Grab your knitting needles and come relax with me.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Right Up My Alley
In my surfing this weekend, I saw these wonderful stockings (THIGH HIGH) and thought: I must blog about them. And then I PROMPTLY forgot! Until, I read this blog post this morning, which reminded me about my own Socks That Neverend. (And I really love her "heading thingy": knitters=angry mob. So very very true). And then of course reminded me about my blog find a few days prior.
Total aside (with a elevator version of "This Is The Song That Never Ends" playing in the background): I really am on fine form today. I am seriously resisting the urge to insert various dashes and parenthesis--I have SO much to say about what I am saying, I am beginning to think I need foot notes. BUT WHY? It's just random thoughts, not even important or relevant thoughts. Don't mind me: I think the caffeine has hit the blood stream. ;-)
Okay, stockings...these Mothering Day stockings ARE so up my alley. I want to knit them SO bad, BUT, dude, it would take me TWO YEARS to knit these things. As you may recall, it took me a year to knit my Neverending Socks...and those were merely knee highs, NOT thigh high. And then there's the having to resize them to fit my skinny chicken stick legs. But...even then...I want to make these stockings. The are SO me.
AND THEN this weekend, when I bought the new Interweave Spring: I saw the Bettie Lace Stockings (rav link). Dude, I gotta make these too!!
What is a girl to do? This is not the first time I wished for 2 or 3 extra pairs of arms.
One of the gals at my cabin in WHIBSIB snapped a picture of me in my socks.
Ain't they cute!
I have already broke into the yarn I bought at Yarnivore. I am making two filmy mohair wraps/scarves. The blue yarn is goign to be a straight garter stitch. I don't have enough progress yet (I keep tear out) to show a picture of it, but since the Apsen has bit of silver fuzz running through it at odd intervals it should produce a fun pattern. The Kid Mohair, brownish/purplish yarn I bought is coming together in a really pretty scarf---but it's a new Birdy's Knits pattern. I am not sure if I will offer it for straight sale or enter it into the many contests/publications at my finger tips. So for a while, it'll be a Super Secret Scarf....no pictures. Just lot's of torturous hints.
I have knitted enough orange into Mic's Tiger Socks to make them actually look like tiger stripes--Mic is very pleased. "Tigers! Raaaaooor!!" But only a few more rows--not enough to take a new picture--give me a few more inches.
Man I had so much fun and I didn't wanted to come back so soon. Apparently, Mic thought I was never coming back. Poor kid.
Lot's of hilarity ensued!
Here's the super cute Alpacas and sculpture garden from Old Oaks Ranch in Wimberly. I especially loved the bears sculpture and the mice and books sculpture.
Jamey made a bunch of stitch markers for me to sell to my fellow knitters (I am a terrible enabler)...he was very surprised how few I brought back. He didn't realise how special his dual use stitch markers are.
I also finished my Neverending Socks! See that little bit of yarn that was ALL the yarn I had left--including the yarn ends I wove in.
I finished them an hour before we went out for the day on Saturday. I even stayed up to 2 am trying to finish them. I had to stop three rows from bind of because I kept seeing things and I found out that I can't count past 1.45 am. It was such a fun high to finally finally be done with these socks. I didn't manage to take pictures of them on me, but I will pluck some pictures that my friends took.
One of the girls made me a sweet, beautiful market bag for making all the WHIBSIB badges. AND gifted me a Pooh Bear dressed up as a bee. I feel loved!
I also bought some yarn...of course! At Old Oaks Ranch I bought some beautiful Claudia Handpainted Silk lace weight. Ooo I have plans for this pretty little hank (ha! little it's 1100 yards!!).
It's so incredibly soft.
We decided to go west from Wimberly on the way home and stopped at Blanco for lunch. Yummy yummy HUGE plates.
We stopped at Yarnivore before we reluctantly agreed it was time to go home and end our Yarny Adventure. I bought some alpaca sport weight for Skinny Lacey scarves for the shop. And for some reason although I am allergic, I bought some mohair for some filmy scarves--also for the shop.
And since I finished my socks, I started Micci's tiger socks.
These were started minutes after I finished the Neverending Socks--on Saturday morning.
This weekend was a nice recharge and a great affirmation amongst friends.
NOTE: It did rain, QUITE a bit...but only at night when no one was out and about. So it (the buying of the super cute polka dotted umbrella) worked--sort of.
Once again--I face the dilemma--I may not have enough yarn left!!!
Bhat! Each Neverending Sock is made with ONE skein of Lorna's Laces. And somehow it seems I may not have enough yarn left to finish the second sock.
I may be overly paranoid. I have two rows left before I start the 2x2 ribbing. It's been so long since I finished the first sock that I don't remember how much yarn I had left at this point in the first sock. I desperately want to wear these socks at WHIBSIB (tomorrow! Woot!!). And it WOULD be nice that they match--esp. since I plan on showcasing the length of these socks by wearing a cute short skirt.
(It's late tonight--tomorrow I'll put up a picture of my problem. AND I will also write a quick post before I leave for WHIBSIB!! Woot!)
I so totally and completely need this weekend away from my kids. WHIBSIB is going to be such a sweet vacation. The kids have been driving me nuts today. Doesn't help that I am feverishly trying to finish the Neverending Sock in time for WHIBSIB.
I was up very late last night painting more badges--that also doesn't help my mood. But it will be SO worth it--no more forgetting names and being placed in awkward situations. Grin.
In any case--I am one more repeat away and an inch of ribbing away from being DONE with the sock--after a year...I am almost done. Of course this is making me think of the NEXT sock. Either Mic's tiger socks or a sock made from this Tofusies.
Mic's socks are easy peasy I can start right away, the tofusies are going to be made with Cat Bordhi's new sock-tecture and will incorporate lace in the arch increases. Yeah, Mic's socks are next--but I reserve the right to start the tofusies while I am still working on the Tiger socks--which will be completely stockinette---eewwww.
Three days till WHIBSIB!! (Knitting Retreat for Texan female knitters) No kids, pets, husbands! Just knitting and friends! Can not wait. I came up with a great idea to make name badges--I am doing it really because I am so horrible with names--the fact that'll help everyone else is an added benefit. Grin.
So here is what I did yesterday--I knitted a bit...I have three more repeats on the sock.
I am about half way done. I love how the sheep are turning out.
Unfortunately nothing will be done tonight (well maybe another layer of varnish), because I decided that TODAY I was going to get on my hands and knees and scrub all the nasty spots out of my living room carpet. Folks, I am embarrassed to admit that my carpet is more dirty/sticky spots than blue carpet. Now my arms are incredibly sore. I am not sure if I have the strength to knit on aforementioned sock. However, my carpet looks so much better.
I was on the couch most of yesterday and I really want to continue to sit on the couch today as well. My allergies are kicking my butt. My head is horribly stuffed, ick. I did knit a bit on my sock--I am feeling better today so I am up to more knitting than I was yesterday.
I have a little more than 4 repeats to go--and they are twelve row repeats, then of course the cuff. Here's a comparison pic of both socks.
See, almost finished. I really want them done so I can wear them at WHIBSIB. Speaking of which, here's a pic of some of the name badges I have been working on for the retreat.
All the sheep needs is the hardware and the dog still needs detail work. I bought the rest of the badges and string and such. I have a lot more to paint, but it goes fast. The plan is to drill a wee hole in the wood and then attach jump rings and the string satin cord through the rings. And voila a use-able keep sake. I made myself a bee...of course.
I am finally knitting on my sock again. Presenting the Neverending Sock!! And it's not because I am knitting tights as it has been suggested. I call them neverending because it took me forever to finish the first sock and it has taken longer than forever to finish up the second sock. Not to mention this socks go up for forever. Grin.
Funny enough in this snap shot of my first sock, I am just about in the same right no in the second sock. Perhaps when the sun rises today, I'll take a picture of the second sock for a little show and tell. (Yes it is almost 5 am here an I have been up since 4 am--blasted allergies and stupid brain)
I managed to work on the sock intermittently yesterday, while helping Anne get ready for her trip and having the kids spend some time at the library/soccer pictures.
As I mentioned prior, I am up at an obscene hour. Due to allergies, but mostly an over active brain. Last night I stumbled upon a thread in a forum on Ravelry asking folks if they have ever ordered from Birdy's Knits. It was posted 14 days ago and hasn't received any replies. So I replied to the poster directly and (hopefully) reassured them and explained that I am a new shop--so I haven't had a ton of orders--esp orders that require shipping, most of my business has been free downloads (with a few paid orders--thank you !!! you know who you are!). I also took the extra step of emailing some Rav mates and asking them, if they felt comfortable, to respond to the thread reassuring the poster that a third party thinks I am trustworthy and a maker of valuable goods. THEN I emailed folks on my yahoo email list (all friends as well) and asked if they would write some product reviews for me. Now I am worried that I over stepped or have been perceived as over stepping...does this make sense? What do y'all think? I really want this business to at least support my yarn habit (and or enable me to finally buy my OWN copies of the Barbara Walker Treasuries 1-4), but I also hope (as does Jamey) that Birdy's Knits can someday support our family.
One can hope.
I also am afraid (because I do worried a lot) how I will handle negative attention on Ravelry and on here. I do want to be popular, but with that comes also the "haters." And of course that prays upon my feelings of inadequacy: down deep a little voice says that I am nothing special and all I do is derivative works. I know the internet can really tear people up.
I's been all around yucky since this weekend. And I am not knitting as much as I like. I feel like I am knitting so slow I am knitting backwards. I don't feel Like I have made progress on anything!
WHIBSIB (awesome Knitting Retreat I go on every spring) is coming up (24 days!!) and I can NOT wait. I am hoping I can get my Neverending Socks finished. 'Course that means I need to finish the garter and Lori's socks first. I have 5 more repeats on the garter to go. Lori's socks are in time out--once again I doubt my ability to count and reason. But I have been working on the Neverending socks for so long--they ought to be finished. They are actually my first pair of socks that I started...but some how they will end up being the third I complete (4th if you count baby booties).
I've got pics--give me a few hours and you'll see some. Edited to Add: yeah it's a lame picture of the dreary sky--no knitting.
