Socks and Rocks

I am in a sort of frenzy at the moment, knitting samples, and preparing patterns for a couple of great sock classes I will be teaching at Stash Needlearts Lounge this fall.
First up is a boot sock in September, closely followed by a felted Christmas sock in November.

The studio looks like a yarn bomb hit it - well...it's controlled chaos really.  I know where everything is most of the time.

It's pretty hot here right now to be knitting worsted weight wool into a boot sock.  The thermometer is hovering around 29 -30 degrees by afternoon. That's when the knitting is carted downstairs and we plug in a film to knit by.  Yesterday Libby and I enjoyed "the Adventures of Robin Hood" starring Errol Flynn and Olivia De Havilland with Basil Rathbone and Claude Raines as the bad guys while I finished sock number one.   a great film...and a pretty good sock!
This product is a dream to knit with - Ella Rae classic superwash worsted is the name of it.

Work is started on the second sock. - I always tell my students you can't fly on one sock!  The goal here is to get the pair complete, and over to the shop so people can touch them and see what they are signing up for.  A three dimensional sample always helps sell a class.

The second project has been roughed out, and notes made.  I've also knit a small sample and felted the wool to see just how it shrinks.  the leg size will increase of course - Santa needs space to fit things.  And I'll alter the toe shape slightly too.

I wasn't sure the red would full properly - sometimes red doesn't.  But this product rocks!  It is Galway knittingWorsted.  I'm knitting two strands together to thicken up the final piece.Once the sock is knitted it will be fulled in the washing machine and then decorated for Christmas.  I'll keep you posted on this one.  It's a November class which will include the fulling. It should be lots of fun.

 A friend of mine going through Chemotherapy at the moment. I'm knitting her a shawl she can use to wrap up in when she feels like she needs a warm hug.  It is almost complete - a red, fuzzy tapered shawl with lots of fringe to make her smile- I hope.

And then there are the rocks

I found this crescent moon shaped rock the other day and I'm working on a pattern for it.  People love the rocks.  They love to touch the rocks, feel the rocks, talk about the rocks. They love the idea of the rocks - but they don't want to make them - so, I'm  making them and we'll see where it goes from here.