As Promised...

...some knitting content. Yes, in spite of being completely preoccupied with NaNoWriMo, I have gotten some actual knitting done.

First, the Charade socks I've been working on.

I was doing them in the traditional manner--one sock, cuff down--and got all the way to the toe shaping, which I proceeded to f*ck up royally. Since I had also screwed up made a teensy mistake at the top of the gusset, I decided to frog back to the gusset rather that just frog the toe. And then I said, screw this, I'm going to knit these 2-at-a-time-toe-up style. So here we are--heel turned and heading up the leg toward the cuff.

Lastly, poor Doozer was prowling around last night, bored out of his mind. Most of the toys we bought him when he first came to use are completely trashed, so I took pity on him and knitted him this mouse.

Unfortunately I didn't have any catnip, so the impact of this toy wasn't as great, but hell, it's better than a poke in the eye nothing. Today, a trip to the pet store...

Cheers!

Photo Finish

The first of my secret knitting projects is done, but you have to be on Ravelry to see it (sorry!). My Ravelry name is CTJen if you want to check it out. I even had some yarn to spare--about a yard.

Talk about a photo finish! I've started the next secret project (photos next time) and am already almost finished. Which is great because, in anticipation of cooler weather (we'll get that eventually, right?), I've been anxious to cast on a sweater for Isaac. It'll be the same as the one I knitted for Ezra back in March, only bigger. I plan on finishing that in the month of October because I may be too busy in November for knitting. Still no guesses as to what I'll be doing?

Also, I forgot to post photos of my Pirate Club booty! Isn't it pretty?

It's the Merino/Tencel blend, so it's all soft and squishy. I love the colors--very apropos for fall.

Finally, here's the progress I've made on the Charade sock in the Yarn Pirate's Rum Runner colorway. As you can see, it's coming along nicely. :-)

A Faster Way

Over at theanticraft.com, they have posted a video of Stephanie Pearl-McPhee knitting. Anyone who has seen her knit knows she is very fast; this video shows how she does it.

Thanks for the link, Topaz at Ravelry!

(I am going to try this method to see if I can beat the yardage of my secret project to the finish.)

PS--> Yarn Harlot books are great to read, but they make crap mouse pads.

A Minor Setback

I had to rip back a few inches of my secret project because I didn't "short row down" enough stitches. I'm even more anxious about my yardage now. *grumble*

Must. Knit. Faster.

The newsletter is done and I survived my foray into MS Publisher. We now return to our regularly scheduled knitting blog.

The secret project I've been working on is coming along nicely--I would say I'm about 3/4 of the way through it. I've started trying to knit faster because I fear I may run out of yarn. We'll see if this helps.

I'm still working on my charade sock. I've turned the heel and have started the gusset decreases. Really, it takes a long time to knit a sock when you only work on it while you're out and about. But that's okay. I really need to focus on my secret (read:holiday) knitting. I only have another month to get it all finished because November is booked. Can you guess what I'll be doing?

Halloween is just around the corner. Why not make up some witch jars for your kitchen?

My favorite is the jar of shrunken Garden Gnome Heads. (Thanks Crafty Crafty!)

Sock Progress

OK, I know I said I would take a break from sock knitting, but I am seriously weak. I mean, it's SOCKS. How can you take a break from knitting socks? Especially when there is Yarn Pirate Booty Club yarn in your stash!
I cast this sock on, specifically to be my traveling sock. Let me tell you, the going is slow when you are only knitting a project while you're out somewhere. It's good, though. The pattern is simple and the yarn is beautiful. It's almost like seeing an old friend when I take it out (even thought I've only been working on it for a week or so).

Speaking of sock knitting, check out these kick-ass shoes I got for fall.

I think they will show of my hand knits perfectly. Granted, I only have one pair of hand knit socks, but I'm working on more. I'm not normally a shoe person, but seriously? Could you resist?

Secret Progress and Website Wednesday

Here's the progress I've made on the secret project I started the other day. Any more guesses?

Finally, in honor of Website Wednesday, here's a link from Nea. This guy builds Escher replications from Legos. Awesome.

PS--> another link: Holly is having a destashing contest. Leave her a comment (don't forget to mention me) about a pattern you’ve knit multiple times and you could win a skein of Manos Cotton Stria and a lovely dpn case. Contest closes midnight, PDT, September 14.

Waiting Time is Knitting Time

Yesterday, we woke early--4:30 a.m.--and drove to the new children's hospital at the Westchester Medical Center. Ezra was scheduled for surgery to repair two small hernias above his belly button.

The children's hospital and grounds are beautiful. There's a massive fish tank in the lobby, the kind you might expect to see at an Aquarium. Everything is beautifully decorated and kid-oriented. I wish I'd brought my camera. Of course, at the time we got there, it was also deserted and therefore very peaceful and quiet.

We checked in at Admitting and headed over to Pediatric Surgery to wait. We were early so we waited a long time. I tried to knit, but Ezra was having too much fun climbing all over the furniture, so I had to be vigilant lest he crack his head open on the floor.

Finally it was our turn. The nurse took us to the back where Ezra's vitals were checked and he was given a cute hospital gown and some little socks (again, why didn't I bring my camera?). He played with the curtain and explored the hospital crib. They gave me a disposable white jumpsuit to wear, a blue hair cover, and a surgical mask. I felt utterly ridiculous (Thank heavens I didn't bring my camera!).

It wasn't long before the anesthesiologists came to take us to the OR. We went in and Ezra sat on my lap while they got the operating table ready. Then, the anesthesiologist had me hold Ezra while he put the gas mask over his nose and mouth. He fought the mask for a moment, then got a few deep breaths and was out, gone, unconscious. I was escorted from the OR back to the waiting room.

It's hard not to worry about your little baby, even while trusting that the doctors are perfectly capable and skilled and that they have all the necessary equipment and monitors to keep him alive. So, I waited and knitted and tried not to worry. I thought a little about what I did to wait before I discovered knitting. I smoked (a lot, but not anymore). I read (I remember reading). I wandered. Now, I knit.

The doctor came in after an hour and a half. The surgery was done and Ezra came through with flying colors! I went back to recovery and nursed him. Then he slept. I knitted some more and chatted with the nice nurse who was monitoring him. Then, he was awake and that was that. We were checked out and sent on our merry way.

During all my waiting time yesterday, I'd knitted about 2 inches of this (I'd already done the ribbing, so it was 2 inches in the stitch pattern). I'll post pictures another day.

Arrived By Post Today

Isn't it lovely? I ordered the 9 mm for two reasons: first, it's the size I needed for one of the secret projects I am working on and, second, it's a size that does not come with the Knit Picks Options set. I do not yet own the KP Options set, but when I get it, I will have already extended it. That's me, always thinkin'!

While I was waiting for the needles to arrive in the mail, I cast on this:

another secret project. Can you guess what it is?

The Toe-up Tigers Are Done!

DSC00342.JPG
Originally uploaded by rhymer573

The Toe-Up Tigers Are Done!

I finished them late last night while watching a movie on the TV machine. These were my first ever toe-up socks and the first pair I knitted simultaneously. I really enjoyed this method--no second sock syndrome! Instead of making two separate balls of yarn, I just pulled the yarn from the inside for one sock and the outside for the other. Once I got the hang of keeping the strands separate, it all went smoothly.

Stitch pattern: 5x1 rib
Yarn: Opal Rainforest
Colorway: Tiger (can't you tell?)
Needles: 2 mm

Even thought I have some really amazing sock yarn in my stash I think I'm going to take a break from knitting only socks for now. I'm not sure what to cast on next, however. Either this or this. Or maybe this.

Oh, that reminds me. Isaac, who back in February decided he'd wanted to be a bat for Halloween, told me yesterday that he'd changed his mind and now wants to be a dragon. Luckily, he has a dragon costume already. Also, if he is going to change is mind every 5 minutes, he's going to have to settle for something NOT knitted (hah).

Fashion Forward?

I am not, by any stretch of the imagination, a fashion trend-setter. I do my best to look presentable with what I can buy at Target or Lane Bryant. Occasionally, I watch What Not To Wear (US version) and I own the book written by the creators of the UK version. I have sort of a loose understanding of what's in style and an even looser understanding of what looks good on my body, but I'm a stay at home mom. My primary goal is to be comfortable while chasing children and managing a household without wearing pajamas all day long.

Imagine my utter surprise when Buzz Feed posted these links. Now check out this, my little felted bag from January. And that's not even the original. I based the dimensions on a tiny purse my friend Jen gave me as a bridesmaid gift when she got married 11 years ago (the strap on it finally gave out and I needed a replacement). I am really on the cutting edge of a new fashion trend or am I just having delusions of grandeur again? Oh dear.


Don't forget to take the poll and leave a comment on yesterday's post to enter the drawing for a set of hand-crafted stitch markers (made with Swarovski crystal beads!).

Short Row Heels

I turned the heels of the toe-up tigers this weekend.

The pattern I was using was from the Summer 2007 Interweave Knits article by Ann Budd. She has you do the YO method of short rowing but frankly, I just couldn't grasp that. Something about doing the YO just hurt my brain, so I thought I'd try the wrap and turn method. I found that to be cumbersome and confusing as well.

So, I got my Google foo Google-fu on and found this post from nonaknits about Japanese short rows, but seriously? When you are knitting socks, do you want to have 9 million little stitch markers cluttering up your heel? Heck, socks are supposed to be a portable project.

Anyway, it was around the time that I was putting on the 8,999,999th little stitch marker that I realized all you're doing to close the gap between turns is a M1 increase and then knitting it together with the turned stitch. That's what all of those methods are about. So, I figured I'd just do that and forget about the stitch markers, or doing YOs or wraps and turns. Guess what. The heels look great. Well, maybe not great, but they sure are good enough.

Anyone out there ever do a short row heel before? What is your favorite method? Take my poll and leave a comment (be sure to include your email address). You could WIN a set of 5 lovely hand-crafted-by-me stitch markers! The winner will be picked by random number generator on September 1st, 2007 and notified by email. Good luck!

***Update 8/14: I will announce the reader on the blog and we'll work out contact information at that point.***

***Update 8/15: A clarification: Only comments left on THIS post will be entered into the contest for the drawing. I figured I'll probably post at least once more before the 1st of Sept.***

Summer Fun

Last Sunday, we went to Lake Compounce. It was miserably hot that day, and dreadfully crowded (a surge of humanity). Mostly I stayed with my sister and one or both of the kids on the beach by the lake while my DH and her BF went on roller coaster rides (I'm just not a roller coaster person). I tried to knit. Here are my SIPs watching the children fight over who gets to own the patch of dirt we were sitting on build sand "castles".

Here is the water slide we were sitting under. Isn't the sky a beautiful shade a blue?

Afterward, we were all hot and dirty but decided to go out for pizza anyway. I tried my hand at Kinnearing my sister and her boyfriend. How come it looks like I said, "pretend I'm not taking a picture"? I totally didn't.

Finally, here are my SIPs today. I'll be turning the heels. How about a haiku?

knitting socks toe-up
goes faster if you can do
two at the same time

Jaywalkers Done!

I finished the Jaywalkers for my MIL yesterday.

Yarn: Tofutsies
Color: #733
Needles: 2 mm

A fun pattern and an excellent yarn. They are beautiful and soft and I think she will love them.

After I wove in all of the ends, I cast on these (again!) for my FIL.

These were originally going to be Jaywalkers, but that didn't work out. Then they were going to be plain old double ribbed socks. I wasn't too thrilled with that either. Now I am doing two socks at a time in a 5x1 rib. I'm going to call them Toe-up Tigers.

A note on knitting my first two-at-a-time-toe-up pair. I can't help but think they look like boobs.

And now, we return to our regularly scheduled blog

A lot of people out there are knitting socks. I know because I saw you last night, with your teeny tiny DPNs or dangling circulars, and oh so pretty sock yarns. Oh, yes. You're out there.

And why not? Sock knitting is fun, portable, and instantly gratifying. That is, at least until you finish the first sock and start on the second. It's called Second Sock Syndrome, and I'm sure you've heard of it. You may even suffer from it. But now, there's a cure for SSS. It's the Second Sock Swap!

Sign up and you'll "only ever need to complete one sock at a time, and you'll still get pairs, Hooray!"

Check it. (Link via Crafty Crafty, thanks!)

I think it might be too big...

Here's the progress on my first toe-up sock.

Doesn't it look big to you? It is, it's just about 12 inches long. Big enough for my husband's size 13's but I think that my FIL is more like a size 10. I decided to rip back a little, so I pulled out the needles, then I thought it might look nice with a different ribbing pattern--maybe a 3x1 or a 4x1. I haven't decided so the sock is on vacation while I sort it out.

In the mean time, I started this:

I am almost positive I do not have enough yarn for a pair of socks, so I was thinking I would do just one really spectacular and adorable kid-sized sock. Perhaps a lacy knee-high. We'll see. The Jaywalker for my MIL is still incommunicado--having a vacation at my friend's house.

One Finished Jay

Told you I'd post a photo! :-)

One Jaywalker Down...

One Jaywalker to go. Pictures tomorrow.

Hah.

Did you know that the Sweater Curse has its own Wiki?

Knitters use the term Sweater Curse or the Curse of the Love Sweater to describe a situation in which a knitter gives a hand-knit sweater to a significant other, who quickly breaks up with the knitter. In an alternative formulation, the relationship will end before the sweater is even completed.

Houston, we have a problem

I took yesterday off from knitting my Summer of Socks socks and instead read a fun Carl Hiaasen book. (Actually, I was already about halfway through the book, so I only read 1/2 the book yesterday.) I recommend anything by Hiaasen if you are in the mood for some fun, well-written light reading that does not involve muggles, firelizards, Aes Sedai, or any kind of spaceships.

Anyway, the reason I took the day off and read instead of knitted is because the jaywalker was on a timeout. The other night, I was knitting along, watching The Bourne Identity with Mr. Interrupted when I looked down and saw a hole. (When am I going to remember that I am supposed to be a knit blogger and that this is exactly the sort of thing I should be taking pictures of?) It was a massive hole surrounded by random, free-form decreases--I must have been tired. It was a mess, and I had to put the Jaywalker on a timeout while I thought about how to fix it.

I really did not want to rip back the sock, even a few rounds because, while I am capable of picking up the stitches, I find it incredibly tedious and didn't feel like doing it. So this morning I started out by dropping the FUBAR stitches (it was three rounds' worth).

Then, I took out my crochet hook and extra size zero needles and I started knitting up the dropped stitches.

I had to do a triple decrease instead of a double when I got to the top, but I think it'll be OK. The intended recipient of these socks won't notice.

I'm feeling a little tickled with myself, even though I'm positive I'm not the first knitter to fix a mistake this way. Now I can keep on knitting. At least until July 21st when I will probably end up reading instead of knitting.