Good Grief, Charlie Brown!

Well, I just realized that I'd been so busy with dying yarn, test knitting and making swaps, that I haven't posted any of my recent WIPs or FOs! :/ So, here's the 411: I finished my "Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes" socks with my Sunshine Yarns in the corresponding colorway. I used the pattern "Mad Color Weave", by Tina Lorin. I also whipped up a pair of socks for little Zach with some scrap yarn today. It's the "Toddler Socks" pattern by Bonnie Franz. Additionally, I worked up a couple test knits (more info in May), and began the birthday swap for Dreamsinfiber. Above is a photo collage of the WWW socks and Zach's pair. 

New Colorways are ready!

Pygstitches introduces its new line of hand-dyed yarn called

 "Fresh From the Cauldron"!

Here are the new pics of the first four colorways of my hand-dyed yarn. I plan to open an Etsy store soon. Meanwhile, please send all requests and inquiries to Jenpyg@aol.com

I plan to make colorways based on various themes or series. Two of the series are featured here with these four colorways. These hanks were custom ordered by Bindifry and will ship out tomorrow! 

New original colorway series:

• "Globe Trekker" --colorways inspired by various locations and or cultures around the world
• "Raid the Fridge" --colorways inspired by food or beverage
• "Saturday Morning cartoons" --colorways inspired by famous cartoon characters
• "On Broadway"-- colorways inspired by famous plays and their characters and scenes
• "Once Upon a Time" --colorways inspired by whimsical fantasy and fairytales
• "Flotsam & Jetsam" --for the random, uncharacterized colorway.  i.e. semi-solids, custom requested, and HP colorways

Pictures:

"Dublin Black" from the "Globe Trekker" series

"Crazy Curry" from the "Raid the Fridge" Series
"Gooey, Caramel Fudge Sundae" from the "Raid the Fridge" Series
"Maharaja" from the "Globe Trekker" series

*All of these also fall under the "Flotsam & Jetsam" series, because they were custom requested colorways, as well.

Ginevra Molly Weasley

Pattern: "Simply Ginny Socks", by Anna Peck

Cast On: 3/14/08

Cast Off: 3/17/08

The Big Tease

Here is a sneak-peak at the "Simply Ginny Socks," designed by Anna Peck. 

Cast on: 3/14/08

Mocha Latte Lace

Here are the finished pics of Kim's "Uzume" footies. I haven't gotten them to her yet, because my little one has been very sick, he has croup. Hopefully I can meet with her sometime next week. I hope she likes them. I was supposed to make her 2 pairs from this colorway, but I guess all the yarn-overs in the pattern hogged a lot of yarn, so there's not quite enough. So instead, I ordered some pretty plum tweed to make her some cabled ankle socks. I think she'll like them; purple's her favorite color.

Bellatrix socks are done.

Here are the final pics of my Bellatrix socks. Now I'll just be concentrating on finishing Kim's Uzumes. Official stats:

Title: "Bellatrix at the Department of Mysteries"

Cast on: 3/2/08

Cast off: 3/8/08

Pattern: "Bellatrix", by Gigi Silva-a.k.a "Monkey Toes"

Modifications: Size 1.5 circs for cuff and instep, size 2 for  sl1/k1 reinforced heel, size 1 for leg. 

One down, one to go

I'm 75% done with this project. After Bellatrix, I still need to finish Kim's Uzume socks and then I will be working on some projects for my Ravelry groups. Luckily, some of the projects will fill requirements for multiple groups. I want to make Anna Peck's "Simply Ginny!" socks in either Sweet Sheep Sweet Sock "Pink Cherries" or Claudia Hand-painted's "Peppermint Mocha", and from there, probably Monkey Toes' "Nagini" socks in Knit Pick's "Leprechaun."

update on: "Bellatrix at the Department of Mysteries" socks

"The woman stepped forward, away from her fellows, and pulled off her hood. Azkaban had hollowed Bellatrix Lestrange's face, making it gaunt and skull-like, but it was alive with a feverish, fanatical glow."

--Harry Potter and the Order of the Pheonix, chapter 35, p. 783

WIPs

I've got two pairs of socks on the needles right now. One is the Uzume pattern by Monkey Toes, being modified into ankle socks (in the CTH "java" colorway), and knit up for my friend Kim. The other is a pair of Bellatrix socks by Monkey Toes, I'm knitting up for myself. The Uzume is fairly tedious and slow going, where in stark contrast, the Bellatrix is knitting up like a dream! I've been wanting to do this pair in this colorway ever since I saw the yarn and the pattern. I originally wanted to use this yarn for my Monkeys, but I had trouble with pooling and gauge, so I used the CTH "earth" instead. I'm glad I did, because I think that this colorway and pattern are the perfect match, now!

Dude, check out my stash...

Haha! --Actually, this is only my sock yarn to date. I have a ton of heavier weights in my craft room, and 9 new sock weight hanks on the way! 

In the pic:

• Cherry Tree Hill: "Orange Marmalade" (dk wt), Earth, Water, Blueberry Hill
• sport weight lime and lavender; can't remember the manufacturer
• Bernat Baby fingering pink, yellow, and white.
• Fingering weight orange
• Dale Babby Ull: green, gold, burgundy
• Grignasco Seiutilla in lavender/yellow
• Austerman Step: "Whiskey"
• Red Heart Luster Sheen: Autumn
• Lion brand magic stipes: 3
• Sockotta
• Lorna's Laces: Bee Stripe
• Woolgirl
• Fleece Artist
• Blue Moon Fiber Arts
• Union Center knits
• Zen String
• Knit Picks: SHimmer, Gossamer, Alpaca Cloud
• Fortissima Socka
• Sweet Sheep Sweet Sock
• Sunshine Yarns: Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes
  

Coming Soon:

• Knit Picks Essential Tweed in Russet (2)
• Claudia Hand Painted in Pink Posies (2)
• Ruby Saphire (1)
• Koigu (1)
• Faery Fiber in "The Boy Who Lived" (1)
• Faery Fiber in "Ron" (1)
• Cosmic Fiber's "The Dark Defender" (1)

Batter Up!

Ok, here's the first installment of "Where in the World Are Pyg's Needles?" Obviously, this location is a no-brainer; a ball-park. The photo was taken at West Oaks Park, where my little one plays machine-pitch little league baseball. :) On the needles: Uzume by Monkey Toes knit up with CTH- "java"

Are those angels' trumpets I hear?

Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, 

by Sunshine Yarns

I swear I can faintly hear the sound of angels trumpeting amidst my euphoria for my new FANTABULOUS  yarnie greatness! (... all of a sudden feel the urge to hyperventilate...) 

 XD

Fire & Water: harnessing the elements

Here are the finished pics of my Fawkes socks. It was a tumultuous struggle, but I think I came out on top!  The pattern was easy enough; but the yardage scared me to death, all for not. I actually get to walk away with several leftover yards! How's that for irony!  I'm pleased, however, with the end result. I would have liked to have added a repeat or two of the lace pattern to each sock, rather than have the leftover yarn, but... on the other hand, I completed a pair of socks in only 4 freakin' days! hah! ;)

Isn't it pretty!

Just got my new Sweet Sheep, Sweet Sock yarn today! (squeal!) I think it's so pretty! This is destined to become "Simply Ginny Socks" if all goes well!....

Fawkes Socks and new arrivals

   I cast on some Fawkes socks yesterday and I'm about ready to start the heel on the first sock already! Woo-hoo! The colorway is a lot prettier in person; photos don't do it justice. At first I wasn't crazy about the texture, (it's no supersock merino, thats for sure), but I'm warming up to it. The stitch definition is a little better in this sock. 

   Additionally, I received 2 of my recent Ravelry yarn orders. I have 2 hanks of Lorna's Laces in the Bee Stripe colorway for making some rad Hufflepuff socks, and a hank of CTH supersock merino in the water colorway, because I just can't get enough of this amazing yarn and it was a killer-sweet deal! 

*update: I have finished all but the toe of the first Fawkes sock and am half-way done with the leg of the second. I hope to turn the heel first thing tomorrow :)

Merope's Monkeys are done!

I finished My "Merope's Monkeys" last night and plan to start my Fawkes socks, now. I'm very happy with how they turned out; the only thing that flustered me was the short row heel on the second sock, but I worked it out. The Fawkes socks are part of a HP KAL on Ravelry, and will also be posted on SSEC to be counted toward the Mama Monkey KAL for the month of February.  That KAL is for Charity in her memory. 

"Merope's Monkeys"

That's what I'm calling my current work in progress (WIP). They're the monkey sock pattern by Cookie A. and I'm working them up with CTH's supersock merino in the earth colorway. I'm about halfway done with the first sock and "pleased as punch" with how they're turning out. I named them after Voldemort's mother in the Harry Potter series because of the rich, yet morose tones. Many glorious thanks to LambyKnits for all her help showing me how to knit socks on circs, and how to do short row! She's a swell gal! ;)

**update** I have officially finished the first sock and am working on its mate :) 2/20-10:45 pm

More yarn?....bring It on!

These are 2 new colorways from Cherry Tree Hill that I have added to my stash. The first picture is a cake for Kim's 2 pairs of socks, and she "paid" me with the other cake that I plan to use for some socks for myself. The colors aren't listed on the labels, so I'm pretty sure they're Java and Blueberry Hill. Let me know if you know their "true identities" :)

Works in Progress

Here's what I've been up to lately. I've kinda got myself stretched thin between 3 projects, and I don't typically work on more than one-at-a-time. I crochet the ripple afghan I'm calling "In the Corn Field" when I need a break from the more tedious work of knitting or hand-quilting. Which leads me to the other two projects. I started these socks over Christmas break and they've been an on-again-off-again project. The quilt project is a wall-hanging I've been wanting to tackle since last summer. It's a free pattern I found in the projects section of Debbie Mumm's website. It's machine pieced and will be entirely hand-quilted. I've got most of the center done, unfortunately the multiple layers means I have had to use the stab method. I look forward to the outer areas which should go a lot quicker. I even found adorable little buttons to add to the "delectable mountains" blocks with bears, trees, etc.! The one cool thing that ties all these projects together is that I get to actually keep them all! I haven't received any new orders lately, so I have been afforded the opportunity to relax and get some of my own stuff done....

Hooray, I just finished my first pair of Gryffindor socks out of my Charmed Knits book. This pattern was a little different from the one I normally use, but it was generally easy to follow. I really like the slip-knit technique to reinforce the heel. My son wants a pair now, and I think I have just enough Dale UII yarn left over to whip him up a pair. If not, the yarn is only about $7 a skein through Patternworks. I think I'll take a crack at the "animal crackers hat" next!