Negative knitting

It is my husband's fault that I didn't post yesterday. Not that I post every day or anything, but yesterday I felt like blogging, and it was his fault that I didn't. He took the camera. Hunting. Why he needed the camera while hunting, I have no idea, but mine is not to question why. I assume that it was in case he needed to document the hunt, which as it turned out was not needed. He spent the day watching squirrels and chipmunks, which I guess can be relaxing in itself.


I spent the day knitting, or at least attempting to knit. I decided since I was solo for the day, I would pick up neglected lace. I started Branching Out, well, a lot of months ago, and haven't touched in since. So I put on a movie, and went to work. I slid right through 8 out of 10 rows of the pattern repeat (half of which are purl entire row), and made the mistake of thinking "Ok, I am actually getting it. This isn't too bad." which should have been my first clue that something would go terribly wrong. Predictably, on row 9, I had two extra stitches at the end. I have reviewed row 9 eight times, and can find no error, so it may be that the error is in rows 1 through 7. Likely the patterned row before, since I had the correct number of stitches for that row, but I can't be exactly sure. Now, I am not working without a net here. I put in a lifeline, but you hope not to actually have to USE the lifeline. Just to make things worse, I noticed a dropped stitched a row or two before the lifeline. I was tempted just to tie a knot with a stray piece of yarn, and hide the ends in the lace, hoping that it would all magically disappear in the blocking. Now, I find that not only do I have to frog back to a lifeline, I have to frog back to the FIRST lifeline. Two whole pattern repeats. I only had three completed! I made a special point to lace knit yesterday (overcoming my odd reluctance to work on this scarf, which probably is based in numbing fear) and now not only do I have to remove everything thing I knit, but I have to undo TWICE as much as I accomplished yesterday. This is some cruel form of negative knitting! No wonder I dislike math.

My knitting time wasn't a complete waste yesterday. I worked on my second Pomotomus at Sock Club yesterday afternoon. I am almost afraid to look at it now, for fear I have to frog all of that too.




I also went through my knitting basket. I bought the basket while visiting my brother in Poland to hold my current WIP's. What I find is that it holds my current neglected and forgotten WIPs. The real ones are in my purse, workbag, on the coffee table, on the ktichen table, etc. (My husband is particularly fond of this.) So, I sorted through the basket, just to remind myself of what was in there. Not that much, actually. So either I am getting better about neglected WIPs, or I am finding better ways to hide them from myself. The search continues.





And since I recently posted my least favorite socks, I thought I would give equal time to my most favorite. (Is that a legitimate phrase? "Most favorite?") Behold, my Trek the Rib socks. Made from "Trekking" in the purple/blue colorway, in a garter rib stitch. I love these socks. I love the way the three plies gradually and randomly change colors as you knit. I love the simple yet classic stitch pattern creates a non-fussy, understated yet textured look. And for once, I was able to properly fit my own foot. I love these socks. I am wearing them now.



Happy Sunday to everyone, excuse me while I go frog lace.



Today, it is all about the negativity.

Bad knitting karma

Ever have one of those days when you were just not meant to knit. The planets align, the stars move in the sky, and you somehow miss the message to ignore all forms of knitting for the day. Still basking in my success of two finished pairs of socks this week (INCLUDING the Kitchnered toe, thank you), I decided to work on some too-long neglected projects, only one of which is a sock. During my lunch hour, I knit a bit on the dove gray hint of lace shawl. It isn't that difficult, just the occassional Yarn Over at the ends and the middle, creating a mostly stockinette shawl. How hard can that be, right? Apparently, hard enough for me, because I stopped halfway through the row, after I realized that I knit my lone stitch marker into the shawl, and have no idea where the center yarn overs are supposed to be. No picture, since I left it at the office, knowing I would be too frustrated to work on it last night.


As we were getting ready to leave for the usual Thursday night at the American Legion, I remembered that I hadn't planned on what to knit. So I quickly grabbed Pomotomus. I hadn't worked on this one in quite a while, even though I am really enjoyed the pattern. Had to scrounge for a pen, and my postie note was so longer sticking so I had to improvise a baby's legos to keep track of which line I was on in the chart, but I was making nice progress without too many snags. Knit a few rows. reposition needles. Knit a few rows. Oh, extra stitch. Make correction. Wait a minute, now I have two extra stiches. Make correction. Ok, back on track. Knit a few rows. What the. . . . ? That would be the time when the wheels fell off the wagon. I can't even blame the alcohol, since I only had one beer. I am not sure where I went wrong, since my sweetie though that when I was counting stitches to try to figure things out was a perfect time to start rattling random numbers in my ear. Fortunately (for him), I can't backhand him in public, and simply put my kntiting away for another day.


So all this leads me to wonder, is it safe for me to knit today?


Meanwhile, my sweetie is progressing nicely on the shed. Cool temperatures and low humidity have him vowing to finish making a roof this weekend.

Today, it is all about the karma curiosity.

I haven't been slacking, really.

Ok, so it has been over a week since I posted. I have just been very busy. See?

Second trekking sock, nearly finished!

Shed, has the beginning of a roof!

MIL socks, finished except for. . . . .Yeah, ok, whatever.

I am starting to feel like I am in a knitting rut, since all I seem to knit these days is socks. I can't help it! Socks of perfect summer and/or portable knitting. No huge aphgan making your knees sweat. (Learned THAT lesson the hard way. My knitting tip #32: always start an aphgan in the summer, so it is short for the hot weather and long for the cold.) No large bag stuffed with yarn, etc. Easy to stop and start when interrupted. Socks are just ideal.

And the best news of all lately. . . . . the Harley is back, and seemingly functioning properly. Just in time for us to go out of town again to help Mom get her house ready to sell.

Today, it is all about the no-longer whining husband.

Confessions

I am almost embarrassed to admit this. I thought this post would be full of my finishes and nearly finishes. I finished a pair of charity socks for Children in Common (except for the final seams), and am nearly finished with the MIL socks (except for the final seams) and am halfway finished with the second Trekking sock (first one finished, you got it, except for the final seam). . . . I couldn't believe it when I realized that I had four, count 'em, FOUR socks, finished except for the Kitchnering, and one more only a short-row toe away.

Kitchner stitch is complex, but not debilitating. What is my problem? I just had a flaskback to the time when on a snowy afternoon I wove in the seams on FIVE pairs of socks, that had been otherwise languishing in my basket. This realization makes me feel every inch the procrastinator that my sweet husband accuses me of being. Particularly since he is going like gangbusters on the shed. Three walls and a floor up. He is hoping to frame the front wall tonight, so he can start hanging the wood siding and provide some rain protection for the floor while he works on the trusses for the roof.

Today, it is all about the guilt.

Garage knitting

My sweetie and I had a garage sale this weekend. So while manning our wares, I was busy knitting. I have to admit, I don't think I have ever knit in a garage before. I was working on my second trekking sock, and a new sock I have started for my mother-in-law. Not to be finished by Mother's Day, of course, a "just because" sock. (Though, now it occurrs to me that I have never knitted a sock for my own mother, so maybe I should start one for her as well, so they can at least be in progress at the same time.) Anyway, the MIL sock is in Opal, something I bought years ago. I am a little frustrated that I am only 1/2 stitch in 4 inches off guage, so of course, the pattern only works part of the time. Note to self: never bother buying a complicated jaqcard patterning yarn again.

Not as frustrating as the necessity of selling some of my stash in the garage sale of course. My craft room is now down to more of a craft corner, so some things had to go. I hade a whole table filled with sewing patterns, yarn, cross-stitch leaflets, pillow forms, and so on. I watched in horror as one by one, things disappeared for a fraction of the original cost. I was, however, comforted by the fact that I still have a LOT left, and it now leaves more time and attention for the remaining cream of my stash.

In addition to picking up my cross-stitch again, I have started sewing clothes again. I dug out a skirt in progress, and started working on it again. I had stopped before with the lining, because working a sewing pattern twice is ten times worse than a second sock. So now the lining and the skirt match, and all is left is the waistband and hem. In pawing through my patterns to decide which ones to sell, I found so many lovely ones that I can't wait to make, most of which I already have material that would suit.

In closing, in addition to my own and my in-law, happy mother's day to all the mothers out there. We had joked that it would have been nice to gift our mothers with a grandbaby on the way, but we have only been married three weeks, and we are still practicing.

Today it is all about the mothers.

Uninspired

I am back from my honeymoon, and trying to get back into the swing of real life. I find that I am uninspired. For real life, for knitting, for writing, for everything. Maybe once the bags are actually unpacked, and the house is in order, I will feel more like myself again. In the meantime, I am inching along on the second twisted rib trekking sock, and trying to figure out where to get the money to fix my bike. The wedding money disappeared a lot faster than intended with the untimely demise of the washer.

Today, it is all about the letdown.

White Easter?

All the little girls had to leave their cute little Easter outfits in the closet this year in Indiana. When my sweetie and I were driving to my mom's house, there was white out snow conditions at times. That is just wrong. As long as the weather is nicer in 12 days, that's all I can say.

We were together all weekend, so I just knit on my decoy Trekking sock. Still loving it. It is a good thing that I didn't have too much time to knit, because my sweetie refused to turn around and drive back 30 miles to retrieve navy reinforcing thread in case I got to the heel. Men just don't understand knitting priorities. I still have a little bit before the heel anyway.

Secret Wedding Sock progress: 7 3/8 inches finished on the foot. 1 1/8 inches to go until I start the heel. 9 days until the rehersal dinner. Tick, tock, tick, tock.

Cold weather means no motorcycle rides. Can anyone else hear them whining in the garage?

Today, it is all about the 9 days.

Only in Indiana

Only in Indiana is it not TOO surprising when you wake up to weather 40 degrees colder than yesterday morning. Brrrr. I don't care for Easter, I just want nice warm, sunny weather for the wedding in a couple weeks.

Along that line of thought, five inches finished on the Secret Wedding sock. Though, I realized yesterday there are two less days to knit than I thought, because I was planning to give it to him at the rehersal dinner. So really, I only have 14 days. I think it is still a realistic goal. . . Though, I must confess, the Trekking socks keeps trying to seduce me into knitting it instead of the wedding sock. No, I tell you, I can resist! I am on a deadline.

Today, it is all about the cold.

Counting down

Sock Knitting Club was this weekend at the local yarn store. Nothing too formal, just a bunch of us get together and knit socks for a couple hours once a month. There is an official "sock of the month", but you are under no obligation to knit it. Any sock will do. Lately, it has been a prime Secret Wedding sock knit time for me.

This weekend however, I had to knit on the new decoy sock a little. It wouldn't do for me to spend two hours allegedly knitting, and still have a new ball of yarn at the end of the day, not even cast on. I finished the rib, and called that enough, fully prepared to make up a story of frustration and mis-counting if I had to. I didn't.

So, the Secret Wedding Sock is back on track. 8 inches in 19 days. We are down to the wire, ladies and gentlemen.

In the meantime, I am loving my new decoy sock. Trekking, knit in a simple garter rib. I love the colors, I love the gradual color variations, I love everything about this yarn. Almost everything. The plies can split a little, but not often enough to annoy me too much.

Today, it is all about the new sock.