June 15, 2011
June 06, 2011
It's a Bird, It's a Plane, No-- It's a Flying Sock!
I think I mentioned something in the last few posts about a trip to Pittsburgh. I tried to make those applique Ts, and take some cool photos. I also, of course, packed some knitting.
(Did I mention I've become totally obsessed with the Retro Camera app on my phone?)
I have no idea what is taking me so long with these socks. The pattern is probably the simplest Cookie A I have ever made- Boysenberry YO from the April 2011 sock club shipment. It's a 4 row repeat, where 3 of the rows are the same... And yet, here I am, about 3 weeks later, not done! Well, ONE sock is done.
The other is just past the heel turn and gusset. I need a long meeting, or something, where I can just plow through- that's how I finished the first one.
Meanwhile, this yarn is loads of fun- it's the shiny new, not yet available Solemate by Lorna's Laces. The color is stunning, and it's knitting up well. The drape is more like a cotton than I expected, but with more forgiveness... If I could just get around to finishing the 2nd sock, I could wear them and test out the temperature regulation claims.
And I really need to get my butt in gear to finish, because look what arrived in today's mail:
The June Cookie A shipment! Patterns due to be emailed out on the 8th...can't wait to see what's up next! I've never tried this particluar yarn before, but even still in skein form it feels like it will have a wonderful drape. Yum.
April 12, 2011
A Purple Letter Day
Yesterday my mailbox was chock full of delicious goodness. It was almost too much to take-- ALMOST.
Do you know the fabulous Pink Chalk Fabrics? They're an amazing store, selling the choicest quilting fabrics, most adorable patterns (which ship for free if the only thing ordered), and an superlative collection of solids. In fact, they have a monthly Solids Club. Yum. It's in its 3rd month now, and it is fantastic- I get the FQs and they are a great stash builder. They have a great weekely email newsletter- and if you read it and/or comment on the corresponding blog post, you get entered into a drawing for the prize of the week.
The universe knows me well- I have entered many times, but finally won last week. And guess what I won?
That would be a bundle of 8 FQs from the newest Kaffe Fassett spring 2011 designs.
And they just happen to be in my favorite color family.
But wait, there's more.
The April shipment from the Cookie A sock club arrived as well! I restrained myself for a few seconds...
And, boy, was I rewarded.
Purple! Not just purple- Lorna's Laces Purple! And not just any Lorna's Laces- a brand new yarn not yet available to the public. It's not even named yet. It is a superwash wool/nylon/special trademarked nasa invented temperature regulating fiber blend... There's one little snag- there was only supposed to be ONE skein in my shipment. There is a club option where you can order 2 skeins per shipment- but I didn't pay for that one. I decided to do the right thing and protect my karma, so I emailed Cookie and am waiting to hear what I should do with the extra skein. It sounds like this happened to a few folks during some sort of shipping mix up...I am really hoping the extra skein gets to stay with me, as I am already very emotionally attached to it.
ETA- sadly, they want it back. I am doing the right thing. Karma, take note!
April 05, 2011
When Life Gives You Whiplash, Make Socks
It turns out that when you have whiplash, you should take it fairly easy. Who knew? I thought that I was taking it easy enough, but I ended up back at urgent care a week after the accident with unmanagable pain. After x-rays (did you know that they x-ray the first cervical vertebrae through your mouth? Say ahhh...), I got a very stern lecture from the trauma doctor, and I was sent home to bed, with orders to do as little as possible and to take the big strong painkillers. So I did.
But man, that gets boring, fast. Which led to me casting on the 2nd pattern from the first Cookie A club packet (rav link). I very carefully never asked the doctor about knitting, so, to the best of my knowledge, it was totally fine for me to be doing that during my bedrest ;-) During the 4 days in bed, I finished the first sock.
This may be my favorite sock, ever. The allover ribbing makes for a perfect fit, and the pattern was easy without being boring- the instep decreases are worked in a fabulously unique way. The yarn is Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Lightweight, in the True Blood colorway. STR tends to run a bit heavier than comparable sock yarns, and I think it worked well for this pattern.
After 4 days of nothing, I returned to the real world slowly and cautiously. The trauma doctor had given me a soft collar, and I have to say, it was a godsend. I'm fairly po'd at the original doctor for not giving me one the night of the accident and also not being clear about what I should and should not do. Thankfully, I am done with the collar now, and also, with the second sock!
I mirrored the cables on the second sock. Tiny touch, but a nice one.
I'm off the major painkillers now, and rather than stabby awful pain, I'm just really really sore. I am back to work, and today made it for an entire day, the first time in 2.5 weeks! I start PT on Friday...wish me luck!
March 21, 2011
One Batch of Cookies, Done!
I can't believe it took me over a month to finish one pair of socks, but, it did... And the only thing that finally actually got them done? Being stuck in bed for the last few days with a minor case of whiplash.
Yeah, my big St. Patrick's Day party was taking myself to urgent care after we got rear-ended on the way home from dinner. Whee. The van is fine, the kids are fine, but I'm not totally fine. Apparently even a small, slow accident can result in whiplash IF your head snaps forward and backward just the right (wrong?) way...
Vicodin, ice, and 5 pillows piled perfectly are helping, as are my mom, husband, neighbors and friends (who took the kids off of our hands for a bit.) Meanwhile, I did a bit of knitting and finally finished these.
Pardon the lousy photos, but holding the camera up hurts. Wah, whine. The pattern is called Ripple Leaf and is one of the 2 from the 1st Cookie A sock club shipment. You probably can't tell from these bad photos, but the right and left socks are mirror images- very fun. The leaf pattern wraps sideways around the top of each foot, and it is lovely.
I finished 2 more blocks for my crochet afghan, but the idea of getting them out and taking a photo or two is too much, so you'll have to trust me. Sadly, due to the whiplash I ended up having to skip March's class. I have the pattern, but, I'm not sure I get it just from words. So I may have to stop by Fancy Tiger to get Cat to give me a quick lesson.
And as for sewing? I think it will be a while before Iget to any of it. Which is a total shame- the 5 quilts Deb finished for me were waiting on my doorstep when we got home after the accident. They look AMAZING, but lord only knows when I will bind them now...
February 17, 2011
Fat Free Cookies!
Are these magic cookies, you may be wondering? Nope, it's the first shipment from the Cookie A Sock Club!
The pattern packet is a PDF delivered via email, and it appeared in my inbox a day (a long, brutal day) before the yarn itself appeared in my mailbox.
But it was worth it for such a yummy skein- String Theory Caper Sock (which is part cashmere- YUM) in a stunning blue/green semi solid colorway.
Isn't it awesome? I made it five whole minutes before winding it
and casting on for one of the 2 amazing patterns in the packet- Ripple Leaf. My oh my, is it lovely- and hopefully I'll have one done soon to show you. If I can stop touching the yarn and mange to knit with it...
PS Yes, the monkey quilt is still on the wall, unbasted or quilted. I WILL get it done this weekend. It's already late- my new cousin, Celia, decided to show up 2 weeks early, throwing us all for a few loops (her mom was 100% certain she was going to be a boy...) Hopefully it really is gender neutral enough for this little girl. (When the news of Celia's arrival made it to us, my mom and I might have raced out to buy her some very girly clothes...so at least we got that part right!)
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