Weekend Plans
I just upgraded to Wordpress 2.0 and I don’t know what I think of it. In the last version you had the option of choosing the directory to which you upload your files, and it seems they’ve done away with that. Instead, photos and files get uploaded to a hierarchy of folders organized by date in the wp-content folder. I suppose I can live with this but it frustrates me that all my photos uploaded before the upgrade are organized one way, and the photos I upload from now on will be organized another. Bitch, moan.
Alex and Jeremy had dentist appointments today and they discussed orthodontia for Alex because the kid has some serious buck teeth and quite the overbite. We were referred to someone in our area and now we will see what we will see. I have no idea of the costs involved, nor if Jeremy’s insurance will cover any of it. It would be nice to get it sorted, but the reality is that we may not be able to afford it right now. At least his teeth are in great shape and he hasn’t had a single cavity since he was 4 and I was too stupid to take him to a dentist regularly.
Tonight my sister Natalie is coming over to spend the night and get drunk. We’ll be playing one of Alex’s christmas gifts: an LOTR version of Trivial Pursuit. Natalie, Alex and Jeremy are going to clean the floor with my ass because they’re a bunch of NERDS and I am not. That’s okay. My buddy Reisling and I will make our own fun.
As far as knitting goes, I’ve completed the back and part of a sleeve of Durrow, finished one sock from my handpainted Kool-Aid yarn and one sock made from some Knitpicks Simple Stripes in Vineyard that I bought ages ago. I’ve got half of one Embossed Leaves sock (pattern from the Winter IK) completed. I’ve also knit one petal of the Flower Facecloth (pattern from Weekend Knitting) and discovered that I absolutely abhor cotton chenille.
Handpaint 2: Electric Boogaloo
It’s patterning!
I couldn’t wait and even though I’ve already got two socks on the go, I had to see how my yarn knitted up. I’m pretty impressed. No pooling!
My second attempt. Now I need to get more undyed yarn, and some real dyes. And an extra kitchen.
Yeah, I couldn’t wait. Unfortunately this hank is still a bit damp so I can’t wind it up just yet. I really like the colours but I didn’t do as well a job this time as I did before. In some areas it seems I didn’t put enough pigment. I hope when it’s all wound up it looks good like that, but it wasn’t my intention. I mixed Kool-Aid colours to get better shades, but in a couple of instances the colours separated while the yarn was in the oven, leaving me with a few lengths of bright turquoise and bright green instead of the dulled versions I had mixed. We shall see.
Painted Ladies and a Bottle of Wine
First attempt at dying is TONIGHT!
My Knitpicks order showed up today. I bought 2 skeins each of the solid colours for lacy patterned socks. I also bought 2 hanks of the dye-your-own. I’ve got a big handful of Kool-Aid packets in some limited colours since the selection across the street sucks ass. Anyway, I think with some mixing I might just do all right. Or not…I don’t know what the hell I’m doing. Cross your fingers and I’ll have some pictures as soon as I’m done.
Durrow and Socks and Very Old Friends
Warm and very soft
My first finished item of the year: Lana Grossa Meilenweit Boots Stretch socks. Plain stocking stitch with a 2″ 2×2 ribbed cuff. Short row heel and wedge toe. They’re really soft and I can’t wait to wear them out.
Didn’t want you to think I only knit one sock.
Jodi’s Durrow
I ripped out the boring raglan and started Durrow for Alex instead. I’m making him the smallest size, which is 40 inches. I figure it’ll be a bit big, but hopefully he can wear it for a couple of years. Now Jeremy’s jealous. He wants a Durrow, too. Can I really knit two of the same sweater without wanting to kill myself? I guess we’ll find out.
Earlier today I went outside for a smoke and started thinking about some old friends. I think it’s been about seven or eight years since I saw them last. I don’t remember how we stopped seeing each other. I don’t recall any bad feelings but it was a long time ago and I have the nagging feeling that it’s my fault we fell out. Anyway, I googled and was able to find some contact info for one of them, so I emailed her and sent her a link to my site. Now I feel kind of sick…nervous. I hope they get in touch.
Need. More. Socks.
Lana Grossa Meilenweit sock yarn
On the way to my parents’ house yesterday we stopped by the LYS and they had new sock yarns, so I bought these. They’re in 100g skeins, and I don’t have my sister’s scale with me so I can’t split the skeins in half. I wanted to go toe-up with these and continue until I ran out of yarn, but without a scale I’m just going to have to wing it and probably end up with leftover yarn.
I’ve already got two pairs on the needles. One is plain stockinette made from Lorna’s Laces in Glenwood and the other is the Embossed Leaves pattern from IK, in dark charcoal Patons Kroy. But that’s neither here nor there, since I also bought myself a new sock needle.
Happy New Year, kids!
Stupid Hat, Nice Socks
Too small and too shallow
Last night I knit the above hat. It’s the Basic Cable hat from Stitch ‘N Bitch Nation. I used 6mm dpns and Galway, double-stranded. It’s beautiful but it makes me look like a total pinhead and it pops right off at the slightest movement. I’m going to rip it out and do it again, this time adding an extra 12-stitch repeat and making it about 2 inches deeper.
Same dye lot, totally different socks
These are my latest socks, the ones I finished on our drive home from Jersey. The colours are much richer and warmer in person. Both balls were from the same dyelot. While I didn’t expect my stripes to match up, I did think the yarn would pattern in the same general way. One sock has very definite stripes and the other has subtle gradations. Oh well. The yarn is Fortissima Colori #2412. The socks are stockinette, toe-up with short-row toes and heels. They’re very comfy.
Waving Lace Finished!
Fancy!
I cast on for the second sock on Sunday out of a sense of duty (I completed the first one on June 6) and grafted the toe at midnight on Monday night. They are made of Koigu, and the pattern is in Interweave Knits Spring 2004.
Socks, Raglans and Bert
Someone loves Bert
We removed the wallpaper in the office, which thankfully came off really easily. Above you can see what we found painted on the wall underneath. Lovely. I still have more taping and sanding to do before we can prime, so we get to enjoy Ursula’s love for Bert a little while longer (we know her name was Ursula because it was written on one of the other walls in pen).
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Reason #582 Why My Husband Rules
Over at Freakgirl, her husband suprised her with a spontaneous purchase of tickets to Spamalot. Today, I checked my email and found this. We’re going to see Weezer and The Pixies! That is the poo right there.
In knitting news, yesterday I finished the first of my Waving Lace socks. I knit in the car on the way to shop for a washer and dryer (which we did not buy just yet). I knit on the way to the pub for lunch. I knit at the pub waiting for lunch. I knit while waiting for the bill. I knit on the way home, and then I knit in the backyard while having a coffee. I grafted the toe while playing Malarky with Jeremy and Alex. For those of you keeping track, this means I have completed half of each of 3 different pairs. Second sock syndrome? Maybe, maybe not. I plan to complete sock#2 from pair#2 tonight (pink Regia Jubilee).
