Change of Heart

In exchange for payment our knitting guild agreed to knit for the stork project at the church where we hold our meetings. I voted no and resisted knitting for this project. I hate to feel obligated to do something especially when it comes to knitting and would have much rather paid for the meeting room. This weekend I begin the first of many pairs of baby socks to come.


Specs:
Pattern: My basic toe-up sock worked over 16 stitches.
Yarn: Debbie Bliss Baby Cashmerino leftover from the Velvet-Edged Jacket
Needles: 2 US Inox dpn's
Started and completed: March 13, 2009

I began my 7th pair of socks using the Patons Kroy Sock that I got on sale at AC Moore when the skeins were 2 for $6.00. I using my basic toe-up pattern with 4 x 6 cables. This is the first time in a very long time that I've had to use a cable needle for cabling. It must be the combination of small stitches and small needles that is giving me a problem. Mom and I both wear a lot of black and I realized that we needed some black and/or gray socks to go with our wardrobes so I will be knitting several pairs.



So far, I've finished both sleeves and the left front of the Cassidy cardigan. This will more than likely be the last thing I knit for a while. I've got to institute some more lifestyle changes.

I got the results of a recent sleep test and found out that I have sleep apnea. My youngest nephew, Isaiah, told me that he doesn't like my snoring and on one occasion woke me up to stop it. My sister and mother have been complaining about it and that was my main reason for mentioning it at my yearly appointment with the sleep doc.

I'll have my CPAP test in two weeks to see if that will help me. In the meantime, the doctor told me that I am too fat and need to get skinny again. I have gained a tremendous amount of weight and have so far last 9 pounds in the past 7 weeks. With the dietary changes and exercise that I've already implemented I should be able to change my current status and improve my health. I'm looking forward to the continued good weather as I tend to get out more and thus will be more active. It's going to take some time, but I have plenty of that.

Broad Spiral Ribbing

Specs:
Pattern: Broad Spiral Ribbing - More Sensational Knitted Socks
Yarn: Regia Bamboo Color 1072 - Jaffa Color
Needles: Size 1 US Inox dpn's
Size: Women's 9.5
Started: May 1, 2007
Finished: July 26, 2007

NModifications: Worked toe-up with Turkish cast on and short-row heel.




This a very easy 6-stitch, 4-row repeat. I was the turtle trying to catch the hare. I now have lots more time for knitting and spinning and sewing and having fun with the nieces and nephews. Hip, hip hooray!!!

This little cutie went back home Thursday evening. She is a hoot. Love you Miss G!

Remainders

Leftovers, scraps; odds & ends, the more items you knit the larger the pile becomes. They're also extremely difficult to part with. Much, much harder than the actual garments they were used to create. If you're lucky, there's only a gram or less remaining. In extreme cases there may be several skeins. Either way, they become more stash.

I don't have a hard time tossing the odd yard or two, but when it's more than half a skein I tend to toss it in a basket I've set aside for this purpose. The sock ends go in ziplock in case there's a need for repairs. I've had to repair socks only once so that bag continues to grow as well.

Reducing the sock remainders became a goal when the sock stash exploded. It's been a relatively simple problem to solve when knitting for myself. I like my socks longer, my feet are large and my calves are about 14" in length above the ankle which allows me to get maximum yardage out of most 50 or 100 gram skeins. Out of the trio of socks below only one, the Broad Spiral Ribs pictured in the middle, consumed an entire 50 gram skein.




Even though I had concerns about the yardage for the Cascading Leaves, I need not have worried. I have about 10 grams remaining from the first sock and could have another repeat or two.

Theresa commented that the sock bag in the previous post "could double as evening bag. The smallest version is an ideal size for an evening bag. Excluding the flaps, the medium bag that I made is approximately 8" x 8" x 2" making it neither too bag nor too small. I can easily carry a hat or some other type of small project.

Purple, Blue & Pink

Thanks so much for your comments about Daphne. Completing this sweater is making me reconsider to Tilia. I've had it on hold for several months and won't be picking up anytime soon since it is long-sleeved and I've already cast on for another short sleeve sweater but I'm lookin forward to working on it again. If Hemapthy came in a wider assortment of colors I'm sure that I would purchase more.

In the meantime, one of the rescued Hydrangeas began blooming this week. They aren't as vigorous nor as a large as they would have been before the unexpected freeze came through this spring. They were almost completely devastated and had to put out a lot of new growth.


This is one of my favorite colors and I saw one recently on a walk around the job in an unsual color that I'm going to take some cuttings from.

I finished the first Broad Spiral Rib sock yesterday except for casting off. I want to try a new casting off technique and haven't made a decision as to which one to use. Summer of Socks kicks off in a few weeks and I'd like to have this pair and another in Regia Cotton Color that I've recently cast-on under my belt before it gets under way. The biggest difficulty I'm having is picking the socks for the KAL so I'm glad there's still plenty of time to choose.

Bearfootin'

Today I received the goodies from Kim's birthday contest. Two beautiful skeins of Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Northern Lights. I'm going to share this most generous gift with a knitting friend.


The party was great. Lots of work, lots of talking and lots of catching up with people I hadn't seen in years. The gift a success and somehow with my less than stellar photography skills I was the only one who came camera ready.

I can say without hesitation that I'm no longer up to the challenge of weekend road trips. Traveling 1000 miles roundtrip in 52 hours is way out of my league. I worked on Daphne on the way up until I ran out of daylight and cast on a pair of socks before we hit the road coming back and continued on them until darkness caught up with us once again.

I've been itching to knit a pair from MSKS and the trip was the perfect opportunity to get started. These are the Broad Spiral Ribs.


At first I was hesitant thinking that the yarn would overpower the pattern. I'm getting the barber pole effect on the foot and when the short-row heel is complete there's no telling what will happen. I cast-on using the Eastern cast-on from the new IK. I thought it would be easier but the execution is almost the same as the figure-eight cast. I didn't have to adjust the first row to tighten up the stitches as I have to most of the time when I use the figure-eight. I'm certain I'll be using this cast-on in the future.