Stand By for Station Identification...

Oh we're having technical difficulties again. Big giant Web/Telephone concern is in a nasty snit with tiny ISP dial up company and the result is I can't dial up from home which results in me not being able to upload pics. Urrrggg! If you could see the poncho now. But you can't. And all the sock progress I've made. Since the last blog, I've finished the Inca's and I'm on the second Sockatta (cotton) with Picot edge. Red Soxsocks will be next. No word on when the dial up snafu will be fixed. So I knit...

The Harlot Has Landed

What a weekend! Saturday morning bright and early I had a doo appointment in Brattleboro, VT where the lovely Deena at Whitman's blonded my dark roots, trimmed me and sent me on my way. From there I headed to Northampton to Web's for the arrival of the Yarn Harlot. I got there early(so I thought) but had a heck of a time finding a parking space. When I found the conference room (yes, location was changed to accomodate the knitters of Western Mass, Vermont, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Connecticut...these are just the license plates I drove by looking for a space) the room was almost full. I sat next to a lovely woman who had brought her 6m old daughter--what a doll she was! Not a peep out of her the whole time. The Harlot came in and had to fix the PA system herself! She had us in stitches (no pun intended but, there you go). Her blog is amusing on it's own but in person you get the total essence. And the great thing about it is that if you don't knit YOU WOULDN'T GET IT. Like a secret society. I did learn that knitting is a sport by the very definition of the word sport. Go ahead, look it up.
Everyone brought their knitting but I never took mine out of the bag, I would have missed the visual antics she goes through! We went back to Web's for the signing part of the party but, did I want to stand in line for 2 hours?--no. 20 years from now I'll kick myself when a signed copy of Knitting Rules goes for 2million on ebay. What can I say. Like she and I were going to become best friends just as she and Martha Stewart are? Oh well. Anyway, I did buy red and white sock yarn to make---Red Sox socks! You know, white toe and heel--look at their logo. It'll be 97 degrees before I get to them but I've had this idea bouncing around my head ever since spring training.
And the poncho--it's getting there. Slowly. One, two, three, four, five, (flip).....

Just Cranking Them out Here

Feet in the air shot! Ansel Adams eat your heart out.

How interesting that the Sockotta socks changed pattern direction and went all zig-zaggy on the 2nd sock. How does it do that?! And some people find this a problem, not me.
Now, next up is Lana Grossa Meilenweit Inca which is a wool/poly blend on size 0 with a 9sts per inch gauge-nice and smooth! I haven't broken any of my bamboos but I just know it's going to happen before I get to the end. Not being negative, I'm positive I'll break at least one. And see, both socks at once to avoid SSS (second sock syndrome). The (vroom-vroom) Addi Turbo Magic Loop is keeping up nicely.

The poncho is on the bottom with the 2 color pattern at the halfway point. This has beentoo slow a process for me. Well, my own fault, I hate having to keep track of counts and this hasn't the short repeating pattern that a fair isle does. No, I had to design the bloody thing to go 24 st stretches so that I have to stop, swing the 2nd color over to carry every 5 sts, bleh, bleh, bleh. So far the results are great but I'll pitch the pattern when done. I have this insane notion that I have to get a project done in a week or less. Need for speed I guess.

I've been reading my Yarn Harlot Knitting Rules! and snickering to myself(non-knitters find this odd-go figure) to find out there are others like me doing things I figured were too bent to be done by "normal" people. I've enjoyed the reading and am looking forward to seeing Stephanie in person this weekend. I've never been to a book signing...

The Week That Was

A dull entry as I haven't got the patience to wait for pics to upload to the server tonight. But let's see, what have I accomplished....
Sockotta socks are done-wow, they seem to take longer to dry.
Started another pair of wild self striping socks in Lana Grossa, one on size 0 dpns (those babies are gonna snap, I've got toothpicks that are sturdier) and the other on a Turbo a la Magic Loop.
I've frogged the poncho once using a nifty technique I learned on the Virginia Purl. Huge time saver.
I popped over to Web's Saturday to pick up my Yarn Harlot Knitting Rules for next Saturday's signing. Another skein of sock yarn followed me home. Harlot's got over 100 of us awaiting her arrival so they had to move the event to the Clarion. Web's is large but that would have been a bit too cozy. I asked the clerk about lace weight yarn and she scrunched her face and admitted that they didn't really carry alot of it, Lorna Laces but, oops, none in stock. Oh, did I mention that since I got the sock thing down I am now so Invincible that Lace is my next project? After the poncho of course.
Well, off to fix my turbo'd sock as I noticed on my way to Ludlow, VT for Easter dinner that I have dropped a stitch. Can't blame the car ride as I appear to have dropped it before I got in the car. And no I was not driving and knitting at the same time. Traffic was too heavy. ;)
And how about those Red Sox.....

The Red Sox & Knitting, It Doesn't Get Any Better!

The day started out grey and damp and got damper and cold so it was the perfect knitting weather. Red Sox game was delayed—more knitting time! And the results?









A bit blurry!

Finished the Mega Boot Stretch socks and had to put them on right away. Swatched the microfiber I’m using for mom’s poncho with the variegated I chose for the design-- that works. (the design on the swatch is not what will be on the poncho) Just haven’t figured how I’m going to work the increases down the front and back and keep the design from looking odd. I see frogging in my future. On the up side--the Red Sox beat the Orioles. (I miss Kevin Millar! ;( )

It’s the cotton blend sock next, no give to these babies. I’m trying the Magic Loop method. Actually, this is the second time I’ve tried this. I bought a lovely 29” bamboo set and started the Mega Boots doing the Magic Loop but when I pulled the tip of the needle forward it came off in my hand. Adding insult to injury the cable end slipped off leaving the stitches behind. Fortunately I had gotten past the short rowing and was plain knitting when my gear malfunctioned. Those will be going back from whence they came. I have to say, that would never happen with dpns. I have acquired another 29” set of circs and as you can see, so far, so good.
They're predicting sunny weather here in Massachusetts tomorrow, darn, that means no excuses not to do yardwork until the Sox come on at 2:30p!

It's Been One of Those Weeks...

Lately I get up in the morning, sometimes earlier than I need to just so I can knit a few rounds before I go to that place. You know, that place, that sucks the life out of you but provides the money to make your mortgage payment and buy more yarn and knitting toys. I can't wait to get home so I can pick up the needles again, zone out, and only communicate with the yarn, needles, row counter etc., and the greatest thing about the yarn, needles and row counter is that they seem to be capable of taking care of themselves, they don't ask the same idiotic questions over and over or flame off at you because they're having a bad day. These things don't treat you inhumanely or expect praise because they provide health benefits. No, they don't. They are always there, except when Bailey had hidden them in the couch cushions or moved them because they look better over there. Can you tell? It's been a bad week. And the worse it gets the more I want to pull out my traveling sock project from under my desk and knit it all away.

On to more positive thoughts
The poncho is coming along. I'm a little nervous of the neckline. You see, I was a good little knitter and made a swatch, washed and dried it and it lost quite a bit of length and width so I cast on according to the swatch. Hmmm, the neckline seems a bit wide but, I must trust my swatch. Trust the Swatch, Trust the Swatch...
Mega Boot sock #2 is being cuffed. And I have been investigating knitting LACE! I am so not a lace girl but since mastering the whole sock thing I am absolutely fearless. Bring it on!

The Mega Boot Stretch & The Wildfoote

First of All.....

Happy 24th Birthday to JayJay!
Here she's getting her tanning in and even though I'm an esthetician and vehemently opposed to tanning, she's allowed because 1.) She's 168 cat years 2.) She has always done what she wanted and 3.) It's the only physical activity she does these days. You go kitty!


Meanwhile...
In my new sock quest I have been experimenting with a few different materials in sock yarn. My latest is the Lana Grossa Mega Boot Stretch that to date is my favorite sock. The yarn is "sproingy", ultra comfy and the sock hugs my foot and leg. I went with a 2x2 rib and a sewn cast off. I like it so much I went back to Web's and bought another color. This one is 710.















My Wildfoote with the Feather & Fan came out beautiful--so nice my mother took them practically before they were off the needles! This material was finer and will look great with a pair of flats. I over exposed the shot so the design was more visible. They are much darker than this.
















As I said, I went back to Web's and picked up a few more sock yarns including a cotton/wool/nylon mix just to see how that works up. As I was wandering in fiber nirvana I noticed a sign that said that the Yarn Harlot would be there on April 22 to promote her new book. Count me in! I enjoy her blog and her insight.

Off to get started on mom's poncho, the swatch has been washed and dried, let the games begin!