Group, Schmoup, Bring on the Formalwear!

Just heard from the DH that the interview portion of today is over, and he did well. Now he just has to get through the reception/dinner/informal evaluation/swimsuit competition this evening. Then, we wait. Possibly another two weeks. Oy!

In knitting/I'm a Techno-Dummy news, I tried to update my Easyshare software and again have managed to run into major problems, so, no pictures 'till sometime next week when I have the DH around to occupy the kids while I sit on the phone with tech support for an ungodly sum of hours. This may be the final nail in the coffin for this blog. My writing has been pretty lackluster of late, perhaps I need a hiatus. Time will tell.

I am working on Mrs. Feezy's other Log Cabin sock, so she is no longer Mrs. Freezy on one foot. I got quite a bit done while waiting for the software to load before it dawned on me that it wasn't loading. I just need a few more SNAFU's and it'll be a pair of socks!

What was I saying before about the decline in quality around here? Um, yeah.. I think I'll go for now.

Socky Love

Autumn in Oregon is done. Sigh. It really is a lovely sock. This one, since it is not for me to keep, is a titch short for my foot, but I crammed it in to show off the loveliness. I really may have to make a pair of these for myself, someday. But for now, it's off to the Post Office along with the Succulent sock. May they serve their purpose well!

Let's just take a moment to take a closer look, shall we?


I think this is the kind of sock I might design if I were the type to do that kind of thing, but right now, I'm happy to be needles and red pen for hire and let others come up with the blueprints. It's enough for me to watch it all come together off my needles, or picture it coming together (and how it could go wrong, and how to fix that, exactly) in my head, you know?


I finally sat down (stood up, actually, hard to use a drop spindle when you're sitting) and plied my singles from that spinning class. Some sections look really even and quite nice.














Others, well, in the immortal words of wacky Vincent Libretti when defending his recycled monstrosity of a dress last season on Project Runway, are, "very artsy." Honestly, who refers to themselves as artsy, anyway? The word artsy should be reserved only for use in conjunction with the word fartsy.

Last pictured is a particularly fartsy section, "Where the Twit meets the Slub." But, it's a two ply hand spun yarn made by me. I was surprised at how much yardage I ended up with after just a three hour class. I might just have to try this again!

The Thing About Socks

I really love a good, handknit sock. I love making them, I love wearing them. At knit nite the other week, everyone around the table was working on socks or handwarmers, it was an impromptu evening of extremities, and someone remarked that I must have a ton of socks (since I love knitting them, and more often than not have one on the needles), and I had to admit it.

I have three pair of handknit socks (and my Jaywalkers are currently MIA, so it's more like two pair). That's all. I had four, but the pair my mom made me years ago have given up the ghost.

I have knit maybe two dozen pair of socks, so there's plenty of sockie love floating around out there, (particularly in the DH's sock drawer) but the fact is, for all the sock knitting I do, I have pitifully little to show for it. I'm not complaining, I just think it's a little odd. Maybe I should make myself a pair of socks, eh?

Just as soon as I finish this:











Autumn In Oregon sock, solid version.
Designed by Chrissy Gardiner
Available for purchase here.

I honestly can't imagine you aren't intrigued by now. This is a really beautiful sock with a bit of unique construction tossed into the mix. I'll be turning the heel shortly and then zooming down the homestretch, hoping to have it in the mail by week's end so it can have its Glamorshots taken!

Who's Grazing in My Backyard?

The other day, Skippy and I had a conversation that she deemed, "...the first in a series of conversations that will end with you having sheep in your backyard." What caused this pronouncement? I had shared with her that I was going to take a spinning class.

I made yarn (sort of)

And here it is:











I admit, I'm a bit drafting disabled. I blame the death-grip I maintained on the rolog. I was trying so hard not to get too many fibers together that I ended up "drafting" Great Clumps of Wool.

I think I'd be better with some practice, but I've got a few other things on my plate right now...








Like this:

Another Gardiner Yarn Works sock, solid version. This one, too, is going to be soo pretty! If you're already intrigued, go buy the pattern! It's the Autumn in Oregon sock. Go ahead. Go buy it. I'll wait...

In the biggest news of 2007 thus far, the DH has an interview for that other position in Minnesota. On my birthday. Happy Birthday to me. Actually, I view this as an auspicious coincidence. What a birthday present that would be, eh? The door back home opening wide. Please keep us in your thoughts on March 20, especially around 11:30-1:00 Central Time.

ETA: Just realized! Yesterday was my two year Bloggiversary!

Reason #5,486,921

Why I love my mom:

She sent me a pair of fingerless mitts for Valentine's Day, which was a true motherly gesture. I have chronically cold hands and feet unless it's the height of summer. She then made a pair for herself, and from the leftover yarn, she made Zoe and Ilsa each a pair. They arrived on Saturday, and, honestly, they are just about the cutest, most silly little things I've ever seen. The girls love them, of course.












I finished the Succulent Sock. I think it turned out gorgeous. The pattern should be available very soon here.
I tried to get some good angles so you can see what a really beautiful sock this is. Everyone who's seen it in person has gone completely gaga over it, so the pattern should sell well, especially since the photos for the pattern won't be my personal exploration of contortionism!

Tale of Woe/Tales of Whoa!

(giggle...homonyms...)
First, the tale of woe... I fmelted my Rogue. Fmelted because it was knit from Encore Worsted and it seems that it inadvertently got put in the dryer on High. It shrunk ever so slightly, and is currently covered in an inextricable veil of matty fuzz. Best I can tell is that the wool content felted and the acrylic just said, "Be my guest!" Sigh. At least it was a fun knit, and there were some issues I was too lazy to fix that I will make better when I make the new one. Yes, I will be making a new Rogue, since I have found it to be a very wearable sweater. This time I'll be knitting it in 22o, which I just so happen to have enough of, purchased to make the Sunrise Circle Jacket. Eh, I'd rather have Rogue right now.

Tale of Whoa #1: While working on the Succulent Socks (almost done!), I was using my Inox dpns, which were not so pointy as I usually like, but I was doing alright until, struggling to pull a stitch through one of the decreases, something slipped and my working needle dropped the 13 already worked stitches! After I got everything back where it belonged, I immediately switched over to the oh-so-pointy-they-might-just-attack-you KnitPicks dpns. Oh, so much better for socky lace!

Tale of Whoa #2: My dear friend (and LYS owner) Emily got me Blocking Wires! I couldn't wait to try them out, and so I reblocked my grandmother's shawl. Last time I used thread, but since this shawl requires rather, um, agressive blocking? I still ended up with weird peaks along the top edge in my attempt to prevent it from coming out U shaped. So, per Emily's request, here are some pics of the wires in action: