Advent Calendar Knitting - Days 4, 5, and 6

More Advent knitting!!  I am having so much fun with this!  It certainly is a nice way to set aside some down time each day.  I haven't had a chance to update in a couple days so I am updating with my progress over Days 4, 5, and 6.

Socks: 
Day 4 - Sock A - We chose our color based on when we first joined Ravelry.  I joined in October 2007 (wow 8 years already!!) and the color for that year was red.
Day 5 - Sock A - Chose a color based on your favorite charity.  Two of my favorite charities (Doctors Without Borders and Samaritan's Purse) use red as their color - and since I just used red I needed to choose something else.  So I closed my eyes and grabbed a scrap stash and got a variegated lime green yellow. Lime green is a color for Mental Health Awareness - another good charity!!
Day 6 - Sock B - Today we were asked to watch a bit of the Norwegian Independence Day Celebrations and Ball. The first gown we saw was to be the color we use - I was late and didn't get to watch the live streaming version but clicked one of the links posted and watched for a ballgown. The first one I saw was a bright blue - I had just the scrap in my box of scrap stash!

Here is what my socks look like now:

Scarf:
Onward!!  I have five skeins of yarn that I bought for this project and I was not sure if it was going to be enough.  So I decided if one skein of yarn lasted through the end of Day 5 I would be safe since there are only 24 days.  So I ended up playing yarn chicken with my skein and I managed to win by 4.5 inches!!  So I am happy to know I will have enough yarn!!  Here is what my scarf looks like at the end of Day 6!

Advent Calendar Knitting - Day 3

The third clue for the sock was released the night before last.  Our color choice was selected by picking two colors we were wearing and then using an online guide to find a color that came from combining them.  I was wearing my pjs - bright pink with white and black sheep on them.  I selected the pink and white - combined just tones down the pink.  I have some extra yarn that is a bright and light variegate pink - perfect!!

The third clue for the scarf was also released and I happily knit through that!

Advent Calendar Knitting - Day 2

Yesterday was Day 2 of my Advent knitting.

Scarf: Today we added another 20 rows

Socks: Today we worked on the second sock.  I cast on, knit the toe, and then completed the clue.  This clue was fun - you entered a date (most people are using their birthdate) and then convert the numbers into binary code - use the base for the 0 and your color for the day for the 1.  To choose the color we had to convert the binary code into a hexidecimal which was then converted into a color.  I ended up with a dark tealy green.

Advent Calendar Knitting - Day 1

Yesterday was Day 1 of my Advent Calendar knitting and I am excited!!  I can not wait to see how these two projects grow!!

I got my tea brewed and settled down to knit for a little while before it was time to head to work and then came back to knitting in the evening once I got home.  I did manage to get my Day 1 completed on Day 1!!

Scarf: Here is my progress after Day 1

Socks: Here is my progress after Day 1

Advent Calendar Knitting - Preview

I managed to get myself signed up in time to take part in TWO Advent Calendar knitting adventures!  I must be crazy!!  The first will be a cable and lace Estonian scarf and the second will be a pair of colorwork toe-up socks.  I am so excited to get going.  The scarf is an off-shoot from the Sock Madness knitting group and the pattern is Cables and Lace Advent Scarf 2015. The socks are Sock Scrap Yarn Advent Calendar.  We will get daily pieces of the pattern each morning beginning December 1st.  

For these projects I have the following yarn:

1) Scarf - Frog Tree 

The true color is more blue. I hope to capture the color better later!

2) Socks - scraps galore!!

Some of my sock yarn scraps!  I probably have more...

We also have one early clue for each.

1) Scarf - the initial cast on including the first six foundation rows.  Here is what mine looks like:

Yes those are toothpicks pinning the edges down :)  LOL

2) The socks had the instructions for beginning the toe.  Since I just found the sock group yesterday I have not had time to complete the preliminary part.  I'll get that done today!

One of the goals of these projects is for each of us participating to spend a little time each day to relax and do something just for ourselves during this often hectic time of the year.  My plan is to spend some time each morning (preferably) with a nice cup of tea and my knitting.  I imagine it will allow me about 30 minutes each day to relax and enjoy my yarn.

WIP-it Down Thanksgiving 2015 - Wind Down

Yesterday was the final day of my WIP-it Down week (well, week plus a couple days)  I am back to work today, but yesterday I managed to get a fair bit done even though the morning and early afternoon were tied up with Church stuff.

My plans for yesterday were to:

1. Frog my Advent Scarf and reclaim the needles, yarn, and beads for something else.  This was done and now I have my needles freed up!

2. Tuck in the tails on my Sock Scrap Blanket and maybe add a few more squares. - I got the tails all tucked in but that was all.

3. Finish my Herding Cats Mittens and get the pattern written up so I can get it out for testing. - This I did not finish...

4. Add more squares onto my charity afghan.  This I also did not get to.  I did not sleep well the night before and was too tired and fuzzy to focus on much...

I would say that this WIP-it Down week was a great success!!  I finished several projects that had been languishing away and made some serious progress in several other projects.  Now I can keep up with these and hope to arrange another WIP-it Down week soon!! Maybe in mid December once the school year is over?

WIP-it Down Thanksgiving 2015 - Day 10

So yesterday this was what I accomplished:

1, All my yarn is now photographed.  I still need to get it posted into my Etsy store.  That will have to wait for a bit.  I need to double check that my pictures are a good representation of the true colors!

2. I got some good pictures of the two samples and the ten swatches for my book idea.  I got the patterns for the two samples all written up and got the first draft of the proposal written!  I want to let it sit for a day or two and I will go back to it in a few days to proofread it before I send it away!  Wish me luck!!

3. I got some more work done on my Herding Cats design.  I just have to bind off and finish the thumb.  I may work at finishing this off today since I am so close!

Day 10: Today is the final day of my WIP-it Down week (well, week plus a couple days) Tomorrow I am back to work, but today (after we get home from Church) my plans include:

1. Frogging my Advent Scarf and reclaiming the needles, yarn, and beads for something else (this has not been touched in ages - check the date in the picture - July 24th 2013!!).  It is time to let this project go.

2. Tucking in the tails on my Sock Scrap Blanket and maybe adding a few more squares.  I have quite a few tails already tucked in but I have several more that need to be tucked in.  I have not done anything with this project sine July or so.  Time to shake the dust off it!

3. Finish my Herding Cats Mittens and get the pattern written up so I can get it out for testing.

4. Adding more squares onto my charity afghan.  I got some work done on this one earlier this week and I want to get some more squares added on today!