A Sock-y Wind Is About to Blow

Guess whose smiling face and top-of-his-lungs screeches did not wake me up this morning?


This is my first day by myself since before Slim was born, and the first time the Cap'n has traveled alone with him. The boys and Mia have ventured up to NYC for Slim's cousin's birthday party and I'll ride the Chinatown bus up this afternoon to join them after my tour of GWU.

I love them all, and yet I can't describe to you how well-rested I feel.

It's been crazy busy around here, but my sock-knitting mojo is coming back...slowly but surely.

The first of my Law School Socks is finito. I'm hoping the 6-hour bus ride this afternoon will give me time to make significant progress on the second so I at least finish one pair for Socktoberfest and Sock-a-Month.

I LOVE THESE SOCKS! lovelovelovelovelove...These are for me and they fit perfectly. They are soft, warm and comfy. I'll put up more details about them when I get the pair finished, along with hopefully better pictures. But I do have a LSAT formal logic question for all you sock knitters out there:

If you knit one sock with yarn that stripes at randomly alternating widths, then:

1. The pair of socks will last longer than other handknit socks.
2. The second sock will be an identical twin of the first.
3. The knitter should abandon all hope of having two socks that stripe alike.
4. The stripes are set at a distance that is most pleasing to the eye.
5. You must knit the second sock with a different set of needles.

Congratulations to all of you who chose #3! In order, we have answers that are (1) out of scope, (2) 180 degree logic, (4) faulty use of detail and (5) out of scope, according to LSAT logic rules.

Can you guess that I've been spending a lot of time studying? As much as I can anyway. I've still not blocked the sweater (eek!), Slim's head is not covered with a handknit despite the colder weather, and I haven't been commenting on anyone else's blogs either.

I'm really hoping to get some more time going into November. Last weekend we made our first visit back to NC in a long time and Slim got to make his first visit to the State Fair. No fried Twinkies or fried Snickers for him, but he did like the giant turkey legs and caramel apples.

We're not planning any more trips in the next month, so I'm hoping to have more study/application time. I've still got to take some pics of the other birthday stash enhancement that I have to show you. Sex on a skein, I tell you.

But leave a late Happy Birthday comment here for my sister who just learned how to knit! Sarah has finished up her class at Yarns Unlimited, and in the grand tradition of our family who knit (the two of us), has ripped out her first class project (baby booties) to make a fisherman's ribbed hat. Sounds fabu, and I'm so proud of her already working the DPNs! (P.S. Tell her to start blogging too!)

She's starting to get a stash with birthday money and another yarny present may or may not be winging its way to her, thanks to a Sugar Bunny. And like I said, a sock-y wind is blowing: Her next knitting class is going to be 2 socks on the Magic! Loop! I hoping to finish my pair of socks on the Magic! Loop! in November for an early Christmas present. We'll have to race.

I gotta start getting ready and get out of here for my tour. I do want to make a short plug for Chrissy's new blog: I'm a Knitter and I Vote! I signed up as soon as I heard, and I'm going to try to post up there when I get back from traveling. As a new DC voter, I don't know the political terrain around here really well, but I do think it's important to get people active in the politial process.

Gotta run!

Hats! Bloggers! (No Socks)

I had my first brush with knit-blogging fame yesterday. Guess who I saw near Eastern Market?

Lolly!

And she looked fabulous this fine Socktoberfest Saturday. She looked vaguely familiar, but honestly, it was her beautiful Multidirectional Scarf that made me do a subtle double take.

She was bustling and I was bustling (down to the coffeeshop to study for the LSAT), so I didn’t get a chance to kvell over her, but I was bursting all afternoon. I saw Lolly! In person!

(Not that I would have known what to say...or even what to call her. By her real name, her blog name? What's the etiquette on this?)

The rest of the afternoon was spent analyzing my first practice test from class last week. I am so pysched about this law school idea. Now I just need to find a few more hours each day to get everything done on time.

I did find time to finish my latest hat project. But I ask you, which of these fine gentlemen is wearing a hat and which one is not?

The Stats

Yarn: Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Worsted in Midnight Green and Limeade
Pattern: Candy Dots (large size) from Cabin Fever’s Kids’ Knitted Hats pattern book
Time: Less than a week to complete
Modifications: Only 2 colors instead of 3 and no roll ridges (deemed "girly" by eventual recipient). Oh, and also top down instead of brim up with the help of Lucia's awesome guidelines.

A blog post about this project was not forthcoming when promised because the Cap’n took the hat with him on a work trip. He confirms that it is nice and cozy and is now requesting matching mittens. I’ve found this two-needle mitten pattern online that I think will allow me to get the slip stitch pattern on the top of the hand to match the hat.

For those of you keeping track, this is now the 3rd attempt at making a hat for Slim. What went wrong? Well, I went with the bigger pattern, and I think, though Slim’s head is large, the combination of the yarn and the pattern made it stretchy enough to fit the Cap’n. Who (I must say) is by far my most favorite handknit recipient. While he isn't a knitter, he appreciates the work that goes into it and asks for more. Gotta love him.

So Slim is still in need of something to cover his head now that temps are dropping. I’m going to try to the Elf Swirl pattern out of the same book because I already had some Lion Brand Magic Stripes (Lumberjack Black colorway) sitting around. I got it c-h-e-a-p on sale at A.C. Moore awhile back when I was still in love with self-striping yarn.

The advantage is it is straight stockinette for awhile (good to study with), but the disadvantage is working it on a US4 16" circular Addi Turbo, which is making the tendenitis in my left wrist flare up. There's not much needle to hold onto there.

I have more yarn acquisitions for you to slobber over, but that will have to wait til Tuesday night. It's back to the salt mines to make progress on the Law School Quest, and hopefully, the Law School Socks.

Hats Off to Socktoberfest

I promise a post with photos tomorrow of the FO hat that came off the needles late last night/early this morning. It's worth its own post.

It is strange that for Socktoberfest so far, I have been knitting hats instead of socks. I lurve socks, but I think the pressure of Sock Wars got to me a little bit. So I've been on an almost two-week hiatus.

So I thought I would answer Lolly's sock history questions to get back in the mood for sock-knitting. Here goes:

1. When did you start making socks? Did you teach yourself or were you taught by a friend or relative? or in a class?

Originally, I wanted to tackle my fear of the DPNs, so I jumped in to this pattern online. I made it through the foot, turned the heel and when I got back to the ankle, the sock was barely wide enough for Slim's 1-year-old foot, much less the Cap'n's (the intended giftee). Not sure where I read the pattern wrong. So I took my second class at Stitch DC, taught by the mucho knowledgeable Karida. She used Judy Gibson's toe-up sock pattern to get us started.

2. What was your first pair? How have they "held up" over time?

The first pair was made from Patons Classic Merino in Deep Olive for the Cap'n. I love me some Patons. Who can argue with cheap 100% wool in a wide range of colors? I used the Purled Ladder pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks for the legs, and made them as long as his other favorite camping socks. They are his favorite hiking socks right now.

3. What would you have done differently?

I'm pretty sure Patons is hand wash, and I would have made the Cap'n's socks machine washable. I think they've accidently gone through the machine, so they have felted a small bit. I also didn't really know how to bind off well, so both socks are a little funky at the top.

3. What yarns have you particularly enjoyed?

Claudia's Handpainted is really nice to work with, as is Lorna's Laces. I still want some Cherry Tree Hill and Koigu KPPM to try.

4. Do you like to crochet your socks? or knit them on DPNs, 2 circulars, or using the Magic Loop method?

I adore DPNs, particularly Brittanys and bamboo. I really hated Bryspun plastics (too bend-y) and got frustrated with havnig only 4 needles instead of 5 Boyes. My first Magic! Loop! sock project is still on the needles. Honestly I started getting ladders with Magic! Loop!, which I NEVER do with dpns. Hello. Tight Knitter here. Also, I'm trying two socks at once. So it's slow going.

5. Which kind of heel do you prefer? (flap? or short-row?)

My next sock challenge will be a short row heel. I prefer toe-up socks with what I guess you could call a backward heel flap. I did a pair of forethought heels on the Welt Fantastic socks, which came out nipply. I think there might be a solution to that, however, with the next ones.

6. How many pairs have you made?

I think six. That's pretty impressive for not quite a year of knitting, I think. I'm trying to keep up with my Sock-a-Month commitment, so hopefully there will be 3 more before year's end. I still want to finish a pair for myself. Until my Socks of Doom arrived, I still hadn't had a pair for myself. And WOW, do I want more now.

Well, that actually has inspired me to get back on my main pair of socks OTN. They are my chevron, striped Law School Socks (formerly aka Job Search Socks).

Knitting on...

Knitting From Beyond the Grave

Appropriately spooky for the month of October, this knitting blog is being brought to you from beyond the grave.

Yes, I have met my end in Sock Wars. I believe I have my original assasin, The Beav, to thank for the tweedy goodness of the yarn, Cleckheaton Country Silk 8ply, which I had never heard of before. Get thee to a yarn store that carries this 85-wool, 15-silk yarn from Australia. It is awesome.

Gartlande (my assassin's assassin's assassin's assassin -- confused, yet?) dealt the final blow (sweetened by some Dove chocolate), which essentially came at the same time as the most wonderful package from my victim. Stinky Socks sent me her unfinished socks in a lovely Regia along with the cutest matching earrings and necklace, lovely smelling perfume and lotion, a CD, and Milano (yum!) cookies. I was completely and utterly spoiled, and must say thank you to Yarn Monkey for organizing the swap.

A friend thought it was funny that we were able to take an inherently peaceful, quiet hobby and turn it into "violence." I say competition is where you find it.

Thank you again to Stinky Socks, The Beav and Gartlande for making Sock Wars so much fun. I know there were some organizational snafus, but I have had nothing but an enjoyable experience. I love my socks and my treats!

And for other treats, we have birthday loot to show off! It was a busy week for the UPS, USPS and FedEx guys delivering packages to Chez Muthaknitter.

With my dad and stepmom's gift certificate, I scored Knitter's Stash, The Art of Fair Isle Knitting and EZ's Knitter's Almanac. The Fair Isle knitting book is WOW. I find most Fair Isle sweaters to be a bit busy, but the whole history and art and tradition of them is fascinating.

With my step-grandfather's gift, I got the law school book you see there in the back. I'll just come right out and admit it: I'm studying for the LSATs and am going to apply for law school to start next fall. I am really nervous, but so excited. It's given me a goal to focus on, and I'm pysched about the idea of being in school again after almost 9 years out. Wish me luck. You know, what with actually getting in and then really going through with the idea of full-time law school, a 2-year-old and a 6-month-old.

As far as meditative practices go to keep the LSAT pressure low, I've now got a ball winder to keep me calm, yet entertained. The Cap'n ordered one for me from Louise's Studio. She sent it to me quickly and with a sweet handwritten note, so if you need any craft supplies, I can highly recommend her. Plus, you have got to check out her art quilts.

So as soon as the ball winder got here, I had to try it. As you may remember, we were decorating with yarn for awhile, so I had some skeins ready to be wound. My "swift" was still at work, so I decided to just drop the skein over my forearm and wind, baby, wind.

This is what the literature majors call "Foreshadowing."

I'll spare you the grisly shots in the middle of the winding. Not that I could have taken any pictures, what with both hands and arms completely wrapped in wool. But at last, I reached Yarn Cake Nirvana:

Ta Da! That's purty. My sister says it stripes up in the sock like a watermelon. This is where she got the yarn and also where she is taking her first knitting class!! Yay! The virus is spreading...Maybe she'll start blogging too, and then we'll be sister knitbloggers!

Finally, before I fall asleep and bang my head on the computer: Actual Knitting Content (TM)

Now that it is actually getting colder, Slim is in need of a hat that fits his big head (No, really. 19-1/2 inches around, but mine is 23") with strings that keep him from pulling it off. I dug into some longtime stash and pulled out Brown Sheep Company's Lamb's Pride Worsted in Midnight Green and Limeade. The Limeade is a lot more subtle in the hat than I was expecting, but we'll see if the cords and these ridges to be added later make it stand out more.

I was going to work on it some tonight, but it's Bedtime for Bonzo. I've got to get some rest.

G'night!

Goodbye, Truck

Slim is really into trucks now. Dump trucks, garbage trucks, fire trucks, pickup trucks. We call SUVs pickup trucks just to simplify things for him.

At 6:40 this morning, we said goodbye to the Cap'n's "truck."

Here's the Pathfinder and our Puppy Princess on Ocracoke last December. It was the first time we had returned to the island since we got married there in 2003.

The Nissan was our wedding and honeymoon vehicle. We loaded it down with everything we would need for a week of vacation, the wedding and the honeymoon. The poor puppy had just enough room to lay on top of the load in the back for the ride up to D.C., down the Outer Banks to Ocracoke and then up to Maine and back to NC (as it turned out). It's a long story.

We were going to honeymoon on the Outer Banks, but we ended up getting married between Tropical Storm Henry and Hurricane Isabel, which started rolling in the Sunday evening after our Saturday wedding. So we drove the 18 hours straight up to Liberty, Maine, where a friend let us stay at his house.

Our wedding day was the one sunny, gorgeous day in the whole week prior to the wedding. We got married on the beach under a huppah held up by our sisters. All our friends and familiy gathered close around us, and everyone got a kick out of the Cap'n pumping his fist in the air after the kiss.

Hurricane Isabel slammed the islands hard, making a new inlet on Hatteras Island, wiping out Route 12 in many places and completely cutting off Ocracoke, which is only accessible by ferry and small plane anyway. It hurt the economy there to the point where it was just starting to recover the 2005 season. But the island, and the people, are as wonderful as ever.

On the trip in December, we drove the Nissan on to the beach, which is where we got the picture. The second time we went out to the beach, we tried a new road, and when we came to a water crossing, I got nervous because it looked deep and fast. So the Cap'n backed up to try the main road again. Backed up right into a ditch, that is.

After hiking back to Rte. 12 and over to Howard's Pub, we spent the rest of the evening trying to find a tow. The one tow truck driver? He was off island. The park ranger with the tow rope? Still working on the ferry. The other guy with a tow rope? He might be back tonight. (We were due to leave the next morning.)

Finally, the waitress at Howard's says, "I think my mom can get you out." Her mom, the pub manager (?), took the Cap'n back to the Nissan with her 4x4 and made quick work of the tow. We celebrated with beer and dinner at Howard's that night.

The Nissan went with us on all of our journeys.

The Cap'n bought it in 1999, not long after we started dating. That was when I got to see the full extent of his negotiating skills. Let's just say I had to wait outside the dealership. But he did manage to get $500 knocked off the "Non Negotiable" price tag.

We strapped kayaks on top and went for our first vacation together in North Carolina right after we moved to Raleigh. We paddled near Cape Lookout and saw the wild ponies of Shackleford Banks.

We took the canoe with us and drove from NC to the Everglades for a paddle one year. We ended up getting lost in the mangroves and slept in the bottom of the canoe one night, both convinced (but not saying to each other) that one day we would float out of the swamp, nothing more than bleached bones in the bottom of the canoe. Yes, we can bring the drama.

When the Cap'n was living up here in D.C. and I was still in NC and pregnant, I drove the Nissan because my Honda had better gas mileage for his weekend commutes back home. I would jam to OutKast in the truck on the way to work every morning and feel the baby kick to the bass.

It was the truck we brought Slim home from the hospital in.

The Nissan didn't have air conditioning, so after a few short trips with a screaming, hot baby and all the windows rolled down, it just wasn't practical. We knew we needed a 4-door car with air conditioning, so the Orangemobile came home with us.

Besides, the snowy, salty winters in Akron had not been kind to the truck, and probably neither had the beach sand and salt. The rust had separated the body from the chassis, and with the potholes around D.C., you couldn't drive the truck without it sounding like it was going to separate in two. The mechanic insisted we give it away.

So that's how we ended up awake at 6 a.m., cleaning out the glove box and signing over the title to the towing company. It's a mitzvah for the D.C. Jewish Community Center, but there are plenty of other charities out there to choose from if you also have a vehicle to give away.

It was a security blanket for me, knowing the truck was there if I needed it. Especially while the Cap'n is at work. I think I've only "needed" a car 3 times in the last 4 months when the Cap'n had the Orangemobile, so there's always the Zipcar.

I got a little teary standing out there in the rain when the front end of the truck went up on the tow lift. I insisted on telling the tow truck driver about how the 1st and 2nd shifts are a little sticky, but they still work. And I forgot to mention how reverse is a real pain in the butt, but you just have to know how to handle it right.

Like I do.

Bye, truck.

October Opens Randomly

First off, a Happy Socktoberfest to you!

(I had to pick the beer stein sock button because I can't have any beer for another 5 months.)

I am working on a pair of chevron socks from Sensational Knitted Socks in a black/grey/white striped yarn, which I am too lazy to look up right now. I also have a Magic! Loop! pair on the needles in Claudia's Handpainted Caribbean Blue.

Sense a little sock ennui there?

It's actually kinda funny: Since I finished up my fastest pair of socks yet for Sock Wars, I immediately cast on for something not sock-y, thinking that I'm a little burned out on them. But I'm still cheering and rooting for handknit socks everywhere! Maybe I'll be inspired by others' socks to finish up one of the two pairs I've got going. I don't want to fall behind in my Sock-a-Month commitment.

Last night I started a hat for Slim, since it is getting colder and we can't seem to keep hats around here that fit him. I'm using Cabin Fever's Kids' Knitted Hats book that I got half price at Michael's a while back. I made a hat out of here for Slim before (my first Fair Isle project) and it turned out great, but way too big for him.

This one is a slipped stitch pattern, which I am modifying to knit from the top-down based on Lucia's awesome pattern calculator. I wanted to use up all of the yarn, and at the same time, I'm worried I may run out of one color. It's Brown Sheep Lamb's Pride Worsted in Midnight Green and Limeade that I've had in the stash almost since I started knitting last November. I originally bought it for the Alien Illusion scarf out of Stitch 'n' Bitch, only to realize I don't like illusion knitting all that much.

I did not knit on the hat at Yom Kippur services today, but committed KIP at the park this morning. It's actually an incredibly easy stitch pattern to do while walking.

But now to the actual randomness from the title of the post. Or "Things That I Want to Write Down Before I Forget."

1. Didn't you used to love how every Rocky & Bulwinkle episode had a second title?

2. The MPD officer who patrols around Eastern Market rides a Segway scooter. Do you and your significant other ever make up stories and back stories for just random people you see? The Cap'n and I do. We were killing ourselves laughing about Officer Segway (Segue) and about how he probably never finishes writing people tickets because he's off on another segue as soon as he starts. (Okay, our weird sense of humor is probably what attracted us to each other.)

3. I started to feel the baby move. Love those little flutters.

4. We tried to go to Philadelphia this weekend for the Cap'n's cousin's movie premiere. We ended up spending 6 hours in the car and not getting farther than Silver Spring, so we cut our losses and went home. This is what you get for trying to leave town at 3pm on a Friday.

5. Slim is still doing sign language and knows "more," "please," "thank you," and "bed" consistently. It tickles me to no end that he already has some manners.

6. Two packages are waiting for me at the post office. Aaiiiieee!

I know there are some more things, but they'll have to wait until I'm not tired and hungry. Progress photos on the hat tomorrow!

Mission: Possible

I had a crisis of confidence, and I wasn't sure I would make it out of the first round. But my Sock Wars target has met her maker!

Alas, poor Stinky Socks.

Sorry about the poor lighting, but the weaving in of ends kept me up past midnight. And really the socks aren't two different sizes, it was just the angle the Cap'n was shooting from. But I think Stinky Socks will like her final blow. She had a great e-death scene!

Haven't heard yet from my assassin, and had a bad scare this afternoon when the postman knocked on the door, but it was a package for Slim. I expect my death blow any minute.

Need to get some sleep. Unfortunately we're traveling this weekend, so the posts will be light.

No Doom and Gloom Here

Our internet was down for a day, and the whole time I went around saying, "I'm not dead yet! I feel much better."

I still have not heard from my Sock Wars assassin, but my target has been sweet enough to leave me emails and a blog comment. Go check out her blog and ogle her pretty sock yarn.

I'm up to the heel of my second Sock of Doom and I hope to have it done and in the mail tomorrow. Cashsoft is nice and soft, and very cushy, but I WILL NEVER knit another sock from it. The gauge is right, but my tension is really wonky and is giving me fits at the heels. Not to mention I made a mistake at the gusset last night and had to rip back four rounds, and the sock would have ended up thrown across the room behind the TV in a fit of pique, but the Cap'n saved it. The yarn splits terribly and I had to pick up each loop individually with a crochet hook and put it back on the needles. What a PITA.

(But P.S.: Isn' t the Cap'n awesome? He sat with me after he got home from work and helped me get the last few uncooperative loops back on the needles and the Socks of Doom moving again. He rocks.)

We've got a sick kiddo in the house, so we'll have to see if a Post Office visit is in my future. Last night he had a 103.7 fever and he's still out of it today. The doctor this morning did not think he had an ear infection, but said it might still come out. I think he's picked up a virus or something from the other germy kids at the park. Whatcha gonna do. He's made it 15 months incredibly healthy, so I'm grateful. But I will be glad when my happy little boy is back.

I have had a ROCKIN' 30th birthday. The Cap'n has a ball winder on order for me, and brought home Loop-d-Loop by Teva Durham. It's one of those books where easily half of the designs would look ridiculous on me, but yet I want to knit almost ALL of them. The photos are gorgeous and I am kvelling over the Fair Isle pullover knit on the bias.

Cap'n's family sent me a gift card that I used for Debbie Bliss Celtic Knits, as well as one of these. (?) I also got a gift card to buy some prego clothes for later when I get huge, too. And I still have gift cards to Barnes and Nobles and Knit Happens to use.

OK, so now is reader poll time: What yarn would you buy if you didn't have to worry about price? I am very, very tempted by some silky Alchemy yarns, but then isn't this the perfect opportunity to justify some cashmere of my very own? Decisions, decisions.

FYI, we are now decorating with yarn. I'm not going to say it's because we're out of yarn storage under the couch.

I'm just sayin'.

Thank you, Rie, for my wonderful birthday yarn!! I love it. (FYI for readers, the pink/green/cream is a superwash self-striping and the blue/green/purple is rayon. I already have a plan in mind for that one!)

When is a WIP not a WIP?

Answer 1: When it is not on the needles

That there, folks, is one big pile o' knittin' a'waitin' for blockin'. The sweater is off the needles (for now) and is about to be spray blocked. Carrie has thrown down the gauntlet to finishing the sweater and no amount of taunting will throw me off track! Haha! (How did she deduce my vulnerability to a race?)

Blocking, however, will kill me. Why, oh why, did I not have the good sense of some *people* (ahem, again, Carrie) and block each piece as I finished it??? Ask me how long it will take extra bulky alpaca/wool to dry, go ahead! I DON'T KNOW!! But I'm guessing near forever.

Nevermind. Onward and upward. Now that it's actually starting to look like a sweater, I want to wear it already. And did I mention it's fall?

Answer 2: When it is about to be pulled off the needles and completely frogged

Last time it appeared on "As the Needles Turned," the Bamboo tank top was being looked forward to as a fun summer piece to actually be worn in the summer. May I refer you to a calendar? It's September. And the tank top hasn't changed much since this photo in July.

I have to admit, I got a little discouraged. I reached 12 repeats out of 14 on the lace border then measured it to realize, duh, I haven't got gauge. I knit so tight, I know that whatever the pattern calls for, I automatically should go up a size. But for this one, because I'm stubborn, I started in with a US4. So it's to the frog pond for the bamboo to be knit up next spring when I'm closer to being a normal size again.

Answer 3: When it is on the needles but you disavow all knowledge of said project and only work on the not-a-WIP when you are alone and not around *someone* keeping track of your WIPs with a goal of reducing WIPs

Mwah-hah-hah.

In other WIP-y news, Slim got a gold star at the pediatrician's office. He weighs a grand total of 21 pounds, 4 ounces. For those of you counting, that's still in the 5th percentile. But he's about 31 inches, which is exactly average for height. So Slim keeps his nickname.

Still not walking, but the doc said she thought he would be sometime in the next few weeks. There's nothing apparently developmentally wrong with him, he just doesn't care to walk. I told her, he can crawl over to his bookshelf and sit for 10-15 minutes just flipping through his books and "reading." If I ask him to bring me the fish book, he brings me "One Fish, Two Fish." If I ask him to bring me the dog book, he brings me "Go, Dog, Go."
So I'm not worried. He'll get around to walking one day.

Baby 2 is also still growing swimmingly. I go in next week for another appointment with the midwives.

But now for a new WIP! The Sock Wars pattern just landed in my inbox.

Death to Stinky Feet!

Knit or die!

Excitement! Must Share...

Number One:

I get a call this a.m. from my mom and stepfather, who are visiting friends in Germany:

"You would not BELIEVE the yarn store we found."

Eek! I think I'm getting sock yarn. I don't even know what brands are popular in Germany, so I hope it's one that you can't find over here. Love it. Neither of them knit, but I took my mom to visit my LYS when she was here, so she knows what I like.

Number Two:

I am finally licensed to drive in D.C.

We won't go into the trauma I've had over this, but suffice it to say, I'm keeping my maiden name for now. Until I can change my passport, then update my Social Security card, then hop three times on one foot, then jump over the car I'm planning to drive, then run around the block backward, then...well, you get the idea. Let's just say job creation in D.C. starts with bureaucracy.

Now off to Slim's 15-month appointment. I had a dream he only gained one pound, so let's hope I'm wrong.

Finally! Gauge!

Sock Wars, look out!

I finally got gauge on a US7 set of Brittany needles. The pattern called for US5s, but I got the same gauge with 5s and 6s. I didn't even know that was possible...

I called the swatch done when I ran into a KNOT in the freakin' Rowan Cashsoft. Now that would have really peeved me if I was in the middle of my assassination and ran into a KNOT. Grrr.

So I still have exactly the same amount to finish with my sweater. Sigh. And I just remembered today that I have to block it. Duh. This is going to take a little longer than I have.

And I won't be able to get to SnB at Eastern Market this week, unfortunately. Well, it's not too bad, actually. I want to go knit, but instead, I'll Stitch and Pitch (OK, a little late for this season). Cap'n's work gave him two tickets to the Nationals vs. the Braves right around the corner from us, so that's where we're headed Wednesday evening.

The sweater is NOT going with me. Any suggestions?

I'm proud to say I only have three WIPs: the sweater, the never-ending baby blanket and the Magic Loop socks. I'm going to bet it'll be the socks...

One Down, One to Go

I promised myself I wouldn't blog again until I had an FO to show you. Luckily, that didn't take too long.

"Tripping the Welt Fantastic" Socks
Yarn: Heirloom Jigsaw 4ply (75% wool, 25% nylon), color 29
Needles: Boye US2, 2.75mmm (set of 4)
Pattern: Sensational Knitted Socks
From: Yarns Unlimited, Bloomington, IN
Started: May-ish?
Finished: Sept. 14

This was my first self-striping yarn, so I got excited and cast on for it right away on the first needles I could find while I was still in Indiana visiting family. And that's how I discovered that I (heart!) 5 dpns. Knitting with only 4 dpns was a real pain.

Gauge? I'm sorry? What? I cast on 60 stitches, and should have gone up to 66. These go on my Size 10W feet, but the YOs are r-e-a-l-l-y stretched out. Carrie just made some the exact same size for her much smaller feet, so mine are going to have to be gifts.

These are also my first top down socks, and since I had no idea how much yarn I would need, I only did 5 pattern repeats on the leg and foot. Which means I have enough yarn left over to probably make a third sock. Sigh.

Also I don't dig the garter stitch cuff. For some reason I found it to be pure drudgery on the first sock, and that's why SSS set in. It took me forever to cast on for the second sock.

Also, Kitchener stitch. Enough said.

Just kidding. I was so THRILLED (annoyed as shit) at all the OPPORTUNITIES (hellish moments) practicing my Kitchener stitch. Making the forethought heel (the bullseye pattern on the heel is one of the best things about the socks) meant I had to Kitchener the heel and the toe. That's 4, F-O-U-R, grafts. Ugh.

Sorry about the blurry pictures. Would you like to see one of the reasons why?

Slim learned how to nod his head yesterday, and thinks it's hilarious when I say 'yes,yes,yes,yes" really fast. He nods along until he gets all confused and just starts nodding and shaking his head all at once, around and around in a circle.

All that's left before Sock Wars is The Sweater. One sleeve, one collar and making up to go. Wish me luck.

3 Years Later...

Okay, knitting ladies (and gents), I know you'll be jealous. How many of you can say that your non-knitting spouse/partner/s.o. will sit next to you on the couch at the end of a long day of work and discuss the construction of your first sweater? And in such detail that his/her suggestions help you figure out a puzzle you hadn't been able to decipher by yourself?

How many out there have someone who will make yarn color suggestions better than you would have picked out yourself? Who encourages you to hire a babysitter and head out to SnB each week? Who will, without coercion, pick up your sock knitting books and pick out patterns he/she likes? Who BUYS you yarn more than once without any special occasion and without hints?

Who out there can say they are so lucky??

ME!

Happy 3rd anniversary, honey!!

(Plus, he's hot.) (And smart.) (And funny.)

In other news, Slim was an absolute angel today and allowed me more than an hour at the Eastern Market SnB. I had to leave when Margaret arrived, but Bryna and Marisa were still there to keep the yarny chat going. I had so much fun, I want to make it a weekly habit.

We also made an outing to Springwater Fiber to get the necessary arsenal for Sock Wars. I bought a 50g ball of Rowan Cashsoft Baby DK in Blue Boy because that was called for in the pattern, but the updated yardage given today is more than in a 50g ball of the Cashsoft. I remembered them having only one other ball of the Blue Boy, so I wanted to get it today before it disappeared.

Okay, I'll admit it, I also acquired a little something else. I couldn't help it! It spoke to me.

Doesn't your yarn whisper to you?

It doesn't?

Oh.

(Nevermind.)

A Bit of News

I've delurked on a couple of cool blogs and blurted out the big secret, so I thought I'd better share it here before you hear it someplace else...

Baby #2 is on the way.

Slim will have a little brother or sister come March 10. They'll be only 21 months apart. Aaiieeee! Are we insane?

I've been feeling tired, but mostly good. Just like with Slim, I really haven't had any morning sickness and so far I haven't run into the sciatica pain I had last time. Baby #2 has had a good heartbeat and passed his/her nuchal translucency test, so hopefully everything will continue along smoothly.

I've been desperately trying to avoid startitis on a number of baby things, both for new Baby and Slim. I have the Stripz pattern from MinnowKnits that I've been wanting to start for Slim before he grows out of the amount of yarn I bought for it (yikes). Wish I'd read this review first before getting the Manos Cotton Stria that the yarn shop recommended. I also have Miss Bea's Playtime from Rowan with a lot of cute sweaters that I think the babies will look good in.

But baby things will have to wait this fall. Instead I'm am arming up for:

Alright, yes, I am a slow knitter. In fact, this business about comparing SPM (stitches per minute) on some blogs has really annoyed me. But what I lack in speed, I make up for in enthusiasm. Wanna hear my Sock Wars song?

Okay, click here to hear the original version. But here's my version for you to sing along with, if you're a hard core knitter. We're going to "knit right to the wire!"

So I'm armed up with Rowan Cashsoft Baby DK in Blue Boy. I've still gotta swatch it, and I'm going with US6s, knowing my propensity to knit (ahem) tightly. Then I think I'll be ready for D-Day on Sept. 22 (the day before my 30th birthday!).

But before now and then, I'm busting my butt to get a couple of other projects finished, since I'm making the optimistic assumption that I might be in Sock Wars til it ends in November. I want to get the second Welt Fantastic sock done so I know I'll make my September Sock-a-Month 2 commitment. I hauled during nap time today and made it through the heel. This is what the couch looked like after:

Kitchener stitch bites. Hard. That's Knitting Know-How, Sensational Knitted Socks, Vogue Knitting, Knitting Vintage Socks, and Stitch and Bitch (from back to front), in case you were wondering.

And I still hate Kitchener stitch. These socks call for two grafts, one at the heel and one at the toe. Mine look particularly like ass. I'm not even going to show you the first sock, but here is the heel of the second.

And here is the Figure 8 cast-on from my last pair of socks.

This is why I dig the toe-up. The Welt Fantastic will be my first top-down pair out of 5 so far. But I know I need to expand my repertoire, so I'm sure I'll just have to kiss up to the Kitchener stitch like everyone else. Besides the Sock Goddess doesn't really do toe-up, so if I want to take on her patterns next, I'll just have to suck it up.

And the other project, you ask? What else is going on in Chez Muthaknitter? "The" Sweater. That's what. If you have recently joined our regularly scheduled programming, it is The Swearer (HAH, Freudian slip!) -- Sweater -- the Cap'n would like to see me in before my belly gets too big to fit into it. Especially considering I started it last January. See archives for prior enthusiasm about it.

I have the beginnings of Finishing Angst (TM), and besides, it's big yarn on big needles, and that makes my hands hurt after awhile. So it goes. Only one sleeve and the collar to go. Then the yummy Annie turtleneck is mine.

Phew. Back to knitting.

Summer in the City

There are many things I like about living in D.C., and just one that I don't.

But what I love is that there are so many cool things to do that are free. On Thursday, Slim and I ventured down to the Kennedy Center to catch a free show at the Millenium Stage. Guess who?

John McCutcheon. (Dad and Karen, I kid you not.)

I was introduced to his hammer dulcimer playing on family vacations, and love his folky music. In an hour show, he played piano, guitar, mandolin, hammer dulcimer, banjo and fiddle. It was awesome!! He does great music for kids and has a new CD out that is a collaboration with poets and authors.

I was going to try to get a photo of Slim and John together, but by the time the concert and CD signing was finishing up, Slim was more than ready to go. He was a perfect angel for the whole show, so I didn't push it.

This is Slim at the fountain outside the Kennedy Center in a pose that I see quite a lot of, particularly lately, but other people who are used to enjoying his lovely moments do not. Mouth open, (imagine screech or grunt here), pointing very determinedly at whatever he wants, many things of which he is not supposed to have.

He's making a lot more word-like sounds, but still not walking. Sigh. I know that I will look back on this time with fondness, remembering how easy it was when he wasn't moving under his own power into many more things he shouldn't be into, but....when is he going to walk?

Soooo other cool things about living in D.C....today Slim and I went to the Museum of American History to see it before it closes for two years for renovations. We took in the Star Spangled Banner and Slim got the biggest kick out of the America Moves exhibit with trains, cars, trucks and motorcycles. If it's got wheels, it's good.

What don't I like about living in D.C.?

Well, it's been a year, and I still miss NC. I gotta admit it. I miss friends and my job and the whole vibe. I just felt like I was on top of things there, and there are still some days (maybe it's the kid?) where I just struggle to keep up here.

But I'm hoping to meet some cool new knitting friends soon! I went to last Wednesday's first meeting of an SnB at Eastern Market. The Cap'n would love for me to have other people to blather at about yarn....

Speaking of, this is a knitting blog, right? I'm almost done with the leg of the second Welt Fantastic sock, and since I'm trying project monogamy for a while, there's not much else to talk about. Blah. But hopefully I'll have a pic in the next couple of weeks. That'll give me sock for September for the Sock-a-Month KAL. Yay! Unless I start knitting faster, I'm going to have trouble keeping up with my monthly pair of socks commitment.

And the Cap'n has pointed out that cooler weather is coming, and the sweater is still languishing. First sleeve is started, so must get on that...

Haha!! I'm typing this as I listen to Cast-On. I'm rather behind, so I'm only on Episode 28. Knitta Please by Mike Bryant just came on. It's a hardcore gangsta rap song about our craft. It is hilarious!

Knitta Please!

Hats Off!

An action series:

I don't wear hats, Mom.

Can't we give it to someone else?

Here, you want it back?

Yep, that's my boy. And my latest FO.

I started a baby hat awhile back with the Lorna's Laces Shepherd Worsted in Rainbow. I was trying for something lacy and airy, but it wasn't working out well. I wasn't sure how much yarn I had left after making Elongated Corded Rib socks (example to show the pattern) for my stepmother, so I was trying to be cautious.

So I ripped it back the Thursday before our trip to Indiana for Sarah's wedding and started over with the wonderful Lucia's Top Down Spiral Hat pattern. I (heart) this pattern! It's simple and easy and makes a great fitting hat. Perfect airplane knitting, too.

But of course...I ran out of yarn in Indiana.

Dum, da, da, dum...yay for Yarns Unlimited! I ran out right before the rehearsal and found some great Cascade 220 in a perfect John Deere green color. Slim actually picked it out. Nancy, the lady at the shop, was showing me the colors they had that might match the Lorna's , and Slim grabbed for the green and put it up to his cheek. My sweet little yarn snob!

So I was able to add green ribbing and a green/variegated pompom to finish off the hat in a week. It is wild to say the least. I went ahead and made the hat 96 stitches around (what can I say? we have some big heads in my family) and the colors pooled like crazy. It looks variegated in the top at the increases, tie-dyed around the body of the hat and finishes off with green ribbing. The (semi-) still shot:

Slim has a new habit: screaming. Screeching, actually might be a better term for it. I think he's getting in three more teeth, including two top molars. And he took a couple little baby steps today, not a complete walk, but almost. So I think the fussiness is a combination of both of those breakthroughs. It's been a challenge.

Other news is brewing...but more when I'm not so tired...

FFO

That's for Finally Finished Object!

The fall-colored socks are finally done. I really love the stripey goodness. This non-flash picture actually captures the colors quite well. The one sock has an orange-red band that is quite a bit brighter than the other sock. It came from the third ball, where the colors seemed brighter.

Yarn: Schoeller + Stahl Limbo in the 2539 "Hummingbird" colorway
Purchased at: Yarns Unlimited in Bloomington
Started: June 1-ish?
Finished: August 15

I used about 2-1/2 balls, and have quite a bit left over of the third ball. Maybe enough for a baby hat.

Pattern again was the "You're Putting Me On" toe-up socks with a Figure 8 cast-on and a Garter Rib leg from Sensational Knitted Socks. They're quite large, and hopefully will make a nice boot sock for the intended recipient. They are practically knee highs on me.

I am working on the second Welt Fantastic sock, which is actually my first top-down pair. I really am trying to branch out in my sock-making skills. There's the top-down Welt Fantastic and my Magic Loop Caribbean Blue two-socks-at-one-time already on the needles. I feel like I should try short row heels next.

I am drooling over Nancy Bush's Vintage Socks and Knitting On the Road, and I really want to make one of these next. I can hear the Cap'n suggesting that I finish my other UFOs first, but it can't hurt to dream, right?

Ain't Droppin' It

Y'all. I just had to let you know that last night, knitting on the Metro as the kid slept, I was able to rescue 6 dropped stitches without a crochet hook. Just me and my Boyes.

I had to tell someone, because the three other people on my train car didn't seem all that excited. Don't know why.

Slim and I had dinner last night with Grandpa B from Indiana, who is in town for a conference. Wore the little boy slap out, and I wasn't able to get much knitting done except for the little on the way home.

Grandpa is coming over for dinner tonight, but I still intend to finish those fall-colored socks before we leave out for Indiana on Thursday for sis's wedding. There will be knitting progress pictures! THERE WILL!!

Now for the big question: Which knitting project(s) should I pack for the trip?

Day. Made.

Scene is a busy city intersection where three roads intersect and several crosswalks lead from island to island where grass goes haphazardly. I'm walking the dog with the kid in the Snugli backpack, which conveniently comes with a side pouch that can nicely hold a ball of yarn. I'm working on the Garter Rib socks (v. easy pattern) as we're on our way to the park.

A woman about my age in the passenger seat of a Jetta stopped at the light rolls down her window. I can see some kids strapped in the back seat. She shouts at me, as she pumps her hand in the air:

"I know that's right! Multitask, Mom! That's right!"

My day was made.

It was a good day today. I got a chance to catch up on sleep this afternoon when the boys went to an outdoor city pool. Then the family took a walk down to Eastern Market to shop for dinner tonight.

Knitting progress photos soon!

A New Addition

I have been incredibly remiss in introducing a new member of our family. He's small, he's cute...he's June!

(Not June)

It's actually incredibly difficult to get a photo of a Betta fish in a small "Lavarium" tank. The Lavarium is an aquarium shaped like a lava lamp with different colored lights. Groovy.

June (he's named after Slim's birth month) is the same colors as the Betta pictured above. Quite beautiful blues, purples and reds. I'd like to find a yarn the same colors as June. This one looks nice! And cashmere too!

June lives on the bedside table next to Slim's crib. For a few weeks, I don't think he knew June was there. But then, one day after he woke up from a nap, I saw him cruise over to the end of his crib, stick his hand through and pat June's tank, saying, "aaah laa baa laa ah-ah-ah."

I think that means, "Hi, fish. Have you had lunch yet? Because I haven't and I think Mom should really get out of bed and feed me again."