april is almost gone..........and

I have spent most of this month spring cleaning.......or meditating or planning.........and throwing away mounds of papers.......about 43 bags full.  I decided to take time off from managing the estate, it was really
burning me out.  I am just starting to feel back to my old self, after a month and a half break.

I have a ton of storm damage.....roof, back door, deck, fence, walkways, trees limbs to be removed.........and these contractors take forever getting back with the quotes.

My knitting group at bucks county knitters on ravelry, met for the first time at my home last saturday.......it was wonderful sitting outside and knitting.  We are going to do it again this Sunday.....hopefully, I will take

some pics to put up here.

I have been working on recreating the lettuce leaf scarf by lucy neatby........being too cheap to buy the pattern...I have come up with my own version using the photos as inspiration.  After ripping it out a few times, I think I have captured her basic concept, but you be the judge. I am using the leftovers from the skew sock, since I ripped out the heel up sock that was too tight.  Here is a pic for you of my progress to date. I cast on 20 stitches and am using size #2 US needles.

The bottom is composed of six short row sections beginning with 20 stitches and worked around  like half a pie.  Then I begin to go across on 40 stitches, doing a ten stitch short row to create the side ruffles.  Once I get further and know that I like it, I will post my recipe for this unvented scarf....tentatively named the savoy cabbage scarf. 

I also started on the drop 181 pattern.......I love how it is coming along. I am using stash yarn, filaturi di crosa....ganimede.  It is turning out great, almost done with the flounce.  It is 416 stitches for 6 inches.
Here is a pic of the finished pattern.

This is a free pattern and can be found here. Here is a pic of  my progress so far.

I am hoping that you are enjoying the wonderful spring weather........

SMILES TO YOU,
DC

I Was Feeling a Bit Mentally Skewed After..........

my latest debacle with guess who.......and happened upon the new Knitty pattern by Lana Holden.....called SKEW.

Without delay, I cast on.......with some sock yarn I had bought at a LYS sale........but did not like the look. We started a KAL on the Bucks County Knitters group on ravelry. Feel free to join us......

I went hunting into the stash room, when guess what I should find......my missing digital camera from almost a year ago......LOL!!! Now I have two cameras...UGGGH!!! In any case, I did not find a sock yarn that I wanted.....so went hunting in my bedroom and found some alpaca and silk singles perfect for this sock on my schacht spinning wheel.

I spent two days spinning the remaining roving, which I love. I began the Skew again......as soon as it was dry. I am happy with it so far. The directions are well written, it is fun to knit....and I am finished both socks. It is tough knitting with the #1 needles though, not sure I will venture this small again.......

The heel is a bit tight to get on, but feels fine once you are in them. Lana has offered several suggestions for modifications to her pattern....which you can read on her blog. My own suggestion is to go up a needle size if your sock is a bit too tight.....I wish I had knit them on 2's.

I was so excited about finishing my first toe up socks, I decided to cast on for the Overlapping Leaves Toe Up Sock Pattern, which is a free ravelry.com download.  I have read comments that the heel maybe an issue......will let you know as I progress.


Smiles to YOU,
DC