Sea of Stripes

I have been hard at work this weekend on the Seafoam Stripes wrap. See? Oh, you don't notice a difference?

No, really. I finished a couple inches. You don't see it? Look again. You can't tell the difference between 36 inches in length and 38 inches in length?

Well, I am sure that it is just not visible in the photograph.

So, instead of arguing (with myself, mostly) about whether or not the two inches in question is visible in photographs, I am going to talk about a past project. Behold, my Fiesta socks. One of the first pairs of socks I ever finished. I am wearing them now, because my feet are cold on this rainy November Sunday, but I have never liked them. First, they were done with a basic stockinette sock pattern. I obviously made the socks waaaay too big, because they have a tendency to sag and slump around my ankles. Ditto for the bottom on my foot. I am also not wild about the pattern. It only took another pair or two for me to arrive at the realization that I don't like busy patterned socks. Nothing wrong with them, just not my cup of tea. I prefer more subtle, understated variations of color on my socks. And preferably those that actually fit my foot. I made the socks, and my foot was attached to the bottom of my ankle for the whole process, so I really have no excuse for not getting the size right.

You have to love blogs. Where else can you publically display your personal failures?

Today, it is all about the failure, er, I mean learning experiences.

And I even had time to knit

This was not a good week. It was a cumulative effect. Money tightness, mixed with rental issues, with a dash of work piles, topped with not enough hours in each day, and baked for one hour at 350 degrees. It was even that time of the month, making me more emotional and less able to deal. When I realized I had knit a grand total of two rows in four days (about 200 stitches), I added that to my list of complaints.

But I am feeling much better today. Hormones have stabilized. Paycheck deposited (not a permanent solution, but comfort for the day). Money borrowed to cover rental repairs (also not a permanent solution, but it will get me through until I can sue the little puke that did over $3,000 damages in six short months). A desk day made a gaping hole in the stacks on my desk. And I even had time to knit.

I zipped through a good 15 rows of the Seafoam Stripes wrap at the Legion last night. We probably would have left earlier, but Friday night's band did a few songs after setting up and soundchecking, and we stayed longer to listen. I figured I was about halfway finished. A wrap, of course, is whatever length you want, and I had been thinking along the lines of six foot. You know, long enough to wrap around my back and dangle in front of my arms. I measured this morning. 34 inches complete. Damn, I am good.

And in case I ever start to doubt the existance of a omnipotent, benevolant God, I was the unexpected beneficiary of two free tickets to Purdue football tomorrow. Thank you, God, I needed that. Nice way for my sweetie and I to celebrate six months of wedded bliss. Life is good. For today, at least.

Today, it is all about the good.

Happy foot

One Pomatomus down, one to go. Still loving the pattern (most days). I would love to make another, but there are so many other beautiful sock patterns to knit. This one may have to get in line again.

The Seafoam Stripes wrap is screaming right along. I now have a square that is large enough to cover one arm. Something tells me that I have a long way to go. I don't think that the cool weather will wait for me to finish. Maybe next year.

Today, it is all about the miniscule progress.

Shameless

I admit it. Before, I was managing to check the Ravelry waiting list only once a day or two. Now, I see that they have added over a 1,000 names in the last four days. Only 1,320 names in front of mine. I am checking every hour, sometimes more often. I admit it. I just leave that screen open on my computer, and refresh it whenever I think about it. 20 more names entered just in the last hour. At this rate, I will be ravelring in less than a week. Woo Hoo!

This past weekend had noticeable but non-picturable progress on my current WIP's. The Sea Green wrap is very soft, very coxy looking, and long enough to cover one shoulder. And I think I showed admirable restraint in not impaling my husband with a 14-inch metal size 8 needle when he asked if I was almost finished. I also worked more on the foot of the first Pomotomus while I was sitting between bands at the Indy Irish Fest. I was zipping along so nicely that for a while I wondered if I was going to have to start removing shoes to test the legnth on my foot. The muggles just would not have understood the concept.

Today, it is all about the waiting list.

The good news is. . .

. . . .that I am OK. So is the bike. Mostly. Sunday was the local MDA ride. Beautiful weather, 100 miles of country roads, and shiny chrome as far as I eye could see.

It was a safe ride, except for me. I didn't notice an unmarked hairpin curve until it was too late to slow down enough for it. I overshot the turn, and went down. My sweetie didn't even bother with the kickstand or turning his bike off in his haste to make sure that I was ok, and not pinned underneath the bike. (Nice to know that I really do rank above the Harley. I wouldn't have bet the farm on that one.) I was a bit battered and bruised, mostly ego, but otherwise fine. The bike had a few things out of kilter on the handlebars and a few new scratches, but was otherwise fine.

Last Saturday was more fun and less painful. It was the monthly Sock Club thing. I was working on Pomotomus. Please excuse me while I bang my head against the wall every other row. I have just apparently completely forgotten how to knit this pattern. Still halfway through the foot.

For reasons, I can't explain, attending sock club created an insatiable urge to start something new. Something non-sock. It the fault of this light as air, lacy wrap that I saw hanging in the store. It called out to me. So I swung over to the office, just a few blocks away, (doesn't everyone have their LYS conveniently located so close to the office?) and started digging through my stash. Yes, I store my yarn at the office. We don't have room in the house. Accept this premise and move on.

So I shuffled through the plastic containers, and came up with three possibilities, all thin, fuzzy, mohair-y yarns. Without pausing the think or plan, I cast on. I had a vague notion of what I wanted, but was too impatient to practice or swatch. When I started the plain patterning I had in mind, it didn't look like I thought. Not that I bothered to check the book where I remembered seeing the pattern either.

So I backed up, cast on a smaller piece, and started testing a few variations on my mental theme. I think I have the idea mapped out in my mind, and am currently debating whether to practice to whole thing and eyeball it, or just blunder forward and see how it looks. Sorry, it would appear that she can't be taught.