MissUnderstood

Last June, on I-90 west of Coeur D'Alene, I finished my Pirate Longies and started a pair of fingerless gloves. When I started knitting, I discovered that I had grabbed the wrong black contrast yarn, and I had a DK weight yarn instead of a fingering weight. Being on the road, there was no accessing the right yarn, so I just proceeded.


Unfortunately, the wrong yarn bugged me, yet I knitted on. Turns out that the fingerless gloves I thought I was knitting, and the fingerless gloves my daughter thought I was knitting were not the same pair. Once she had convinced me to really knit her the pair she wanted, not the pair I wanted to knit, it became obvious that the cuffs I'd knit just weren't appropriate. Plus, there was that DK-weight thing still bugging me. So I finished knitting the gloves, then went back and removed the old cuffs and added new cuffs.


I had hoped to use up the ball of DitsyGoth Gothsocks, but for what she wanted, it only used up half. I still have 25 grams left, enough to make one more identical pair of gloves, if I were so inclined. But I'm not.


Lucky grrl, she got my only recent Finished Objects, and both from delicious yarn from Rainy Days and Wooly Dogs.

When is a boy not a boy?

...when the pet store says he's a boy.

In June, my daughter bought a boy dwarf hamster. Ten days later, the boy had a litter of 7 babies.

That's what I get for following instructions

This morning I woke up and started knitting. I carefully measured the sock in progress against finished socks, and on my feet, and determined that I was exactly 2.5 inches away from the end of the foot, and that it was time, according to the instructions, to start the toe decreases. I had a leisurely morning of knitting, shaping the toe, and paused, ready to kitchener, to try it on. TOO SMALL. The toe measures exactly 2 inches from the point I started decreasing, and my toes have to curl up miserably to fit into the sock.

SIGH. Time to rip out, do one more colour repeat, and decrease again. I was so mentally DONE with this sock, too.

A finished object!

In the middle of the summer,

when the temperatures daily reach 105F/40C.

the resident ballerina now has warm and toasty leg warmers, to keep her warm and toasty.

And the cat always shows up for pictures.

Unfortunately, Valerie's witches wimple collapsed.

I was knitblog surfing. I've already forgotten where. I saw a meme that was cute, so I copied it. You google 'unfortunately [your name]' and see the results. It was amusing. Valerie, apparently, is so far from unique.


1. Unfortunately, Valerie Hemingway's account of her own history and thought leaves much to be desired.

2. Unfortunately Valerie's witches' wimple collapsed as she cast her spell.

3. Unfortunately, Valerie and David soon found out that they would never be together.

4. Unfortunately, Valerie's story is far from unique -and there are lots of Valeries still sitting home.

5. Unfortunately Valerie Cruz is far too dewy-eyed to make a convincing hardcore cop -- she's completely eclipsed by the hilarious Claudia Black in "Other Dick."

6. Unfortunately Valerie and Her Week of Wonders is not currently available to Watch Online.

7. Unfortunately, Valerie's situation is all too common - in fact, Mark Twain, Walt Disney, Donald Trump and Henry J. Heinz all filed for bankruptcy at some point in their lives.

8. Unfortunately, Valerie overheard the disparaging remarks made about her by Kim and Diane.

9. Unfortunately, Valerie had already promised to attend a Bible study class with her sister.

10. Unfortunately, Valerie soon discovered that the cost she would incur to have the wedding of her dreams was way too much for her budget.

two long tubes

After several failed attempts swatches, I finally decided upon a gauge and style for my daughter's new leg warmers. I dropped down two needle sizes for the cuffs, which make them nice and perfectly tight. I wanted them to have some length for growing room, which is why we picked out some stash yarn for contrasting cuffs. I'd rather her tire of them before she grows out of them. (The last pair were too tight in a matter of months.)
I have noticed that I have a certain amount of knitter's pride that makes me reluctant to do a garment completely in k2 p2 ribbing. I have periodic fits when I think I should be doing some yarn-over ribbing or some pattern. But when I look at these and other leg warmers, it's clear to me that the look I want is just plain ribbing. I just have to keep reminding myself.

The ballerina has reached a milestone in her dance education. Last week she was fitted for her first pair of pointe shoes. I had never realised what a milestone it was, until all the moms were there with their cameras except me. My cell phone takes okay pictures, so I was able to be a good mommy too and take some pictures.

Acquisitions

The first time I shopped at Rainy Days and Wooly Dogs, I just opened up their Etsy shop, found yarn I adored, and bought it. Now it's not quite so easy. Etsy stalking is involved. If you don't buy the yarn in less than a minute, you probably won't get it. (They have an update coming this Wednesday at 10amPDT, just sayin.)



I think I also might have been lucky enough to get one of the last custom orders. I know that right now, they're so busy preparing for Sock Summit, that no custom orders are happening for some time. A couple months ago, I bought some fingering weight Disco Dollies. I really wanted it in worsted weight, and now, lookee, I've got some! I think I'll cast on tonight.


And if that weren't exciting enough, there's also Barbie's Dark Side, all soft and yummy and pettable and oooooooh in Cashmere/Merino with a little nylon thrown in for strength. OHMYGOTH!

like the deserts miss the rain

Desert showers...


bring desert flowers.

Guernsey Literary and Sock Society

When I first posted that I was knitting the St. Peter Port Socks, Priscilla (a fellow librarian, yay!) left me a kind note about the The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society . She said the book made St. Peter Port feel familiar to her, and the idea of having some context for the name of these socks definitely appealed to me.



The bad news: I put a hold on the book at the city library, but I was the 63rd in line. At the county, the hold list was up to the hundreds.

The good news: I just happen to purchase books for a small academic library. And since this book was on the best sellers list, I was able to order the book for our popular reading collection.

The bad news: When the book came in, I neglected to put a note on it when I sent it for processing. So some one else grabbed it off the book cart before I was able to check it out.

The good news: The city library has enough copies that the queue moved quickly and I was able to get the book a couple weeks ago. Thanks, Priscilla, I loved it!

I had envisioned enjoying the book while knitting the St. Peter Port Socks, but I just picked up the book one evening, and finished it the next day. No joint reading and knitting. The first sock is approaching the toe region, but it's been moving slowly. The summer is presenting a lot of obstacles to knitting time.


I do adore the b&w yarns together. It's a stunner for sure.