Emptyknitster

Yes, I'm addicted to knitting socks! There I've written it. I'm not sure what happened. I NEVER would have thought I'd write those words a year ago. Perhaps, it's because I don't try to knit anything but "vanilla" socks. I can knit them without a thought, cast on, rib, stockinette, after thought heel, stockinette, toe on toe, toe on heel... I love finding unusual colors of yarn - striping yarns are a favorite. There is a new yarn dyer in our area, In Dyer Straits .  I'm told I've met this new dyer and will remember her when next I see her. She lives in Absarokee Montana, a small town not far from here and frequents our LYS often. I love the way that the colors barber pole around the leg of the sock! The price was reasonable, $16.00 for 465 yards. The fiber content is perfect for socks: 75% Falkland Merino and 25% Nylon. (You can contact her by emailing: dyrestraitsyarns@ gmail.com) This colorway is called Plumage but I prefer Fiestawea...

April 24th is the three year anniversary of Emptyknitster's Never Ending Knitting ! Some people have asked why I blog and others just look at me like I'm crazy.  But for me blogging great idea, fulfilling several wants: 1.The early family photo album just ceased to exist when I began teaching. Not keeping a photo album me feel so guilty that hubby and I stopped taking any photos because they just went into a box, never to be seen again. 2. For years I had been wanting to write a journal but because I'm a bit of a perfectionist - yes, I admit it - I never kept at it for very long because there were always editing issues or messy handwriting to contend with. Computers, and Blog-to-Book have enabled me to achieve my dream! 3. I would have liked to have been able to read a journal of my mother's or grandmother's and this is another reason I started writing the journal. The thought of my future great-grandchildren finding a journal and crawling into an ov...

The other day I asked for your help deciding if I'd made the right choice in yarns on the first Christmas Sweater of 2012 but really didn't explain my concern. The sweater is in Teens and Tween #5 by Cabin Feve r. When I went to my LYS I choose two colors I'd used before and probably have even used them for Joe on earlier Christmas sweaters. If each color looks nice on Joe shouldn't both colors look even better on him? But as I started knitting I wondered if they were the right choice... Recently, theraineysisters had the same problem with color choice. They were offered this advice: Take a photo of the yarn and then change the photo to a black and white to see if there is a noticeable contrast in color. I not, the colors probably don't compliment each other. I wish I'd remembered this advice when I bought the yarn. If I had I would have chosen  differently. If I'd stopped when I posted Friday, and taken this advice I would have "tinke...

This year several of the staff returned to the classroom, becoming students once again. I tried to let them follow their bliss and so we have knit fingerless gloves, scarves, and sweaters! The Wallabies took almost two months to complete. Here are a few of the finished projects and the happy knitters... Deanne is an inspired knitter and has started a baby blanket. She will be knitting socks next week! Darlene has started a second Wallaby and will be taking them to her grandchildren in Germany. Kay finished her wallaby and will put it in her grandchild hope chest. Laurie has finished her hitchhiker and moved on to socks! My wallaby is for a yet to be determined little girl... Pattern: Wonderful Wallaby Size: Toddler 2 Yarn: Cascade Pacific Colorway: Baby Pink Needle size: US 6, US 8

This afternoon I had the urge to start the first of the Christmas Sweaters of 2012 . I always try to have the Christmas sweaters done by Thanksgiving. This allows me to do small, fast, and impulsive knitting all of December. The kiddos are getting bigger and I know it's just going to take longer and longer to get the half dozen sweaters completed. So rather than wait until summer I cast on the sweater I'd been thinking about for Joe. It's a stripe in two colors. I had thought the combination would be great for a young teen but now I'm having second thoughts. What do you think?

The NorDak Family came this weekend and from the beginning The Tiger wanted me to pull a baby tooth. Everyday he'd ask if it was loose enough to pull. Thursday - no. Friday - no. Saturday - out it popped!  What a happy boy! I got on the phone, called the Tooth Fairy Hotline and let her know that even though it was Easter Eve we would be needing her services at our house in Montana. It's not very often that the tooth fairy AND the Easter Bunny stop by on the same night! The Tiger was happy the next morning when he looked in his glass and found plenty of change and a Sacagawea GOLD DOLLAR! This reminded me of when the gurls were young and lost a tooth. The tooth fairy left the tooth and money in a glass at our house. They'd then take the tooth to Gramma and Grandpa's house (and let's not forget Uncle Scott because he did play a big role in this little scam). They then would put the tooth in the glass of water for a second round of tooth fairy goodness - and wh...

I now have 21 pair of handknit socks in my sock drawer! These will be my last pair for a little while. Pattern: "No pattern socks" Yarn: Paton Kroy Sock Yarn Jacquards Colorway: Denim Jacquards Needle Size: US 2 I'd like to finish my Vitamin D sweater, and there other items that I would like to get on the needles before I start another pair -  a scarf, a shawlette, and the grand kiddos Christmas sweaters!