A Brave Sock and the Sprint to the Finish Line

Part One: Braves Game

The fam went to the Braves games last night so I took a (brief) break from my Ravelympics project.That doesn't mean there wasn't knitting though.
I brought a Warm Woolies sock to knit on. I started this one right before the Ravelympics and had put it on hold until later. Considering that the snezi shrug has grown to substantial portions I left it at home for the evening. Above, my Aunt Becky tries to decipher how exactly you work on something that has 5 needles. (P.S. She gets to be on the blog because she was the only willing member of my family to allow herself to be photographed with the sock.)
I finished it just before the 7th inning but didn't have any small scissors or nail clippers to cut the thread and bind off. These are back on hold for a few more days.

Part 2:
This is my Olympic watching set up on Friday night. I was watching a pre-taped version of the women's individual gymnastics and Phelps winning his 6th gold on my computer while on the TV I was watching Phelps win his 7th gold and Dara Torres race in her qualifying round. If you think I'm dedicated you should speak to my friend SM who can give you some of the most random facts about the games from the depth of the pool to the cost of the fireworks for the opening ceremonies.
And this is the snezi shrug almost finished. I have to weave in (lots) of ends and sew 6 inches of seams on both sides but then it will be complete (minus blocking of course). I plan to have the whole thing ready to wear by Wednesday. One day to weave in ends and soak and 2 days to dry. Hopefully that will be enough time. I'm so looking forward to wearing this! And guess what else...I used all 11 balls of the cashmerino that I bought :::heaves big sigh of relief::: I really thought as I got towards the end that I might not have enough but it all worked out beautifully. I'm so proud of all I've done already on this project. I thought that I was crazy for picking such a monster of a piece to knit in just 16 days but the knitting itself took just 9 days! Stay tuned for the finished product in a few days. The next thing I have to tackle is the Slouchy Summer of Socks Socks That Shouldn't Slouch...

In the Vortex

It has happened. I have been sucked into some sort of weird knitting vortex. Not the good kind either. The kind where you lose your mind. Where you can't find anything to knit. Where the yarn is a bad color and all 100% acrylic. Where you knit according to instruction and end up with something that looks nothing like it did in the pictures. It's like some sort of jacked up Twilight Zone.

Example #1: I finished the first Summer of Socks (Rav link) sock last night around 11:00.
Looks pretty good right? Wrong.
See, in the first photo I'm holding the ribbing up to where it should be on my leg. The second picture is where it falls naturally. Now, I don't have a ton of experience with knitting socks. The others that I have made were out of regular old worsted weight and were an exercise in learning to make socks. This was my first "real" attempt at making socks. Someone please tell me that all socks do this. That when I block them (on my as yet unpurchased sock blocker) that they will come out just right. Or is this part of the vortex?

Example #2: My Ravelymplics shrug. I picked the Snezi shrug (Rav link) from Sensual Knits. Um, hello! Have you seen the size of that thing?!?! Let me remind you.
What was I thinking? Do I think I'm Super Knitter? That thing is huge! It uses like 800 yards of yarn! And I think I'm going to finish this in 16 days?!?! I can't even finish a sock in 16 days. I think I may have been on some sort of yarn fume high when I made this decision. Since I'm postponing knitting the other SoS sock until I can get the first blocked and/or find someone it fits (I'm trying my mom tonight) and since I have nothing else to knit on until the 8th of August (the start of the Olympics and the Ravelympics) I might have time to get everything ready to knit the sweater in the round I had originally given up hope of having ready to knit in time. Oh the irony... Which leads us to...

Example #3: As you know, I have been knitting for Warm Woolies for quite some time now. They have a little contest where if you send in 25 knitted items by the end of November then you get a gift from them: a book, patterns, needles, yarn, etc. I really want to be able to send in lots of stuff to them. Helping orphaned children is something I feel passionately about. And I love to knit. What a great combo! Last night I decided to have a look at how much I had knit for them already. Know what my total was? 8 pieces. 8. I feel into an immediate panic. There was no way (in my very tired mind) that I could get 17 pieces finished in 4 months. This morning I woke with a little clearer mind. If I make 4.25 pieces a month (or round up to 5) then I can meet my goal. This means I have to crank out a piece a week for the next 4 months. Minus 2 weeks for the Ravelympics. Don't get me wrong, somewhere in my twisted little brain I think I can make this work. Still...I'm getting hives.

Example #4: In the knitting vortex you are seized by sudden impulsive thoughts. Mine? I must finish all unfinished projects. And wash them. I'm tired of WIPs flying all around me that just need to be seamed (ugg) or have buttons attached or just be soaked, gosh darn it.
Thankfully I moved all these off the bed so I could get a little sleep last night. There is still more WIPs that are going to be attacked in the next few days. Never fear though. I'm nowhere near out of this vortex yet.

Why Does it Feel Like 7:00?

When it's only 4:15? Maybe I'm just wishing it was 7:00. I haven't been up for an especially long period of time. I haven't worked especially hard. I shouldn't be thinking it's 7:00. It has been storming for most of the afternoon so maybe that has something to do with it. I think I'm going to open the blinds, watch the rain, and knit.

I've made good progress on the SoS sock. I feel like I'm ages away from finishing though. Mostly because I've only been knitting on it in little bits and pieces. While waiting for the internets to load, while making dinner, between answering text messages or filling orders for Tweet Tees.
I still have 4 inches to go before I can start the ribbing. I don't know if I will hold out that long or if my yarn will either, it's starting to look a little skimpy on the ball. I think I need to learn how to knit socks two at a time. Even though it will take longer, when I'm done, I'm done. I don't have to worry about Second Sock Syndrome (which I can feel rising before I've even reached the end of this sock).
This is Penelope demonstrating how very little she cares (about my knitting and about the shipping materials I have to use too).

Wedding Bells are Ringing

This weekend I traveled to South Carolina for an friend's wedding. I have known her and her family for almost 15 years. The nice long car ride and evenings in the hotel room gave me time to get some work done on my sock. Ok, a lot of work (especially when watching the History Channel until 12:00 midnight).
I have enjoyed working this sock. It's the Summer of Socks pattern by Wendy Knits (available only to SoS participants). I have never done toe up before but I've liked learning how.
I did have to tink back the first 5 or so rows of the heel thanks to the fact that I can't count to 16. But I like the fact that toe up socks do not require you to pick up stitches for the gussets. Very nice. The pattern is making the sock twist a little (I noticed this when I tried it on) but I'm going to hope that it corrects itself when blocked.

Tomorrow I have training at work all day but then I'm going to a baseball game with my aunt. Good sock knitting time, don't you think? Maybe I should finish untangling that second ball of yarn...

I leave this short post with a picture of Penelope from a few days ago. She looked so sweet and cuddly with her blanket.

Where to Start?

What happens when you try and hand wind some Artyarns Ultramerino 4 into a ball. Well, it tends to make a huge mess if you decide that you can just lay the hank out and pull as you go.
This kind of mess is best punished by sticking it far down into a plastic bin and forgetting about it...until the second sock is ready to be knit.

What happens when you try and hand wind another hank of the same type of yarn but this time anchor it around your desk chair? Well, that works out pretty well.
Maybe not the nicest ball but certainly better than the first.

Way all this work?
Summer of Socks '08. Sock #1 (I'm a little slow on the start). Not coincidentally this is the special Summer of Socks pattern by Wendy Knits just for the SoS '08. On new US size 0 DPNs none the less. That means...

I finally made it out to Knitch. And there was a huge accident. I fell. I threw out my arm to stop the fall and I swiped some lovely yarn and needles into a bag. And my other hand was holding my debit card. Ooops. Oh look! Yarn!
This is from Lotus Yarns. It's some shiny, reddish/purple red sock yarn (I know you can't really see the sparkles but take my word for it). And the name...
Hairdresser on Fire. I love it.

Hmmm...these also ended up in my bag.
Another set of DPNs (US size 1s) and cashmere blend navy yarn. There is a lot of that in there. Along the lines of 11 balls. I'm using it for a pullover and being the smart one that I am I left all my information on the project in my car...down the street. Therefore, I had to guess. I don't want to run out and I can return what I don't use. Ha! Me? Return yarn?

Finally I leave you with a before...

and an after...
I love my cat but I busted out laughing when I saw the kerchief. It's adorable. And Penelope is wearing it like she is hot stuff.

Week Recap

Wow, it has been a very busy week. I'm still without a personal home computer so I have been jetting to my parents house, the library, and using my cell phone to check my email. None are optimal of course. My parents live on the other side of the county which, normally, wouldn't be too much of a problem except that I live in one of the largest and most populated counties in the state. On a good day it takes only 30 minutes to get to their place. A good day happens on Sunday afternoon around 3:00. On a normal day it takes an hour to get there. Normal days are much more frequent. And posting at the library is the worst. I always feel like people are looking over my shoulder as I try and read personal emails or update my facebook status. I only went there once this week when I had exhausted all other possible routes and absolutely had to check my bank account. I did sign up for one day of internet usage on my phone. It could check my email, tell me the weather, and not much else. But at least I got the notice about one of my private lessons needing to be rescheduled. I've once again made it back to my parents house though and this makes for a much nicer posting experience. I've just spent the better part of an hour checking other blogs that I read. I haven't touched Ravelry yet but I'm going to have to because I need some patterns to take with me on vacation next week.

Yes, next week I will be at the beach on vacation (or holiday if you are from outside the US). I'll be in South Carolina in a secluded little town with my parents, brother, and my brother's girlfriend (the ever charming and lovely BB). I had a really tough time trying to decide what to take as far as the knitting goes. Thanks to the extended editions of the Lord of the Rings trilogy (and the 6 disks of extra, behind the scenes info) I finished the Honeymoon Cami. If the previous statement seems a bit nerdish to you, have no fear. My dear friend AG has been (and continues) to harass me about how much of a dork I am (this from the guy who played D and D growing up and watches Lost religiously). But it is very cute and, most importantly, wearable. The yarn wasn't very forgiving so if a stitch looked wonky when I was knitting it, it stayed a little wonky after I blocked it (Which really just involved me washing it in the washing machine and throwing it over the shower rod in my bathroom. But I like that it turned out fine after that. I like things to be durable.). I'm just pleased as punch that I made something that I can actually wear. It got put in the bag for vacation wear. So, anyways, back to the projects... I threw in the rest of the cone of Texas Cotton (used for the cami) because I'm participating in the Summer of Socks and I haven't started a pair yet. Then I threw in some stash gifted sock yarn that I used to make some magic slippers thinking I would try another pair of those and maybe some sort of wee little socks. I also started (and have almost finished) another vest/sweater for Warm Woolies. I say vest/sweater because I took the pattern for their simple vest and I'm going to try and add sleeves. I attempted the first one (this, of course being all of my own devising without a pattern or any real guidance) by using 8 lives stitches and some picked up stitches around the arm hole. But the stockinette ended up on the inside of the sleeve. Which would have been good if I had been working it inside out, but I wasn't. I got as far as turning the sleeve inside out and then the thought of trying to pick up those stitches again made my head hurt and I realized it was 10:30 at night the day before I was supposed to leave for my parents house and a week of vacation and I hadn't finished packing or cleaning and decided that vest/sweater could wait. Well, it's waiting for me in the bottom of my knitting bag. Next to a bunny hat kit I picked up in Savannah. And the perpetual pink sweater (of doom).

Today, after I squared away my knitting, I spent time running all around town and prepping for my leave. I had to make sure that someone covered my private lessons, that my apartment sitter was lined up, that there were plenty of (very) detailed instructions about everything from how to feed the cat to how hot the water gets (I have an obsessive compulsive disorder, so sue me), and that all the orders I filled for Eat Sleep Tweet got mailed off in time. On a side note: I really like this new job. I can't wait until it becomes a little more involved. I got a little taste of it this week but eventually there will be a mini warehouse in my apartment. It's very good for the organized, logistical side of me. Now I am ready to relax. I will (thankfully) have internet next week that I will check on a regular basis and maybe even post. Unfortunately, I won't get to put the pictures up yet. Once I get this new computer I'm going to do about 15 all picture posts of (k)nifty things that should have already graced these pages.