MacArthur’s Park Is Melting….

All the sweet buttercrème icing flowing down. Someone left the knitting out in the rain… Okay, getting carried away here. If I don’t stop playing around in the ivy and get in out of the rain I am going to be struck by lightning.


This is what it looked like last night.

Recalling my post from the 29th about acrylics, I have hauled out the Homespun and started this shawl for DD for Christmas. I call it the Buttercrème Shawl, because it reminds me of that wonderful, sinful icing on cakes. I used to watch my Mother dump large quantities of butter and powdered sugar into a big stainless steel mixing bowl, slosh in a bunch of vanilla, and whip it all together. I wanted to dive right in and slurp my way out. When it comes to cooking, well, I didn’t pick up her skills. To make matters worse, I passed on my philosophy to DD, (i.e. don’t learn to cook because if you do some man will expect you to do it). I thank God for these three things: 1 – Since its just the two of us now, we grab whatever we want, whenever; 2 - DH is a meat and potatoes man, and that’s about all I can cook; and 3 - He cooks better than I do and loves to do it. Me—I’d rather knit!

When our kids were growing up I used to cook, but Mother lived with us the last 25 years of her life, so I had her guidance. Whenever I was about to burn anything from toast to steak she would say, “Why don’t you go knit and let me finish.” She was subtle. As a result I was conditioned to knit when things are not going well, knit when I should be doing something else, and knit at irregular and peculiar moments (at movies, standing in the rain, during parent/teacher conferences, etc.). I don’t knit in Church, but I do knit in meetings. It’s not a problem with clients—at least they keep coming back so I guess they don’t mind. It’s okay for you too. Go ahead and knit, wherever you are. If anyone complains just tell them I said it is okay!

Shopping For Bargains

I bought some goodies at JoAnn’s today, and was reminded of a very real fact. There is no doubt that I am yarn wishy-washy. I like all kinds of yarn—yes, acrylics too. I only become a wool purist when it comes to socks. The sock yarn has to be good stuff, but all other knitting can run the gamut from silk to kite string, which I once used to make a big summer tote with silk flowers stitched all over it. I like seeing the result of knitting with junk yarn, and frequently buy mystery yarns. I made a large afghan for my Mother once—so large she, being five feet tall, called it a blanket. It was made from fluff I bought in a little German shop in Bayreuth (where Richard Wagner built his Festspielhaus), and as I recall, it wasn’t even a yarn shop. I didn’t know then, and I still do not know what the composition of the yarn was, because it didn’t have any labels attached. It was thrown into a bin, and could well have been made of dust bunnies, except that it was a beautiful light blue. Through the years it machine washed and wore like steel. It was still on Mother’s bed the day she left us. The afghan now resides with DD in her upstairs window seat, where she sits to read.

No one can tell me that plain old acrylic yarn doesn’t have a place in knitting. If acrylics and acrylic blends did not exist, my kids would never have had hats and gloves to ward off the Chicago chill. I could not afford wool when raising six children. All the blankies, afghans, sweaters, leg warmers—nope, no $10 to $20 a pop wool used there! I used whatever I could find in any $1 sale bin, and developed a real appreciation for cheap, easily washed, long wearing yarns.

I only bought a Chibi, cable needle, and two half-priced Susan Bates needles today, but it made me realize that a trip to JoAnn’s is like going home to me. It’s not quite the same, because they have real wool there now, but there are still enough “garbage” yarns to bring back memories of ski caps and leg warmers in school colors. Those were the days….

Good Friends, Good Yarn, Life Is Good

Isn’t this just the cutest needle case? I love it! Friend Wendy of Intertwinement sent it to me, along with the wonderful yarn shown here. The case is made to fit Comfort Zone needles. If you haven’t seen Wendy’s yarn, you must go the Intertwinement site and peruse the goodies there. I want everything there—gorgeous stitch markers, too cute charms, needle cases, and some of the yummiest yarn you will ever see!
I ordered the Lady Bird Beetle yarn for socks for GD #4, who loves anything vivid and exciting. I’m going to make them long and in a pattern that will encourage some interesting pooling on the legs. When I received the yarn, I found the needle case included, and immediately added some CZs in matching colors. I’ll use the red needles on the Lady Bird socks.

My life incorporates so many lovely, delightful things—I am truly blessed. I have a loving husband, amazing children, terrific grandchildren, wonderful friends, my sweet dog Macy, and yarn. Of course the yarn leads to knitting, but yarn in itself is enough! I love to pet it, smell it, squeeze it—I could sit happily for hours with a lap full of glorious fibers. Just as I am never far from my loved ones, I am never far from yarn in some form. Stuck to the front of my computer monitor is a blob of mystery yarn. It has been transferred from one monitor to another, as I purchased new monitors through the years. It is purple and gold and getting a little dingy, but it represents where I could be and what I could be doing if not glued to computer tax and accounting programs. That little piece of yarn represents who I am down deep inside: a knitting entrepreneur, a designer, an artist, a grandmother with sock yarn, knitting socks for one of the GDs. I’m a happy woman!

Is Anybody Listening?

Funny thing about blogging, it is sort of like talking to yourself. I talk to myself all the time. My assistant once said she learned how to do General Journal entries by listening to me talk my way through them. My Mother would talk to herself, and my Dad would ask, “What did you say honey?” She would answer, “I was just talking to myself. I needed a little intelligent conversation.” I learned from the best!

Another thing about blogging is that some posts result in great comments, and others, seemingly, are never read. In those cases, we are very much talking to ourselves. Since that is apparently how I organize my thoughts I guess it’s okay. This little critical assessment leads to my purpose today—to discuss Comfort Zone double pointed needles. A few things come to mind that might help my CZ using friends make the transition from other brands of dpns to CZs:

1. They are extremely flexible. They will bend as you use them and your hands heat the polymer. Because there is a large nylon content, they will also bend back to straight with a little encouragement. I have heard from a few users that they let them stay bent, because they have conformed to their hands, which adds to the comfort. Best advice: don’t fight them, join them! Let them bend and conform to your style of knitting.

2. The comfort element comes from the fact that they are so flexible. They don’t fight your hands, or bite into your skin. When they were first produced, we had a little problem with points breaking. It was back to the drawing board for a bit, and the result was the addition of nylon to the polymer, producing a more resilient needle. Best advice: if your knitted stitches are tight, these needles have sharp points that will slide in easily and get the job done. They won’t break if the points are twisted around in the stitches. Just knit the way you usually do and don’t worry about them breaking.

3. There is a fair amount of drag created by CZs. The sides of the needles are a little rougher than most plastic needles, a lot rougher than aluminum, and maybe a little more than bamboo or rosewood. Some users have told me that it took some practice not to object to the drag. It has never bothered me, and others have gotten used to it. The purpose of the drag is so they will NOT fall out of stitches. One customer wrote to tell me that she throws them into her backpack, and never worries about them falling out of stitches or breaking. Best advice: knit a whole pair of socks with them, under the best and worst circumstances before you decide you don’t like the drag. Leave them lying around, throw them in a purse or knitting bag, knit with them in the car. I think you will find that their staying power is extraordinary.

4. Comfort Zone needles were developed by my son-in-law, a plastics manufacturer, so that I could knit socks for the family without the hand pain caused by other types of needles. I found that friends I shared them with wanted more, and that led to the E-business. We’ve done our best to offer a solution to all the reasons knitters don’t like dpns. We even package them in sets of six, so if you lose one your project doesn’t have to be put on hold until you buy more.

Questions anyone? Or am I just talking to myself? If so, it’s okay—my thoughts are really organized now. I feel so much better!

Good News and Bad News

First the good news… this sock is turning out even better than I expected, and because of the STR Fire On The Mountain yarn, which I love, my expectations were high. The colors are bright and beautiful, and the pattern, while not too visible due to the variegation, is visible enough to be pretty. It’s sort of a rib-lace-rib-lace etc. pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks.

It’s really good when a plan comes together. My knitting projects have been going well lately. I have been finishing socks quickly. Something Red has been going more slowly, only because knitting with Addis for more than a couple hours really hurts my hands. I’m spoiled by my Comfort Zone needles, which I can knit with for many hours without hand pain. Knitting with circs is something I put off until I start to feel guilty about the UFO lounging in my knitting bag

I can’t wait until the Comfort Zone circulars are ready sometime around the end of the year. Which brings me to the bad news….I always hear such wonderful, complementary comments about Comfort Zone needles. I guess that now I have to face the fact that there are those out there, who have purchased them and really don’t like them much at all. I heard from one such person yesterday. It was the first time anyone has said to me, “I am very, very disappointed.” (One “very” would have been enough). I cried!! I know it is all part of selling a product—no, it’s more than that! It hit me hard because I love these needles. They are my babies, and I want everyone to love them as much as I do! They are different from other dpns--maybe I need to furnish, on this blog and the web site, a short tutorial on how to become accustomed to the differences in CZ’s and other dpns, how to use them to individual best advantage, and a little of the history behind them.

Until then, I guess I'll just go cry some more….

Perfection Anyway...

I had the most wonderful weekend of sitting in the sun and knitting, napping then knitting, eating after watching the men cook, then knitting, watching the Easter egg hunt while knitting. What could be better? I’ll tell you what—sock perfection. Once again, I refused to cave to the fight against pooling and self-striping disasters by letting the yarn do its own thing. I cut off the Regia at the toe of one sock, and immediately started the second sock, casting on with the cut end from the first sock.

As I’ve mentioned, I have become accustomed to comments about my mismatched socks. I always answer such comments with, “They both came from the same skein.” Anyway, I like to let my socks speak to me about their individuality. Now, at last, I have given birth to twins! Two matching socks! Identical in every way! The truth is in the photo above. And the best part—perfection without even trying! They were made for DD, and I have threatened her with flogging at dawn if she destroys them by wearing them around the house without shoes.

Really, I think they should be framed and hung on the wall. Then, when DH finally makes a hole in one, he can frame the golf ball in a shadow box and hang it right beside my perfect socks. They should win some sort of prize. Is there a prize for perfect socks? Well there should be. I must work on that. I’ll let you know how it goes.

Gone Fishin'

I won’t be posting over the weekend,
I’ll be here…


In this...

But, I won’t be fishing. I may sit on the dock and watch DS fish while I knit. Oh yes, there will be a whole lot of knittin’ goin’ on! This is our annual Easter camping trip. I didn’t name it "the camping trip," that was DD who decided that while she, hubby and the kids are in a 32 foot RV with a king-sized bed, and DH, DS and I are in a semi-luxurious cabin, we are camping. I wonder what she calls sleeping in a tent? This place is called Thousand Trails, and is the best of all outdoors. Top it off with what is predicted to be fantastic weather for the weekend and it doesn’t get any better. They even have a wonderful little Chapel and a Sunday morning service that is lovely!

Let’s face it—I am quite close to being frazzeled after tax season. The mad rush to get to the April 17th finish line is OVER. I decided a long time ago that I would not play the “last minute” game, and make myself available to clients who wait until the day before the return needs to be mailed. I start sending out extensions on the 10th of every April. Done and done!

So, I’ll be back to Knitting Thoughts on Monday, after spending the weekend with Socks That Rock-Fire On The Mountain, and an attempt to finish Something Red. My mind will be sooooo clear that it will be a whole new ballgame. Life is good.

Looking For STRA (SocksThat RockAnonymous)

You can see why I need help—I’ve wound the Socks That Rock in the Fire On The Mountain colorway into a neat little cake in order to start my next pair of socks. The other two are Falcon’s Eye and Marbles, and I expect to receive Ruby Slippers and Queen Rock in the mail any day. And, I have already made socks in Carbon and Cobalt Bloom. I know, I know, that’s a bunch of precious fiber. I told you I had been trying to cut back, “trying” being the operative word. But this stuff is soooo beautiful, soft, sproingy—it is fun to knit with and dreamy to wear. I told myself I was buying it to knit Christmas socks for DD, GD#1, GD#2, GD#3, and DIL#1 and DIL#2. Oh look! I’m one skein short—actually two, because I had already claimed Fire On The Mountain for myself. I want to keep going until I have used every colorway they make.

I need all of my knitting friends to tell me, “Get a grip Kat,” or “Don’t buy anymore Socks That Rock yarn. You can’t possibly use it all before Christmas.” Please, help me I’m bonkers over this stuff! I’m not thinking clearly, and when I don’t touch it for an hour or two I start shaking all over and get queasy. I whine a lot! Is there hope for me? Is there a Socks That Rock intervention group? STRA?

I’ve got it! It doesn’t count if I buy it to make a scarf or hat. I’m sure I read that somewhere. I feel better already.

Needles In Haystacks

DD’s Regia sock number one is past the heel, so I’ve spent some time on the “Something Red” sweater. It is difficult to work on it because I feel my circular needles are too short. I’m using 32 inch needles, because that is all I could find. I should say, that is all I could find in an Addi Turbo, US size #7—hard to find needles.

Looking at this picture, wouldn’t you think that somewhere in there I would have some longer circs. Nope. Thirty-two inch is the longest, and most are shorter.

A friend told me I could get Addi Turbos on eBay from a man named Jeff Wonderland in Great Britain. I’m game, although I never enjoy shopping on eBay. Etsy I love, but eBay gives me nightmares. I ordered two sets of 40 inch Addi’s in US size #6 and #7. All went well until checkout. I was supposed to have noticed the shipping and handling charge back on the first page, which incidentally was in GBP. So, when I went back to find the charges I backed up to the product page, thinking I could then go forward to the checkout page again. No can do! I lost the whole thing and had to start over. On about the third try I finally checked out and ended up paying a fraction of what I would have paid for the needles in Fort Worth if I had been able to find them, which is good. Am I the only person in the world who finds eBay convoluted and difficult? I think there is just too much going on at each site, that there is no easy go here, click this, pay there capability. Anyway, the needles are on the way and I will be able to finish Something Red with ease.

Then this lovely blue yarn will be put to use in the Debbie Bliss Classic Jacket. I opted for wool instead of the cotton cashmere, mostly because it was cheaper and I've bought a lot of Socks That Rock yarn lately. (Give me some credit here--I'm trying to be good). Can’t wait to start.

Jump Right In...

I have spoken out on many occasions, in many venues, about the problem of pooling in hand painted, variegated, and self-striping sock yarn. I guess the problem is that I don’t see it as a problem! I believe it is the yarn speaking to me—telling me who it is and what it wants to be. Who am I to argue? I have knitting friends who can’t stand pooling and will go to great lengths to stop it, rearrange it, stifle it, and force it to be something it is not. Well, that’s okay. I don’t even mind when I am described as that odd person who wanders around Fort Worth in mismatched socks. Yup, that would be me. The socks are the same color mind you. They just don’t have the same design. Each one is an original—each one with a different pattern, and a different personality.

So now I come to the Regia in denim shades, currently on my colorful CZ needles. The first sock is turning out…mmmmm, do I dare say it…perfect. I couldn’t have planned it to be more perfect if I had fudged on where I started with the yarn, giving up yards of precious Regia to make the pattern do what I wanted. Which I didn’t! All of which presents my first ethical design problem. Do I do all of those things to the second sock which I didn’t do to the first sock to make it just right, or do I let the chips fall where they may, and give the yarn its way?

I decided not to play that game, and anyway, I will not be recognized, even by close friends, if my socks match. So, stay tuned for the second sock and let’s see what it says together.

Earmuffs For Cars

When the man next door saw us putting earmuffs on the side mirrors of our new car it prompted him to say, “Awww, how cute. You really love that car don’t you?” I answered, “Yes, we really do, but you see all of the bird droppings down the side doors of your car? You’ll notice there are none on ours.” He looked long and hard and asked, “Why is that?” I explained that the resident male Cardinal, who lives in the tree between our houses, loves to admire himself in the car mirrors during the early morning hours. While sitting on the window edge of the door, he pecks at the bird in the mirror, and drops little packages of appreciation down the side of the door. “Where did you get those covers?’ he asked. I told him I knitted them, and of course, he asked if I could make him some. Now there is a Christmas gift for the neighbors--car earmuffs.

I didn’t really knit them as earmuffs for the car. These are a project gone south—totally off beam. The useful covers are, I confess, my first try at knitting socks from many years ago. I was so happy to have actually created a heel flap and gusset that I didn’t notice that they were more than just large. Then, I just couldn’t throw them away, and no one in our family has feet that big (I’m talking really gigantic), not even our 6 ft. 6 in. son. So, when Sir Cardinal started demolition on our new car, I marched outside and slid the big foot covers on the side mirrors. He never came back. He's too busy working on the neighbor's car. There’s a way if there’s a will! Life is good….

Easter Egg Colors

No, these are not a new style of Legos, and they are not “do-it-yourself “ Pick-Up sticks. These are…TA-DA… the new colors of #0, #1, and #2 Comfort Zone dpn’s. This is what they look like when they come out of the mold. Then they have to be popped off their frames (which holds one of each size), polished and matched by size and color. When I got these I immediately pulled the #2’s off, polished them and put them to use in the second Carbon sock.

Then, I decided that we should sell them in multi-colored sets—sort of a coat of many colors needle set. I will have to show them as a mixed set on the website and see if there is any interest in them. I think the different colors are pretty together, but then everyone who knows me understands that I am always a few degrees off center. Who says all four or five dpn’s have to be the same color? Oh well, sets of all one color will be pretty too!

Puppy Power

Before I begin my discussion of canine knitting companions, I must thank Bliss, Kathy and gardengirl for their comments, which strengthened my weakening resolve to finish the second Carbon sock. I did try the first one on with jeans last night, and decided that they will be perfect with my black leather mules. I actually liked the little monster, and immediately cast on for the second sock.

Now—dogs. I was reading a blog yesterday about how most knitters have cats. Lest all you cat owners jump to the conclusion that I don’t like cats, au contraire! I like cats—they just don’t like me. They probably sense that I belong to a dog, and decide that there is no hope for me. DS had a most unusual cat once. Stinky—yes, that was her name—decided early on that she liked me immensely, and would plop into my lap whenever I visited. If she ever smelled dog on me, she clearly wasn’t offended by it.

But I digress…I just need to say that dog-owning knitters also have faithful knitting companions. My Macy loves to curl up in my lap in a tiny dog-ball, as Jack Russell Terriers are somehow able to do. She occasionally objects to being stuck with a dpn, but usually she is content to sleep for hours, while I knit. It is comforting and sometimes relaxes me to the point that I drop the knitting on the floor or into the basket, and stretch out on the couch, dog and all, for a wee nap. It doesn’t get any better than that!

So, knitting companions of the world, both cat and dog, I salute you. With all of you around…life is good.

Different?

Yes they are! I have been so enthralled with the Socks That Rock yarn and this Carbon color, that I did not realize just how different they are from what I usually knit—until now. Not different in a bad way, or in a “well, I’m certainly not going to wear those,” way. Just different! I usually opt for bright colors—really bright like lime or hot pink. These are dark and subdued, and…you know. DH thinks they “grow on you.” Just so they don’t actually look like something is “growing on” my feet, like maybe mold.

You can tell that I am at odds with myself about these socks. It doesn’t help that I have a skein of Socks That Rock in Fire On The Mountain sitting here waiting for me to finish Carbon--the bright reds, greens and golds calling out to me. I’m going to muscle my way through the second Carbon sock, and I’ll bet that they will become one of my favorites. That happens to me often. I finish a pair of socks, a scarf, or a sweater and think, “that’s not exactly what I envisioned,” and then, the item becomes one of my favorite things to wear. I hope these socks are like that, because the yarn is so luxurious. I know it will be a joy to wear. If they only weren't quite so...different.

Discovering Comfort Zone

Thanks to all of you wonderful people who have said such kind things about Comfort Zone dpn’s! We’ve been talked about in the sock knitting groups recently, and it has made it possible for us to put these great needles into the hands of many sock knitters. After ordering and using them, lots of you have said things like, “The best thing since sliced bread,” and “I just can’t believe I can knit for hours without my hands hurting.” We have also received constructive comments like, “why don’t you post the length of the needles on your website?” And, so we did. (They are 7.75 inches by the way). It’s a nice thing to have a good product, and enjoy using it, but it’s a completely different picture when others discover it and want to use it too.

On the knitting front—I have finally started the Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock in Carbon. I am also working on Wendy Bernard’s “Something Red,” a cute little summer sweater worked from the top down in one piece. It can be found at The Garter Belt. I also have two pairs of socks to repair for DD. She wears her socks with mules in the ER, and for some reason they seem to take a beating. Of course, she also admits to taking her shoes off as soon as she gets home, and walking around on flagstone floors in just the socks. Yeah, that would do it! So, I’m not in danger of running out of knitting projects any time soon. To top it off, I just ordered two more skeins of Socks That Rock, in Marbles and Falcon’s Eye. Life is good!

Orange They Cute?

Orange you gonna tell me you like them? Okay, enough with the orange jokes—these babies are orange Blauband. Sadly, I am not fond of Blauband. I have had several pair of socks in Blauband that:

1. didn’t wear well
2. seemed thin and not very warm
3. felt rough on my feet
4. did not give me warm fuzzies while knitting them.
But thanks to a contribution from a friend (who does not like Blauband either), I ended up with six skeins of this orange stuff. What to do—what to do. I decided to make some thick, 60’s style, cuff-topped socks. I used a double strand, so as to get rid of this blasted yarn as quickly as possible, then made them l-o-n-g in the leg, and reinforced in the heel and toe with yet another strand of—yep, you guessed it—Blauband. I am now down to the toe on the second sock and to my surprise, I still have two skeins of it left over. I think it is multiplying in my yarn basket. Soon I will have baby skeins of orange Blauband all over the knitting room. I can hear the Mom and Dad laughing at me. What a joke they pulled on me. “You’ll never get rid of us!”

I am trying to finish the cursed socks because I want to start the Blue Moon Socks That Rock in Carbon. I’m going to use the same Yukon Leaves pattern that I used for my Sock Pal’s socks, because I love it. At the same time, I am starting DD’s sunshine yellow shawl. That should keep me knitting for at least two months. Then it's on to DIL's afghan. I don’t know what yarn I will use for the latter just yet. I need a trip to my favorite LYS to decide.

DH says I’ll use any excuse to buy yarn. He walked into my office a few days ago just in time to see me log-out of Paypal. “What was that?” he asked. “Nothing,” I answered. “You bought yarn didn’t you?” “Yarn?” I answered. He glared at me and said, “Yes, yarn—that soft, fluffy stuff that you obsessively collect.” “Maybe a little,” I answered. He just shook his head and walked out. At least I have him trained not to argue about things he cannot change. And it only took 45 years.

Ecclesiastes Says:

Original design?

“There is nothing new under the sun.” Just where does that leave us when it comes to our “original” knitting designs? I have said before that I much prefer the knitting aspect of the art to the design end of things. That is because I can never decide if what I have created is “original” or not. I can knit a little tweedy sweater jacket with patch pockets and contrast piping, and call it an original design, but Coco Chanel might disagree. And, if I adapt a pattern from a stitch pattern book—add a stitch or two, or run the pattern horizontally instead of vertically, is it original, or is it from a book. AND do I give credit for the stitch pattern to the person who wrote the book, or did she/he get it from another source? I know that volumes have been written in answer to these questions, but the bottom line is this…there is nothing new under the sun.

All of this leads to the fact that I am about to knit this simple stitch pattern in a sock, from a stitch pattern book:
Row 1: k2, p2
Row 2: p1, k2, p1
Row 3: p2, k2
Row 4: k1, p2, k1
I will not be posting a pattern when I finish because I don’t know if it is an original or an adaptation. Anyway, it may be a pretty design, but it’s nothing new. So says Ecclesiastes.

BTW, friend Kris at Little Bits Designs is having a contest. She is a designing guru. She knows all about original designs, and is offering one to the lucky winner who tells her a story about why she/he needs a specially designed sock pattern. Go ahead, tell her a whopper! She will love it! (I told her the dog ate my vest pattern).

Fini...

The Sockapaloooza socks are finished. At the appointed time they will be mailed with the extra yarn and matching purple Comfort Zone needles in their own little handkerchief linen bag (I love these bags), along with some other goodies. I’ve said it before, but it bears repeating—this is lovely sock yarn! I have had such a great time, knitting these socks for my sock pal. My sincere thanks to Alison for hosting the KAL, and to Donna, my sock sister, for reminding me of the updates.

And now, on to the Christmas knitting. That’s what I said—Christmas! With children, grandchildren, and inlaws, our immediate family totals twenty-two. If I don’t start now I’ll have a repeat of knitting through Thanksgiving dinner, and taking knitting to bed with me in case I wake up during the night. Last November and December are not happy memories. I waited until October to start which resulted in a lot of family members being unhappy when they didn’t get a pair of socks. Nope, this year I’m ahead of the game. This is me being organized and motivated. If I start to run down around August I’ll need a major yarn shopping expedition to bolster my resolve. That’s not at all a bad thing—I think I can do this!

Graduation Day

I've graduated from a simple straw basket (lined, as it is) to a new, improved BagSmith bag. Wow, am I organized! It holds all of my knitting equipment, and as of now, three projects--the vest, and two sock projects. You can see that it would hold a lot more, so I have to resist the urge to fill it up. The back pocket can't be seen in this picture, but it is long and wide and will hold lots of patterns. It also has a shoulder strap that clips on to the handles. I took it to house sit yesterday at DD's while workmen put carpet in the newly finished upstairs rooms. I had plenty of knitting with me, and several recorded episodes of The Closer to view, so I had a nice relaxing day--right? Wrong! Every 10 minutes I had to run upstairs to answer a question--which was usually, "How does this look?" Man, they were a bunch of prima donnas.

I finished the Sockapalooza Sock Pal socks, and am very happy with them. The size requirements seem right-on, and the color is gorgeous. I'll post a picture of them next Tuesday for the update. So, now I'm knitting some orange Blauband using a double strand and a US #2 so I will have a tight weave, and a little thicker sock. After that, it's on to the new skein of Blue Moon in the Carbon colorway. At the same time, there is a bunch Regia waiting for me...could life get any better.

Close--But No Cigar

I thought I would be posting photos of two finished socks this week, but a lot of things have gnawed away at my knitting time. I came close--just three more inches to the toe of sock number two. I think I'll be posting finished photos next week. I hope so, because I just got my second order of Socks That Rock yarn, in the Carbon colorway. I have enjoyed the Blue Moon yarn so much that I can't wait to start the second pair. I have already started thinking of goodies I can add to the box that will eventually go to my sock pal. Everyday I think of something else--watch out sock pal, this is going to be a really big box!

On the missing pattern front (see previous post), the pattern is well and truly missing. My designing pal, Kris, has offered to create a pattern for the front of the vest so I can finish it. It's not that I can't calculate how many stitches to cast on for the front, and how many rows to knit, but it just has to look better if a designer does it! I'm into the knitting and Kris is into the designing. Works for me....

Missing In Action

Have you ever lost a pattern? I have lost my sweater vest pattern. Here’s a picture of what it would look like when finished, if I had the pattern.

It’s not as though I haven’t been working on it right along, because I have. When I decided to do it all in garter stitch, Sally Melville style, I knew it was going to be slow going, because I’m not fond of garter stitch. So I had to make a firm commitment to work on it at least once a day. The back of the vest, is nearly finished, and is very pretty and different. That is partly due to the teal and purple variegated Encore yarn, but the stitch pattern does lend something to an otherwise blah design. The pattern was from Knitter’s magazine, Winter 2005. Wouldn’t you know that I cut it out and put it into a plastic sleeve, rather than copy it and leave the original in the magazine. Now it is missing from my knitting basket where it has been since I started working on the back. What to do—what to do?

I have never lost a pattern before. I am somewhat obsessive-compulsive as far as organizational tasks are concerned—okay, in everything! I put patterns, in their little plastic sleeves, into a thick notebook, arranged by classification, i.e. sweaters, socks, shawls, etc. I have eleven of those big books, and I’ve been through all of them—no pattern. All of my magazines are in one place—no pattern. So, do I go into “design-your-own” mode? Do I rip it all out and start over with another pattern? Do I search for that magazine all over town and the internet, hoping I’ll find one intact that no one has cut a pattern from? I need some input here people!

I’m going online now to knittinguniverse.com to see if I can get a back copy of the magazine. But I’m asking myself if it’s worth it. What would I do without these big decisions in my day? Knit, that’s what.

One Down, One To Go

The first Sockapaloooza sock is finished, and I'm ready to cast on the second sock. This is pretty good considering the stack of paperwork on my desk at the office, and the fact that I worked most of the weekend. This yarn just sort of knits itself! It was so nice to pick it up and knit for a half-hour at lunch and any time I could grab later in the evening. I completed this sock with my #2 silver Comfort Zone needles, but the new purple and orange needles are in. Here you see the purple needles I will use on the second sock. Why? Because They look pretty with the yarn. The height of luxury--Blue Moon yarn and Comfort Zone dpn's that match your yarn. Life is good....

Life Is A Race

They’re so cute! These are the cashmere blend socks—anklets with ruffles around the top. I tried to get them ready for Valentine’s Day, but I had too many things going on, and was racing against time on two projects at work.

I’m feeling a little like my whole life is a race, and I’ve been keeping up, dancing as fast as I can for many years—a lot of years! I got the tee shirt for keeping-up at around 30, the medal at 40, a trophy at 50, and I’m working on the lifetime achievement award…. When I heard about “Knitting Olympics,” I cheered just as I did when a US athlete won the first gold medal, and then I said, “Not for me!” So, this is me cheering all of my knitting sisters and brothers on, but not joining in because, well my whole life is a race.

Part of the race is getting up in the morning. (I actually slept through a half-hour of the alarm ringing yesterday morning, as did DH). Another part is getting ready for work—looking in the mirror, putting makeup on wrinkled skin, and moaning about my roots getting gray again. Part is working all day when I would rather be knitting, and only mentioning retirement occasionally. It’s not just this time of my life. I have always raced against something; my kids eating taffy with braces, those term papers that the dog ate, the missed school buses that required me driving them to school and being late for work—ahhh, those were the days. Thinking about it, I realized that then I would have probably tackled something like Knitting Olympics. I had the stamina—the non-aching body—the oomph—miraculously, the time. That’s right, then I had more time. What’s wrong with this picture? The older I get, the fewer hours there are in a day. A friend said to me recently, “You don’t suppose that it’s because we are slowing down?” Nahhh, that couldn't be it.

So GO OLMYPIC KNITTERS!!! I’m with you in heart and mind. I can’t race fast enough anymore to keep up, but wait for me at the finish line and I’ll get there eventually—if I don’t sleep through the alarm!

Progress In Yummy Yarn

My sock pal’s first sock has been cast on, ribbing done, and three repeats of the pattern completed. The pattern I’m using is Yukon Leaves by Lela Conrad, and can be found here.... I cast on with US#3 and switched to US#2’s for the ribbing and the rest of the sock. The Blue Moon handpainted yarn is the ultimate luxury yarn. I have never used any like it. It just feels so good to knit with that I want more-more-more! Actually, I did order more in Carbon (a stormy mix of sky colors with green mixed in), but it is out of stock, and I have to wait two weeks for it. That will give me plenty of time to finish these socks and the red socks I’ve started in cashmere blend. Life is good when there are socks on the needles, and Sockapaloooza is in full swing.

Ho, Ho, Ho....

Other than Sockapaloooza, and starting Christmas 2006 knitting, what’s up with you? Yeah, yeah, I know it’s too early for Christmas, but I decided that if I don’t start now I will be beating my head against the same brick wall at the end of the year. It sounds like a good plan on the surface—knit those afghans, socks, scarves, shawls, gloves, hats etc. now and stay ahead of the game. But am I going to be tired of Christmas by the time it gets here? Is it really necessary to rush, hurry and just about run out of time every Christmas? Maybe I will, and maybe it is, but I’m going to try this for at least one year, and see if there are universal repercussions.

So, I’m starting with red cashmere blend socks for DD. They have ruffled tops and are amazingly soft and comfy. This will be followed by an Aran afghan for same DD, and a prayer shawl for DIL who drives a long distance to work everyday, requiring a lot of prayers on my part! Add to that all the family members who are grousing about not getting socks this year (5), an HP scarf for youngest GS, green cabled leg warmers for the Irish dancer, and the golf club covers I didn’t finish this year for DH…well, you see why I’m starting early.

I have to admit though that this is the kind of stress I LIKE! It gets me away from the approaching threat of tax season, new accounting clients, and all the other day-to-day things that drop in on us and make us want to yell, “Hey, can’t you see I’m busy here?” This time of year I develop a total inability to multi-task—it’s all just too much for me. So adding Christmas knitting makes me feel better all around. I just have to keep my priorities straight—knitting first, work second!

Ready, Set, Knit

It's SockapalOOOsz time! I have the yarn--Blue Moon Fiber Arts handpainted, superwash merino, in the Cobalt Bloom colorway. I am tossing around two patterns in my mind. Don't know which I'll use yet, but I'll let you know. I've never knitted with this wool before, but I love the softness and texture. I think it will make yummy socks. I may have to order lots more of this.

My Sock Sister said in a message this morning that there may be knitters out there who have finished their socks already. I'm fast, but not that fast! Anyway, I want to finish my Opal Dreamcatcher socks before I start. It's not that I'm a project purist--you know, finish one before you start another. I am far from it! I have about five projects going right now. But, I really like this Opal and the pattern I'm using, so I want to finish them so I can wear them. I am turning the heel on the second sock, and expect to be finished by tomorrow night. THEN, Sockapaloooza sock here I come.

What more could any knitter ask for, luscious yarn, Comfort Zone needles, and a sock pal eagerly awaiting my creation. Life is good!

I Missed It....

One of the things I hate about this time of year is that we're so busy at work that I miss all the good stuff. By the time I read my favorite blogs it is late at night and too late to address subjects of interest--plus, I can't think straight by then. So, I totally missed the bloggers (silent) poetry readings. Late or not, I would like to share one of my own works, from when I was very, very, VERY young and did crazy things like write poetry. This is for all my cat loving, knitting friends...

SAGA OF WEE WILLIE
Wee Willie was a wondrous cat
Of wildly vibrant fur.
A fat cat blessed with ego bold,
And rasp instead of purr.

Wee Willie won the cat fight
Weekly held on alley fence.
He waged the fight of wilder cats
Who prowl in jungle dense.

There was no match for Willie Boy...
No other cat his equal.
Which is precisely why this story
Does not have a sequel.

The drama started late one night
Behind the garbage cans.
there was the sound of wailing,
And clang of pots and pans.

Wee Willie took on Tiger Cat
Of fierce and savage stock.
Willie's spunk in battle
Was really quite a shock.

He slashed old Tiger with his claws...
Bit him with his fangs.
The Tiger rose to run away...
On that Wil's victory hangs.

As Willie reached out with his paw
To slash old Tige once more,
a withered shoe came flying through
An open alley door.

Tom Simpson yelled, "Take that you cat!"
At Tiger, as it hit.
Then Willie had the title won
Cats present would admit.

With forepaws poised, he shoved Tiger
right on off Tom Simpson's fence.
The cats joined in the mirthful squeals...
With details I'll dispense.

Except to say poor Tiger
Landed face down in the dirt,
And wanting to avoid more shame,
Pretended he was hurt.

He always said Wee Willie didn't
Fight a fair Cat's fight,
But no cat questions Willie's power
to rule the alley night.

And no cat wants to fight him,
Just in case old Tiger's right.
Katherine Myers

Opal!

The first Opal Dreamcatcher sock is coming along. I'm knitting with US #2 dpn's--not my favorite thing to do. I don't like to knit with anything smaller than a #3, but I do it when necessary. Using Comfort Zone needles helps a lot with comfort, but it seems like a project on #2's just goes on and on and on. I can't imagine how long it takes to knit a sock with #0's, and I'm not going to find out! I have to say, the Opal is great. I'm still loving the colors even if they are mostly a dull gray.

I got the yarn today for my Sockapaloooza socks. It's Blue Moon Fiber Arts' Socks That Rock yarn in the Cobalt Bloom colorway. Sooooo soft and yummy, I can't wait to start--which I will do as soon as the gray socks are finished. I may cast on sooner, but the "head-down" knitting will begin after the Dreamcatchers are on my feet.

I was really tickled by the comment on yesterday's entry. It's from my sock pal--the one who is knitting socks for me. I'm so excited about the promise of "over the top" socks, and I am one who enjoys over the top stuff!! I am currently wearing the Koolaid dyed lime green "Kiwi Waffle" socks. I had my hair cut this morning, and you know how your socks show at the bottom of your jeans when you sit down. Another customer came and hiked up my pants leg and said, "those are wild!" Yup, that's me, wild woman. Just ask my kids. Having six of them will make anyone wild.

Next--Dreamy Socks

Finished the blue variegated Baby Soft socks, and have started Opal Dreamcatcher socks. I’m so taken with this yarn. To begin with, it’s OPAL. Then there is the fact that the color is so deceptive. On the surface it looks gray and gray with a little off-white thrown in. But in a good light you see a subtle lavender emerge. I’m using the Cozy Socks pattern from Knit It! Fall 2005 magazine. The pattern is a four row repeat that creates triangles.
Row 1: K4, P1
Row 2: K3, P2
Row 3: K2, P3
Row 4: K1, P4
You can see that the purl stitches correspond to the row number, so you can knit this without looking at a pattern or even memorizing a stitch sequence. So easy, and so interesting.

I’m excited about Sockapaloooza starting tomorrow! I haven’t joined a KAL before—formally that is. I have knit-along with a couple groups—watched others progress and grabbed the free help to complete the project. Yes, I guess that makes me one of those lurkers everyone talks about. So I decided to “just do it.” I donated myself as a sock savior in Sockapaltwoza, to knit socks for someone whose sock pal dropped out. That was such fun that I wanted to do the full KAL this time.

I am free to join a KAL because I have finished end-of-year reports and W-2's, and have not yet officially entered tax season. I have about, um-m-m, two days to breathe and knit. It's these moments in between trouble and catastrophe that make it all worthwhile. Life is good!

One Sock, Blue Sock

One blue variegated sock finished, and one at the heel. Ten-year old granddaughter Samantha picked it up a few days ago and tried it on. We were amazed to see that it fit her. The conversation went like this:
“Grandma, this sock fits! Are they for me?”
“No, these are mine.”
“But you never knit socks for me. You’ve knit a lot for my mom. When are you going to make me some?”
“Well…I guess I could make you some next. Okay?”
“But these fit really well….”
And on, and on, until we went to my stash and picked out some yarn that she likes, put her name on the wrapper, and I promised to make them next. I talked her into some yellow WoolEase, because I think that will hold up under kid damage better than wool.

I’m a lucky Grandma because all my kiddos love my knitted objects. But it does put pressure on me to knit faster, since we have six grandchildren, and if one gets socks, they all want socks!

After this encounter, I dreamed that night that I own a yarn shop, and in a back room I have several people knitting all those things I can’t find the time to knit. I wasn’t standing over them cracking a whip, but I was demanding, “Hurry! You have to knit faster!” They were complaining and saying, “Yeah, yeah, we hear you.” (Good help is so hard to find). My dreams are obviously telling me that I should quit working and knit all the time. Whenever I bring it up to DH he plays the “how would you pay for yarn” card. Not fair! I guess Sam is going to have to wait for her socks like everyone else…I’m knitting as fast as I can.

Sock Duo

It’s not often that I knit two pairs of socks for myself at one time. I feel like royalty. Especially coming on the heels (pun intended) of the Kiwi Waffle socks I feel so pampered--and just a little bit selfish. I knit so much for other people, mostly family members, that I forget how nice it is to say, “These are for me.”

The pink socks are anklets in Knit Picks Dancing. The yarn is a cotton / wool / nylon and elastic blend that manages to be both stretchy and soft. You can’t see it well, but there is one row of lace stitches after the ribbing and before the ankle. They will be perfect for spring and summer…light and airy. The blue, white, mint green socks will have a longer leg—maybe as long as 10 inches. These are plain old acrylic (Baby Soft). I never use acrylic yarn as gifts, except for my daughter, who happens to like acrylic socks as I do. They wash and wear well. (I think so anyway).

I’m also continuing to work on the sweater vest, and making my peace with the fact that I probably won’t be able to wear it this year. The weather people say it will be 80 degrees here again today. (Toto, we're not in Chicago anymore). They promise colder weather for the weekend, along with rain. Ha! If you believe THAT I have some land in Arizona I want to sell to you. I think winter has deserted us, and we are going to roll right into spring and summer without ever having to put on a coat. I guess the weather is Fort Worth’s love-it-or-leave-it thing. Most cities have something you would change if you could, but you can’t so you learn to love it.

So, I L-O-V-E Fort Worth weather! Really, I do—I really do—really. I am not convinced yet, but I’ll keep trying.

Kiwi Waffle Heaven

Who said it's not easy being green? Kermit aside, I love having green feet! The Kiwi Waffle socks are finished and (now) on the feet. BTW, the pink, blue (yes it’s really blue not green) and purple variegated seen on the lower right is for another LeBeret. I started another pair of socks in pink and purple Knit Picks Dancing sent to me by Kris for Christmas. I have never knit with Dancing before, and I think the socks will be a dream to wear. The yarn has some stretch to it.

But, before more socks, or I should say in addition to more socks, I am taking a side trip into cables and twists with an Irish Seaman’s scarf. I started this one twice. On the first try something went wrong, or I just wasn’t understanding the pattern as written. I ripped it out after five or six rows and started over, and this time it seems to be going fine. Don’t know why I wanted to do this, especially since I am knee deep in the variegated sweater vest (the back is almost done), but the pattern was calling out to me. I may be calling out for help before it’s over.

On the work front, I wish I had kept my mouth shut when I mentioned
W-2 printing always being a dramatic event. I have angered the form-printing gods, and they are causing end-of-year form printing to be more than dramatic…they are going to be the end of my career. Oh well, I wanted to retire anyway! I know, I know, I’m whining. According to DH it’s what I do best. But I happen to believe that I knit better than I whine. Maybe....

I've Bottomed Out

There were some surprises waiting for me on the bottom of my “current project” knitting basket. I have about ten baskets, bags, mesh barrels and plastic containers around the house with yarn and projects in various states of completion. But the one I keep with me all the time, and carry from room to room with me was empty for a brief time yesterday. What an awakening! I realized how much I “live” out of my knitting basket. I shove stuff into it and forget it for, ummmm, years it seems.

Seen in the photo:
1. Scissors that have been missing for at least a year.
2. Yarn bobbins I bought during the summer when I was going to knit mosaic socks, and didn’t because I couldn’t find the bobbins.
3. A large marble. Go figure.
4. A stuffed penguin. Think about that while you are contemplating the marble.
5. A pretty chain with a yarn cutter attached.
6. Lots of Comfort Zone dpn's.
7. A miniature sock. I can only assume that a Barbie somewhere is running around with only one sock on.
8. And the big shocker, a Coach bag with bunches of knitting tools inside: needle checker, Chibi full of needles, tons of stitch markers, two stitch holders, two cable needles, and on and on.

I’m taking a poll. Does anyone else have their knitting accoutrements in a Coach bag, or a Louis Vuitton, or any designer bag or pouch? Is that the height of arrogance? Is that just too, too posh? I considered getting a brown paper bag to put the things in and finding another use for the Coach pouch—like cosmetics, or my mp3 player. But I had to ask myself, “Is anything more important than knitting?”

The stuff is still in the Coach bag, under the knitting project I have now put in the basket. So, I guess the answer is pretty clear! Nothing!

Block Party

Le Beret is blocking and hanging out with Whirly-Curly, which was started in November and put on hold for Christmas knitting. With this (and Kiwi Waffle sock almost finished) I have officially made contact with the bottom of my knitting basket. What a strange feeling--having an empty basket. I dropped the first six inches of the Plymouth Encore, purple/blue/green varigated vest on the US#8 Addi's into the basket, along with the two skeins of Encore I had already wound, and I felt much better. But first I took pictures of the empty basket, which I will post tomorrow, because I am sure there are more knitters like myself who have not seen the bottom of their "current project" basket for years. I had forgotten what it looked like, and there were several things hiding there to surprise me. I won't ruin the surprise for you. Tomorrow!

I like the hat even better now that it is blocked and shaped. It really looks like a beret. I've decided to keep it, but the Whirly-Curly scarf is already gone. DD claimed it last night when she stopped by, saying, "I know just what I'll wear this with tomorrow." I complain a lot because the things I knit disappear as fast as I knit them. But the truth of it is that I love to have family and friends claim them as their own, and love them as much as I do. At Grandparents Day at school recently I overheard a woman say to DD, "I love your bag. Where did you get it?" She replied, "Isn't it great? My Mom made it for me." Wow!! Give me more yarn, and more knitting time. I have to make more stuff. Life is good!

And, I Don't Even Like Hats!

Here is Le Beret hanging out in the bathroom where it is about to be hand washed, blocked and shaped. It is so cute I want to keep it, but I don't like hats. I don't wear hats except for our one ski trip to New Mexico every year. Then they are on and off ASAP. So, I can keep it and wear it once this year, or I can send it to a cold-country-family-member. It's in the 80's here in Fort Worth today, which gives you some idea of why I don't wear hats or mittens or coats or.... I do wear scarves on occasion--and strictly as a fashion statement. I guess I'll keep the cute little hat and wear it when it's 40 degrees for 10 minutes in February.

Also, the black man-socks are finished and on the feet of DH. He really likes them and wants more. I said okay, because I really love to knit things for him. But I warned him that the next pair WILL NOT be black! Maybe a nice dark wedgewood blue, or even a silvery gray, but NOT black! I almost lost my eyesight over them. I couldn't find a light in the house that was bright enough. I think I need one of those horribly expensive natural lights you see in yarn shops and catalogs. Better start saving my pennies.

I am two inches into the waffle pattern on the Koolaid dyed lime green socks--the kiwi waffle socks as I am calling them. The finished sock is so soft and fits so well that I was tempted to wear just the one until the second is finished. Can't wait. So, you see, the knitting goes on. Here we are on January 8th, and two projects are finished and one almost done. Good progress for a new year. Now if things just go as well when I start printing w-2's for payroll clients tomorrow. But, it has been my experience that w-2 printing is never without drama! Wish me luck....

Yea--Le Beret!

If a picture is worth a thousand words, is a blurry picture worth five-hundred? Just a thought. This is a pic of the first 20 rows of Le Beret from Morehouse Farm. It didn't photo well for some strange reason--maybe the stars are in the wrong position for hat photos. Anyway, the pattern called for a 16 inch circular. I wish I had chosen a little longer circ (like a Denise with one extra section), but now that I have started on the 16" I'll keep it on this needle a little longer, since I only have 20 more rows before I put it on dpn's and start decreases for the top. I like the shape and the color, and I'm making it more softly rounded than floppy. Nice soft wool, nice soft shape--it should be a great hat to wear!

I was reading a blog yesterday which compared toe-up to top-down sock knitting. Wow, it's amazing what we get used to and cling to in knitting. This knitter is a toe-up person, and I am a devoted top-down person. She found it grueling and boring to knit through a heel flap and gusset, although her stated three hours is unbelievable. I tried a toe-up once, however, and it took a long time to get three inches up from the toe, and then it didn't fit properly. So, it may have even seemed like three days to her. Then, there is friend Kris who knits both toe-up and top-down socks, and loves them both. Go figure! I could make a new year's resolution to knit a complete pair of toe-up socks. But n-a-a-a-h, why would I do that when I can knit a top-down pair in two days to a week, depending on the amount of knitting time I put in. I guess it's all in what you get used to, and I say...if it ain't broke, don't fix it!

Happy New Year

I tried to tell Macy that it's 79 degrees outside, but I think she has decided to hibernate for the winter--cold or not. This has been such a quiet, slow, do-nothing-but-watch-TV-and-knit weekend that I was tempted to join her a couple of times as I started to nod off. THEN, things became busy as DH found several projects that I didn't really think were critical, but joined with him, in the spirit of the new year. Rah, rah, go me!

And then there's football--which is only good for knitting:
"Did you see that play?"
"Yes dear."
"Are you sure? Do you want me to run it back?"
"No need dear, I saw it, (over the tops of my glasses during a s1, k2tog, psso stitch sequence)."
"It's so much fun watching football together!"
"Yes sweetheart is surely is."
Well at least knitting through the game was more fun than all those projects.

I've made a good start with the beginning-of-the-year knitting projects. I have finished one black man sock for DH, and cast on the second sock. Finished one lime koolaid dyed sock and cast on for the second. And, I started the Le Beret in hot pink wool from Morehouse Farms. The Clapotis has hit the back burner, as have all other projects until these are done. I went to a wonderful shop in North Richland Hills called The Knitting Nook. Beautiful yarn, good prices, and great customer service. I'm definitely going back there! It inspired at least ten ideas. One is a long vest in Plymouth Encore that I bought the yarn for.

Just want to say Happy New Year to all my friends and family. I love you all! Thanks for all your support and patience with my knitting and needle-sales projects last year. We're going to do great things together this year--I can feel it coming.

I Can't Stop!

I'm still at it--sock knitting that is. All that Christmas sock knitting wasn't enough. Now I'm down to the toe on the first lime waffle sock (Koolaid dyed by friend Kris). Also, another pair of black man-socks. Click on the photo and look at the cool teal I knit into the ribbing. I had to do that to keep it from being so boring, and it is little enough. I used a teal/black varigated yarn to perk up the top of the socks. I mentioned to DH that I could also do the heel and toe in the varigated. He nixed the idea as being not masculine enough. Phooey! Men are so touchy about their socks--as if the top, heel or toe shows at all. He said, "What if I'm wearing them when I change from my golf shoes into my regular shoes in the locker room?" I told him that all the other men would probably stand up and applaud.

Christmas was wonderful, and the week between this year and that year is so far quiet and calm. Only one client meeting planned, and the rest is knitting/play time. I need all the rest I can get during this one week sandwiched between Christmas preparations, and the year-end reports due in the first month of the new year. But we come to the new year with a load of good vibes from a Christmas that was truly memorable. The grandchildren were all happy; we spent time with old friends; we ate the best of foods and didn't care about calories, and we finished everything off with a nice long nap. That's the best of the best. Hope yours was the same!

Partridge On The Needles

You know how the Partridge In The Peartree is the last thing in the song? Well, I've got a partridge on my needles--one of those oops, last-minute gifts I didn't expect to have to knit. My firefighter son asked me on Sunday (three days ago!) if I could knit him a thick, wooly pair of black socks to wear with his boots. Of course, they had to be black so I had to go buy the yarn on Sunday afternoon. But I decided to knit a little grey into the ribbing where no one would see it, but it would give them some character. I finished one sock last night, and now here it is Wednesday before Christmas and I have finished the ribbing and am starting on the leg of the second sock. I just might finish it if my accounting clients stop wanting end-of-year stuff. I say let's stop everything but knitting right now and catch up the rest of it after the first of the year!

I really didn't expect to be knitting anything else until after Christmas. I have gift wrapping to do, and baking to do, and Christmas plays to see, and visions of sugarplums to contemplate. Here's the thing...when a son asks for a special knitted gift, you stay up nights to finish it . It's so special and wonderful that one of my guys actually would cherish, and take pleasure in something that I made for him--you just don't say no to that. My greatest concern is that I will have to give him the second sock with needles in the toe. I swear I'll sit there Christmas morning and finish it while I watch everyone open gifts! It makes me realize that the reason we knit is to make ourselves happy by making others happy. Isn't that the essence of Christmas giving? Life is truly good!

Merry Christmas to each and every one of you, and as always, happy knitting.

Hoorah! It's Finished....

Lest there be any doubt that I really knitted 12 bags, here are seven of them. Number 8 is blocking, and 9, 10, 11 and 12 have been mailed to Chicago. Yes, I did cheat by making the bodies of the bags on my Bond knitting machine, but seaming, handles, and felting were all done by hand. The Bond really helps with straight knitting. I've never played much with intarsia or lots of hand minipulation on the machine. I like hand knitting too much to jump into nothing but machine knitting. It is a means to an end--large quanties done fast!

I am so pleased with the things I have finished for Christmas.
* all the bags (12)
* son's heavy "snow trudging" socks
* itty-bitty sock earrings
* Gryffindor scarf/tie
* Snow Angel socks
* black fingerless man-mitts.
It makes me happy to share a bit of myself with my family and friends. If I had it all to do over, and had the time, I would do only one thing differently. I would knit the Griffindor scarf ( shown above) in the round, if that's possible. I'm going to have to investigate that possibility with Alison Hansel, whose pattern I used. The back of the flat scarf isn't as neat as I would like it, but it's still pretty and soooo fashionable!

It's not over yet. I still have shopping to do for stocking stuffers and special requests. But, I am closer than I have been since October, to being finished. Now I can sit back, eat too much chocolate and too many cookies, and wait for the big day. Wonder what Santa is bringing me?

And On, And On, And....

Son's socks are done, and the last gift scarf is about 12" from being finished. The itty-bitty earrings for DD are done--just have to put them on earring wires, and the last bag is being felted. What am I going to knit now? That's what a friend asked me today. I suddenly became tongue-tied. For a few seconds I really couldn't think of what I would knit now that Christmas knitting is almost done. I thought, "maybe that's it for me...the last hurrah, the final knit bit, the exit FO." Then it hit me, I have one lime green sock done and another cast-on, there is the sweater that will be a shawl if I listen to its pleadings, and there is the whirly-curly scarf that has been on the needles for what seems like forever. Yes indeed, there is plenty to knit after this! Boy am I relieved! My whole life passed before my eyes.

Have you ever thought about what you would do it you didn't knit? I really don't know what I would do. No, not crochet! Needlepoint maybe. Read definitely. But life certainly wouldn't be the same! How could I ever watch TV again? What would I do for socks? Buy them? Surely not! And most of all, what would I do with all that yarn. Yeah, that's it--it's the yarn that keeps me knitting, and if I'm going to keep knitting until I run out of yarn, I'm going to live a v-e-r-y long time! And that's okay with me.

What Was I Thinking?

At least I can post a picture of the Snow Angel socks, because they are for a long-time friend who does not read my blog. In fact, she claims to be blogging illiterate. Once again, if you click on the pic you will see the snow sparkle. Now, isn’t that pretty?

So, that makes ten bags, three pairs of socks, two scarves, and a pair of itty-bitty sock earrings. I started in October and still it’s going to be close. I still have to finish one scarf, one pair of men’s fingerless mitts, and one more bag—an add-on for the same old friend getting the above socks. Then there is all the in-store/mall shopping for grandchildren to do, and a whole bunch of cooking. I said Santa was tired. Well now he has gone out for a drink and I don’t know if he’s coming back!

I know why we do this to ourselves! We love it! It’s fun and it produces memories that last all year. I still remember things from last Christmas. I won’t try, however, to duplicate them because this year will have its own outstanding memories that will stand alone—without parallel and without need to duplicate.

Well, I have to go. The phone is ringing. It’s probably Santa, and he wants more money. If I find out where he is—I’m there!

Feeling Photo Deprived?

Pictures are sadly lacking on this blog right now. If I post pics of all the things I'm knitting, my family readers will know what I'm knitting for Christmas. They have already started talking among themselves, "I know she is knitting that for me," "No, no, she is knitting that for me. The----is for you." Note to family: you better be good or Santa will sleep through Christmas. Santa is feeling really tired right now!

Why is it that life goes into fast forward during the last month of the year. I know it is a busy time by nature of the short time between Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year. But sometimes it seems like work, preparations, shopping, parties, and closing EOY as we say in accounting jargon, all goes into overdrive. Well, my overdrive is kaput and my "get up and go" has "got up and went." A few days ago I said to DD, who was sprawled on my couch at the time, that I was feeling my age. She stared at me for a moment and said, "then I'm older than you." I think she meant that she is also feeling tired right now, but I decided to take it as a declaration of my youthful appearance.

Well, responsibilities, obligations and priorities aside, I have decided to not let it all make me enjoy the season less! This is a time to remember all the wonderful blessings that have been given to me--a time to thank God for a year, like many others, of beauty and light, of family love and support in all my endeavors. Busy or not, life is good.