Jan's Grab Bag Socks and Felted Slippers

I recently had a friend contact me who has health issues and really needs some wooly items to help keep her feet warm and toasty.  Jan wanted a pair of 100% wool socks and I also suggested some felted wool slippers as well.

I immediately casted-on for the felted slippers as the pattern I have used countless times over the years from Fiber Trends.  The yarn I picked for these slippers is actually a wool (95%) silk (5%) blend which felts up rather nice and dense called: Clyde by Louet.  It is bulky/chunky weight yarn.  I knit this yarn held double and moved right along knitting one slipper with many interruptions in a day.

First completed slipper.  Once both slippers are completed they will be felted in the washing machine.   Felting is done by knitting an item oversized (100% wool or tested yarn to see if it will felt) and then purposely shrinking the wool to the correct size.

Then to take  a break from the slipper pattern I switched right over to the wool socks.  I have a healthy allotment of left over yarn--no surprise!  I decided to use a little technique that Elizabeth Zimmermann talks about in her Baby Surprise Jacket.  I found yarn that is the same weight for the most part and rolled up small balls of yarn and placed them in a bag.  The only rule was not to have matching colors next to each other.  With that in minded, I grabbed a small ball of yarn joined by my favorite method the old spit and felt and knit on which means there is no sewing in of any ends!

The colors of yarn I decided to work with for Jan's Grab Bag Socks.

The beginning!

First sock completed using Fiber Trends Hellen's Favorite Socks this sock pattern is my "work horse" pattern.  I modify it slightly.  This pattern gives all the basics one needs to knit socks and you can adjust/design easily to meet your fancy. 

Snow!

I just came across this photographer and his work with snow crystals. AMAZING!

Christmas Vacation has STARTED--Skiing-Knitting-Relaxing-Baking!!!!!

Hardly anything else needs to be said . . .  well I would add knitting and reading!  Always my biggest belief is one should get outside as much as possible under one's own mode of transportation also know as exercise.

Yesterday was the last day of school and Christmas Break started for us!  One of the things I love about not traveling for Christmas is that the vacation starts instantaneously and that is a wonderful thing.  I spent yesterday afternoon in the wax room getting ski gear out to some of our race team skiers.  Today I hope to get the gear out to our elementary skiers.  Then we can all get skiing!

Sadie voicing her opinion here, "Can we go skiing now!"  In the wax room known as Worm's Wax Room.

BOOTS, BOOTS, BOOTS!

This year we were able to get more poles, boots, and skis which were really needed for all the skiers.

Hard to tell in this photo but there are several new skis for race team skiers, younger elementary 

skiers, and adult helpers.

Skiing Nov. 24th when we had snow before it all warmed up and turned  into a mess.  Now we are basically back to this point as our snow is returning and temperatures are dropping to the normal lows.

This was posted on FB as well but just wanted to get these mittens posted here on the blog.  These are my new favorite ski mittens.  Made by TOKO and they are insulated and wind proof.  They has a soft back and thumb for wiping one's nose.

If you do a search online you will be able to find these mittens at most Nordic/cross-country ski shops.
These were purchased at Eagle River Nordic.

I also always wear a glove liner inside my mittens to keep my hands warmer.  This way I can remove my mittens and not expose my hands to freezing temperatures.

Knitting: I have been working on several projects which is so typical of me!  I just can not stay focused on anything to long no matter how much I try to stay focused.  I am of course still working on my Bláithín sweater. I have one sleeve knitted to the proper length and the body needs about 2 more inches.  I need to cast-on the next sleeve and get that knitted.  Once the body and the other sleeve are completed I can then join the 3 pieces and start my color work on the yoke.

I will be writing more about my knitting now that I am on break.  I felt I needed to give a bit of an update.  Next I will be posting about Jan's Grab Bag Socks a fun way to use up left  over yarn!