School is almost over!

We just had a long Memorial Day weekend. I worked Friday thru Monday at the restaurant. I am not complaining at all as we are getting new vinyl replacement windows throughout the house tomorrow. We can definitely use the extra money for that big job. I am looking forward to the windows but not the: "moving anything within two feet in front or beside any window". Yuck- that is a lot of things to move...beds, pianos, dressers, and all window furnishings.

I knit Delaney one sock during ball games last week. I will try to knit a mate this week. I knit a chevron cuff and a stockinette foot out of self striping yarn. I used the Yarn Pirate's BFL in the colorway Cupcake. I knit a ton of socks and this is really thin fingering weight. I did not enjoy the yarn that much but do like the color.

I have been spinning nightly. I am currently spinning some superwash merino from AllSpunUp. It is for a spinalong, we are aiming for sock weight yarn. I shall see it is taking so long as I ordered 8 ounces. I keep looking at the pile of roving stripped down and it is overwhelming. :-)

I must get busy with the bedrooms so the window guys can start there in the a.m. I must not knit/spin I must not knit/spin I must not knit/spin I must not knit/spin no spin/knit!

Here is sock #1

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Originally uploaded by kelly.pratt42

Here is Cooper's first sock finished. I love children's socks and ones knitted on size 4 needles. Usually it takes so much time for socks knitted on size 1, and a leg that is 6 1/2 inches long! This was a piece of cake and done in one day. I might add kids also need that immediate gratification and they love trying the work in progress on.

This is what I have been up to

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Originally uploaded by kelly.pratt42

Here is my fiber from the Spunky Eclectic fiber club. The colorway is Myrtle and it is dark blue face leicester. I am making socks for my 9 year old Cooper. I did a twisted rib cuff and stockinette leg and it fits him perfectly. Of course all of the other kids want socks now. It is 73 degrees here and we are talking wool socks! I spun my 8ozs onto 3 bobbins, there was apporximately 34 wpi. I then plied the singles into a 3 ply at 17 wpi. I am happy with my first sock weight yarn. I would say this is a heavy fingering weight. I was hoping for more yardage but love the finished yarn and I am completely smitten. I am sure as I get to be a more seasoned spinner my plying will be not be so overly twisted? I hope and maybe that will give me more yardage.

Better Late Than Never

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Originally uploaded by kelly.pratt42

I finished these earlier this week they are Breathe Deep Mittens by Kirsten Kapur. I decided to join a knit-a-long on Ravelry for this pattern in March. Needless to say I got sidetracked with spinning and never casted on. They are done now, the yarn is Malabrigo and the colorway is Frank Ochre. I will be gifting these to my 17 year old niece Whitney. She wanted a hat for her birthday and we never decided on a pattern so the hat never came to be. I think she will love these. By the way--- her birthday was December 22. Yikes!

Spinning Has Taken Over

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Originally uploaded by kelly.pratt42

This is my third skein of handspun. It was a roving of Gale's Art merino called Rose Garden. I bought it last year from The Loopy Ewe after I bought my Majacraft Little Gem. I did not want to spin with it until I had a class. I took a spinning wheel class in March and haven't stopped spinning since. This is a two ply yarn and is about 153 yards. I am not sure what I am going to knit with it as of yet. I am excited to though.

The Final Swap

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Originally uploaded by kelly.pratt42

These are the socks I knitted for my final swap package. They went off in the mail last week to Washington. I have decided to lay very low on the swap front. I loved doing it and met some really nice people. It tends to cut into my knitting time. There are some projects I want finished yesterday! These were a fun knit, it is hard to remain focused when the finished object is not for someone you will see wearing the item. I hope my swap partner will love them.

Knittin' Slippers

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Originally uploaded by kelly.pratt42

I participated in a slipper swap. It was a fun pattern to knit, I found it on Ravelry it was for a mystery knit along. I did not participate during the knit along so I knew they were slippers from the beginning. The others knitted a part of the pattern each day and knit it and then on the final day they finshed and seamed it and it was a slipper. Oh the fun! It was a quick fun knit. I used Noro Kureyon and Lorna's Laces yarn. I found the buttons @ City Knitting in Grand Rapids. I finshed up and mailed a few other goodies & the slippers to Fairbanks Alaska. I hope she likes them!

I took a spinning class at City Knitting, it was informative and got me spinning finally. I purchased a gently used Majacraft Little Gem at the end of last summer. It has not gotten much use until now. We picked the wheel up on a horrible windy, rainy, thunder & lightning day. I promptly named the wheel Stormy, it is fitting. I had tried to spin before and did (rope), but it was such a frustrating experience. The class helped my with the drafting process and I haven't stopped since. Now I am dealing with cramps in my hands from holding the fiber. I will post soon when I finish my second bobbin of merino. I have the first bobbin filled with dark brown romney. I am going to ply it with the merino that is hand dyed. The color is called Accidents Will Happen, I received it from a woman in New Zealand. It is very pretty with blues, browns, and cream. I am hoping for a pretty yarn when I am done. The plying process scares me a bit...we will see.