quick knits…

Here are a couple of my quick knit projects…

This is my entry for the DKC’s Sock Club. February’s theme is labour of love. In this case, it is to be a short labour, since I wanted to knit this up fairly quickly…I’ve finished the first sock,

and I’m not suffering from Second Sock Syndrome, since the second sock is well under way…

Before I went to bed last night, I finished this…

Inspired by the scribble lace stole in the window of This is Knit, I picked up my favourite embellishment fibre, Louisa Harding’s Sari Ribbon and using some Rowan’s Kidsilk Haze from my stash.

I now have a lovely and pretty scarf/shawl/stole (I haven’t quite figured out how to wear it yet) to wear for our weekender to London.

What’s on the stix?

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What’s on the stix?, originally uploaded by chicwithstix.

I’m making a stole/shawl/scarf. I hope to have it finished in time for my birthday next week : )

my woolly valentine…

My Woolly Valentine

(a very simple pattern in both the small & large size; adapted by chicwithstix)

Yarn: Avoca’s boucle
Needle size: 4.5mm

Be creative and embellish your heart with ribbon or beads.

Abbreviations:
inc increase
K knit
sts stitches
K2tog knit 2 stitches together

Cast on 2 sts.

Row 1: Knit row.
Row 2: Inc 1st at beginning of the row. (3sts on needle)
Row 3: Knit row
Row 4: Inc 1st at beginning and end of row. (5sts on needle)
Row 5 & 6: same as row 4. (Row 6 will have 9 sts)
Row 7: Knit 4 sts, inc 1st, knit 4sts. (10sts on needle)
Knit 4 rows.
************************
K3, K2tog, turn work around so that you are now working on
the 4 stitches on the Left needle.

Working on these 4 stitches:
K2, K2tog. (3 sts on needle)
K2tog, K1. (2 sts on needle)
K2tog, then bind off the last stitch.
*************************
Join yarn to work on the remaining 5 sts on the needle.

K2tog, K3. (4 sts on needle)
K2tog, K1 (3 sts on needle)
K1, K2tog. (2 sts on needle)
K2tog, bind off the last stitch.

Weave the ends of the loose yarn along the edges of the heart to create and form the shape of your Valentine Heart.

A big Heart…

Cast on 3 sts.

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: Inc 1st beginning & end of row
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: Knit
Repeat rows 3-5 until 11 sts on needle.

next row: Knit 5 sts, inc 1 st, knit to end of row. (12 sts)

Knit 4 rows
************************
Knit 6 sts, turn work around so that you are now working
on the stitches on the Left needle.

Next row: K2tog, K2, K2tog
Knit row.
K2tog at the beginning of the row.
Knit row
Bind off.
*************************
Join yarn to work on the remaining sts on the needle.

K2tog, K2, K2tog
Knit row.
K2tog at the beginning of the row.
Knit row.
Bind off.

Weave the ends of the loose yarn along the edges of the
heart to create and form the shape of your Valentine Heart

A big Heart…

Cast on 3 sts.

Row 1: Knit
Row 2: Knit
Row 3: Inc 1st beginning & end of row
Row 4: Knit
Row 5: Knit
Repeat rows 3-5 until 11 sts on needle.

next row: Knit 5 sts, inc 1 st, knit to end of row. (12 sts)

Knit 4 rows
************************
Knit 6 sts, turn work around so that you are now working
on the stitches on the Left needle.

Next row: K2tog, K2, K2tog
Knit row.
K2tog at the beginning of the row.
Knit row
Bind off.
*************************
Join yarn to work on the remaining sts on the needle.

K2tog, K2, K2tog
Knit row.
K2tog at the beginning of the row.
Knit row.
Bind off.

Weave the ends of the loose yarn along the edges of the
heart to create and form the shape of your Valentine Heart

excusez moi…

These were my great procrastination excuses in January:

It was snowing, the roads were very icy, the Dublin Bus cancelled services, we had no running water, we had an air lock in our water pipes…

We’re heading into February, and these books have taken over my spare time.

letting the air out of the bag, the finale…

I release the air valve from the bag, the it immediately puffed into the size of a pillow…

LIke a child on Christmas morning, I pulled the fibre of the bag…

On closer inspection…

Letting the air out of the bag…

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Letting the air out of the bag…, originally uploaded by chicwithstix.

This is 7 lbs of fibre… Merino/cashmere, merino/seacell and superwash merino. Spinners you are gonna love it!

Destashing vs stashbusting

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Destashing vs stashbusting, originally uploaded by chicwithstix.

I’m told I have way to much yarn…

Wintery socks…

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Wintery socks…, originally uploaded by chicwithstix.

One pair of socks done for the DKC Sock Club 2010.

what a difference a week makes…

This was last weekend…

and Dublin Bus cancelled service, so I had to walk 7km to get home from town, the roads and sidewalks were iced over making driving and walking conditions treacherous. Ireland was approaching a critical shortage of road salt and sanding grit. Most of Dublin, including our household, lost water pressure and running water for a couple of days.

One week later, our neighbourhood shows no evidence of the winter chaos…

The public transport system is somewhat reliable, we do have running water during the day, however, there are water restrictions during the night.

last and first…

The Wham Bam Thank You Lamb neckwarmer was my last knitting project for 2009.

Yarn: Rowan’s Little Big Wool (one ball and a bit)

My first project for 2010 is a pair of wool socks from my sock yarn stash…

I’m knitting these socks to meet my goal for the DKC Sock Club 2010. January’s theme is “cure the wintery blues”…Hope these will be warm for the cold winter ahead.