In Which Lydia Gets a Surprise Email
and Discovers That She Hasn't Posted in Quite a Long Time

I sit down to my computer to check email and to my surprise I have an invite to Ravelry! Only a day or so ago I was at least 1400 people down the queue. Coolness!

4 hours later......

That was a bit of a pause... Not that you the reader will notice. I think I have all but two yarns added to my stash, and I took pictures of almost all of it only to find out that I had my camera on the wrong setting and they were all too dark. Argh! I'll have to do it later, as my light is gone. I really should set up some sort of yarn/knitting photographing station in my house with a light and a white sheet or something.

I finished my CTH Sockittome Birch socks, in a toe up Jaywalker pattern... They were so dull to knit for some reason. I was excited about knitting this colorway as it was so unusual, but man... dull to knit. They look OK as a finished project though, cozy looking. What was worse is that I was knitting Husband a pair of socks as well on size 0 needles. Holy cow are his feet long. More so when knitting his socks on size 0. They took foreeeeeever.

Note to self, don't do THAT again!

I made myself finish the whole set of awful socks before I started something more fun, otherwise I knew I would never complete the sets. Husband's socks don't even match. I made the stupid decision to start his second sock on a circular. I had only used DPNs up till now and was anxious to try out the new circular. His second sock went much faster but it's SMALLER! I guess I knit much tighter on the magic loop circular.

GAH.

I'm not doing it again. He'll get a new pair before the first is ever ripped out. I just hope he doesn't loose circulation. O.o

I'd really like to post pictures of the evil pairs, but I don't think I will. Not to deny you the readers of the pleasure of looking, but that the Birch socks got in the laundry (their very first washing, I might add...) with a brand new pair of jeans, and now they're a greyer birch than before. Oh well.

Back to Ravelry fun! My username is Aidylsock.

The Difficulties in Photographing One's Own Foot.

Here's a picture of my new favorite socks. I call them Half Monkeys because I only did the pattern on the front. The contortions required to achieve this photograph are almost more difficult than I anticipated. I did manage to get one in frame though.

I love the color. It's Nature's Palette Odd Duck #3. I wasn't convinced it would make a nice sock, it's kind of funky yarn, but once I got going I loved it. Nice fabric and such pretty colors. I love the spottiness. The sock is just two repeats of the Monkey pattern by Cookie A, and I used a dutch heel and star toe of three points from Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks book.

Actually I should call them Half Monkeys v.2. After doing one and having it turned out completely whacked, I made notes, did another and ripped out the first to make the 'new' second.



When gauged this yarn, my calculations told me that I'd have to cast on a lot more stitches than the Monkey pattern called for, so I thought to myself, 'Why don't I just do two repeats, and then I can do as many stockinette as I like!'

This was great in theory. I did some calf shaping and everything. After getting maybe four repeats in, it looked like I was about to run out of yarn, so I decided just to go ahead and do the heel and finish the foot.

Man.

Either my calculator lies, or I should just not knit at night. The top was loose and the foot was about an inch too short. Not only was the leg loose it was REALLY loose. So loose that I figured I could cut out like 15 stitches. This brings me back to the 60 stitches that Monkey calls for originally. (Incidentally I'm having this same gauge-lying problem with the new CHT Sockittome yarn I have. Anyone else find that their gauge gives them way too loose a sock?)




Oh!My drink cozy turned out much better than I expected once it was felted. It actually fit, and even more amazingly, it was stable AND I could get my hand in the pocket. I'd change how I made the bottom though It was more square than I'd like and the points come up the sides.
I am generally pleased though.


I have a new toy! Now I can ball up yarn when I'm alone! Amazing, I know. I decided my husband B wasn't that good of a helper anyway. He wouldn't let go and my balls ended up way too tight.


I end with an obligatory photo of the kitties. Arent' they too cute?