OMG....

I can't believe it I'm a link on a REAL blog....not that this isn't a real blog but you know what I mean. Anyway, on the masochists list click on Chris J. and you end up right back here... too cool. I almost swooned, definitely considered hyper-ventilating. Back to actually blogging, was knitting in the car on the way to our bowling banquet, B was driving, I always let him drive gives me more knitting time. Anywho, he said "you're not actually going to bring that in with you, are you?". He was less than thrilled, it was, however an understandable question as I tend to knit at bowling. I, of course, answered "no, I can't believe you'd ask that". Neglecting to mention the reason I wasn't bringing my knitting in with me because I realized the club would smoky and dark, not at all conducive to good knitting. It had nothing to do w/the banquet itself. In fact, since it was sock one for my middle son and I only had aprox. 2" left to knit, I was really trying to find a way to get it done w/out it getting too smoky or losing a dpn, couldn't do it. So I'm finishing it tonight, instead of working on my Lorna's Laces sock, ok, my next trick will be to get my pictures to post where I want them too instead of just at the top of my post. Back to my sock isn't it great, I love the way the colors blend and how bright they all are. Well, off to knit sock one for middle son, hopefully, I can get it done and still have time to knit Lorna...Later, CJ

I got a CAMERA!!!

I bought a camera and took some pictures, these are the socks I'm knitting for my sons, small, partly done medium and large. I can't believe I got the picture in on my first try, that's some kind of record for me... Ok, now that I'm done with my happy dance ;).... I'm sure you can all see why I'd prefer to start each of the socks as close to the same spot as possible. My next trick will be remembering whose toes start with which color. I will post pictures of my other projects and of course pictures of my Lorna's Laces socks, over the next few days, I would do it today but I really don't want to tempt fate. Well, as I already mentioned this week has been all socks all the time and I'm ready to do the heel on both sock one for my middle son and sock one of Lorna's Laces....so off I go to knit socks and watch CSI, a show that I cannot knit a difficult pattern to and watch all at the same time, heel for middle son's sock first I think... CJ... OH, and K, I've been thinking about your sweater really I have.

Show and Tell

I'm going to a knitting group on Monday. My friend, Willow, invited me to her group. I talked to her today and she gave me a list of the projects I HAD to bring. This list included one of my felted handbags, yes, I know, I need a picture, fortunately there's a picture of my bubble bag here. Well, I thought I was being invited for my company and witty conversational skills, but.... NOOOOO....I'm her show and tell project, oh and make sure you bring some toe up socks and one of your lacy shawls..... What next, my slippers, a shawl collar sweater? I don't think so! OK, so maybe I'm looking forward to being the celebrity knitter du jour, definitely not the harlot, not even in her league but even Stephanie had to start somewhere. By the way, I've been dying to figure out a way to mention the Yarn Harlot in my blog since I decided to start one and I finally managed to get her in, in a completely natural way. I feel so proud. Anyway, back to being a show and tell project ... I'm almost ready to turn the heel on my Lorna's Laces socks and I'm done with the toe of sock one for my middle son. No, I haven't stuck to my plan but this week's been stressful and I really didn't want to have to follow any patterns especially a sweater I really didn't want to have to frog. I needed to knit for stress relief and I had to knit something thoughtless in order to not increase my stress so here I am knitting socks and only socks and feeling pretty good about it. For anyone who thinks it's too warm for socks, where I live it didn't even get above 50 today so YEAH we wear wool socks in April here in NW Pennsylvania, sometimes, even in May if necessary, so there. Well, I'm off to make sure I can be properly turned out as a show and tell, what does one where to an occasion like this, basic black or anything that complements the knitting projects one is binging? Later... CJ

Some knitting done...

Well, I did get some knitting done this weekend... but the weather really wasn't conducive to sitting inside knitting, not really for sitting outside knitting either. You see, it was beautiful here first time since fall... weather to be outside enjoying the sunshine and trying not to get too sunburned. On the positive side I put most, if not all my knitting projects into my pda, yes, K that includes your sweater. While I was inputting, I realized that on the projects page of KnitAble there is a place to put the measurements of all my family members, including the length of the foot from heel to toe, I'll tell you what, every time I open the application I find something else useful. Definitely worth the purchase. I'm almost done with the back of this sweater, (yes, I know, I really need to get a digital camera) and I've started sock one for my middle son. Also, thanks to a couple of things going on outside of home base I have about 2/3 0f the foot of my Lorna's Laces sock done. I knit my socks from the toe up, thanks to Wendy, I use her heel pattern and the figure 8 cast on from Knitty, I really feel that socks go faster toe-up. I realize that there are purists out there that would argue with me but it works for me so I'll deal with it. It's feeling late here, to much sun and yard work I think, not as young as I used to be so I'll sign off here hoping everyone else had nice weather, too. CJ

Best intentions

What's that again about best intentions? It doesn't matter, I know I promised yesterday to only knit socks outside of home base but... I only had about an inch of ribbing left on my youngest's sock. I don't like to rib so I knit my socks toe up, I find ribbing easier at the end of sock than at the beginning. To get back to the subject at hand I only had an inch of ribbing left on the sock and after promising myself to finish projects what choice did I have but to finish the sock and now that it's done I should be working on my sweater, I'm using this yarn in color 13. Here's where the picture belongs. I don't want to work on my sweater I want to start another sock for my middle son, of course, the pattern in the yarn did not end where I could start sock two for either of the single socks already completed. So it's only fair that I start a pair of socks for my middle son so he can be one socked just like his brothers. Time to make a command decision CSI:LV is on TV ...hmmmm....I can't knit a pattern I have to pay attention to so.... I'm going to forget the knitting (sorry K your sweater is near the top of the list) and break out the caramel pecan almond popcorn and settle down to the rest of CSI. Later...CJ

Time to organize...

So as you already know I'm ankle deep in projects that need to be completed. So what to do, what to do? Add something else, of course, no I'm not starting another pair of socks, but after casting on my new socks (yes, I know, here's where the picture goes) I have to say I love Lorna's Laces, I can't wait to start another new pair, in another great colorway.... not sure which one yet, I'll keep you posted. Anyway, what I need to do now is get the projects listed somewhere and organized, good thing I have one of these, with this programmed on it. I realize that since I bought the knitting program (laptop, pda bundle) recently, specifically to track my projects and stuff, I don't have a sock less leg to stand on as to why I'm just now considering using it for its intended purpose. I guess its because if I put all my projects in it I might be completely overwhelmed by my inability to actually finish something bigger than "A" sock, notice I didn't say pair of socks, not that I haven't finished pairs of socks, numbers of them in fact. It's just that well... alright here's the scoop.... I recently bought 2 skeins of self patterning sock yarn so I could knit 3 pairs of socks for my three boys, now usually, I'm pretty laid back about whether or not I have a perfect match when using a varigated sock yarn and I wing it. This yarn, well, there's no winging it, so after I finished sock one for my oldest instead of going through the skein to find the right starting point I started sock one for my youngest and depending where his sock finishes I'll either start sock one for my middle child or start sock two for one of the others, so if I finish 3 socks even if they're 3 different sizes does it count as a pair and a half? Didn't think so. Another reason to put everything in my pda, I'll also be able to keep track of whose sock started with which color and who still needs the second sock of a pair. Ok, here goes... right to my pda after I finish just one more row...Oh and K your sweater right at the top of my project list, promise, right after I finish this row.... CJ

So much for that thought.....

All my good intentions.....gone. My favourite yarn shop had just gotten a new sock yarn in, wonderfully, beautifully soft and colorful. I picked rainbow (this is where I'd insert a picture had I a digital camera and know how, fortunately you can find the colorway on the website) for my new socks...yes, I know, I know, I was just discussing finishing what I've started but... well... I made a rationalized decision and decided you can never have too many socks on needles because you never know when you'll need a portable project with a memorized pattern. Pretty good spur of the moment rationalization if you ask me. Anyway, work with me here, I'm thinking that if I only knit socks in places I need portable projects, you know the bowling alley, anything at the in-laws, church (ok, maybe that one's a stretch) then having alot of socks on ALOT of dpns makes perfect sense. Then, if I'm knitting socks away from home, my only choice at home will be one of a myriad of other projects, including the dreaded Christmas sweater. (K if you're reading this I feel really bad about not finishing your sweater, really.) Well, I could explore this tactic for pages but I need to cast on my new socks, yes, I'm at home but I can't do toes when I'm distracted so I guess my plan only works if the toes of my socks are done. See you soon. CJ

Here Goes

Here's the start of something great and I hope the end of some projects that need to be off the needles. I'm currently working on 3 pairs of socks, a sweater, an afghan, another sweater that's almost finished, for my sister, need to get it to her, as it was her Christmas present circa 2003. Yes, she has been incredibly patient, hasn't she? Also, have a scarf on sz 50, yes I know, the needles are way to big to handle gracefully. This scarf is for my other sister, it was supposed to be a Christmas present, 2006, from the sister waiting for the sweater. She was crocheting it, it wasn't working out as planned, so I volunteered to knit it up. Is it possible to have to many projects started? I wasn't sure but I'm beginning to think so. As soon as I figure somethings out I'll be posting pics, not quite a ludite but definitely not as techy as I'd like to be to be putting out a blog. More later....