Cookie A. Mystery Socks

Cookie A. Mystery Socks
Originally uploaded by pfeifferini
I just finished my first mystery socks! I am in a group on Ravelry called Sock Knitters Anonymous, and the May 2010 mystery/challenge was this pattern. The pattern was given to us in weekly "clues", so we only had a part of the sock each week.

The yarn is Dream in Color Smooshy in the color Ruby River. It is lovely to knit and gets even softer once washed. The designer is Cookie A., well known for her beautiful, complex sock patterns.

Scarves for Bears

Mickey, Patty & Malcolm
Originally uploaded by pfeifferini
It's been a long time since I made my little mohair bears. I had a few left over from the last time I made them (2003) and when the owner of our new fabric shop asked me to bring in a few things to sell, I brought them down. The first set sold within a few hours. I quickly got to work making more. These three are part of the new batch of bears.

I used to tie pretty ribbons around their necks to give them a bit of personality, but I've learned to knit and now they all get little scarves made from my leftover sock yarn.

I've been a one-woman bear factory for the last couple of weeks, working on my new bear design. I'll post a photo of the new bears in a day or two.

Kathy & Wavy's quilt

Kathy & Wavy's quilt
Originally uploaded by pfeifferini
I know. Let's just not talk about how long it's been, okay? Moving on...

So, way back in June, my little sister Kathy married Wavy. They asked for a quilt, which I was happy to make. I went stash diving and came up with a beautiful copper batik with lines of turquoise, light green, purple (my favorite), and tan running through it. I chose a pattern from Karla Alexander's New Cuts for New Quilts book; it's the cover quilt, in fact. I pulled lots of fabric from my stash and even bought some at the quilt shop. Then I procrastinated.

Well, to be fair, I did have the Small Quilt Auction coming up the weekend before Kathy's wedding. I am in charge of this event, so I had to do stuff for it. But still, the fabric languished for a month or two before I got started. Once I started though, it went very well and the quilt turned out beautifully. I made the quilt larger than the size in the book, and even made pillowcases to match.

I hand-delivered the quilt to Kathy & Wavy when I went to the wedding. They loved it, and I even got to sleep under it one night. It was very nice.

Small Quilt Auction

Today, La Plata Quilters Guild had its 10th Annual Small Quilt Benefit Auction. We raised over $13,000.00 with 126 quilts! We had a gorgeous day (as usual, I forgot my hat and my poor head got sunburned). I've been in charge of this event for nine years now, and I am always amazed at the quality of quilts donated by our guild members and others.


Some quilts are truly wonderful, and bring in lots of money for our beneficiaries, and other quilts are a bit more humble, but find a loving home. It's a really wonderful event. I have a few photos here, and more on my flickr page.

Also, check out our guild's website - there's lots of information about the auction and the rest of the guild's activities there.

Startitis

John and I are remodeling the kitchen and living in chaos. Since we started, I have cast on six new projects and learned to crochet! Luckily, I am a dedicated knitter, and I have acutally finished two of the scarves. Above, you see one of two Chevron Scarves (rav link) cast on just as we started the remodel. I helped a couple of friends start this project, and of course, I had to start one too. This scarf is made of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Mediumweight sock yarn in the Backstabber and Fire on the Mountain colorways. This yarn really is ideal for the scarf - it's soft and smooth with lots of color changes.

The other is made from just one ball of yarn with lots of yardage. It is Noelle's Noodles in the colorway Colliohe; 560 yards in the ball. I went up a needle size because this yarn is a bit thicker than the Socks That Rock, and was able to break up the color pooling with this needle size change. I like this yarn too, it's a bit fuzzy and the color changes are really lovely.

The Etsy Shop is Up!

At long last, I put the owls up for sale on etsy. Check them out here!

Koolhaas Hats

Although John keeps insisting he has plenty of hats now, I made another one for him. This is Koolhaas by Jared Flood (rav link). I made this hat from Rowan Cotton Wool in the color Moonstone. The yarn is slightly thinner than that called for in the pattern, so I cast on an additional 16 stitches for two extra pattern repeats.

After finishing John's hat, I went stash diving and came up with some Rowan Cotton Jeans in the color Hemp. So, I decided I needed a Koolhaas for myself. Of course, I like a turn-up ribbing on all of my hats, so my ribbing is 3.5 inches. I love the color of this yarn, but it's pretty easy to split with your needles.

I've also finished the Horcrux socks by Susan Lawrence (2nd in my Harry Potter Sock Series) and I love them! The yarn is Regia Cotton Color and they are soft and comfy.

Finally, after 53 attempts, I got a photo of my other cat, Louis the shy one, doing her best impression of a lima bean with feet.

Don't be fooled by her docile appearance; she is watching every move of the needles, biding her time (shiny Addi turbos are her favorite)!