Sticking to my Resolution(s)

Remember when I said that my New Year Resolution was to shop my own stash first?  To see what I had in the yarn condo PRIOR to purchasing anything new for a project?  Yeah? Well..... I DID IT!!  I stuck it to my New Year Resolution!!  Not only once!  But twice!!
I've done it twice in the past two weeks! Go me! *I did however purchase a skein of yarn for a project ONLY after starting said project with one yarn and deciding I didn't like it... that counts, right?
I'm sure it does. It must! It has to!
You decide... look at the top picture... lovely right? Nice orangesicle. Looks warm. Just lovely. Um yeah... now look at the next picture.  Rainbow!  Sparkly!  It's Plymouth Yarns Stiletto.  Much lovelier!  Right?!!   Right!!! AND it's got a better name!
The top mitten was the first in the test knit and I was totally going to make the second mitt... until.... Oh Hello Sparkly, rainbow sock yarn!!  You can't really see the sparkles in it, but if you check it out HERE you can see them a lot better. *NOT where I bought my yarn, but it's the best picture of it*
What was I to do? Of course I was going to stick with the orangesicle color and finish that pair, but oh how I had to have a pair made out of the Stiletto! I like it so much I might even make  socks out of this lovely stuff!
I gotta give it to me on this one.  I did stash shop first!  I did!! I know, I know, not exactly what I meant, but... how about I make it up by making a pair of fingerless mitts for Boy Wonder ~ totally from the stash?

I started these today! An easy peasy pair of fingerless mitts for the boy made COMPLETELY from the stash! Some Cascade 220 Superwash (black) and some Berocco Comfort (red). He likes this one and is giving me the stink eye so I'll get off the computer and complete the second one!!  So looks like another total win for ME!!

Starting Toe-Up Socks

I've been trying to convince a friend to turn her current sock obsession into two at a time, toe up socks and today she asked for help! Yay! My skills of persuasion or maybe my incessant babbling about it? Either way (insert evil laughter) now she's sucked her in! Bahaha! She's going to try it today and I have a feeling she's going to be hooked!!  I've even managed to draw Big into the project ~ he had to help me with a quick video this morning to show TW how to get started!

Big's 1st Pair *before sewing in ends!

When I was home this summer (Michigan!!) I spent time with my favorite Aunt Gaily (she's the bestest) and she has been after me for quite a while to try making socks, but I pretty much tried to ignored her because I've always thought socks were a pain! I mean really! Spend hours on making one sock and then have to do it again? Pffft.. not happening. BUT Aunt Gaily's powers of persuasion coupled with the fact she knows me all too well... I ended up doing it.  I not only did it once, but now I can't quit!! My family is rockin' their socks!! Or? I'm rockin' their socks? Either way,  Two at Once, Toe Up, Magic Loop Socks is the only way I'm making socks from now on! Not only can I make two at once (duh! Read the title huh?), they fit so perfectly! AND it becomes a project with the recipient of the socks because I can't make them without said recipient being somewhere nearby! Ha Ha! Now neither Big nor Boy can give me crap about bringing knitting with me (wherever we go) because I'm usually making socks for one of them! Go Me!!
The pattern is pretty easy to follow - once you've done it, but if you do what it says exactly it works out okay! There are a couple of parts in it that are a bit trying and you may need to just see it. That's why I had Big help me this morning ~ we needed a quick video to help TW get on her way! I also needed a blog post so I'm putting it here for all to see as well!
**excuse the poor video - I've got to train Big to do these as well as the Boy :) 
I'm not knocking any other way to cast on - especially Judy's Magic Cast-On because she really does rock! AND her cast on is really cool, but the way my Aunt G showed me and how this particular pattern says to do it... well... it's a lot easier for me!

Hope this helps! AND you don't get too obsessed with sock making!

*high-lighted text is a link*