Krafty1

Event #3

July 1...that meant it was time for Event #3 of the Sock Knitters Pentathlon.  The pattern was released at 11AM local time, but starting the latest sock had to wait until I got home from work at 12:45. 

Specs: The pattern chosen for this round was Rattlesnake Creek Socks.  It included a 3x3 cable.  The rules:  It had to be knit top-down with at least 1.5 repeats of the pattern for the cuff.  The pattern shows that the cables were carried down the top of the foot to the toes, but the rules stated that we could do the foot in stockinette.  I split the difference and carried the ribbing down the foot.

As usual, we had to post a photo of the in-progress sock and then the finished pair.  Barbro was first yet again! (Three times in a row for the Swedish Knitting Champ...11 hours 35 minutes!)  Second Place went to Mluni this time.  She posted at 1:15AM...one hour ahead of me.

That's right. I posted my finished photo at 2:15AM...13 hours and 30 minutes after I got home from work.  Third place for this round.  With two more rounds to go, I'm still in 2nd place overall for the event.  I couldn't be happier with 2nd place knowing that the top finishers are mostly European...where they are practically born knitting! ;-)

Work this morning did NOT include my contact lenses!  3 hours of sleep...now I know what this little sign came home from Madison with my purchases!!!  Just hook it up intravenously since thirteen+ hours of knitting has left my fingers too stiff to grip my coffee mug!. Thank goodness Event #4 isn't until September 1!

Madison Part 3: "The Shopping"

It was NOT supposed to be a "Fiber Feeding Frenzy" weekend.  Just a couple of stops in search of some Lambs Pride Bulky, or equivalent, to replace the blue Cascade for my friend's felted bag.

First, a stop at my favorite shop from my quilting days, Millhouse Quilts, in search of fabric that could be used for a lining if necessary.

A trip to Millhouse is always a successful one! In the end, I needed Panda's eye to help make the final choice for the lining AND came away with a couple of goodies for me to boot!

Next, Lakeside Fibers.  The sky had clouded and the family decided to come into the shop because they have a great eatery and sitting area for guests of the knitting AND non-knitting sort.  Unfortunately, they didn't have what I was hoping to find for the the bag.  The girl that was assisting me recommended that I check another of the shops in town that carries Lambs Pride.

Now, every time I visit Lakeside Fibers, I am mesmerized by their "Wall of Cascade".  This trip was NO different; but with a twist.  Maybe it was the "guilt" of not having a purchase after being so graciously waited on.  Maybe it was the sudden torrential downpour that held us captive indoors.  Or maybe it was the desire to have the final 2-$5 punches whacked off my frequent buyer card. Whatever the reason, suddenly, 10 skeins had jumped into my arms to knit a replacement for the Jersey Girl sweater I felted!

The rain stopped, and we headed to our next stop, The Knitting Tree, in search of the elusive Lambs Pride.  In the past, I'd always considered The Knitting Tree to be the place to go in search of something "funky".  So, it caught me a bit off guard to be referred there for something I'd consider as a "basic" type yarn. 

But, there it was, THE PERFECT yarn to coordinate and be the new base for Kelly's felted bag!  Isn't it great when things come together perfectly!?!

Mission accomplished. They were ready to ring me up..stop..wait...I just got here. 

"You wouldn't happen to have a copy of 'Knitting Lace Triangles' by Evelyn Clark?"  Sure thing!!!

"Do you have anything new in sock yarns?"  ShiBui Sock.  I've been reading about it and wanted to try it.  Doogie wants a pair made with the dark teal green Peacock, and the other three (kiwi, anime, and sky) will find a home this Christmas.  Now I was "high" from the fiber fumes!  Now, it was time to check out.

Back at the hotel, something unusual happened: buyer's remorse.  Never before have I had fiber related buyer's remorse.  But the 10 skeins of Cascade...something I can get at my LYS...something that in the sunlight looked more like Doug's choice for sock yarn than the blue green it appeared as during the rain storm.  I don't wear green on my body!  Ackkkk!

After reviewing the exchange policy on the receipt (and knowing there was no way I'd be knitting a sweater for myself in JULY!), we decided to make the trek back to return the yarn before we left town. 

I believe these things happen for a reason. The same young woman assisted me on our return trip.  When I walked in the door and announced, "It's too green!" she was very gracious and helpful. 

Doogie had asked that, if I wasn't going to get yarn for my sweater, the exchange be for either the Fog Sweater or the Cambridge Jacket.  Sounded perfect to me.  We found some gorgeous blue Donegal Tweed that would be just the thing.  There wasn't enough of it but, since it was on their upcoming order, we could special order it.  The clerk took down the vital info and when she heard the name of our city she was tickled pink! 

It turns out she has been interviewing and may be moving to our town.  She was SO excited to know that when/if she comes to town that she already knows another knitter.  We exchanged Ravelry info and then I knew WHY I'd fallen for the Wall of Cascade and had buyers' remorse...everything for a reason...in this case, MoKnitting needed to know that there really are knitters in a town that doesn't have a knit shop!

Madison Part 2: The Knitting

What would a weekend away be without a little knitting!?!  The hardest part has to be the packing.  My packing included the WIP BYOBag along with yarn for two pair of socks and a shawl. (Yes, I realize that I was only going to be gone three days. But what if a storm came up or someone got hurt and I was stranded in Madison w/o knitting projects!?!  A girl's got to plan ahead!!!)

With everything that I packed, unfortunately, I didn't bring the extra skein of blue yarn for the bag.  I ran out of yarn right when it was time to attach the handles. Whoops.

At least I could start a pair of socks.  Does the yarn look familiar?  That's right, I frogged last week's sock start.  These are going much nicer using the Spring Forward pattern.  In fact, things are speeding right along.

Good thing...those are my US0 needles.  My only pair of US0 needles.  The same pair of needles that I'll need Tuesday, July 1, for event #3 of the Sock Knitters Pentathlon!  The bag will have to wait for its handles.  Tonight has been about finishing the socks so my needles are available for the big event.  My goal: maintain my second place worldwide position.  Maybe the bag will get finished next weekend.

On the road

Creatures of habit...that's what we are.  Each year since moving here, we have made the migration back to Madison, WI for Rhythm & Booms, the Midwest's largest fireworks display set to music. As usual, we took along our supplies and our shopping lists.

The weather was perfect.  Not too hot and not rainy.  We left on Friday so that Saturday morning we could visit Farmers' Market.

Thirteen summers we spent our Saturday mornings strolling the capital perimeter shopping for our weekly meals and people watching. It felt good to stroll down memory lane and was especially comforting to find many of the same vendors in the same locations they'd been in eight years ago when we left!

As we did many of the old familiar activities, Panda recounted tales of days gone by. "Hey, I remember going to dance class and getting a big cookie afterwards!"  (Part of her weekly routine from ages 4-6.)  Unfortunately, Special K, who was 3 when we moved, is a "visitor" when we visit the city she and her sister were born in. For me, Madison holds SO many precious memories of their early childhood.

However, geocaching in a beloved city levels the field and we all discover new places together.

Of course, there were also knit shop stops.  There are new additions for the stash AND my library.  Stay tuned.

BTW Did you happen to notice how lonely Shaun looks (above) in my windshield?  His traveling buddy, Luke, is currently on his worldwide tour.  First he was in Tokyo and now he's safely landed in another foreign country...actually, he's visiting someone a little closer to Shaun's original home.

Frustration

Sorry.  No blog tonight.  Spent nearly 3 hours on the phone with the mobile phone company trying to find out why $9.99 was deducted from my account today.  Only to be told that is was a service provider by the name of Mobile Messenger that had deducted from my account.  In order to ensure it wouldn't happen again, I would need to block number 75557 from sending me text messages.

Word of advice, get the number blocked on your phone.  They have the ability to automatically draft from cell phones.

The worst part...nearly 3 hours later and the $9.99 is NOT back in my account and I couldn't knit a single stitch.  I'm off to find my chair and needles!!!

Freedom

Doogie drives 45 miles each way for work each day.  As gas prices have gone up, we've been looking at alternatives.  Once a week, he's been staying with my brother who happens to live close to Doogie's office.  In addition, I've been taking my bike to work 3 days a week.  This past month we were able to cut our gas expenses by 25%.

Question of the Week #2 for SP12 was: As a kid, what did you look forward to most about summer vacation/break/holiday?

On the mornings that I ride my bike to work, I pass through the old neighborhood.  It's truly amazing the memories that come flooding back as I pass... the park that used to have a wading pool that now has a water feature...the playground where we played tetherball, mancala, and made lanyards...the corner where my boyfriend kissed me...the old roller skating rink...and so much more.

As a kid, my bike meant freedom.  Back when a kid could get on their bike in the morning (we didn't have helmets OR water bottles OR cell phones) and head out for the day.  A trip to the lake or the library, the park or the pool or a friend's house.  Far and wide. The only rule was to be home again by the time the street lights came on. Today, my bike is a means of transportation and apparently a "time machine". 

Goldilocks

 

Summer of Socks 2008 is underway.  Sunday evening I was anxious to start the exclusive pattern.  Not only did Wendy  design it, but it's a toe-up pattern!  Bonus.

Unfortunately, that's where the excitement ended.  First, though my gauge was dead-on, the stitch pattern was quite loose.  The pattern had warned to go down a size from your normal size.  SO...I cast on for the 8" circumference, the photo above is my 8.5" foot in, what is supposed to be, the 8" design.  Too big!

Frog Pond.

Monday night, I cast on again and worked to the point where, this evening, it was time to work the gussets.  However, the sock seems to be leaning a bit to the right...notice how much bias the design has!?! 

According to the Ravelry forum, others are running into the same problem.  It seems that the Frog Pond is quite crowded with knitters ripping apart this particular sock. 

Some knitters are speculating that the bias will block out.  Some knitters haven't had luck with that.  Some knitters are attempting to write up modifications. 

My first attempt was too big.  The second attempt was too biased.  My third attempt was to cast on the base of BYOB  and it is just right.

#4 of 52

The weekend included a bit of knitting as well.  Sure, there were the moments stolen in between rain showers.  But, it turns out that Harlot's "dude" must be a neighbor of mine...a neighbor who starts mowing his lawn at 7:15 on Sunday morning!!! (If you haven't read Harlot's "dude" story, go now.)

These were supposed to be my pair of socks for the 4th week of the 52 Pair Plunge. Jules with Fortissima Socka.  (They aren't identical, but fraternal enough to be nearly identical.)  There are six days left of the 4th week! Now what?

Looking at the bright side...it just means that I can start knitting the Summer of Socks exclusive pattern that much sooner!

A Great Weekend

Is there anything better than friends showing up to spend a nice summer weekend!?!

What would the weekend be without a few introductions!?! 

Sudden rain storms seemed to surprise them.  We've learned to take them in stride.  Even Doogie, comfortable enough in his manhood to grab the first rain coat available even if it's pink, wasn't going to let a little rain keep him from grilling dinner!!  (He does most of the summer cooking, I do the winter cooking.)

Of course, we introduced them to a little geocaching.  In another sudden downpour!  Honest, when we left the house the skies were blue with large, puffy white clouds.

One of our other favorite things to do with visitors is to go for a walk out to the lighthouse.  The kids attempted to not be blown away! And look, the skies are blue with puffy white clouds merely thirty minutes after the geocache photo.  (And yes, there was one more sudden downpour while they were here...that one included a rainbow!)

Dino is home from Iraq and doesn't have to report for work at the Pentagon until July 11th.  In the meantime, the three of them are roaming the highways and by-ways of the US (they're on their way to Niagara Falls now) and getting to be a family again. This is one of my favorite photos from our time together...father and son, hand in hand.  You can't ask for a better weekend.

It's summertime and the bloggin's hard

It's 10:30 at night and this is going to be "it" for the post.  It's summertime and the kids are home, the activities haven't slowed and tonight was about phone calls.  LOTS of phone calls. 

So many phone calls that I haven't knit a single stitch tonight.

Quick recap:
-My cousin is going to be a Grandma!

-My calendar and another cousin's summer calendar aren't going to accomodate a meet-up.

- Dino is home from Iraq.  Better still, he & his family are in WI.  Even better still, they will be coming to visit....Friday!  Suddenly, we have a great weekend ahead.

-Another phone call and now we may be having an entire impromptu college reunion at our house this weekend!!

Not a SINGLE stitch knit tonight.  But SO much to look forward to!!!