Is This Thing On?

by Caroline

Boy, once you stop posting it is really hard to start again. But Kathleen is really piling up the posts (and FOs, as well) so I guess it is time to try to catch up.

I've been indulging in a little project obsessiveness again: wee tiny socks! I blame Lora for this. I saw the adorable little socks she knit up for a swap, way back in March or April (way back, anyway) and decided to sign up for the next one. My first swap I sent to RunningKnitter in AZ (I forgot to take a picture first) and I got mine from .... NH! From Lora, in fact. I don't know how she kept it a secret at knit night. I would have been smirking and giggling each time we talked about the swap.

I fell for these little socks immediately and when discussing baby shower plans with friends I opened my big mouth and said, "Wouldn't these little socks be cute favors?" *insert forehead slap here* One of those friends had just learned to knit and jumped right in with me in this foolhardy notion. We needed 60 wee tiny socks and agreed to knit 30 each. She got lucky with her sister-in-law who offered to help and quickly became addicted to the little socks. I got lucky with friends in my knit group who helped, as well. So, a big public thank you to Beverly, Jackie, Lora (linked above), and blogless Amanda. Below are: (left) socks I knit and (right) socks my friends knit.

During this time the famous (infamous?) crochet hook incident happened. And during all this, I did another swap. Why? Cause I'm just that crazy. This little sock (left) went to wenat (Ravelry) in Canada and I received one (right) from Andi in AZ.

You know what comes next ..... the next swap. This time I sent 2 socks (I just couldn't decide which to send) to springermama (Ravelry) in NC and got one from gaylet (Ravelry) in Scotland.

I also knit one up as an angel to send to kwesty (Ravelry) in MI.

Yes, I think you can say I am addicted. There is one more swap coming up. I wonder who I'll get?

I'm working on several other objects, too. But they are all bigger than wee tiny socks and are taking me longer to finish.

Three cheers for the R,W & B

by Kathleen

Thanks all for the nice compliments on my scarf. I admit quite freely that I'm darned proud of it.
I enjoyed the process, am very happy with the final product, and learned a lot meanwhile.
Jersey... I used my Lantern Moon straights in a size 8. I had seen laceweight done on size 4-5, so I figured going to an 8 would work with the worsted. And it did!

And in important breaking knitting news, I have discovered a perfect use for all those giiiiiiiinormous knitting needles...

They're just the thing for fake knitting a large fake flag while riding down main street on a flat bed truck.
These are a size 50. In red plastic.

My guild rode a "float" in the 4th of July parade today. We all wore red, white and/or Blue and tricked out our knitting, spinning wheels, loom and rug hooking stand.
I wanted something that would read, but I wasn't interested in actually spending the time to knit a 4" long red white and blue thing (no matter how many balls of yarn it would have used, Toni!), so I cheated...
I sewed three woven wool scarves together and then sewed some yarn loops at the top and knit into those as we road along. (psst... I know it looks like a french flag... but those were the scarves I had to work with and I wasn't doing intarsia stars!)
It was pretty fun. We got a lot of cute kids waving and saying "Look Mommy, she's sewing!". And a few of the usual "Can you make me a pair of socks?" I called out "They'll be done at the end of the parade!", but no one showed up to get them.

Now what am I gonna do with a big funky flag and ginormous needles?

Happy Fourth to all who celebrate it and a great weekend to everyone!