work in progress wednesday / yarnalong

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? ~

I actually haven’t done well in the reading department lately – I’ve started several audiobooks from the library that I had to return before finishing, and finished several books that I haven’t reviewed yet. I borrowed Beautiful Creatures from a coworker but haven’t started that yet.

Onto the yarn…

box car willie socks. I haven’t really touched them because I lost one sock as soon as I had started it, but I finally cast on the other toe & did a little knitting on the other sock.

There’s a bit of a story to these socks. It’s an older design of mine, & I mentioned a few weeks ago I had cast on for the socks but my gauge was way off. So I frogged & went up a size – still way too small. So much for being a loose knitter. Frogged, went up another needle size, OK – now they are good. I started cranking on the socks, got to about 9.5″ long (these WERE supposed to be for my dad’s size 11.5 EEE feet), & realized I was just about out of yarn. I had 3 skeins of yarn which I thought would be plenty, but if I was out of the first skein of yarn already & hadn’t even turned the heel yet… so, I frogged back to about the 7.5″ long mark, and now they are for Jon. Width wise they are the same, but Jon has small feet for a guy – they are only size 8′s, but they are EEEE – very wide, square feet in other words. So, he tries them on, & I said to him if they don’t fit at this point, then they might as well be for me, because I aint froggin’ them again! But they fit great, so I guess they are for Jon, and I have to buy yarn for dad’s socks, again, and this time I’m going to buy FIVE skeins… just to be sure… lol…

yarnalong / wip wednesday

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

Good morning! It’s Wednesday! It’s time to catch you up with what I am reading & crafting. I have a lot to share with you this morning!

Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? ~

First, let me share a little miscellaneous personal stuff. Hubby turned 40 last week, and we celebrated in style! We saw Heart in concert on Friday night

bad, blurry, grainy photo of us at the concert. My camera does not like to take indoor, dark photos!

Now, before I show you Jon’s cake for his birthday party, you need to know that Jon has a few hobbies: collecting hotwheels & matchbox box cars, and Garfield.

My friend Laura made this incredible cake for him!

And, one more thing before we get down to business, my new toy!

Now, onto the wips!

I cast on for these yesterday

They are “fake cable” socks, one of my really old designs that was published in the knitting calendar 6 years ago. I always wanted to go back, add an extra size, rewrite the pattern, get it tech edited & tested, and I’m finally doing that. I worked on the pattern yesterday morning & sent the pattern to one of my tech editors, and now I’m working on a better sample for photos. I’m usually a pretty loose knitter, but my gauge with these is much tighter than normal, so I have to frog the toe & start again with bigger needles. My bad.

I’ve also been working on my log cabin afghan, which my ravelry notes show I started back in April of last year!

What’s wrong with that photo? Yup, I sewed the seam wrong – well, not wrong, just not the way I had planned for the number of squares I had knitted up. I’ve since ripped out the seam, sewed the seam correct & finished joining together all of the squares & I’m 3/4 of the way done an i-cord border.

and a little bit more progress on my ugly scrap odd sock

I’ve also been working on my vest – I finished one shoulder strap, finished casting off the back stitches with i-cord edging, and am working on the other strap, but I didn’t think to take a photo.

Now, onto the books!
I’m listening to Matched (Matched, #1) that I got from the library, I just started Lamb of Legacy: A Child’s Survival in Hitler’s Berlin which I got for review, and I’m also reading a book called “Rules” which is due out later this year, which is also for review.

Yarn Along / work in progress wednesday

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Anastacia Knits

Happy Yarn Along!

Two of my favorite things are knitting and reading, and the evidence of this often shows up in my photographs. I love seeing what other people are knitting and reading as well. So, what are you knitting or crocheting right now? What are you reading? Take a photo and share it either on your blog or on Flickr. Leave a link below to share your photo with the rest of us! ~

First, the fiber:

I haven’t actually touched this scarf since before Christmas, but I did manage to finally take a photo of it. It’s the advent lace scarf, so popular every time this year on Ravelry.

some progress on the vest – the body is done, and I’m working on the straps.

I turned the heel on the ugly scrap socks, this is my work project that is slow going because I’ve been mainly reading on breaks.

I might’ve mentioned this project before but I think this is the first I’ve photographed it.

scrap hexagons from a vintage leaflet, I need to find it again to tell you what it’s called. I’m not at all happy with these as they don’t lay very flat, but I didn’t realize it until I made the pile you can see here. I did start edging them & joining them as I go…

I’m miserably unhappy with this project so it’s very slow going.

Now, onto the books… last week, I mentioned these four books…
When Calls the Heart (Canadian West #1)
Addicted to Magic (Addicted, #1)
Thwarted Queen
The Stolen Crown: The Secret Marriage that Forever Changed the Fate of England

I haven’t picked up any of them still. What do you call books that you’ve started but haven’t read in a while? For crafts, it’s a UFO. For books?

I’ve been listening to Before Versailles, a historical fiction book that came out in 2011, & I’ve been devouring Through Rushing Water by Catherine Richmond, a book I’m reading through one of the many reviewing programs online.

And while I have your attention, if you missed it, there’s still lots of time to join us in our crafty book challenge! Won’t you please join us & help spread the word?

What are you reading, listening to, and stitching?