Lemon Drop Socks

Lemon Drop Socks

I have been finishing up "works in progress".  These socks have been "in progress" since November 2012 (I think).  The yarn is Lion Brand Sock Ease Yarn in the colorway called "Lemon Drop".  I love the names in this series of yarns... Cotton Candy, Sour Ball, Rock Candy, Red Hots, Toffee.  I made Cotton Candy socks about a year ago and they are my favorite socks!  Unfortunately, I did not follow my project notes from the Cotton Candy pair. The Lemon Drop pair does not fit as well.  I keep getting confused by my sock needles; I have so many.  The pattern I used for these socks is free and is available by clicking HERE.  The pattern calls for US Size 2 needles (2.75 mm).  For the well fitting Cotton Candy socks I used US Size 1 1/2 needles (2.50 mm).  But I got confused and accidentally used my US Size 1 needles (2.25 mm) for the Lemon Drop socks. The knitting felt awkward and tight as a result, so on the foot portion of sock #2, I knit with five needles (instead of just 4 needles) and the end result was that I knit very loosely on the foot of sock #2.  An unexpected occurrence but I am hoping the socks will be a tad snugger after the first washing.  Whatever the case may be, I learned something new (about switching the number of needles used part way through the project) and I love the color of my latest socks.

Some Socks

Just as soon as I finished my Little Owl Mittens a week or so ago, using the same needles I used for the mittens, I cast on a this pair of socks with yarn in in my stash.  Apparently, I don't like my sock needles to sit idle because I easily could have resumed work on other socks in progress... but no, I had to start a new pair.  These socks are knit in Berroco Comfort Sock yarn. I've used Berroco Sock yarn before but that yarn contained wool. I was surprised this yarn is only acrylic and nylon, just like the other Berroco "Comfort" yarns I frequently use.  I am pretty sure I got the yarn half price when my old yarn shop closed down. I used my friend's (Marilyn) sock pattern for this pair. It calls for casting on 52 stitches, which makes this a quick knit. 

They fit really well and they are super comfy and warm. Maybe too warm... either that... or I just had a hot flash.

Also, I mentioned the Little Owl Mittens above.  A few folks inquired if I would be adding eyes.  Yes, I just needed to find some little buttons and I found these at WalMart. They are little black buttons and I used black wool yarn so the button holes would not show.  The mittens do look much better now that the owls have eyes.

Puerperium Cardigan: A Baby Sweater

Last weekend, I decided to venture in to the store called "Tuesday Morning" in Colorado Springs, Colorado.  The store is really a mess and has the oddest assortment of random things at discounted prices.  Linens, teapots, cookware, bras, dog toys... and frequently... YARN!  I found a shelf that was a mess and there I found some sock yarn.  I was a bit disappointed by what I found but kept looking and found a cart full of dog toys and yarn a few aisles over.  The yarn in the cart was all the Araucania brand, which I had not seen before. I grabbed two skeins of plump cotton Araucania Ulmo Multy in two different colorways (thinking... if nothing else... I could make some beautiful dishcloths).  I also found three skeins of sock weight yarn (Araucania brand); two skeins are an aqua/teal green and one skein is a color I am calling "tennis ball yellowish-green".  I also got the sock yarn I initially found on the shelf (Wisdom Brand).  I had to buy it because the colorway is called "Seattle" and I like Seattle and the colors in the yarn really do remind me of Seattle.
 

When I got home from the store, I looked on Ravelry to see what other folks had made with these yarns.  I found this adorable baby sweater called "Puerperium Cardigan" and I realized the sweater could be made with one skein of the cotton Araucania Ulmo Multy.  I had the sweater whipped up in no time and it will be a great gift for a friend, Anne, who is expecting her first child in March... a baby girl if you couldn't tell. I'd like to make some booties or socks and maybe a hat in pink or lavender to match.  This pattern is FREE and is available on Ravelry; here is the LINK.

I kid you not, I think this may be my very favorite thing I have ever knit.  The yarn was only $4.99. I actually spent a bit more on the buttons.  I had to buy three packages of buttons so I could get seven plain pink buttons. The other pink buttons in the packages had stripes and polka dots and I just wanted the plain pink buttons.

Little Owl Mittens

Little Owl Mittens

 

Do you see the owl in there?  I need to add some buttons or some beads for eyes.

Little Owl Mitts is a FREE pattern on Ravelry.  The pattern LINK is HERE.

The pattern is for fingerless mitts but, as you can see, I made mittens instead, which just required altering the pattern a bit.  When I look at these mittens, the look huge but they fit my Amazon-sized She-Woman paws perfectly. 

A Hat and Two (Quick) Scarves

 

Another "Alternating Cables Cap"...

this time in Berroco Comfort DK in red.

 

I also whipped up two scarves in yarn called "Rigoletto" by Red Heart.  The colors are

Periwinkle and Tangerine.  You can literally make one of these scarves in less than 45 minutes. 

 I made the Tangerine one at the knit shop a week ago and I made the Periwinkle one while watching/listening to "Jeopardy" the same evening.  What a great last minute gift.  These are going to my mother-in-law who was also the recipient of some other ruffled scarves I made last fall.

She loves them.  The Rigoletto yarn is a sort of mesh tube with metallic thread and sequins.  It's quite unusual but very reasonably priced. I made two scarves for less than $15.00.