Wednesday, May 31, 2006

Summer is for Socks

Do you know why Summer is for Socks?
Because it's hot. Really, really hot. In fact right very now it's 34*. That's 34*C. It's 94*F and, just to round things out a bit, it's 307*Kelvin. Really freaking hot.
A sweater is going to lay on your lap like an evil sheep that wants to cuddle you 'til you pass out from heat exhaustioun. Afghans are right out - evil *HERD* of sheep, plus the sheepdog and shepherd. I'm finishing up TDS, I'm only fourteen or so repeats away from casting off and I am so done. Sweat + wool = sad. It's going to be a very nice shawl. Iris says I should give it to her Granny, but I'm not sure.
"Here, mom, I made you this grey lace shawl. Isn't it pretty? Now you can really look like an old lady!"
Umm, no.
I may be wrong. It's been known to happen. I'll have to ask and see how she feels about it. Can I be sneaky about it? Is she going to read this blog? Only time will tell! Tune in next time for...
pictures?
maybe?

Friday, May 26, 2006

Long time no post. I've kind of had a week and everything is just thrown off kilter. I haven't done a whole lot of knitting this week (due to off-kilterness) but I did get a hankercheif finished in memory of my friend who passed away last sunday. I started on another one and my goal is to make four for the four sisters who lost their dad.
I'm making progress on the Mystery shawl #2. I've turned the corner and now I'm on the home stretch. Me and Becky are just about in the same place now. We have a quart of Ben & Jerry's each in mind for when we finished. Cherry Garcia for me, something involving peanut butter for her. For all the cussing and frustration and whatnot, it's going to be a beautiful shawl that I'm never knitting again.
MladyM's socks are nearly done. I really like how they're turning out and I'm going to try to get a picture of them before I mail them out. I'm at the gussett of sock #2 and nearly done with that, so I'm very almost at the catfish puppet stage.
About a week ago, I went to the Knaughty Knitter and picked up some stuff so that I can teach myself how to spin. I'm certain that it's not the most wonderful, consistent, perfect string in the whole world, but I took the fluff, made it go roundy-roundy, and now it is string. My plan is to keep spinning until I feel like there's enough on the spindle, then do it again and ply. Whee!
I like spinning. Spinning is cool. I make string.

Thursday, May 18, 2006

Okay, still no pictures. Man, do I need to get my camera back.
So, I've been a bit distracted by life happening around me. I'm kind of at a zen place with it all now. But, anyhow, on to adventures in string.

(looks at shawl) Yep, I feel like I've got about 20% of the whole thing to go. I'm one pattern repeat past the middle and if I bust arse on it, I could have it done by... July? Maybe? I'm loathe to set an actual finish date because I don't actually know how long it's going to take me. I'm certainly going to be doing the happy dance of joy when I finally do finish. As an additional motivator, the only other thing I'm working on is a pair of socks. When I finish those (and that should be soonish, I'm on sock#2), I've got another pair for someone not me and then it's on to a pair for me or else to finish the Husband!foot-sweaters. We'll see how adventurous I'm feeling. Anyhow, only shawl and sock until shawl is done. When sock is done, sock gets cast on. Then another sock, then another. Such is the way of sock-knitting. After this pair, I'm going to try toe-up ala Wendy Knits.
In the meantime, I plan to re-chart the fair isle for Iree's cardigan. I may even move the needles a size or so up, I don't know.

Wednesday, May 10, 2006

Still no pictures. My sister has my camera 'cause I, like the dork I am, forgot to get it back from her after we got back from Eden's birthday party. Lots of birthday pics, and a pic of the current sock-in-progress ala Harlot.
But, there is progress to be had. Check the sidebar.
The bridesmaid's dress is **DONE**
She liked it, it fits, it looks great, and she gave me pennies.
Didja get that last part? She gave me pennies.
Sock #1 of 2 of MladyM's socks is done. 2nd sock is cast on.
The Husband socks are stagnant because I can't get any more of the Essential in black until June. I've finished the 1st sock and I have two skeins for sock #2, but I know that it's going to take more than that. I have a third skein that I was considering for another sock, so I'm thinking I may weigh it and split the skein.
Bored now. I need encouragement. I need to work on MS#2 (aka T.hat D.ang S.hawl). Perhaps with that as the at home project and the MladyM socks as the while I'm out project, I'll get them both done. What I don't need is to start something new and different and shiny.
Time to work on TDS.

Wednesday, May 03, 2006

Okay, so no pictures today, but a lot of update. The MladyM socks have suffered a major setback. My working gauge was 3/4 a stitch off, making it waaaay too wide. It was bad. I ripped the whole thing back. Monday I thought that I had put in a size 2 amongst the 1's, but it turns out not to be the case. I just had a looser working gauge. I'm about six stripes into it rather than being almost done with the first sock. No worries. It's only a sock.

No real progress on the MS#2 because of the sock issues.

But I cut out the bridesmaid's dress today. I had thought at first that the wedding to which this was to be worn was at the end of the month, but it turns out that I have a week to finish. Hence the busting arse on it today. I want to get some of it sewn tonight, but I'm going to have to read and reread the pattern to make sure I'm doing it right. It's a sleeveless thing with a shaped bodice and boning. The skirt will be easy-peasy; it's two pieces. The bodice is a bit more fussy and I want to approach it with caution. At least there are no weird sleeves.

Na'ama's skirt is being mailed right very now. It's a week later than I had planned, but it's on its way to its owner. She sent me popovers as part of my payment. I asked for something you can't find here in town and she sent a box full of these wonderful pastries that are hollow in the middle and just want for fruit and cream or something to fill them. They came with apple butter. The label read "Ingredients: Apples. That's it!" Amazing how good food is when it doesn't have all that extra crap in it.