I'm joining Flash Your Stash

Be prepared for some major yarn Pr0n tomorrow!

The Socks Have Taken Over

My name is Tamara and I'm addicted to sock knitting...


Ali (my sister)'s Jaywalker (see below) turned out too small. It is fitting my leg snugly so I think it would be too small on her. I decided not to frog it and started yet another sock for her. This one is gorgeous and it will fit her too! I very much enjoy this book (Big Book of Knitting Stitch Patterns). I think you can get it for $10 on Amazon and it is definitely worth it. I has great pictures with charts and written instructions for each stitch pattern.


I am making this in Knit Picks Essential sock yarn in a very dark green. The flash makes it look a bit lighter but otherwise it is difficult to photograph the detail. These are by far the loveliest socks I have undertaken. The pattern is going to run on the front of the leg of the sock (the back is plain) down through the gusset. I don't want to run it all the way down to the toe as it might be uncomfortable in certain shoes.


I actually did finish something. I finished this sock for myself and I don't want to take it off! I just need to cast on for the next one. (I'll do that tonight.)


The unfinished Jaywalkers. The needles I am actually using to knit them have been taken out to be reused so the needles you see don't really belong to them. Therefore I can't work on them right now. :( I need more size 2 addis!

I can't believe I forgot to blog finishing the Kujaku Butterfly Cardigan!

I finished my Kujaku Butterfly on Monday. Sunday night I had just three rows to go when my fingers said they just couldn't take anymore. Pardon the really, really bad pictures. I have the worst pictures of my knitting in blog land. I have no photographer, I don't leave school until the sun has set and I tend just to be so tired when I get home... ok enough excuses. Time for pictures.


I know this picture is blurry... I'm sorry. These pants also make my butt look horribly dumpy, for this I am also sorry. I will also make note that I need to drastically improve my posture.


Not only does my butt look atrocious but I look fat. No wonder why I call these my lab pants (I wear them when I do messy lab work, we were running gels today.)

Other than that this week I have been doing some serious Jaywalking.

I cast on too few stitches and this ended up getting turned into a camera case for my friend. I like this color combo a lot though.


I decided that I was bored of that yarn though after knitting the camera case and started another Jaywalker for myself, this time in the correct size.


But them my little sister sent me a pathetic email about how I never write her back and how cold and miserable she is in Paris. I feel very sorry for my horrible sisterlyness and am bringing a pair of warm Jaywalkers to the front of my knitting queue for her.

I also flirted with yarn dyeing a few days ago using Kool-Aid and food dye.

Nevermind the random measuring tape. I sit literally surrounded by my knitting stuff.


You really can barely call this a swatch but do you see the little white "stars" in the sea of pretty aftermidnight blues and purples? Aren't I clever?....


It wasn't really on purpose. I tied the ties around the yarn too tight and ended up with little undyed spots. I will still maintain that they are stars. I actually like this little accident.

Have Yarn Will Knit...

And now for the Planned Projects (aka Have Yarn Will Knit):

(Click links for yarn pictures - the yarn has yet to be photographed by me)

Noro Blossom 10 - Bloom from Knitty

Noro Kureyon 146 - Kvarntorp

Noro Kureyon 126 - Klaralund

Noro Kureyon 95 - ?? 9 balls

Noro Kureyon 74 - ?? 6 balls

There will be a booga bag with leftovers however!

Knit Picks Wool of the Andes in Hyacinth, Violet and Tulip - 5 balls each = some sort of felted bag.

(The following yarn has been *badly* photographed.)

Berroco Furz (this is actually a purplish bright navy) - This is fuzzy and fun but surprisingly when knit it doesn't look fun fur tacky as I expected. I have 10 balls and am not entirely certain what I should do with it. I am thinking about some sort of wrap/poncho/shrug. Any suggestions?



City Lights - A pretty dark corflower color, thick and thin with shimmery sparkles. Also have 10 balls, also totally uncertain of what I should do with it. Please help!



Stacy Charles Mosaic - 10 balls of this lovely purple - it is fun to knit with and so soft. Perfect for a summer cardigan.


Gedifra Fashion Trend Color - this is more of a blue-aqua than the picture shows. It will be a simple v-necked pullover. I am contemplating doing a yoke shoulder with double helix cables up the sleeves. I am a dork ;)


Tahki Willow - A light lavendar linen yarn = a summery shell.

WIP and Dip

Warning! This one is going to be long and full of pictures (hee hee like a bunch of pictures will scare you off)

I started this Bell Sleeved Shrug in Noro Kureyon 153.


SSS? David's sock and my sock in Knit Picks Parade. I love this yarn (now on sale!) and I love my Clover 8" circulars!


I am a trendy bitch... I started my very own Jaywalker in Knit Picks Simple Stripes.


The Kujaku Butterfly Cardigan. Now I'm 1/4 into the second sleeve! (Sorry the pics are a few days old). Kujaku 20 from Webs ($5 a skein!)

Finished! Nicole's Rugby Socks

As I mentioned in previous posts, I was making my friend Nicole B. a pair of ankle socks (preferred length) in rugby stripes (preferred sport) with her initials on the heels (N B) in our school colors (orange and blue).

Well... I finished! The second sock (B) was made entirely yesterday except for a few rows of the toe which I was just too tired to do. Her birthday was yesterday but she was out of town and I should be seeing her today. I hope she likes them and I hope they fit! (She has a narrow 9.5 foot whereas mine are narrow 6s... trying on for fit did not help.)


The blue is not as neon as the pictures show. The B is not blocked so it is hiding under the nicely blocked N.


My small feet trying to model the socks.


They are exactly the same except for the initials!

Tests Over! (for now...)

Well I finished up the last of my three tests this week and I feel all bouncy and energetic. Plus next week is SPRING BREAK! A whole week off, I won't know what to do with myself!

Of course I'm in such a good mood because we haven't gotten our grades back yet but that is another story. I have some BS assignments I still have to do this week but there will be time for knitting!

Top of the to knit list are Nicole's ankle rugby stripe socks. I don't like the yarn I originally got for them and I am waiting to get different yarn. Meanwhile, I finished the first of David's socks and I've seamed the fronts and back of my Kujaku cardigan and have begun the sleeves. It is fitting perfectly :D Pictures to come later.

I knitted up a swatch of the Artful Yarns Vaudeville and didn't like the way it gapped when stretched. It is so stretchy! I don't know what I am going to do with it.

Have Yarn, What to Knit?

I'm having a stress induced flare-up of this chronic pain problem. (TMI Alert: My urethral sphincter spasms causing horrible UTI like burning and there isn't much to do about it but take pain meds and muscle relaxants when it flares. Thankfully it doesn't cause incontinence...)

Sooo, whilst on meds that make me a bit loopy I really don't feel like making a mess of any of my knitting. I received my monthly samples from elann.com (I signed up for the sample club) and I swatched a bit. It was nice. I love feeling the yarn, seeing how it flows with the needles and my personal habit of SMELLING the yarn. I love the smell of faintly sheep-y wool yarn but I smell all yarn. I noticed that I was doing it at the LYS the other day and wondered if others found this odd. Am I the only yarn smeller out there?

All right so here is what I am doing. I need to yarn diet... bad so I am trying to find potential projects for the current stash.

S. Charles Mosaic Collezione in purple:
I'm thinking that this would make a great shell or summery cardigan. I have 10 balls.
http://knitty.com/ISSUEfall05/PATTarisaig.html


oh heck... I'm going to have to finish this post later... I need to lie down.

Kujaku Butterfly Front Done

So I finished the front of the cardigan yesterday but I didn't get around to blocking it out until right now. I like the way it came out a lot and so far the sizing is seeming perfect.


My friend Nicole's birthday is on the 13th and I have decided to make her a pair of ankle socks (her preferred length) in rugby stripes of our school colors since she is on the Rugby team. I also plan to do intarsia initials on the heels. I'll be using size 5 needles so hopefully they go quickly.


David's sock is progressing. I think I may need to order another ball of this yarn from KnitPicks however.

In other news I have 3 tests on Monday and Tuesday so I may not be able to knit much :( but after that I have a few days of class and then spring break! I will definitely finish the Kujaku cardigan then.