First things first, I have FINALLY finished the Los Monos Locos/Toe Up Monkey Socks. BEHOLD!

Laura models the finished sock. And gives it the thumbs up. Even though it’s 198 degrees outside right now I’ve still worn these four times since I finished them. I don’t even care how bad my feet sweat, they’re GORGEOUS! I love them.

Now, here comes the part where I need your help. I don’t have any socks on the needles currently. I need your suggestions. I always knit my socks toe up, but if you have a top down pattern that you love let me know and I will either convert it to toe up or maybe, just maybe, even attempt them top down. Here is the sock yarn I want to use up:

 

 

 

 

 

 

It’s Pagewood Farms Yukon sock yarn, which is a merino/bamboo/nylon blend and it’s SOOOO soft and smooshy and I just adore it. I’ve had it in my stash for six months and I’ve decided to use it up. So, give me your sock suggestions! Nothing is too much, if I don’t know how to do a technique I’ll learn it, I want awesome interesting new socks. And I’m going cross eyed from sifting through the patterns myself.

So, dear readers, BRING ON THE SOCKS!

I also knit up a sweater in the last few weeks as well. I’m calling it the Classroom Sweater because I knit it to be worn when I’m (hopefully, fingers crossed) substitute teaching here in the fall. I wanted a nice dress sweater to wear that would be fitted and stylish but still warm. I don’t like long sleeves, but I needed something that was long enough to cover the tattoo on my left fore arm. So, tada! We have the classroom sweater:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It has a slight v-neck, 3/4 sleeves and waist shaping that falls at my natural waist and then flares a bit and falls mid hip. The yoke is knit with Berroco Jasper (100% merino variegated) and the body and sleeves are knit with Ultra Alpaca. It’s super soft and VERY warm. I probably won’t be able to wear it here in Las Vegas until late September at the earliest, but I’m positive I’ll get lots of wear out of it over the winter here and it will be perfect when I go home to Alaska in the spring for my other brothers graduation.

I just need buttons and to block it now. I’m writing a pattern for it as well, that my friend Laura will be test knitting for me. I’m very excited as this will be my first fitted garment pattern I’ve written. I’m very pleased with how it turned out.

Also,  in the "non-knitting but still awesome" category I have these little gems:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These are Smitten Kitchens – Homemade Oreos and they are DELICIOUS. They’re also gone. They went quick. I have plans to make more, and to alter the recipe just a little bit. When I do, if it works out, I’ll post my version of the recipe here as well. I highly recommend this recipe as is though, they were delicious and very very quick and easy to do. I did take the authors recommendation to use half a cup less sugar though for a more Oreo-like cookie. The result was wonderful and I think the perfect balance.

In other news, I will have a few new knit bags up in my Etsy Shop soon. They are knit up, but still need to be lined. They’re all clutch style bags and I think they’re very cute. I’m excited about them. I’ll post pictures here when they’re lined and ready to be posted in the shop.

Now, send in those sock pattern suggestions. I’m itchin’ to get started!

I recently put a bunch of my stash yarn up for sale in my Etsy shop, I know I didn’t make it (not even close) but it’s cheaper to sell through Etsy than through Ebay and I really needed to clear out space for new stuff (and also, pay for text books for the coming semester.)

So if you are the kind of knitter who likes yarn, I encourage you to take a peek and help out a struggling college student.

DaniDo Crafty at Etsy.com

Thanks!

I had a thought. I keep see these blog contests and I was thinking about having one. I think if I had a readership that I felt like I was talking to I might post more often. So I’m thinking of maybe running a contest on this here blog to get some people to stop by and maybe start reading on a regular basis, thus propelling me to update on a regular basis so there’s stuff to read. See how that works?

The four of you that currently read this; what do you think? And what should I give away? I’m broke but I have a pretty expansive stash, I suppose there’s yarn in there that other people might want/covet. If I were to give yarn away what kinds of yarn are good for giving? Perhaps some sock yarn? I have A LOT of sock yarn. Or some sturdy feltable worsted weight wool? I have a lot of that as well.

Now on to the real stuff! Knitting has been happening. I swear it has.

Baby Tank. A DaniDo Design that really should be a pattern soon.

 

 

 

I knit this well over a month ago now, I was working on it while my Mom was in town at the end of May. I don’t know why I hadn’t bothered to get a picture of it up here.

This is a bit of a departure for me for a couple of reasons, mainly as you can see it’s bright colors and STRIPES. Lots of stripes. Some of you may  know that I am a pretty ‘as easy as humanly possible’ knitter generally speaking and stripes are work. And all those ends to weave in! Oi!

And then there are the bright colors. I’m usually a fan of neutrals and earth tones. But these colors just screamed to be put together and the effect is so…cheery!

I’ve also been working on these:

Key chains!

Key chains of adorable miniature versions of some of my favorite things. Like mittens.

And…

 

 

 

 

 

 

Socks! Wee bitty socks! I made a little hat too, but I gave it to my dear friend Christina and I forgot to get a picture. It’s adorable I assure you though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And then I tossed these damn things back onto the needles to try to finish up. I’m two repeats up the leg so far and I’m already sick of them again. I love them, don’t get me wrong and the pattern is a dream, but I’m just tired of them and I want them to be OVER already! I had originally had ambitions for these to be knee highs to wear with my little gray wool skirt in the fall, but…I just don’t see that happening.

I am looking for a good knee high pattern (toe up of course as it’s my preferred method for knitting socks.) so if anyone has any suggestions send them on over! (Ravelry links especially welcome!)

I’ve also started a simple top down raglan sweater out of some ridiculously soft merino that I had that is variegated, and then I’ll be doing the body of the sweater in an alpaca that I had laying around in the stash as well. I think it’ll be quite pleasing to look at but it’s slow going at the moment because it’s been 110+ degrees here in Las Vegas for the last few weeks and so anything made from wool that is bigger than socks has been put on hold for the time being.

I’d like to knit my brothers some things for Christmas as well, and I know it’s only July but I need good boy patterns too. NO sweaters or socks for them though, they’re both large boys over 6 feet tall and pushing 200 lbs. both of them. They can have hats, scarves and mittens.

So dear readers! Spread the good word! Lend me your wisdom and send me links and pattern suggestions! I’m not above buying a book for a single pattern, so if it’s in a book let me know the name of the book and I’ll look into it.