Lambs appear in the spring.....

Much of my knitting has been given as gifts.   This year is no exception.    One of my friends has a new and beautiful granddaughter.   This baby has more clothing, at six weeks, than she will ever wear.  Earlier, I made her a sweater from a yarn I wanted to try.  At the end of the month, the baby and her parents will visit.   For the gathering for us all to meet the baby, I need a gift.

Stuffed animals are a lot of fun to make.  My nephew Owen has received many from me and will likely receive more.   As I was in the mood to make another, I decided Ameerah should have one too.

As well as having an embarrassing large yarn stash, I have a trove of patterns.  That does not stop me from collecting more.  At least being able to store them electronically until I want to use one cuts down on the clutter.  I am spoiled for choice.

A few months ago, I saw the pattern for Sawyer the Sheep.  I knew I wanted to do that but have just been waiting for the right recipient.  I found the yarn and got ready to go.

This is a quick and fairly fun knit.   Using Wendy's Eider Chunky, I knew I could get a nice woolly critter.  I used Encore for the feet, hands, and face.   All gear assembled I was ready to go.

Gauge swatches are ALWAYS important.  I started the head as a gauge swatch on the needles I thought would work.   After ten rows, I knew that the fabric would be too stiff.  That yarn is not fun

to rip out.  I started again with the next size up.   Still a little stiff.  One more size up and I knew I could make the cuddly toy that I had in mind.

Working fairly steadily over several days, the lamb is done.   The face was easier to embroider than I thought it would be.  I still need practice but I am pleased.   On to the next gift!

The Peril of Regia's Arne and Carlos Pairfect Pair Design Line

A couple of months ago, I was in Depth of Field in Minneapolis.  This is one of my happy places. 

The first sock begun...

When perturbed, I go here and feast in the textures and colors and then come away calmer.

I do try not to buy more yarn as my personal store has become just a bit overwhelming, almost oppressive and I really need to shop there rather than ANYWHERE else.  Sometimes I see something I really want to try.

Resting on the shelf in Depth was a very bright purple and orange skein of yarn.  Intrigued, I picked it up to read the label.   Arne and Carlos...who are a color genius duo...have come up with a way to make a matching pair of socks from the multi-colored sock yarn.   One just begins the sock at the end of the yellow stretch of yarn.

That same day I cast on the first sock using my favorite Karbonz size 0's.   The colors...which also

I begin to feel fear.

include a bright pink.....rolled off the skein.    The first sock looked good.   I set out on the second sock and was knitting away.   The sock did look like the picture on the skein! After I marveled at how the sock really did match the first once I rounded the heel and did the gusset, I looked at what remained from the ball.  

A shiver of fear shot through me.   The small ball left did not look as though it was enough.  I went on through the foot (or the straightaway as I fondly refer to this part of a sock).   I kept glancing at the remaining yarn.  I kept knitting.  In my head I kept coming up with solutions for what I would do if.....I......ran.....out before the end of the sock.

As this was making me a little nervous I pressed on quickly.  The yarn continued to go down.  In my head I tried to do calculations to see if this was going to work.  Finally, with not much left over, the

Whew!

socks were done.

The socks are now tucked in a drawer.  I had flirted with the idea of giving them away and decided these really did need to be mine.