F.O. & Nearly F.O.

I have been busy, busy, busy! But, I have been knitting! To prove it, let me present a F. O. and a nearly F. O.:


First, some socks - what a shocker! These are Leyburn socks. I knit them for my good friend Julie Bean. She claims that I never knit anything for her, so I made her these socks to prove her wrong. Actually, I bought this yarn with her in mind nearly two years ago. She loves fall colors and it was just a matter of finding the right pattern for the yarn and the time to knit. Here are the details:

Patter: Leyburn
Yarn: STR Lightweight
Color: Rocktober - those fall colors! Plus, I love the name! It says 80's to me.
Method: Magic Loop 2 at a time
Needle: US 2-1/2 (3mm) Addi Turbo - a little bigger than recommended
Stitch Count: I had the set 56 stitches on the foot from the pattern, at the leg I only went up to 66 stitches instead of the patterns 72 in an effort to accommodate my larger needle, at the cuff I went down to 60 stitches for some cinching

They fit good as I was trying them on as I was knitting them, but during blocking the legs looked a little slouchy. Hopefully they will stay up good on her legs. She was really surprised and told me she liked them when she opened them today!

On to the Nearly F. O.:A Baby Surprise Jacket! This is also for my good friend Julie Bean who is expecting her first baby. I've wanted to learn this pattern for over a year, bought a kit for it a year ago, tried to start it and got stuck and quit. I took it to my finishing class and my fabulous instructor Toni helped me overcome my brain freeze so that I could understand the pattern. Once I got the hang of it I was hooked! It was my first experience of knitting crack - couldn't put it down. I still need to sew the shoulder seams together, but I want Toni's advice on that before I plow ahead. Here are the details:

Pattern: Baby Surprise Jacket by Elizabeth Zimmerman
Yarn: Blue Moon Sock Candy - This was a Blue Moon Kit, I think it was BSJ Kit #8
Colors: Lavender, Toffee, Celery, & Terra Cotta
Needle: US 2-1/2 (3mm)
Finishing: I crocheted a row of Toffee at the front and top of the shoulders which is supposed to make the seaming easier. And I still need to find and attach buttons.
Size: This is very small! It is a brand new person size! This kid will need to wear this all the time for the first week or two and then it will be too small. There is enough yarn to make another one that alters the color pairings. I enjoyed the knitting so much I'm thinking about it. We will see!

I think this will make Julie Bean smile. (Apparently my husband is about to kill me because it is time for me to go and eat my dinner - so gotta run!) :0)