knitorious

Fitting

I bought this yarn for Socktoberfest at Yarns by Design during the Midwest Masters Seminar* weekend -- had to have it for these socks, really, with a name like "Harvest."  Isn't it pretty?  I guess this will be my third pair using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn, and the sock yarn I've used most often.  I intend to knit Eunny's Bayerische Socks -- good practice for the eventual Am Kamin.

It's been a busy week at Chez Knitorious.  I've managed only a few rows on Shirl during each of the past few nights, but those stitches and rows do add up!  There are six rows to go and I expect the knitting to be finished tonight -- maybe the weaving-in of a few ends, too.  I have ideas and supplies on-hand for the sleeve closures -- and a day off tomorrow.  ; )

*The Spring 2007 session, April 28-29, will have classes taught by Candace Eisner Strick, Susan Lazear, Joan McGowan-Michael, Annie Modesitt, and Kathleen Power Johnson -- the class details aren't up yet.

Sock it to me, baby

Lolly has questions, I have answers -- I'm late today, but I have answers...

When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative, or in a class?

I started knitting socks in summer 2005.  I taught myself with a handful of good books for reference and a bunch of blog posts and bloggers behind me for support.

What was your first pair?  How have they "held up" over time?

I finished my first socks in August '05, after finally giving in to the whole sock thing -- I'd been tempted from practically The Day That I Discovered Knitting Blogs.  I used Nancy Bush's "Rib & Cable Socks" pattern published in Interweave Knits, using Mountain Colors Bearfoot.  I wore these socks quite often last winter and they've held up very nicely.

What would you have done differently?

Not much, really, other than pay attention more (there are a couple of cable crosses that went undone).

What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

I have used the above-mentioned Mountain Colors Bearfoot, Socks That Rock, Trekking XXL, and Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock.  I have a few other sock yarns in stash, but haven't used them yet.

Do you like to crochet your socks, or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

I knit them on DPNs -- I prefer four needles, but sometimes five works better.  I have the necessary equipment to try 2 circs and have a tiny bit of practice knitting with that method.

Which kind of heel do you prefer (flap or short-row)?

I've only ever done a flap.  I like it fine.

How many pairs have you made?

I think I have made 6-1/2 pair -- counting one pair of baby socks (but not booties) and one pair of slipper socks, both constructed with heel flaps and kitchenered toes (in other words, socks).  I have one pair in progress (Celtic Braid, I'm on sock #2) and the Socktoberfest on the horizon.

B-b-b-b-braided

I'm in love, love, love!  It's the crappiest picture ever taken of a sock-in-progress -- it's almost grotesque -- and yet, you can see how the braid pops and isn't it a lovely sock?  ; )  I got in some good knitting time last night, some of it even out-of-doors and in public, and I'm past the point at which I decided to rip.  There is no more than an inch to go before work on the cuff is finished.

Oh, the weekend...  I need to work on Fib.  I have two Road to Indigo vests that were taking a break, but now I'm ready to have at them again.  There's this beautiful sock.  And a moebius.  Darn it, Rachael!  Darn it, Ann!!  Darn it, magical, mysterious Cat Bordhi!!!

* * * * *

I was so tickled by the art on the bathroom wall in the ladies' room at the coffee shop where we had lunch on Wednesday that I took a picture.  If it was Alan Alda in Clint Eastwood's spot, this would very nearly replicate the pin-ups on my filing cabinet at work 25 years ago or so.  Clint's okay, he can stay; I guess it just means that I like my men just a little less... hm... rugged.  Yeah.

* * * * *

Go say, "HEY," to Amy Lu and wish her a Happy Blogiversary!  She gave herself a brand new Typepad account to celebrate, so update your links and rolls!

The roasted cherry tomatoes turned out wonderfully!  Roasted Tomato Sauce will be the next recipe I try.  Thanks, V.!

New project

A Cabin Fever pattern, Celtic Braid Socks #157, designed by Lynda Gemmell.  I purchased the pattern by mail from Yellow Dog Knitting in Eau Claire a few months ago, where I believe they also did it in a class last winter.  The yarn is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in a color called "pewter" that I purchased at Iris and have had in the stash.  It is gorgeous, though not quite as brown as it appears here, and I'd forgotten how nice the yarn is to work.

Simply lovely

Employing Cara's highly technical method of photographing one's own socks, demonstrated here, may I present (finally) my finished Simply Lovely Lace Socks from the Spring 2006 issue of Interweave Knits.  I like it, and my ankles don't look bad (I think the way the colors hits right there is a big plus).

On Saturday night, I wove in the last end and slipped them on my feet to admire.  I made Katie -- the only lucky one to be withing admiring proximity -- admire them with me.  I said, "Do you see how the colors almost exactly match up?  Total fluke that it turned out that way.  Did you notice the pretty picot edge?"  She said, "Mom, you're such a dork.  You ask that every time."

I do?  ; )

I used Trekking XXL in color 106, part of a package of contest winnings sent by JessaLu a while back.  Started around May 1st, finished August 12th.  I believe there are only two or three pattern repeats in the entire pair that are done correctly and I didn't catch on 'til I was near the end.  I believe I made it a three-row repeat rather than four, but it works and I like how they look.

There will be days...

I have two things that don't always go well together:  a dog and a garden.  There's a hidden benefit, though, as I would normally enjoy the bleeding hearts only in the garden.  Oh, my, they make a lovely bouquet on the kitchen table!  Yesterday morning the sun was shining through the window and the "drops" were illuminated -- it was lovely.

Yesterday, I was in Oshkosh (home of little overalls, big trucks, and an airshow) at one of the largest estate sales ever.  It was in a small, brick ranch on an overwhelmingly Victorian street.  Oshkosh is a town built by lumber and it shows!  Anyway, it was a large sale and there were lots of people and we had to wait a while to gain entrance.  I came away with a few little treasures, lightening my wallet by only $6.00 (not bad at all), including some DMC booklets on knitting, crocheting and tatting, along with a couple of other knitting booklets (one, by McCalls, has Barbie clothes as well as patterns for real people).

The other thing I came away with was a collection of about a dozen old photos and portraits -- wedding, sisters, mother-daughter, baptism, etc.  I cannot resist these things and I choose them on total impulse and first impression based on clothing, expression, posture.  My favorites are school photos, weddings, kids (individually or in groups), men, women, families -- okay, okay, I don't really have a favorite... I love them all! This one -- OMG, this one -- is my brand new favorite!  (I wonder which one is his mother...)

Socks, socks, socks!

Simply Lovely Lace Socks by Karen Baumer, as found in the Spring 2006 issue of Interweave Knits.  This pattern was written for two different yarn weights -- sportweight and fingering; I am doing the finer version and using Trekking XXL sock yarn in color 106, which was part of the bootie from a contest I won at JessaLu's a while back.  The pattern uses Gems Pearl and size 0 needles; I'm using size 2 needles with the Trekking.  I may go to a smaller needle at some point, but I may not -- my ankles aren't thin by any means, and I have problems with occasional swelling.  Anyway, I did the picot edge -- you've seen it around at Claudia's and Cara's and now Sandy's, and more -- but I did not want to wait 'til the sock was all finished to tack that edge down by hand, as written in the pattern!  I wanted to tack that baby down right away so I could admire it as I worked all the way to the toe!  I did my normal cast on over two needles and then worked the picot cuff as written, except I tacked down the cast on edge as I knit the last row -- similar to the way I'd do a hem, but much smaller scale.  I was winging it the first time around and that's why I ended up with a wonky edge and ended up ripping it out.  I may have gone a little overboard the second time around -- looping a length of yarn in a contrasting color all along the edge to mark each spot where the needle should go -- but it's straight and even and it was a little bit easier on my eyes.  Damn bifocals.

I worked on the sock yesterday, sitting on the front porch of the house while waiting to be admitted to the sale.  Unfortunately, my count was off and now I'm in the process of tinking back a couple of rows.  Last night, I worked on that last sleeve for Fib and I ought to have it finished tonight!!  Woohoo!  I am dipping into the small reserve for nearly every color now and I'm not sure I'll have enough of any one color for the button bands and collar.  I have a couple of ideas and will likely be putting out a call to all y'all, too.

Picot too

I'm so happy with the re-do.

Picot boo

Simply Lovely (Lace Socks); Spring 2006 Interweave Knits; Trekking XXL, color 106.

Fun.

Sock in sunlight

Here it is!  Three weeks of work on my sock and I'm finally doing gusset decreases.  I'm winging it, using a rib pattern I've admired at a friend's.  Sort of.  For the technical portion of the program (heels, gussets, toes), I'm using the The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns by Ann Budd for guidance.

I have several balls of self-patterning or self-striping sock yarn, plus a little more variegated and even some in solid colors, and I'm looking forward to working them all... someday... but now that I'm seeing all the STR Clubbers getting their first packages, I wish I'd joined and that I was getting STR in the mail, too.  I don't know why I didn't.  I completely and totally understand Cara's obsession with that yarn -- I am in awe of the beauty and richness of nearly every colorway.

Mark your calendar:  International Pajama Day on Sunday, March 26th.  Definitely looking forward to that.  Hey, that's only four days away!!!

Watch this space:  The JenLa Wild Goose Chase, a.k.a. Auntie Meme, coming soon!  I can't wait to do this and I'm anxious to read others'.

That's all the knitting -- kinda lame, I know.  Click for more stuff.

I think I like it

This is the Trekking sock I'm working on -- color 128, mostly brown, black, and white, but with that little stripe of very pale orange/salmon.  I got a little further than this last night, but still only one bright stripe!

Maddy has a birthday party to go to this weekend.  She said that the girl pictured on the invite is not the birthday girl, but looks just like her.  She found a doll, some scraps of this and that, and transformed it into a damn good likeness, if I may say, complete with presentation box.  I'm completely blown away by the cleverness and creativity of my girls sometimes -- all three!  It's one thing to have a bright idea, another to try and do it, but it's a whole different stratosphere to actually pull it off, and they do!  Wow.

I was only about 3-1/2 when my brother was born and there's a set of twin girls in between.  Fortunately, for my mother, he was a very good, very happy baby -- he's got a huge smile on nearly every picture, lighting it up.  I think we were living in St. Louis at the time of this photo -- love the fireplace!  I think I may have doted on him, too, because there seem to be a fair number of pictures of the two of us.

They reintibated with a larger tube yesterday -- the swelling has gone down, plus they didn't know the extent of cervical damage and wanted to use a smaller tube at first.  They also removed the dressing from his head and why, oh, why didn't they just shave off all of his hair?  It looks ridiculous.  I suppose it serves as something of a distraction from that awful, horseshoe-shaped incision and everything else going on up there.  Oy.  He's also got the fattest lip I've ever seen -- I guess it was mostly covered by bandages before.  One of his bandmates calls him "Lips" sometimes, because my brother does have rather full lips, but now there's new meaning.  ; )  This friend went with my SIL yesterday to see the car and take pictures; they said that there isn't room for a person in there.  I can only surmise that Michael didn't see it coming, didn't have time to brace himself for impact or get tense; he must have been so relaxed that his body just went with it.  Oy oy oy.

The brace arrived yesterday and, after some fine tuning, it was fitted last night.  In another odd turn, the man who made the brace was a classmate of Michael's; Mom had put up a 20-year-old photo of Mike's band and the guy recognized them.  When I spoke with the nurse this morning, she said that he's intermittently restless; that it's darn hot under that brace, so no wonder he's uncomfortable; they're backing off on the sedation; raising his head up more; he opens his eyes.  Another CT scan is on the schedule for today.  I will be going up later.

Our parents woke us up and brought us all downstairs in our pajamas to watch the moon landing on the TV in our family room.  Those were the days when television sets were brought from the AV Room to the classroom and we dropped everything and gathered 'round to watch rockets take off -- live; Walter Cronkite reporting and all that stuff.  Gives me goosebumps -- it was so exciting!  Mike used to play "John and Joe" with Annie, our little sister; John and Joe were many, many things, and most memorable among them was Astronaut.  I'll try to describe some of the most precious Super 8 footage my dad ever took:

John and Joe, astronauts, had their air packs on their backs (rectangular sofa pillows in big brown plaid) and their helmets on (large, shallow, plastic bowls with the bottoms cut out for their faces to shine through).  They're strapped into the cockpit of their rocket (a green leather recliner) and Michael pulls back the throttle (a small, black comb) -- you can't actually hear him, and yet you can... he's making the sounds of a rocket on take-off, and nudging Annie so she does her part, her feet twitching wildly, her curly pigtails bobbing -- she's ready to explode herself!  Michael hadn't finished speech therapy yet, so he still curled his tongue all up funny inside his mouth, and you can almost feel the spray of take-off, too.  After a few minutes, they landed, emerging from the rocket to slowly and carefully explore the surface of "the moon."

Walk This Way

That would be the Petrified Jaywalkin' way in Socks That Rock!  I happened to be with Cara at Rhinebeck, way back at the very beginning when it was just a small stampede to The Fold she'd started because of this really great yarn.  Then she found Grumperina's sock pattern at Magknits -- a pattern for which Cara and this yarn was, apparently, cosmically, made.  And then, fueled by her unbridled excitement, she began the untethered Jaywalker Knit A Long, which has quickly exploded into a living, knitting legend.  Poor Cara.  I suggested to her yesterday that she might possibly have knit enough Jaywalkers for herself that she could tie them all together, thereby making a little Jaywalker sock rope which she could toss out the window and fittingly use to escape the Jaywalker prison she has created for herself.  I offer safe harbor, with open arms, to the Jaywalking fugitive.  You done good, girl, and we love you.

But what's that other stuff?  I had the most wonderful belated birthday package the other day from The Bookish Girl.  The yarn up top is a 250-yard hank of Woolarina Handpainted Merino Sport Weight -- check out her complete catalog here.  The package also included some of Woolarina's stitch markers, some wacky fabric patches, a grow-your-own sunflower kit (perfect!), and an old wooden bobbin from the Classic Elite factory.  Oh, how I love stuff like that -- stuff like all of that!!  Thank you, Wendy!

There are my new swatches for Williamsro -- my event in the Harlot Olympics (also a living legend -- both the Harlot and her Olympics!) Can you believe there are 2100 participants and counting?  If even half of the competitors medal in their events, that's going to be a lot of FOs come the end of February!  I'm itching to start.  Now that the Jaywalkers are finished, the only active, on-the-needles project is Shirley Shrugs.  I have vowed to cast on nothing new until after the Olympics, so Shirley's getting all my attention for the next two weeks.  Maybe I'll have an FO to start the Olympics!  That might be the equivalent of scoring a touchdown to take the lead just before half-time.  ; )

Snakebite

What do you think might happen if you had a beverage called a "Snakebite" (a combo of lager and cider) -- preceded by one or two Strongbows and followed by a Smirnoff and intermingled with a Chinese buffet and karaoke?  There's a young, international studies student in London who can tell you that she "...became for the first time actually DRUNK" and, a little later, kinda sick.  My daughter tells me that the staff at the house where she's staying "...loves when the Wisconsin groups come because 'we know how to party'."  Look what happens when they leave you!!!

I've found my team -- did you know there were teams?  Jenifleur has provided some great buttons.  She is on the Fair Isle Team and is making that gorgeous Fair Isle Bag from Summer '04 Interweave Knits -- I forgot how much I like that bag (thanks for the reminder!).  I love these Olympics and all the fun and buzz it's generated.  Margene has her Tribute to Eddie The Eagle (I remember Eddie!). I wonder who's going to adopt the Jamaican Bobsled Team.  ; )

I'm kind of stalled in the middle of the street, dodging cars; progress has been
s-l-o-w on the Petrified Jaywalkers, though I have worked on them a little this week.  The Red Scarf was completed last night, so the Jaywalkers ought to see more action over the weekend.  And Shirley Shrugs... oh, I had pangs as I read Celia's post about her failing the Olympics Trials (aka, Christmas knitting) and, combined with the echo of Mom's recent query about my progress on her gift, they hurt -- like a snakebite!!  Am I worthy of participation in the Olympics?  I will do what I must do, and train hard; my regimen shall include nothing but Jaywalkers, Shirley Shrugs, and Williamsro prep from now 'til Opening Ceremonies!

I'm not finished yet with the bowls.  It was very interesting to gather one of my collections in one place for the sole purpose of photographing it – something I’d never have done if it weren't for the ABC-Along.  I viewed these things that I look at and use everyday in an entirely different way – I handled each and every one, I arranged them differently (dare I say even artfully?) and I'm tickled that there's this unexpected, small sense of discovery in this endeavor.  I enjoy thinking about the letters to come and how I will represent.  To borrow a line from Cara that made me laugh out loud this week, "Let's look a few more pictures, shall we?" (when would we ever say to no her pictures?).

Lastly, I read a blog called Rebecca's Pocket.  Wondering about blogging?  She wrote the book.  She's doing a series of interviews called  Bloggers on Blogging.  I really enjoyed the most recent interview with David Weinburger.  The questions and answers are very interesting; and I like the perspective of a non-knit-blogger.  Blogging and blogging issues and blogging etiquette (among them reading, commenting, emailing, responding as Cara posted about today) seem to be a recurring theme across the blogosphere and they won't be getting any easier.

Oh, and Happy 21st Anniversary to hubby & me!

Tiptoe with Miss Vicki

Two mismatched but very closely related Jaywalkers.  The first is about an inch longer in the leg than the second, and while they're both in Socks That Rock "Petrified Wood," the color intensity in the hanks is slightly different (the longer sock is much darker).  I cast on and nearly finished the ribbing for the mate of the shorter sock last night.  I'd like to zip through and move on...  Shirley Shrugs is waiting (Mom is ever so patient), I'd like to do a quick scarf, find the yarn I was looking for on Sunday for another project...

Yes, "mom," my feet are on the kitchen counter.  Old house kitchen = high ceiling.  The view is slightly different from way up here!  Katie's wearing her new $7-on-clearance cashmere scarf and the necklace she made from my vintage button collection -- and look at her hair!  I wish I could just twist and clip and pin and be that cute.  Madeleine's hair keeps changing color -- she dyed it, twice, and it's been interesting to watch.  Ali tried to dye mine the other day and it just refuses to really change much.

Oh, oh, oh!  Hubby went to a meeting the other night that was also a pot-luck dinner.  I don't think he took anything real exciting, but, wow, he sure brought home some great left-overs!  (I'm definitely going to have to nudge my way to that table!)  For lunch yesterday, I had Pumpkin Lasagna.  I have not yet requested the recipe, but I most certainly will and I will share it if I can.  I have searched the internets and have found similar, but not quite (some with spinach and/or chard and/or tomatoes and/or sweet potatoes and/or meat).  It was so different -- Mom told me about the Butternut Squash Ravioli she recently had at a restaurant and that it was sweet, and DH had JUST made pumpkin pies, and I have my own favorite lasagna recipe in which I can't quite imagine pumpkin as an ingredient -- it wasn't sweet at all, it was even a little peppery.  Oh, so good!

That's all I've got.

Little bumps, little bumps!

I haven't looked at every single page of every single vintage knitting magazine that was under my tree, but I have looked at most -- at the very least, I've read the covers and the tables of contents.  I found sock patterns in only one magazine -- the very earliest issue of Vogue Knitting Book (pictured here yesterday).  I think there was a nearly 50-year drought in the publication of sock patterns -- and now they're everywhere.

I did find, among the general techniques in some of those magazines, illustrated instructions for weaving together the toes of socks.  I also saw (but have not yet thoroughly read) directions for mending knitted items, with specific mention of socks.

My stepmom has been knitting socks for my dad, using a combination of both machine and hand knitting, for quite a few years.  Among other things, like the type of fiber used, Dad never likes where the toe seam falls on commercial socks.

At our family gift exchange on Christmas Eve, one of my sisters received some long underwear from another.  Along with specific discussion regarding the long underwear and this particular sister (who is probably the most particular about the way things fit, especially that there is enough ease, if not roominess), there was general discussion about sizing and how things should fit, eventually leading to the subject of constrictive and/or restrictive clothing, which led to the sharing of experiences by various family members, the most favorite of which involves my niece.

It is well known among us that my niece would not wear tights when she was little and she was quite particular about the fit of any kind of pants, or anything, really, that went around her waist.  I did not know that she was also a stickler regarding the fit and feel of her socks...  The hysteria was palpable as my brother-in-law recalled the many times they'd be nearly ready to go, my 3-year-old niece all bundled up by the back door, crying, "Little bumps, little bumps, little bumps..."  They'd remove the footwear, adjust the socks, and try, try again...  It's those little things, when the kids are little, that sometimes make you want to throw yourself off a cliff, but which make for such good laughs many Christmas Eves later...

And yes, folks, it's a finished Petrified Jaywalker!  The second one has been started and I'm already several rows into the pattern.

Let's get crack-a-lackin'

Imagine John Travolta, a la Grease: "It's petrifying!"  Really, it is electrifying -- I can't leave the Petrified Socks alone.  There's been precious little time, but what there is has been split between the sock and the Wee Weasley.  Mack is leaving tomorrow morning and my sister said she's taking the sweater whether I've finished with it or not!  It fits him perfectly with a little room to grow and he just couldn't be more adorable.

I've turned the heel on the sock and, as of sleepy-time last night, the gusset is finished, too, so now it's just foot for a while.  We'll just have to see if there's any pooling or flashing as that progresses, but I'm very pleased with how the leg turned out -- very even color distribution on both sides.

Turns out that last Friday -- an extra day off of work/school due to icy conditions -- the ice quickly melted, the sun came out and the temperature was nearly 40 in the afternoon.  Made for good last-minute shopping weather, and I also filled in at the antique mall for a couple of hours.  It was nice to share some of my bonus day helping someone who needed it.

My sister and her family arrived from the northland quite late Friday night -- or was that quite early Saturday morning?  We had a nice day on Saturday with last-minute bustle and then headed over to Mom's.  An aunt that I haven't seen in a long time brought Grandma to the festivities, along with birthday cake to celebrate Gram's 93rd birthday!  DH celebrated his birthday on the day after, but no cake.  Ugh.  Can't even think about cake or sweets.  Maybe I'll surprise him with a belated cake just before Katie leaves for England.  Or maybe defrosted brownies!  (Haha -- thanks for the brownie advice; I've never before had to deal with too many brownies.)

More later...  it's back to work for the first time in a week and I've got some catching up to do!