Knit Two Together

Socks

Lots of socks and finally, a pair for me.

First I knit socks for Kara. 
You already know everything about these but go check out Kara's blog.  I'm so happy they fit and that she likes them!

Then I knit socks for Cris. 
Those are my feets.  Yes.  I washed and blocked them before I gave them to her.  These were quick and easy anklets that I kind of made up on the fly.  I had only one skein of Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport in this colourway, "Bittersweet" and I thought it would be a perfect match for my bestest girlfriend Cris.  Her birthday was the day before mine.  Happy Birthday Cris!
I haven't written up the pattern.  Let me know if there's any interest and I'll add it to the free patterns.

Then I knit socks for JM.
These are  basic  top down socks with a short row heel using Priscilla Gibson-Robert's technique (which I love!)  I used 2 skeins of Koigu KPPM, but I've lost the tag already so I don't know the colourway number.  I love the way the varigated orange sets off the variegated blue.  There was less than 5m of yarn left from the 2 skeins so I think I may have discovered the maximum sock size you can make with a skein of KPPM.  JM's birthday follows mine by just a few days so these are another birthday gift.  Happy Birthday JM!

Now I'm knitting socks for someone else.
No pics of those yet because I'm still swatching.  The colour is gorgeous and for a change, a solid.  My goal is to finish them within the next 2 weeks before I have to go back to work and they suddenly become very difficult to finish.  I'll show you when they're done and gifted.

Somebody knit socks for me!
Not just any somebody either.  It was Alison!  Way back before I started blogging I joined Sockapalooza 1.  I sent away the second pair of socks I had ever knit in that exchange and in return I received a wonderful pair of Koigu socks.  They're still my cozy favourites, even though I got a bit careless and they've gone through the washer and dryer more than a couple of times.  Alison made those socks too!  Imagine - over 1000 Sockapaloooozers in more than 20 countries and Alison gets a repeat pal!  She did a fabulous job on these gorgeous Monkeys using Tofutsies.  She also included the leftover ball.  I'll bet there's easily enough left in that single ball to make a pair of anklets.   I am such a lucky woman!  Thank you Alison!!




Don't they look cute with my new red patent ballerina flats?







 
Perfect fit!

 

Sockapalooooza 4 Monkeys, handknit by Alison.
Sockapalooza 1 ribbed socks, handknit by Alison.

You are the absolute best Sock Pal Ever!   I hope I get you in Sockapaloooooza 5!

Sockapalooooza Success

I've been knitting lately... and reading HP7... and feeling guilty about reading when I should have been knitting, and feeling guilty about knitting when I wanted to read.  Crazy eh?  It's all good though.  I finished  both of them - Deathly Hallows yesterday and my sockapalooooza socks before lunch today.

I decided not to wait for the extra bit of yarn to come from Cider Moon and frogged the second sock.  Then I made a couple of changes to my pattern and started over.  This pic shows sock #3 (which is version 2 sock 1) on sock #1(version 1 that is).  There really is quite a difference in size between them.  This is also the point at which I ran out of the yarn from sock #2.  I made it 4 rows into the toe shaping.

Sock #3 and the remains of Sock #1.  I hope there's enough.

Yes!  There is yarn leftover, but I doubt I could have added another pattern repeat to both socks.

Version 2 produces a much better fit.  The pattern is quite stretchy, so I think they'll fit comfortably over heels and ankles without being slouchy.  My pal's feet are bigger than mine but the fit is much looser than I would prefer to wear, so I'm hopeful they'll fit her.  As soon as they're dry, I'm going to package them up with their pattern, some sock yarn, and a few other little Canadian goodies before sending them on their way tomorrow.  Right on time!

Now I can wonder what will be heading my way next week?  Are you my sockpal?

Blub, blub, blub

Yup... into the frog pond...

I kept checking the poll and consistently 51% of you, no matter how many of you there were or where you're from, said "rrripit, rrrripit" 

In the meantime though I did email Jacki at CiderMoon, who dug through her leftovers and came up with 2 part balls of Jackie O.  Let's hear it for Jacki, Gail and Travis!!  YAY!!  Of course, since I was paying to ship those from Ohio to Calgary, I just had to add a couple more skeins....

Still, I hesitated... the deadline is next week!  Wait on the extra yarn or swim with the froggies?  What really made up my mind was that I downloaded my sockpal's information again and realized that the socks were a generous fit and would really likely benefit with a trim.  The other deciding factor was that the pattern I'm using is one of my own and I'd like to publish it for you, so I want to make sure that you can indeed make it with a single skein of dk sock yarn.   

Rrrripit!, rrrripit!, rrrrripit!

Well Crap!

Something tells me I'm not going to make it. 

Options: 
1. Email Cider Moon in the desperate hope that they have some of this colourway lurking about somewhere even though there isn't any up on the store site.  Ask them to ship it quick, and hope it can get to Alberta from Ohio in time for me to finish the sock and send it to my pal by August 7.  If they have the yarn, it's possible.

2. Frog the toe of sock 1, and 1/2" to 3/4" of the foot to finish the foot of sock 2.  Knit the toes in black, KnitPicks Essentials which happens to be in the stash.  I'll have to knit it double to make up for the weight difference and there will be an obvious fiber difference between the two yarns.

3.  Frog both socks to shorten the legs by 1", shorten the foot by 3/4". Pray to the knitting goddess.  This would have the advantage of letting me balance the pattern.  Also, that first sock is a bit big and this might actually improve the fit for my Sock Pal.  The pattern is very stretchy.

The perfect time for a blog poll - don't you think?

In other news, I thought I might show you some modest stash enhancement.
My KnitPicks order arrived, enhancing my stash of double pointed needles and books....

Both "Favourite Socks" and "Knitting Workshop" were sale priced (Yay!)  The sock book is wonderful - beautifully photographed and gorgeous patterns.  I'm sure I'll eventually knit most of them.  EZ is wonderfully inspiring and this book contains the pattern and her explanations to make the Baby Surprise Jacket which I've wanted to do for some time now.  Needles in 5 sizes, 2 for socks and 3 for hats/mitts/sleeves.  I love these dpns. 

Yesterday I met Marnie over at the LYS and was struck by the colours of these 2 skeins of ArtYarns merino sock yarn - blues and greens, very tropical ocean looking.  They had to come home with me.  I also picked up the Summer Spin-off and some samples of SOAK woolwash.  When I left my last school they gave me a gift certificate and this is what I've used it for.  Thanks again everyone. 

OK... taking Dragonsdottir and her cousin Lexi-Lou to the splash park this afternoon, so I'd better shake a leg.  Will take Jan along to work on while you vote on the best course of action.

Finished Sock

I spend yesterday hiding from light and sound because of a migraine and managed to finish my first Sockapalooza Pal sock.  I love the spiraling up the leg.  The foot actually does continue the spiral but it's much wider and more gradual.  I did a wedge toe with a kitchener finish.   

I need some help here though.  Click on these pics to see them full size and look closely at the way the pattern continues past the heel and onto the instep.  Notice that on one side the instep starts with a stockinette panel.  On the other side it ends with an eyelet panel.  That's because the pattern is 8 sections of 8 stitches.  Half the stitches is four sections (duh).  Each section starts with K4 so the instep starts with K4 but it ends with the eyelet panel.   It kind of makes the foot look off balance  - as if the sole was continuing onto the instep.  I don't know if it makes a difference on the foot... in shoes... but knitting for a knitter makes me wonder if it is a big deal.  I don't mind ripping back the foot if it could be better, but I don't know how to fix it.  Any suggestions would be appreciated!

In the meantime, I've started the second sock so it'll be a couple of days anyway before I get to the foot again.  I know lots of you lurkers have wonderful ideas so please feel free to delurk with your suggestions! 

Ooooh Pretty!

At long last I have a Sockapalooza Sock in progress to show you!  I have been perseverating over this for weeks.  My pal said that she likes pink and I knew that I wanted to use this pink/black colourway from Cider Moon called Jackie O.

Cider Moon - Glacier (DK weight)

The pinks are not quite solid and the blacks include some greys.  I had no idea what it would do in a sock.  Ugly pooling?  Striping?

Nope.  It swirls!

How pretty is that? 

The pattern is one that I'm making up as I go.  I wanted these to be pretty, feminine socks, so they had to have a picot hem.  I've knitted in the hem rather then sew it later partly because I much prefer the appearance and stretch of that method and partly because I like to have minimal finishing with socks.

 

The lace panel is the same one that is used on Jan.   

I wanted the heel to be smooth so I gave Priscilla Gibson-Roberts' yarn over heel a try.  The link goes to Alison Hansel's tutorial - which is excellent!  I used it along with Ann Budd's article in the Summer 07 Interweave Knits.  I don't think it makes much difference if you're working cuff down or toe up. It's much much easier to do then wrap and turn short rows if only because you're not fiddling around trying to pick up those little wraps and put them on needle tips.  What do you think?  Do you have a favourite heel technique?  Which heel would you have put on this sock?

Thanks to a nasty headache today which resulted in extra knitting time I have actually finished the foot of this sock.  It's too dark now for a pic so I'll take one in the morning after I've kitchenered the toe.  I'm very happy with it though.  If there's an interest, I'll write up the pattern as a free downloadable PDF.  I think it would be really pretty in fingering weight too!

Mach 7 with my hair on fire

Saturday, June 30, 2007.  The first day of summer break.  This past month has been quite a ride!

First, the job stuff. 

   

I've taught a certain kind of special education program for 19 years now.  In that time I've seen the average IQ of the students I work with plummet, their level of need skyrocket, and the overall severity of their diagnosis intensify.  Somehow, this past year the fun went out of it.  My give a damn broke.  By January I knew that I was going to have to move on to a new phase of my teaching career or leave it behind entirely.  I did what I could to bank the burnout back to smolder and concentrated on the things that were giving me joy and purpose at work; basketball, spinning classes, awards and assemblies, mentoring those special few young people that had managed to work their way into my heart.  I did my job with my students but I had to admit that my heart wasn't in it any more.
    By the beginning of June the school board had gotten their collective act together enough that there were postings for available postions.  I applied to four schools and eventually had interviews with all of them.  The first was a negative (on both sides).  The second and third ended in job offers.  I asked the fourth, much to their disappointment, not to consider me further since I already had two excellent offers in hand both significantly closer to my home.  In Calgary proximity and a commute are everything these days.  Gas prices are stupid and traffic is often tediously snarled.  This was literally the first time in my whole career that I had a choice about where I would work.  I've been declared surplus, placed, drafted, and traded for a draft pick; but I've never been able to choose.  It was such an incredibly empowering feeling to know that my skills and talents are desirable beyond the niche I've been working in.  I walked around for the better part of two weeks on an absolute high!  Eventually I chose to move to another junior high school, declining the offer from a senior high.  The latter was truly a job of my heart - working with at-risk youth in high school kicking their asses and holding their hands to get them through to graduation.  Next year I will be teaching grade 9 students with learning disabilities in a new method of working in a fully inclusive setting using laptops and a bunch of assistive software to support them.  It's an exciting opportunity with the potential for more responsibility and advancement. 
    Once next year was settled I turned around and realized that this year had a long way to go and I had lost nearly two weeks!  In their infinite wisdom, the powers that be decided that June was the perfect time for teachers to audit the files of students with severe needs.  I had five.  That translated to about 35 hours of additional paperwork and meetings.  Add to that the usual report card / special education wrap up work (2.5 hours per kid X 14 kids) AND the production of an enormous awards and year-end assembly / show for which I was primarily responsible and you quickly see that I had way more work than time.  The only solution was mach speed.  So for the last 3 weeks I have been moving at around mach 7 with my hair on fire.  There have been points where I've felt like my whole head was on fire!  I snarled at the virus that threatened to take me out and sent it packing with a combination of caffeine, adrenalin, denial and mega-doses of vitamin C.  There were many late late nights, more than a little wine some days, and regular trips to the gym.  I honestly think that I would have turned to ash if it weren't for those workouts!  Somehow I've managed to make it to the end of June without getting sick, without gaining weight, and even having lost some inches and developed the start of some muscle definition.
    Even though I'm leaving for the right reasons and going on to an excellent opportunity, saying goodbye to MJH was tough.  Parents, kids, and friends all stopped with good wishes and thanks.  I find this kind of attention difficult.  It's much more comfortable for me to go about getting the job done competently but without accolades.  I had so much I wanted to say at the goodbye luncheon, but none of it would come out.  So much emotion is also physically draining and today I feel rather like a limp noodle.  Dropping out of mach speed is a bit of a challenge too.

Knitting?
Actually yes.  But only the knitting that was part of the whole year end thing.

These were made for Heather, my education assistant.  Heather is staying on at MJH to help the new teachers, both of whom are new to the role, as they take over the program.  She brought this yarn back from a trip to Germany last summer and it was my pleasure to make these for her.  I love self striping yarns.  If you click on the pic and look very closely you'll notice that the toes are different.  I knit these toe up using an eastern cast-on.  I though I had started them in the same place of the colour repeat but I missed by a few yards.  I made the first sock with a plain wedge toe - increasing every other round until I had 64 stitches. On the second sock I did the same cast-on but I made a round toe - increasing every round 5 times, then every other round up to 64 stitches.  Damned if the stripes didn't match themselves up by the end of the toe!   Short row heel with wraps.  EZ Sewn-cast off at the top. (google them... I'm too lazy today for linking)

These were made for my other education assistant, Max.  Max is moving on to another school where he will help a first year teacher learn the special education ropes.  These are standard top down 72 stitch socks with a slipped stich heel, gusset, and wedge toe kitchenered at the end.  Knitting details in the photo album.

In the rest of life....

My eldest child finished grade 6!  He's excited about starting Junior High in the fall, growing like a bad weed, and daily risking being sacrificed as an example to the others.  I'm very proud of you Sean.  That teacher spent two years working with my boy.  He deserves a medal.  Actually, he probably deserved socks but there just wasn't time.

My eldest nephew celebrated his 17th birthday on June 8.  Happy Birthday Weston! 

My darling husband had his 42nd birthday on June 16.  We went to a country bar and spent the night dancing.  Then he rode the mechanical bull.  There are pictures, but I like this guy and would prefer to stay married to him so I'm not posting them here.  Happy Birthday to you my love.

June 26th was the 6th anniversary of my father's passing.  I love you Dad.

To wrap up the month, my precious dragon  daughter turned 7 on June 28th.  Her party will happen next week because Mommy just can't do birthday parties on that day, no matter who they're for.  Happy birthday Claire.

It's the Canada Day long weekend.  I have this more or less continuous urge to doze off.  Tomorrow I may decide to take a drive to a local Fiber festival (Olds Fiber Week - google it).  I have some yarn p*rn for you (Rowan Calmer at cost!).  Just because I've been dithering and can't make up my mind I'm going to set up some polls for my Sockapalooza yarn and pattern choices.  I'll also show you a little sock I have in progress.  All this next week.  It's good to be back.  I've missed you.  Right now though, I think it's naptime.

Quickie Post

Heads up for you - tomorrow there will be picks of a new finished object!  Best of all, it's NOT socks.  Even better, it's mine.

Have you noticed that the 7 Random Things Meme has spread around blogland like some sort of wickedly virulent infection?  I'm swearing off those kinds of list memes for a good long time now... I'm starting to repeat myself in them!

Take a look at the Cluster Map on the right sidebar.  If you click on the map you can see an enlarged version and get an option to see smaller clusters.  I am thrilled beyond measure to see that I have had people literally from around the world stop by to view my blog.  If you look up close and discover yourself that you are the lonely little red dot in the middle of Peru, or Argentina, or Hawaii, or way out east on the Rock (Newfoundland & Labrador) I am inordinately curious about you.  I'm curious about everyone that stops by here but those single spots in far far away places like northern Manitoba or Alaska truly spark my curiosity.  Check out the map and please do say hello so that I can come to visit you! 

Dear Sock Pal

Dear Sock Pal,

I am so excited to be able to do another Sockapalooooza exchange.  It is so much fun to know that someone out there in the wide world of Blogland is taking the time to choose yarn and a pattern, to knit a pair of socks just for me, and then to package them up (perhaps with a few little goodies from their particular place in the world) and mail them off to me.  Exchanges are great and Sockapalooza is one of the very best and certainly one of the biggest.  It's amazing to be part of the 1,000 knitters exchanging handknit socks around the world.

The thing is, dearest Sock Pal, I haven't heard from you yet.  I'm a bit lonely for you. I know that you're out there and I am really hoping that you will get in touch with me one day soon.

Gina

Wool Mills and Whiskey Vats

Isn't that a great name for a U.K. travel brochure?  I think it's a great name for a novel too - a mystery novel - involving a drunk knitter.... no wait.... a knitter who falls in love with a handsome Highland shepherd....no....not a shepherd....the wealthy but lonely owner of a distillery who wishes he could be a farmer like his da....  OK, so Harlequin isn't breaking down my door, but I still think it's a great title even if it has nothing to do with anything.

The condensed version of "Gina's Terrible Horrible No Good Very Bad Week" (with acknowledgments to Judith Viorst, I love her book).  Skip to the end for knitting pics and news.

Monday was Glorious!  The sun was shining, the breeze was pleasant and with just enough chill to make the wearing of a handknit Peace Fleece cardigan pleasant.  I met my friend JM for coffee and a walk in the park.  It was lovely.  Good coffee, pleasant company, lots of laughter.  I cling to the memory.

Tuesday was the day I met with Asshole and the mediator.  I managed to impress myself with my own abilities in self-delusion.  I actually thought I might be able to express myself.  WRONG.  The best and only possible resolution is to avoid all contact.  Fortunately we work at opposite ends of a very large building.  The story will continue I'm sure.  After all, what's an Asshole to do if not make life as difficult as possible for his chosen target?  Whatever.

Wednesday.  Ah, Wednesday.  Let me start by telling you that Hubby Darling does not see any resemblance between my gynecologist and Liam Neeson.  I do.  Maybe it was just wishful thinking to have Liam Neeson ..... never mind.  I went in for a colposcopy.  This is a relatively minor follow up procedure when you have a PAP smear that reveals "abnormal" cells.  I walked out 90 minutes later having had a LEEP procedure.  It would appear that there was quite a sizable area of abnormal cells - it covered approximately 1/4 of my cervix.  The doctor very quickly and efficiently removed a giant chunk of my cervix - about the size of the end of your thumb - not the tip mind you, more like from the knuckle.  Feel free to experience a cramp now.  This hurts.  Yes, they freeze the cervix - and that hurts.  When they lop off the end of your frozen cervix it still hurts.  There is adrenalin in the freezing so almost as soon as they finish, you get the wicked shakes.  Remember how you shook shortly after your babies were born?  Like that.  The freezing doesn't last very long.  Then your poor amputated cervix wakes up and says " W.T.F!!!"  And you hurt all night long. 

Thursday.  I took the day off work to recover from the previous two days.  Anybody blame me?  Here's the thing about the whole Pap smear - colposcopy thing ladies.  Cervical Cancer sucks.  You don't know you have anything wrong with you until it has migrated to your bladder and/or bowels.  By then, you have big problems - treatable to be sure - but now we're talking surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation.  Make sure you have an annual pap smear and this is very unlikely to happen to you.   The pap smear is a screening tool that identifies women who might be at risk.  Like all screening tools, it isn't perfect.  Colposcopy is the follow up to check on the results.  It's quick and relatively painless.  LEEP is different.  LEEP is so much more invasive.  LEEP - or whatever - is so much better than cervical cancer.  The thing is ladies, cervical cancer is 100% preventable.  It's caused by any of the HPV family of viruses.  If you are sexually active, you have been exposed to HPV.  Catch the cellular changes quickly with an annual pap smear like I did, and you don't have to worry about cervical cancer.

Today is also the twentieth anniversary of my mother's death.  She had breast cancer.  My mom taught me everything she could in the short time she had.  Twenty-two is young to be motherless and I wish so much that I had had the chance to get to know her as a friend.  She could knit and she taught me, but Mom was a functional knitter.  She didn't love it.  I wonder what she would think of my obsession?  I remember the day she gave me all of her collected needles (still have and use them).  She told me that I was such a good knitter now that she didn't feel the need to knit at all any more and if I would just keep her in slippers she'd be happy.  I did knit many pairs of slippers for my mom.  All were made from this nasty unspun polypropylene stuff that built up the static on the carpet something fierce.  I still think she used to build up the charge on purpose just so she could get me with that giant blue spark.  If Mom were still here, I'd keep her in felted clogs with suede bottoms, and handknit socks made from alpaca or merino or silk.  I miss you Mom. 

Friday??  Well, given the week I've had, I'm not expecting anything.  I will wish my friend good fortune in her new position.  I will hope that the sun shines, and that I have the time to allow some of those healing rays fall onto my face.  Darling Hubby promises to take me out for a bit Friday evening.  Perhaps there will be Scotch whiskey after all?

Now for knitting.  Yes there has been some.  Not a lot to show for it, but some.

This is how much sock I could knit while waiting for 4 1/2 hours in the "Urgent Care" waiting room last Friday when #2's school called to say he had a  HORRIBLE rash and needed to GO NOW.   The  doctor said  "It could be an allergy or it could be a virus.  I don't know.  Keep using the benadryl and go see a doctor if it doesn't get better in another 3 or 4 days."  #2 was fine the next day.

This is the completed gift scarf - My So Called Scarf.  Nice scarf pattern, very cool texture, works very well with thick/thin yarns or with evenly spun yarns.  Would be very nice with that erratic first handspun if there was enough of it.  I made this one with 2 skeins of Manos del Uruguay in "Flame" (colour 115) and knit it on size 15 (10mm) needles.  The Manos  is nice in the skein but softened and fluffed after a eucalan bath into something that will be soft, warm, and cozy to wear. 

Here's a close up of the texture on both sides.  Scrummy!

And I save the best for last today.  That way you get a reward for having stuck with me this long.

My Spin Rove Swap partner was Kirsten, from Wales.  I can't tell you how stoked I was to have an overseas swap partner.  Kristen sent me a beautiful handpainted spindle which twirls easily and long.  She also included 2 colours of silk roving.  The one on the left is natural / earthy.  It's spinning up into a lovely neutral taupe colour.  The other is a stunning, gorgeous, amazing shade of cobalt blue.  It's like looking at a handful of the Caribbean Sea.  I must become a much better spindler before I touch this stuff!  There was also some chocolate (yum!), some sweets for the kids, and a cute little sheep purse which #3 adopted immediately and permanently.  It was a great package.  I keep showing strangers my handful of silk and pretty blue spindle and trying to impress upon them just how cool it is that they CAME FROM WALES!!!  Thanks Kirsten!  Thank you so much.