Ack!!

My computer is broken. My lovely computer that I had built back in January is in the shop. It started acting weird a few days ago but I ignored it and hoped it would behave again soon. Alas, this morning, the computer would not start. My husband brought it to the computer gurus that built it but when I spoke with them earlier this evening they had not found the problem. I told them that I know they are brilliant and I have every faith that my computer will be returned to me tomorrow. Computer guru man did not sound very optimistic. Please pray to the computer gods for me.

I am now on our OLD computer. This computer does not typically work very well and no one uses it unless it is absolutely necessary (like right now). I have no way to upload photos and I'm careful not to overdo. But I'm grateful to have any computer access at all.

After finishing my Redwood Socks the other night I thought it might be fun to try something new before Socktoberfest. I had follwed the links to the Fall Cable Knit Along and thought I'd give it a shot. I cast on for the Irish Hiking Scarf at baseballl practice Wednesday evening and quickly decided I loved the pattern. I found two very old skeins of Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride in my stash. That yarn has been in my stash for 12 years!!! I know this because I bought a large amount of yarn right after I learned to knit from a friend who was moving to Florida and said she had no use for wool. I've used yarn from that stash over the years to make many hats, mittens and felted items but I still have some left.

I tried to scan the scarf but the scan came out all wonky. I'm not sure if it's because you can't scan white well but the scan is not worth sharing. I'm almost through the first skein and the scarf measures 24 inches long. I'm thinking it will make the perfect birthday present for a friend who loves all things Irish.

Before Sunday, I will have my new socks cast on for Socktoberfest.

Redwood Socks are finished

My Redwood socks are done!! I just love how they turned out. The yarn is wonderful and the colors are amazing. I know I've talked about this yarn a lot and I wouldn't be completely honest if I didn't admit that I was somewhat disappointed in how different the skeins were. The first skein had much more of a lightish green color that I thought really added to the scheme. The second skein had much less green and a color that never appeared in the first skein - kind of a chocolate brown. I liked both skeins and I still love the colors but I would have been happier if both skeins had been more alike.

These socks count as my second pair of socks for September for the
Sock A Month Knit Along and also as my socks for the Red Sock Knit Along.

Now I'm ready for Socktoberfest.

But first, an image of fall from my rock garden.

Autumn Sedum

Making progress

I'm making progress. I am really enjoying these Redwood socks. I'm always enthused about sitting down to knit a row or two if I have even a spare two minutes. Working on the second sock and knowing how many checkerweaves I need to knit makes the knitting go quickly. There are 13 checkers on the leg and 19 on the foot. I got past the gussets last night and have 8 checkers done. This sock should be done quickly and will count as my second sock for the Sock-A-Month KAL for September.

Yesterday I went shopping at The Christmas Tree Shop and finished shopping for my partner in the Knitter's Tea Swap. I bought the nicest tea cup which is more the size of a mug. I've got all my goodies bought and now just need to wrap and mail them. My spoilee has contacted me and now I just need to wait for the mail to arrive.

Speaking of the mail ... I am awaiting a package from an internet yarn company so I can complete my package for my partner in the Chocolate Swap. I have everything chocolate bought and I think my package looks terrific - I wouldn't mind receiving it. But I decided it needed another skein of yarn and so I wait.

All this progress is just counting down toward href="http://lollygirl.com">Socktoberfest. I can NOT believe it's almost October. I've got the yarn and I think I've got the pattern. I've even got new needles that I'm anxious to try.

Rain

Rain.

I can't even begin to tell you how glorious the rain was today.

It's not that we need the rain. We've had more rain this year than I ever remember. The earth didn't need the rain, I needed the rain. I really needed the rain.

A couple of weeks ago when all the boys' fall schedules were finally gathered and we discovered who had what when, we realized that we'd be out of the house every single day or night of the week until November 6th without a single day off. Soccer for two boys, baseball for the oldest, Cub Scouts, Boy Scouts, piano, Latin and Youth Group are scheduled every single night of the week. I knew it'd be stressful but I figured I could handle it.

Our school year has started without a hitch. The new curriculum and programs I bought for the boys have been hits. We're making good progress. I'm still managing a 2 - 4 mile walk every morning before we start lessons. The boys are happy on their teams, my oldest is working on a new song for piano, my oldest is also working on his First Aid Merit Badge for Boy Scouts. A mother could be proud.

But then the inlaws arrived for a visit. Followed days later by a visit from my mother. We still had all our regularly scheduled activities as well as company. My mother left last night. And I was exhausted. I woke up dead tired this morning but I hopped in the shower because we had to be at the soccer fields at 8:3o. While I was drinking my tea the rain started. Shortly afterward the phone rang. Soccer for boy #3 was cancelled. A short while later soccer for boy #2 was called and when I checked my email baseball for boy #1 was cancelled for the ENTIRE WEEKEND.

This left me with a free, unplanned day. My husband still had to take the younger boys to a Cub Scout activity but I had the day free. While I would have loved to have gone back to bed and slept or knit or read, I didn't. I had things to do. I finally went shopping. I have less clothes than any woman I've ever met. I hate shopping for clothes for me. I always have a hard time finding clothes I like and, even more important, clothes that fit. I just have a hard to fit body.

Today I went shopping and I bought 3 new pairs of pants. I can't believe how well they fit. They are stylish and comfortable and I can't believe I found them. I also bought 4 new tops. I never, ever find this many things to buy that I like. I even came home and ordered the new LLBean clogs that I wanted.

It's supposed to rain again tomorrow.

Socktoberfest

So I signed up for Socktoberfest. I'm pretty excited. I've been giving some thought to what Socktoberfest means to me. It's not a knit a long or a sock race. It's not an exchange or trade. Socktoberfest is a celebration of sock knitting. Because I knit socks almost exclusively, I've decided to set some goals for Socktoberfest:

1. I will only use yarn from my stash for Socktoberfest socks
2. I will try a new technique - I'm thinking toe up socks
3. I will try a new pattern from a book I already own

What are your plans for Socktoberfest?

Redwood Sock

I'm cross posting from the Red Sock Knit Along. My first Redwood sock is done. I just love it. It was a simple, quick knit and it fits well. I'm very glad I decided to switch to a smaller needle size for the heel and foot. This sock went many places because it was so easy to knit in public.

I quickly got the second sock on the needles last night.

Fall is in the air ...

I think I chose the perfect pattern for this yarn. This is a simple checkerweave pattern and I think it sets off the colors in the yarn nicely. I like the way the yarn looks in the leg better than I do the heel and bottom of the foot. I started the socks on size U.S. 2s in order to get gauge but they feel a little loose so I switched to 1s for the heel and foot. I need the heel and foot to fit more tightly. I think this will work out fine.

As I knit the socks I keep thinking that they look exactly like fall in New England. I can't wait to wear them.




It didn't feel like fall yesterday at the county fair. It was 85 degrees!! The boys did very well with their entries - the younger two both got at least 2 blue ribbons and the oldest got a red ribbon. His best entry didn't even get a ribbon. He was disappointed but he handled it well.

We've been very, very busy around here with baseball, soccer, visitors, Scouts and the fair but by next week things should settle into a groove. I've been finding lots of time to knit at practices and it will be even easier once it cools off a bit. It's just too hard to knit outside when it's hot and sticky.

Sports Break

That young man in the catcher's gear getting ready to catch that strike is my oldest son. He had a great day behind the plate today. He also had two stolen bases and a great hit. The whole team played wonderfully and they won 9-1. It was a beautiful day to be at the baseball field but MUCH too hot to knit. My yarn kept sticking to my fingers so I gave up knitting and took pictures.

My middle son had a super soccer game. He didn't score but played well and his team won. Again.

Youngest son also had a great game (but only after I left to go to baseball). He scored two goals.

My inlaws are here for the weekend and we have more baseball tomorrow. I think we're also going to the fair so the inlaws can see the boys' entries. I don't think this will be a knitting heavy weekend.

Git 'er done

I don't usually speak like Larry the Cable Guy but last night I just kept saying, "Git 'er done" in my best Larry voice. I really wanted to be done with these socks. I know they're children's socks but they're 6 inches tall before the heel and 5.5 inches after the heel before the toe - they're the size of some adult socks. AND I knew that they didn't fit Jared but I finished them anyway. They really are too tight for Jared and he's agreed I can donate them to charity. I'll make him another pair. Someday.

I plan to donate these socks to charity. Please leave me a comment to let me know about a charity that would like 100% wool socks for children and how to reach them.



The good news is that I was able to cast on with my new lovely yarn from Knit Picks. It's Redwood Forest from the Memories line. I think it looks exactly like Fall leaves in New England. These socks are for ME. I'm just using a simple Checkerweave Pattern that I downloaded years ago from The Sock Guy's site. The yarn feels wonderful and I'm knitting on U.S. 2's to get guage so they're knitting up quickly.

Drowning my sorrows ...

I had a sad day Monday. I went to see my Nana who is moving to Florida. Nana is not well and she's moving in with my mom. I went to bring dinner and to help her throw out stuff that needed to go. It was a sad and painful (for me) visit as it will probably be the last time I ever see my grandmother.

While I was in town, I stopped by a yarn store I had read about on the internet. Ewe'll Love It! is the most amazing yarn store I've ever been in. It was a little difficult to find and parking was a chore but once I was inside I totally forgot my worries. The store is large with LOTS of yarn. There's even a sale loft. The owner was friendly, welcoming and helpful without hovering. She kindly told me that all handpainted yarns were 15% off.

I had a great time shopping even though I only had 1/2 hour until closing time. I did some credit card damage in that time. I wish I had a photo to share but ... I bought two skeins of Cascade 220 to make some socks for my 12 year old son who wears size 10.5 shoes. The Cascade 22o is very camo looking and I think he'll love them. I also bought a skein of Cherry Tree Hill Yarn in Tropical Storm and a skein of Seacoast Handpaint (but I can't remember the name right now).

The wonderful owner even wound the skeins into center pull balls for me even though it was after closing. I also bought a few little thing-a-ma-bobs for a couple of swaps I'm in. One of them is just what I needed to finish the bookmark I'm making.

It's not often that I post a yarn store review but Ewe'll Love It! is really a cut above the rest.

Knitting something besides socks for a change

Taking break from some sock knitting to make these beautiful bookmarks.

This weekend I bought 40 old Knitter's magazines. These bookmarks are in the Winter 1997 issue. I used to own this issue back in 1997 but many years ago I sold off my Knitter's magazine stash on ebay.

I'm currently working on the lace bookmark in some cotton Rowan yarn in a beautiful sage green. I'm glad that the bookmarks are small because I remembered that I really don't like knitting with cotton and I had forgotten how to knit lace. I kept knitting the yarn overs wrong on the purl side. It's nice to have figured this out on a small project.

What would you pay $5 for?

Yesterday, I got all this for $5.



Honestly, I don't know what these are. I know I sound ignorant. I'm assuming they're a spindle of sorts but I just don't know. They were $1 and I also got a pair of carders for $1. I don't spin and I don't card wool but ... they were only $2 for the pair and it seemed a shame to keep them at that yard sale.

I also bought these:



I got this whole lot of over 40 Knitter's magazines for $4.00.

Oh, and be sure to check out the vintage magazines below. I got 4 of those for a quarter. Please add some dialogue in the comments. I know you want to.

Hey, Bob ...

"Hey, Bob, how do you like my gun?"
"It's swell, Dick. I think I'll go smoke my pipe."

"Donna, don't you think Bob and Dick are just groovy?"
"You bet, Linda. And they'll just love us in these new wraps we knit."

One sock down (well, I guess it's two)

One sock down for both Jared and me. I've been working on both of these at the same time - different kinds of knitting for different situations. I finished Jared's a couple of days ago and mine last night.

I'm not completely happy with either of them. Jared says his feels too tight. He says it's fine and he'll wear it but it's too tight. I should have gone with 48 stitches instead of 44 but when he tried on the swatch when it was only 1 inch tall he said it was too loose. If he decides he doesn't like them I'll find a charity for them. The yarn is nice - 100% wool with reinforcing yarn in the heel.

My socks are Jaywalkers. I only made them 6 inches tall which is a good thing because otherwise I would have run out of yarn. They feel a bit tight to get on and off. Not the cuff ... the whole sock. Once on the foot, however, they feel nice. I think. As you can see from the picture, I have thin legs (just look at mine next to my 9 year old son's). I also have big feet - size 10. I can't really figure out how to check gauge in this pattern but my gauge seems to be off if I count stitches on the bottom of the feet for the stockinette portion as I get 9 stitches per inch and the pattern seems to be calling for 7.25 stitches per inch (31 stitches over 4 inches). I can't imagine knitting socks with fingering weight yarn at a gauge of only 7.25 stitches per inch. Doesn't 9 seem more "normal" for fingering weight yarn?

Anyway, I've got Jared's second sock on the needles and I'll get my second Jaywalker on the needles tomorrow.

Today is Eric's birthday. Happy 7th birthday, Eric!

Meet Noodles

It's hard to believe that only one month ago this was a tiny caterpillar so tiny we had a hard time finding him. For two weeks, he ate and ate and got so big we couldn't believe it. Then two weeks ago he formed his chrysallis while we watched. Today we noticed that the chrysallis had cracked and we knew he was due to come out. We missed the final moments but he's free at last. Isn't it amazing?

Frustrated

Friday night we celebrated my youngest son's 7th birthday with bowling and
pizza. You know you're a bad bowler when a 7 yo does better than you :-)

I finished my middle son's sock last night (the blue photo below)
It's just a basic sportweight sock done in k2p2 rib on 2 circs. I had originally started it on
48 stitches but when he tried it on he said it was too big so I went
down to 44 stitches. Now he says it feels too tight - and it certainly
does seem so. Nonetheless, I'll make the second sock the same and if he
says he doesn't like them I'll find a good cause to donate them to.

On a similar note, I've been working on a pair of Jaywalkers for
myself. For regular stockinette socks I cast on 64 stitches as I have
pretty thin legs (though VERY big feet at size 10). I thought the 76
stitch cast on would be huge. Now I'm to the heel and I think they're
going to be too tight as slipping them on now feels awfully tight
(though they don't feel tight around the leg once they're on). I like
the look of the pattern though it's hard to check guage in it. I'm a
bit frustrated.

I'm thinking that I'll cast on a regular old pair of stockinette socks
in fallish Trekking colors later today. Watching the Red Sox play is
about all the frustration I can handle for one afternoon.