Harvest Socks cast on and Soaker

I've finally cast on the socks for my Harvest Sock Swap partner. It's a pretty pattern, but not too complicated. The yarn is not to busy, but nicer than a plain solid. I hope that my partner will like it. But I'm not going to post a picture of my sock until after I finish the sock and my partner receives it. I want it to be a surprise!

But I do have one picture. I finished this soaker earlier today. It is Paton's Classic Merino in leaf green. It is a modification of the Curly Purly pattern. As much as I don't care for 1x1 rib, it does stay on well, and the long waistband covers even the bulkiest nighttime diaper.

Finished Bee Sweater and FTP Yarn

Well, I finally finished the baby bee sweater. I used about one and three quarters skins of Lion Brand Wool Ease. It's not my favorite yarn, but it is for a mom that I don't think will want to handwash them. My mom fell in love with the bee buttons, and we though they would look cute sewn on to the honeycomb sections. It's my own design, but I don't think that I can write a pattern for it since I just made it up as I went. The hat is my own design as well, but I can probably write a pattern for that if anyone is interested.

I am please with how the hat turned out too. I started without much of a plan, and had no idea what I would do about the decreases when I got there. I think they flow pretty seamlessly, and I really like how the top came out, and especially like the flower-like shape.



I also spent a few days during naptime and a few evenings to spin just under two ounces of rainbow colored Bluefaced Leicester top into a three ply sock yarn. I've never Navajo plyed on such a large scale before, and I really like how the colors maintained their separation, yet blend nicely too. The color is much more true in the picture of the bobbin of yarn. In the skein the colors look a little garish, but they are prettier in person, and I think they will be perfect in the sock I have planned for my FTP (Feet to Prayers) partner.

Feet to Prayers Swatch

I've been working on my Feet to Prayers sock swap swatch, and I narrowed it down to two patterns. The multicolored yarn is a different color than the one that I will use, but it was what I had on hand. I'm finding that I am spinning a little finer than I'd like, so I'll have to work on that, and it is already a three ply! So, which pattern do you prefer, the top or bottom?

Harvest Sock Swap

I haven't had too much time for knitting in the past week, but I did get a swatch knit up of the cable pattern that I want to use in my partner's socks. It is a 20 row cable that I don't recall having seen much before. It is not as prominent in the variegated yarn, but I like it anyway! Now that I have swatched the cable, I can figure out my gauge and get started on the sock itself!