In the Summer Time

 

In my memories, childhood summer was a magical time of never-ending sunshine, trips to the pool or park and hours spent riding bikes or just playing with my friends.  Carefree times of just “being”. Dressing up for special occasions meant trading flip-flops and shorts for sundresses and flirty white ankle socks, with cuffs that turned down showing a layer of lace and ribbon, skimming the tops of MaryJane shoes.  

Do you remember those socks?  I don't know if they are still made, all my children are now old enough that we don't visit the "little girls" department of the store any more!

But remembering them, made me what to wear some...so I made these socks...

 

These top cuff down footie socks capture all of the flirty fun of those socks I remember, with the added charm of beads applied in two different ways.

 

The beading isn't hard and only happens in the fold down cuff, so you don't need to worry about the beads rubbing against your shoes (if you are wearing any) or digging into your ankles or feet even when you are not.

The knitting goes awfully fast, too.  It seems that no sooner have you cast on than you are turning the heel and just have the foot and toe to go.

 

Best part?  The pattern is available as part of the July Tutorial issue of Knotions!

Get your copy here, jut click the PDF button to download your own copy.

As always, you can see my all of my currently available patterns on Ravelry and don't forget, if you haven't already, to sign up for my newsletter at the upper right hand side of your screen for subscriber only discounts and special offers!

Until next time....what's on your needles?

~M

Yarn Tasting

The other day I got a wonderful surprise, a bag full of yarns I hadn't had the opportunity to try before,  just to play with.

Monday I pulled one out of the bag and did just that, cast on a few stitches, knit a few rows, ripped them out, just to get a feel for what the yarn might like to grow up to be.  Of course in the back-ground, Minnie Mouse the Muse was whispering " a scarf, no a hat, how's about a camel?"

What?  A camel?

"Yes, you know, one of those shawls with the hump that you hate so much that you can never get to block out!"

Oh, a crescent shawl?

Minnie is right, I do sometimes refer to those shapes as camel's and have played a lot with various starts and increases to get rid of that hump...but what if I could make that hump a feature rather than a *nasty side effect*?.

I'll let you know later if it works out the way I hope!

In the meantime, take  a look at the yarn!!

Part of a rainbow going on here...just the GBIV part, no red, yellow or orange, and I really love the depth of tone.  It's a new yarn, just now arriving at your LYS...Cascade Melilla Fingering,..so new I can't even link to it yet.

Tune in Friday for a special finished object post...maybe I will have finished this camel before then and can let you know how it worked out!

In the meantime...what's on your needles today?

~M

bêdengî

Knits, Purls, Lace and Cables

You might have guessed I have been a little bit busy lately!

There has been quite a lot of cutting back and trimming of things in the garden.

Some picking of fruits and making of jams, jellies and syrups.

Some baking of cakes....

And I suppose it goes without saying, some knitting!

First up let me tell you about Shamal by Arabian Knits Designs.

This super quick pattern jumped on and off my needles yesterday...just  couple of hours of knitting time and you have a sweet little gift for those "oh, shoot I forgot your birthday was like...uh...today!" moments.

I knit mine in a squishy DK Merino (Jenny Watson Pure Merino DK).

I think finding the buttons took nearly as long as the knitting!

Of course I have a current design or two on the needles as well...

 

...a shawl and what I am referring to as Yarn Doodling...

another just off the needles....

 



Also on my needles is a version of the Summer Blooms Shawl for the Knotions KAL....but more about that another day, I'll get to knit on it this weekend!

Seems like such a short list of things that kept me busy when I look at it...living through it was entirely different!

Happy Knitting!

~M

Noisy!

What a glorious weekend we have had in Ohio!  Not too hot, not too cold, not raining, not horribly humid...all around a practically perfect weekend to spend outside.

So I did!

Weeding got done, well at least attempted I am not sure that is ever "done"..some more flowers got planted and...

....

this happened.

Yeah, it doesn't look like much now, but as the person who was helping me put down those layers of paper and cardboard and start chipping away at old tree branches said..."I'll trust you...you take a single piece of string a couple of sticks and end up with gorgeous shawls!"

This is actually only phase one of what will be at least a year long project...eventually it will be a herb garden...laid out in a knot design with a bird bath as the center.  The cardboard, paper and "mulch" are the first layer to what will eventually be a raised bed. 

Hopefully by the time it is finished I will have crafted a new roof to my "knitter's loft", so I will be able to look down on it!


Of course some knitting happened too!

My all time favorite passtime...knitting on my patio in the evening, watching the hummingbirds at the bird feeder...with a nice glass of dry red!

 

Have a great week!

~M

csendes