Sox on Fox, Fox on Sox

I am sooooooooo close to finishing my first grown-up size sock that I can feel it on my foot! BUT, and it is a big one...I need to learn to read directions more closely, apparently. I have a number of references resources that I am using to guide me through this process because I'm working on Magic Loop and my pattern has very specific instructions for dpns and because, frankly, I'm really nervous about this coming out right. After reading through everything many times, I thought the guides said start decreasing 2.5 inches before the length of the sock.

You experienced sock knitters should all be smugly smiling now, shaking your heads because you know that it's 2.5 inches before the length of your foot, not the length of the sock. Otherwise, the sock will be about an inch short, as mine almost was.

I thought I was at the end, but I put it on and my poor big toe was sticking out all by itself, sad not to be covered up like its buddies. I scoured the directions again and found my mistake. Ribbet, ribbet.

I'm not discouraged, not in the least. I know the next sock will go better. I do like socks, Sam I Am, I will knit them in the rain and on a train and I will knit them in a box, I do so like knitting sox. Okay, maybe not in the rain, but certainly when it's raining.

The frogging was nothing compared to the undoing of the Secret of the Stole. Having made it to the end of clue 1, I realized I just couldn't live with the problem I'd noticed earlier but tried to ignore. So I went backwards, which was no easy task since I had no idea where I ended up. I had to lift the stitches off the row one by one and check the chart to find out where I was. Then I had to figure out what had happened to the missing stitches. Though I'm not making progress in the visible sense of finishing the pattern, I did learn a lot about knitting - reading charts and understanding what the stitches should look like. I wonder if it's possible to follow a chart without counting - just by looking at where the yo and decreases should be relative to the previous row. Use the force Luke

pics to follow later - batteries on both cameras are shot!

A good yarn

If you're in the market for some beautiful yarn, check out LoriBird's newly opened shop on Etsy. The colors are fabulous and I can personally attest to the softness. Lori recently moved from Alaska to Maine is a fiber artist extraordinaire.

Happy Columbus Day

Fall has arrived. It's 58 degrees and rainy for our day off. But it's not too bad because we've been so spoiled. It was around 80 degrees on Saturday - almost too hot to be outside except that I knew it would soon be too cold so we went anyway. This is low tide at Nahant Beach, northeast of Boston. People come to here to fly kites so big they can actually pull along a scooter. They roll around pretty fast along the beach that stretches about a mile or so along the shore. I suppose that works well unless the wind dies down after you've been blown a good distance from where you parked.

We drove out in the Jeep with the top down figuring that it was our last chance for an open air drive. The little girls wore their pink Red Sox caps and kept their hands clampled on their heads so they wouldn't lose them. At the beach, they were thrilled to run just as fast as they could as far as they could. I brought knitting along, but given my last experience working in the Jeep (and having the pattern blow away) I opted to keep the project safely under the seat.

Bead much fun

I intended to order a tiny crochet hook when I ordered my yarn for the Secret of the Stole, but as so often happens around here, I was distracted while working on the computer and forgot what I was doing. With yarn in hand, I was too eager to get started to run to the store, so I improvised. (My philosophy in life is that success is 10 percent preparation and 90 percent improvisation.)

Here is what I came up with - a very cheap and easy alternative. I used a thin wire folded in half. I hook the wire into the loop I want to bead and lift it off the needle. I then slip the bead over the wire and down over the loop. Next, I put the loop back on the needle and continue knitting. I don't know if it's as fast or simple as a crochet hook, but it works in a pinch. I used a headpin for making beaded earrings and clipped off the tip. I found that the best length is about an inch long. Any longer is unwieldy. I also found it's best to fold the wire in half so that both sides are the same length.

The yarn is Shadow from Knitpicks - It's called Sunset, but it's more the color of a tasty glass of Merlot.

muggles

My dh saw me knitting a sock and in a moment of sheer perplexity said, "Honey, I think you need to join knitters anonymous." Well that's sort of what this blog world is isn't it? We are a great support group. Only the goal isn't - nor should it be - to quit something. Instead, we urge each other on and encourage each other to reach new heights with sticks and strings. Maybe what the man needs is his own pair of hand knit socks! Which is good, because I really don't have enough projects cast on already.

I contend that it's not that I have too many projects on my to do list, it's that I don't have enough hours in the day. Unfortunately, that's not something I can order on line. At least I know I'm not alone in this "gift" of having many ongoing projects. I've been noticing several other knitters mentioning the same issue.

I mentioned the yarn buy on the way to the football game. Here a few pics of the quarterback who was the whole reason I was driving up in Northern Mass. in the first place. My ds (#12) is on the little side, but he's quick and determined. That earned him the quarter back slot. I'm not a huge football fan, but this kid is fun to watch. He just doesn't stay down. He's like the energizer bunny of pop warner football. He has so much fun on the field it's exciting to see him play. His determination is inspiring. He gets knocked down and he pops right back up. Other players try to tackle him and he just keeps running, sometimes dragging them along behind him. Just one more yard... (just one more row). My recalcitrant student who does not like to study even made flash cards so he could learn all the complex plays. Maybe someday he'll even be designing a few of his own.

But he's 12. After the game, after I drove an hour to watch him play, he wanted to ride home with his friends. Of course, I know I'm not supposed to take that personally.

stash building dilemma

I am somewhat dismayed to have found a lack of lace weight yarn in my local stores. I do, however, understand that there is only so much room in the shop and there are so many options to offer. Thankfully, there is the internet where space is virtually unlimited.

Ordering on the Internet brings up an interesting issue. All I needed was three balls of lace weight yarn at $2.98 a ball for the Secret of the Stole project. But since I can't really tell what the colors are, I wanted to order two colorways. Still, the price tag isn't too high. But then I saw the magnetic lace chart and that looks useful. And, I've been wanting to try the knitpicks options so I added in a set of 4s and a cable. Now bill is just $10 shy of free shipping. It turns out, however, that free shipping takes 5 to 14 days. It would cost about $10 for 3-day shipping.

So here are my options:

A. Stay with what I have and pay $5 for regular shipping.

B. Pay the extra $10 ensure that the yarn arrives before the KAL starts.

C. Add in a few balls of yarn for a baby hat I've been wanting to knit and get the free shipping.

D. Add in a few balls of yarn and pay $10 for faster shipping so I can get it all right away.

It's like a personality test!

I was really tempted to pony up the extra dough for the quick shipping since I am an instant gratification sort of gal. But I took a deep breath and made an honest assessment of the projects I already have going and opted for the slower stash building option C.

I was feeling very frugal and practical and proud of myself. A little too smug as it turns out.

Later that afternoon, I went North to my son's football game. We got there early. There was a yarn shop nearby. I hadn't brought any knitting with me. (You know where this is going, don't you?)

In less than ten minutes (all I could convince my daughter to give me) I had found yarn, needles and a pattern for socks. Of course, the only needles in the shop long enough for my preferred Magic Loop method were Addi Turbos and the self-striping yarn is from Italy. These will be by far the most expensive socks I own. In fact, they cost more than my entire existing sock wardrobe.

If I am successful, this will be my first full-size pair of socks. So far, I've only done wee ones.

Rock On!

I blog into the vastness of the Internet, hoping that somehow, somewhere my words and pictures are resonating with someone. I know we're all busy - sometimes too busy - but somehow we find time to connect across the miles if only briefly. With this blog, I hope to amuse, inspire and encourage my friends and fellow knitters sharing the ups and downs of my own knitting and sometimes life experiences. Is it working? I don't know. But I do know my fab buddy Allison from the left coast has nominated me as a Rockin' Girl Blogger! That flash of white you see is from teeth as I grin with glee. I don't know how this phenomenon got started - but I do think it's a very nice thing. People aren't recognized often enough for the good things they do. I love reading people's blogs. I don't have the time to go out of the house to a weekly knitting group but my blogging friends are an excellent alternative. I love seeing everybody's projects and hearing about their lives. I love that everyone is so quick to jump in with advice and encouragement as called for. I am by far a better knitter because of it.

Now I'm supposed to tag 5 Rockin' Girl Bloggers. As usual, I'm behind the curve so lots of my favs have already been tagged.

Allison would be on the list, but she's already tagged me and I'm not sure there are tag backs.

Janice at Willow Way probably got a bunch of tags - but she deserves them all for sharing with us her great recipes.

Lori Bird formerly of Alaska and now hailing from Maine has also been nominated, but she can do with an extra one because she spins and knits.

Lisa over at Saratoga Knits definitely deserves a nod. She's having fun learning to spin and she can knit a mean sock or two.

Danielle at the Knitting niche is amazingly productive. Her projects run the range from socks to sweaters to squids. She's already gotten started on her Christmas projects, putting us procrastinators to shame.

And if you want to see a sock explosion, a really inspiring volcano of them, check out Monica's site. She has other great projects posted and she gets the award for the most fun url - worksforyarn

Put a little mystery in your knitting

My name is Jennifer, and I am a knitting addict. True, I have many, many projects on the sticks, but then I read my friend Danielle's post about the Secret of the Stole. It was just too tempting, never mind that I'm in the midst of a lace now shawl. So I signed up. the pattern will be revealed over time starting in October and ending in November. It's a lace and bead shawl that is 19 inches wide and ?? inches long. Here's a clue: It takes 1,200 yards.



This is kind of what happens in life, I find. Things just creep into your schedule. You say no, no, no and then all of a sudden, you're in the PTO, teaching Sunday School, babysitting the neighbor's dog and writing a blog. My theory is the more you try to do the more you can do (does that explain why I have 5 kids?). I just hope it holds true to knitting.

Smart Knitting

I am the smartest person in the entire world! Okay, maybe not the smartest person, but I am feeling incredibly clever having finally figured out how to read and follow the complex charts for the North Roe Shawl from my French-language Knit-a-Long. Okay, maybe it's not that complex, but I'm a newbie.

I understood the first chart well enough. Following it was another issue altogether. Eventually, having tinked, frogged and reknit enough times I got through it. The real problem came with the repeat. The chart had 31 lines and said repeat lines 11 - 31. Well to the uniniated, that seems pretty impossible given that the shawl by now has expanded well past the number of squares in line 11! I figured out that there was a need to repeat some portion of the line but no matter how I charted it out, it didn't seem to fit. I became like a woman obsessed carrying the chart with me and pulling it out to stare at it and calculate and recalculate.

Finally, I saw it - and it was so obvious I should be more embarrassed that I didn't see it sooner - on most lines, there is an increase of just one box, but in line 11, there are two extra boxes to accommodate an extra increase. Et voila! the pattern suddenly fits.

Here are my newly-learned tips about knitting lace :

• if you are struggling, count stitches frequently - that way you can figure out quickly if you've made a mistake.
• follow the pattern backwards on purl rows - this also helps pick up mistakes quickly.
• Try to learn the pattern as quickly as possible so you understand where yarn overs and decreases should fall. If they seem to be coming at the wrong places, stop and check your work.
• Make many, many copes of the chart and leave them around the house so you can always find them.

Knitting babes for teenage cancer patients

Knitters are among the most generous people I've ever met. We hear about someone in need and our first instinct is to whip out the sticks. There are a lot of good causes to get involved in it's hard to choose which to do first. This call, however, really caught my attention - maybe because I have teenagers.

The administrator of http://www.chemocaps.com/ is organizing a drive to make Knitted Babes for teenage cancer patients. Here's how it got started:

"Recently I had a few special requests from oncology nurses on behalf of two teenage cancer patients who were rooming together while struggling through chemotherapy as inpatients. Apparently one of the gals received from someone the "Knitted Babes" book and not wanting to appear childish but wanting a soft "grown up looking" doll of her own to cling to, she requested a knitted babe doll....................but from who.....nobody she knew, knew how to knit and this gal was definitely too sick to learn.The nurse manager emailed me to see if I could fulfill this wish and my good friend Brenda (The Analyzing Knitter Blog) http://analyzingknitter.typepad.com/ came to the rescue. "

The full story can be found on the Knitted Babes website. There are many other young patients who would love to have one of these darling dolls. These dolls are quick and fun to make. They each develop their own quirky personality. I've made them using worsted weight as well as with the lighter weight called for in the book. I can't imagine a better pick-me-up for a young adult going through the trauma of cancer treatments.

For more info, you can also email the organizer directly at: Knittingdiva1@aol.comwww.chemocaps.com

The Cake Dance and other lessons from a 2yo

My fourth youngest has started kindergarten, which has given me some enjoyable one-on-one time with my fifth youngest, now 2. I have learned some new things from her. Water is also known as lello, a suitcase is a kookcase and Dora is a bigger hero than Superman. But the most important thing I've learned lately is about making cakes.

When you make a cake, it is very important to first do the cake making dance. It's a little hopping, hip shaking, arm raising number that you are supposed to perform in the kitchen before you begin baking. It is a prelude to getting out the ingredients but can be expanded to include that step. The dance is performed with a song that goes something like this: (you get to make up the melody)

"We're going to make a cake, we're going to make a cake, we're going to m-a-k-e-a-c-a-k-e, MAKE A CAKE."

When properly performed, this dance and song help the cake rise higher, prevents burning and makes the cake tastier.

I've also learned that the world does not actually crumble if you got to toddler school in your pajamas, especially if it means getting your older sister to school on time.

Packages in the Mail are cool

My good friend from the Wool Room offered to send me socks she'd knit for her girls that they'd grown out of. Hand knit socks are definitely a fabulous hand-me-down. But I was thrilled to find more than just socks in the mail! Lori sent me a book about shawls that has a great pattern I plan to use with my yarn from Tibet and yarn that she hand dyed and spun. It is soft blues and greens that are soothing to the eye and pleasing to the touch. Looking at it is like sitting in a spring meadow in the morning before the sun has gotten too high.

Did you hear the choirs singing? That's because I finished the shawl with the yarn my dh brought home with him from Mexico. I realized early on that I wouldn't have enough so I added in some black alpaca - I think it gives it an avant guard edge. I also discovered toward the end that I was making the yarn overs wrong. Here's my tip - if you want a hole, or an eyelet, wrap the yarn the way you wrap it for a regular stitch so the front leg of the loop is forward on the needle. If you wrap it the other way, you get an extra stitch, but no hole. This changed the look of the pattern, but I think it will look fine to those who don't know, especially those who don't knit. Thank you to all who offered help and advice on the lace knitting. While I do like the shawl very much, I'm not quite sure yet what to do with it. I don't picture myself as the type to wear shawls, although maybe that will have to change. It will look nice draped over a chair, I suppose.

I'm also make progress on my next lace a project - the Dodile, which I'm knitting with the French Knit-a-long. I think that we are knitting from the top down even though we started with just three stitches. I'm having quite a time puzzeling out the chart. I got as far as row 21, 23 or 25 and realized I wasn't quite sure where I was supposed to be and that the count was off. Long story short I had to start all over. By this time, I'd gotten the hang of the pattern at least so it went more quickly and I am back to row 23. I tried using a life line, but it didn't work. The mohair in the yarn made it to sticky to effectively pick up the loops. I also forgot to write down in what row I put in the life line, so I might have had problems even I'd been able to pick up from there.

Inspired inspiring

My Lucy bag knit in Noro Kureyon inspired Allison to knit a Sophie Bag with Noro for a friend of hers. Then her bag inspired me to knit a Sophie with Noro as a gradution present for a friend of mine.

I had some troubles. The bag itself is simple and the shape is just lovely. But I found that twisty thing happening again and the handles ended up going from front to back instead of side to side. Using the mistakes are just opportunities to be creative philosophy, I snipped off the offending handles and added some girly plastic ones instead. I also had to cut off the button loop that was centered before felting but quite off to the side after. Luckily, I was able to use a bit of the original handles to make a loop.

The twisty thing could be due to my knitting - I discovered awhile back that I was twisting my stitches. I thought, however, that I'd fixed that issue. Could it be the yarn? Either way, I'm leaning increasingly toward the idea that handles and loops should just be added after felting.

I was anticipating some good knitting time at the soccer games over the weekend. But I was too busy taking pictures. Gotta love the pig tails! It was Z's first game. I've been looking forward to it since she was an itty bitty baby and I was lugging her around to her big sisters' and brother's games! I'm not sure who had more fun - the parents or the kids.

Twins?

While traveling recently, a woman asked if my two youngest children - 5 and 2

were identical twins. I was bewildered given the great gap in their ages but then I saw these two pictures and well... I see what she means! Could identical twins really be born three years apart?

Off to school

Today was our first day of Kindergarten. Actually, it was my only day - tomorrow my dd goes without me. This was just and hour-long introduction. The kids flitted about the room while the teary-eyed parents hovered around the edges shaking their heads about how fast these first five years have flown by!

On the way into the school, I grabbed my camera and said out loud, "Am I going to be the only geeky mom with a camera?"

"Yes, you will be mom," the helpful kindergartner confirmed. Then she added, "It's okay, you won't be the only geeky mom - just the only geeky mom with a camera."

I was relieved when a few moments later she said, "What does geeky mean?"

Geeky or not, I felt compelled to record this momentous occasion.

After class, we called Grandpa. "What did you learn?" he asked.

"I didn't learn anything," she said. "They don't teach you anything on the first day."

I think she was expecting to learn how to read.

Funny Knitting

I launched into the lace shawl tonight. I only had to start over once (yeah) and that was just after 6 rows (yeah). That's very good because this yarn has just enough mohair to be very sticky. This is my first chart-reading project. It shows only the right half of the chart. The left half is knit as if looking in a mirror. Do you know how hard it is to knit while holding a mirror to the chart? Just kidding. I figured out to read from left to right and then back again. But the big victory of the night was finally figuring out that there is at the far right end of the chart a stitch that is supposed to be in the very middle separating the two center yarn overs. Why it is tucked off to the side, I'm not quite sure.

I put in my first lifeline. I decided I would relax more if I knew I wouldn't have to go immediately to jail without collecting my $200.

I have also learned this:
1 aug. Intercalaire means make a stitch
1 surget double means Sl2togKwise, K1, PSSo and
Pas de maille means no stitch

On a somewhat related subject - knitting - I've noted that there are few knitting jokes. I'm not sure why this would be since most of the knitters I've met seem to have a pretty good sense of humor. Most of us are able to laugh off our mistakes, albeit hours, days or weeks after the fact. Are we just too busy knitting to come up with some good lines? I'm on a mission to collect or make up a long list of jokes, amusing anecdotes and other yarn-related amusements. Since much of my entertainment comes from a 5 yo these days, I'll start with the most basic of set ups:

Why did the knitter cross the road?

Help me come up with some good answers and I promise to find some better lines!

America's Dairy Land

Now that I no longer live in Wisconsin, I appreciate the place so much more than I did growing up there.

We go back every year to spend time with my family and catch up with friends. Usually we spend a lot of time outside, hiking, biking, swimming and running around the park. But this year it rained nearly every day we were there. I tried to convince the kids that we should spend the time yarn shopping and knitting, but they weren't buying it.

This is Eau Clarie Dells where the Wisconsin River has torn through the state's hard granite creating a long stretch of rapids. It was one of my favorite places when I was a kid, but now I'm the mom and I spend a good deal of the time telling my kids not to do the very things I used to do!

The yarn is for a lace shawl I'm making for a KAL that is mostly in French. It's been interesting trying to figure out what the posters are saying. This is only the second time I've knit with yarn so thin. I'm a little concerned about it. Any suggestions?

Good News Bad News

So, I finally figured out something crucial about eyelets and yarn overs - the yarn is supposed to go over the needle counter clockwise - the same way as it does for a knit stich so that the little loop sits on the needle with its front leg forward. That way, you get nice holes for eyelets. Otherwise, you have an extra stitch but it's twisted so there is no hole. The good news is that I finally figured this out. I've been doing this wrong at least a good chunk of the time so sometimes I had a nice eylet but mostly, I didn't.

The bad news is that I figured it out in the middle of the project. I was torn - should I start doing it right or continue doing it wrong? Having figured out how to do it right, I was found myself doing it right naturally so that's what I did. I'm not sure that was the right decision. It's a lacey shawl and I fear it's going to look not good. So do I frog? Keep going and hope it turns out? I've spent hours and hours on this project - I don't want to do it all over again, but I've spent hours and hours on it and so I really want it to turn out well.

Paying it Forward

I love that the Internet has become a great place for knitters to connect. I feel like I have a wonderful supportive community to share my passion with. It's fun to give advice and it is a blessing to get it when I need it! In keeping with that concept, some fellow knitters have launched a knitters interpretation of the movie "Pay it Forward." I found it on Allison's blog (It's worth a stop by just to see her photos) Here's the deal: I will send within the next year something I make (most likely knitting related) to the first three people who respond in the comments section. (Please include an email so I can contact you.) My hope is that those people will in turn make the same offer on their blog. Per the rules on the email I found: The "gift" you send doesn't have to be handmade -- it can be anything you wish to share with another person.

I also have a new pattern to share - this is for a small accessory bag and is great to use up odds and ends.

I was in the store looking for the perfect accessory bag to carry my wallet, a small notebook and a cell phone. Too small, too big, wrong color, too pricey…then it dawned on me, I’m a knitter! I don’t need no stinkin’ store bought bag! I can make one that is exactly the size I need and the color I want. And I can do it without spending a dime by using up stash. This is the loose pattern – it can easily be adjust to fit the size you need. I used a single strand of worsted and found it to be thick enough. You could double strand it or use a bulky yarn. Just make sure that the yarn is not machine washable wool, which won’t felt.
This little bag is knit so that the stripes will run vertically. Keep in mind that it will therefore shrink more width-wise than length-wise.
Cast on 50 stitches, knit in stockinet for 11 inches – switching yarns for stripes as desired (I made random stripes to use up small bits of leftovers).
Bind off 20 stitches. The top part will be used for the flap. Continue knitting on remaining 30 stitches for 11 inches. This is the front of the bag.
Sew the front to the back and sew across the bottom.
Turn the bag inside out. Flatten the corner and sew across, one inch from the corner to make a flat bottom. Wash in hot water to felt.
To finish: add a snap or button as a closure. You could also add a short handle to make it easier to carry.
The final dimensions on my bag is 6 inches by 8 inches.

I added a handle that is just an i-cord. I cut a small hole in the bag and inserted both ends and tied a big knot on the inside. I may add an eyelet to make the opening stronger. I also used a magnetic closure for the tab, but I may go back and use a strip of velcro instead.

Quilts complete

Here are two classic examples of rag quilts that became popular around the turn of the century. Crafters in the early 2000s loved them for their simplicity and versatility. They could be made in a weekend using a wide variety of materials. They were made with the seams exposed. The seams were then clipped and the quilts and then washed producing three dimensional softness.

That's what the museum placard will read some day, if these quilts were ever to be put in a museum!

They were both made under an intense deadline. I had just one week before going on vacation to Wisconsin and I wanted desparately to get done the quilt for my daughter at camp and another to take with us for the 2 yo. Crazy, you say? Probably. I tend to do that to myself a lot. I figure the more I try to get done, the more I get done - if I haven't fallen over in exhaustion mid project.

To get the quilts done, I set everything up in the studio and stopped in whenever I had a few minutes. I'd cut a few squares until I had the piles. Then I'd pop in and sew a few squares at a time or a few rows. I carried the quilts around with me to do the clipping.

The Sweet Tweety Bird took the longest - having 90 or so 7 inch squares 6 when finished). The Monkey Business was really quick with 11.5 inch squares (10.5 inches after finishing) and just 35 of them. Both have three layers - a mix of flannel and quilting cotton with flannel in the middle. They are a nice weight without being too heavy.

Just one more to go - the Soccer Skies, which will be for the 5yo. It will have to wait until I'm back in Mass.

While on vacation, I'm keeping at least a little busy. This set is for a charity challenge for the football-a-long I've joined. I made in Packer colors in honor of the state we're visiting. It's a simple neck-down sweater with a simple hat and scarf. The charity is Cubs for Kids. The set is for a teddy bear, but we didn't have one in the right size. The hat and sweater were a great opportunity to practice the Magic Loop method of knitting. If you haven't tried it - I highly recommend it! It's a great alternative to circulars and double points.