Technique – Eye of the partidge/pheasant’s eye heel flap with garter border March 12, 2019

This technique works particularly well with variegated yarns and the garter border makes it easier to pick up stitches on your heel flap.

Row 1 (RS): sl1, k3(4), *k1, sl1. Rep from * until 4(5) sts rem. K to end of row.

Row 2 (WS): sl1, k3(4), p until 4(5) sts rem. K to end of row.

Row 3: sl1, k3(4), *sl1, k1. Rep from * until 4(5) sts rem. K to end of row.

Row 4: sl1, k3(4). P until 4(5) sts rem. K to end of row.

Repeat rows 1-4 until desired length, then work heel turn as written. One of the advantages of the garter border is that you can count garter ridges and have your heel flaps the same length.

TTFN!

Long time, no see March 11, 2019

Once again, I’m dusting off the cobwebs and popping in for a quick “Hi!” with a little bus knitting. Big things are a coming.

No purl Monkey socks in Nerd Girl Bounce and Stomp Blue Box Exploding

Baby it’s cold outside December 31, 2017

Winter has finally settled in and I’m scrambling to find and make hand knits for everyone. Thing 2’s sweater has been sleeveless for weeks so I’m trying to get them done today so I can wash it tomorrow so he can wear it to school on Wednesday. I’m also making him a replacement hat because that seems to have disappeared over the summer. The husband lost his neck warmer, so he needs a new one. I found a slouch hat I knit last year but it really is too big on me. I knit a new one in some bulky yarn from stash, even bought a fur pom pom for it, but after some aggressive blocking it still doesn’t fit properly. I have another skein in the same color so I’m going to knit myself a Barley from it so it’ll be super thick and warm. My nephew’s sweater didn’t get finished for Christmas so I need to work on that too. Once every one is suitably clad in hand knits, I can go back to selfish knitting.

Musings December 27, 2017

Today I’m knitting a Tin Can Knits Barley hat as a late Christmas present. I realized I wasn’t going to have enough yarn to finish it with the skein I was working from, so I went upstairs to find some more yarn. In the obvious place, I found a skein of Red Heart Super Saver and I have a small snob streak that wouldn’t let me make a gift from it. I decided to do some stash diving (literal diving because my stash is in bins all over the house) and I found this long, wide tube knit in stockinette. I have no memory of ever making it and I have no idea what it’s for. I’m pretty sure it’s Lamb’s Pride since it’s a single and I know I had some years ago in that color. It was more than enough to make a hat, so I fogged it and I’m almost at the spot where I stopped the first one. 

I really need to organize my stash. God only knows what other strange things are lurking about the house.

Just Checking In November 22, 2017

Things have not gone to plan with my children’s knitting class so I’m backing off until the new year when I can regroup and start fresh. The Knitty Keen website is up and running, you can check it out here. Drop me a line and tell me what you think.
Knitting is happening, albeit slowly. I’m doing Nakniswemo with a Flax for Thing 2. I have 3″ of body left, then the ribbing, and off to sleeve country. I’m thinking of doing the sleeves 2 at a time but I don’t know if that will make them go faster or slower since I’ve never done it before. At the beginning of the month, I bragged that I was going to do 2 sweaters for Nakniswemo, but now I’ll be lucky to finish one.

Between last night and today I finished the first repeat of A Walk Through Aspens in mal Rios from a very generous swap partner. It’s fun doing cables, especially since they are only 2 and 4 stitch ones so I don’t have to use a cable needle. I still have another sweater to finish, so I won’t be playing with this one too much.
In case you didn’t know, I’m on Instagram now as knittykeen, so check it out for lots of WIP pics.
This is about all the time I have right now, but I promise you”‘ll be getting a finished object post soon. TTFN!

Home Sweet Home November 13, 2017

Knitty Keen finally has a permanent home on the web! I’ve been sitting on this domain name for 10 years and I’m finally using it. Check it out! http://www.knittykeen.com

Here, There, and Everywhere November 3, 2017

With the new business, I’m expanding into more social media outlets. I’m actually using my Twitter account (@Knittykeen) and I just signed up for Instagram (knittykeen although I don’t know how to access it to post a link). The Times, they are a changin’.

It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year November 2, 2017

The Etsy shop is stocked with snowmen ornaments and patterns – use this link – https://www.etsy.com/shop/knittykeen?coupon=LETITSNOW for a 15% coupon. Kits and more to come!

 

In other knitting news, I finally finished off a pair of Gryffindor scarves for my cousin’s daughter and granddaughter. Written pattern soon to come.

I’m currently working on a Flax sweater by Tin Can Knits for my youngest and several more this season.  I have a lot of work that needs doing to get into full swing.  Knitty Keen business stuff is going well, it’s trying to keep track of it all that’s hard.  With any luck, I’ll have all my licenses and numbers by this time next week and then I can really get to work.

 

That’s about all the time I have – TTFN!

Long time no see October 20, 2017

Knitting has been happening but not nearly as much as I’d like. Aside from that, I’m starting my own business! I’ll be giving private lessons and teaching homeschoolers at a local community center. There is so much more involved with getting this set up than I ever dreamed. I need to register with the Feds, the state and the city. I need insurance for the space I rented. Now I have flyers and business cards and soon I’ll actually be using the domain I’ve been sitting on for years. Wish me luck!

I can has stockings! August 7, 2010

Well stocking to be completely honest and even that is being being frogged back a bit because the foot needs to be a little bit longer.

Here’s a montage of in-progress shots:

Posts of substance to come soon!