time I see them. Too funny.

Knitting Companions

This is my knitting space

The dogs like to snuggle with me but when they both decide to snuggle at once, I get kicked out of my knitting space. Sigh... the things I do for my hairy babies. I had to move to a chair.
Awfully cute, aren't they?! I have got to get a life. I'm not sharing any knitting pics today as I am only working on stuff for my mom's birthday. She gets her stuff today (yes, still on the needles, both projects) and then I can share pics. So stay tuned!

Felted Slipper Socks - second time's a charm

I finished the re-knit pair of felted slipper socks for my Grandmother's birthday. Sent them express, they should get there in time for her birthday on Friday. They still felted short but I wore them a bit, her feet are shorter than mine so they should be fine. The cuff is a little loose but the first pair, the cuff was too tight.
They are a bit wider than the originals as shown in this picture of the original on top of the re-knit pair.Two more birthday knitting projects to go and then I can get back to knitting for me!

Birthday knitting progress update

Just a quick update.. I knit up another felted slipper sock following the large size for the width. I'm happy with how it has turned out. I didn't do any colour work around the bunion area so these should definitely work. I like my little colour pattern I designed myself. I should get the other one done today and the pair felted. I really need these to go into the mail tomorrow.

I would have had them both done yesterday but I developed a nice little sinus headache. My allergies are killing me... can't wait for spring to actually get here. I'm allergic to wool so I'm blaming the sock for yesterday's headache but I'm also allergic to polyester, angora (the kind from rabbits, where still optimistic about the whole goat thing) dust, mold, dogs, cats, .... air. It's a huge pain in the butt. Oddly enough, there aren't too many who would call me the sensitive type. Oh, and what they say about Alpaca being hypoallergenic?! Well I think it's actually true. When I was working on the memorial socks which are 50% cashmere and silk and 50% alpaca I had no problems at all! But really, who wants to felt beautiful alpaca. I need a felting substitute for wool.

Okay back to the other birthday knitting. I'm not showing the tote I'm doing for my mom in case she reads this. I assume she doesn't but that's a big assumption for me to be making. So I'm keeping it hidden until she gets it.

Since she would have already seen the socks..... I frogged back to the ankle and started it in St st. The pattern in the yarn is so pretty I think it will be okay. After I did this Manon mentioned doing the foot in rib. Never thought of that but I'm afraid to attempt frogging it again. I got lucky the first time and didn't drop any stitches so I don't want to risk it again.

Birthday Screw Up

Last night Granny Tan came over for a little wine and knitting (see other blog for snack fiasco details) . Upon further discussion and a try on, it was concluded that the felted slipper socks were too narrow for my grandmother. @*#$#%^
I am casting on another pair in the larger size although I will make them the same length as these. I will not do the colour work in the center as this doubles the yarn and makes it felt tighter right were my grandmother needs it wider (bunions from hell). I will knit these top priority so I can get them in the mail and to her by the 11th. So much for being on schedule....

Then we discussed the tilted cable socks. I tried it on. A little tight going on because of the cabling but the ankle was comfy once I got it on. Then I realized that the cabling on top of the foot might be uncomfortable in a shoe. The yarn is a bit heavy for a sock yarn, although it is a fingering weight yarn. So I've decided to frog these back to the ankle on the front and just do it plain for the foot. It will also be quicker since I'm already up to my eye balls in chart work with the celtic knots bag.

Then I realized that it would have been really nice for my mom to have had the celtic knots tote to take with her next week when she goes to Newfoundland to visit my grandmother. Okay, no way will I have that done in time but now I'm feeling really inadequate. The bubble has burst on the knitters delusion

Must go knit.

Little Felted Slipper Socks

Well I tried to make some warm wool slipper socks for my Grandmother for her birthday. During the first slipper sock I realized that the yarn I was using was significantly different from the yarn. Would I have serious shrinkage when I went to felt? The finished knitted sock was not that big. If it shrunk a lot....

Well I ended up with a pair of bullets. So I stretched them out as best I could and left them to dry overnight.

Today I am wearing them to stretch them out. My grandmother's feet are smaller than mine but much wider. After just an hour I can say that they are comfortably stretched to fit my feet. (this was when I first put them on, they are super snug and quite short)
I'm going to wear them a bit more today and then try and stretch them out sideways. But overall, they will fit my grandmother, she just might have to wear them for a couple of hours before they become that wonderful felted perfect fit!

April birthday gift number 2 - done!