Can you guess?

Here is the first work in progress photo of the mystery sock. If you think you know what it is, drop me a line. First person to correctly name the pattern wins a prize.

In other news, I've decided to rip out the Sweet Georgia sock. I don't have enough yarn to finish it and the leg is a smidge too tight and I don't really like socks with patterned legs and plain feet anyway. I really do love the yarn but I need to put some distance between me and it right now. I think it'd make a lovely pair of Breeze socks someday but for right now it needs to go to timeout.

My first contest

Ah, she's a beauty, no?
This is my first skein of Wollmeise. I'm in love. The colors are deep and vibrant. The yarn is sort of squishy and soft. The yardage is generous and made a very large cake. This morning I sat outside and cast on for a new sock. This sock will meet the requirements for the new Loopy Ewe Q3 challenge and will be my first sock in Sock-A-Month 4. I've had at least one pair of socks every single month since SAM2 and I intend to do the same for SAM 4.

I'm coming up on my one year blogiversary on August 20th and I think it's time for my first contest. I will post photos of my sock in progress but will not name the pattern nor will I name the source for the pattern in my posts. The first person to guess the pattern correctly will win a prize. As I don't have all that many regular readers your chance of winning is fairly high but I warn you that the pattern won't be an easy one to guess.

How's that yellow Sweet Georgia sock coming along you ask? Let's not talk about it. I have PMS. I'm crabby and short tempered. There is no way I'll have enough yarn to finish this sock. I really should just rip it now but because of the blog I'll keep working on it just so I can show you how far I fall short. It's not like I can just buy another skein. I even looked on Ravelry to see if anyone had this color in their stash. Nope. Progress photo of the yellow sock when I'm less crabby.

I need a nap

I promised you a photo of my Sweet Georgia sock in progress and so you shall have it. I'm knitting the Cross-Stitch Block pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks. I am LOVING this yarn. Wouldn't you know I'd love a yarn that is no longer available? Someone told me that the base yarn is Louet Gems and I do love Louet though I've never tried the true fingering weight. I've learned that I prefer my yarns to be tightly spun, with saturated colors and a good sproing to them. This yarn has all those characteristics.

I'm also enjoying the pattern. It works perfectly with this lightly colored semi-solid yarn. I'm not certain that I like how it fits. It's rather snug - the cross-stitch blocks pull in more than you'd think. I think it will be fine on the leg and I'll just knit the foot plain. If you are astute you will notice that there are no needles in my sock in progress. That's because just after I turned the heel and picked up the gusset stitches I noticed that I somehow skipped part of a row on the front of the sock. I completed the crosses on the back part where the heel is but missed that row on these 32 stitches. Alas, there was no way to fix it because not only had I skipped the row with the cable crosses but I had knit the next row that holds them into place. So ... RIP went the heel. I'm too tired and hot right now to get it back on the needles. That can be done after a little nap.

Competing Interests

Yesterday, we dropped the older two boys off for a week of summer camp. We were one of the first families to arrive so both boys had their choice of bunks in their respective cabins. Middle Son looks quite happy to be back at camp (above), while Oldest Son and Mr. Baseball look rather odd as I captured them at the end of a hug goodbye. They both love camp and I don't worry a smidge about them while they're gone. Today it's just me and Youngest Son. He's so easy compared to the other two - especially when he's alone. We're just filling his cup while they're gone and he revels in the one-on-one attention. Tomorrow afternoon, my wonderful, amazing friend, Jenn, will take Youngest Son to her house until Friday evening where he will spend much glorious time with his Best Friend. She must love me.



Mr. Baseball will take the day off from work on Friday and we will have one entire childless day together. Before that, we'll have 3 childless nights together. How ever will we survive? What ever will we do?

My days are filled with competing interests. While the boys are gone, I like to give their rooms a good cleaning. Today I washed all the bedding - including comforters. I just think it's nice to come home from a week away to a clean bed and room. I also, like millions of other minions, am engrossed in The Deathly Hallows. I'm savoring it and allow myself to read a chapter or two after I complete a chore or play a game with Youngest Son. I've also got the Sweet Georgia sock on the needles. I had hoped to be able to share a picture but it came out much too blurry and now it's raining. Perhaps a picture tomorrow. Blogging time is over. I think I've earned another chapter.

Vesper Socks finished

Last night, while watching the Red Sox cream the White Sox, I finished the Vesper Socks. I never counted row or measured the socks but instead matched the colored stripes from sock to sock. They came out virtually identical. I have to say that I feel rather disappointed upon their completion. I'm thrilled to have them done but I don't care anymore for the finished product than I do for the yarn. They fit fine and I even like the way the short row heel fits my foot but I just do not like this yarn and I just know I'll never wear the socks. I'll have to take exact measurements later and send them to some lucky soul who will appreciate them much more than I.



After I had woven in the ends and put the socks aside, I tried to decide what to knit next. I swear I heard some yarn calling from the stash. What I really need right now is a good yarn experience to wipe the bad one away. I found this lovely hank of Sweet Georgia in a colorway called Saffron that made me smile just to touch it. As I was winding it into a cake, my 9 year old son came into the room and said, "Oh, that's a pretty color." Yup. It is. As I cast on (for a cuff I ripped out this morning) I couldn't help but compare the yarns. Where the Vesper felt dead and lifeless the Sweet Georgia is bouncy and exuberant. While the color of the Vesper is ho hum and left me cold, the Sweet Georgia is vibrant and warms my soul. Ah, how I should enjoy knitting with this lovely yarn. Stay tuned to see what it will become.

Thank you, SP

I always like it when Secret Pals flash the swag I send them. I take a lot of care to choose things I hope my SP will like. I, however, have been remiss in thanking my SP9 partner. I received a wonderful package in the mail last week. I don't have any pictures of all the stuff put together because as soon as I opened the package the various items were spread all over my house. My SP sent me a 4th of July themed package because it is one of my favorite holidays. My gifts were wrapped in red, white and blue tissue.

My SP sent me some delicious homemade brownies which had zuchini as the secret ingredient. They were chocolatey, minty and delicious. We ate them quickly. She also sent little catnip pillows for each of my three kitties. You can see Lucy above enjoying them. In addition, I got four wonderful cooking magazines. Next to yarn, there is nothing I like more than a good cooking magazine. Finally, of course, I got some lovely yarn. It's a very pretty pale blue yarn called Palette from Knit Picks. Thank you SP. I promise next time to take a picture before everything gets strewn around my house. I have no clue who my SP is but she pays careful attention to detail.

Yesterday while the boys were off visiting friends I sat down to complete the short row heel for my second Vesper sock. It was much easier the second time around and did not take me nearly as long. I was even able to close up the holes at the sides. I'm still not thrilled with how this heel looks. One side is very neat and tidy while the other side looks wonky. The perfectionist in me is not happy with this. I had hoped that this was the perfect short row heel for me because it is the first one I've tried that makes sense to me. Hopefully, I will have a finished pair to post soon.

Just a little update

I can't believe it's been almost a week since I last updated. I don't have much knitting news or photos to share. Instead, I'll share a photo of my daylillies that I took this morning. My lillies always bloom later than everyone else's because we don't get much direct sun. I don't even particularly care for them but they bloom every single year without fail and don't need any attention. That's my favorite kind of gardening.

I've been knitting on the second Vesper sock and am almost to the (dreaded) heel. I'll have to set some time aside tomorrow for the heel. I hate that I have to set aside uninterrupted time just to get a heel done but I want to finish the pair and see if my second heel can be better than the first. After this, I'm back to my wonderful heel flaps and gussets which I can almost do in my sleep.

We had a busy, busy weekend just filled with grown up fun. So much of our time is devoted to our children and their pursuits. It is highly unusual for us to have much of a social life ourselves. On Saturday, we went to a Bastille Day party. It was wonderful time filled with good food, grown up conversation and live music while the boys enjoyed themselves in the pool and hung around with their equally surly teenage friends. On Sunday, we joined some old college friends for a rousing game of softball. We had a blast! Grownups and kids combined on teams - everyone having fun - lots of sweating and laughing. My muscles have hurt ever since.

The boys are in their second and final week of swimming lessons. I will be very happy when I no longer need to get out the door every morning to get to the lake. I prefer not to be out of the house so much.

I'm feeling rather down these days. The stressful situation that started back in May has finally come to its conclusion and it is not the ending I was hoping against hope for. It's not worth retelling the whole long sordid tale so I'll just say that I hate mean people. I'll be putting this behind me soon but right now I'm just filled to the brim with anger and hurt and disappointment. I'm very grateful for my husband and good friends who have stood beside me through it all.

First Vesper done

The first Vesper sock was completed this morning during swimming lessons at the lake. I'm considering it a learning experience. Here are a few of the things I learned by knitting this one sock:

• Do NOT jump on the bandwagon of every sock craze. Although I have loved most of the yarn that I have bought online, the Vesper was an impulse buy and one that I regret. I don't care for the yarn in the least.
• I made a good enough short row heel. The Priscilla's Dream Sock short row heel was the easiest of the short rows I have tried to date. I think I need to tweak it a bit but at least I got through it without crying.
• I think I need to make the leg longer when using a short row heel. Normally I knit a 7 inch leg and then a 2.5 inch heel flap. Without the heel flap the leg is rather short. Live and learn.
• I like knitting toes with all the instep stitches on one needle and sole stitches on the other. This makes so much more sense than the way I normally do it in profile.
• Sometimes good enough is good enough.

I will cast on for the second Vesper sock this afternoon so I have it ready to go for swimming lessons tomorrow (and besides, the Red Sox return to regular play tonight). I doubt that these will ever be my favorite socks and I'm not even sure if I should keep them but I can't stand a single sock without a mate. I'll make the pair.

After these are through I'm rewarding myself by casting on with some Apple Laine. I can hardly wait.

The Good Enough Short Row Heel

I can't let something as small as a short row heel stymie me. This self striping Vesper yarn is just calling for a short row heel so I took the advice of Kathy and tried the short row heel from "Priscilla's Dream Socks".

Yesterday, while a storm brewed overhead, I warned the boys to stay well out of my way, sat down with the sock and the Favorite Socks book and was determined to master the short row heel. I even put on my glasses which I can never seem to find. It took me 2 hours but I never needed to rip it out and I never swore. In the end I had a short row heel. It's not perfect - far from it - but I'm putting perfectionism aside and calling it Good Enough. Yup, I'm accepting that Good Enough will do.



Here are the pros and cons of this Good Enough Short Row Heel.
Pros:

1. The directions are very clear.
2. I was able to tell where I needed to turn without any problems.
3. There is no wrapping or picking up of wraps.
4. The purl side of the heel came out quite nicely. Well, mostly.
5. There are no gaps on the knit side of the heel.

Cons:

1. The k3 together does not make nearly as neat a row as the p3 together (what would happen if I did the k3 together through the back loop?)
2. I had holes on one side of the heel where it meets the leg.
3. It took me about two hours to complete the heel and I never felt I could really put it down during that time. This isn't really practical for me most of the time.

Here is the purl side which looks very neat except for those holes where the heel meets the foot.


Here is the knit side which looks wonky but has no holes where the heel meets the foot.


It needs some work but I'm not ripping. They're good enough and I'm sure I can improve with practice.

Embossed Leaves Finished

Pattern: Embossed Leaves
Yarn: Louet Gems fine/sport weight
Color: Robin
Needles: Knit Picks circulars 2.75 mm

I finished my Embossed Leaves this morning. I tried to finish them last night after we returned home from a birthday party for a friend. I noticed a mistake a few rows back and decided that five margaritas and putting stitches back on the needles did not mix. I think it was best that I decided to wait until this morning. Perhaps it would have been even better if I had just stopped at two margaritas. I'm feeling a little green around the gills this morning.

The only modifications I made to the pattern was to skip the fiddly cast on and first two rows. I used my usual cable cast on and just started the twisted rib. I think it worked out quite fine. The author of the pattern doesn't even recommend the silly cast on in the book.



I knit these socks as a going away present for Oldest Son's Latin Tutor who is moving away. I thought the color and pattern would remind her of fall in NH. I liked this pattern so much that it may be the first pattern I ever repeat. I really want a pair for myself. Now I just need to decide if I should knit the pair for me right away while the pattern is still fresh in my memory or take a break to knit something different. I am very happy that I have more Louet Gems in the stash. This is a lovely, wonderful yarn to knit with. I look forward to spending more time with it.

Mimi and Papa

Happy 4th of July!
I love the 4th of July. It's a perfect holiday. This year was made even more special because my mother and step-father were here from Florida. My boys have loved every minute with their grandparents and especially enjoyed seeing the fireworks with their Mimi. We also had a little party with some friends and had a great time with lots of kids running around, plenty of food to eat, and pyrotechnics supplied by Mr. Baseball and Mr. Handyman (our friend who is remodeling our kitchen). Even the rain didn't spoil the festivities.

There hasn't been much time for knitting because I've been entertaining my parents. Mom loves to play Rummikub with me when she's here even though I beat the pants of her regularly. We have a good time.

Mom admired the Embossed Leaves sock but expressed her surprise once again that I would choose to knit socks which cost so much more to knit than to buy. The second sock is almost through the gusset now and should be finished soon. This is a wonderful pattern.

Mimi and Papa leave tonight after dinner. Hopefully we'll see Mimi again this fall if she can swing another trip north. Papa hasn't been back this way for 4 years so I don't expect we'll see him again anytime soon. I'll be sorry to see them go. I really wish my mom lived closer.

First Embossed Leaves Sock

Well, it took me a little longer than I thought to post pictures of the first Embossed Leaves sock. First I had to download all 104 pictures that Mr. Baseball took at Cub Scout camp. Then I had to go to Oldest Boy's double header game today (they lost both games). Finally, even though the light wasn't very good, I sat down on the deck while I was cooking dinner and took a few pictures.



I'm almost done the leg of the second sock. Doesn't the naked foot look sad? Actually, both feet are sad because these socks are great and they're not for them. The Louet Gems is simply a dream to knit with. It is so soft it's hard to believe it's wool. I can't wait to use it again for socks for me.

Here is the beginning of the plain vanilla Vesper sock I started the other day. I was able to knit a little at the games today. The truth is I don't really care for the yarn so I'm not very motivated to knit with it. I'll finish these socks but I won't buy Vesper again. It certainly does not live up to its hype.

No pictures

I have been knitting this week. Honestly. I finished my first Embossed Leaves sock. I love everything about this sock. The Louet Gems is a dream to work with and the light fingering weight is perfect for a slightly heavier sock. I'm glad I have more in the stash to work with. I even followed the pattern for the star toe and, while I thought I'd probably rip it out, I really like both how it looks and how it fits. This is a terrific pattern.

Sadly, I do not have a picture to share with you because Mr. Baseball took the digital camera with him to Cub Scout camp. Mr. Baseball and the younger two boys are off at camp this week leaving me and Oldest Boy home. Oldest boy has enjoyed being an only child for a few days and I've enjoyed the relative quiet. I really miss Mr. Baseball a lot and can't wait for him to come home. The bed's too big without him.

I cast on for the second Embossed Leaves sock and finished the twisted rib cuff last night. It's almost too hot to knit with temps in the mid 90s and my brain needs a simpler pattern until the temps come down. I cast on for a simple plain vanilla sock using some Vesper yarn I acquired. Vesper yarn is highly sought after and flies out of the shop during updates so I was pretty happy to score some. I have to say, however, that I'm pretty disappointed in the yarn. It seems awfully thin and there are many white spots between color changes. I can't seem to get the yarn to flow along the needle cables when I switch sides and I never, ever have this problem. I'm not enjoying knitting with it at all and I'm not impressed with the yarn base or the colors. This is one yarn I don't need to buy again. Live and learn.

Mr. Baseball will be home late on Thursday evening so I hope to have pictures to share on Friday.

Making it count

My friend, Melanie, says that if you're going to cheat on a diet you should be sure to make it count. Why cheat with a Hershey bar when you could have delicious dark chocolate mousse? Why eat a hamburger when you could have a Porterhouse steak?

Now you know I'm not on a diet because I don't believe in diets. I have however, been on a self imposed spending break. I have more than enough yarn to last me the rest of the year (and boy does it show when you start cataloging it on Ravelry) and I was feeling some guilt about not using the yarn I love so much. But ... well, Patternworks was having a stupendous sale and I found out about it before they ran out of stock and I decided to dive in. I made sure to make it count, too.



That's eight skeins of Koigu KPPM. Right now I don't intend to use it for socks - which is how I partly justified the binge. I also bought the patterns for Diamond Patch mittens and Fanning the Flame mittens from Heartland Knits. Click on the Heartland Knits link to see pictures of the patterns. I probably won't start them until the fall but I'd really like a pair of hand knit mittens for myself before winter starts. Aren't these patterns pretty?

Like a lemming

As the Summer of Socks starts, I'm feeling a bit like a Lemming. Generally, I hate to follow fads and I've never been known as one to follow the crowd. In my knitting, I will often eschew an overly popular pattern (like Monkeys) simply because everyone else is doing it. Sometimes, however, a pattern just calls to you. Popularity, after all, is not a bad thing. Very often a pattern becomes popular because it is so good that people can not resist making it.

Acting like a lemming conveys the notion of following along with disastrous results. Such was the case with my Jaywalkers. When I returned to the knitting world last August it seemed that everyone and their brother was knitting Jaywalkers. I jumped right in even though I had read on many blogs and knitting boards that people had trouble with fit, even though I knew that I hated overly tight socks. I knit the darn things, hated how they fit, wore them about three times, and now, after washing, can't even get them on without a fight. Truly lemming like behavior.

Right now, however, I'm very glad to be following the crowd. There are a few very popular patterns in the Favorite Socks book. One of these is Embossed Leaves. I have chosen to knit Embossed Leaves as my first socks of the summer. I cast on with my salvaged Louet Gems from the failed Whitbys and can not put the sock down. This is addictive knitting. The pattern is wonderful and I love how the leaves appear before your eyes as you work your way down the chart. I'm already at the heel of the first sock. I'll have a picture soon.

A pair of Juta's

Pattern: Juta's Stockings from Folk Knitting in Estonia by Nancy Bush
Yarn: Times Remembered Nantucket Heather in Wild Strawberry
Needles: Size 1 (2.5 mm) Knit Picks circulars
Modifications: I used my regular round toe

I finished my Juta's Stockings yesterday and I must say I'm very pleased with them. The pattern was, of course, very well written and super easy to follow. After the first round it was very easy to memorize the pattern. The pattern on the leg is very similar to the Dublin Bay pattern and I like how these lacy panels work with an almost solid colored yarn.



Unlike Pat, my perfectionist side wasn't bothered in the least by the difference in the k2 togethers and the ssk. I think mine look equally neat. Instead, I was bothered by the difference in the size of the lacy holes on the foot portion. The holes were decidedly different after a k2 together than they were after a ssk. It drove me crazy. I'm sure you can't see it in the photo but trust me the holes are different.



Overall, however, I'm happy with the pattern. I think it makes a nice looking and nice fitting sock. The yarn I used is much different than my usual sock yarn. I bought it at NH Sheep and Wool for less than $4.00 a skein. It's 100% wool and is much more "rustic" than the luxury yarn I'm used to. It wasn't rough and it didn't have any debris in it. It was nicely spun and had no knots or slubs. After I got used to the rustic feel I really enjoyed this wooly feeling yarn. It's not the least bit itchy on the skin either. When I handwashed the socks yesterday, there was quite a bit of color in the wash water. I'm hoping this is a one time thing.

Now I'm gearing up for Summer of Socks which starts tomorrow. Although I had been planning to knit Brigit from Socktopia, I found that the yarn I wanted to use didn't match the gauge for the pattern. Rather than switch yarns I've switched patterns. I feel a little like a lemming but I'm going to knit Embossed Leaves from Favorite Socks with the Louet Gems I frogged from my failed Whitby. I'll get to Brigit another time.

A bargain

Saturday was the first weekend day I've had free in a long time so I spent it doing one of my favorite activities. I scoured yard sales. What was particularly unusual was that my town was having its annual town-wide yarn sale. Normally, I need to drive into the nearest town 25 minutes away to start looking at the sales. Instead I was able to spend the day ambling around my own small hometown.

I found a few nice things - some brand new Pampered Chef kitchen items for 50 cents each (still in the wrappings), a pair of skis for youngest son, some great shorts for oldest son, and a beanie baby dog for the middle son (just because he was the only one without and it was 50 cents). My favorite buy of the day, however, was my first. I found a nice cotton tote bag filled with three old knitting needle rolls. They are jam packed with vintage knitting needles. I'm not exactly sure what I'm going to do with all these needles and I'm sure I'll never use most of them but they are pretty cool. Any suggestions what I should do with them?

It's over

It was a long, long week here in the House of Baseball but now it's Sunday and last week is over.

Our baseball season is officially ended. Oldest son's team was knocked out of the playoffs on Monday. This came as no surprise as his team was very inexperienced and had not played well during the season. It was a great team, however, and he can't wait until next year. The younger boys got knocked out on Friday night in a close game on Friday night. It was a good game and a good end to the season.

Although we were geared up for a summer of All Star Baseball with oldest son, his All Star career is over for this year also. On Thursday evening, while Mr. Baseball and I went on a much deserved date, oldest son fell off his skateboard and broke his wrist. More specifically, for those with medical training or who just like to read about things, he broke his right navicular. Apparently this is a tricky break and can be tough to heal because there is very little vascular activity in that region. He's in a bright green cast from the tip of his thumb to his elbow. No baseball for him this season. He'll still be with his team and help by doing bat boy duty or anything else he's capable of but he won't be able to play. The cast does not come off until July 30 and we have to pray he won't need another one after that.

The school year is over. Although my boys don't go to public school (except for middle son who attends for gym), we're calling it quits for the summer. Each of the boys has some work to complete over the summer but I'm done. The 2006-2007 school year is officially over. I need some time to regroup and think about the fall.

I'm still knitting away on my Juta's stocking. I am very grateful that I had this simple sock on the needles to get me through this week of endless waiting in dentists' offices, emergency rooms, and doctors' offices. I'm half way through the foot of the second sock. It should be done soon. I just need some time to sit and knit. If only I could knit while I drive this sock would have been done ages ago.

Ravelry

I got my invite to Ravelry about a month ago and started my notebook there. I quickly became overwhelmed, however, when I couldn't figure out how to work the system. I'm not very technologically advanced and I quit easily when I can't figure things out. Last night and this morning I spent a bit more time and was able to upload more projects, edit my profile, and put projects in my queue. I'm finally happy.

Someone asked on the Knitty boards if folks would be abandoning their blogs after Ravelry goes public. I was surprised at how many people said they would give up their blogs for Ravelry. I think I really like Ravelry. It's a great place to store project pictures, queue items, and stash yarns all in one place. I love the ability to search for a pattern to see if others have made it (much easier than Googling the pattern as I typically have done). I don't see it replacing my blog though. They're two very different things and they work well together.

Is anyone else on Ravelry yet? Drop me a line so I can add you as a friend.

A few of my favorite things

In between freaky thunderstorms, tornado warnings and just plain rain, we had some wonderful breaks of sunny, warmish weather. I took advantage of one afternoon to sit on the back deck and enjoy a few of my favorite things.

My two younger boys outside playing. One wanted to play baseball (as always) and one wanted to play a pretend dragon game (that's his dragon book). I'm not sure how they worked it out but I didn't hear any fighting.



The beginnings of the vegetable garden. I am so grateful that the freaky weather didn't destroy the garden. I can't wait for juicy tomatoes, basil, and fresh mozarela salad.



Summer reading - just perfect for enjoying a sunny afternoon on the deck. Oh, how I love a good cooking magazine!



Isn't it wonderful when a hard cover book stays open for you so you can knit and read? I'm just about done re-reading the HP books in preparation for the new release. I'm so glad I re-read them because I hadn't remembered very much. The first Juta's stocking is now finished. I'll cast on for the second today at All Star practice.