Wednesday, June 27, 2007

Nothing productive accomplished today

Because I'm IN!

I got an invitation to Ravelry today!!! What fun! I've wasted a whole lot of time playing around and entering in the patterns I'm working on, what I want to do, looking at others' postings about the projects I'm doing or the ones in my queue. I haven't even started to think about uploading information on my stash or my needles yet. I don't have that much stash, I don't think. One tote-full under my bed. And I don't have many needles, either. But this will probably take me quite a while to figure out.

I finished the first chart on the second half of Scheherezade today. I haven't worked on it for a while, but I decided to pull it out today and see what I could get done. I think it will probably go back into the tote on Friday, when the first clue for Mystery Stole 3 comes out. But we'll see. Maybe I'll just keep Scheherezade around and remain constantly one year behind.

Monday, June 25, 2007

Time to knit.

Cotton Stripes Sock

I had LOTS and LOTS of knitting time this past week. I had a lot of reading for a class to do by Saturday (which sadly didn't get done on time) but I can do simple straight stockinette while reading. I'm looking forward to school starting this fall if reading time = knitting time!

My car was in the shop on Wednesday and Thursday, so I rode the bus to and from work. Waiting for the bus to come and sitting on the bus = knitting time!

I had a wedding/family reunion this weekend in Nauvoo, Illinois. It's a little town now, about 1100 residents, but back in its heyday in the 1840's it rivaled Chicago in population. There's some houses and other buildings that have been restored and preserved and there are wagon rides and other things to see. It was fun. The first place I went to was the Family Living center, where they demonstrate things like how they made candles and bread and rope and barrels and so forth. There are also demonstrations of weaving and rag rugs and so forth. I've been there before and I remembered the looms and the rope-making, but I didn't remember seeing any spinning wheels. So this time, I went looking for them. They had them there, with signs all over saying "Do Not Touch" It was so hard to keep my hands off as I tried to explain what the things were to my family and how they worked. The guide that came over to see if we had any questions acted really impressed that I knew so much about how it worked.

So, anyway, there was lots of time standing in lines and waiting for rides and waiting for my family to figure out what we were going to do next. Standing in line = knitting time!

By the way, if you EVER EVER in your life get a chance to see the Brigham Young University Ballroom Dance Company perform, you should take it without a second thought. We went to a show on Friday night and it was FABULOUS. Energetic, fun, and very entertaining. There was a song about a scientist that looked like Einstein that created the perfect Dance Partner and the "robot" costumes were awesome. Hot pink suits with a row of fringes every few inches. You'd NEVER catch anyone wearing it anywhere else, but it was perfect as the dancers Cha-cha'd across the stage. There was another dance where they turned off all the stage lights except for some black lights and did dances with giant sticks and part of their costumes were black and other parts were wild colors that showed up in the black light. The show was incredible. Needless to say, I was NOT knitting at that time. :)

With all that knitting, I'm just about done with a sock. This sock may just well become a knee sock. I've started to add some increases in the back of the sock for calf shaping. I've never done this before, and I'm not sure I'm adding increases at the right rate, but we'll see.

IMG_0576

Sunday, June 17, 2007

Look! Look! I'm finished!! Say it with me--woo-hoo!!!

Sockapalooza 4 Socks

I don't know exactly what I'm going to start on next. I've joined up with Mystery Stole 3 and received my yarn on Wednesday or Thursday--one skein of oatmeal-colored Lane Borgosesia merino laceweight. It was my first order ever from The Loopy Ewe. (My parents are talking about moving to St Louis--if they do, I'll definitely have to arrange to visit the Loopy place!) I have no idea what size needles to use for this yarn. I think I want to try some of those KnitPicks needles or the Addi Turbo Lace needles--something with a sharper point. Just starting to do a swatch on that fine yarn was kind of difficult.

I think I'll also start another sock. I've got several colors to choose from: some Brown and Pink Koigu my first Secret Pal gave me, some red Cherry Tree Hill I purchased a few months ago, or some cotton that my current Secret Pal sent me. I think I'm going to just do a plain sock because I want to train myself how to knit and read things at the same time. I'm starting school again in the fall, and I can't give up my fiber!

Saturday, June 02, 2007

Halfway

Sockapalooza 4 Sock I

I finished the first Sockapalooza 4 Sock today. I'm a little nervous about it. I'm afraid that it won't be able to stretch wide enough. The first draft was too wide, so I ripped it back. People kept asking if it were a baby hat, and I realized that I hadn't built any negative ease into the sock. I'm not sure what my pal will like, but I personally prefer my socks to be kind of tight on the foot. But I'm worried that these are too tight in the ankle. I need to find someone who has the same size foot to give it a try.

Sockapalooza 4 Sock I
(yes, I'm well aware that my legs are blindingly white. That's just the flavor I come in--plain vanilla!)

I LOVE the bind off. It's SO easy and REALLY stretchy. It's P2 tog, make the stitch you just created on the right needle very loose (or just use a needle a couple of sizes bigger than what you've been using), slip it back to the left needle, and repeat. Easy-peasy!