Watching Movies While Knitting

I checked out a number of DVDs at the library last night with the idea of watching them on my laptop as I knit. I'm finding this works quite well if the pattern I'm working on isn't too complex. The movies are mainly older, classic ones and some are classic BBC mysteries. The ones I checked out are: The Best Years of Our Lives; The Lady Eve; Mrs. Miniver; Jeeves and Wooster, Vol.1 and 2; Agatha Christie's Dead Man's Folly, and Call Northside 777. I'm thinking of putting some Northern Exposure season DVDs on hold and perhaps looking for more BBC mysteries as well.

My Funny Valentine Socks

Needles: Needles: 2.25 mm dpn
Yarn: Koigu KPPM 2235 This particular colorway is one of my favorites. I still have another two skeins which I'll use to make lilac socks, perhaps in April.
Pattern:
Rnd 1: *k2tog,yo,k1,yo,ssk,p1,k2,p1*
Rnds 2,3,4: *k5,p1,k2,p1*

And a Little More Stash Enhancement

I received these three skeins from Loopy Ewe this morning.

The colorways are left to right: chocolate, fleur, and collinete.

More Stash Enhancement

Yarn from StrickenSmitten on Etsy.

From left to right, the colorways are: wild rosehips, serendipity, untenured professor, and vintage.



These skeins are from AlaskanNancy, also on Etsy. Colorways left to right are: holiday ornament, cherries, and enchantment.

These two are from WoolCandy on Etsy: pebble and silver sage.



And from Fearless Fiber, also on Etsy



Colorways for these are feel the love, ice breeze, and storm.

Stash Enhancement

Two kits I bought last month

Frozen Waterfall Baby Socks

Needles: Needles: 2.25 mm dpn
Yarn: Scrap yarn of unknown origin
Pattern: Based on this fan and feather baby sock pattern

I named these socks after my friend April's photos of Niagara Falls, taken in mid-February. We are having lovely spring weather in Oregon, but April is still dealing with winter.

Ice Princess Baby Socks

Needles: Needles: 2.25 mm dpn
Yarn: Koigu KPPM 2231
Picot edge and using this lace rib stitch pattern:
Rnd 1: *k1,p1,k2,p1,k1*
Rnd 2: *k1,p1,yo,ssk,p1,k1*
Rnd 3: Repeat round 1
Rnd 4: *k1,p1,k2tog,yo,p1,k1*

Hearts All Around Socks

Needles: Needles: 2.25 mm dpn
Yarn: WoolCandy on Etsy; Cotton Candy colorway for main color. Hearts knit from scrap of Cranberry Sauce colorway from AlaskanNancy on Etsy.
Pattern: Stockinette stitch with heart pattern from page 18 of Sock Club: Join the Knitting Adventure by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott.

Finally!

I wanted to make heart socks this month and have spent the past two days struggling to find the right pattern and the right yarn. I auditioned six different yarns and as many patterns. I tried lace hearts and garter stitch hearts of various sizes and proportions and was unhappy with every result. Finally I found the right combination. The rest of the sock will be straight stockinette so it should go quickly. Yay!

Cupid's Arrows Socks

Cupid's Arrows
Needles: 2.25 mm dpn
Yarn: 3.5 oz/100 gm (460 yds) of fingering weight yarn in 75% Merino wool, 25% nylon in Cerises colorway from WoolCandy on Etsy
Pattern: A free pattern on Ravelry

Chocolate Covered Cherries Socks

Chocolate Covered Cherries
Needles: 2.25 mm dpn
Yarn: 420 yard skein of superwash merino fingering weight yarn in Cranberry, Chocolate, and Salmon colorway from AlaskanNancy on Etsy
Pattern: Plain stockinette

I was glad I was working with this particular colorway the last two weeks as my father-in-law was very fond of chocolate, especially chocolate covered cherries.

Photos

I have finished two pairs of socks for February--Chocolate Covered Cherries and Cupid's Arrows. I will post photos of both tomorrow.

Slowed Down

My father-in-law died January 30th. He was 89 and a wonderful person. He will be missed. My knitting time was taken with notifying friends and relatives, organizing my household as our oldest son and his fiance came from out of state and the other three sons, one with his wife and one with his fiance, from nearby towns. I wrote the obituary, helped John assemble a power point of photographs for the memorial service, we met with the rest of the family with the minister, and spent time with and comforted my mother-in-law. With all four of our sons here we took the opportunity to spend time with them--a dinner with all of us at a restaurant; a dinner at home. It was hectic, emotional, and exhausting.

I did get some knitting done--early in the morning when no one was up yet, late at night when I couldn't sleep--but so far I've only managed to knit one pair of socks and part of another pair this month.

I will put up a photo of the pair I've finished tomorrow. Perhaps I will also have finished a second pair by then.