What a Difference a Day Makes

I started over today, and things went OH so much better. It's amazing how one good night's sleep following an earnest day's practice helps to work the bugs out of a process.


About half way through the day I had one pattern repeat.

All 192 stitches intact.

Only a few minor problems here and there, and LO I was able to actually fix them when they cropped up.

Even the time I yanked two stitches off the needle and they went down two whole rows, I totally fixed it.

I was also able to locate and fix one YO I had left out even though I was on the next row. yaay me!

Of course I'm still using my stitch markers and have my life line on the last row of the last repeat. (I learned that to be totally vital when I did the Saxon Braid scarf back in the early days before I discovered natural fibers)

Tonight, I have two whole pattern repeats! I know this is a tad blurry, but it really was the only one that showed the lacework at all. The others are prettier to look at, but you don't know what you're looking at. =) Daylight is always better, as we all know. You get the general idea, though.

I'm totally psyched and I totally hope this yarn cake's yardage will give me a decent length. I'm not in the mood to drive to Dallas.

I'll try to remember to take photos of the hats in the daylight tomorrow. My camera has issues distinguishing purple from blue - very annoying.

See y'all soon =)

More Than I Can Chew?

Perhaps I have bitten off precisely that much. It seems so at the moment, but isn't that how it always seems to go when you are starting a new skill? Well, sometimes it does, anyway. I can't hope for them all to go as well as Fair Isle, or cables, or knitting and purling, right?

Maybe it has something to do with the fact that I actually decided to swatch for once. I know, right? ME, SWATCH? ha ha HA - I laugh in the face of swatches! I tried 3 different lace patterns. I tried various numbers of stitch combinations. Then I finally broke out the good yarn to do a real swatch. (Yes, you heard me, I swatched in my substitute yarn first, because I didn't want to stress out my good silk/merino blend - SO I really swatched like, a BUNCH) Here's what that looked like when I finally got it to work.



I can't quite remember how many tries it took to get it right for the swatch. I did one full pattern repeat. (even though I didn't repeat it, so can I really call it a repeat?) The pattern is done in a multiple of 16 stitches, so I did 6 panels of 16. Here's what the picture looks like in the book.

What I did looked mostly like that, I only made one mistake in the swatch, which was one extra YO on row 4 or 6 or something. I think I was row four.

The swatch turned out to measure an estimate of about 16 inches wide, so I figured, if I double that and wind up with an end product that measure 32 inches, I'll be pretty much spot on for a decent sized stole.

So I ripped out the swatch, and cast on my 192 stitches, or 16 stitches times 12 panels. Of course there was generous use of stitch markers, I HAVE learned that lesson already in my almost lace projects from the past. It's much easier to count to 16 from the beginning of a stitch marker, than it is to have to go all the way back to stitch one and count to 16 over and over and keep track of which panel you have counted etc, etc, etc....

There was only one problem with that. Somewhere along the way, these last couple of years, I seem to have misplaced most of my small stitch markers, so I was using some of my pretty dangly ones along with the regulars and then I proceeded to knit them into my project. I didn't see myself do it, and I don't know how it happened, but then everything went wonky and I had to rip it out.

So I started again, and got to about row 3 or so and I thought I had too many stitches, then I thought I had the right number and then I knitted a stitch THROUGH a stitch marker (still not sure about that one either) and then I DROPPED a stitch over a YO (of COURSE) and everything sorta fell apart. = (

More ripping ensued and yes the OH SO lovely silk/merino dream yarn is started to get MAD. I'm fine, but the yarn is angry, so - I'm giving it a little rest, with my stitch markers of various sizes. Secretly I'm hoping if they sleep this way tonight, they'll both wake up in a better mood tomorrow.

PS - I'm aware that I haven't yet showed the cabled hats, and MAYBE I'll do that tomorrow or something. One of the hats I made is already lost at school. (RATS) SO, you'll just have to imagine that one when I show the pics of the others. I just HAD to blog this bit of...whatever this is... triumph/tragedy, now while it was fresh. BLAST (you gotta say it with a British accent or it doesn't sound right)

Still Stalling

You Are Teal Green

You are a one of a kind, original person. There's no one even close to being like you. Expressive and creative, you have a knack for making the impossible possible. While you are a bit offbeat, you don't scare people away with your quirks. Your warm personality nicely counteracts any strange habits you may have.

What Color Green Are You?

Got this from LuvtoKnitandMuchMore =))

I do have knitting to post, I just have to get the stuff photo'd - It's been a bit dreary and I have to get my models all cleaned and prepped (which includes myself - blah) Maybe I'll be more awake tomorrow than I was today and yesterday. I've had a small bout of insomnia in the last couple of weeks (that happens when I get tee'd - long story grrrrr) Anyway, I'm getting betta, I'm not dead yet. =)

Hey, as of the 22nd, I will have gone TWO count 'em TWO whole seasons without flipping out. Yaay me! InconTHEEvable!

I'm playing around with lace patterns for a stole. I think I'm going to stick with something fairly simple, since it's my first REAL lace thing. We'll see how that goes.

More Fun

I found this quiz in Ravelry in the Princess Bride Group, that I joined immediately. I didn't know who I'd turn out to be, but this sounds just about right - lol - as sarcastic and ready to go toe to toe as I am.




Which Princess Bride Character are You?
this quiz was made by mysti

Now I'm in the mood to watch this movie again, and maybe go looking for the book. I think that the quote above should read this way, though: "DROP. YOUR. SWORD." =)

I do have 3 FO's to show, but... I was sick this week and the weather has been SO gross. Hardly any sun, accept for yesterday when I had a headache (of course!) when ya NEED the dark, here comes the sun... but WHATever! The weather is custom ordered by ME. Anyway, plus DD was sick, too and I need her to model her FO, I should really wait until her poor little nose heals. very pitiful =(

If you take the quiz, let me know who you are!

Heheheeee

Knitting Content Coming Soon =)

I Blinked

Either that, or I went into stasis. It really wasn't cold enough for that, so maybe it was hibernation? (is that also spelled hybernation, or am I just making up words again? I like my way better) Anyway, I blinked and November evaporated! Just how DOES that happen? I'm still stuck on what sock pattern to do for DD6yr (how sad is it that I still haven't come up with a decent cyber name for any of my kids? I should really call her the Towne Crier because she'll never need a microphone or mega phone, my neighbors can hear her at the end of the street) I think I may have gotten my answer in the latest issue of Creative Knitting. They have an easy no cable needle cabled sock pattern that I could probably downsize fairly easily, now I just have to find yarn that doesn't repulse me. (in my stash, I mean - can you believe I haven't been yarn shopping since LAST Winter or Spring? - something ridiculous like that. I should have entered a no shopping contest or something, because I'd TOTALLY win!)

Speaking of contests, remember the one I posted about last time. (Back in the good old days of October?) WELL... wonder of all wonders, I actually won! Shocking I know. As soon as I receive it, I'll take photos, but if you want to see it now, you can find it HERE .

Cool, eh? OH YES, that reminds me. GUESS WHAT? I have been pronounced an honorary Canadian by a new Ravelry friend of mine! How cool! Yaay. EmmaofFlitwick saw a comment I made in one of the Canadian groups in Ravelry, which basically said something like, 'Is it enough to just wish you were in Canada to join a Canadian group?' =) As far as I know she was the only one who responded, lol, but here's part of her message to me: "Hi there, I am on the Canadian group as I hail from Welland Ontario and I added you to my friends simply because you said you love Canadians! .... So with the power vested in me (which isn't any) I hereby dub you Canadian!! Thanks for brightening my day, Sheri"

How sweet is that? =) **beam** I think I danced around singing "I'm Canadian" that day or something silly like that, but it totally made me all giddy. (I know, I'm easily amused, that's a good thing, tho, right?)

ANYway.... November was short, I hope December follows suit. This year has been..... well YOU know, NOT SO GREAT if you were me, so I'll be glad to have the door SLAM on the entire back side of this year and hopefully knock it unconscious. Fresh new year, clean slate, of sorts and better stuff to come... yes? YES! darnnit!hecklydarnnitALL- (some white girls shouldn't pretend to curse)

Maybe I'll be knitting something by my next post. HEY just in case any of you recall my lil sis Mica? Well... she's knitting again and blogging again, this time under her real name Heidi. Check it out! I'm glad to have her back in blogworld! Welcome to the Show...

hasta la pasta peeps!

Ravelry Revelry and a Contest

Check out this very easy to enter contest, if you enter, let her know you got there from here please =)

I got into Raverly late Saturday night. I was going to hold off posting about it until I actually got some things in there to post, but I'm still taking October off from doing anything I don't want to do, so until I get totally in the MOOD to catalog stuff and take loads of pics, it's a pretty bland place to visit. I have enjoyed joining a few of the groups, though, and browsing through the other groups. There's some funny stuff in there. Oh, yeah, I'm Aprilknitta in there. (I couldn't think of anything witty, so I went with that)

I did start my 5th pair of Socktoberfest socks, but I really don't enjoy the yarn so much, so I sorta lost my love for knitting it. Also, the pattern I chose (to remain nameless) has something wrong with it, because the numbers aren't working out. So not loving the pattern AND the yarn makes it doubly yuck. I ought to start another pair and call THEM my 5th pair, just to get it in under the Socktoberfest thing. That would technically make 6 pairs finished or started for Socktoberfest. We'll see.... Like I said before, this is the month I decided to take a vacation from everything I didn't want to do, so, who knows. If it strikes me, I'll do it, otherwise....NOPE =)

hasta la pasta peeps!

It's WINDsday

It's a very blustery day TOday. I halfway expect to see Piglet blow by with Pooh in pursuit. (I think it's nice to be a Windsday on a Wednesday) I hope Owl's tree is nowhere near here.

I haven't knit in 3 days, the migraine was a real doozy. On Monday I took 2 Excedrin M's in the morning and my head got WORSE. Which really means I would have been moaning and crying if I hadn't taken the Excedrin. I took 2 more a full 14 hours too early, which puts it at early evening on Monday. (since you are only directed to take 2 for every 24 hours) After that the headache was JUST bearable for the remainder of the evening. It had to be. Because DH had rented Transformers and I was supposed to watch it. (hahaha) I liked it, btw. I really like that Shia kid, he's a cutie =) I'm SURE he'd protest the 'kid' thing, but, that's ok. He'll call himself a kid when he looks back from the perspective I have at 38. (when DOES that change happen, I really should have written it down when I noticed that High School graduates started looking like babies to me - instead of peers) wow this paragraph is so incongruent

So this is the update on my next pair of socks. =) They are going to be a very loud shade of puple in the Knit Picks Peruvian sock stuff. I can't quite recall the NAME of it at the moment, but I'm sure it'll come to me. It's one of the least expensive choices they have, which probably explains why I purchase several skeins. Now, I don't love the colors so much, but DD6yr is a great fan of loud colors (she descended from a very great lover of color in her Cajun Great Grandma who had a pink and green house and painted the inside bright blue, pink, orange and green) So I'm going to attempt loud purple knee highs for DD6. Maybe a twisted rib stitch or something. Who knows? =) I really oughta at least attempt to follow a pattern one of the times. I'm still sorta in the mood for st st, though, it's a good brain medicine. (like sleep)

Well, before I go off on another odd tangent, I think I'll post, spare you my wandering thoughts this time. lol I'll go write them down somewhere else where they don't bother anyone. (wow, that sounded SO much like Eeyore! I'm not down or anything, just feeling excessively rambly)

Hopefully I get started on those socks today. Okay, here I go again, want to know what's REALLY holding me back? I don't know the number of stitches to start with for knee highs for such a tiny person. So I actually have to figure it out instead of just blindly knitting. Since I'm feeling very much like NOT thinking this month, it's an obstacle. I'll get over it, I know. OKAY, so I confessed, and now I feel better. lol

Mostly Matchin'

And then there were four. FOUR PAIRS OF SOCKS AH HA HA (cue thunder and lightning) These ended up being pretty well matched, not as perfect as the last pair, but that fine by me.

The yarn is Regia something or other with a cotton blend and no idea the name of the color. I've had this yarn for at least a year and a half. I thought I was going to use it right away because it was so pretty, so I put it into a ball and then the ball band was lost. (I think) I didn't really try to look for it because, I can't..... (be bothered) =)

Nice stuff though, I'll definitely be looking for more Regia something or other in a cotton blend. It's very comfy and squishy stuff. I like the squishy very much.

The picture is a TINY bit more purple than the actual color, it's bit more pink than that, but I couldn't get the color to be accurate, and having a migraine today makes me less apt to be so picky.

DRAT! I should have totally told my husband to get me a latte at Starbucks. Wonder if it's too late?

BYE for now - progress on the next pair to come VERY soon. Tune in next time for the continuing adventures of Soctoberfest!

Quick Update

One more sock done! This is sock one of my
4th pair. The colors are somewhere between the two pics. The second pic is pretty close to accurate, just not quite so dark. The first one taken in direct sun is a bit TOO bright, but you get the general idea.

After this pair is done, I think I'm going to work on some knee highs for my daughter who asked me today, "Why are you making so many socks for yourself?" lol

Of course I don't have to justify knitting for me, but I told her I'd make her some school socks next. I have some way too bright for me sock yarn that she loves (it's the French Cajun in her)

The only challenge is finding the right gauge. I may do some cable thing or other, or maybe a clock up the side - who knows? It's just a pity that they have to wear solid socks to school when I have SO many little balls of yarn in different colors. They'd be the perfect size to make her socks to match mine in all these different colorways.

As a side point, check out my Ravelry status:

• You signed up on September 24, 2007
• You are #35649 on the list.
• 4729 people are ahead of you in line.
• 10018 people are behind you in line.
• 67% of the list has been invited so far

Down from 18,000 ahead of me, I could be in sooner than I thought. That should slow down my sock output by a little bit =) Actually, I'm starting to feel like slowing down soon. It had to wear off eventually.

Believe it or not

Not just one finished sock, but TWO count 'em, TWO finished socks!

And just feast your eyes on the matchy matchiness of these things!

I think I have developed a new obsession. Self striping yarn.

This pair brings my total to 3 pairs of Socktoberfest socks.

I started sock one on Friday afternoon and finished it on Sunday, and I started sock two immediately after finishing sock one on Sunday and finished it today, Tuesday. That's a record for me. 2 socks in 4 days. I think I have seriously toned the muscles in my fore arms (nothing else is getting any exercise, but I'll have really fit fingers and fore arms)

I discovered that Friday is the worst day to post, even if you have a pair of socks to show off. rats

Sleep, Breathe and Knit

Oh yeah, and sometimes I eat a bit =) But the former 3 seem to be all I do lately. The sleeping is real nice. After having such a hard time sleeping for so long, it's such a relief to be able to relax into sleep.

The knitting is nice, too. I didn't realize I could finish a pair of socks that fast. I really like these. They look a little similar, but different. They are very comfy and that's what's important.

You can I've cast on for pair number 3. There were only 10 stitches on the needles in this picture, but now, I'm very well along into the first cuff.

I would like the start my second sock some where close to the same spot as these since it's a self striping yarn. One of the Knit Picks variety. I don't recall the name or even the color. I've had it in a ball waiting to be knit for like a year and a half, at least. Too long. It's a little rough on the hands now that I've gotten used to the bamboo stuff, but these yarns always soften up greatly once washed. (as you all know, so why did I bother to say so? hmmm?)

Well.... we'll see how I keep up the pace. I would like to at least start pair number four this month. That'll be a serious record for me. I don't think I've knit 4 pairs in 6 months before! The weird thing is, you'd think I'd be getting tired of making socks, but it seems to be the reverse. I won't be able to keep up this pace forever, but I can see me making lots more that I have been.

Yaay for Socktoberfest!

ps - I accidentally posted this on my old blog, too. OOPS

One Down, One Started

Here they are! As you can see by the toe, I had to move on to the second ball of yarn which made things even more interesting.

The second sock is pooling similar yet different. I don't know if my gauge changed or if this part of the skein is just different. It doesn't really matter. They are the same yarn, so they'll match well enough!

I think I could have made the heel flap a bit longer, but it'll do, I'll just remember that for the next pair I cast on.

If I can get these finished in the next few days I could feasibly have 3 or 4 pairs for Socktoberfest. 4 is probably too high of a bar to set, but 3 should be doable. Of course as long as they are STARTED or FINISHED in October, they totally count. So there could be 4 after all. We shall see, my lovelies, we shall see.

I REALLY love the bamboo stuff. It's a little bit heavy, like cotton, but in a good way and it feels SO cool to the touch. I think I'm going to be getting lots of bamboo sock yarn in the future. Hopefully the choices will become more varied at my LYS's. Of course I can always resort to online yarn shopping. I wonder if Knit Picks will ever stock bamboo stuff? (if they don't already, I haven't been in there in SO long - avoiding yarn purchases lately for some reason? OH yeah, because I had stopped knitting for so long - duh)

I've been knitting outside lately b/c the kids are riding their bikes every afternoon. DD6yr old actually needed no help learning to ride a two wheeler. The training wheels were so high off the ground that they only engaged when she started to tip, so she was balancing without them most of the time. When I took them off, she took off first thing, no problem, she could already do it. Color me proud =) We have a light homework night, so I'll be knitting in a few minutes!

OH yeah, I forgot to tell y'all, when I was knitting sock one, I totally forgot to turn the heel and just picked up the stitches and started trucking. I was SEVERAL rounds in when I realized that my sock didn't resemble a sock AT ALL and had to rip back. I just laughed at myself. I can tell I'm in a hurry to get these things knit! I should have taken a pic, but it was dark, and I wanted to carry on knitting, so I didn't do the horrible flash pic thing because they are always awful when I do that.

Anyway, cheer me on, I have a couple balls of some self striping stuff patiently waiting and the Strawberry Swirl that should be off probation soon. (I'm still a little ticked at it for turning out so small last time, but I'm getting over it) I can do it! 4 pairs for Socktoberfest, 4 pairs for Socktoberfest, 4 pairs for Socktoberfest. (are you chanting yet?)

I Was Wrong

What was I wrong about? Oh SO many things, but specifically THIS time, I'm talking about pooling. I guess I should never try to make predictions as to how a sock may or may not turn out. In addition to that, I should also never get comfortable with, or attached to any specific sort of pooling, because invariably it will change. I'm feeling metaphorical today so humor me. (is it bizarre that I automatically first type the Brit/Canadian spelling of things like humour? I've subliminally influenced myself)

So... pooling is like life. You look at a ball of yarn and say, "Oh that's pretty, those colors are very exciting." and you expect them to go a certain way. When you start knitting, things don't turn out the way you had originally envisioned them, so you adjust your expectations and get used to what you have. Then there's another hiccup, a shift, and the colors start to play off of each other differently. "This isn't what I started with, but I rather like it. I hope it stays this way for a while."

Then here comes the heel flap and the colors get dicey. All jumbley and fractured, different but pretty. Somehow you think that after you turn the heel, pick up the gusset stitches and then begin your decreases back to the original amount of stitches, that your sock pooling will again return to it's former ways. Wrong again. The shift was permanent and there are two distinct pools of color now that don't ever quite mix the same again and the swirling seems to be going in the other direction. It's the sort of confusing pooling that makes me want to keep knitting past my toes to see what sort of patterns will emerge. But alas, I have not got clown feet, and I'm quickly reaching the end of this ball of yarn (because of a knot) and starting on the next ball in this sock may JUST be too much for my life ='s yarn metaphor. However it would be fitting of my life this year. A couple of breaks and the pooling just doesn't swirl the same. So the moral of this story is. Go with the flow, because we can't control life any more than we can predict pooling in our socks.

PS - I WAS totally attached to the swirling pooling on the leg, but I'm starting to think maybe these socks were meant to stripe like a zebra.

Cool Little Diversion

Get your own

So, I can't think of a title

Well Tuesday WAS better than Monday, mostly because I slept through half of it =) You see I'm in that in between place where you feel like you are coming down with something. Something that you never quite come down with, but you don't quite get better either. It's annoying, but manageable. It would be MORE manageable if I would STOP waking up at 4 and 5 am and not being able to go back to sleep. (Another reason I slept half of Tuesday and every other morning thereafter) I mean....WHAT GIVES?! It IS better than the sort of thing I was doing before, not sleeping at ALL, but it still messes with my days.

At least the TV shows this week have been good. Did anyone else see Pushing Daisies? It's SO twisted but we were laughing our butts off and still laughing about it a couple of hours later. Anyway, the reason I mention TV shows is... I got on a roll during Journey Man and then Grey's Anatomy and I was able to finish it today! yaay me an FO! whooo hoooo!

You'll have to forgive me for not modeling these woolly things in 90 degree heat (with legs that need a bit of maintenance with a razor - you REALLY didn't want to know that, did you?) I tried putting one on and I just said, "NOPE, I'll be taking these pictures in the grass."

I'll be glad when/if Fall ever shows up here. It's SO not fair for it to still be in the 90's!

In spite of the heat, I cast on for my second pair of Soctoberfest socks today. I'm using a bamboo yarn, mainly because of the heat and I've been wanting a pair of bamboo socks since I was told they help keep your feet from being achy.
(I'll let you know if that's truth or fiction someday)

There is a bit of a complication though, but I don't really think I can do anything about it. You see one of these sides is not like the other. The sock faintly stripes in a very light turquoise and lavender.

AND the other side is solid blue.

Now I'm sure when this yarn was dyed, it wasn't meant to do this. It's weird and there is no real hope for there to be a shift in the colors. The needles I'm using are just the right size for this project, so I don't want to change that. If I make the sock bigger, I think it'll be too big for me.

I'm not really thinking of frogging because it feels like a really nice fabric.

So I guess I'm going to have a pair of socks that is one color coming and a different one going.

I can deal with that, I'm JUST weird enough to pull it off.


On a completely different note. Have you ever had something you desperately wanted to blog about but couldn't? It's not a comfortable feeling for me. It's nothing scary or anything, I just can't do it here, and for some reason, journaling in my regular journal just doesn't give me that unloaded feeling that blogging does.

Anyway, just thought I'd throw that out there for some reason.

Wanna see a bunny rabbit? He was in my flower garden a few weeks ago. How cute is that little face?

AY YI YI

WHAT a day! (Monday) Right off the bat the car wouldn't start. Jumped off with help of hubby and away we went. Then it was back home after taking DD to school. A little later I made appointments for 2 out of 3 of my kiddos with the pediatrician. DS1 has a very long lasting cough and some other issues I needed to talk to him about. DD had earaches in both ears. So.. when the time came, I jumped back in the car and OF COURSE it wouldn't start again, and this time it wouldn't even jump off. SO I had to quickly rearrange all the car seats because I had to go to two different schools to pick the kids up for their appointments. Thank GOODNESS I was planning to be SO early, or I would have totally blown it. Did I mention that it is STILL SO HOT here? UG! So I'm all sweaty and wet at the school waiting FOREVER for them to bring me my child. We were only about 10 minutes late for the appointment, even though I started nearly an hour ahead of that time.

It's the first day of Socktoberfest and I didn't get to knit a stitch, yet. There may still be hope, but I may be too worn out, too. Did I also mention that the kids were doing that seriously trying my patience thing. Fighting screaming whining. ACK

OK! Well now... I'm going to go chill (if I can ever get this little person here to go to bed - STILL trying my patience)

Goodnight

Tuesdays are always better than Mondays, right?

Evidence That I Still Knit

Exhibit A - One nearly complete pair of socks

Well, there's no Exhibit B, so this will have to do. I have pretty much always been a one project knitter, and I guess that hasn't changed. Hey there's one thing about me that is the same. I know it's weird in the knitting community not to have dozens of projects on the needles at once, but the reality of that just stresses me out. (not sure why)

I'm getting in the habit of avoiding things that stress me out, for obvious reasons. lol None of us in here or out there need any sort of repeat of the events in the Spring (or those of the Winter for that matter) HEY! I got through a whole SEASON without freaking out (or whatever they call it in the professional community) I called it spinning out before, that's a pretty good description. Every day I think about some aspect of that process and wonder.... "Why did I think I was ok?" Funny how that works. When you are, well, I should say, when I am, in the throes or grip of the spinning, I feel fine. I think that's what makes it scary because I can't tell I'm off, even though everyone else can. A few days before I totally hit the fan, someone had told my husband to get me help like NOW. (I bet he wishes he had)

At least now, I don't feel ok, I do feel off, and I am aware of the weirdness within. (for lack of a better explanation) I shouldn't say, I don't feel ok, I am feeling better than I have. I can just tell I'm no where near finished healing. I can tell because I'm still really tired and I still need more sleep than I can get in 8 hours at night. My motivation is low, but I can manage the basics. Even the basics were a great challenge when I was really low. I'm back to auto pilot on most of the basics, which feels better. My sister suggested something helpful yesterday. Basically, just write down one or two things you want to accomplish that day, and then when you do them, you can see what you accomplished. I didn't write it down yet, but I did do the 2 things I was wanting to accomplish, so that feels better, anyway.

And now, I have a little less than an hour before the house starts to fill up grade schoolers. All three of them, I bring home my niece on Thursdays to play with my daughter. SO... I'm going to catch a little cat nap in preparation =)

I Totally Caved

Caved in to peer pressure. I'm not proud, but I was tired of fighting it. Everyone else is doing it. And somewhere in the distance I hear a voice say, "Well if everyone was jumping off a cliff, would you do it, too?" I guess the answer to that is... "It depends on what's over that cliff." I actually HAVE jumped off a cliff before, into a coldly delicious mountain lake, in the heat of Summer. Also, if you think about it, if EVERYONE was jumping over a cliff, that would include the person asking me the loaded question and if I was the only person on Earth after everyone had jumped off a cliff... how lonely would that be? So I'd probably go ahead and jump. Of course the thing that I caved about this time has nothing to do with cliffs. I couldn't take it anymore, all the chatter and links about Ravelry. I AM determined not to go TOO overboard when I EVENTUALLY get in, but, I would like to be able to see the stuff that people have posted in there. Like when they say, "Check out this FO in Ravelry!" So if only to do that....? I now hear a faint voice saying, "Yeah, RIGHT! You wish you could use it only for that, you'll be a full blown Ravelry Head in no time, dearie."

Well, I don't really have to worry about that any time soon - check out my stats! lol

• You signed up on Today
• You are #35649 on the list.
• 18291 people are ahead of you in line.
• 1 people are behind you in line.
• 48% of the list has been invited so far

Yep, over EIGHTEEN THOUSAND fiber fiends ahead of me. That is a pretty big number. I wonder how many are already in there? I wonder what the total number of knitters/crocheters would look like? Just in the time it's taken me to type this, there are now 4 people behind me in line. WOW - I wasn't the last lemming after all. (and before anyone gets all technical with me about lemmings - please don't, I have a headache)

I have no photographic evidence, but I'm quickly getting close to the toe on my second sock. Another interesting development. It seems I no longer dread the heel flap and picking up the gusset stitches. Maybe that means I'm a grown up sock knitter! I had tried to switch to short row heels, but it just doesn't work for my deep foot. Now I need to try the reverse heel flap thing on a toe up sock. But I'll save that endeavor for another time.

Hey! Anyone else excited about Socktoberfest? Yippeee Skippeee! I can't believe this will already be the 3rd one. Sheesh! The very first Socktoberfest spurred me on to knit socks for real, because I was scared to try them. Now they are like the easiest projects ever. I wonder if there are going to be new buttons this year?

....and now there are 8 people behind me in line, hehehehe. The other number isn't going down at the same rate, though!

OH yeah, another nerdy thing I've been doing lately. Watching my stats. I love seeing the different countries that pop up. I was going to post a pic of the breakdown of those stats, but my camera needs a charge. Oh well.

....and now 21! Wow there are lots of us, aren't there?

O Canada!

It's so weird, everywhere I turn these days I'm seeing Canada. I had half ways lazy weekend that felt wonderful. So I watched a bunch of movies, random stuff, whatever was on. The movies on Saturday were Canadian movies. Then I watched a DVD, and it was made in Canada, too. Tonight, I watched one, that was admittedly terrible and too long, but the main characters end up in Nova Scotia. So wherever I turn it's Toronto, Vancouver, Nova Scotia and now... Sunnydale. Why Sunnydale? I just found out that my great grandmother was born there. I'm CANADIAN! hahaha sorta, right?

The past couple of years I've been feeling this odd pull, it's almost painful. I really want to go to Canada. I wish it was possible in the near future, but it just isn't. I had even asked my dad if any of his people came from Canada, because it really seemed like I missed it somehow. I should have asked my mom about her people I guess, of course she may not even know it. This particular grandmother was an awesome knitter, too. So I am descended from a (Irish) Canadian KNITTER! The great granddad was from Minnesota, which is where I, and nearly all my relatives, were born.

It may be silly, but it's such a relief to me for some reason. I guess I've been mentally searching for an explanation of why I have such a thing for Canada (and Canadians) since I first asked that question. (I'm weird like that, I keep telling myself to stop asking so many questions, but it's not working) Anyway, I just wanted to share that with y'all because it made me so giddy! =)

PS - I'm just a few rounds from the heel flap on sock number 2, I should have an update on it pretty quickly. The pooling is doing basically the same thing, except in the other direction. I'm not sure how I managed that on accident, unless I wound the first ball from the wrong side of the skein. That must be what happened. I balled some of the skein on my cruise, and the bit of skein I had left, I must have wound from the end of the skein instead of winding from the piece I left off. (See there I go asking questions that I have to also answer.) Anyway, so far so good. And I have felt SO good the last couple of days that I nearly recognize myself! I actually FELT like cleaning yesterday instead of having to totally force myself to do it. It may not sound like much, but if you had seen me last week.... you'd know what a difference that is! yaay!

PPS - If I wasn't already married, I'd marry Canada.

One Down One Started

I finally sat down and did the toe and kitchener! (about a week or so, ago) I'm really happy with the fit and mostly happy with how it looks. (in spite of the odd pooling thing it did) I'm hoping that the second sock looks something like the first =) If not, it doesn't matter that much.

I've started the second sock, I'm about 4 rounds into the cuff. It took me until yesterday to start it. The idea of sitting in a waiting room can make even the most stubborn case of SSS take a back seat.

I was looking at it the other day and I noticed that the ribbing on the inside of the sock looks much nicer than the ribbing on the outside. Does this mean I have tighter tension on my purl stitches than I do on my knit stitches? VERY interesting. Not interesting enough to make me purl every round, but interesting nonetheless.

I didn't have much left in the ball I was using, this is all there was left. Of course I have about 3 more balls, because I made a separate ball every time there was a knot, so that I would know how much yarn there was between breaks. No false sense of security.

As for me and my continuing saga of downs and further down, I had a down week last week, but I seem to be coming out of this week. It sort of feels like I'm climbing a hill. I can only get about halfway up the hill, before sliding back down. I can't seem to top the hill to get past whatever this obstacle is. So that's what I'm working towards now. I could use some positive vibes or whatever you call it. =) I know it really helps. Thanks everyone!

Hopefully I'll have some progress to show in a day or two.