Loving the Beach and Losing The Girls

Why don’t I live by the beach? Why Why WHY?

I spent my time biking, reading magazines from September 2007, walking on the boardwalk, jumping into the ocean (ok, only once, it’s still cold), smiling at the scent of sunscreen mixed with sand, and remembering why we came to Rehoboth every summer when I was a kid. [note: back then there were no awful outlet malls, which i hate with an undying passion.]

You might notice “knitting” wasn’t in that list. It didn’t go well with the sunscreen. Luckily I got several happy-birthday-calls which means I did get some knitting in once I returned to Vermont (phone time = knitting time). Will post photos of still-not-finished-socks later (not that you need to see yet another photo of an unfinished Twisted Tweed sock…). I think I’m bored with them. I let it take too long. Damnit.

Ok, so since we’re not really talking (er, blogging? i guess “we” aren’t “talking” now are we?) about knitting, I thought I would throw out a Life Question. How do you deal with putting down a pet? I don’t want to go into any sad details (and cry at work. again.), but I participated in putting down animals that once climbed all over me in bed, stuck their cute faces veryclose to my cute face in the mornings, and generally made me admit that there are some good qualities in having feline pets. ANYway, I know that a lot of knitters have pets of all sorts – so how do you deal with Life After Pets? And dealing with the responsibility of your decision? It’s so sad and heartbreaking.

god, i can’t even look at this photo. you are missed daily.

Smell that C-Air!

It’s a long weekend for those of us who are lucky enough to get off work for Memorial Day. In an effort to 1.) not be in town for my birthday 2.) get to hang out with my family and 3.) go to the OCEAN I am taking my bad self to Delaware. I’m looking forward to jumping into the ocean, no matter the weather, and making sure I am thoroughly soaked in salt water for the first time in years. I grew up going to Rehoboth Beach every summer and then a few times in the winter and I MISS IT! Don’t get me wrong, I love me some mountains, but there is something so rough and peaceful about the ocean that sort of hums in the background of my brain. In a good way. When I was little, we would arrive at the beach, drop all of our crap at the apartment, and then hit the boardwalk. My mom would lean over and tell us to “Smell that sea air!!”, inhaling deeply. Being the brilliant individual that I am, I would wonder why my mom was giving the air only a “C”, and not an “A”. I recall one time saying “I think it’s an ‘A’-minus air today!”. Yeah, we’re not all destined for greatness, ok?

I resisted packing up a month’s worth of yarn and am only bringing my Twisted Tweed socks to finish. Lately I seem to knit one row on them and then forget to keep going. I hope to post with photos of finished socks when I return. If not, I might just give up. It’s kind of driving me up a wall having them unfinished.

Thank you for all the wonderful comments on my trio of knitted goodies! I really appreciate it and have been enjoying all three (yep, still chilly enough to wear wool around here, just ask Vamanta).

Have a good weekend, peeps!

Is This the Right Blog??

Holy mother of all things….uh….holy….

I have THREE FINISHED OBJECTS to show you!! Yeah! I don’t know what came over me but I’m not making this up! Ok, so one was finished months ago aside from the buttons but who’s keeping track? Here we go!

I am training for the army, how do I look?

Figgy Plum Sweater

Pattern: My own, top-down raglan cardigan with ribbed 3×3 ribbed sleeves and bottom edge. Buttons from Islay, Scotland.

Needles: US size 8 circulars

Yarn: Jamison Shetland

Notes: In.Love. Really. I love everything about this sweater (except for that whole button band bullshit. I hate button bands with an undying passion.). It is flattering, warm, the colors are divine, and it was a simple knit (again, except for the button bands). But I think the part I like best about this sweater is that I took the time to think about what I really wanted and would wear on a regular basis. I thought about what would look good on me and I decided that it was ok to knit a sweater for myself. One of my first knitting projects was a sweater that took me years to finish due to my inability to follow direction (complicated directions like “knit two stitches together”). While I love that first sweater, it is big enough to fit me and a few of my friends. Pregnant friends. With wiggle room. So the Figgy Plum sweater is such a treat seeing as it fucking fits. LOVE.

ah….what next?

Ain’t Never Again Spring Fling Socks

Pattern: Basic, 3×3 ribbing, short row heel, funky round toe.

Needles: US size 0 29″ circular (too long!!)

Yarn: Noro Kureyon Sock Yarn

Notes: Just like that spring fling where you slept with that person that gave you clamidia AND stole your wallet, this is something I’d rather not repeat. I hate this yarn, I don’t care how pretty it is or how soft it will be after it’s washed and dried, I don’t like it. The over-pliedness of it all was so obnoxious! I would knit three rows then hang the sock to allow the yarn to untangle itself. SO ANNOYING! NOT PLEASANT! While I’m sure I’ll enjoy the finished product, the process of these socks sadly sucked.

hm…I seem to wear my cloud pajamas a lot during knitting photo shoots…

But wait, there’s more!! (I know, I can hardly believe it myself!)

I was going to post this photo and tell you that I ran out of yarn….

…but, as it turns out, I had a bit more tucked in my yarn chest! Brilliant! I was able to knit a freakin’ cowl! I thought cowls were stupid – who needs a tube around their neck? – but then I realized that I spend most of the winter (and part of autumn and spring) with my nose tucked into my scarves, shirts, sweaters, jackets, etc. Perhaps I would wear a cowl?

Perhaps….

Blue Cowl

Pattern: Can you call a knitted lace tube a pattern? 90 stitches, knit in the Faggot and Cable pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks. Garter stitch edging.

Needles: US size 6 circular

Yarn: Tregelly’s yarn…erm….it’s blue and I think it has some silk in it….and it dyed my fingers and needles blue as well. I match my cowl.

Notes: Hm. I think I might actually use cowls. I find this very amusing. Due to the cable patter it does pull a bit in the middle, giving one an Elizebeathan look, you know? Oh well. I think it will tuck nicely into a winter coat, although I’m more likely to wear it around the house all damn day since I am such a heat nazi.

hm. I am kind of proud of myself.

Progress

Just for the record, I don’t ever plan on buying this wool again. Ever. Really. It is so freaking over-plied that I have to let it unwind every two rows or so. Very very annoying. Sort of like being good-looking but dumb. Anyways, I am on the home stretch and I do have to say that these have gone by fairly quickly. I knit at a concert on Friday night (with lots of odd comments and stares, but who gives a shit, right? Right.) and got quite a bit done on sock #2. Once these are finished I will have to finish up the Twisted Tweed Socks (I know, it’s taken me a while…) and then I can rest up for the SUMMER OF SOCKS! Maybe I’ll knit a hat just to break things up before June.

Speaking of the Summer of Socks, here’s a photo of the yarns I hope to use up during the contest:

From Left to Right we have: Panda Cotton/Bamboo in a lovely purple; STR in Sugarplums; STR in January One; Cherry Tree Hill in a purple; Cherry Tree Hill in a green; Blue-Tan-Cream yarn whose name I forget but I can’t wait to use it; STR in Flower Power; STR in Walk on the Wild Tides; Apple Laine Apple Pie in some sort of sunny yellow; and yarn from Tregelly’s which is now maybe not selling yarn? I don’t know, but it’s good yarn and I’ll be sad if they don’t have their little store anymore.

I suppose that’s it. I sat on my new-to-me couch last night and thought how exciting it would be to have that many pairs of socks for ME (ok…I’m sure some would go to other people…). Maybe it’s the pollen or something, but I’m in a good mood these days so I guess it doesn’t take much.

Preparing for Summer

In between the joys of moving to an efficiency apartment, re-stocking my food supplies, and getting reacquainted with my bike, I have finally gotten excited about some knittin’ plans! Yes! I have signed up for the Summer of Socks 2008 and I am psyched! I am sifting through my stash and trying to match yarns with patterns (as well as finish up a few stragglers before June…). It is hysterical trying to find the patterns I want to use…I have a bunch on actual PAPER in my yarn chest, a small list on Ravelry, a few saved on my work computer, and then a list on my del.icio.us which means….it takes foreva.

Here is my pattern list so far:

• Ironwork Socks – Yes! I am so ready for these socks! I have been practicing the continential method, various, uh, variations on the combined method, AND I printed out the handy-dandy chart from Grumperina’s website. WATCH OUT TWISTED STITCHES! I AM READY!
• Drunken Bees – I am totally using the lovely tan-cream-blue yarn that my favorite Alabama Lady gave to me in the Tea Swap!
• Aquaphobia Socks – I think I will use my Socks that Rock Flower Power yarn for this one.
• Charades- I think I have some Lunasea Socks that Rock which would look rad in this pattern.
  
• Firestarters – Firebird (another Socks that Rock)? Or maybe the lovely Sugar Plum STR?
  
• Mad Color Weave Socks - Walk on the Wild Tide STR (finally, I need to put that yarn to good use!).
  
• Arch-Shaped Socks - I have to experiment for this pair. Perhaps some lovely local wool/alpaca stuff that I have, unless that would be too drapey.
  
• Toireach Kilt Hose – um…shoot….do I have to buy yarn to make these? Maybe use some of my Weybridge yarn??
  
• Leyburn Socks – I have some fantastic purple Cherry Tree Hill yarn for this!

Quite a list, huh? Socks that Rock come up often but I don’t necessarily see myself buying more of their yarn in the near future. I am trying to keep to my ‘buy local yarn’ rule and I want to experiment with some new stuff that I see around sooooo STR, you need to be put on the needles and then on my feet!

Nine pairs of socks between June 21st and September 21st? Unlikely to actually happen, but I’m looking forward to this. Anyone else?