Unfinished Business

(Impeded by Indecision)


Some people have problems making life altering choices. I've had to make quite a few of those in my life, but I don't recall agonizing over any of them. For example, I never hesitated over moving from Montreal to Vancouver, alone with my four year old son (having never before set foot in Vancouver).

Give me a small, seemingly inconsequential, decision to make though and I will ponder for hours on end. Alternatively, I will make the decision quickly and then regret it and go back and try something else.

I have been doing this a lot with my knitting lately.

Back in May, I made a first attempt at knitting toe-up socks. I wasn't crazy about the heel, but I did knit both socks and they sat there, still on the needles, because I could not manage a loose enough cast-off. So last week I decided to rip them out and start again - top down. It was a perfectly good pair of socks. I'm sure if I had tried harder, I could have cast off in an acceptable manner and they could have been gifted or donated. But no, I had to start over.

So I now have one Monkey sock requiring only the toes to be finished.



While I was knitting this sock, I thought it would be too small. I had an office friend try it on (she is the same size as my intended giftee) and she said they were fine. Even though she said this, I kept thinking they should be looser.

I must be out of my mind!

Instead of giving in to my delusion of sock size, I cast on for another Monkey sock, this time in pink. I knit the first sock on 2.5mm needles and kept thinking as I was knitting along that it felt tight. Déjà vu anyone? I abandonned sock number one after finishing the heel and cast on sock number two with 2.75mm needles. I got a bit further on this one, but I think it is too loose. I am now looking for someone to give them a try before I decide which one goes to the frog pond.



Think that was silly? Here's the next one. Remember the birthday stole? I had knit a fair amount already on my Addi lace needles (4mm). Well, I started thinking that maybe the fabric created was not airy enough ... so I started again on slightly larger needles. There is a bit of a difference, but I still can't decide which one I prefer. I spent half an hour fondling each piece on Friday before finally shoving everything back in its bag and berating myself for being so wishy-washy.



A decision must be made soon on this one ... birthday is one month away. Anybody got a coin I could toss?

Incendio!

The hottest week of the summer (so far) in Vancouver has (hopefully) ended. I say "hopefully" because I absolutely hate such heat. We have had a number of days well over 30°C and although it is much cooler outside now, my apartment is still hotter than hell.

Even though the weather last week wasn't quite conducive to knitting, I did manage - with the help of ice packs and fans - to put in a few hours of my favourite activity.

I thought it was appropriate that in this heat I would choose to knit socks in a flaming hot colour. Continuing my Potter-themed sock collection, I joyfully started my "Phoenix" socks with Jayne's wonderful yarn. It is a superwash merino and it is oh so soft!




One sock done, second one started.



I had planned to use the flame chevron stitch from Barbara Walker's Fourth Treasury, but then I found this adaptation of the stitch in a Knitty pattern. The use of YOs instead of M1s makes the pattern stretchier, which I need to fit my fat legs.



I also did a bit of work on the birthday stole. This work was done on my lunch hour at work ... nice air-conditioned office. There is no way I was going to attempt to work with mohair in the heat! The only problem with working on this in the office is that I am always afraid the recipient is going to catch me in the act.



Oh, remember the "no spending in July" bit? I lasted only 10 days! The heat got to me and I relieved my frustration by letting my fingers do the clicking. Books and yarn should be landing soon. This is why I never make New Year's resolutions.

The Lost (Knitting) Weekend

For those of you who know this movie, no, I didn't drink my weekend away!

It was a long weekend for me - belated Happy Canada Day to my fellow Canadians - and the thought getting me through the day on Friday was "Wow ... three whole days full of knitting!". It had been a slow knitting week ... only 3/4 of a sock done. The weekend plan: finish the first sock on Friday evening, knit the second sock on Saturday and start something new on Sunday (no reason for the rush except that I was already bored with this project and anticipating the next one).

Right.

After changing and putting my stuff away, I made a cup of coffee, sat at my kitchen table and, instead of knitting, stared out the window. No mountain view, no sea view ... just a tree and another building.



I was not the only one caught up in the view.



I kept staring. My coffee got cold. I was pulled out of my reverie two hours later when my son came home. Yup, two hours of nothing!

Oh don't worry, I won't go through the boring weekend minute-by-minute. I will say that there was way too much daydreaming and napping going on.

I did manage some mind-enhancing activity - major inroads were made in my current reading material (Rebels of Ireland).

I think I got stymied by the realization that my stash is increasing much too quickly compared to the probability of project completion.

You see, when I'm bored or sad or lonely or ... well, you get the picture ... I shop. This happened a couple of weeks ago and the results started showing up.

This is the yarn I received last week (I'm obsessing over that "Haim on fire" from Jayne. More Potter-themed socks coming ... phoenix flames):



And the books:



I don't think that's all. I still have some stitch markers coming from Jayne (there was no resisting the Gryffindor colours). I couldn't possibly visit Jayne's shop and buy just stitch markers so there is one more skein of yarn coming!

I am now trying to have a "purchase free" July ... no books, no yarn! (Oh, I am NOT counting "the book" on July 21 in that statement). You know, if I stopped buying yarn I could probably afford to retire early.

OK, so the weekend wasn't a total knitting loss - I made my way back to the needles on Monday and finished the first sock and started the second.

Never Tickle a Sleeping Dragon

Last weekend, I was thumbing through my Barbara Walker "Treasury" books, looking for nothing in particular. Eventually (in "Second Treasury"), I came across the stitch pattern called "Dragon Skin" and thought that I could add to my Harry Potter themed socks.

I had been wanting to start socks with some Yarn Pirate yarn I had received as part of a sock club. The pattern it came with didn't appeal to me and I was looking for something else. The colour way is "Ozone" - earthy shades of green, browns, turquoise. That seemed pretty "dragon-y" to me, so I cast on for dragon socks. I had just finished the ribbing on the first sock when a picture flashed in my mind: the bright green dragon from "The Paper Bag Princess" ... bright lime green yarn ... didn't I have some of that in The Stash?

I went Stash diving and surfaced with Sweet Georgia yarn - lime green. The colour name: "Dragon"!! It was just meant to be.

The Dragon Skin stitch pattern is a 26 stitch repeat. Three repeats would have been perfect for socks in my size, but I was way too lazy to figure out how to work out half patterns on each side (since I wanted the full pattern to run down the middle front). While I was knitting the pattern, it soon became obvious how I could have done this but on paper, I couldn't figure it out. I took the easy way out and filled in with seed stitch.







And finally, a picture on an actual foot! These socks are so soft and comfy - I can't wait for cool weather so I can wear them.



Before knitting the dragon socks, I knit these very cheery ones. Regia "Nation Colors". I believe they call this "Rainbow", but I think of it as Caribbean.



Spoiled Rotten

Friday (June 22) was my birthday.

In honour of the occasion, I took a few days off work. A couple of years ago, anxious to avoid the office hooplah that would come with reaching the "big five-oh", I took three days off. By the time I returned to work the next Monday, my birthday was forgotten and I decided to start a new tradition and make the birthday holiday a yearly event.

That doesn't mean, of course, that I want the day to be totally forgotten :)

My mother and brother called (they live in Quebec). My mom always calls at 8:45am - the time of my birth. I have always been thankful that I was not born at 2:00am!

My brother, who is a trucker, called from the road - he was driving through some little town in Georgia, heading back north after a trip to Florida.

My son and his girlfriend spoiled me rotten.

There was sock yarn from Michelle. She doesn't knit, but went in to Urban Yarns in North Vancouver where she says she was very well received and counseled. The lady who helped her suggested that she should buy yarn in a colour she liked since sock knitters were likely to return the favour by gifting back the completed socks!



Michelle also showed a crafty side I didn't know she had by making me a Gryffindor knitting needle holder. A great glass vase decoupaged in red/gold stripes and checks with the appropriate coat of arms.



My son, Chris, added to my Harry Potter collection:

Silver lightning bolt earrings and pendant.



Magical currency (galleon, sickle and knut). These are marvelous! Thick and heavy. I tried taking a closer shot, but I haven't yet mastered those with my new camera. The reverse side of the coins have the picture of a Gringotts goblin.



There were also books - catering to all my inner selves.

Robert Munsch has been a favourite since I first heard him tell "Mud Puddle" on Romper Room when Chris was just a baby. If you've never heard him tell one of his own stories, you can download audio files from the "Storytime" section of his website. Can anyone listen to or read "Love You Forever" without crying? This "Treasury" book had been on my Amazon wish list for quite a while. I thought it was funny that I would receive it now, just after finishing dragon socks inspired by one of stories.



A DVD set to keep me company while I knit.



I am hoping my new Addi lace needles came while I was away (I get things shipped to the office) so that I can start the orange birthday stole. In the meantime, more sock.

Monkeying Around

Monkey Socks in Seacoast Handpainted Yarns are done. I love this pattern. I don't think my photo does it justice. It looks intricate but it is a very easy knit. Plenty of ooohs and aaahs from anyone who has seen and felt the socks. I'm sure I'll find a good home for them soon.



I definitely think there is a pair of monkey socks in my own feet's future.

In the meantime, I am knitting plain socks this week, but in an extremely bright Regia yarn that yields wide stripes. I am just zipping along - the first sock is almost done.

This past weekend I went digging through the stash (high-risk adventure) to locate this yarn:



I bought this over a year ago because it was a good deal and the colour appealed to me, even though it was not in my usual range of colour choices. About a month after buying the yarn, I received my Knitter's magazine and this pattern was on the cover:



"Persimmon Lace" (which is also found in Victorian Lace Today). I knew that yarn and pattern were just meant for each other.

A friend is having her 50th birthday in September and she loves the colour orange in all its variations so this will (hopefully) be her present.

The center panel is easy enough - a simple six-row repeat - although it is patterned on both even and odd rows. It is the border that makes me feel a bit queasy as I have never done one of these before. I am not sure that attempting this for the first time in slick mohair/silk yarn is the smartest thing to do. However, since I have survived foolhardy stunts adventurous experiences in the past I will jump in feet first into this. (There is always Plan B - orange socks!).

Never one to pass on an opportunity for online shopping, I ordered some of the new Addi lace circulars to try out on this project.

The (Hor) Crux of the Matter

It doesn't happen to me very often that I am faced with the perfect combination of elements; in this case, the inspiration from a Harry Potter-related pattern, great yarn and a colourway that charmed me from the moment I saw it. That I can combine these elements and turn out a finished object I am totally enthralled with is an even rarer occurrence. I just love these socks! They were a pleasure to knit from the very start and they actually fit my FFFF (Fat Fred Flintstone Feet).

I would have taken a photo of the socks on said FFFF, but it is too darned hot in my apartment and just the thought of woolly socks on my feet makes me sweat! I do know they fit though because I tried them on as I was knitting the first one (before the heat wave struck).

As you can see, I didn't quite follow the pattern.





On the needles: Monkey Socks. Seacoast Handpainted Yarns (Panda - 60% merino, 30% bamboo, 10% nylon) in the "Seaside" colourway.



I only managed to knit two rows on the Moonlight Sonata shawl this weekend; the pattern requires way too much concentration and my brain just can't seem to handle that at the moment - so I'm keeping it simple ... more socks!

Here a Sock, There a Sock ...

I received my new HP R967 camera last Thursday and I have been reading the instruction manual (yup, I'm one of those people) and playing around with this great new toy. The large 3" screen is just wonderful!

I lined up all the socks for their official portraits:

The one that started it all - Elann Sock It To Me Yarn - The basic pattern from Socks Soar on Two Circulars.



Same basic pattern in Regia Ringel. Notice how the stripes match? I'm "one of those" too!



I then discovered Charlene Schurch's Sensational Knitted Socks and Fleece Artist merino sock yarn.



Sweet Georgia Yarn - I believe that's my favourite yarn so far. Wonderfully soft.



Applelaine Apple Pie Yarn is also lovely, but there were loads of knots in both skeins.



Reynolds Swizzle.



Plain socks in KnitPicks Memories.



Garter Rib in Super Soxx.



More Garter Rib in Socks That Rock lightweight - Scottish Highlands colourway.



Garter Rib (notice a trend?) in Lorna's Shepherd Sock.



Gryffindor socks in Regia Nation colors. I've knit two pairs of these so far. This pair is mine; the other one went to an office buddy who is also a Harry Potter nut.



What to do with all the leftover sock yarn? A blanket, of course.

I toyed with the idea of doing mittered or log cabin squares but then decided I wanted to knit something as mindless as possible. Mindless is a good thing when all the other knitting is being abandonned because of full-moon hijinks (my jaywalkers have come to a screeching halt).

I cast on 50 sts and am knitting in sock heel stitch - just because I like the texture. I bought black yarn to use as separator and I plan on picking up and knitting black borders on either side of the strip.



Now that I look at this picture, I note that some of that sock yarn wasn't used for socks.

... a few minute of digging through old CDs ...

and here is a cute baby sweater - from a pattern in one of those Pattern-A-Day calendars from a couple of years back.



Nice to have all these pictures to share when I have little to talk about!

This new camera of mine also takes videos. I kept it near me all weekend long in case Mrs. Weasley did something cute which would be worth filming. No luck ... the minute I pointed the camera at her, she would just sit down and stare at me. The only cute pose she struck all weekend long:

Socks Saga

In April 2004, I placed my first order with Elann for Sock It To Me Harlequin sock yarn and some DPNs. I had never knit socks, but an office friend and lunch-time knitting buddy kept insisting I should learn. When the (soon-to-become-extremely-familar) Elann white box arrived, I made my first attempt at socks - without success. A few days later, my second attempt ended up with me flinging yarn and needles across the room - those d... little needles were just useless in my fat hands. Sometime in 2005, I tried again and the sock yarn and DPNs soon found their way back into hibernation.

In 2006, I bought Cat Bordhi's book and also found a number of excellent tutorials online for knitting on two circulars. I was determined to knit some socks before the year was over! I cut it very close. During my Christmas holidays, out came the sock yarn and circular needles. Two days short of the new year, I had my first pair of socks:



I was hooked!

I did have a problem though ... no sock yarn in the stash!! I placed an emergency call to Urban Yarns. As much as I wanted yarn, I didn't want to make the trek there on the bus (I don't drive) - so I selected three different brands, asked the lovely ladies to surprise me with different colours and sent a courrier service to pick up the yarn! I ended up with some bright and cheerful Regia stripes, lovely Lorna's Shepperd Sock and ever so yummy Fleece Artist.

Of course, since then, my stash of sock yarn has grown to form its own little clique.

The sock family has grown since December. I'll try to post pictures of all the individuals, including those members who have flown the coop - but for now, a group portrait.



Just last weekend I finished a pair knit with one of my original purchase from Urban Yarns - the Lorna's Shepperd Sock:



This week's SIP (sock-in-progress):



This pair might take a bit longer to complete though as I am "cheating" on the socks this week - there is also a lace scarf on the needles which needs to be completed for an upcoming birthday.