Just Sit Back & Knit

Sweet Man Socks

There are several posts I keep meaning to write, including one I've actually started about Junah's Easter outfit, but in honor of my sweet husband (who said to me just a few hours ago, "I don't see enough yarn around here. Need to get more yarn!") and in keeping, somewhat, with Sara's most recent post, I'm going to post here about Jason. And his socks.

My favorite wedding picture (oh, it's so hard to pick) is actually a pair of pictures (that, strangely, I don't have framed) taken while we were dancing:

Big smiles and lots of laughter. That's what we had then and have even more of now.

And I love this one, too. Jason's dad took it right after the ceremony.

---

Jason turned thirty-one last week. We've now known each other, been friends with each other, (except for a a few gaps when we weren't speaking to each other, of course) for more than half our lives.

Last year I made Jason a pair of socks (my first ever pair of knitted socks) out of Cascade Fixation, at a horrendously small gauge, that took me forever to finish. This year I wanted to be sure that I had his present ready for his birthday. So I spent the week and a half before his birthday working on a new pair of socks (and cursing the size of his foot!) whenever I had the chance. Hard to do when most of my day is taken up with nursing (I can knit and nurse, sometimes) and changing diapers and playing with a beautiful babe. And I had high hopes of completing a matching pair for Junah.

This sock pattern is what I'll call my basic sock pattern, even though I haven't made it very many times. But I've only strayed from it twice. It is loosely based on the Knitting Fiend's Sockulator II (toe-up pattern) since that is the pattern I made Jason's first pair from. Ease isn't included in it so I usually just use it for the length of foot and foot circumference, but of a size smaller than I'm actually making. I've abandoned the backward loop method of casting on (mostly because I can never find the last loop when knitting down the second side of the needle, if you know what I mean) in favor of the figure-8 cast on as demonstrated at Hello Yarn. I cast-on using US #1 size dpns to make the figure-8 loops then switched to the US #3 needles I used to make the sock. In this way I avoid having to tighten the loops on the second needle and am assured a tight, nearly invisible cast on row. Since I'm lazy and was trying to save time I decided to do all of the increases using a kfb instead of the invisible lifted increases the Sockulator uses. And I knew before I even started that I would have an uneven looking toe as a result but I told myself that Jason wouldn't care, would never even notice in fact, and it would all be fine.

Right. The right side of the toe looked fine, but the left looked poopy. Bumpy and uneven and yucky and...I just couldn't live with it. I had to start all over. My problem was that I had been working the kfb on the second stitch and the second to last stitch on each side of the sock. The fix, which looks fine and maybe even neat, was to work the kfb on the second stitch and the third to the last stitch on each side of the foot.

Things went fine. For awhile. Then I realized that I was knitting an even bigger sock than required.

So I ripped back again until I only had fifty-two stitches instead of sixty.

Which was nice because fifty-two stitches is a lot faster to knit than sixty. If I was mathy I might figure out how many stitches I saved myself over two socks...

20" of sock x 10 rows per inch x 60 stitches x 2 socks = 24000 stitches
20" of sock x 10 rows per inch x 52 stitches x 2 socks = 20800 stitches
24,000 stitches - 20,800 stitches = 3200 stitches

Okay, so I'm a little mathy. Here's a little more. I timed myself (when I was trying to decide late that Friday afternoon if i had any hope of finishing the socks before Jason got home from work) and one round took me two minutes (at the speed I was knitting in 2x1 ribbing -- holding a sleeping babe and watching Heroes online) which means I saved myself...

[52 stitches / (2 minutes x 60 seconds)] x 3200 stitches = 1386.666 seconds or 23 minutes

Which I lost tonight doing useless math.

And I nearly finished (finished but for the finishing) the socks before giving them to my Raiders loving husband. The ends were woven two days later. And he loves them.

Oh, and for the record:

Mission Falls 1824 Wool in Raven (about three balls) and Charcoal (one ball) on 3.25mm Addi Turbo Circulars using the magic loop method.

One Month

Wow. My one month old daughter is next to me on the couch, sleeping, although it sounds as though she might be waking up soon. Yup, there go the eyes, wide open. I wasn't going to begin a post because I thought she would just wake up the minute I started typing...

---

Ahh, that was a very brief period of wakefulness...just long enough for a poop and a little "nursies" (gotta replace what comes out I guess). She fell asleep on my shoulder while I was burping her. This girl needs to be burped or else she spits up...sometimes an hour later, but it happens.

---

Since today is March 19, and four weeks to the day since her birth, my daughter happens to be both four weeks old and one month old on the same day, if you see what I mean. She celebrated the big milestone by staying up until six this morning. And I celebrated by sleeping past noon, something I haven't done in years. Here she is in all her month old glory:

Check out the wool soakers...notice anything different? Yes, those are the second pair of wool soakers I made, only now they have short legs added. What they say about breastmilk poop is true...

---

Have you noticed also that I am all about poop and use ellipses way too frequently?

---

And, since this is a knitting blog, I'll post some knitting related content. I haven't taken pictures of knitting in a while, but here are some pictures I took over a month ago.

The pieces of the matinee sweater that is still yet to be seamed up. Not to worry though, I am off the hook as far as needing it to be finished my this coming weekend, as my sister, who is making the other sweater (our cousin is having twin girls) isn't going to have her's finished by this weekend either. So, we'll gift them later.

Fortunately, I made the wise decision to kitchener front pieces to the back piece, rather than bind off everything and seam them. That leaves me needing to sew up the side seams, attach the arms and sew up their seams. Uggh, all that seaming freaks me out.

February eighteenth was my brother-in-law's birthday, and I gave him a pair of slippers, however, I forgot to take post felting pics, so here is an in progress one.

On the same day I finally gave my sister-in-law her belated birthday present, a different type of slipper. I designed these myself, and took (somewhat) meticulous notes so I can write up an official pattern. Which I will do, hopefully, one day. I actually made two different pairs of slippers, the first pair was a protoype knit with Noro yarn (Jess, I want those back, by the way). The prototype looks more like an ankle sock with low ribbing. The pair for my sister-in-law has criss-cross straps and was made with one skein of Patons' SWS in Geranium.

---

I started this post at 7 PM and it is now midnight. My sweet daughter fell asleep on my lap twenty minutes ago and I think I can now sneak into bed with her and (hopefullyknockonwood) get a few (pleasetwoorthree) hours of sleep before she wakes up to nurse.

Update & 11 Days!

I've gotten a lot done since my last post...but there is still a lot more to go.

The ballet-style slippers for my sister-in-law have not been touched. Same with the wool soaker that just needs a few buttons. And the single sock is still single.

I've finished the gifts for my midwife and other birth attendants.

I almost finished the first fingerless glove (hand/wrist warmers from last minute knitted gifts) before I decided to switch to a different yarn. I changed from the Noro Cash Iroha (called for in the women's version of the pattern) to the less expensive Araucania Nature Wool Worsted that looks like the Koigu used in the men's version of the pattern. I like the look of the men's version better -- the rib pattern looks better than the offset-rib pattern in the women's version.

this is the third time I've used the calorimetry from the most recent knitty. This one is for Kristie, our childbirth educator and our midwife's student midwife. She'll be attending the birth, too (fingers-crossed that she's not working at her other job when I have the baby).

And two facecloths for Donna, our midwife's assistant:

And last weekend I made these, my sixth pair of slippers. And this pair is for me! I love them.

And since I've been meaning to post this picture...a circle of slippers. The first five pairs for very happy (and warm footed) family members.

I've managed some work on the matinee coat from Debbie Bliss's Simply Baby for my cousin.

and the baby's blanket is finished except for some ends that still need to be woven in. Once I've done that I'll wash it and it'll be ready to welcome the baby.

Finally, the list of things to do before the baby comes has shrunk...a little.

---

My due date is just eleven days away...wow! The baby has dropped in the last week or so. My husband thinks I'll have the baby tomorrow but my guess is that I'll go late and deliver on the tenth or eleventh.

My long list of things to do or buy or knit or sew is full of things that aren't critical. Yesterday morning I woke up at five AM (after not going to sleep until after midnight) and couldn't fall back asleep because I kept thinking of all the things I had to do. I got out of bed and finished up some of the more important things. Today I completed work on one time consuming sewing project that I really wanted to get done before the baby. I made nearly thirty "warmy-wet" wipes (flannel reusable baby wipes) and four receiving blankets for the birth. The blankets were made from one cut-up king size flannel sheet while the warmy-wets were made from old flannel pillowcases and some flannel from my scrap basket.

Today I finished a big knitting project that I can't yet reveal here...I don't want the recipient to see it here before I gift her with it.

Tomorrow I hope to shorten some curtain panels I bought at K-mart to cover the small windows in each of our bedrooms. That and putting elastic in a pair of drawstring pj pants of my husband's will complete my sewing projects.

Next week I have to work on my neice's computer and continue with my knitting projects in a prioritized order: sister-in-law's slippers, brother-in-law's slippers and the matinee coat. And wait for the baby who hopefully won't come between Monday and Friday (my mom is going out of town).

---

and for fun...crazy pregnant ladies

Happy New Year!

I haven't posted since I've been off work, and you know, the longer I wait to post, the harder it gets to sit down and do it. But this morning Fletchersmama told me to at least post pictures of what I've been working on. So here goes.

First for the pictures of the items I had no plans to make...

calorimetry x2 (hi dad!):

a nice felted bowl:

a single sock:

a wool soaker (missing half of its buttons):

Now for the items that I planned to finished before the baby is born...

fingerless gloves for my wonderful midwife:

yarn to make calorimetry again, this time for our childbirth educator (who is a student midwife and will most likely be at the birth), and more yarn to make facecloths for our midwife's assistant:

more yarn - two pairs of slippers (one pair for me and one pair for my youngest brother-in-law) and a matinee sweater (for my cousin who is due with twins in April--my sister is making the same sweater in a different color):

ballet-style slippers for my younger sister-in-law:

and, of course, the baby's blanket:

not to mention the rest of things to do before the baby comes...

---

and for fun, pictures of the parents-to-be...

---

and i love this

Snorks

Two snork hats (or slippers) ready for felting...

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve! Here is what my knitting projects are looking like right now...

Socks for my dad (Mission Falls 1824 Wool: almost four skeins, Sockulator II used for the pattern). I was hoping my to make my mom a pair in maroon, but never got there. These need the ends woven in and need a little clean up (get the dog hair, etc, off of them)

Mittens for my neice who turns four on Thursday. She lives in West Hollywood and really has no need for wool mittens but requested them nonetheless. (Mission Falls 1824 Wool in several colors although I probably used less than a skein all told. I made up the pattern as I went along after reading several mitten patterns.) I need to knit the thumbs and weave in all of the ends by Tuesday since she and her family will be going home then.

Slippers for my dad - his birthday is two days after Christmas. (Cascade 220 - two skeins of the brown, one skein and a smidge from the second of the orange. Fiber Trends wonderful felted clog slipper pattern in men's medium.) I need to finish the second sole for the second slipper (each slipper has a double thick sole), weave in all the many ends, felt and dry them by Wednesday.

In addition to knitting I just finished my last batch of candy and stuck it in the freezer so I can distribute it later today. I've got a little bit of wrapping left to do (including finding a present I bought for my husband and hid too well). Jason's Mom is in town with us until very early tomorrow morning so we'll have Christmas with her later today, before going to my family's big, annual Christmas Eve gathering. Oh, and it might be nice if I showered and ate at some point today.

---

I missed my weekly Random Thoughts post on Thursday, so I'll give you a few now.

I'm done with work.

Christmas is tomorrow.

My sister finished her quarter and got an A in both of her classes (she's a grad student, single mom and hard working case manager at a non-profit that does more good for the world than I could ever hope to do). We're all very proud of her - good job Jess! She's frantically knitting a beautiful version of the Wool Peddler's Shawl from Folk Shawls for our mom for Christmas.

My belly is dancing right now.

My due date is forty-four days away.

I'm going to have the best baby ever.

I'm so very blessed.

Merry Christmas.

---

The day after Christmas a number of years ago, I was driving down a country road in Texas. And it was a bitter cold, cold morning. And walking ahead of me on the gravel road was a little bare-footed boy ...

"Mister, we had the wonderfulest Christmas in the United States down to our place. Lordy, it was the first one we ever had had there....

And, Mister, I wish you could have seen what was in that wagon. It's bags of stripety candy and apples and oranges and sacks of flour and some real coffee, you know, and just all tinselly and pretty and we couldn't say nothing. Just kind of held our breath and looked at it, you know. ...

And all of a sudden, papa, he broke out in a big grin again. He said, "Dad-blame-it, Sam Jackson, it's a sure a good thing you come by here. Lord have mercy, I liked to forgot. Old Santa Claus would have me in court if he heared about this. The last thing he asked me if I lived out here near you. Said he hadn't seen you around and said he wanted me to bring part of this out here to you and your family, your woman and your children."...

And us young'uns started playing Christmastime. And it's a lot of fun, you know. We'd just play Christmas Gift with one another and run around and around the house and just roll in the dirt, you know, and then we started playing Go Up To The Kitchen Door And Smell. And we'd run up and smell inside that kitchen door where mama and Sister Jackson was a-cooking at, and then we'd just die laughing and roll in the dirt, you know, and go chasing around and playing Christmas Gift.

And we played Christmastime till we just wore ourselves out....

Like I say, Mister, I believe that was the wonderfulest Christmas in the United States of America.

--
excerpts from John Henry Faulk's Christmas Story
listen to it, read it, love it at NPR.org

How Many Days Are Left?

This is Christmas Project #2 and it's DONE!!!!
I have so many left to do, I don't even want to know
how many more days I have left.

This thing was knit with  Knit Picks Panache.  It should be called Luscious or  Luxuriant or , well, you get the picture.  I adore this yarn.  It is 40% Baby Alpaca, 20% Cashmere, 20% Silk, and 20% Extrafine Merino.  I many not want to knit with any other yarn, ever again. 
This was my first experience, aside from drooling over the catalog, with ordering from and using Knit Picks.  I will be ordering again - as soon as I possibly can.

My Journey to Christmas

This picture is installment one.
Since I am not sure exactly who reads this blog
I am going to be taking pictures that show almost nothing
of the gifts I am making!

I sucessfully ordered the rest of the yarn I need for gifts today, thanks Barb for the help.  I know it seems terribly late, but I am a blissfully-ingnorant-of- reality-opptomistic-procrastonator (say that three times fast - even once is hard for me - I can't even spell it).  Also the gifts I am making are mostly quick projects.
Because I could not help myself  I ordered a hank of Knit Picks Alpaca Cloud in Midnight for myself.  Just because.  Because it looks beautiful.  Because even if I never knit myself a shawl with it I will love to touch it.  Because even if I do knit myself a shawl with it and never wear it because I don't wear shawls, I will have made something beautiful and luscious just for myself.

I just watched The Lake House last night, and with the complete opposite opinion of Barb's - I loved it.  Funny thing:  Jim did too.

Sick Day

I stayed home from work today because I thought I might be getting one of my old migranes (the kind I haven't had since the beginning of my pregnancy). The headache hasn't developed, but isn't completely gone either, however, I have been spending an uncomfortable amount of time in the bathroom today, if you know what I mean. I don't feel like writing any of the many posts I've been meaning to write (mostly about finished projects) but was able to take some pictures of what I've been working on recently.

Secret Knitting Project
This project is secret out of necessity (since it is a gift for a friend who may or may not read this blog) so I've tried to disguise what it is. I tend to stick to projects that require no seaming because I'm not good at it and hate doing it. So now I'm stuck on this project because I need to seam two bound off edges together and each time I try it looks like poop. The directions say to use mattress stitch, which I haven't had much success with in the past, and this time the seed stitch makes it even more of a challenge for me. I almost modified the pattern to allow me to kitchener the edges together, rather than binding them off and seaming them, and now I wish I had.

Misti Alpaca Scarf
When I became stuck on the above project, I cast on for a simple garter stitch scarf out of a skein of super-soft Misti Alpaca Chunky in Natural Brown (Color 410). I'm knitting it on US #9 straight needles for a tight stitch that I'm really pleased with. It's going very quickly, but I'm realizing that this is going to be one short scarf if I don't either block the heck out of it or buy another skein of this yarn. I'm leaning toward more yarn because I really like the weight and look of the scarf as it is and don't want to change that by blocking it for more length.

Simple Baby Socks
Last night I received a baby shower gift from a friend who lives in Sacramento and was unable to come to my baby shower since she has a six week old baby of her own. Receiving the gift from her reminded me that just after her daughter was born I had started knitting a simple pair of baby socks for her out of some Sirdar Snuggly (purchased for the fact that it can be machine/washed and dried) I had in my stash. So, this morning, wanting something more challenging than the scarf and less stress-inducing than the secret project, I found the sock and was able to knit what remained of the foot, turn the heel and knit the cuff including rib pretty quickly.

\

Now I have to complete this sock with the tubular bind off from The Knitting Answer Book by Margaret Radcliffe (the more I use this book the more I love it) and cast on for the other...hopefully I'll be able to finish the second sock sometime today or this evening.

Cozy Shoulder Shawl

Okay, so I am no better at naming knitted items than I am at thinking up titles for posts...

Here I give you what I believe to be my single greatest knitted item ever. Notice I said "my." I think this is probably the prettiest, most perfect item I have ever knitted. And I think a large part of that has to do with the fact that it seems so well suited to the recepient. This shawl is a gift (given just a few short hours ago) for a friend who has been battling health problems for several months now. I've often seen her with a small wrap tied around her neck or shoulders, and decided that I wanted to make one for her. I knew that she would appreciate it all the more because she began to knit just before her health problems began. She is twice my age but I had the pleasure of teaching her to knit, which included helping her pick out her first yarn (Cascade Eco-Wool) and first set of needles (Crystal Palace Circular Needles) and giving her a lesson that began with, "Knitting is just two stitches, knit and purl...."

The facts:
Cozy Shoulder Shawl
Four skeins of Claudia Handpainted Yarn: Sport Weight, "Donna's Favorite" (color)
Needles: #6 Clover Circulars
Pattern: adopted from the "Feather and Fan Triangle Shawl" in Cheryl Oberle's Folk Shawls

I purchased Folk Shawls specifically for this project. I changed the pattern slightly to suit my purposes. I used a completely different yarn and needle size, and made the shawl significantly smaller than the one pictured. I love the beautiful colors of the yarn and wanted to show them off, so I made the main portion of the shawl in stockinette with a thin, five stitch garter stitch border. Then I only did four or five repeats of the feather and fan and followed that up with a few rows of garter stitch. I am really proud of the way it turned out. This was my first project using a chart (besides little teeny charts for simple cables) and am glad I tried it. Not nearly as scary as I thought!

Finally, I blocked it on the guest bed (a bit unevenly, I must admit) and purchased a shawl pin, the Nickel Silver Fibula from Patternworks.

Before giving it away I had one of my sisters take pictures while I modeled it. And, while the colors are not done justice, I do have an excuse to slip another belly picture in...

And then I tagged it (with this brilliant idea I read about somewhere)...

and wrapped it up...

and gave it to a very pleased recepient. I love knitting.