Honest I've been knitting! Just not very much.

I was on backup call for the weekend and got called in, stayed late Monday due to over run cases, was on call Tuesday and stayed late... Wednesday... finally, knitting time. Just not enough progress to warrant a picture so.........

Here is a picture of a really cute dragon from my collection of Pocket Dragons. Hot Hot Hot is the name of this little fella. You would wear the same experession on your face if you bit into a chili pepper! hehehehe I love these little dragons and they are a favorite part of my Dragon collection.

Speaking of Hot.... is it Hot where you are? It's sure made me switch from heavy sweater knitting to tank top knitting! How about you?

Slow going for now . . .

As you can see, I have been knitting... just no where near as fast as I would like.

Work has been busy and I was on backup call this weekend. Wound up getting called into work both Saturday and Sunday... 6 hours on Saturday and 3 hours on Sunday. I have been knitting today, though.

There are now 4 full repeats of the checkerboard and about 1/3 of the fifth and I'm on the third skein of this yarn. I love the feel of it and just hope the finished product works and wears well. Typically, red doesn't photograph well so it's not easy to see the checkerboard pattern.

I'm already thinking what pattern to do next....

What are you all up to?

After restarting my tank top, here is the latest picture. The stitch pattern is 10 stitches by 12 rows. Each round is 252 stitches so it takes time to go round and round.

The tank actually has a snug fit from the look of the picutes which is good since it will be needed to make the checkerboard pattern show up better.

I'm enjoying knitting this and just hope that it turns out as well as it looks in the picture!

Now, I wonder if a little knitting will help get rid of my headache...

W H I N E ! ! Rippit! Rippit!

Well, thanks to Tam, I am in the process of correcting a big boo boo in the calculations for the tank top. I'm using DK weight yarn and the pattern calls for sport weight yarn.

After the heads up that I had calculated in the wrong direction, I am hoping that I'm going to be moving forward this time.

I have 6 50 gram skeins of the yarn I'm using and the pattern calls for 5 2 ounce skeins of sport weight yarn. I'm getting the feeling that I might need more yarn.... dunno if my LYS will still have any of this color/dye lot but I'm going to check tomorrow. If they don't have the yarn, I might be begging to one or two of the email lists I'm on!

I've started the red tank top. I love the feel of the cotton/viscose yarn. It's nice and soft. I'm just hoping that the gauge isn't too big.

The pattern calls for 5.8 stitches/inch and I'm getting a little over 6 which will be fine since the top is for a 38 chest, I have a 37 inch chest to the extra ease will be needed. The top has a fairly close fit to the pattern.

Time will tell but I do love the feel of this yarn: Garnstudio. 54% cotton and 46% viscose.

I'm trying to figure out if it's machine or hand washable as I can't remember what the LYS said. Has the little water tub icon with 40 C on it. The trangle and the circle have X's through them. Do any of you know the translations for these icons?

Back to knitting!

The stockings based on the Queen Elizabeth I stockings are done. Woohoo! Both ties are 30 inches long to allow for going around the thigh and being tied.

I'm anxious to have my friend try them on but she has been so busy at school/work that she's not even been answering email! Things like that happen so much for PhD candidates!

I loved working with the silk even though it has little to no give to it. The resultant fabric is soft and feels great against the skin.

The yarn is Cascade 100% Premium Silk Nat..Unsc..2000 ypp Made in Switzerland. Using 2.5mm Addi Turbo needles, I got 8.5 stitches per inch and 11.5 rows per inch. The thigh is 19 inches down to an ankle of 9.5 inches. The top of the stocking to the bottom of the foot is 27 inches.

I used a flap / rounded heel with a round toe and there are no clocks on the stockings per request of the recepient. Her SCA Persona is Middle Class German Military Wife. That helps account for not doing the stockings in as fine a gauge as the original Queen Elizabeth I stockings.

Now.... a new project!! Wooohooo, time to start the gauge swatch to see what size needles I'll need to use. I'm hoping that the yarn I chose will work with the pattern. If not... gee, that means I'll have to buy more yarn. Such a hardship! hehehehehe

Happy Knitting, Everyone!

Not too exciting a picture but here is more of the first stocking tie.

Work has been so busy that I actually was too tired to knit last night and just made up my mind that I would knit a bit tonight no matter how tired I was. Started out with having to tink the first 3 rows I had done... I wasn't paying attention and didn't knit one of the stitches on a row. Definitely looked strange.

At eight stitches per row, it didn't take me long to tink the rows and get back on track.

We have another fire here in New Mexico. Unfortunately, this one is only about 20 miles from my house. :( It started as a house fire, burned a near by house down and then spread to the trees and brush on both sides of the Rio Grande. At least it wasn't started by a careless camper or smoker but that still doesn't decrease the loss everyone is having. I'm hoping they get it under control quickly.

Knitting is the best form of relaxing.... Hope you are all nice and relaxed!

I can see the light at the end of the tunnel ! ! !

I just hope that light isn't the light on the front of a train! hehehe

Any way.... the stockings are done! I've now started the garters to hold up the stockings. 8 stitches all in garter stitch. It's working up nicely but didn't photograph well due to the flash and the yarn being slightly shiny.

I'm just happy that I'm this far along with the stockings which means I'm closer to getting to swatch for my next project. I'm just hoping that the yarn I have will work with the pattern that I want to make. Time will tell on that one.

Is everyone staying nice and cool?? It's well into the 90's here with low humidity which makes it bearable... especially when you work inside. heeh Can you tell that I don't like being super hot?

Hope everyone is keeping nice and cool!

I'm still here! Just no interesting pictures to share with you this time.

The stockings based on the Queen Elizabeth I stockings are coming along great. I'm working on the foot of stocking #2 heading toward the toe decreases soon. Next I'll be knitting the two 8 stitch garter stitch ties then I can consider them finished!

I do have a new project sitting in the wings ready for the swatch to be done but I really want these stockings to be done since they are for someone else.

Thank heavens for air conditioning and ceiling fans or I wouldn't be able to knit. New Mexico has been well in the 90's temperature wise and we have a nasty fire burning already with no rain in sight.

Stay cool, everyone, and I hope to have pictures to share soon... even if they are just of the ties for the stockings.

This is my friend Ewen MacKail wearing his kilt and the kilt hose that I knit for him a bit over a year ago. Now, what is under that kilt you ask... heheheheeh I'll leave that to your imagination.




















































These are closeups of his right and left leg. Hope you can see the double cable that I put down the outer sides of each leg. He said that they are very warm and soft and very comfortable to wear. That makes me very happy when someone likes what I have made for them.

We all love compliments and to be appreciated!