On The Needles November 19

CIC Firefighter Socks
The Six Sock Knitalong is having a CIC contest. Everyone who knits a pair of Kim Salazar's Firefighter socks for CIC and posts a picture before December 6 gets entered in a random drawing for a 100g skein of Regia sock yarn.

Kim calls the pattern Firefighter because the stitch pattern looks like ladders.

This picture was taken around noon today. Tonight Bob cooked dinner while I turned both heels and completed the gusset decreases. The socks should be done sometime tomorrow.

The pattern is actually for an adult size, toe up sock. The stitch pattern is a multiple of six. To knit child size in worsted weight Cascade, 100% wool, I've reduced the stitch count to 30. And, just because I'm in a hurry and can knit cuff down in my sleep, I'm knitting it cuff down.

Barbie Twisted Aran
I'm attempting to design an Aran Barbie sweater on size 0 needles with fingering weight sock yarn. The cable looking stitch work is done with twist stitches, hence the name, Twisted Aran.

This is my fun project. Tiny little stitches and trying this and that and doing lots of frogging. I don't promise to have the patience to turn in into a polished pattern to publish. I'm not even sure there is anyone else as crazy as myself who would like to knit such a fussy little thing.

Granddaughter Kimmy is not going to be impressed with all my little twisted stitches. She would be much more impressed with something dazzling and cool.

This version is going to be too tight - if anything can be too tight for Barbie. It's obvious there are going to be other things I will wish I had done different, so I'm planning on knitting a second, nicer sweater out of Aran colored Opal solids. Unless I decide I have better things to do, like knit something Kimmy will actually like.

Barbie Dazzling Red
My Opal red solid arrived. It is very very bright, almost orangish, red. Beautiful!

I spotted the Lionbrand Fun Fur at the grocery store and just had to have it. I know that mixing this fun fur and this Opal red yarn is going to result in something that Kimmy will love.

Maybe a Barbie dress and a stole?

Birthday Socks
Now that there are six family members plus myself who want handknit socks, I have to have a way to decide who gets the next pair. So I decided on birthdays.

Only two of the six have a birthday in the same month (October). The two who have never had a pair of hand knit socks have birthdays early in the year, so they will be getting theirs at the beginning of the list. Using birthdays should work well.

This is Opal Handpaint 12, a beautiful blue blend with accents of purple. The purple doesn't show up in this picture. Not sure why. The yarn is much prettier than it looks here.

These are for DIL Anne in Idaho. (John, don't show her this.) I'm using the Fluted Banister Sock Pattern again. I love my Fluted Banister Opal Handpainted 11 socks and am looking forward to working on this second pair for Anne. There should be no problem getting them completed by her January birthday.