June Gift List

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.

I made very little progress in May, but I feel a breakthrough coming on.

May Wrap Up:

1. Gift Item: A lace shawl. This is my large project for the second quarter challenge. (Rollover)
Progress: I actually did some useful swatches. I'm going to post more details later.

2. Gift Item: Finish Boogie Time (2 of them) (Rollover)
Progress: I'm still stuck. I still need a watch face that works for a boy.

3. Gift Item: Rainbow Socks (Rollover)
Progress: I finally found the sock!

4. Gift Item: Jen's Purse (secret knitting - Rollover)
Progress: I bought the yarn, now I need to knit it.

5. Gift Item: Dad's Topo Chico Cozy (Mystery Knitting/Felting)
Progress: finished.

June Gift List:

1. Gift Item: A lace shawl. I'm really going to finish it! (Rollover - Again)
Recipient: Grandma
Occasion: Christmas
Deadline: June 2008, for the Second Quarter Challenge.

2. Gift Item: Finish Boogie Time (2 of them) (Rollover - Again)
Recipient: Family Friends
Occasion: last Christmas
Deadline: Overdue

3. Gift Item: finish my sister's socks (rollover - Again)
Recipient: Sister
Occasion: Birthday
Deadline: Overdue

4. Gift Item: Jen's Purse
Recipient: Friend
Occasion: Birthday
Deadline: Overdue

5. Gift Item: Socks
Recipient: Male Relative
Occasion: Christmas
Deadline: Let's say December 18, to give me enough time to mail it.

May Gift List

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.

Lots of stalling in April. I'm stuck in a couple of my projects.

April Wrap Up:

1. Gift Item: A lace shawl. This is my large project for the second quarter challenge.
Progress: Still no work since this pathetic swatch. I'm looking for the needles I want to use.

2. Gift Item: Finish Boogie Time (2 of them) (Rollover)
Progress: I'm still stuck. I still need a watch face that works for a boy.

3. Gift Item: Rainbow Socks (Rollover)
Progress: I haven't done any work on this since I lost the sock! (I'll find it eventually.)

4. Gift Item: Fetching (Rollover)
Progress: Finished

5. Gift Item: Mystery Crochet
Progress: I crocheted a red blood cell for my Mom's birthday. It's finished.

May Gift List:

1. Gift Item: A lace shawl. This month I want to settle on a yarn, pattern and needles, then knit a swatch, block it and cast it on. (Rollover - Again)
Recipient: Grandma
Occasion: Christmas
Deadline: June 2008, for the Second Quarter Challenge.

2. Gift Item: Finish Boogie Time (2 of them) (Rollover - Again)
Recipient: Family Friends
Occasion: last Christmas
Deadline: Overdue

3. Gift Item: finish my sister's socks (rollover - Again)
Recipient: Sister
Occasion: Birthday
Deadline: Overdue

4. Gift Item: Secret Knitting
Recipient: Friend
Occasion: Birthday
Deadline: Late May

5. Gift Item: Secret Knitting/Felting
Recipient: Top Secret!
Occasion: Birthday
Deadline: Late May

Startitis

A lot of people are using March to finish up lingering project. However, I seem to be letting them pile up. I have Startitis and I'm not doing anything about it.

It's time for a WIP round up.

This is the first time the Rainbow Socks have made an appearance on my blog. That's because they are a birthday gift for my sister, and since I've already done the old wrap-a-pair-of-unfinished-socks-for-a-gift trick, I can now reveal them to the world.

These socks have had bad mojo so far. They were slow to start, I kept forgetting them at home as I was trying to make the birthday deadline, and they keep coming off the needles. (I need to get my dpn holder thingy out again.) Although I consider myself pretty good with short rows, these aren't quite right, which is causing puckers. (Even after reading this helpful tutorial.)

Each short row section is supposed to have four unworked stitches left in the round before finishing the section. The first short row section was fine, but ever since then I end up with either two, six or at one point three stitches left. I kept counting them over and over again, and everything added up.

But just now, as I was getting the socks out for a picture, a needle came out (again) and suddenly I was stitch short and I have no idea where it went.

So these are going into time out until I can input from my sister (to see how picky she is) and my Mom (to figure out where I went wrong.)

I've dubbed these two Boogie Time watches "Even More Boogie Time" To differentiate them from all the other Boogie Time watches I've made. These are really late Christmas gifts.

As you can see, I've cast off, but they still need to be sewn up. However, the real problem has been finding a watch face that will work for a boy for the striped one. (No luck at all the thrift stores I've checked so far.)

Way back in January, I talked about "starting" the Candy sweater from Knitty? Yeah, I haven't made it past the swatch. I haven't even blocked the swatch. (And I want to be sure to block the swatch to be sure of the gauge before I do the math....yada yada yada.)

Strangling Vines continues to get the most attention these days, even when there are birthday gifts to knit, etc. It is a total luxury project, and it's just for me. (And it will be less puckery after blocking.)

This isn't even counting the "inactive" projects, the secret design I have planned, my plans for Silk Cotton that are forming in my head, the projects I owe other people that aren't technically "gifts," etc.

And with all this going, what am I going to work on before I go to bed?

I'm casting on (or at least winding the yarn for) Fetching to join all the Malabrigo March Madness on Ravelry.

Bits and Pieces

This link came up on my Gmail today. I have no idea why. And are these really any better than band aids?

I’m having all sorts of computer problems tonight. For now, I’m blaming the weather, because that does not require tech support from my cable company. Some sites just don’t want to load, including Blogger. (I’m typing this on a word doc so I can cut and paste later.)

Quote of the day:
“Home is the place where, when you have to go there, they have to take you in.” – Robert Frost (recently seen on Knitgrrl’s blog)

Hi, Mom. *waves*

FO: Mom's I Meant to do that Socks

Cross posted at Sally Comes Unraveled and Year Long Gift-A-Long.

Last night I finished Mom's socks. They're only about two months late for Christmas.

I used my short, US size 2 bamboo dpns and Hill Country Yarns Instant Gratification Sock Yarn in "Lavender Sachet." I purchased the yarn at The Knitting Nest.

Unlike the Longhorn Socks, I didn't run out of yarn before I finished. But the yarn was a joy to knit with, as it was with the Longhorn Socks.

This is the Beaded Rib pattern from Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks. As I mentioned before, I screwed up the ribbing early on and just decided to go with it. Round One of the pattern stitch said "*p1, k1, p1, k1, p1* repeat from *." Without thinking, I just started doing a 1x1 rib.

This were knit toe up, with a provisional cast on and a short row heel. I also used the sewn bind off to prevent the edges of the sock from being too tight.

I think I made some mistakes on the first toe, but it's hard to notice. Also, I sewed up a couple of small gaps at the corner of the heels.

Mom seemed pretty happy with them, and they fit okay. She put them on right away because her feet were cold. They are "around the house" socks. Mom often wears my Dad's socks around the house for extra warmth. This is a nicer (and better fitting) alternative.

Socks and Politics

Here are Mom's socks as of right this moment. I know I can finish these tonight if I push it, but I think I'll wait until tomorrow and do a little spinning before bed instead.

I worked on the socks while I watched the Clinton/Obama debate at UT. I've been undecided, and as of now I am still undecided. I'm running out of time because my primary in Texas is the first week of March. I found myself leaning toward Clinton because of her stance on health care. Both candidates want universal health care, but Clinton seems to be the one that is willing to step on some toes to get it.

On one hand, I'm lucky to have health insurance, but on the other hand, it's not luck. I've made conscious decisions to ensure I have insurance. Health insurance has been one of the main deciding factors in the jobs I've had since graduating college. In fact, it's played a role in just about every life changing decision I've made since high school. I have a couple of chronic health problems that require prescription medication. The medication alone would cost well over $1,000 a month if I didn't have health insurance. I have career goals in the fiber arts world that would forcee me to find my own health insurance. I think this is the biggest financial obstacle I have in my career goals. I would gladly pay higher taxes if it meant not worrying about my health coverage every time I change jobs.

I'm also interested in the plagiarism accusations the Clinton camp is making against Obama. I'd like to research that myself before making a decision on that.

Also, a week or two ago Cobbalicious made some good points about the campaign. I think there is very little overt sexism and racism going on. If anything, there is more of the opposite, people who will vote for Clinton or Obama simply because "it's about time" a woman or a black person became president. However, I think it comes out almost subconsciously in the way we judge the candidates. I think this is especially true for Clinton. (See this CNN article for some evidence.)

If you have a supported argument for or against either Clinton or Obama, I'd like to hear it. So far, it seems like all I've heard are personal endorsements based on a vague sense of the candidate's personality. I'd like to hear some opinions with some more meat to them.

WIP: Mom's I Meant To Do That Socks

Tonight while I was at Ross and Jen's house I finished one of Mom's socks and started the second.

I'm tired tonight, so this is all you get. Check back tomorrow for more inspired blogging.

Making Progress

I'm taking a break from posting all my yarn crawl stuff to catch up on some of my other projects.

I spun this out of the Corriedale I bought at Yarnivore. Mom found some online videos about spinning with a drop spindle, and one of them talked about the "park and draft." The park and draft is where you spin the spindle, pinching point where the roving turns into yarn. Then you stop the spindle and hold it between your knees (or in my case, between my feet) and then draft, letting the twist travel up the fiber. I think I'm improving. The yarn above is what I spun last weekend.

This is the yarn I spun last night. I'm not sure if it shows up in the picture, but it's a definite improvement. I even did a little spinning and drafting at the same time last night. (Just a little.)

Mom's Niddy Noddy is getting full. There are three layers of yarn here, the first is the natural white stuff Mom let me practice on, the second is the vomity autumny Romney and the top layer is the gray Corriedale.

Meanwhile, Mom saw my blog post on the Spindolyn and went ahead and ordered one. I'm a little jealous, but hopefully I'll get to borrow it at some point.

I won some yarn on the Knitters Scavenger Hunt. I get one skein of Malabrigo Worsted in "Red Java." I told Jules about the contest, and he remembered Malabrigo from visiting Gauge and The Knitting Nest. He was impressed enough by the softness to remember the name of the yarn.

I finally started the socks I promised Mom for Christmas. I wrapped the yarn as a Christmas gift, and I promised I would use it to knit wear around the house. These are supposed to be the beaded rib socks from Sensational Knitted Socks. However, I realized early on that I screwed up in the second round of the rib pattern. I decided to just go with the uneven looking rib and call them "Mom's I Meant To Do That Socks." I'm also ignoring the wonky looking toe. (The numbers didn't seem to add up onthe short row toe.)

I'm also trying to ignore the hole in the heel. (I'll probably try to sew that hole up at some point.)

Of course, I giving the socks full of mistakes to one of the few recipients who can see the mistakes.

The last thing I want to mention is the Westminster Dog Show. I don't care which dog won. But the leads on these wire stories make me want to hurl. Start dancin', Snoopy. You're out of the Westminster doghouse. and America has a new Snoop doggie. were a couple I found from AP. These are the type headlines my former editors wanted. Reading these stories make me both queasy and nauseous at the same time. *shudder*

FO: Back to Basics

So, it's only about a month late, but the Back to Basics socks I made my sister for Christmas are finished. I bound off last night.

I went to my parents' house this evening to give them to her. She was cooking with her boyfriend, and she had me put them on her feet because her hands were dirty. She liked them, and she thought they were soft. However, they were a little big, as I had feared.


You can see the bagginess on the right foot. It's even more pronounced in this picture. However, she didn't seem to mind the bagginess too much. (And if I had gone a needle size smaller, they would probably be too small.)

I used South West Trading Company TOFUtsies in "Foot in the Door" 725 and US Size 0 aluminum dpns. I translated the pattern for a set of five dpns. (The pattern shows you how to knit them on two circulars.)

TOFUtsies consists of wool, Soysilk, cotton and Chitin. It doesn't have the elasticity of typical wool yarns. I think my gauge would have been fine in regular wool. The good news is that it seems like nice and breathable. Also, the yardage is excellent. I have enough left to make a sock for Heather Mills. (I'm going to hell for that one.)


They look really weird off the foot because the increases are mostly on top of the foot, not to the sides like regular socks.


Her boyfriend needs a pair too.

FO: Jules's Gentleman Socks

This socks were a long time coming.

Last summer, I went on the yarn crawl with the Meetup group. Sandra Singh allowed us to come into her home to shop for yarn. (She has an online business.) We were all excited because Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock was on sale.

Jules and I had been talking for a couple of months at that point. I decided to get some yarn for socks for Jules. If we made it to Christmas, I would knit him some socks. He would be sockworthy by then.

I went back and forth on which color to get. I normally choose stuff too bright for the average guy. I almost went home with Blackwatch, but then I casually looked at something in a sandier color. I saw the colorway was Seaside, and I knew that was the yarn I had to get. Jules loves the ocean. I bought three skeins just to be sure I had enough. (I only needed two skeins, since I shortened the leg.)

Fast forward to October. We had been "official" for a while, and we were making plans for him to come and visit. I went back and forth on which socks to make. If you can't tell, a name can really sell me sometimes. I considered Boyfriend Socks, but the pattern wasn't right for this type of variegated yarn. I finally settled on Gentleman Socks, because he called his scarf "gentlemanly." Also, the crossed stitches seemed good for the yarn, and the ribbing was forgiving. After all, I couldn't measure his foot for myself.

And trying to get foot measurements was a hassle. He told me his shoe size, I consulted books, consulted the pattern, called him again, asked for measurements, asked other knitters, called and asked to re-measure....you get the picture. I finally settled on a men's medium.

Gauge was another issue. I kept going smaller and smaller, until I got 8.5 stitches per inches on US size 000. Ravelry doesn't even go that low. (In case you're tuning in late, I have very loose gauge. The pattern calls for US size 1.)

I think if there was less of a time crunch with the holidays, I would have enjoyed it more. But I was running out of time. The crossed stitches meant I had 80 stitches on tiny needles. I'd sit down at knitting group to work on it, and when I'd leave I'd look down and think "that's all I got done?"

It was my fault for choosing a pattern with such a small gauge. It wasn't really a difficult pattern, just tedious. Like I said, it wouldn't have been a big deal if there hadn't been a time cruch. I'd knit them again.

The sole was interesting too. There was the weird slip stitch pattern to help the socks fit around the arch better. I was skeptical, but it worked. (I have pretty flat feet, so I don't need design features like that.)

I spent three weeks on these socks. (Imagine if I'd hadn't shortened the leg. The pattern says to make it eight inches long.) It was good to knit socks with a larger gauge after I was done.





You're probably wondering if he liked them...



...I think so.

My boyfriend is sockworthy.

FO: Longhorn Socks

Success!

If you recall, when we last saw these socks, I had run out of yarn just a few rounds away from finishing the toe of the second sock.

Well, Plan A worked.

I showed up to The Knitting Nest Monday night, and asked Stacy if she had gotten my Ravelry message. I went to put my stuff down, and before I could pull out the socks, she had checked her messages and gotten out a ball of yarn.



I was saved.

I sat down right there and finished knitting the toe. This ball was from another dyelot, however. But at this point, I called it close enough.











I had a debate over how to join the yarn. I tend to do knots, despite the fact that you're not "supposed" to join with knots. I'm always paranoid about it coming undone. However, I didn't want the knot to be in the toe.

Someone suggested Spit Splicing. The only time I had done it before when I was felting, and I wasn't very confident it would hold. Stacy said to rub really hard against my pant leg. I rubbed it until I could feel the heat from the friction.

Although it's superwash wool (and the link I posted said it won't work with superwash) it turned out well. I think I'll spit splice more often. Of, course, I should have cut off the orange end of the yarn and spliced it where it was all white to avoid the barber poll effect. But I called it close enough.

If you look very closely, you can tell that the toe is darker than the rest of the sock, and you can see the spit splice barber pole if you look even closer. But the variations in the hand dyed yarn make it difficult to see unless you look for it.

Finally, here are the vital stats:

These are the Slipped Stitch Rib socks from Sensational Knitted Socks. These are knit for a men's US Size 8 1/2 in a gauge of six stitches per inch (if you are not familiar with the book, all the patterns are in a large range of sizes and gauges.) I used US Size 2 bamboo needles and Hill Country Yarns Instant Gratification Sock Yarn in the "Hook 'Em" colorway. One skein is supposed to make an average size pair of socks. These took a little more than one skein.

This is some lucky person's Christmas gift.

NOOOOOOO!!!!

On Thanksgiving, I returned to my parents house with a full stomach, and decided it was time to polish off these socks.

I noticed my yarn running low, but I was getting close, so I wasn't worried.

But then, I ran out about as I was decreasing on the toe.

NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!

So, as I see it, here are my contingency plans:

Plan A - Talk to Stacy at The Knitting Nest, where I bought the yarn, and she if she has a few yards lying around that I could use.

Plan B - Wait for The Knitting Nest to get in more of the Hill Country Yarns "Hook 'Em" colorway, and buy a whole other skein. I could always make something else with the rest. I have lots of family and friends who root for the Longhorns.

Plan C - See if I can unravel the toe of the first sock, and get away with them being shorter. I know the recipient's shoe size, and I've been following the measurements in Sensational Knitted Socks Someone at my knitting group with bigger feet than the recipient tried them on, and they fit. But you have to account for stretch and the fact that it's not an exact science. (After all, they don't sell commercial socks by the shoe size.) Of course, that could also prove that I can make them shorter.

Plan D - Unravel both toes and finish them with a complimenting color.

I'm (probably) heading to The Knitting Nest tomorrow evening. We'll see about Plans A and B.

Wish me luck!

They don't call it "Instant Gratification" for nothin'

This was my progress a little more than 24 hours after casting on my Longhorn Socks. The Hill Country Yarns Instant Gratification Sock Yarn is listed in Ravelry as "DK/Sport," which explains my progress. It makes me ponder the possibility of knitting an entire sweater out of the stuff. It's very soft.

I've actually knit even more since I took this picture. I'm now more than 30 rounds into the second sock. I think the cure for Second Sock Syndrome is to cast on the second sock right away. I've never had Second Sock Syndrome (sure, I've had Half Sock Syndrome and One and a Half Sock Syndrome, but never Second Sock Syndrome.)

I talked with Lynn at the Meetup group today, and she confirmed my theory. There is no reason to block socks unless you care how the look when they are not being worn. I'm glad I don't have to worry about it. These look a little wonky because the slipped stitch rib pulls it in so much, but they look great stretched out.

(Please let me know if you disagree with this theory. I'm wondering if I'm missing something.)

I also discovered that Alicia is doing the same sock, only with a much smaller gauge. After my last mystery project, it's good to be using something in a larger gauge.

I like sport weight sock yarn. :)

WIP: Longhorn Socks

Just last night I finished the first of my many NaKniSweMo projects. It was not looking good.

But tonight I managed to make it down to the heel flap of what I'm calling my "Longhorn socks." No, I'm not a Longhorn, but the lucky recipient is.

This is Hill Country Yarns Instant Gratification Sock Yarn in "Hook 'Em."

Remember my rant about Hill Country Yarns? The Knitting Nest carries it now. They also special ordered some other schools, including my alma mater, Texas State (formerly Southwest Texas State.)

As long as my last project took (I can't post it now, it's top secret) it's a relief to use sport weight yarn. And to finally be making swifter progress.

The Funeral: FO-ish: Sock Wars II Socks

With as late as the post is, is it any wonder that I died in Sock Wars II before I even finished my first pair?

I'm actually surprised I lasted as long as I did. I was out of town on a church retreat when they e-mailed our assignments. There were pictures of completed socks already uploaded when I finally got the pattern off my friend's laptop.

I had planned ahead of time, and used valuable packing time swatching to get gauge. It took US size 1 needles to get gauge in Claudia Hand Painted Yarn Sport (color: Circus Dancer. Part of me wishes I had kept this yarn for myself.)

I really like the pattern. It incorporates "smocking" (or at least that's what Lyndsey said it was.) It inspired me to use smocking in future designs. I think it looks especially good on handpainted yarn. The two lines of smocking are supposed to be battle scars. The Scar Rib Pattern is available for the general public now.

You can see multiple Scar Rib socks on the Flickr Sock Wars II group.

(FYI, I had gotten to round 17 of the scar rib of the second sock when I died.)

Can you really call incomplete sock wars socks an FO? Put it this way, I am. I even entered these in the Stash and Burn Socktoberfest Contest.

I got my socks one week after the wars began. Right now, I can't remember my assassin's name for the life of me.

But, as you can see by my picture, I have an excuse. By mid-week, I was as sick as a dog. (You can see I still had antibiotics left when this picture was taken.)


I missed my usual knitting groups that week. I stayed home from work that Thursday and slept all day. I never even touched my knitting on my sick day.

I missed the Meet Up Yarn Crawl to attend Maker Faire with Peter and Lyndsey. It was awesome, but because I was sick, I didn't really get into it. I was dragging myself around like a zombie most of the day. I didn't even bring a camera. (Although Peter has pictures here.) The socks did make an appearance at Maker Faire, on Peter's camera. (I don't have a picture of it right now.)

Anyway, after going for Pho with Lyndsey, I headed home and decided that I could knock out this sock before the weekend ended. After all, knitting required little movement. But lo and behold, I checked my mail and there they were, the socks of death.

I'm unsure of the yarn or fiber, but they are a pretty color. And they fit.

Did I mention my target has bigger feet than I do? And that I was I out of town when I got my assignment? And I was sick the first week of the wars.

I know. Excuses, excuses. But all is fair in socks and war.

They got me!

Arrrggghhhhh...cough...cough...*falls down*

I got my socks for Sock Wars II today. I'm dead.

Proper pictures of the "funeral" will come later.

Sock Wars

I just signed up for Sock Wars II. Wish me luck.