The Story So Far

Here's my February is for Finishing update. I'm about 1/3 to 2/5 done with the second Dancing Toe Up sock (more on that in another post). I know I said that March was for Making Mates, but I needed a quickie portable project. Hey, they're my arbitrary rules, and I can bust 'em if I wanna.

• Baby Bib for Sprog
• Dancing Toe-up socks <---- 65%
• Glad Raggs socks <---- 50%
• Flamin' Fingerless Gloves <----- 48%
• Eyelet Socks <---- 50%
• Colinette Afgan Kit <---- omgwtf%
• Kerry Shawl <---- ditto%
• Green tank top
• Faux-Mohair Poncho
• Gryffindor Scarf <---- 20%

Triumph!

What a good girl am I.

I started this tank top last spring, and then gave up on it because I didn't think that it would look good, or even okay, when I was done. But my man convinced me that if nothing else it would be good experience for me — and also boost my confidence — if I went ahead and finished it I think that he secretly suspects that I'm a perfectionist with no real grasp on reality. But I digress.

The pattern originally came out of a Knitters mag from the days of yore (by which I mean "before they commenced to sucking"). I tried to be clever and alter it. Please note the use of the word "tried". By the time that all was said and done I unaltered what I had changed. I also repent me the use of acrylic. Lo! Tho I walk through the shadow of the aisle of Hobby Lobby, I will buy no acrylic. Amen.

• Yarn is Red Heart LusterSheen "Tea Leaf" 2.15 skeins (anybody want .85 skeins of LusterSheen?)
• Needles were size 5 addi turbos
• The tank was knit in the round to the armscyes, where it was separated and knit back and forth

Progress!

I finally finished the Toe-Up Dancing sock that has been languishing pre-heel for nearly 6 months. This is my first pair toe-up, and my first time using a short-row toe and heel. I definitely see that this technique has merit, but I'm gonna have to practice, cuz my first heel looks like poop on toast.

When I first started, I thought that I really didn't like the yarn. It kept twisting up on me, and the fabric felt weird. But when I tried it on, my opinion changed. I think I'm really gonna like these socks. The yarn is Knitpicks Dancing (now discontinued.) The colorway is ... uh ... lemme go look it up ... Square Dance, knit on two circular size 1 inox needles. I have biggly feet, so its a 72 stitch sock, and it fits perfectly. I will be making more toe-up socks in the future. Meanwhile, this sock will be joining Glad Raggs and my Eyelet sock in the back of the queue, waiting for March is for Making Mates. I have second sock syndrome bad, people.

Speaking of toe-up socks, I just finished reading Priscilla Gibson -Roberts' Simple Socks Plain and Fancy. I love this book — it has no patterns atall, its purely a technique book, with the cutest little black and white drawings for illustration. Her short-row technique uses yarn overs. The Dancing socks I'm knitting now use Wendy's wrap technique. I'm interested to try this, on the off-chance that I can execute it with more grace. I make no claims as to the superiority of one technique over the other, I'm just looking for one that I can make not look like a 4 year old knit it. (No offense to knitting 4 year olds intended.) I'll be using Wendy's method again on the second sock of the Dancing pair, and for that matter I had the flu when I knit the first one, so I'll make full comparative report once I have more data.

In other news Sprog's bib is now finished (because February is for Finishing, you know) save for the weaving in of ends and the placement of a button. I'm fairly certain that Sprog's mum doesn't read this blog, but if I'm wrong then... *waves* Hi Erin! Surprise!

I based this off of the bib pattern in Mason-Dixon Knitting: The Curious Knitter's Guide. For the record, I love that book. The yarn is Sugar n' Cream, size 7 Knitpicks Options needles. (Got the set for Christmas! Whee!)

I used a basket-weave texture stitch on the body of the bib, and did the straps in garter-stitch. Easy-peasy. Here's a close-up of the body.



And, in keeping with the color-scheme — I swear I didn't plan this — I've also finished up a baby blanket for a co-worker who's pregnant. I used Lion Brand Homespun and size 11 Knitpicks options needles. I made the pattern up as I went, and if I were ever inspired to try it again I'd do things a bit differently. I used a simple feather and fan stitch, but I didn't add enough repeats. If I were to do this again, I'd either double-strand the yarn or scale down the needle size, and I'd add at least one more repeat. I added a double crochet edging to the side to widen it a bit (and to disguise where I stranded the yarn along the right hand side. All in all I'm not ashamed to give it away, but it's not the very most awe-inspiring thing I've ever knit.

Next friend who gets pregnant is getting booties.

February is For Finishing -- The Counting

I still have the plague, so pictures will have to wait. But here's my tally of Unfinished Objects.

• Baby Bib for Sprog
• Dancing Toe-up socks
• Glad Raggs socks
• Flamin' Fingerless Gloves
• Eyelet Socks
• Colinette Afgan Kit
• Kerry Shawl
• Green tank top
• Faux-Mohair Poncho
• Gryffindor Scarf

I've already decided that the poncho is outta here. It was one of my uFo's last year, and I just don't like it enough to finish it. Also, gods help me, its made of acrylic. Um....no.

The bib for sprog is just about finished (which is good, because Sprog is also just about finished). I just need to weave in ends and add a button and voila!

The observant among you will note that there are three pairs of socks and one pair of gloves on my list. I'm thinking seriously about finishing the "active" item of the pair and then moving on to the Tank Top and Shawl. I think that perhaps March is for Making Mates....if ya know what I mean.

Poetry for Brigid

You can read about the "Second Annual Brigid in Cyberspace Poetry Reading" here and here.

Of course, I heard about it here.

I Said to Poetry
by Alice Walker

I said to Poetry:"I'm finished
with you."
Having to almost die
before some wierd light
comes creeping through
is no fun.

"No thank you, Creation,
no muse need apply.
I'm out for good times--
at the very least,
some painless convention."

Poetry laid back
and played dead
until this morning.
I wasn't sad or anything,
only restless.

Poetry said: "You remember
the desert, and how glad you were
that you have an eye
to see it with? You remember
that, if ever so slightly?"
I said: "I didn't hear that.
Besides, it's five o'clock in the a.m.
I'm not getting up
in the dark
to talk to you."

Poetry said: "But think about the time
you saw the moon
over that small canyon
that you liked so much better
than the grand one--and how suprised you were
that the moonlight was green
and you still had
one good eye
to see it with

Think of that!"

"I'll join the church!" I said,
huffily, turning my face to the wall.
"I'll learn how to pray again!"

"Let me ask you," said Poetry.
"When you pray, what do you think
you'll see?"

Poetry had me.

"There's no paper
in this room," I said.
"And that new pen I bought
makes a funny noise."

"Bullshit," said Poetry.
"Bullshit," said I.