Torment...thy name is...

Sock Madness!!

I cannot wait until the next pattern is released!!!! Seriously!!!!!!!!

Meanwhile, I swatch for Bettna, I spin merino/silk, I finish up the aviator hat, I think about knitting Pomatomus but almost always decide it takes too much thought. I was put off the last time I took it out by the fact that I got through almost a whole repeat, realized I had made a mistake and because it is impossible (for me) to rip it out a little at a time, had to rip all the way back to the ribbing. Otherwise known as everything I had knit that evening. Ho hum.

I love the pattern when I can do it. But I have redone several sections several times.

Here is a not-color-true picture of the Bettna swatch: I added red but now the whole thing is too red. I can't get it with the still function on the video camera. New batteries should solve this problem tomorrow.

I have used four yarns so far and am having trouble working in the purple yarn, but it will come even if it's just an occasional accent color.

I finished the sunset singles a few minutes ago: That yarn should help with the purple problem. The singles will sit till tomorrow to have a temporary set for plying.

Sang at a funeral this afternoon on very short notice but it went well, despite my inability to count to four consistently. Good accompanists are a treasure! I might get more chances at that church, too, as they don't really have a singing staff and have some mid-week events that need soloists. That would be nice! Super nice part is I didn't do any typing work this weekend but I still got paid. And it was a lovely service. Thanks to whoever at my church recommended me (I'll find out tomorrow).

We've had a nice relaxing Spring Break overall. Didn't do a lot, but we (I) really needed a break after the last two weeks. Had a nice playdate on Friday, went out for bagels a couple of times, spent a lot of time on scooters outside.

Nothing terrible coming up, for once. No more Lenten prayer group, so Tuesday can be spent staring at the computer waiting for the sock pattern (oh, please be in the morning!). Just regular Wednesday, Thursday, Friday stuff. Choir retreat Saturday morning, Girl Scout meeting on Saturday afternoon, but boothing is over. Ideally, I'll be able to knit a lot Tuesday through Friday and finish by Friday night. I might have to do some typing for the writer, but that's okay. A lot of the competitors are saying they're busy till the end of the week, so not everyone will just hunker down and do them with no breaks.

My goal is only to get to Round 3 so wish me luck! I'll be knitting my own handspun yarn: which really floats my boat!

Peace.

He just chokes me up.

Hat is finished, swatching has commenced!

Having been tormented for what seems like forever by which sweater to knit for the Fair this year out of my variegated, but coordinated, yarns, today I swatched some mitered squares: Garter Ridge square-this one was difficult to figure out from the book I was reading and I don't think it's worth it as it's very difficult to see the textural changes.

Twisted Garter square-these are the squares they use in "Knits from a Painter's Palette" and I do like this one. My only gripe is that the square is very dense and would make a heavy sweater. I shall try again with bigger needles. This is DK yarn on 7's.

Ojo de dios square-This one is nice but might be too busy with all the variegations in the yarns. Better in solids or even multis that knit up as solids.

Any opinions would be greatly appreciated!

I'm thinking a mitred square cardigan, 8 squares across, 9 squares tall, improvised as I go along.

Or Bettna.

Peace.

Made it to Saturday morning

Got through yesterday with a minimum of fuss and even a little knitting:

As previously discussed, DD has to do a presentation on Amelia Earhart on April 5 with costume so I'm knitting her an aviator hat out of Cascade 220. I had to start it 3 times due to inattention to the directions, but now it is past the halfway point. I want to finish it before Sock Madness starts up again, but that shouldn't be a problem, since they're calling Round 1 on Tuesday night and then we still have a few days before Round 2.

We dyed Easter eggs with friends last night: We had fun although, due to dropping some before dyeing and a spill of the purple dye, one child did not get to do very many. I guess next year I will give them each 5 to make sure everyone gets the same number to dye. I shall try to remember...

Big news for DD, she was the Student of the Month for Citizenship in her class for March. The picture we took was very dark . Here are her flowers:

Big news for DS, his diorama about Big Horn Sheep garnered him 20 out of 20 possible points!! Thanks to DH for working on this with him!

Congratulations to both of my wonderful children!!

Today all we have is cookie boothing and work, tomorrow church and work. Monday starts Spring Break, thank goodness!

Happy Easter, if you celebrate, and Happy Spring if not!

Peace.

We now return to our regularly scheduled programming, already in progress

I won't even bother to document the week that we are having over here. Everything is going fine, it's just too many things. But having made it to Friday morning, here's today:

Good Friday church service at noon.
Extra children's choir rehearsal at 4:00
Friends over for dinner and to decorate eggs at 5:30
(which entails a trip to the store and the boiling of the eggs)
Work for the writer

That's really not too bad.

And tomorrow all we have is boothing.
And work.

So I went ahead and started DD's Amelia Earhart hat for her book report. She has to dress up as her biography subject and give a presentation after spring break (O.M.G., spring break!!!!!) which starts Monday. She's more than halfway through the book so we're in good shape. I would like to finish the hat before Sock Madness Round 2 and should, if I can stop having to start it over. I think I've reached the same row 3 times now.

Monday is officially PAJAMA DAY at our house. We will play Wii, we will knit, we will walk the dog and drink coffee. We will NOT GET DRESSED. This I declare!

Easter morning is a bear, as the children and I all have to sing 3 services starting very early, but goes by pretty quickly and they do a nice job at our church (plus the choir gets a great hot breakfast). That week off is calling my name...

Peace.

Why, lovely, thank you!

Retreat, lovely!

Socks, lovely!

Friends, lovely!

Diorama, lovely!

But I've only uploaded the socks:

Please forgive my aged linoleum.

Sock Madness 2, Round 1
Zombie Emmie
Colinette Jitterbug in Lapis
Yarn left over: NONE!
Finishing place: 19th out of 40 in my division

I literally ended up with enough yarn to weave in the end.

The socks are very squishy and match my Imogen sweater perfectly. I am wearing them right now.

On to Round 2, which with my luck will start at 9:00 Easter Sunday morning when I'm in the middle of church after church after church. But they said they would try not to.

Congratulations to all my fellow finishers and good luck to those of you still plugging along! My sore wrists salute you (as best they can)!

Peace.

Sock Madness II Begins!!!!

Here is a picture of my Round 1 yarn, although too bright. It's a very deep cobalt blue with black and green every so often peeking out. Supposed to be "scary":

Yes, yes, I'm going on retreat tomorrow and madly knitting socks at the same time. At least I'm not driving! I should have a decent amount of knitting time today, although I do have some other stuff going on. The winners of this thing can put everything down and just knit for as long as it takes. My goal is to make it to Round 3 this year. Just to it, not through it. Wish me luck!

Last weekend, I got to go on a field trip with DS on our own as DD was having a fever day on Sunday and we had a lovely time at the Skirball Cultural Center:

This is DS manipulating a giant giraffe's head way up at the ceiling. He had a great time and we had a very nice day.

And last but not least, my new sock blockers arrived, custom made by Leggy Creations at Etsy. They are perfect! The photo does not do them justice, as the wallpaper is sort of iridescent. I cannot recommend this seller more. She was very responsive, very forthcoming with progress, even pictures, and the product is just what I wanted.

I won't be blogging much as I will be knitting (see above) as fast as possible and then away for 24 whole hours (you wouldn't believe the logistical difficulties of being away THAT LONG during boothing and all). I hope to post a progress photo when I return on Saturday. Best of luck to all my fellow participants!

And Geraldine Ferraro, STFU. Thanks.

Peace.

Is it wrong...

To keep DD home from school one more day mostly because she has that "I'm going to the nurse's office anyway" look on her face?

To knit competitive socks (speed) on a relaxing retreat?

To let the dog sleep on the clean laundry and still consider it "clean?"

To buy 12 boxes of Girl Scout cookies from your daughter, but 6 of them in the only flavor that you yourself can eat?

Answers to these and many other questions later...if there's time with the DD home and all.

Peace.

Didn't mean to offend!

And great thanks to Heide, Cindy and Rainy for commenting so that I'd know I wasn't all alone out here!

Slight progress is being made on knitting projects, but my writer has sent more work and cookie sales really eat into knitting time. One ought to be able to knit while boothing but the girls lose their focus so easily you have to stay on top of them the whole time. And the money and all.

Spinning is progressing: This is almost all of the first bobbin of merino silk from Loribird.

And this is where I am on the second purple and green sock:

I received my absolutely gorgeous custom made sock blockers yesterday and finally got a good picture of the first Pomatomus sock sans toe: These will really improve the look of the socks if and when they go to the fair competition this summer. I will take a shot of them with no socks for the next post and link to the maker's etsy shop.

All the tough stuff for today is done: boothing, library, babysitting. Now just hang out, cook, work some tonight, some knitting should get done.

Don't forget to change your clocks!

Peace.

Since no one is reading this, anyway... (edited)

ed.: Upon reading Shelly Kang's blog this morning, I think perhaps this schedule stuff counts as "whining." It really isn't, it's just I'm making my to-do lists online. Perhaps that's why no one is reading. When I'm whining, you will know! At any rate, there is knitting going on so I shall add it now. I am frogging the purple sock. I was desperate for a stockinette sock but then resurrected some other ones from last year. As you can see, I have since finished the first sock and done about an inch more than the toe on the second. And our puppy. I have almost 400 yards of the Love Me Tender yarn, it's a shame to use half of it for socks that are too thick for SoCal.

I'm gearing up for Sock Madness and did some dyeing this week, blue and yellow, or as DH put it "extremely blue and yellow." That's me, extreme color. And the puppy. I don't even think they are extreme. I'll be knitting furiously on the women's retreat to make it to at least round 2 again.

Maybe I should go back to more politics, but it's so up in the air right now it makes me nervous. Ed.

I shall continue the boring lists of things I have to do. It clears my mind, honestly. And if the mind is not cleared every so often, I have bad dreams about complicated school projects for which I am completely unprepared. These projects do not exist except when I am asleep.

Today: DD will go go school (stayed home yesterday, but that was actually BETTER; shiver in your boots!). Target for T-ball bat, bag?, new Pikachu (sadly misplaced), milk, peanut butter. Grocery store for veggies or fruit or something to bring to...are you ready...evening Girl Scout meeting. Make DD practice piano as she is starting lessons again on Tuesday. DS to playdate, thank goodness! Work for at least an hour before they get home at 1:13. Aforesaid Girl Scout meeting. Work another hour and a half. Fall over.

Tomorrow's not as bad, although it does involve T-ball, babysitting, cookie boothing and a trip to the library to choose books for kid projects (2 at the same time, oh joy). And work.

Luckily, I am no longer in a crappy mood so this doesn't bother me as much. And I haven't had the bad dreams from the beginning of this post since I woke up the other day at 5:30 and made lists.

Sock Madness is looming, yay! And a women's retreat with church during which I will be knitting said socks. And I don't have to do the boothing any more after tomorrow. Now if only I could decide what sweater to knit with the fair yarns!

Peace.

Time is Fleeting!

Madness takes its toll...

I should save this title for when Sock Madness II begins, but this is how I'm feeling right now. Still waiting for a quiet "normal" week to come but it ain't coming. Last week we even added Girl Scout Cookie boothing and T-ball. This week (I think) we're adding back piano/guitar lessons/babysitting. But right at this moment I have a few minutes to blog, yay!

I have a bad case of startitis, which doesn't really help the flusteredness, but does get me a couple of new projects. First up, mindless socks for boothing (as if I knit at boothing, but you never know):

This is some almost worsted weight 2 ply spun from Crown Mountain Farms superwash merino that I sort of ruined in the wash. I made the mistake of adding vinegar to the rinse water when it bled profusely. I should have waited till there was less dye in the water, as the purple went everywhere. I still like the colors, but it's not what it was. Here's a closeup of the yarn: Is that some p*rn or what?

No particular progress on sweater yarns or Must Have Cardigan as I have been crazy working for my writer, which is mostly good, but I am rather burned out on typing and all the busyness, plus the kids get out of school early all week. Love them dearly but 3:00 is way better than 1:13, if you know what I mean (and I know you do).

Last night I pulled out an old project, some handspun socks with an assortment of purple and green yarns, frogged the fair-isle portion (which was not working out due to lack of contrast/interest) and knit an inch or so: More mindless knitting, yay! We watched the last two hours of "Sarah Connor Chronicles" last night and the show is really good, IMHO. We are hoping they make more now that the strike is over, but know that if they do it won't be till next season, oh, well. Something to look forward to!

Today: Finish last ten minutes of transcribing, Lenten prayer group, kids home early, homework, dinner, KNITTING! If I have any time this afternoon, I will even spin up some Leaf Peep. I don't have much time this week, but I shall try to claim it anyway.

Oh, and BTW...

YES WE CAN!!!

Peace.