Embossed Leaves Finished

Pattern: Embossed Leaves
Yarn: Louet Gems fine/sport weight
Color: Robin
Needles: Knit Picks circulars 2.75 mm

I finished my Embossed Leaves this morning. I tried to finish them last night after we returned home from a birthday party for a friend. I noticed a mistake a few rows back and decided that five margaritas and putting stitches back on the needles did not mix. I think it was best that I decided to wait until this morning. Perhaps it would have been even better if I had just stopped at two margaritas. I'm feeling a little green around the gills this morning.

The only modifications I made to the pattern was to skip the fiddly cast on and first two rows. I used my usual cable cast on and just started the twisted rib. I think it worked out quite fine. The author of the pattern doesn't even recommend the silly cast on in the book.



I knit these socks as a going away present for Oldest Son's Latin Tutor who is moving away. I thought the color and pattern would remind her of fall in NH. I liked this pattern so much that it may be the first pattern I ever repeat. I really want a pair for myself. Now I just need to decide if I should knit the pair for me right away while the pattern is still fresh in my memory or take a break to knit something different. I am very happy that I have more Louet Gems in the stash. This is a lovely, wonderful yarn to knit with. I look forward to spending more time with it.

Apple Pie a la mode

Yarn: Apple Laine Apple Pie Red Delicious
Pattern: Just my simple plain vanilla socks
Needles: Size 1 US Knit Picks socks

This yarn is SO yummy. It is 50% wool, 20% mohair, 20% silk, and 10% nylon. The socks are super soft and cushy but I know they'll wear like iron. I loved how the colors just randomly appeared. No striping, pooling or flashing. This could be my new favorite yarn (I say that a lot but I really mean it this time). Of course, I bought it from my favorite source - The Loopy Ewe.

This picture shows the color better:

I was hoping to finish these socks for my second May pair but just couldn't manage to finish until last night. It has been a very, very stressful week here and I am so glad to have had my knitting to see me through. It's hot and sticky here today but I can't wait for the next cool day so I can wear these socks.

Mexicali Peppers

Yarn: Mexicali Peppers by Perchance to Knit
Pattern: Gentleman's Fancy Stockings by Nancy Bush in Knitting Vintage Socks
Needles: Size 1 US Knit Picks circs
Modifications: Cast on the number of stitches she had decreased down to



I finished these socks yesterday morning in time to photograph them and wear them to book group. I just squeaked in under the wire to finish my April socks for SAM 3. I haven't missed a single month in SAM 2 or 3 yet and I didn't want April to be my first.

I almost lost the faith folks. I was sure I didn't have enough yarn to finish the second sock. You know how it is once that center pull ball falls in on itself and starts looking all floppy. Once I abandoned the Whitby I took another look at my second Mexicali Peppers. I wound the yarn into a ball and it started to look better. I decided to just knit and see what happened. As it turned out I had more than enough yarn - I've still got a small ball left (should have taken a photo of that, too).

This yarn is wonderful. If you have a chance to check out Perchance to Knit you really should. All her yarns come with a handmade Swarvoski crystal stitch marker. The yarn has good yardage and is very soft and nicely spun. I can't wait to knit with it again. I now have another Nancy Bush pattern under my belt. My goal this year is to knit at least Nancy Bush sock from each of her books that I own.

Baseball season is really in full swing now. Although the weather did not look promising yesterday with thundershowers all afternoon and pop up showers throughout the evening, we were able to get in all our baseball. The oldest had school practice from 3:30 to 5:00. That practice ran late by 15 minutes which created a small problem as he needed to be at his Babe Ruth game in another town by 5:15. I rushed him to his Babe Ruth game only to find that he was the starting catcher (13 year olds don't normally catch in Babe Ruth) AND that his school coach had "borrowed" his catcher's mitt and not put it back in his bag. He was able to use the team mitt and caught a beautiful, hard played, slug fest game. He got hurt in the last inning - took a pitch to the hand - and we'll see how he feels when he wakes up this morning. In the end, they won 11 - 10. It was an exciting game.

The Red Sox are looking great. They won 2 out of 3 games with the Yankees this weekend and 5 out of 6 in the last week. Woohoo!! It's early in the season but wins against the Yankees should count twice because they're that much more satisfying.