Found!

I am pleased to announce that I did indeed find my missing sock. It was stuffed in a diaper bag that the hospital gave us. One that we obviously hadn't used yet. The twin sock was very happy, and is vowing never to be separated again. In my joy and glee, I started working on it again, and finished the sock. Except for Kitchnering the toe, of course. That just takes a level of concentration that I haven't had time to do yet. So, my mother will be getting her socks long before the cold weather comes. That has to be some kind of record.

When Grandma was watching my little guy the other day, she commented that she has trouble finding booties/socks for him. Well, that was because they were all in the laundry. Then yesterday it occurred to me , I could knit him socks. What took so long for me to think of that? The best thing about knitting baby things is, of course, they are very small and don't take long to finish. So last night, I started a tiny little sock for him. Already have the cuff nearly finished. :-)

My sweetie took one more step in converting to a knit husband. He saw me wearing a hooded sweatshirt that I made a few years ago, and asked if I could make him one. He even went with me to look at the yarn colors in person, and followed my suggestion of which color. (The blue was just richer and prettier. The charcoal gray was just plain boring.) The yarn selected (though not purchased), we proceeded to step 2: He picked out a sweatshirt that he likes the fit, so I could take meaurements and choose a size and confirm his desired level of ease. I am excited. I may even buy the yarn tomorrow to cast on.

Mommy had her six-week post-pardum checkup, and confirmed that I am completely healed. I have lost all but 2 of the baby poundage, and the am cleared to do anything I want. Exercise was also suggested, especially to re-tighten my abs, though that will depend on my level of sleep deprivation. After a bad night with only a few hours of sleep, I am not really in the mood to work out. But what I have been in the mood for is . . . . knitting. (Get your mind out of the gutter.) I have been pulling out long-neglected projects, and dreaming of new ones. It makes me feel like I am truly back to normal to feel this level of excitement about all things knitted again.

Today, it is all about the knit-spiration.

The Incredible Growing Sock

I don't know how this happens. One night I am measuring the foot, thinking I have another inch to get to the toe decrease. Knit a few rows. Measure. Knit a few rows. Measure. Knit a few rows. Then suddenly, I am an inch over where I needed to decrease. How does this happen? Does the sock grow at night? Do my rows squinch together in my hands, and stretch later? Am I knitting faster than the speed of light? Am I that incapable of reading a measuring tape? Excuse me while I frog back several rows and decrease a toe. Sigh.

Today, it is all about the extra inches.

Only two?

I realized this morning that I only have two active projects in progress. That isn't to say that I don't have several neglected projects in the basket, but I have only been working on two socks lately. Usually, I have the attention span of a gnat, so switch projects regularly. Only two in progress and one in the queue is kind of a record for me.

There is no way that I will publically admit to the flight of fancy that led to this tangled mess, but the good news is that I carefully untangled and balled it. Then decided that was sufficient yarn to make a swatch . (Ok, so I didn't come up with the swatch idea on my own. It is really more of a making lemonade with lemons kind of thing, but I really was concerned about choosing the right yarn for the right project.) The only roadblock: swatching is boring. Practicing, swatching, whatever you want to call it. Boring, boring, boring.

Actual knitting. Fun, fun, fun. Pomotomus. Well on its way to sock glory. Turned the heel, picked up and decreased the gussets. Just a few more inches of patterned knitting til the toe. Then I start over again, but we won't talk about that now. I am too busy basking in my upcoming glory.

And, of course, the mindless ribbed socks for my mother. Mindless knitting is good sometimes, especially when you are subject to interruptions or after a long day at work. Maybe Mom knew what she was doing by not adding anything complicated to my knitting plate. Also finished the heel on this one, and working on the foot.

And so my sweetie isn't left out, the project of the summer has half a head. For months, Indiana has been staring at the sky and doing rain dances, watching our lawns and crops struggle. When he is ready to shingle the roof. . . . it rains. Ok, our lawn thanks you, but he still needs a couple dry days in a row to finish shingling. Please?

Today, it is all about the feet.

Happy Birthday America!!!

The mid-week celebration of the 4th is somewhat of a bummer. Both of us have to work early tomorrow morning, so staying up late enough for fireworks isn't as easy as it sounds. It doesn't get dark until nearly 10, and then there is the show, and the traffic getting out. . . . 6 am comes pretty early, and my sweetie has to be at work before then. Poor lamb.

I am still stalled on my dove gray shawl and Pomotomus sock. Not that I think the problems are unsolvable. I sure it is just a matter of looking hard at my stitche patterns, count a few times, and make a relatively simple correction. I just haven't sat down to do it yet. I will. I love the Pomotomus sock, and just the other day my sweetie stroked the shawl and commented on how soft it is. (I have a mental picture involving the shawl and. . . . well, the rest doesn't need to be posted for public consumption. We ARE newlyweds. Suffice to say I just came up with new motivation to work on that shawl.)

For now, my solution to these stalled projects. . . is to start something new, of course. I started on the socks for my mother. I was thinking about doing some rear increases up the leg, to custom fit my mom's ankle and calf. Something fancy, but nooooooo. Mom wants plain boring socks with a cuff that can fold down. I tried to convince her of the magic of hand knit socks made to your dimensions, but I am amking what Mom wants. It is a little frustrating that an artist must defer to the purchaser. But I do want Mom to feel comfortable and wear these socks, so I defer. Maybe the next pair.

As a break from itty bitty sock yarn and needles, I also started this: a toddler's sweater. I realized that a friend of ours has a baby turning one at the end of the month. I haven't knit anything for her since she was born. How time sneaks up on you! So I started a sweater, hoping to get it done in time. I had forgotten how quickly size 10 needles moves along. Look at that! Halfway through the body in one night! Still on my first ball of yarn, too. I have 5 (found in the clearance bin), so I will probably have enough to make a second toddler's sweater in the future.

And lest anyone thinks that my sweetie has been slacking. . . The shed is starting to close in on itself. Back siding, and studs on the top triangle near the roof (I am sure that area has some sort of a name), so that can get siding too. He keeps talking about getting the roof plywood "soon", whenever that is.

I just noticed that no one (read: me) has made the bed yet, and I am just itching to fly along more on that little sweater.

Today, it is all about the patriotic birthday.