Tangelled Angel

Sara the Conqueror!

Formally known as Stripy Socks superhero

(Internal joke!)

I have managed to knit one of the 2 needle socks from Debbie Bliss. Here is the evidence:

think I know what I did wrong. The part that requires you to put (?) 12 stitches in the middle of the row onto a stitch holder in order to proceed with knitting the heel, I did so, and then I think it was at this point I read the pattern wrong and knit several rows on these stitches, instead of on the heel. I must have put it down and come back to it a few minutes later and made the mistake at that point, as when I went to create 8 stitches down the side of the heel and then knit from the stitch holder, that’s when I ran into difficulties. No matter how much I read the pattern, I couldn’t figure it out. Note to myself in that situation again: put it down and come back with a fresh approach the next day.
I of course, continued the sock and had a piece separating the heel bit from the top of the foot bit, and it just wasn’t right.
I started afresh on another sock, in another colour (perhaps I was pushing my luck knitting a pink sock as my first friend that is due already has a little boy aged 2), white, and successfully completed it first time round, without frogging any of it, and with the pink one beside me as a guide NOT what to do. I did however miss a couple of rows at the cuff so its not as long as it should be, but I remembered to do this in the second sock, which I’m half way through as we speak. So they will match at least.
I reckon that I will be able to do a pair of these easily in an evening, so will stock up a bit on them before moving onto the baby hat in the same book Debbie Bliss, Baby knits for beginners simple hat. I mean, look at the face on the baby, isn’t he just gorgeous??!! How could I not recreate the same look of joy in a baby wearing a handknit hat! I mean, obviously, he/she will know that it’s a special hat….

On another note, this is what I was also doing over the weekend.

We did quite a bit of driving around over the weekend, and I made my poor bf do all the driving so I could knit in the passenger seat. Its an easy knit, and I plan to wear it a lot during the day at work, and other times also! I may have to do a few alternative colours/ variations in yarn. It’s from the StitchnBitch Nation book, which I have, but you can also download the pattern in a pdf format here and it’s the butterflies are free pattern. I did this previously for my sister and did the butterfly also, crochet and all, even though I don’t crochet, and my mum thought it looked like a turtle……

I’m using a Tivoli yarn called Sophia and the composition is 30% cotton, 30% nylon, 20% mohair and 20% acrylic. 50g=90 metres. I got a bag of it from Hickeys a good while back, reduced to €1.85 a ball at the time, and made my first pair of wrist warmers from it also (which were swiped by Siobhan) which I am planning on repeating. Its nice and soft when knitted up, and warm also.

Sorry for the quality of these pictures, its hard to get a good photo of yourself!

As you can see, it isn’t finished yet, the end isn’t weaved in, and it’s still attached to a knitting needle! I hope to get it finished this evening. I want it a lot longer.

I have no new knitting pictures to show you today.

However, to start this post off, here is a pic of the sunset on the way home from work a couple of nights ago. During the night we got a light dusting of snow where I live.

It’s been quite cold here over the last few days, but nothing like other countries I’m sure! Last night was the coldest it has gotten and here is the forecast for tonight:

Tonight:
Very cold again tonight with temperatures again falling below freezing in all areas and as low as minus 6 degrees inland. A widespread severe frost will develop soon after dark and icy stretches can be expected on the roads. Some further snow showers are likely in the North and Northwest but elsewhere it should stay dry overnight. There will be a light northerly wind.

Despite this, the daffodils are struggling to come out. They line the N4 from Dublin to where I live and make a cheery sight to see.

Anyway, I was at the SnB IE meeting last Saturday and one of the girls said that I had knit loads of things and every time she looked I had something new.

So I decided to count up what I had done over the last few months:

1. Since Nov 2005, I have knit 7 hats, 4 scarves, 2 curley wurleys, 2 bags, 1 muff, 1 set of wrist warmers, 1 pair of gloves, 1 facecloth, 1 sock and 1&1/2 teacozy’s since I started back into knitting.
2. That’s 21&1/2 items in the last 4 months.
3. I still have half a teacozy to go and another sock.
4. Only one of these items was for me
5. One of the other items was for me also (the wristwarmers) but I gave them to a friend after she raved about them.
6. I have 5 WIP’s at the moment, including the other half of the teacozy, 2^nd sock and a hat for myself, the first of a pair of 2 needle socks from Debbie Bliss, and a scarf from StitchnBitch Nation for myself (trying to get some things done for me when I can!)
7. I would have another 4 WIP’s on the go except I’m trying my best to restrain myself casting on for them.

So there you go, busy as always!

I’m actually finding the 2 needle socks a little confusing. The part where you take stitches in the middle of a row and place it onto a stitch holder, and then re-join them at a later dateà this has caused great confusion with me. I had them in front of the stitches as I picked up stitches along the side of the heel, then they seemed totally out of place so I pulled them through the hole with great difficulty and knit from the stitch holder and picked up along the other side of the heel, but then it looked even worse, so I frogged back, went back to the original bit of the stitch holder, repeated the process with the stitches to the front of the work, have continued a bit since then, and then had to put it aside because I just HAD to go to bed at that stage! I don’t have the book in front of me as I type this, but think that’s what I did anyways. I will continue on and see how it turns out, but it looks a very small diameter for an albeit small foot..but anyway. Anyone have the same issues I’ve had? It’s a pity if it doesn’t work out because I was planning on making a stock of these as have a few friends with due dates looming….

I may have to turn to baby bootees.