Let's catch up a bit.

I made it through the crazy last week of school...we are officially on summer vacation!
The wedding was so wonderful...just like those weddings you see in the movies. I won't get into it all...but just to let the knit and chat ladies know...I did eventually rip those spanks off, but waited until I was in the car...I was never seen hanging out by the bar with my spanks at my ankles;)

I also want to say how sad I was to hear that MJ died. I was a serious fan...especially in the early years. I was one of those girls who sported that single curl...I plastered my bedroom wall with his photos from the teen magazines...and dreamt of our wedding day. I had a little tape recorder with headphones I would wear to bed at night...listening to thriller until I fell asleep. I practised all the dance moves and knew all the words to his songs. I know he went a little wacko...but he was a brilliant artist who will surely be missed.

Ok. So, I have been knitting. Let's catch up.
I finished up the black back cable shell from CYE for Shall We Knit. I was knit in Classic Elite Yarns Cotton Bam Boo...a fabulous yarn. It has such wonderful drape and feels so cool against the skin.



I know the photos aren't the best...I don't have the girls to fill out the front, but here is the back



Anyone near me when knitting it can attest to the drape of this yarn...I made everyone feel it. I really want to make myself a summer tank out of this...just which one?!

I am just knitting away this summer...no rush at all. I have a pair of socks done to show you...I finally blocked a pair that have been finished for a while...I have to rip a pair...and by the weekend I should be finished the pair of socks from my sock blank.

It is the summer of socks!

Ribbed Oak Clematis

Signs of summer...the sun...the beach days...some light knits...and very little posting. Yes, the posts are few and far between, so I will try to make it worth the read! (I will atleast put in some pretty photos...promise:)

I made a day of World Wide knit in public day...joining the regulars at Shall We Knit for some sock blank dying. This was such a great time! I have so many more ideas after dying one blank and seeing so many other creative ideas. I decided to try a "picture" of something and see how it would knit up. I went with the clematis, growing in the back yard. So brown, for the earth and stems, a denim blue back ground, different greens and a purple flower...



Once steamed (wrapped in saran, in water on a barbeque!) the colours kind of blended a bit...but the idea is still there. I think I would like to have more control over the colour with finer tipped dispensers and brushes...next time. For those who are not familiar with blanks, it is two strands of yarn held together and knit on a machine into big flat rectangles. Now I can pull it apart and knit a matching pair of socks...brilliant!
FYI I really didn't dress for dying...so I grabbed an apron before I left. I know, I am so smart. No dye touched me. We went to grab a coffee after the dying session and of course my lid falls off and spills coffee down the front of my cream shirt. Yeah.

I wanted to knit something simple from the blank...no texture...but not a plain st st sock. So I decided on Nancy Bush's Oak Ribbed sock from Knitting Vintage Socks. Simple and you can still see the beautiful colour.



You can't really see the toe here...but the browns are gorgeous. I am really loving the way it knits up. The purples are just starting to work their way into the leg. LOVE IT!
I really love the denim blue with the brown...definitely a combination I will be using again.
You will be seeing more sock blanks here...I am finally feeling those creative juices flowing.

There is so much more to tell you about...but not enough time now. I need to get through this end of school week...a wedding on the weekend...and getting settled with the kids home full time! I should be pumping out the knits due to stress;)

Off to a take my 6yr old on his field trip...wish me luck.

Monday knit and chat.

I so needed some knit and chat time today...I sent both kids to school with lunch so that I could enjoy my morning...and part of the early afternoon knitting.

I got to starbucks at 9...with not another knitter in sight! Argh! I sat with my oh so needed ristreto non fat misto americano (I never get them in the correct order...) in the only big chair left in at the back (some businessmen decided to have a meeting in "our" chairs). I kept watching the time waiting for another knitter...and listening to the two very loud talking women sitting next to me.

Look, I really don't care if there was a chipmonk in your house...and I don't think the guy on the other side of starbucks cares either.

Finally the knitters started to role in...thank you Michelle! We bumped the businessmen out and took over our seats! It was a quiet monday...only 5 of us...but great conversation. Everything from someone's upcoming anniversary night in a hotel room (a gift from her daughter!! Too funny!) to hair removal...so sorry you all missed it;)

I worked away on a sample knit for SWK. It is a back cable shell in black. I am using Classic Elite Yarns cotton bam boo...this yarn is to die for! It is so soft and cool feeling...and the drape is just fabulous. I think I need to knit myself something out of it...darn these sample knits:)
I ended up finishing the front this afternoon and blocked it out.



I also recently finished up the Premiere top down leaf tee for the store as well.



Knit in Classic Elite Yarns Allegoro...a cotton linen blend. It also drapes very nicely. The tee is simple and knits up quickly from the top down.

Oh...a couple of people have asked about the seaming of the squares for Karen's blanket. What we did was pick up stitches along one edge and knit back. Do the same to another square and then with right sides together, do a three needle bind off. Once we had strips of squares, I did the same technique along these long edges to join them. When all the strips were joined they were framed in a garter stitch edging, log cabin style.

Happy Monday!

Many hands.

A fellow knit and chatter had to go in for some surgery last week...so the group of us have been very busy knitting up an afghan for her! I did offer to seam it up...and thankfully got some help from Heather and Liz!!



It turned out just perfect.



Karen made it out for a visit to the knit and chat friday proving a little hip replacement surgery doesn't slow down a knitter!

Things are being knit and ripped over here...some finished knits and some new exciting ones to show you...I just need the time to sit and blog about it. Maybe tomorrow;)