Looks like Thursday...

I've decided that Thursday is blogday...although, today I decided to not wait until CSI is on to blog. I've finished one of my lacy socks, I'm hoping to finish the other one soon. I will be posting pictures after both are done. I've decided I need to post a picture of actually modeled socks, on the foot so to speak. I'm actually looking forward to it, how crazy is that? On anther note I'm going to have at least 2 whole weeks of nothing but knitting time, I can't even begin to say how much I'm looking forward to that. I'll be able to get part one of my lace sampler shawl done. No boys lying on the floor shouting out numbers to confuse my count. I'm sure I'll miss that...really.
On another exciting note, a couple of the women I work with want me to teach them how to knit, I told them we'd start w/dishcloths, I think scarves are way too big and novelty yarn way to hard to work with to start with those projects. Also, hoping to teach a toe up sock class at my favorite yarn shop all of this will be late summer or fall, but I'm converting a whole 'nother group of people. I'm so excited. That's all for now, except K I know your in town this weekend, are you planning on visiting your sweater? I've been thinking about working on it. I actually rescheduled and appt in Pittsburgh so I could go to the finish your project night at my favorite yarn shop, I'll get it done then, promise. CJ

Just some thoughts...

First of all NEVER, and I do mean NEVER try to knit lace when the boys are awake...just not worth it. Did you hear me counting Tuesday evening...1,2,3...34...1,2,3,7....22.....1,2,3....yes, that was me losing my mind and recounting 237 stitches over and over again. YES, I did have strategically placed stitch markers but I also had a son or three on the floor yelling out 28, 2, 7, 54 at random, a good time was had by them. B noticed that I bought a digital camera, he asked me why I needed one. Does anyone have any ideas on how to explain to one's husband that you bought a digital camera so you could take pictures of your knitting and post it on your blog? (Without looking like a complete nut job) Didn't think so. It's getting late so I'm turning in, knitted some on my lacy sock, nothing on the shawl, need quiet and I need to be alert, not sure how I'm going to manage both, since quiet only happens after boys in bed and alert is looooong gone by then. Later, CJ

Lace, lace and more lace....

Well, I've discovered lace knitting and we'll see how it goes. The sock is a pattern I found in an old stitchconary, called a perforated rib stitch. I had to figure out how to do it in the round, not to easy but not to difficult either. The purple is going to be a rectangular shawl, knit as a lace sampler, I'm taking a class. I 'll keep taking pictures, so you can see my progress or lack thereof. Not that it's readily apparent but both yarns have a touch of sparkle, if you look really closely I think you can see the silver in the... I suppose lavender would be a better description than purple for my shawl yarn. Also, hints of glitter in the sock yarn, for which I have found a brand new cast on method, so now I've tried 3 different methods, figure 8, the turkish and now the magic cast on, I think all of them have their uses not sure which I'll finally decide is the best. I'm sure you've noted I have not tried a provisional cast on, yes, I have considered it but it just seems too fiddly to me to have to go back an pick up those little bitty stitches. I've mentioned before how I feel about picking up teeny tiny stitches, haven't I? I have also discovered a new cast off method for my socks its called the russian cast off, read down a couple of posts you'll find it, I think it will also make a nice loose bind off for my shawl, we shall see. Oh and uhmmm, K, well, I'm going to finish your sweater too, OK? Really, just let me get one more row done on.......well, ....on just about anything. CJ

The life of a mom...

I spent this afternoon and evening doing remarkably similar things, the afternoon concert was my youngest and the evening concert was my oldest. The evening concert included a band recital, orchestra presentation and a choral arrangement. A good time was had by all. I managed to knit some Lorna's Laces and actually am almost to the heel, which after my last experience I decided would be best kept 'til I was home and could concentrate on getting it right. I bow at the feet of the knitting fates. I am now happily ensconced in what is quickly becoming my favorite knitting chair and am about to sign off and turn a graceful heel, I will accept all good wishes here. Thank you...CJ

Get cocky and....

your knitting bites you in the a**. Here I was peacefully knitting sock two for my youngest, remember the toe up socks I love because I can knit them blindfolded w/one dpn tied behind my back....Well, let me tell you I was peacefully knitting and very competently turning the heel when what do I discover, the only way this sock would fit on a human foot is if somehow you had a heel size growth coming out of the side of it. My heel and toe did not line up... did not even pretend to line up. I chose not to take any pictures, some things do not need to be recorded for posterity. Anyway, if you know anything about me at all then you know I will do just about anything...including huge leaps of rationalizations to keep from frogging something....I stared at this...this...this...nope nothing rip-it, rip-it, rip-it. Also, putting little, itty, bitty stitches back on a US2 dpn, right up there with...I can't even think of anything bad enough to compare it to, how 'bout them apples. So I frog and start to knit the heel again this time at the right angle to the rest of the foot when I realized way back there is a...............dropped stitch, a little, itty, bitty dropped stich, Lord knows I tried to pick it up, wasn't happening, so here I go again, rip-it, rip-it, rip-it. Discovering as I tried to recover the dropped stitch on my US 2 dpns, that it was almost as much fun as trying to get all those little bitty stitches back on my needles. OK, sigh deeply, all my stitches picked up, heel turned nice and fancy like, knitting back around on 4 dpns, count stitches, just to be sure mind you, there can't be another mistake, after all, what could I have done to piss the knitting fates off this much anyway? 12 stitches needle 1, check...12 stitches needle 2, check, 11 stitches needle 3, check, wait, what, no its impossible there must be 13 stitches on needle 4, but no look there 3, make that 5 rows back a lonely dropped stitch, well, I'm a pro at this now, first, some judicious swearing, then a shot of something...I'll take anything at this point...then with dpn contortions known only to a select group of masochists, I pick up that @#*% stitch and finally, finally rib my dear son's sock and now he has a pair.

So, here is pair one of my self stripping sock yarn socks for, yes, one of my three sons, if this statement made you grin a little you're showing your age, if it didn't your too young to get the nostalgia of this statement let it go. I hope you're admiring how well I got the stripes to match up, I think that's were I made my mistake and the knitting fates needed to take me down, I got a pat yourself on the back kind of thing going on when I realized what a good job I had done. I'm sure your sharp eyes realized that these socks were photographed in the newly refinished cedar chest which believe it or not is still empty. Another decision to be made. After all of this the only thing I wanted to do tonight was quietly and, hopefully, correctly knit a couple of rounds of Lorna's Laces, wasn't to happen I was here instead, the trumpet player in the back row facing the camera is my oldest.

So here I was at the band performance and they were great but it was so crowded and so warm I couldn't even pull out my sock. It was most of the 5th grade bands from 7 grade schools, 3 middle school bands off on the other side of the gym and the high school band and jazz ensemble in the center. Considering that the first time these kids practiced together was for three hours earlier today they sounded great. Came home from that and here I am blogging when all I want to do is knit...but now I'm thinking snack so...maybe I'll read instead, and K, if the knitting fates continue to spit on me...well, don't expect your sweater anytime soon. I just hope I can confuse them with my lace class. Later...CJ

Short update....

Well, I've got two socks on the needles one Lorna's Laces and sock two for my youngest. I also signed up for a lace class at my favourite yarn store. I have the greatest yarn but I haven't taken its picture yet. I think it will photograph better once it gets knit up so you'll have to wait impatiently. I'm having some health issues so my blogging the next few weeks may be spotty but I'll try to keep everyone up-to-date on my socks and various other projects, yes, K, that includes your sweater. I'll probably be doing more socks than anything else, though, because, as I said before, for me they take very little thought and they are very satisfying to finish. Blog soon....CJ

Knit or Blog; Blog or Knit.... What to do....

I guess I'll blog but I'm not sure I'm at all happy about the knitting time I'm giving up, no not at all sure. Show and tell was alot of fun, I really was a show, I didn't realize that Willow's knitters were all beginning beginners. My self patterning sock yarn was a great hit, as was my red felted bag. I tried to explain to everyone that if you could knit and purl you could do this, to say they were skeptical is a understatement of mammoth proportions. The most interesting part of the evening was seeing how patiently my friend, Willow, was handling being the instructor. I remarked on this later and, of course, she didn't realize it at all. This led to a conversation about knitting in general and she informed me she considers me a capital "K" Knitter. Not who I see myself as at all...I guess our perceptions of ourselves will never really match others... Someone else told me she loves to read my blog because I'm so witty...don't these people realize the pressure these kind of statements put on people...now I'm trying to decide if every letter I type is properly witty and if my next project will be capital "K" knitting...just great...no pressure, no pressure at all.

Further news includes a refinished cedar chest, that

B believes I retrieved from our basement because I needed a coffee table, of course, I was actually thinking stash storage, it'll be our little secret. Just so you know this chest is solid cedar planks aprox 1.5" thick, at least 100 yrs old, perfect for wool storage. I just haven't decided if it should be new wool storage or finished wool storage. I have a lot of nice wool sweaters that I wouldn't like to see a moth near. Decisions...decisions....

Looky what else the perfect bag to transport socks in progress, it even has a zipper. Its original purpose was holding bath products now its a knitting bag and as an added bonus it smells good. Right now it's holding my Lorna's Laces completed sock and sock number two also has my

bumble bee tape measure in it. While I was at Lantern Moon, I noticed these, I must ask my favorite yarn store owner why she doesn't have any in stock. I do have other knitting needle cases but my dpns keep falling out and you would think that with the amount of sock yarn she's selling this would be...well...a great idea, hint, hint (Sometimes she reads my blog). As long as we are talking about socks just a couple more things, one, I was directed to a new cast on for my toe up socks, it's called the Turkish cast on and the tutorial is here, I much prefer it to the figure 8 cast on mentioned in the Knitty article. Two, I found this contest, and it sounds like a hoot and a half, and since I do now have a blog, I'll probably sign up. I knew I started this for a reason. As an aside what does it say about me when K asked me if I'd like to go to Mt. Fuji (yes, in Japan) with her my first thought was can I actually pack enough yarn to keep myself busy during 15 hrs of travel and how close is the Noro mill to Mt. Fuji, after all, its not like I'd ever get back to Japan again so how far out of the way is too far anyway? Well, I have no, read that again, no socks on needles and I'm getting some kind of odd withdrawal symptoms, so its time for me to go cast on some toes. Yes, K, I realize I should be finishing your sweater, first, especially if I'm going to possibly ask you to travel all over hell's half acre looking for a yarn factory, I'll get to it in a minute, just one sock toe, just one.... CJ