Skulls!

My skull stocking is finished! I am quite happy with it! Its a little wonky, but that was truly on purpose - however if I do it again, I would adjust the crossbones so they are a little to the left - about 5 stitches - and about three rows lower. I am really happy with the stocking shape - and this was the tester for the dog stockings that I have added to the stocking list....
The current tally:
8 people stockings - 4 done/4 to go (one cast on)
2 dog stockings - 2 to go
1 skull stocking - done

And just for scale, I put the smaller skull stocking next to one of the Stockings that Ate Christmas (which all y'all seem to think are normal size - how many presents do you get??) Yep, its kinda funny....

And just on a happy side note - The Pilchuck Glass School's auction is coming up and my dad has a piece in the auction. I am very proud! Its amazing company to be in!! You can see his piece by following this link - and there is a lot of other amazing art in the catalog, if you care to browse!

Happy Knitting!!

A little bit of everything

Its hailing here right now - sounds like little tinkling breaking glass... Guess summer really is over. We lost half the peach tree in our back yarn last week. Apparently the nice peach harvest and a little wind was too much for it. I would show photos, but its just sad. However, I did have a lovely harvest from the garden yesterday morning!

I got this amazing card from my PRGE pal! It sings... Kung Fu Fighters... I have had far too much fun opening it up all weekend! Thanks Amidala!

Friday, I had a couple spare minutes and there is a little crafting shop in my neighborhood. I try to support them, since I think its a cool thought. I wound up with two new books (There are two sweaters in Classic Knits that I am dying to make - the v neck and the turtleneck...), the new Bust and a cute rubber stamp. Fun!

And Finally some FO's. My felting trial worked. I think it needs to be re-felted, but as it is I am happy. And for the moment it is a Chunky soup cozy.... I finished Ashley's stocking too! I am really pleased with how it turned out. I still have to weave and block - but I will wait till a couple more stockings are done and do a marathon session.

Okay, this was super long - Have a great week!
Happy Knitting!!

Its all about the WIP's this week....

So I finished writing the fair isle for my last two stockings. Yes, I still have five to knit, but the other three will be pieced together from previous stockings, so everyone gets an original.

I finished the fair isle on my step-daughter's stocking and am almost half done with the heel. I love the fair isle part and dread the foot part - but it should still be done by next week.

The schoolgirl socks are coming along. They are errand knitting right now, but I think they have gotten about 4" longer this week.

Finally, there was a large donation of really scratchy wool yarn for Friday knitting class. So this morning, I knit a quick little fair isle hat (which may turn into a needle holder cup) to felt. I used a bunch of colors to see if they felt at the same rate - and if the natural will felt at all. Hopefully, this will be done by the end of the day.

I am off to get the rest of my needles updated on Ravelry, list needles on ebay and organize my house...

Happy Knitting!!

swatch

I am not a big swatcher. When the LYS ordered new yarn for my stocking class, I did need to know if it would work right, so I took a skein to swatch it. To make it more exciting, I decided to fair isle the flower that I drew. Its my first original design. I a quite happy with it. Its a little delicate for the colors that it is done with, I suppose that is why its a trial run. As far as the yarn is concerned - Jamison's Shetland is fine. It makes a nice fabric for stockings, but I still prefer the way that Philosopher's Wool feels in my hands when I knit.

Happy Knitting!

Almost there....

There was very little knitting at the sunneshine's this weekend. However, I finished cataloging my entire stash - woot!! Lets just say that mr.sunneshine was horrified by the amount of yarn living in the house that he was unaware of . . . I even came up with a bag of yarn that I will never use, so it will be donated to my friday ladies, who will love it! Now I just have to finish my straight and dpn's. Hopefully, the buckets o'needles will look more organized after that!

Happy Knitting!!

An entire day and so little to show...

I spend the entire day today, cataloging yarn and needles for Ravelry *sigh*... I kind of feel like I didn't get anything done - but in reality, its only because I did not finish or even come close to finishing. I have about 1/3 of my needles (or all the circs) and 1/4 of my stash listed - and only about 1/2 of that photographed.

There were some cool moments when I found my grandmother's crochet needles and shoe hook, in the little red box that she always kept them in (see the photo). And I have cleaned out almost 100 circular needles that I refuse to knit with, but still lived in the circs bucket.

The whole experience has left me very happy knitting from my stash. And now that I know what I have - or that is the eventual goal - it will hopefully be more fun!

On other fun notes, inspired by Shannon, I have joined Secret of the Stole, which starts in October. Lace knitting will be a nice change from all the fair-isle work that I have lined up.

The progress on the stockings is coming along. Have a great weekend!
Happy Knitting!!

An old show and tell...

This is an old finished knit that didn't get blogged this summer. Yesterday was cold - not cool, Cold. We only had a high of 50 degrees, so I finally got to pull this scarf out and wear it!

It is the Montego Bay Scarf from summer's IK. It was an easy fun and fast knit. And used up a whole ball of sea silk that I really had wanted to get out of my stash. Its quite long, which is great! (And the monster mitts jumped in the photo since they were worn t0 and from work yesterday, too).

And speaking of stash - I started listing my stash
on Ravelry today. It was kind of addicting. I listed my two smallest stashes, and in the process organized them. I still have to figure out the flickr thing - and I will spend some time on Thursday - but it felt good to start listing it, so I will know what I have and where it is. And crazy enough, I was going to order some yarn that I thought I had already used up - just to find it...

Heard from the Step-daughter today, there will be 6 more stockings made before christmas - yippee!!

Happy Knitting!

First round is finished

The first round of stockings is finished. I need to block the one with the green cuff again - but all in all I am glad that they are done. I have started round two - I still have a little bit of my dad's stocking to write and one other one that is in my head. I started a stocking that I had thought would be mine - but as it turns out - I am not very happy with it, so I will finish it for experience and knit another one for me. (Actually, I like it better in the photo - then in reality).

The store was slow yesterday, so I turned the heel on my schoolgirl socks, and can now use them for errand knitting :) Since it is quite cool here this morning, I am thinking that I need to get a move on and finish them so I can wear them and apparently sock season is fast approaching! Oh, and I found my vinnland sock and a quarter - so they will be next...

Went to a cool benefit show for John Stabb this week. Its a sad and scary story, but good to know that there are good people in the world willing to help. He has been a fixture in the DC punk scene for years. He was randomly targeted by a bunch of kids who broke his face, literally. The link to the whole story is here.

On a lighter note, have a great week!
Happy Knitting!!

My title

Found this on some of the prge girls blogs - too funny to not try!

My Peculiar Aristocratic Title is: Empress Sunne the Sardonic of Pease Pottage Get your Peculiar Aristocratic Title

PRGE v.3 Questionnaire

1. Why are you punk?
I am punk, because I grew up in (the end of) the real punk years and have always had a mentality that it was better not to conform. Its always been better to think for myself, even if it involves making more mistakes.

2. What are your five favorite things? (these don't have to be knit related)
knitting - pretty self-explanitory, except that I am sure I am way more sane with it
food - I love to cook and I love to eat
clothes - I own a clothing store, and love clothes - they are art for the body
being outdoors - whether its just sitting outside knitting, hiking, running, cycling - I would always rather be outside
my husband - yep, I am a huge cheeseball - but he rocks and I love that we make time for each other everyday

3. What are your three favorite things that you have made with knitting/crochet?
The stockings that I am working on right now - a combination of the challenge, the way they look and I get to teach them
Sleepless in Seattle Socks - I love the colors, the pattern and the yarn (which was dyed by a swap pal) was heaven
Wavy Lace Shawl - it was my first big lace project, I learned so much and wear it a lot!

4. What five things would you love to see in a swap box someday?
yarn and patterns that my pal likes
chocolate
handmade things - I do love all things handmade
vintage knitting patterns
yarn that I have not tried before...

5. What are your three favorite yarns? What are your three least favorite yarns?
favorites - cashmere, louet gems, blue sky alpaca ( really any natural fibers - and I love trying new things, and I have had great luck with etsy yarns :)
least favorites - novelty, hairy, acrylic

6. What are your five favorite delicacies?
milk chocolate, good red wine, Steak au Poivre with frites (I am an expensive date), pectin jelly beans, Cougar Gold cheese

7. What are your three favorite guilty pleasures?
Watching The Hills, thrifting, shopping for yarn/knitting supplies

8. What are the five things you look forward to every week?
Thursday night TV, morning coffee with my husband, knitting, college football, cooking sunday night dinner

9. What do you collect?
Everything - no ummm, salt and pepper shakers, vintage knitting supplies, needles and patterns, plant pots and vases in the shapes of animals and people, pyrex

10. When is your birthday?
July 31st

11. Do you have any wishlists?
Wishlist.com, etsy and Amazon - I will link them to my blog sidebar

12. What would you like your pal to know that is not covered here?
I own a small business and I really try to give my business to the little guy. I love everything handmade, etsy is my heaven. Anything well thought out, will thrill me to no end! Oh, and I am a hippy punk. I am pretty green, love things that are recycled into something useable and cool... Really, I am not very hard to please!

Fourth time was the charm...

So I finally got the foot of the stockings to work out on the fourth try - by decreasing the number of stitches by slightly more then a third. It still looks a little wonky in the photo, but I think that is my less then masterful camera skills. When they are woven, tacked and blocked, I will re-post them looking beautiful.

In the meantime, I wrote the pattern and fair-isle for the red stocking - making all the changes that I wanted from the first stocking. I used a different yarn (smart yarn from Norway), but I don't really like the overall look of the stocking as well. The other two look like vintage stockings, the red one looks too new.

I have the toe and heel worked out for the floral stocking, so I am going to be working on that this weekend. Also, on the to do list is the finishing work on the stockings, finishing writing the fair-isle for my floral stocking and my dad's Star of David stocking and getting those on the needles. Plus, I just asked my Step - Daughter if her family would like stockings, we'll see what she says.....

Have a great Labor Day Weekend!
Happy Knitting!!