Gorgeous Yarn

Lorna's Laces  Solemate  in Black Purl

55% Superwash Merino, 15% Nylon, 30% Outlast

fingering weight

Isn't this gorgeous !

It's Lorna's Laces yarn Solemate with outlast,

a space-age technology designed by NASA to keep astronauts comfy in their spacesuits.

This technology is now used in yarn 

so the garments we knit will keep us comfy, too.

Below is a quick description

Taken from The Loopy Ewe

This sock weight yarn is made from superwash Merino, nylon, and Outlast (R), a fiber technology that interacts with the body's microclimate to moderate temperature, to help from being too hot or too cold. It's "yarn with a built-in climate control!" 

You may recall,

this pair of sox began as Gimli,

a eye-catching design that truly screams for a yarn with great stitch  definition.  

This yarn base has fantastic stitch definition

 but not in this Black Purl colorway.

So they're being knit as a generic sox

 with hopes that the gorgeous color gets the attention it deserves.

They've a standing rib cuff 

with a few eyelets running down the leg portion.

Love it!!!

I think the heels will be Cat Bordhi's design:  

Sweet Tomato Heel

I've provided a link to  Cat's YouTube instructions 

It's a great way to custom fit your sox to your heel

Love it ! ! ! ! 

Gimli's on the back burner 'til later this year.

♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥  ♥

Thank you all for the lovely comments on my previous post.

Thank you.

hugs

Have a wonderful weekend!

♥

Punky

Here's Punky's first photo! ! ! ! 

Knit with my very own hand-dyed yarn.

Punky's body is acid dyed,

beak and claws Kool-ade dyed,

legs Wilton's Cake Icing dyed.

Top knot is a combo of knitted I-cord and gift ribbon and eyes are buttons.

note to self:  Next knitted toy - NO CLAWS ! ! ! !

Punky's little buddie is a Bunny Nugget.

This week I've been knitting Punky

 and

Sheldon and Leonard

This is a fun, fun knit.

Designed by Wendy D Johnson

She's made provisions in the pattern for this to be knit by weight rather than yardage.

I know I must use 500 yards for this Challenge.

I'm using two separate colors 

at approx 116 and 119 grams each 

and 360 yds each.

Doing the math so that my project doesn't use all seven hundred twenty yards

 but rather a bit more than the 500 yd requirement.

Worked sideways 

this shawl takes 25% of the 500+ yds for the increase side, 

50% of the 500+ for the body and the remaining 25% for the decrease side.

I've knit almost 75% right now.

I told you it's fun!  I ♥ it.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Mom and I

She's very much in my thoughts today

 August 7, 1915  -  October 19, 1999

hugs

♥

Potholders & . . . .

. . . and this insulated casserole-sized hot pad

 Our local quilt guide is having another potholder swap 

I really enjoyed last year's swap, I decided I'd do it again.

Picked out two leftover chisel strip blocks 

and some fabric 

I posted a photo of the entire piece here

Ended up with this hotpad

and two pot holders, too.

V

V

v

Had to take time to stitch up a couple of labels before finishing the three pieces

I had such fun creating these as I was at my Bernina.

I ♥ 'em.

You may have noticed that these pieces are finished with a 'pinked' edge with triple stitching.

Not the traditional edge finish

so they won't be part of the guild's swap.

Not to worry, they won't go to waste, that's for certain.

Into the basket with the rest of my creative giftables.

: ^ )

While I was making these I found a couple more pieces that would make a great .  .  .  .  .

hugs

♥

My hand-dyed and what it's becoming

 Oranges

 Blues 'n Greens

 Pinks 'n Purples

Makes me think: Happy Birthday ! ! ! 

This colorful bit of yarny goodness

is teaming with Bare White

to become

Punky Rooster

I'm joining Knitabulls Podcast/Diane's

Ravellenics KnitAlong

during the Olympics July 27-August 12.

We're knitting monsters during the 17 days of

the Olympics in London.

Oh, yeah, everyone completing and posting a monster 

to the Knitabulls Ravellenics Thread

becomes eligible for the random number draw for three different super-terrific prizes.


*******************


Here it is this afternoon:


Filet-0-Chick

it's in the bag!

hugs


♥♥♥♥♥♥♥♥

The State of Gemini

You may remember

Gemini 

I made earlier this summer.

I was so thrilled that I had finished such a project.

! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !

However

:^(

It didn't live up to my expectations relating to fit.

So what's a gal to do ?  

Well, the only remedy was

to hook it up to the Swift

and

even with a slight defugalty 

that took help with

Hubby to the rescue during the frogging process.

So it goes ~~~

here's a photograph of Gemini in it's present state.

Yep, that's the Gemini.

The sweater that was.

:^)

hugs

Progress to Completion

Camp Loopy is keeping me on my toes this summer!

As are a couple of KALs.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

First Up!

Franklin's Journey

Next:

omg, I look like my Mother

Blueberry Vodka Lemonade Sweater.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ 

Now, if I add other projects 

I've completed this summer -

   
   

By the way,

have you taken notice of my newest widgets on my right hand sidebar?

These two track my current knitting totals.

In Yards

&

In Miles.

Can I hear a 'Whoot!, Whoot!'

****************

Thanks for stopping by

for a visit, I love hearing from ya!

Stay Cool ! ! ! 

hugs

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

It's KAL Season ! ! !

Progress on my second Piper's Journey Shawl

This one goes by the name of Franklin's Journey

The body is GnomeAcres' sock yarn in the Franklin colorway

The border is Fibernymph's Charcoal colorway.

Last night I made it past the half-way mark on this fun, fun border.

It'll be a FO before too long.

This shawl is eligible for three kal's.

How much more fun could a gal ask for this Summer !

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Camp Loopy Project 2 is finished 

but still needs to be 'soaked' and blocked before you get to see a finished photo.

That's the Blueberry Vodka Lemonade Sweater, just to jog your memory.

In the meantime, gals,

CL Project 3 begins on the 27th.

Here's my pick of yarn for the Project.

   hmmmm, 

do we notice a shift in color preference???

blue !  ! !

Madelinetosh Pashmina

Sport / 5 ply

75% Merino, 15% Silk, 10% Cashmere

360 yards / 100 grams

yahooooo!  what! ! !  silk - - cashmere
luxury if there every was ! ! ! 


Project 3 must use 500 yards, 
two colors, 
one project.

My MadTosh will be knit into

Sheldon and Leonard  by Wendy D. Johnson

Wendy describes her shawl:

"This sideways garter stitch wrap 

has short-row shaping 

and a lace edging 
that is worked as you knit the body. 
Short rows in the body 
give a gentle curve at the neck 
so the shawlette stays put when you wear it."


Sheldon and Leonard - ! Big Bang Theory !


* * * * * * * * * *

It's been a busy 

knitting and sewing

month

- - - 

my attempt to ignore the heat

Have worked on

one sweater

one shawl

three drawstring project bags

four box bags

and

V

V

v

this is for our Quilt Guild PotHolder Swap

! ! ! ! ! ! !

I'm sitting here at the computer talk with you gals and Hub's is waiting to take me to lunch

. . . . . .

talk with ya later

♥♥♥♥

Box Bag Bonanza ! ! !

Hello, Everyone,

how are you doing?

Hope all are doing well this past week and that you've had lots of time for relaxation midst  your summer activities.

U*U*U*U*U*U*U*U 

Finished the Blue Floral Box Bag

a good-sized project bag for sox.

 zipper:  Sullivans  'MAKE-A-ZIPPER'  a 5½ yard roll + 12 zipper pulls 

purchased online at Create For Less

Then came my Færie Box Bag

just 'bout right size to hold a shawl project.

zipper:  double-ended sport zipper

which I cut to size, leaving another zip a couple of inches longer than the first for another box bag

And,

a Pink Rose Floral Box Bag perfecto for any sized knitting project, 

just because  :^) I love this print!

zipper: 'Make-A-Zipper' on a roll comes in many colors - some in LOUD Brights

All made from STASH fabric, zippers and beads

so no need at all to shop.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ 

Oh, you can bet, 

I've been knitting!

Progress on Blueberry Vodka Lemonade Sweater

as of Monday.

Lots of progress since -

but haven't taken time out from knitting to do photos.

Will attempt to get a good shot over the weekend.

Am also, working on my Franklin's Journey.

Once, again, I'm further along than this pic but added this one just 'cause I ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ this colorway.

I have completed the shawl body portion and have begun the charcoal grey border.

WVWVWVWVWVWVWVW

Our temps have cooled - 

down to the 90s with low humidity.  

Feels dry.

It's mid-July, summer's in full swing.

Not certain how veggie gardens are fairing 

with our dry season, 

but there's certainly been enough sunshine!

Now that our temps have dropped from the 100s

Hubby and I will be having our coffee outside in the shade.

-~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~ -~

Hey, guys, have a great weekend and we'll talk again, soon.

hugs

♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥ ♥

Sew, what's new

at my house?  

Let me tell you all about it.

Yesterday morning I decided that I wanted a box bag large enough to hold all my yarn for my 

BlueBerry Vodka Lemonade Sweater.

So, went to the Stash -  -  -

and got busy

Even went so far as to get out my beads:

 Since I was already in full swing 

went to the Fat Quarter Stash

and came up with this drawstring project bag

opps, do you see

Franklin's Journey Shawl is peeking out the top?

This morning I went back to the Fat Quarter Stash

and picked these two fabrics:

Got this far along before lunch called my name.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Yee-Haa ! !  !

Rain came a callin' yesterday and overnight! ! ! 

This morning our rain gauge showed

TWO INCHES ! ! ! ! ! 

Right now at two-thirty in the afternoon our

temp is 88°F

Now this is the Summer Time I've been lookin' for.

hugs

♥ ♥ ♥