Tour de Fleece

I've sent off my Hogwarts Kit today, which means it's OK to start another project, right?

I'm going to rule this one an acceptable addition to the list, because I'm stashbusting with the Tour de Fleece. I've been working a lot, so I'm joining the pack a little late - but maybe that makes me a backup rider?

I don't really spin much, so I'm keeping it simple. I'm going to spin the yarn to make a replica of the Gunnister Purse. We're going to Pennsic in August - my first trip in 10 years - so this may be my Pennsic knitting project. Or maybe I'll do it for the Knitting Olympics. But I'll try to have the yarn done by July 27.

I'm also making nice progress for the Dream Swatch KAL. I think I'll have to add more pattern repeats to get the full length - the consequence of stepping down a needle size, I suspect. I still really love this yarn, and this stitch pattern. I'm trying to figure out what else it needs to become - socks, maybe, or a sweater? My wrap looks like it's going to be 3.5 - 4" wide. I know it's going to need a little blocking before it's finished.

And look at this - my very own pasties! Aren't they beautiful? I received them from a generous pasties angel, after I didn't get the original set in the swap. I've also volunteered to be a pasties angel, so you'll be seeing even more pasties as soon as I get out to buy feathers. It's so easy to get hooked on making pasties - now I need to find things to do with pasties. (I know, there's the obvious - but I need other things to do with pasties!)

Wedding Planning

We've started to think about wedding plans, and I've lost track of how many times we've asked, "can't we just go to Vegas?" Our plan for a small wedding of just family and a few close friends still means 300 people, so we're finding it difficult to make plans on anything resembling a reasonable budget.

At least I've already made one important decision:

I picked out the yarn for my wedding shawl. I was at River Knits for charity knitting yesterday, and thought I might as well get started. So what I envision is something that's mostly white, accented with the green, and with a hint of the blue.


The green and white yarn is Fino, an alpaca/silk blend by Alpaca With a Twist. The blue is a treasure from my stash - reeled silk that was given to me at a rug factory in Turkey. It's in 4' lengths, so I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to incorporate it. But I've been saving it for a special project, and I can't think of anything more special.

And there's more news from home - we have a new neighbor.

We first noticed the nest a couple of weeks ago, and for the last few days we've seen babies. There seem to be three of them, and Mama Bird is nearly always with them.

The dogs are going to be on a short leash for awhile.

March Madness

Traditionally "March Madness" referrs to the NCAA basketball tourney - which may be something we at Purdue get to care about this year - but there's also all sorts of other exciting stuff going on this March.

For a start, this is Tornado Season Kickoff Week, and we had our first tornado siren drill of the year. But it's not really the most exciting week for severe summer weather, since we're still getting more than our share of severe winter weather - the umpteenth snowfall/blizzard of the year last night. We just thawed out from the last several batches yesterday, and here it is again.


More importantly, March Madness means Sock Madness - which is just eight days away! So while I haven't developed my Severe Weather Preparadness Plan, I'm working hard on my Sock Preparadness Plan. The first step is to check all my equipment, and make sure it's ready to use. So I've done that by finishing my toe socks, thus freeing a set of Size 1 needles for other uses. I've also finished these before Aaron returns, which I'd hoped to do, so I'm right on track for my sock schedule. Practice is good. I'll be wearing these socks tomorrow, for MY SOCKDAY!!!!!!


Supplies are the next step. I'd hoped to go to River Knits last night to lay in a store of emergency supplies, but, ironically, they were closed because of the bad weather. At least I was still able to buy milk and bread. But I conducted a further review (with the able assistance of my would-be Sock Service Dog) and found that I may have enough supplies already. Except for the Misti Alpaca (which I know will be needed for Sock Madness), this is all sock yarn. The good news is that I think this is all of my sock yarn. I think that's good.

I'm also gathering supplies for a second project, which I want to have finished before the Yarn Harlot comes to town. I still need to find some blue and green Sugar 'n' Cream yarn, and figure out exactly how to do an entrelac square with a nice border. Can you guess what it's going to be?

7.2 Inches

Too bad that's not a measure of a day's knitting progress!

Nope, it's a snow day. A good day to stay inside and not do anything.


Except knit. My Soxie yarn has been patiently waiting since Tuesday, so a day at home is a good day to start turning it into fish - Fiber Fish, to be precise. This is a fun little pattern.

It starts with a handful of these little dominos...


....then they get joined together in a mitten cuff/fish tail. This knitting represents a phone call with Aaron, a Peachy Keen episode of Good Eats, and a repeat of Num3ers. How's that for productive?


I'm working on a few other things, too: I made some yummy Browned Butter Oatmeal Praline cookies, I'm putting together some valentines, and I'm reading a book about White Christmas for class. I could get to like this popular culture thing!

Progress towards that "clean apartment" goal? Not so good. But finishing knitting projects is sort of like putting things away, I think. And starting is sort of like finishing.

Old Socks, New Socks

What's the best way to celebrate the New Year? With socks, of course!

My Christmas socks accompanied me to a New Year's Eve party, and while I wasn't knitting exactly at midnight (you can't knit and hold champagne), I came pretty close. (Yes, that's an otter in a Santa hat next to the TV. The hostess has something of an obsession.) In spite of the scary weather, we said a festive (and fibery) goodbye to 2007.


The Christmas Socks are progressing nicely, and may even be done by 12th Night. I finished the first one while in Georgetown, and did a little work on the second on the trip home. I might have had more progress to show, but I spent yesterday at River Knits helping Elizabeth the Enabler do inventory. Sure, it was a fun day, and sure, she promised pizza and yarn credit. But we all know her real purpose was to lure us in to touch all the yarn. I think my wish list may have grown a bit. Anyone know what Alpaca Silk is good for?


Today it was time to ring in the new, also with fiber. I was up in time for the Rose Parade (something I never managed when I was younger - I guess I must have partied more seriously back then), so that allowed a nice block of knitting time. I believe the sock is enjoying the performance by the University of Illinois marching band here. I'm sad that the Fighting Illini didn't walk away victorious, but it's not as if the Big Ten can ever expect a fair fight in a Rose Bowl.


The first socks (the first-started socks, anyway) of 2008 will be a new set of toe socks, made from the Regia Silk yarn Aaron brought back from Germany.
These self-patterning yarns are always a fun surprise; this one has a lot less black and white than I expected. They'll be on hold while I finish the Christmas socks, but I should have them done before Aaron returns from his next trip - I cast on the last pair while I was going out to visit last October, and finished the first sock a week later, on the flight home. I just love the idea of having silk toe socks!

Getting Ahead

I may have a lot of works-in-progress, but now I'm ahead of schedule for the July/August Sock Club! I'm going to miss the meeting, so I'm using that as justification to go ahead and get started - besides, I haven't started a new project for several days now.

The July/August sock comes from Elizabeth Zimmerman's Knitting Around. River Knits is featuring Elizabeth Zimmerman this summer, with several classes and discussion groups, so of course I had to buy the book! And I may fall in love with the projects, too.

I know I'm in love with the yarn. This is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Seaside. All to often, Lorna's Laces yarns look so promising in the skein, but then stripe in some horrible way when knit. This one is proving to be a pleasant surprise, with a very interesting pattern.

The sock is a Moccasin sock, which will have its sole knitted in a different color. I just started it today, and look how far along I am! Some people may be getting Moccasin Socks for Christmas - any excuse to buy more of this yarn is a good one!

Something Fun, and Something Funny

There was a new project waiting for me in yesterday's mail! My ply-split braiding kit from Linda Hendrickson arrived, so of course I had to stay up all night playing with it.

Ply-split braiding is a traditional technique that's fairly new to Western textile geeks. A braid is made with several twisted cords, which are drawn through each other between their plies. It makes a firm, flexible fabric, and can be done in all sorts of shapes. The Star Ornament here is from Hendrickson's book, Great SCOT!, and she also sells a nifty little kit with all the cords you need to make an ornament. The little spiral design is from my kit leftovers, and its pattern is explained on Hendrickson's webpage.

At $5.30, the kit may seem a bit expensive for a handful of perle cotton cords. But I think it's well worth it for a first project. Good cords make the work so much easier. I want to make my own cords so I can work through some of my thread stash, but for the first time around I'm glad I only have one thing to screw up.

The book itself sells for $8.00, including shipping. She doesn't do phone or credit card orders, and doesn't do rush shipping - although she mailed mine fairly quickly, and e-mailed to let me know it was coming. I'm very happy with the book, although I'm not sure if everyone would be. If you prefer learning in person, it might be better to let the book supplement a class. There are a lot of "do this like you did before" instructions, which means you have some reading to do if you just want to pick a first project at random. But everything you need is in there, and if you're more inclined to work through the book everything would go more smoothly.

Here is what I learned about ply-split braiding:

1. When making cords, tension is important. You must be able to keep the cords under fairly firm tension while you're twisting them, or they'll twist where you don't want them to.

2. While it's possible to make cords with a hand drill, it takes a long time. In the future, I'm pulling out the power drill.

3. You don't need much counter-twist. The yarn takes care of that itself; you just have to control it.

4. A latch hook (for drawing cords through each other) isn't necessary, but it makes things go faster.

5. Very sticky tape for the ends of the cords is good, but you can get by with anything. Even knots are OK, although they slow down working.

6. Having your yarn licked by a dog at any step of the process makes it more difficult to use.

This ornament represents, at most, a couple hours' work. I suspect it was really much less, but I spent so much time making more cords that it's hard to be sure.

My only criticism of the book is that there's not enough of it. There are so many neat projects to be found on-line, and I want to know how to do all of them. Fortunately, Hendrickson offers a remedy, in the form of a nice collection of basket kits and patterns. I'll probably be ordering one of them soon.

In other news, I can finally let the truth out about my SP10 Secret Pal. I've been spoiling The Other Amanda, of Have Yarn, Will Travel. Out of the 700+ participants in Secret Pal 10, I got paired with one of the few knitters I know who's moved away from Lafayette. It's hard to be secret when you've been at the same sock club. I'm glad Amanda finally found me out, since it's been hard to keep quiet on something this funny.

I'm also amused to note that I had two Amanda-pals this summer, thanks to the Hurricane Sock Party and Clothesknit Amanda.

So now I don't have any exchanges going except for Sockday club, and the next sockday isn't until August. That leaves me more time to start new projects, right?

New Socks

Just in time for Sock Club, I've finished a pair of socks. Here are my Braided Rice Socks, made with Louet Gems. I love these socks, and I'm sure I'd love them even if they weren't designed by my friend Michelle.

The bits of leftover yarn will joint the leftover Cherry Tree Hill from my Entrelac Socks to become Monkey. I already cast on, while I was waiting for my pictures to upload.

Elizabeth's Sockday

Today was Elizabeth's sockday, and I finished her socks just in time! These Turkish socks are made with Dale of Norway's Falk yarn, using my own pattern. I'm toying with these diamond motifs for Turkish socks, hoping to come up with a system that gives a lot of flexibility for pattern design, but cuts back on the need for swatching and charting. This time, I knit both socks at once, so I wouldn't run out of yarn. I'm really happy with the way the colors worked together, especially since I'm not even sure why I had some of the colors here.

We gathered for the sockday at O'Bryan's Nine Irish Brothers, a new bar in Lafayette. The restaurant was kind of disappointing - if I think the food portions are too small, that's a bad sign. I might go back, just because there was a dessert I would have tried had it been better described - a mint chocolate pie that came across more like one of those disgusting "death-by-sweet-cheap-chocolate" concoctions in the waitress's description.

There were 7 pairs of exciting socks there, plus the ones everyone was working on. I'm sure pictures will appear soon.

And, as promised, I cast on Sidewinders as soon as I got home. This project started with a swatch - only the third one I've ever made. I'm a little concerned, though, that it won't do much good...this doesn't really look like it's meant to go 1/4 of the way around my foot, does it?

This is Part I, with a beginning of the toe shaping in Part II. The toe shaping doesn't show because it's being held down by the yarn, since the whole sock really wants to curl. I'm using a Regia 4-ply sock yarn (Brazil Color) that was a Secret Pal gift from Elizabeth - how's that for a way to celebrate her sockday?

Come on Down!

Normally, I'd feel like a real slacker if I spent my mornings watching Daytime TV. But this Friday, Bob Barker retires after 35 years of hosting The Price Is Right. Who doesn't get nostalgic about Bob Barker? I'm feeling a special kinship, not just because I had my pets neutered, but because his last show airs on my birthday - does that mean that The Price Is Right has been on as long as I've been alive?

So I decided to commemorate this with a new knitting project. (Actually, this is just a handy excuse for a project I've been itching to cast on.) In honor of one great television personality, I pulled out the yarn named for another - the "Ed Sullivan" soysilk from Conjoined Creations. I decided some time ago that this yarn was destined to become the Yarn Harlot's Snowdrop Shawl(.pdf pattern), so it was just a matter of casting on that one measly stitch and getting started. Which I did. Four times.

So this is the result of two days' work, but it's only one day's progress. I didn't think I needed lifelines until I was fairly far along. I was wrong. But I like the way the pattern is working out, and the repeats in this yarn are short enough that nothing wonky happens with the color.

For this week, I'm only going to knit on the shawl during The Price Is Right (I did squeeze in a little knitting during Alton Brown last night, but that was making up for all the mistakes). I'll see how many snowdrops I can make before Bob reminds us to help control the pet population one last time.


In other news, now that she has her box, I can reveal that my Hurricane Sock went to Amanda of Clothesknit. Amanda has three children, and she homeschools, so I don't know how she has time for knitting. Then again, if I had three children, I'd never wind my own yarn balls again! It was loads of fun to shop for Amanda, and I hope she won't have to test any of the supplies in a real hurricane. I'm also collecting things for the final package for my SP10 pal, so I hope she'll be pleasantly surprised.

And last, I've had to add to the Knitting Goals list. #19 is reasonable enough - my Hurricane Sock (I'm calling it the "Nile sock") needs its mate. But #20 is pure indulgence. I just saw Nona's Sidewinders sock, and I must join the fun. I know exactly which yarn I'm going to use. I'll start this as soon as I finish Elizabeth's socks - and I may even swatch, since Nona says it's important. So I've finished two goals, but added two more. This could be a bad trend.

Tofutsies

I may be trying to avoid buying yarn (yeah, I know it's not working), but I haven't made any promises about not starting new projects. That's a good thing, since today I found myself inside on the phone while all my in-progress knitting was outside, waiting to be brought in.

So the only thing to do was grab the yarn within reach, and cast on another sock. This is #4 on my Knitting Goals list, Tidal Wave socks from Tofutsies. These are the May-June socks for sock club, but I'd been trying to finish other projects and hadn't started mine yet. The sock progresses quickly - one nice long phone call saw me through the ribbing and two pattern repeats, out of 5-6 needed for the cuff. So I just need to talk to Aaron more - a lot more.

One ball of Tofutsies makes one pair of socks. There are two balls here because I'm showing off - the blue stuff is my door prize from Boot Camp for Socks. Free yarn is hard to beat - and it doesn't count as buying yarn!

Knittin' on a Jet Plane

Here's the result of the nearly eight-hour flight from Philadelphia to Bremen. U.S. Airways has the absolute worst airline food I have ever encountered, so there wasn't much else to do. I'd wanted to work on my Braided Rice Socks, but found out midway through that they required the Size 1 needles that were both packed in my luggage and in use for my Entrelac Socks. So I had no option but to cast on a new pair. It's important to keep two knitting projects in your carry-on bag.

This is my hand-dyed yarn from the Fleece Fair, being turned into a pair of socks. The sock pattern is a modified one from Sensational Knitted Socks, although I wonder if I should have modified it more, since it's spiraling. But I'll see what happens. It's a fairly simple ripple pattern, just enough to give some texture to the patterned yarn. I think I like it.

Hurricane Socks

I've finally decided - and committed - to my Hurricane Sock project. Unlike both my SP10 links, I don't seem to have much in common with my Hurricane Pal, so she's been something of a challenge.

When I'm buying Christmas gifts for people I don't know well, I often get something I like, knowing that at least that way I can vouch for its quality or coolness. So that's the plan here - I'll be doing the Broadripple socks from Knitty, from some Regia Crazy Color yarn. Since I grew up in Broadripple, it seemed like an appropriate choice.

And Hurricane Pal, just in case socks named for my hometown don't sound cool enough, I'll note that David Letterman grew up there, too. Perhaps I'll take the socks around to visit his old haunts and give them a celebrity connection!

Fleece Fair

I just attended my first-ever Fleece Fair, the newly-renamed Fiber Event in Greencastle, Indiana. I don't ever want to wake up at 6:30 am again, but I may decide the fleece fair was worth it.

I rarely take craft classes. It's just as easy to learn from a book, and it's cheaper and easier to schedule. But there's that get-off-your-butt-and-try-this benefit that a class offers, so I took a class in dyeing sock yarn with Yvonne Clifford and Mary Ann Cripe.

This is the result. Two skeins of my very own hand-dyed sock yarn. Which will soon become two pair of my very own hand-dyed socks. Now I just need to start spinning yarn in useful quantites, and I can feel very hands-on.

It was really a pretty simple process. We soaked skeins of yarn, laid them out, applied dye with squirt bottles, wrapped everything in plastic wrap, and microwaved the yarn to set the dye. The big advantage to taking the class was that none of this was my equipment. The instructors brought the equipment, dyes, and even tablecloths with them, handed out the yarn, and then took it all away. They even did most of the cleaning up. So I don't have to have a dye powder collection, or a dedicated dyeing microwave. The only thing that's entering my home is the sock yarn.

The only thing from class, anyway. It's not a fiber event without shopping, and 2.5 hours of driving and a pre-dawn wakeup for two skeins of sock yarn would be terribly unprofitable, no matter how excited I am about the yarn. But I'd resolved to restrain myself, and I was almost successful.

I'd printed out the patterns for many of my wish-list projects, so I could shop with a purpose. As it was, I only got one thing from the list. This Briar Rose Fibers yarn (with the irresistible name "fourth of july) is destined to become a Clapotis scarf.

I've never heard of Briar Rose Fibers before, but everyone else seemed to be very excited about their presence, so I'm very optimistic about this yarn. If I can keep it away from the dogs.

Then my resolve broke down. Not only did I venture off the list, but I broke the "don't buy yarn unless it's for something" rule. I have no idea what I'm going to do with this. I have no idea what I can do with this - it's beyond fine at 530 yards to 50 grams. But isn't it beautiful?

It's Conjoined Creations Pastimes yarn, 100% soysilk, in the "Ed Sullivan" colorway. I've never seen anything like this before. It feels really good too. But is it good for anything?

In my defense, the vendor, Weaver's Loft, was the only one selling desperately-needed weaving tablets, but it seemed rude to make her run a credit card for $10. And I knew using the convenient on-site ATM would be a bad idea.

And here's what I came home to. Oscar, caught in the act trying to turn a glass candle holder into a chewy toy. I guess I squandered all the good-dog time that yesterday's camp visit bought me.

Gray & Pink

It's an icky day. It's cold, and rainy, and started much too early. We're supposed to get an inch and a half of rain today, and be 20 degrees below our normal high. This is not good news. The only thing that makes this morning look nice is the expected thunderstorms, and the possibility of snow for tomorrow.

It's definitely not the sort of day when you want to go out and do anything. The poor dogs try to go out to play, and come back in soaked. I come back soaked, too. My feet are cold even through my nice warm Tiptoe socks.

I offer Max's picture here, because he's better at looking glum than anyone else. This is what he looks like when he's just been fed and played with.

A nasty gray rainy day, at home, after being up too late, cooped up with two rowdy bad dogs. What's a girl to do?

Cast on new socks, of course! These socks are made from some of my Fancy Image Yarn of the Month. These are socks with a purpose...socks that will accomplish a good thing and an amusing thing.

The good thing is that these are a contribution to River Knits' charity knits program. They'll be donated to Children in Common, an organization which provides handknit items to Russian orphanages.

The amusing thing is that these socks will get us one step closer to the Sock Club's Sam in Pink appearance. Sam hates pink. Really hates pink. But she's agreed to wear a pink "Boot Camp for Socks" t-shirt in public if everyone in the Sockday club donates a pair of socks to Children in Common. So I'm just doing my part to bring a little more pink into the world...which may be an antidote to this icky day.

Resolution

is not one of my strongest character traits. I'm trying to finish things. I'm trying to cut down on the number of socks in progress. I'm trying to get Elizabeth's socks ready for her sockday, and get caught up on sock club. I was sure I wasn't going to cast on any new projects.

Then I realized that Elizabeth's socks will use yarn that I'd also planned on using for my Mosaic Garter socks. The whole point of colorful socks is to use lots of yarn bits, but I still want co-ordinating, even matching, socks. I have many plans for socks which will use each others' leftover yarn, creating a giant interdependent sock collection in progress.

So I was really left with no choice, but to drag out nearly every single color of Falk yarn I own...











and to cast on another sock.

Don't worry, Elizabeth, this is not your sock.













These are your socks.

The Seven Row Itch

I think I'm fairly loyal in most of my relationships. Aaron and I have been dating for seven years. I've been here at Purdue much longer than I should. I stayed in my last apartment for six years. Every time I pack a lunch, it's the same thing. I get together with my friends from High School whenever I can. And I still drive an '89 Honda.

But it turns out there's a fickle portion of my heart, and it's for socks. Six pairs of socks in progress is no deterrent to starting another....sock club makes a fine excuse. And I give my heart away so easily. Yesterday morning, I was hooked on entrelac. My entrelac socks went everywhere with me. Few things made me happier than the joy of completing another little square. I modified my knitting style just to accommodate these socks.

By last night, everything changed. I cruelly brushed aside the entrelac, in favor of a new woolen partner - the Braided Rice Socks. I only got to spend 45 minutes at Sock Club, but that was enough time for a relationship to develop. Just a few rows into the ribbing, I couldn't wait to see how the cables were going to turn out. All of a sudden, blue Gems rather than green and yellow Cherry Tree Hill occupied my thoughts and dreams. I packed my bookbag for work tonight with no fewer than three sets of socks in progress, so I can go wherever my cheatin' heart wants to take me.

So far it's taken me through three repeats of the pattern, and several periods of fondling the cable and enjoying the stretchiness of the rice stitch. But while this sock is lovely, it's a high-maintenance friend, requiring close attention and large time commitments. If it's left hanging in the middle of a pattern repeat it looks all warped and twisted, so this sock doesn't tolerate distraction (like actual work) well.

The Entrelac sock, on the other hand, is the friend who will take you out at the last minute for a pick-me up. Five minutes of knitting is enough for it...it doesn't complain. And dumping it back into the knitting bag won't endanger the relationship, as the small blocks mean the stitches stay on the needles quite nicely.

By tomorrow, the competition for my attention won't matter, as I'll turn to social obligations and Elizabeth's socks. The only other sock that will get any work then is the go-anywhere and do-anything Fascine Braid sock, which maintains its fidelity and its independence with a single ball of yarn, an easy pattern, and by working on two circular needles. But I'll probably have to keep in touch with everybody else.

Entrelac

When I was younger, I loved to run through the woods at night. It was sort of an act of faith - you just had to keep going, confident that the path would be there. It was also something of an act of necessity, since the police didn't like us building campfires in the public parks in the middle of the night, but that's another story.

Knitting entrelac is like that....the faith part, not the police. You just have to plunge blindly ahead with the pattern, ignoring what the knitting actually looks like, and somehow it all works out. At least I think it will all work out.

Sam, one of the Sockday knitters, decided she really wanted to make Eunny Jang's entrelac socks from Interweave Knits, and somehow that turned into a proposal for a knitalong. So I gave in to peer pressure, bought my yarn, and decided to learn entrelac. We got together yesterday at Debbie's for a cast-on party, and this is the result. I did a little work once I got home, so in about four hours of knitting I managed to cast on the toe, do my base triangles, and get in two rows of rectangles. I'm trying to break out of my blue-purple-green color fixation, and work with something different, so this color combination is an attempt to do that.

As it turned out, Sam and I were the only ones brave enough to start on the socks. Michelle and Amanda were our local entrelac experts, but they both left early. Amanda's on a lace knitting kick this year, so she was only along for the company, but Michelle started and abandonded a pair of mittens. Elizabeth is working on a nice felted bag, and Debbie started her entrelac adventure with Knitty's Danica.

There's some concern that Sam's name will become a curse word in the local knitting community, and I'm not making any promises that it won't yet. I question the wisdom of trying to knit an entire pair of socks in six-stitch blocks. But I may be pleased with the results, and I know I'm falling in love with the Cherry Tree Hill yarn. So we'll see what happens.

Ready for Sock Club

Tomorrow is the September Sock Club meeting, and I'm ready to go!

These are the July-August socks, Michelle Ogden's own River Ripple pattern. Mine are in Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sport, in Tahoe.

I'm very glad I got the picture of them. Right after I took this, I put the socks on. Right after that, I had to chase the dogs through the woods and got the socks covered with burrs. I don't know if they'll ever be the same again.



Now I'm all ready for the September-October sock. This month's theme must be "beaded knitting," because we'll be doing the Beaded Swirls pattern from HeartStrings. This is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, in Embers, with some beads (168 of them, to be exact) I bought in Indianapolis.

I'm not sure how much of this sock I'll get done, since I only have two weeks to finish my socks to take to Germany!

New Projects

According to Secret Pal 8, we're supposed to do blog posts once a week. I've been slow to update, largely because I've had a hard time getting pictures - and who wants a blog without pictures?

But I can report that I've started two new projects (yeah, so much for cutting back). One is the "Folds of Function" pocket pouch from Folk Bags, which may wind up on my list of must-have knitting books real soon now. I'm using the skein of Lucy Neatby's Celestial Dreams Merino that I bought awhile ago. There's supposed to be enough for a pair of socks in one skein, but I don't believe it. There's definintely enough for a bag.

I've also taken to doing some sewing from Patchwork Puzzle Balls. Right now I'm working on a tesselating Zs pattern for the soon-to-be Dr. Z. It's a surprise, so a picture will have to wait.