Juicy News

Dude. There is absolutely no holiday knitting to be found on this blog. Nada. Zip. Zero. Not now, not later.

Why, you may ask? No good reason, I suppose. Love the fam, made them scarves, belts, socks. I have no idea whether they're even being used. I guess I came to the realization this year that I don't want to force handknits on anyone, and that they may just appreciate something else.

But hi! More knits for me!

Lookie! Watermelon! And exclamation points!

This is birthday yarn from my newly knitting sister, purchased at her LYS from a local hand dyer. She said there was a sample knitted up in the shop and it looked like a watermelon, so I knew I needed to make this a very simple sock.

Perfect timing, what with the LSAT last Saturday. I cast on Friday with the plan of making a toe-up sock on my tried and true formula. Round and round. Sweet, perfect stockinette. Mindless knitting just at the right time. And two days later, we have this...

Isn't the picot cuff at the top girly looking? Smooches...I love it. Lolly pointed the way to this wonderful tutorial by Kristi on how to make a picot cuff on toe-up socks. I went with #4, putting the stitches on scrap yarn and then weaving the live stitches in with the corresponding stitch below.

But that's actually new technique #2 for this sock. See the heel? Dig it...it's my first short-row heel. I went with Wendy's generic recipe, with some help from Lucia. It wasn't making sense at first, but then the heel just started popping out.

I was really proud of one side, even though my only hole (since darned up) appeared there, but the other side doesn't look as smooth. I think it was the purl side, and it was right where the color change happened between green and white. Little white dashes appeared on the turning line. Oh well. I still love how it turned out.

Actually, I think the short-row heel was faster for me to execute than either the toe-up heel flaps I've done or the two forethought heels. I'm just not sure how it will wear or how I will like it. I've been wanting to try something new with socks, so this gives me a little confidence boost to just pick this up.

A much needed confidence boost after Saturday's test. Oy vey. After some boo-hooing and driving around for a while, I feel a little better, but not much. I just don't feel I did as well as I could have -- I got flustered, almost panicked at one point, and the test administrator threatened to count me absent after I spent 4.5 hours struggling. Oh well. It's over now.

Let's talk about yarn, shall we? It's the only thing keeping me together right now, considering my cold came roaring back the day of the test too. Since I was up in Baltimore for the test, I decided to track down a new yarn store to check out the day before the test to help me relax.

I can highly recommend A Good Yarn if you're in Baltimore city limits anytime soon. They are right on the edge of Little Italy and the Inner Harbor attractions, which is a fun area to visit anyway. It's a very small shop, and they specialize in yarns created by "local" artisans. They've expanded the definition of local across the country, which makes for a whole roomful of unique yarns.

I resisted the hand dyes, but got a great deal on some worsted wool straight from the sheep. It's made by Bemedji Woolen Mills, which has been in the same family for something like 150 years. It's not treated, so the wool only comes in natural colors. It's a great deal of yardage for the price. They had a sample knitted up in a felted mitten with a ribbed cuff, and I just have to make a pair for Oren. I also thought they would make him a nice pair of boot socks, maybe similar to ones in Nancy Bush's Folk Socks.

Speaking of my idol, I did swatch(!?!) and cast on for the Child's First Sock in Shell Pattern in Knitting Vintage Socks. I'm still only on the cuff, and I think it may take a little while to get the pattern down. But I think the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in brick will look a lot like the one in the book.

And now for the part the family is waiting for...Slim photos.

This morning while house-hunting Slim decided it was his turn to drive, of course with Daddy's coffee cup in hand. He's really such a Daddy's boy. He walked up to the apartment door yesterday afternoon, hit it and said, "Da!"

He's really such a sweet kid. I had such a proud moment the other day when both he and the Cap'n were at the park wearing their handknit hats. I DID THAT! Whoo-hoo!

The Cap'n was Mr. Domestic this weekend while I was busy testing and whipped up this little beauty on Saturday. Any guesses? The Le Creuset teapot sitting next to it is a clue, as is the fact that it was inspired by the Cap'n's favorite cookbook. Sock yarn for you, if you know. Or a knitted pair of socks, if you don't knit yourself.

P.S. The apple doesn't fall far from the trees...fell asleep reading.