so maybe not

Well over the weekend I finished the second rib & cable mitt (ends woven and everything, go me!) and also started & finished a sock for Z-man from KnitPicks Essentials. It will be interesting to see how it washes up since I really am not too fond of the yarn/fabric right now. It's kinda rough. I used US1's and may have to invest in some 0's since it seems a little loose for my taste. Anyway, have to do #2 and then wash before I make a final determination. I just did a basic toe-up... "regular" toe and short row heel with 3x1 ribbed leg. I switched to 1x1 at the top but might rip that part and just do the 3x1 all the way to the top, the 1x1 is looking icky (and again, missing the 0's doesn't give me the option to go down a size). His "little" foot is almost 7" long and he is only 3 years old!! Sheesh.

I prefer to do a regular toe (starting at the tip) rather than a short row toe because I haven't knit enough socks to know what my gauge is with any particular yarn, and if I do a short row one, I wouldn't know how many sts to start with. The "regular" way I can just increase until it's the right size (48 sts, in this case). I also would rather do a heel flap for him since it's sturdier but I hate hate hate casting on at the cuff. I don't know why. I've seen something recently about a toe-up heel flap and will need to investigate more. I think it was in Sensational Knitted Socks actually, which I had to return to the library already. I'll have to request it again. I liked it, but not enough to buy it.

Non-knitting related, but I had the cutest idea for Christmas gifts for my friends with little kids. I'm going to make library book bags. They are easy, just basic tote bags - just use heavyweight fabric (decorator fabric remnants are perfect). I'll make coordinating ones for mom & kid in proportionate sizes and put a name or initial on the kid ones. I'm so excited!!

slow

I seem to go through phases where I knit a lot, and then I burn out and don't do much at all for a while. I think I'm on a downward slope. I started my second Rib & Cable Mitt and am almost to the start of the thumb gusset, but haven't picked it up in a couple days (ok, a week). I hope to finish it on Sunday. The boy will be at his dad's and I should have 8 hrs to lounge on the couch, watch movies, and knit. Woo hoo!

I do need to do some more sewing. That's what I did last Sunday. Z-man is getting so tall that it's hard to find nice pajamas that fit and don't cost an arm and a leg. So I bought some polarfleece and am mostly done with... one top. Yeah, it's been a while since I've sewed. Loading the bobbin was kicking my butt. Duh, turn the wheel FORWARD to get it to pick up. I just need to do the sleeve cuffs and hem the bottom, and then do the pants. All the pieces are cut and luckily polarfleece is very forgiving on seaming :) I think I'll make him some mittens w/ the leftover. We take a walk after dinner to get the mail and it's been getting pretty chilly.

Yep, i'm still here

Multitasking at its finest

burning the midnight oil

Working late... oh soooo late. :( Got a good hour at least ahead. Good thing I can knit the good old diagonal dishcloth in my sleep while I wait for processes that are just that much too short to do anything else while they run, to run. Woo hoo!

I did it!

I made yarn! :) I got my package from Skeintily Clad the other day and finally had some time to play last night (when I should have been doing other things). The kit contains two 1-oz samples of undyed fiber and two handpainted. The undyed are coarser and she recommends starting with them since they aren't so slippery. I have a cream color and a brown, and then the colored ones are green & purple and yellow & orange.

I started w/ the cream since it seemed the coarsest. I spun almost the whole thing! I was so excited. It came out better than I expected. I did overspin some sections, and underspun others, but I actually plied it (!!) and it looks like real yarn! There was a confusing few minutes when I couldn't figure out why the plying wasn't working, but then I remembered to spin in the opposite direction and all was well :) I figured out how you know when there is too much yarn on the spindle (when it won't "hold" at the hook anymore) and how to make sure a length of the plied yarn is balanced before storing it on the spindle (hold it between two hands and make sure it doesn't wrap back on itself).

I have pics, but they are at home, and I am not.

goodies

Got my big ol' box from KnitPicks yesterday! Those balls of yarn sure are small. I'm going to hate weaving in all those ends! I swatched the Main Line last night. It really likes US7 needles and I couldn't get the recommended gauge (4.5 st/in) until I went down to 5, and it was too stiff and weird. But I needed something slightly heavier than 4.5 anyway so it's all good. This is for the Cabled Cardigan (#19) from Fall 2006 Vogue Knitting. I'm going to do the sleeves first. They are ribbed cuffs (7") and then stockinette all the way up. The cabling is on the body. Now that I think about it I didn't look to see if the back is cabled or plain. Hmm.

hee hee!

I finally bought a spindle!! It's actually a "learn to spin" kit from an Etsy shop, SkeintilyClad. I get a spindle and 1 oz each of 4 types of roving. Perfect! I hope it doesn't take TOO long to get here since I'm impatient like that :) My ginormous KnitPicks order should be here Thursday. I got a buttload of black Mainline to make the Vogue Knitting "#19" sweater coat from the fall issue, and a bunch of Crayon for a casual sweater for me (like I'll ever get around to making it; at least it was on sale) and then a bunch of red/white/green Telemark for Fair Isle Christmas Stockings. I need to finish the pattern for those as soon as I can swatch. I'm not sure on the gauge, and that will determine the # of sts, which will determine how I fit the patterns in. Maybe I'll make it a "real" pattern like all the cool kids. Oh yeah I got 2 #1 circs for socks and some plaini sock yarn. I think that is all. :) Yay!

bucket hat

The ChicKnits felted bucket hat - before and after. Many thanks to the willing model, Zach! The "after" is kind of the "almost done" - there was much shaping and shaving after that.

log cabin progress

Also from last weekend. But zero progress on this since then :)  

adamas pic

This is the Adamas Shawl as of last weekend. I've done a few more repeats since then. Not too shabby for first lace, eh?

update

Plugging along on my Adamas shawl. I've finished 4 (5?) repeats. I've been putting in a lifeline after each repeat but haven't needed to use it yet. I'm just using sewing thread. Is that what people do for lifelines in lace?? It's working pretty well although it's a little fiddly to work the first row after putting it in. Anyway. I pulled about 15 sts off the needle the other day and managed to get them back on since my yarn is pretty sticky (KnitPicks Shadow). I've been proud of my ability to fix mistakes in previous rows, like missing yarnovers. My only concern is that it's too loose. I'm knitting to gauge but now I'm wondering if gauge in lace is supposed to be pre- or post-blocking. Oh well, it might be a tad airier than intended, but it will still be great. I decided not to rip, reskein, and wash my first hank. Should be fine.

In other news I tackled the Garterlac Washcloth with much success over the weekend, as well as the Felted Bucket Hat from ChicKnits. That was an amazingly fast knit, 4 hours maybe? I used Debbie Bliss Soho in a greyish ice blue color, because my sister picked out the pattern and yarn at Knit Happens when I visited her last fall in DC, and it was the color she wanted. They had a sample in Manos but she didn't like any of those colors.

Soho is a thick & thin yarn, but not handspun, so it's weird to see the thicks & thins coming at such regular intervals. It wasn't so nice on the hands, but it felted nicely and looks great after a vigorous shave. I didn't do a swatch first because I knew I'd be down to the wire on my yarn. The brim didn't shrink as much as I wanted it to, and next time I probably wouldn't do that part w/ yarn doubled (as the pattern directed), or adjust the stitch count. But it's cute, and I hope she likes it. I'd definitely make it again with minor tweaks. The top was a little too short and obviously this could have been avoided if I'd swatched, but I think I stretched it enough. It's probably a good thing I didn't swatch, because I only had about 5 yards left. I had 4 balls, and it took two for the brim, one for most of the sides, and the last one for the top inch of the sides and the top. It was so huge before felting. I have pics of my son modeling it before and after, it's funny. I need to find my camera cord!!

I don't have dpn's large enough to finish the top, so I used the two circs method for the first time. I really liked it. I don't like Magic Loop, but this was better. I might get some sz 1's from KnitPicks and try 2 socks at a time. Maybe I'll actually finish them both that way :)

Still haven't started the second rib & cable mitt. The M-D Kimono is in the time-out pile because I can't get the sleeves seamed nicely. And I'm mad that I made the border too long on the fronts. May need to whip out the crochet hook. Why didn't I just do it in garter stitch like normal people?! The Log Cabin is making slow progress now that the rows are getting longer. Haven't felt like picking it up lately.

wips

Cleaned out the "wip box" last night. It's one of those canvas cubes. I have two. One holds dishcloth yarn and needles, ready at a moment's notice in the living room. The other lives in the bedroom, since that's where all the serious knitting has been happening in the new apartment. So, from the box. I relegated the 95% done Sampler into the yarn bags in the closet. The first 3" of the Backgammon Tote and the first 1" of a lengthwise steeked shawl were unceremoniously pulled from their needles and also shoved into the yarn bags. I didn't unravel them. One day when I organize the yarn bags.

(The yarn bags, incidentally, are giant Ziplocs with handles. I have four of them full, I think. One is acrylic yarn for charity projects. One is finished charity projects from my knitting group this spring that are still! waiting to be dropped off. Then two are "nice" yarn and some old WIPs that are squarely on their way to being UFOs.) This is my whole stash. I think. I would love to put it all in a spreadsheet. Although, knowing me, I'd put it all in there and then never update it. But it would still be cool to see it all listed out in one place. Or scary. Although I know mine is miniscule compared to many.

The cleaning out of the box was spurred by casting on a new project and having nowhere to put it. :) I'm doing the cable & rib mitts from Spring 06(?) IK in Classic Elite Inca Alpaca. I bought this yarn in Oklahoma City while visiting the in-laws last Christmas, at Gourmet Yarn Co.

Yarn to be ordered in the near future includes a buttload of sportweight red, cream & green for fair isle Christmas stockings, another buttload of something for a casual sweater for moi and then, maybe, something black & smooth for the #19 sweater from the new VK. (The dark cabled cardigan. Love it. The button band looks a little too chunky, but of course the model is wearing a size small so I think in the 2x it should look fine.)

magic stripes socks

Can't remember if I posted these before. They are getting a little too small for him now.  

adamas

I cast on for the Adamas shawl last night and finished the first chart. I'm using the yarn called for (Knitpicks) in Oregon Coast (kind of a beige with hints of pink and green here and there - prettier than it sounds!), and size 5 needles but I think I should use size 4 instead. My yarn was wound too tightly too (and has been sitting like that for months). I think I need to rip it out, skein the yarn and dunk it, let it dry, and start over. I should probably use wood needles anyway and in that case 5 would probably be fine. I'm using aluminum now. I only have two sets of non-DPN wood needles (straights) in 7 and 8 so I guess needle shopping is in order. Ugh. I guess I'll start w/ the second skein on my metal 4's tonight and see how that goes before I decide. Actually I do have some old Susan Bates 14" straights I could try, that gray finish is less slippery than the Boyes.

The shawl will be for my grandma. She taught me how to knit and I really hope she will love it. She is funny, she gave me a round dishcloth pattern last year saying that I probably wouldn't want to make it since it was pretty tricky. Next time she visited my parents, she saw the one I whipped up for my mom on the sink and called me a stinker :) She hasn't seen much of what I've done (not that I ever FINISH anything) so I hope this will be a wonderful surprise. Her b-day is the end of Sept so if it's done by then, great, if not it will be for Christmas. After that I'd love to make kilt hose for my grandpa - he is Scottish and wears his kilt whenever he gets a chance. I have a pattern for some w/ an entrelac cuff that I'm thinking about, but I've never done entrelac before. I don't want them to look... rough.

poor neglected blog

I know, the lack of posting (not to mention pics) is awful.

I've been on a little dishcloth kick and have made 2 ballbands (from Mason-Dixon) and 3 diagonals in the last month or so. Need to take pics before they get ratty looking.

Almost done w/ the infamous Sampler from Jacqueline Fee's Sweater Workshop. First time doing fair isle, 2-handed even! It was awkward the first row but then it clicked and it's awesome. I don't see myself dropping Continental knitting at all, but I can definitely manage the two-handed thing. So - I want to make FI Christmas stockings this year. Requested a few books from the library and am on the lookout for yarn. It's hard to find a decent green!! I think I want sport weight. I guess worsted would be ok although I want it to look so... chunky. I don't really want to go down to fingering, although I wouldn't have to knit it as densely as a sock, so we'll see. But then I start thinking that maybe wool isn't the best idea, since they'll se in storage so much of the year I don't want wee beasties to get them. I wonder if moths eat wool blends?

What else... finished a Koigu sock. Pinks & browns, plain ribbed sock, short row heel & toe from the Wendy Knits book. I started w/ a 3x1 rib and increased it to 3x2 as I made my way up the leg since I have big legs. Haven't been able to start the second one because the winder is in the back of the garage. I guess I could have wound it manually. Doh.

the importance of The Stash

So the hubs and I have gotten ourselves into a bit of a financial pickle and we're faced with a choice between the three of us moving in with my parents or into a teeny 1-br apartment (we're in a 3-br townhouse now) until we can get some debt paid off. We need to get on a strict budget and methinks that yarn is going to be nowhere near the top of the priority list. So, for the foreseeable future, everything will be knit from The Stash. Now, my stash doesn't even come close to rivaling some out there; it consists of one small drawer, a 2x2x2 cabinet, a small blanket bag, and a large tote-ish thing. From my stash I could knit:

2 full-size laceweight shawls
1 laceweight scarf
1 lacy summer cardigan (for someone a lot smaller than me)
1 50x70 afghan
3 pr adult socks (100g each of LL & Koigu KPPPM, plus 150g of Regia)
2 Aran pillows
1 tote bag
countless hats, mittens, and scarves (Manos, Malabrigo, Cascade 220, Wool-ease, Encore, etc - because we need these thing in So Cal lol)

And - baby things for life from a large stash of Cotton-Ease (25-30 balls?) I acquired several months ago from someone else cleaning out THEIR stash. There are only 5 balls in any particular color (except I think I may have 6 black), not enough for something in my size, but that's ok. I could probably do a black tank, and actually I do need one...

Oh yeah and some random acrylic for my charity stuff. Although some of it is so bad I can't knit with it.
I'm sure there's more I've forgotten about.

I have a swift. I have a winder. I have many needles. The goal will be to knit only what I have. And then give the finished items as birthday and Christmas gifts. That cardi would be for my sister. I have 40 days until her birthday, lol. (Shoot, the pattern I want is $5. Guess I better find a free one.)

aww, precious

Pics of the baby hat and socks. These are for the yet-to-be-born nephew of a work friend.  

mini-layette

Hat: Umbilical Cord Hat from Stitch & Bitch. Cotton Ease in Ice Blue and Candy Blue, 64 sts, sz 8 US.
Socks: Top-down, short-row heel, "regular" toe. Cotton Ease in Candy Blue, 24 sts, ~3.75" long, sz 5 US.

Pics are still in my camera, but the striped umbilical cord hat and coordinating solid baby socks are done and gifted. I actually made three socks. The first sock seemed a little big so I made the next one on smaller needles and was much happier w/ the result. So of course I had to make a 3rd. I kind of winged it. I used 24 sts w/ light worsted weight yarn (Cotton-Ease) and size 5 needles. They are almost 4" long I think. They are so cute! So I got lots of practice w/ my short-row heels. I finally got it right on the 3rd one. One side of the 2nd sock is a little weird (I ktbl'd the stitch plus wraps and assumed that I should ptbl the other side, but really you should just p them. So the third one is perfect.) I just did a regular toe (I did these top-down because I don't really like the start of toe up especially w/ so few sts, and since these are baby socks I skipped the kitchener on the final two and just pulled the tail through the last 8 sts. I also accidentally reversed the decreases on one of them so they don't really match exactly, but only a knitter would notice and the mom isn't one (yet!) so I left it. No major holes though!

I got super anal with the hat though. But I am so happy with the result. You can hardly tell where the jump in the stripes is. I fiddled with almost every row to get the tension nice and even after I finished it. And I have a nice pretty spiral on the inside where the colors change. I didn't have a baby to try it on but it seems a tiny bit too short. The pattern said to begin the crown decreases 5" from the cast on edge, but it's a rolled edge. I unrolled it to measure but maybe I shouldn't have done that. Oh well.

my eyes are bigger than my... available time?

There are sooo many things I want to knit. The latest thing I want to make is a vest for my grandpa. I remember him wearing one that my grandma made for him and she can't handle anything more than a washcloth these days due to advanced arthritis, and I know they would both be tickled if I made him one. I already have yarn for a shawl for her. Both would be for Christmas. But shouldn't I make my Big Girl Knits' Bombshell sweater for myself first? I also want to make the Cece cardi from Chicknits for my sis's birthday (July) and I even have yarn for that in the stash (at least, I think I have enough...) but geez, I didn't even make the felted hat I promised her back in November yet!

I got another book. At Costco on Sunday they had a HUGE stack of Mason-Dixon Knitting, Big Girl Knits, and Morehouse Farm Merino Knits. I already own the first two and of course had to get the third. Costco is like Vegas. Money has a different meaning there somehow. So anyway, that's where I got the inspiration for the vest.

Oh! My swift finally came home. My sis gave it to me when we were in DC for her wedding and I couldn't fit it in my luggage, so my parents brought it back with them. (In retrospect, I could have fit it - I didn't realize that the bracket was removable.) We just saw them on Saturday. I wound up some cotton chenille just because I could, and I knew it wouldn't get damaged from sitting in a ball. I really did like the lampshade method, except some skeins were just too big around to stay on there very well. Hubby was funny; he didn't understand why I needed a swift when I already had a ball winder. Silly boy. Anyway it is the one from Joann and while it works fine, I definitely see why it's less expensive than many of the ones out there. I need to find something to store it in though, since the box didn't make it back.

no knitting

Not that I normally would be right now; I'm at work. But I'm kind of between projects and there is really nothing to do. And I have no knitting with me. I meant to stick some stuff in my bag for baby socks to go with the striped hat that I finished yesterday but didn't get around to it. I finished the other project I'd been carrying around, an orange hat for a Longhorns fan I work with. It's almost lunch time but I'm feeling too lazy to walk to my car to go somewhere (10 min walk). Oh well.

umbilical cord hat

Can you believe this is my first one of these? Stitch & Bitch was my first knitting book. Aww. I'm making a striped version, obviously. This was taken this morning; I actually finished it in the car this afternoon except for weaving in ends. I am so happy I can knit in the car. I get horribly carsick when I read, so I figured the same would apply for knitting but amazingly it's fine. Yay!!  

mason-dixon knitting

The first time I looked at this book in the bookstore, I thought it was ok but nothing exciting. I'd heard of the blog, but didn't know the concept and had never visited. So once I did, and saw the pics of things from the book, I had to get it. This is my 3rd M-D item (I already have a log cabin and a kimono in progress). It's great!!  

sock idea

Why not make the heel first? Do a toe (that is really a heel) increasing to 150% of the # of sts you'll have for the whole sock. Leave half on a holder and cast on 25% of the sock sts using backward loop. Knit around until proper length for the foot and do the toe. Then transfer the sts on holders to needles and pick up from the cast on edge across the top of the foot and knit around to make the leg.

Advantages? Easier to get the foot length correct than with toe-up and you don't have to deal with that fiddly starting bit, but you can still go until the very end of your yarn up the leg.

So I guess I "unvented" this, huh? Googled "forethought heel" and I guess it's in "Sensational Knitted Socks" - oh well. My library system doesn't have that one, so I'll go hunt it down at Borders.

Speaking of the library, I went last night and finally got a look at the (in)famous "Principles of Knitting" - I thought it was a great reference with a ton of really detailed, useful information. I wouldn't ever pay $300 for it though. Must start hitting thrift shops. I didn't check it out, but I did get Barbara Walker #3 (Charted Knitting Designs) and No Idle Hands - A History of Social Knitting. Looking forward to those.

one more book

So I did it, I caved, I got Wendy Knits yesterday. Of course, as I made a detour to grab it as we beelined toward the Dora books, Z-man did a face plant in the middle of Borders and screamed like a banshee for a good three hours. Not really, but it felt like it. Maybe 30 seconds.

I read the whole thing last night. (I hate that. I am a really fast reader and it's so disappointing to be done with a good book. I read The Da Vinci Code in one day. That is why blogs are so great. You can follow links to one after another for days on end.) I really liked the book and it's super cool that her friends were the models for the sweaters. I've been to Knit Happens (once) and it's the best yarn store ever. It's probably good that I don't live nearby.

Still plugging away on the monochrome log-cabin and coordinating kimono. One or maybe two more rounds of strips on the blanket to go. I'm on the front of the kimono. I hope I'm doing an ok job of incorporating my seed stitch edging into the angled part of the front. I was working on it in low light. I should check. That's what I get for doing it in stockinette rather than garter. Oh well, live and learn.

books!

I have been buying waaaaay too many knitting books. But they are all so good!! The last one that I really want right now is Wendy Knits. See, part of the problem was that I signed up for a free trial of Amazon Prime. I have never bought so much on Amazon in my life. But luckily that is expired now. Whew. My most recent two (actually from Barnes & Noble, bought in person!) are Mason-Dixon Knitting and America Knits. I'm making the adorable baby kimono (stockinette version w/ seed stitch edging) from M-DK and also a log cabin baby blanket - but I'm doing it in one color. I know, blasphemous!! But it's super cute and while it's not the same look as the multicolor, it's much more fun than a plain garter stitch blanket while being just about as quick. I'll get a pic soon. Both of those are for my charity knitting. I'll add some booties and a hat.

Master knitting. I really really want to do this. I'm having trouble forking over the $90 or whatever it is now just yet so I have been practicing. I worked on single rib and stockinette. Basically both are pretty atrocious in my "standard" continental knitting when I gave them a close look. Next I tried combined (which I already use sometimes on stockinette) and it was better, but still not up to the standards I think they expect. So then I tried "reverse combined" which I read on some blog somewhere, and it was amazingly even from row to row, no zig-zagging at all, and I was shocked. (The hubby wasn't impressed.) It was incredibly awkward at first but I have been practicing it on the kimono and it's becoming second nature. I'm working that on metal needles so it's not quite as even as my test swatches (which were on birch straights), but I am a convert. I actually prefer the reverse combined to "regular" combined because it's easier (for me) to work increases and decreases, since with reverse combined, on your "knit" side the stitches are oriented the "correct" way (instead of backwards like they are for regular combined).

precious

my baby in his tux 

talk about commitment!

Just got back from DC - my sister's wedding! Didn't get a chance to make it to Alexandria to Knit Happens but we did pop into the American History museum and saw the biggest spinning wheel ever!! This thing was over 5 feet tall. The hubby said he'd buy me a spinning wheel if I spun my own yarn and I about fell over. He apparently didn't realize I'd think that was a good thing, and later amended his statement to include the raising of the sheep. I don't think our condo association would go for that. The wedding was beautiful and the weekend was a lot of fun. Unfortunately my camera batteries died before the ceremony even started so I am waiting for actual wedding pics from other people's cameras. They gave really well thought-out gifts to their wedding party at the rehearsal dinner, and guess what I got? A swift!!! I pulled it out of the box and opened it up at the restaurant because everyone was curious what it was (she said it was a "knitting thing") and boy did I get some odd looks. Had really good luck with the munchkin while we were there. One of the groom's sisters has three little kids and brought her nanny along (I know) and the nanny offered to watch Z with the other kids after the ceremony. Heaven! He was such a trooper and did great on the whole trip. 

magic stripes socks are done!

Z loves them. He wore them to bed last night and to preschool today. First words out of his mouth when I put them on him? "These feel nice!" Aww he knows the way to his mama's heart. 

process vs product and random thoughts

I've been trying to decide if I'm a process knitter or a product knitter. My first instinct is "product" but there is one problem - I don't seem to finish things that often. My knitter-friends tease me for ripping things out so much, but if I decide I'm not going to finish something, might as well store the yarn in a nice relaxed way instead of letting it just kink up more. And if I'm not happy with how it's going I'd rather frog and start over instead of finishing it and never using/wearing/giving it.

I frogged Clapotis I a few weeks ago. I'd made it from Malabrigo and while it was the softest thing ever, the dye lot and bulkiness issues were too much and it sat for months. So I frogged it and skeined it and it's back in the drawer awaiting a new fate. I did see a gorgeous hat made from red Malabrigo in someone's blog yesterday. I need to find it. I also want to try that multidirectional scarf which I also need to find the link for. Maybe it was in Magknits? But in any case it will probably just sit until fall.

Last month I bought some lace yarn from Knit Picks. Also the Adamas pattern. I am excited to try a full sized shawl but I'm not sure what to do with the finished product. I guess I can give it to my grandma. She likes everything.

Which brings me to a story about a LYS in the area. I had heard wonderful things about it and finally went over there on my lunch break one day. The shop has other things besides yarn, and after I finished looking at the obvious yarn shelves I went around the store looking for more. There just wasn't that big a selection so that was it. Then I asked for sock yarn. The closest thing she had was a single skein of ArtYarns supermerino. Um, ok. Then I asked for lace weight yarn. She had a few balls of that super-soft Japanese stuff. It was almost like thread it was so fine. I said "oh that is just teeny tiny!" and she replied, "well, that is lace weight." Having no lace weight handy to compare it to, I didn't argue. The needle selection was a little disappointing as well. So I bought some Silky Wool and a pack of dpns and called it a day. She was really nice and the shop was beautiful but it just wasn't for me. Oh well.

"Progress" on Magic Stripes sock #2 - halfway through the leg, woo (and this is only 48 sts with like a 4" leg, all 2x2 rib). Had moms night out last night so not much knitting time. Bought the new Knitters, Vogue Knitting, and FCEK (already had IK). Saving the first two for the airplane next week. Read FCEK before I went to bed. Nothing too exciting. Also ordered #1 and #3 of the Yarn Harlot's books. I have read #2 several times and I (heart) it!! And... I am so excited. Big Girl Knits comes out next week!! I preordered it and I really really hope it gets here Wednesday (we leave Thurs morning). I am coveting Mason-Dixon Knitting but I have bought soooo many books and stuff that I should wait. Maybe next month.

at least I realized it before I was almost to the toe

Started the Child's French Sock from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks last night in some brown/pink Koigu KPPPM.

As I was putting it away for the night I thought I'd check the yardage in the pattern vs the skein. The Koigu has 175 and the pattern uses 200 for each sock. I thought maybe I could just leave out a leg repeat or 2 but checking Google this morning shows me that people have tended to go over in their yardage. Luckily I only have the ribbing and 2 leg repeats (of 11) done so not to painful to rip. I am still new to the sock thing and not being so confident with the yardage I'd rather use this yarn for a plain toe-up. I'll get me some Knit Picks Essentials for the fancy patterns. This pattern was a little hidden with the handpainted yarn anyway (although it did look VERY cool). Lesson learned.

I really should have been working on Zach's second Magic Stripes sock. I could have been halfway done with that in the time I spent on the Koigu.

Or my ripped-back-5-times Regia cotton one. I should try 2 at a time one of these days although I do love the dpn's.

Speaking of the Regia. Doing that one toe-up. Required much experimentation to get the right # of sts. Then I made the foot too long (using a short-row heel - and the heel was crappy looking anyway so it's good that it didn't fit). Then tried an afterthought heel but that didn't work out so well either. This time it was too short and I could hardly get it on because it was so tight around the heel part. I think I screwed up the decrease rate on the heel. I had originally started it top-down and I should have continued on that method but I wasn't liking the ribbing. I have two 100 gr balls so running out of yarn isn't an issue. So it sits on my desk with the giant tangle that once was a nice ball.

Return of the crochet hook

I lead a volunteer group in my community for knitting/crocheting items for charity. We have just one crocheter in our group and she was feeling a little left out with all the knitters, so I promised her my next project would be crochet. Now, not to brag, but I was a purty darn-good crocheter before I was a knitter. Evidence below: Anyhoo, I pulled out some fabulous Wal-mart yarn (since charity items generally need to be 100% acrylic, except for things like CIC and Afghans for Afghans, but we’re working w/ local charities, and San Diego doesn’t have much of a need for wool). I have tried no less than three different patterns, four hook sizes, single strand and double, and cannot get anything less stiff than cardboard. I really need to wash a swatch and see if that helps because this is nuts. I’m currently trying a single strand w/ a J hook (recommended for worsted is H, so 2 sizes bigger) and the fabric is looking quite open but still unbelievably stiff. I don’t get it!! I think I’ve been spoiled by all my “nice” knitting yarn. I should knit a swatch of this stuff and find out if it’s the yarn or the crocheting that is making it so nasty.

wallaby

  Finished the Wonderful Wallaby for my son - he wore it for this pic and that was it. Oh well, hopefully he wants to wear it out of the house sometime before he outgrows it! I did the size 4, added an extra inch to the body length, arms, and hood (since he's tall and has a big head!) Used 2.5 skeins of Cotton Ease and size 8. The fabric is a tad on the loose side but I was spot on with gauge to the pattern. So the combo of the cotton/acrylic yarn and the less-dense fabric makes this perfect for spring. If he'd wear it. 

look, a fo

Hat. For Zach for Christmas. He actually wore it out of the house! 2 year olds are so picky :)