A Little Slow

I have been embarassingly slow in coming to a recent realization about sock knitting. I should knit socks that match my clothes. I can't explain why that occurred to me before. I have been buying sock in any cool color combination that caught my eye. And the less said about my unexplained fascination with self-patterning sock yarn, the better. The result has been several pairs of finished socks that I hardly wear. Even the socks I am working on now: cool colors, that match nothing in my closet.

Obviously, I need to buy more sock yarn. Don't tell my husband.

Today, it is all about the clashing colors.

Any excuse

I was at a continuing education seminar this week. More interesting than most, if you forget about the presenter that simply read the power point parts to us, which were provided in our materials anyway. There was one unique section. They talked about ways to avoid attorney burnout. She instructed us to talk to our neighbor of things we do for mental health, or things we used to do and should really start again. I took that as a cue to take out my knitting. I normally don't knit during live seminars, no matter how mind-numbing, just because I think it is rude. (Even though simple knitting can actually focus the mind, which is completely under-rated in the muggle world.) After the neighborly discussion, she went around the room with the mike to share with the room (and I am certain that portion will be very stimulating for the video replay people), and my response was "I am doing it right now." Which I feel gave me free reign to knit for the rest of the seminar.

Finally! Some measurably progress on my sock! I had been only a few rows past the ribbing forever. I have been knitting a little on everything, so no single project looks like it is any further than before. I needed to be trapped with one project for an endless period of time, at least it seemed endless.

Here is the little guy modeling Mommy's sock. Does anyone else think it looks like a sleeve for him?

Today, it is all about the mental health.

Elective knitting

No matter who you vote for, be sure to vote. Finally, the end to election season. After today, no more mailings, TV or radio ads touting or bashing a candidate for something or other. The longest, most expensive election had finally drawn to a close. Personally, I can think of better ways to spend a billion dollars then endless, annoying ads every 15 minutes, but that is just me.

I voted last Friday, since I am frequently at the courthouse anyway, and I had the little guy with me. He got his first lesson in civic responsibility, though he slept through most of it. Now, we are ready to see the results unfold on TV. He had a long nap this afternoon, so should be ready to stay awake late (a mixed blessing), and I have knitting for every contingency: complex lace knitting for the early hours when there is nothing to really report but that doesn't stop idle network chatter, medium complex sock knitting for the hours when I want to pay attention to what is being said, and mindless knitting in case this thing drag on into the wee hours of night or worse, an early landslide for the other guy that leaves me wanting to crawl under my bed for four years with without my needles.

Tonight, it is all about the electoral math.

Baby's First Halloween

Ok, so maybe the little guy is too small to understand the concept or even think about eating candy, we still took him trick-or-treating at the mall. Thanks to an unusually warm evening, the cozy, thick originally-planned bumblebee costume had to be scrapped. Instead, we dressed him in one of his Colts onesies, and he became their littliest fans. Mommy and Daddy both wore Colts jerseys as well.

I have also been hard at work on the endless mindless hoodie. One skien done, four (maybe five) to go! Mommy, I think it will be a long time before I grow into this.

Meanwhile, I have been having a love affair with lace. I drool over whispy pictures on the internet, dream of yarn overs, and my eyes glaze over intricate charts and graphs. My next project is calling to me. The yarn is sitting there, mocking me with its delicate softness. The needles are resting nearby. The pattern is selected, downloaded, reviewed, and ready to start. All the pieces are in place. . . .and yet, I haven't started. Why, you ask? Because I know if I don't finish my first lace project, Branching Out, first, I never will. It will be like the first neglected sock that never gets a mate. So instead, I have been working on Branching Out, only slightly resentful that it is not the new lace that I really want to be working on.

Today, it is all about the anticipation.

Mental Knitting

I had to do some mental knitting a few days ago. I had finished the ribbing on my new socks for myself, Twisted Tweed. I started on the first pattern row, did three repeats, and realized that I was doing it wrong. I just did not understand the instructions, even though they were not difficult. When I slipped a few stitches with the yarn in front, then knitted a few, I kept ending up with an extra stitch in there. I pictures socks that increased by a dozen stitches every other row, and knew that definitely wasn't right.

I cruised onto Ravelry, to see if anyone had an explanation. I only had a few minutes, and didn't find one, but I did take a gander at some nice pictures that showed the stitch detail. After a day of mulling over the pictures and description, I finally figured it out.

I tested my theory, and sure enough. Lovely! Who knew that mental knitting could be so effective?

Today, it is all about the mind.

I've created a monster

I have been hard at work with new projects. Socks for the little guy. . . . .

Socks for me. (He looks less enthused knowing they aren't for him.)

And the sweater/hoodie for my sweetie. This is my mindless knitting. After the couple inches of ribbing, I knit in stockinette for over two feet. Round and round and round she goes. When she stops, no one knows. I feel like I will be knitting on this until the next ice age, but it is a direct request from my sweetie, so I don't mind. Mindless knitting definitely has its time and place. I like having something that I can pick up for two minutes.

But I may have created a monster with my sweetie's recent request. Last weekend, we went to the Indy Irish Fest. While drinking cider, listening to the music and examining the wares, I (of course) wanted to look at the knitted items booth. Not that I was going to buy anything. I just wanted to get ideas and see what they had. My sweetie saw some of the breathtaking hand-knit cable wool sweaters, and asked if I could make something like that for him. Well, I have not yet completed my first cabled knit, and wool is more expensive than the cheap hoodie yarn, but I don't see why not.

Then came the details: I like this cable, but not that one. Don't make it too small. Don't make the neck too tight. It won't be a V neck, will it? The designs on that sweater are too busy. I decided the safest route would be to make the little guy a prototype, so we could resolve all the design questions. Plus it would be cute for them to have matching sweaters.

Then I realized that I had just committed myself to knitting 2 cable sweaters. When will I have time to knit the 50 something items in my ravelry queue for myself?

Today, it is all about the sweaters.

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.