miss ewe: 1; Trekking: 0
Victory is mine. Someone should have told me that balling yarn with a project on the inside end of the ball is a bad idea. (well, theoretically I would have known that if I'd engaged a small portion of brain before proceeding). I held the sock in my teeth, and every couple dozen spins had to stop and let it unwind a little... I had to unwind a little myself.
Truth be told, this is the first time I've balled anything, so I think I did rather well, particularly when you consider that I did it the idiot-way. Also, I didn't even bother to take photos of the state of the yarn before balling. It was too upsetting.
So here we have it: Trekking, plus some cuff, complete with newly acquired skill of long-tail cast-on. Aren't we all proud of me? I win. This time.
Colors are better represented in the first photo.
a bonafide yarn emergency
I tried to start my first ever sock yesterday, as planned. Then something awful happened: the Trekking threw-up at me. I could not, COULD NOT find the end inside the ball. Lots of other yarn came out, but not the magic end to start all socks. I'm not at home right now, no ball-winder handy to rewind from the outside. What was a girl to do???
I did the only reasonable thing I could think of. I went to
Knit-O-Matic (a new yarn store for me, and very close to where I'm staying), and bought some more sock yarn. On sale, no less. Everyone knows that sock yarn doesn't count in a yarn diet, especially SALE sock yarn.
Thinking ahead, I picked out TWO, just in case I had the same "critical" problem again. ONline Supersocke in some luscious pinks, and 2 50g balls of Schoeller & Stahl Fortissima in a cool turquoisy-rainbow variegated colorway. Did I mention this stuff was on sale??? I could have really gone nuts, but I kept my cool and just chose two. Actually, I congratulate myself...
When I got in from work around 11:30 last night, I started with the fortissima, determined to begin my socks on solstice, when... BLECHHH. It threw-up too. (this really was the longest day).
Finally frustrated, I decided to just work from the outside of the ball of Trekking and re-ball on Saturday when I'm home for a few hours. About to cast on, closing in on midnight, I realized I did not know the long-tail cast on method preferred for socks. Thank Alpaca for wireless internet. And thank
Stitch Diva for a nice tutorial to pull me through. I got it, sometime shortly after midnight.
So I'm cast on, and about half an inch into ribbing. Feeling good about the summer...
I have two requests for suggestions. First, does anyone have a good method for finding the magic end out of a ball of yarn? Surely I'm doing something wrong here. And second, I'm finding my Regia metal 2.5mm dpns a bit to sticky with this yarn. Any suggestions for something more slippery? Thanks, folks!
Happy Solstice everyone!
SoS is here... that's Summer of Socks!
Steal one of my buttons if you like!
(but not my bandwidth)
So, what does this mean? Well, I wasn't really planning to begin my personal Summer of Socks (an idea whose time began way before the crazy KAL got started!) until July 1st. But in the spirit of the KAL, I will cast on my very first ever sock today. I still want to work on my shrug (it's actually gotten bigger since I whined about it 2 days ago!), but I'm going to get started on the socks right away.
Yarn: Trekking XXL (might as well start big, eh?) from my secret pal, colorway 101
Needles: to be determined; I'm still out of town, but I brought everything between 2 and 3mm.
Pattern: Harlot's basic sock recipe from Harlot Knitting.
Wish me luck... I'll keep you posted.
PS: I'm also helping to administrate SoS, so if you're playing, and you're around M-Z, I'm keeping track of your progress for the "weekly report". Feel free to e-me and scold if I miss something important!
knitting for me.
I'm still thinking about
Stephanie's post today. I commented, but it didn't quite cover it.
She's talking about the comparitive, competitive aspect of human nature. Despite the fact that we know yoga, knitting, whatever, is for ourself, there's this aspect of comparison. How we do, compared to the next gal. Even in my career as a musician, there is always that sideways glance at a new face -- how's that one doing over there? And then there's the aspect of marketing: of COURSE I'm better at whatever you need than anyone else you might consider.
The trouble is, if it's all a competition, I'd better just pack it up and go hide in my stash-box. (actually, that might be fun). I am shamefully without new photos in blogdom, because I have nothing new to show you. I am knitting the same stinking project I was knitting 3 months ago. (granted, I've knit --or partially knit-- three other things since then... I have KADD). It's all ribbed 3x3, all the time, and it's not getting any bigger, despite my best attempts.
Then I look at other blogs... how do these people make such progress? Honest to Alpaca, I cannot believe how fast
Grumperina knits. One day you see photos of yarn, three days later there's a picture of a sweater with the 1400 modifications she had to make to the lousy pattern. It actually frightens me a bit. You quick-knit gals know who you are.
Am I a slow knitter? Or do they have less to do in a day than I seem to? Or should it just not matter? See, here's the comparisons again!
Well, nobody skirts a yarn diet like miss ewe. Here, for your viewing pleasure, are my recent acquisitions from
Lettuce Knit. Everyone knows sock yarn (not even the purpley goodness of this Trekking) doesn't count, plus TWO
Go Knit pouches (everyone should have at least 2 of these... they are fabulous, and I am already knitting more since I got them). And a
Rogue Hooded Pullover pattern, which I could not imagine not owning. I thought I held back pretty well. Please note sleeve 2 of Turtleneck shrug peeking seductively out of Go Knit pouch 1.
Encouragement encouraged.
PS: you're also a better photographer than I am.
Blogger disliked my photo so much it refused to upload. I'll try again later. Still trying, over and over, days later. Still not working. Grumble.
now that's a scarf
You must check out
this World Cup scarf. That's a whole lotta scarf.
how the tide turns
I bought a laptop. I got a great gig for a few weeks back in "my city" (Toronto). I'm feeling much better about life in general, and back to being "Me" again. Hallelujah.
I am NOT getting much knit-time. But I'm still here, working on sleeve 2 of the shrug.
The yarn diet is going pretty well, I'm sorry to report. For being in Toronto all week, I'm proud of myself for only one slip: $11 on a green skein of Quattro with the alluring colorway name of 9435. It's actually 4 different and lovely shades of green, all wrapped together in worsted, and it will become a soft and lovely something to be worn near my face, I expect. I also picked something up for my secret pal, but that doesn't count.
Until soon...
super generous secret pal strikes again!!!
Oh Heather,
You are just so abundantly generous. It blows me away. Thank you, thank you SO much for another incredible package.
The first thing to take my breath away was the "snapdragon" superwash. It practically shouts "Be happy! It's spring!!!" I SO need that right now. It's just gorgeous! And I love that it's made by a
Canadian company, too! We have such nice stuff here, and now I have another nice weblink to explore.
Then I saw the Rowanspun 4-ply. That cranberry merlot kind of color is beautiful (I see they call it "blood"!), and I don't think I've ever seen this wool before anywhere (and I read it was discontinued). I must dream up the perfect project for this rare treasure, but I think it will include cables!
The darning egg is wonderful! I have a favorite pair of knitted (not by me) mittens that require some TLC, so I will have an immediate occasion to use it. But it's just so cute, and I can see how it will come in handy many times in the future.
Then I moved the snapdragon... and found... the CASHMERE. I don't think I've ever owned cashmere anything. Now, thanks to you, I have this gorgeous lace weight skein of "gold brocade" cashmere by
painted yarns. Forgive me, but I was watching old "Sex and the City" episodes this weekend, and to quote Carrie, "It's a Cashmiracle!" I am having fantasies of a lace reading wrap in cashmere, and I can't stop touching it. How can anything be so soft!?!?!!!
And of course, thank you also for the TWO sets of
Brittany birch dpns, sock size. They feel so nice in my hands, and it's super-smart of them to label each individual needle with the size. Very clever indeed.
I am SO set up to knit socks now!!!You are SO unbelievably kind and generous and thoughtful and I'm just so lucky to be getting spoiled by you, and even moreso, to be getting to know you too.
Thank you again!!!
hugs,
Kate, who cannot stop touching the cashmere
d is for...
destruction: my computer is dead.
dumped: also devastated, despondent, drained and damaged. s is for single.
debt: working on getting another computer, as so much business is done this way (not to mention chatting with you folks, and my little visits in internet happy-land). also need some new prescription eyewear, and whatever falls apart next.
d'oh: as in, why does this stuff always happen at the same time???
and last but not least...
diet: yarn diet. strict, but for secret pal offerings. but at least i should have enough materials to knit through the summer, somehow. (at least that!!!)
I need a hug.
yes, I've been knitting too
Not just buying stash, I have actually been knitting this week too.
Finished knitting the One Skein silk sleeves about a week ago(photo to be added... computer issues should be resolved tomorrow!). Note, I said KNITTING. The sewing up, not so much. Each arm is 28" of cobweb fluff and NO FUN to sew up. I should have knit them in the round. I keep putting them off, but will try to do at least one arm tomorrow when I have good natural light. (It's raining today -- yeah,
that's my excuse!)
Spent most of Tuesday tinking back of shrug-sleeve 2, after finding random acts of ribbing-error. Never knit sleepy. Spent yesterday re-knitting what was lost, and then some. I hope I can finish this one up quickly, because I'd like to be knitting socks by solstice. The pace of life has calmed somewhat, so I hope to have more knit-time.
Colors are better represented in the first photo. 
