May 31, 2007

Jaywalkers on Vodka

I know, I am SOOOOO behind the curve. This is my first pair of Jaywalkers (and I assume no one needs the link to the pattern). The yarn is Yarntini Cosmopolitan from Pure Knits.

I added the picot cuff and knit the small size on magic loop rather than dpns. Otherwise there were no modifications - well other than that one heel thing. I compensated for the slight variation by knitting the second sock just a bit shorter so the toes would be the same (we're talking an 1/8 of an inch or so).

And I ended up with just a bit of yarn left over

I'm pretty pleased with how they turned out, and I'm really pleased to be able to say I finished a project. Finally.

Posted by Stephanie at 7:06 PM | Comments (23)

May 21, 2007

The Cure

When life is looking crappy because your knitting isn't going anywhere, the best medicine is a sock. I believe the Yarn Harlot said something about socks for the soul (it was in one of those really funny books - Knitting Rules maybe. Well, she knows what she's talking about. I worked at the yarn store Friday afternoon and Saturday and Butterfly didn't seem like the best choice for in-store knitting, so Jaywalker got the call. It's amazing how much you can get done on a sock when you dedicate 10 hours or so to it.

And what is it about turning the heel that makes you feel bullet proof? I just get giddy when I get to the heel flap. It's like proof that all that knitting around and around is actually going somewhere. Oh, speaking of the heel - apparently I can't count. The pattern calls for a 2 row repeat 16 times (for the small size) (one repeat and then you do it 15 more times) - that means you should have 16 chain stitches on the side of the heel flap (at least I think that's what that means, but at this point I'm willing to admit that I don't know anything about knitting in general or socks specifically). 32 rows has either shrunk dramatically between the first and second sock (it's possible this is the case - black holes do that to your knitting) or I can't count because the two heels are not the same length.

If I were a good and dedicated knitting I would rip one sock out to the heel flap and reknit it. I AM NOT. I don't care if they're self-striping and it's obvious that they aren't the same. I don't care that one sock could potentially fit better than the other. In the face of the lack of progress on Butterfly, these socks are staying exactly like they are and to hell with anyone who feels the need to point out that they don't match. So there.

Today and tomorrow I'm off to DWUI school. I get to learn how to do field sobriety tests (and I think maybe learn to recognize the affects of various drugs). I don't think they're going to provide me with free beer so I can see how well I'd do on the walk and turn test, but it should be fun anyway. Jaywalker is coming along in my purse, but I'm not sure how much knitting time I'll have. At this point I'm just happy that I made some actual progress on something I'm knitting. God bless socks.

Posted by Stephanie at 6:07 AM | Comments (21)

April 17, 2007

Back From the Edge

I apologize for my very long (too long) absence. I went out of town and then took some time to recover and be a hermit, but I'm back now. Thank you all for e-mailing and asking if I'm ok. I'm fine and I'm sorry I worried you. I'm having a hard time getting into a routine, but I'm going to do my best to make my blog (and your blogs) something I give a little time to every day. I didn't realize how much I like reading your blogs and knowing what's going on with your lives, until I quit cold turkey. So, no more of that crap. I'm trying to decide if I have the stamina to catch up on all the back-blog reading in my bloglines, or if it would be better to just start with today. I may have to just start fresh because the 399 feeds is a little scary.

In my absence I helped my mother-in-law paint her living room. We painted and painted and then rearranged furniture and bought some more. Now, she's getting new carpet installed and she'll have a whole new room.

I spent last week helping my mom knit her first sock and baking up a storm. I made some honey wheat bread that didn't turn out as well as I'd hoped, some cinnamon rolls that are so sweet you'd swear your teeth were going to fall out (Travis loves them), some chocolate chunk cookies (I think I finally figured out how to make cookies at this altitude), and the ever-popular peanut butter granola from Lolly. And of course this week I've been eating all the goodies. It's been terrible for my attempt to eat better and get in shape. I've been running a bit, but the weather around here has been crap - cold with a warm day thrown in every once in awhile just to tease me, and I'm definitely a fair-weather runner. You won't see me out running when it's 20 degrees and snowing. No sir-re.

The other thing I did last week was finish my first Jaywalker. I love that the stripes on the Yarntini worked out so well and that the sock fit. I stressed about the size for an entire evening - going back and forth between being sure it was too big and then just as sure that it was too small. Luckily, it fits great.

I cast-on for the second right away, in an attempt to avoid sss, but I only have a few inches finished. I've actually been feeling the pull of Butterfly, so I may pick her back up and see how far I can get on her before my brain fizzles again.

I hope you all are doing well and I can't wait to catch up with you. Have a good week.

Posted by Stephanie at 9:21 AM | Comments (31)

March 12, 2007

Fairy Cakes

I know, I missed Eye Candy Friday. But I have a good excuse. I went to lunch and went shopping. I was pretty good - didn't buy much (I did hit the sale at Gap Body, but what are you going to do). In knitting news, I started a new sock. I have projects that still need to be finished, but a girl has to have a sock on the needles. It's one of those knitting rules. I'm sure it's written down somewhere. Anyway, I have finally started a Jaywalker. I know, I'm probably the last knitter in blogland who hasn't knit these socks, but what can I say. I was waiting for the right yarn and the right time.

I decided on a picot hem and magic loop. The yarn is Cosmopolitan from Yarntini (purchased at Pure Knits) and I'm quite pleased with how it's striping. We'll see how it goes from here.

The other thing I did this weekend was play with my new cookbook - How To Be A Domestic Goddess. I love this cookbook! Saturday night I made Fairy Cakes (aka cupcakes)

I also made some banana bread. I wanted to try the recipe because it's a bit different from my usual, and I like it. It's very moist and I like the golden raisins in it. Anyway, this is a great cookbook and I'm trying to decide what I want to make next.

Posted by Stephanie at 10:02 AM | Comments (31)