Alone

Day One: Cleaning out studio; I found long lost sock. Hmmm, why did I only knit one?

It's all coming back to me now . . .

The rest of the yarn took a midnight stroll through the house with a kitty. Silly of me to leave it in a Ziploc bag inside another bag next to my bed.

I love a good challenge but even I was doubtful of getting this back into one, continuous piece. It's hard to stay mad at her when she warms your lap as you go!


So after many twists, turns and tugs and three hours of Brenda Leigh Johnson and Fritz (sigh - Fritz!), just three balls of yarn. I'd REALLY like to not have to change yarn in the middle of a sock . . . .

I RULE!

The rest, into the basket of sock ends and mini-skeins. All-in-all, a good day. Except I guess I have to actually knit that sock.

River Rapids

Finally, the River Rapids socks are finished. They were actually a much quicker knit than the blog would have you believe. I spent a large part of this past weekend listening to a book for an upcoming book club meeting and finished one and 1/2 socks. The last toe was grafted last night during the season finale of "24". Jack - sigh. I love this heel. Surely it has a name, but I'm just calling it "My New Favorite Heel".

This is some long forgotten Lorna's Laces that has now been knit six times but finally into something I can love. And just in time because the porch is open and it's going to be 85 degrees here today. Yay!

Listen to Your Mom

Or in my case, listen to a mom whose opinion you trust in matters such as this. That would SO not be my mom. She would be inclined to say something such as: "Why are you even bothering with that?", or "Don't you have anything better to do with your time?, or, the always available, "When Kathryn is in high school, are you going to get a real job?" Thanks Mom. But I think I'll take my knitting advice from other moms.


Like Neatnik's mom. She seems like the same kind of mom I am (or want to be at least!); she's smart - she teaches college. She's even smarter - she used to be a pharmacist. She also seems to be going through similar issues with a sweater. So when her comment on the big sock problem of the other day said, very simply this:

trek said...
Change yarn? Pattern?
Have a stiff shot?
10:19 AM

Seriously? You didn't think I would change the yarn did you??? That's the whole reason I'm in this dilemma! Plus - that's a fresh bottle of vodka.

To all my mom friends (even of kitties!!) I hope your Mother's Day is as special as you all are!

Socks by the Numbers

I'm pretty sure that if I go downstairs and look in any one of my fancy sock knitting books, the description for knitting two socks at one time would be very specific in its description about only requiring ONE circular needle.
But that wasn't really the plan here. I began the Sunrise Chevron Socks by looking at the needle sizes and knew "Gotta drop down." Didn't check or anything. I was looking for something with an easy pattern that would knit fast. So off I went. Cuff ribbing, done; fits over foot and calf; off to the pattern, forgot to change to larger needle; oops; just keep going since these are bigger needles than I usually use (US 1 / 2.5mm); knit till I'm ready to start the heel; slip it on. Huh? It's a little - snug.
Plan B. Don't rip this one out (This will be KEY!). Start NEW sock on US 2 / 2.75 mm. I figure whichever one works, then I'll just have to knit another one of THAT one. Yay! Knit cuff; still forget to change needle size (good thing); keep going; knit enough of the pattern to not be a total moron (but it's such an easy and fun pattern!!) that I go farther than I want to anyway; finally stop and try it on.
Well damn. I can almost read through it. It doesn't come anywhere close to staying up on my leg. This is where some sort of math skills might have come in handy. Like knowing what difference .25mm would have made on the 60 stitches and to the overall circumference of the sock. I do not possess such math skills and frankly, I'm too embarrassed to ask the child who does possess them for this kind of help. Perhaps this is finally the answer to that whole gauge question I've ignored forever when it comes to socks. No problem. I can still make this work. I'll just get the needle size in-between 2.5mm and 2.75mm which - doesn't exist.

So now I'm back to sock number one, the heel of which I hate. I can still see through it too. So this will also be ripped back so I can knit just a regular heel. And knit more loosely on the rest of this one and the next one. And then stretch them out a lot on the sock blockers. Or give them to someone with even smaller feet than me.

" Um - Mom. Even I can figure out that with this plan you'd still wind up having to knit almost three socks. That seems like a lot more work!"

Bits

I had an inclination to climb back into bed after the school drop off this morning.
Apparently - someone else had plans for that space! I decided the grab the paper and a blanket and head for the couch out on the sunny porch.
Denied again! Perhaps I should just take a shower and get the day started!!
Note the left side of the piano. That's where my piano books usually reside. In an effort to lighten my load, I have let piano go for now. Notice how I can't say "I've quit piano"! It was piano or you guys. I'm sure you'd say I made the right call. I am also letting go of quitting Plurk.

We have had three good days at school this week. There have been no tears. Well, just a few last night with some word problems from Pre-Algebra. But once I understood some of the basic concepts, I settled down and tried again and got them. Math is tough I remembered. Children are tougher.
I am working on a plain old sock - but every time I pick it up I want to run to the grocery store for a gallon of "three strip" ice cream - Kathryn's name for Neapolitan Ice Cream. Can you blame me?

While All That Was Happening ...

. . . I managed to knit an entire pair of socks. Yes, Jeanne - me, the slowest knitter ever on record knit an entire pair of socks in about a week. Probably in response to all the commotion - but at the end of the day I would steal away to my room and hide for a few hours and just knit happily away.The pattern is Donyale and the yarn is my own hand-dyed in a colorway that I don't really like. The stitch pattern was so easy to remember which is probably why these went so fast.

And it's a good thing they did because already - nap time on the porch is getting a little chilly!!

Another Pair

Check me out! Another pair of socks completed - and so soon after the last pair. I'm such a machine. This pair, completed just in time for my sister-in-law, Ann, for her birthday was a huge hit. She wanted something bright and colorful and "not scratchy". Koigu - knit in Baby Cable Rib. Perfect on all counts.

And the secret to knitting them so quickly? I started them way back here, when she asked for them. They were quickly abandoned for all sorts of things. I picked them back up last Thursday in anticipation of her birthday gathering last night. I mean - a gift is a gift no matter when you get it - right?

Show Off

Finally complete are the Crazy Monkey socks in my hand-dyed yarn. I'm not wild about them; nothing to do with the pattern but more my unwillingness to stray from a short row heel I struggle with every time I use it. But it's easy to remember which is probably why I stick with it. Note to self: next toe up sock MUST be done with a heel flap! The stitch pattern and the colors will make up for the heel. And after all, I'm the only one who will see the heel and any large gaping holes which may, or may not be there See! No one never see them.
Or will you?
I love my new Skechers Surfer Girl shoes.
But they just might show the little mistakes anywhere and everywhere!! Thanks for the tip Harriet!

So Not...

I'm sorry. I missed something.Who exactly turned a simple knitting lesson with the Tuesday Morning girls into a sock contest - CAROLE? It's so NOT a contest.

Just the girls, getting together. Not even at 318 Cafe. I know! It had me out of sorts and I was QUITE pissy about it. In that way that some of you know I get. Bad pissy! So we were just gathering to wind yarn, go through a new pattern, mark up all the changes that I made to it to make the sock EXACTLY how I like it with out any regard for how the others may feel about it better, in colors I picked for all of them, cast on, knit the toe increases and begin the lace pattern. In two hours. Nope not a contest.




But if it was - a contest - I'd SO kick.their.asses! This is 2 1/2 hours worth of work, my friends! For cryin' out loud - time is money. This is why the second sock NEVER gets made.



What fun we had! I remain forever grateful for the love and friendship of these beautiful girls. You are the best friends a girl could ever have.

Team Project

Last spring I hand dyed yarns for each of the members of the Tuesday Morning Knitting group. The idea was that we'd all make socks together at the same time, using the same pattern - blah, blah, blah. You know how that all goes. So, it seems that today it all works that we will begin our adventure. Toe-up, Magic Loop, Crazy Monkeys, with a short row heel. In for a dime - in for a dollar.

Guess who's leading the effort?

Sock hand-modeling provided by Kathryn.

What the Snowdrops Brought

The Snowdrop Socks are finished. And just like that, the sun came out. Along with a few other things.

Dear Jon, the gardener.

John Deere, the tractor.

Hmmm, someone is just not sure that the snow is "really" gone for good.

Something from a horror movie.

"But WHY can't I be an outside cat??"

And then, the beverage for the devoted fan who watched the activities as they happened while working on a new pair of socks. Yeah - it's spring.

Snow vs. Snow

This is what remains of the snow in our backyard and with the threat of 70 degree temperatures and brisk southerly winds today, I'm just wondering who will be faster? Can Mother Nature finish off this snow......
....before I finish this Snow(drop) Sock? I'm ready for the heel on the second sock and it's moving along at quick pace. I'm definitely up for the challenge. I'll be with my Tuesday Morning knitting grrls this morning for plenty of dedicated time; piano time this afternoon; Jon's out of town too. Look for the finished photos by - Thursday??
The bigger question is: will my knit-along companions be this far when we meet for the second time tomorrow, or is my over-achiever, oldest child showing through again? Game on girl friends - 10:30; Starbucks at Excelsior & Grand! All are welcome!

Finally

At long last, this "must have" tool for sock knitters, the un-sung hero of the laundry room, an essential for hand-knitters, hand-dyers and hand-spinners too. This little gem is finally getting the
world-wide national major-metropolitan area attention it so richly deserves.

If you read the puzzle page AND solve the cryptoquip.
From Star Tribune 02/21/08

Just Wait

I'm sorry almost-done Donyale sock in my own hand-dyed yarn. You're just going to have to wait to be finished and then wait longer still for a mate.

And you, long forgotten Baby Cable Rib in Koigu for my darling sister-in-law Ann. Even though I've recently picked you up again and started the second sock just days ago, had Ann try you on to ensure a perfect fit - thus teasing her into thinking the socks would be soon forthcoming - you too will have to wait.
See, the girls (Amy, Miss T) and I are meeting today for a small KAL kick-off. We know it's really short notice - BUT - if you want to join us in person, we'll be at the Starbucks at Excelsior & Grand at 10:00 this morning. Otherwise, you can join us in a virtual way by grabbing the Snowdrops Socks pattern, a skein of Noro Kureyon sock yarn, some needles and knit away. We'd love to have you. We're not cliquey or anything.

Oh and Amy, just HOW allergic are you to cats since we may have a tag-along?

"How many do you cast on for size teensy-weensy paws?"