Better late than never?

Okay, so I’m just now getting around to posting pictures of socks for Soctober - which sadly ended yesterday. The month of Soctober has been an interesting one. First, our router failed (it’s been agreed that I’m the one who broke it because I put the keyboard on top of the fan - more than once, I’ll have you know - which caused the poor thing to overheat and fry itself). Then the Mr. and I bought a new hard drive to go with the new router. Once the computer was put back together, we decided to keep on messing and changed our anti-virus software. The one we picked had a reputation of being rock solid and was used by several universities. Sounded good. Within 30 hours of going live with the new anti-virus our computer was infected with a nasty virus. The past month has been spend rebuilding and the hard drive containing our 4500+ photos has been sitting on a shelf completely disconnected from the computer. Internets, blogging with out pictures is boring. I’d hate to do that to you.

First, we have the tall Trekking socks, all finished and completely non-matching, the way I like them.

I finished with just enough yarn to spare. Phew.

I took this picture on one of the many over cast days we had about a week and a half ago. When I staged another photo shoot, the one where I took all the other photos in this post, I totally forgot to take another picture of the rainbow socks. Oh, well.

Next we have the long over-due FO photo of Child’s First Sock in STR.

I absolutely love the texture of these socks. This is the second pair that I’ve made (the first is here) and I would make another pair, and maybe another - kind of like Cara and her Jaywalkers. I really love these socks.

Hmmmm…. what have we here?

That would be Trekking socks for the Mr. in blue. He needs a pair of lovingly hand-knit socks for all the hard work he’s done this past month. (For anybody who is counting, that would be just over a pair and a half of socks for Socktober, not to shabby if you ask me.)

so, when are you going to knit something for me? i’ve earned it by being extra shitty.

But, socks are not the only thing on the needles. I’ve started another Mountain Stream Scarf using Susan’s pattern and some lovely mohair I received as a gift for cat-sitting. The kitties belong to one of Margene’s guest bloggers, Karen, and can be seen here and here.

Shitty kitty says:

that mohair mountain looks delicious! seriously delicious! mmmm…. mohair….

Just for fun, I have a sky picture from Kally’s viewpoint when she becomes the bird whisperer.

I *heart* fall!


for Halloween, i’m going as bad-ass shitty kitty. don’t you dare think of dressing me up…

Random

A few days ago in one of my engineering classes, a fellow came in to talk to us about public speaking and not coming off like the nervous introverted nerds we totally are. “Guys - and gal - no one can tell when you’re up here sweating.” Yup. That’s right. I am officially the only gal in the EE program for my projected graduation year.

One finished sock and one on the way to being a finished sock.

The gussets unintentionally match…

Check this out. The very lovely Laurie is insanely organized - all of her knitting patterns and all of her soap recipes are in binders and it’s all sorted out so neat and tidy. When I saw the binder pencil case, I thought of dpns and sock knitting, which then reminded me of Laurie’s amazing sock binder. For me to have a binder full of organized sock patterns would mean the end of the world is near. I am so unorganized that my attempts at getting organized always end up in frustration. Neat and tidy is seriously never going to happen, but it sure is a nice idea, sock binder, dpns and all.

Some really nice goodies to keep knitter’s skin from drying out. I actually watched as a batch of Gentle was being made. I helped stir. But, let me tell you, soap making still scares the shit out of me. It all comes back to the lye scene in Fight Club.

I’m making progress on Icarus, but it is SLOW. Internets, somewhere between 400 & 500 stitches per row takes a long time to knit.

But it sure is pretty.

I checked this book out from the local library and I lurve it. This quilt is so cute. And here’s another one. I’m thinking a big queen size version might be nice for my bedroom - but I probably won’t have time to even think about starting it until I’m done with school.

Kally and I are in the middle of a major battle of the wills. She is living up to her shitty kitty name. The desk, not for licking. The bitters, failed (I suspect it’s because the desk suddenly tasted like the holiday tree, the one she lurves to climb and chew, bitters and all). The air can, empty. The travel bike pump, taking air can duty. Seriously, she refuses to stop licking the desk and I refuse to give in to her shittiness.

Some delicious alpaca from Nona

Shitty kitty even stopped licking the desk long enough to check it out.

Almost MIA…

With finals over, I’m getting ready to spend my first full week of my three weeks out of school backpacking in Bitterroot National Forest. Ya’ll know what that means, right? Even though I really only post once every so often, and it’s almost always fluff, I’m going to be MIA for the next week. The Mr. and I are going with some good friends, including Kally’s Uncle Freddy, aka the usual sitter. Kally absolutely adores her Uncle Freddy. She gets along with him almost as well as she gets along with the Mr., her absolute favorite BFF. Last year, around this time, the Mr. and I went to Cannon Beach. Uncle Freddy called to let us know how our little shitty kitty was doing. He told us that he had fallen asleep in front of the TV and when he woke up, he found Kally curled up on his chest. When her Uncle Freddy started to get up and she hissed at him. After all, he was there only to entertain her and she wanted to cuddle, dammit.

Moving on…

Anyone want a Print ‘o The Wave update? I received the second skien and the dyelot is way off. So I took Print ‘o The Wave off the needles (of course, I used some old cotton yarn as a stitch holder, I’m not going to tear the whole thing out) and retired her to the corner of the room. I’m trying to decide what to do. Right now, I’m leaning towards taking out both of the borders, casting off the provisional cast on edge and working the center panel until I run out of yarn. Another option would be to take the lace back by some multiple of two repeats which would reduce the number of border repeats. But, I’m leaning against that option. I’m not close to Margene tall, but I’m kind of tall (a very respectable 5′7″). If I make the shawl much shorter than it is now, it will be very disproportionate to my height and I doubt I will be able to wrap it all the way around my broad shoulders (kind of built like a linebacker, I tell ya ;o) ). So, I’m thinking longer is better… which would mean no border on this puppy. What do ya’ll think? Will some photographic evidence help with your decision? Okay….

The shawl in its entirety along with all the yarn I have left. The one long border than I have knit used up more than half of what I had when I started the border. I just don’t think I’ll make it.

Can you see the difference? Well, can you? The new skien has a very noticeable yellow tint when held next to the already knit lace. It’s just too much of a difference for me. The perfectionist in me will not let me use something so different. A contrasting color would look better. Besides, yellow and I, we’re not the best of friends.

While I go back and forth trying to make up my mind, I started on another lace project. I know it could technically be considered breaking the rules of having only one of each type of project on the needles, but my justification is that Print ‘o The Wave is “off” the needles and on a stitch holder. I know I’ve said it before, but I really don’t consider myself much of a triangle shawl person. Then, I saw this post and I fell in love. I pulled out my copy of Interweave and I dug though my bin of yarn and pulled out two skeins of Knit Picks Shadow in Oregon Coast courtesy of the most lovely and absolutely fabulous Teri.

Two full repeats of chart one down and part of a third. My favorite thing about this shawl so far, the subtle color in the yarn. Holy stunning, Batman.

A little more on rule breaking, eh? I have two pairs of socks on the needles right now. Remember the 92 stitch Jaywalkers? Yeah, I’m still working on sock #1. Because I don’t really feel that fondly about the pattern, I’ve started another pair of socks. Bad eliza, bad.

Kally knows we’re leaving next week. Clearly, she’s not thrilled.

Sew Happy

When I was a youngin, I took to the sewing machine and made clothes for my barbies. I had high fashion barbies all decked out in my own haute couture, made from the same material as the clothes my mother made for me.

my sister, barbie, and I all had matching pink & black polka dot dresses

When I started junior high and had to take home economics, I was thrilled for the textiles portion but dreaded the kitchen portion (I still can’t cook for shit and the day we had to clean out the fridges, that was the absolute worst!). I took sewing classes all through junior high and soaked up all the anal retentive tips and tricks like a sponge. I have always been a fairly intuitive seamstress and sometimes my lack of following a pattern has been glaringly obvious. Now, I keep a copy of the bible on my sewing table, and access it often.

In high school, the sewing projects on the walls of the textiles class rooms were so country cutesy that I decided not to continue taking sewing classes. Silly, I know. If they had made some of these Sunbonnet Sue blocks, I might have signed up.

However, of all my high school formal dresses, there was only one that I didn’t make. Some were hits and one was a major miss (I’ve been through all my hiding places and I can’t find a photo of the big blue disaster). After I finished high school, I continued to make dresses for my sister’s formals. With my sister off and married, I no longer have to worry about making formal dresses ever again. A-fucking-men.

lovely, eh

yes, that is purple satin - for my sister

this one is my all time favorite!

All grown up now, I’ve made a few things for around the house, a skirt here and there, but I haven’t been too big of a seamstress since I learned to knit. Imagine that.

why, all that’s left is a kitchner…

Coming soon - a full on shot of my mullet and a series of what we like to call The Face…

Productive

I’ve been quite productive this weekend. My STR a day earlier than I expected, a very pleasant surprise. Not only did I finish the prize handbag, I also finished my secret knitting project. I’m dying to show it off, but I have to wait a week and two days! I don’t know if I can wait that long…

Susan, don’t click the link above… or this one…

So, the guessing game…
Many of you guessed the correct designer - Nancy Bush - and three of you guessed the pattern correctly.

Child’s First Sock in Shell Pattern

I know all three guessers, so Susan, Margene, and Michaele are in luck! I’ve decided to whip together two more bags and let the three of them decide who gets what… will there be hair pulling, kicking and screaming? Congrats grrls!

look at all those yummy stitches!

This sock is coming together so quickly. The pattern is easy to remember and the yarn is delightful.

check out the crazy pooling on the heel flap

It makes me want to sing something silly along the lines of “one heel, two heel, red heel, blue heel…” even though it’s purple and yellow, pink and green. Sock Pal, I sure hope you like these as much as I do! I even caught Kally checking them out.

holy meow chow batman…