SFS Care Package on Its Way

My first pair of regulation Olive Drab (OD) socks have been washed and a darning kit has been carefully made and pinned to the toes. The SFS sock band has been completed along with a written note for the recipient of the socks. All this went into a gallon size plastic bag. I also finished my first SFS beanie — It went with the socks into the bag.
SFS_Beanie1

Along with the socks, I have sent a mixed assortment of “goodies” for the soldier. I gathered snacks and a number of items like sunscreen, Q-tips, Wet Ones wipes, & Chapstick to include with my socks. It made for a nice little care package.
SFS_CarePkg1

Package has been mailed off to Sarge — who will now send it along with numerous other such packages to a group of soldiers serving somewhere overseas.

Related Post

New ProjectsNew Projects

Since I have finished several WIPs in the last couple of weeks and I will be finishing my first pair of SFS socks this evening, I have started two new projects. Both are scarves and both are Christmas presents.

Scarf one is for my DD. I am using a black Cash Vero yarn (Cascade Yarns) that is very soft and seems to have a nice drape to it. DD wanted a black textured scarf — so after a number of different swatches, I decided on the Diamond Brocade pattern from Barbara G. Walkers’ “Treasury of Knitting Patterns”. The pattern shows up nicely along with the moss stitch border.

Diamond Brocade Scarf

Diamond Brocade Scarf

Scarf two is for DD’s roommate, JC. Her favorite colors are red and purple, so I am using a red and purple sock weight yarn (Cascade Yarns, Hertitage) and knitting a chevron pattern. This is the swatch. I started out changing colors every two rows and then switched to changing colors every four rows. I think I prefer the four-row patterning to the two-row and will need to add more of a border because it really has a tendency to curl on the edges.

Chevron Scarf Swatch

Chevron Scarf Swatch

Readers: Which do you think looks better? The two-row repeat or the four-row? Leave me a comment, please. Thanks!

Socks for SoldiersSocks for Soldiers

I just joined Socks for Soldiers. This is a nonprofit group that knits socks for our military men and women serving in the Middle East and then distributes them. See this link for more information: Socks for Soldiers, Inc.

When you sign up for this group, you make a commitment to knit daily on the socks and to make 2 pair of socks plus 5 caps in a twelve month period. There are very specific requirements for the yarn that can be used to knit the socks and you are required to follow the “regulation socks” pattern. Since I like to knit socks, this seemed like a small way to give back to our service men and women who willing serve in our military and place themselves in harm’s way regularly. I just received my first shipment of sock yarn in the regulation color, so I am off to swatch on small needles to make certain I can knit my first pair of socks to the correct gauge. I need to be able to knit 8 stitches per inch and also 9 stitches per inch with the same yarn. Starting with size 2 (3.00 mm) and working my way down to size 0 (2.00 mm).

Summer Knitting: Dishcloths # 4 – 6Summer Knitting: Dishcloths # 4 – 6

I am now half way through my Summer Knitting project of knitting a dozen dishcloths. Here are the three I have just finished:

Dishcloth #4 – Crocus Buds
Knitted dishcloth in crocus buds pattern
Pattern from the Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton, color Banana. This was an interesting openwork pattern. The “crocus buds” are created by pulling a stitch over the next two stitches on the needle. It is a simple 6 stitch pattern over 4 rows with yarn overs creating the open patterning between the “crocus buds”.

Dishcloth #5 – Elfin Lace
Knitted elfin lace pattern dishcloth
Pattern from Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton, color Natural. Easy lace pattern, that knits up into a nice dishcloth. The Elfin Lace pattern is an eight stitch pattern done over 8 rows.

Dishcloth #6 – Trinity Stitch
Dishcloth knitted using the trinity stitch
Pattern from Leisure Arts “Knitting Kitchen Brights Dishcloths” brochure. Yarn: Lion Brand Kitchen Cotton, color Natural. Lovely textured pattern produced by using the “Trinity Stitch”. I loved knitting this one. The “Trinity Stitch” is a neat textured pattern.

Link to “Kitchen Bright Dishcloths” from Leisure Arts (2004).