This is Who I Am - You'll Just Have to Deal With It!

OK, so I'll share a bit about myself, and then only bore you with info on my amazing family if I just can't keep it in.

2-At-A-Time - or just 1

I first discovered knitting when I was about 4 years old. My brother and I would play under the dining room table while our mother knit. She would knit little 1x3 inch swatches (probably her gauge swatches) and then throw them under the table for us to play with. I was fascinated that something could be created from a skein of yarn.

I learned to knit continental style when I was about 10 in a community knitting class, but didn't really get into it until my kids were small. I thought when I had a neck injury several years ago and then developed RA my handwork days were over, but have found it very therapeutic, and so I've been happily knitting away again!

Currently, my favorite fiber combo is Cash-Ewe, merino, cashmere and nylon (80/10/10). I dyed up some stock last week, and ended up with a soft color blend of ivory, and fleshy pink colors. It reminded me of my sister's cat, Fletch, a pale tabby, hence the colorway Tabby Cat.

Here's where I am so far with Belle Epoque by Melissa Oakes.

Oh, and by the way: LOVE doing the picot edging. It may end up on every pair of socks from now on! You knit some rows, do the picot row, knit some more rows, then fold the edge to the inside and knit a round, catching the cast on edge with each stitch. Voila! Picots!

The mock cables are very cool - and I think they really enhance the lace panel in a delicate way. I omitted the panel up the back. I know - it's supposed to be knit 2 at a time with the magic loop, but I just can't do it! I've tried 3 times now. I didn't want to pull out a 2nd ball of yarn, so I decided to just do 1 at at time on 2 cables. I use a blue one and a gold one so that I don't get confused about which needle to to pick up next. I'm pretty happy with the variegated colorway and how softly it's knitting up. I liked it so much that I did the colorway in lace and worsted weights too. It looks like I'll be able to complete both socks easily with the 1 skein. I also really like Melissa's heel mechanics - I have small, narrow heels, and this narrower heel fits much better.

EDITED: HERE'S  THE FINISHED PAIR - SO SOFT AND COMFY!

I'm also working on a Travelling Woman shawl, which I think I'm going to modify. This is one of those 'everthing but the kitchen sink' colorways - a happy accident. I had 3 skeins of SW fingering that turned about a blah, mousy brown. I pulled it out at the end of a dye session and literally poured all of the leftover dyes onto it - and ended up with autumn colors that I love. They are much more intense than my photography skilled...