My Sister's Knitter

Weekend coming to a close...

Just when I feel like I am starting to get into the groove of the weekend, it is Sunday night. I guess the key is to be grateful that I have a job to go to tomorrow, somehow that eases the pain. :)

New socks have been started. These socks look like they should have been my Easter socks. They remind me of little girl's Easter dresses.

These bright footies are having the last toe grafted in a few short minutes. Yippee. Love the color. Had I know the yarn would have been so stripey, I probably would have knit a pair of vanilla socks. Regardless they are still fantastic and I love the pattern.

Other than socks, other knitting/crocheting has been going on. The progress is not too noticeable or else I would show you the pics. Maybe next weekend I will be able to post about some finished things. Wouldn't that be cool? I have really been trying to focus on getting my WIPs down to a more manageable number like five. I know there are some of you that may feel faint at the thought of having five WIPS, but I still like you. :)

What else? The usual weekend stuff, cleaning and cooking. Oh, have I ever shared with you my favorite comfort food of all? To me it is like a grown up version of Mac and Cheese, Greek style.

It has a rich feta sauce which has white wine, garlic, tomatoes, onions, and shrimp. I would share the recipe but it came out of a cookbook that I cannot link because it was written to raise funds for a Children's Hospital in NV and  I wasn't able to find it online. It is kind of like this recipe, but without olives.Anyhoo, nothing tastes more like heaven to me that this dish. Do you have one certain dish that brings comfort to you? Please share if you do, it is nice to share. heh.

Enjoy a nice Sunday song. Hope this post finds you all settling down with your knitting and happily ready to face Monday!

 

XO

Andi

 

Let's Yarn Along...

It has been a couple weeks since I participated in Ginny's Yarn-Along. So I fixed that.

Heck, it has been a couple weeks since I have been able to pick up a book and read. This week's project came out of a funk I was in. I needed a break from a very detail oriented pattern and for some reason I had no desire to work on an anything I currently had on the needles. You know those funks don't you? So I cruised my scrap yarn box and casted on this Granny Mandala designed by the wonderful Alice. Now she did say it was addicting and she did not lie.  I pulled out four colors, (No idea what yarn they are because the labels all fell off) and went to town.

The book I picked off my shelf is Heart and Soul by Maeve Binchy. Maeve is one of my very favorite authors. Whenever I need just a good book, I gravitate towards any of her books. I thought I had read them all and was pleasantly surprised that I had not read this one. So far so good.

Are you Yarning Along this week? If not, what types of Springtime/Summertime books or projects do you seem to pick out this time of year?

Because it Wednesday and I need a little "pump it up", here is a song for you!

  
XO

ANDI

Hey how are you?

I feel like I have been away forever.

But it has only been a week. Still I missed you. What have I been up to? Still working away on socks, trying to get them finished before the end of the month. I was starting to stress myself out over getting things done, till I read Audry's comment on my last post:

"As for KALs, I find them a bit stressful. I think it is because in my mind if I don't finish on time I've somehow failed. That potential failure seems to paralyze me. (Which is dumb. Not finishing a KAL is no measure on my character.)"

This made my smile and snapped me back to reality. Other than my swap socks, I have decided I will get them done when I do-no worries. Plus I have other things I have to get working on. Do you want to know what it is? Maybe this month is somebody's blogiversary! That's right, My Sister's Knitter is two years old this month. That means a giveaway is on the horizon towards the end of next week. The goodies have been ordered and should be here soon. I am so excited. I wish I were rich and could give away yarn all the time and just for the heck of it.

Even though I haven't posted, I still have been visiting blogland. Ready for some goodies?

• I was introduced to Dennis and Matt's blog when Dennis left a comment here. Now I can't get enough. I want them both to come live with me, I would even share "some" of my stash, and that is saying a lot.
• Audry just released a sock pattern that had me at hello! I mean seriously how cute are they?
• My buddy Jody has the most luscious FO, check out this cowl. Bonus Jody is just adorable modeling it.
• Bethany's Levenwick...need I say more?
• In non knitting news, I have been drinking this smoothie every morning and loving it. My energy level has skyrocketed.
• Oh and want to see some Ripples...head over here and get your fill. Insta-love!

I have had this song in my head the last couple of days. This song makes me want to make finger guns! Enjoy your Thursday, I will be back this weekend with some progress pics.

XO

Andi  

 

 

Back to my love...

...socks. I have a love affair with knitting socks and I think I always will.

They were the first thing I learned to knit (not counting a garter stitch square), and I don't feel complete without a least one pair on the needles. I no longer knit socks out of  need, since I seem to have quite a few now. I simply knit them because I love to.  I am trying to finish up my Dublin socks by the end of the month so they can count as a finished project for this Ravelry Group. The month of February is the letter D. I only have a little time left in the month, so I better get on it.

Speaking of finishing. My test knitting is complete and the pattern has been released by the designer. That allows me to show you my finished project.

• Pattern: Karkom Wristwarmers
• Designer: Robin Lynn
• Yarn: Madeline Tosh Sock- Gossimar
• Needles: 3

This is a lovely pattern and if you can imagine it is free. Robin is just an amazing designer and person. You should cast these  on!

Well loves, it is very late Sunday night and I need to be getting my beauty sleep. I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Enjoy a tune from my favorite girl.

 

XO

Andi

 

Yeah FO!

 Good call when I decided to use a fingering weight yarn. I am in love!

My Saroyan is done! The colors lightened up dramatically after a super blocking. It still it a bit more brown than shown here, my lighting kind of stunk today.

Details:

• Pattern Saroyan
• Yarn Madelinetosh Merino Light
• needles  Size 5

This will be one of those patterns that I will knit again. I say this all the time , but it feels so good when a project comes off the needles. Especially since I do have quite a bit going on in the WIP department.

One if things going on this weekend is a test knit for one of my favorite designers. When she contacted me, I did not hold back my excitement. Yes indeed! Here is a little sneak peek. If you follow the link above, you can see hers in a fantastic pink.

The pattern is so well written and a pleasure to knit. The outcome is going to be beautiful! I will let you know when it is released.

I also have two baby blankets  going on. The first one, I won't post pics till it is done, because the recipient is a friend who checks my blog. The second one will not officially  start till tomorrow, because the sister needs to drop off the yarn, ( It is for a friend of hers). I am finishing up the Dublin socks here very soon, and still working on shawls. I know peeps, this is a whole lots of yarning.

I am heading out to enjoy a yarn filled weekend. I hope you all have a great one!

 

 XO

Andi

Visiting an old friend...

At one time or another, many of us go through that period in our knitting life where we decide that our WIPs need to be thinned out. Sometimes there are projects that we know we will never work on again. Other times there are projects that for one reason or another, fell off our radar.

As I was reviewing my obsese pile of WIPs, I came across my Miters. 

I am not sure if my heart wasn't it in it or what, but what faced me was 7 squares that were uneven and crappy. Maybe I thought I could bulldoze through these and somehow end up with a fabulous blanket. Instead I would have ended up with a blanket that I would have been ashamed to show anyone, due to all the mistakes. I made a decision. I ripped back quite a bit. I now approached these with the intention of crafting something I would be proud of and that was worthy of my time.

 

Now that is better!

My seven squares quickly went down to two, but I could not be happier. I am enjoying the rhythm that comes from the garter stitch. Much needed since I have been feeling a bit under the weather in the last couple of days. So, I have been watching Lord of The Rings (yes,again) , drinking lots of fluids, and all seems right again in my knitting world.

How is everything in your crafting world?

 

XO

Andi

 

Flying on the needles...

Call me crazy , but aren't projects supposed to fly off the needles, not on?

Since the turn of the year, I have cast on four new projects! Last year this time I was making resolutions to have only a few items on the needles. So, it makes no sense that I am now increasing my WIPS. Ok, now you can call me crazy. So say hello to my little cardigan above.

I had  to cast on socks with my new yarn ( Yes, there was a gun to my head). Look no pooling, just rows upon rows of lovely colors. Love it when that happens. Problem is now I can't seem to stop working on these socks, the pattern is wicked addictive. I really must tear myself away from them , because I have things that need  to get done today, at least take a shower. :)

Do you tend to find that your WIPs increase as the Christmas knitting ends? 

I hope you all are having a wonderful day (and take showers)! I will leave you will a song that I hope brings back some winter-ish weather to AZ.

 

 XO

Andi

Gets better with age...

I don't know what it is , but as I get older I appreciate the holidays and spending time with the family more and more. I hope you all got to spend some time with the people you cherish this season.

All my Christmas knitting was completed in time. Can I get a "Whoot whoot"?

My dear friend Melly's scarf is off the needles. There are others but I did not get a chance to snap a pic before gifting them. Oh well.

However, I did take a picture of some of the goodies I received from my mom and sister. Wanna see?

A couple additional goodies from my bestie Ruth.

 

Ruth had these project bags she made on her blog. I drooled over them...then what do you know? She sent me 4 of them. Each one more incredible than the next. All four have WIPS in them. As you can see above..they fit perfectly. She amazes me everyday with her generosity, talent and spirit. XO Ruth!

I received so many wonderful things, but the best present is always time with my family. On Christmas we all gather and do Christmas breakfast. I love this tradition. We all make one dish, I always make this. Mom makes a couple things, but my favorite is her biscuits and gravy, (I may or may not  have brought home a gallon size container worth of leftovers). Heh!

I also have enough cookies to keep me on a extreme sugar rush till next Christmas. Let me tell you, these aren't even 1/2 of what I have. I think I'm in trouble! ;)

 

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and now have some down time to do rest.

 

 

XO

Andi

When you grown up...

You will be a big beautiful shawl. In the meantime, you are a big blob of magenta!

 

That is what I keep saying. Lace is indeed the ugly ducking of knitting. Sometimes It takes the power of positive thinking, just to keep going. I also keep checking the pictures of what the shawl will look like when it is all done. Fingers crossed!

Even though I do not like the look of my own works-in-process, I love everyone else's. Theirs always look much better than mine. My Flickr favs seem to be filled with other's WIPS. (That and other people's pets, don't ask me why)

 
1.Haust 2.BronwynHomeschoolMom 3.Weetsiewoolens 4."IveBeenFramed"

 

I am not working on blankets or socks, just my magenta shawl. I am determined to turn it into a beautiful swan. :) Hope you all had a great weekend and have some lovely works in progress on the needles.

 It has been a bit since I posted some music. Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

XO

Andi

 

WoW Wednesday...Cosmic Love.

Yeah they are done!

 
Wonderfully simple pattern and of course the Malabrigo Sock Yarn so soft!

Finished these in time for Socktoberfest! Bonus.

Socks are indeed going to be on the menu this month. I have filled my plate with quite a few projects. In addition to the socks I will be starting a shawl KAL with my bestie in a couple weeks and I am still working on blankets!

Hope you all are having a wonderful October so far. I will leave you with Florence in honor of these socks being done! :)

 

XO,

Andi