Green

Here's a little green for your Tuesday. We've been enjoying all the things we planted. Thought I'd share a little progress pic now that it's had a little time to grow.
Even though our holiday weekend was very quiet, I did manage to start something new with some Socks That Rock (Beryl) that's been in my stash, waiting for just the right time.

Proper Pictures

First, I finally took proper pictures of the Jacobean socks for my Sockapalooza pal. I'm quite pleased with myself.

I have also finished the Borg yarn socks. Here is Trelawney:
As you can see, Natalie got new shoes this week.

See previous entries for specifics on yarn/pattern. (sorry, I'm feeling very lazy this morning)

Itchy

I need someone to talk me down off a knitty ledge today...I'm so itchy to knit these! However, I would have to buy yarn to do so. Do I need to buy more yarn right now? Uh, no. Do I have plenty of sock yarn in my stash? Uh, yes. But I've had this great idea for colors for those aforementioned socks and I just can't get it out of my head! Waaaahhh!!

I've told myself that I need to finish the second Borg yarn sock and then pick a yarn out of the stash to knit with before I can allow myself to buy more sock yarn.

Hmph.

Borgs, Bags & Baskets

Not a lot to report here so far this week. I've been busy working around the house for a change and haven't done much knitting yet. But hey, it's only Wednesday.

I do have a new sock and its mate-in-progress...no name yet. However, the yarn is the Craftborg colorway that was dyed especially for us:
I decided to try out Rosemary's Wendelin pattern and I'm very pleased with it. Mindless knitting, but yet not totally stockinette.

Thought I would treat myself to a new handbag while I was at Target this week:
The weather has been beautiful here in Nashville and all of the plants and flowers are doing really well. Unfortunately, during the time that I was away recently, one of my hanging baskets got very dry and was mostly dead, so I replaced it with this:
Since then, however, the mostly dead variation of geranium has had second thoughts and is trying to resurrect itself:
So I keep watering it. It's gotten new leaves even in the past 24 hours. Go figure.

SPS

Haven't done a self-portrait in a while and thought I'd shake things up a bit...b&w AND sans glasses. I'm so far out on the edge, I just might fall off.

This is a test

Test knitting, that is. I just had the privilege of test-knitting Anne's new Orchid Scarf and I must say, it is a very lovely knit. Simple, yet still interesting. An easy lace pattern, but not so easy that you're bored to tears. And oh yeah, I'm using Sea Silk. *swoon* As you can see, I'm not terribly far into the scarf, but this was all that was required to confirm that the pattern is good to go. Now I can finish it at my leisure. I don't think Anne has officially put the pattern up for sale yet, but watch her blog for details.
In other news, I am about to finish the last three rounds of ribbing on my second Sockapalooza socks and then I will be finished!! I can smell new sock knitting on the horizon...

Jacobean

It looks like the sock pattern is good to go, so without further ado, here it is:

Jacobean Sock Pattern

Requirements: approx. 350 yds fingering weight, US sz 1.5 circular needle for Magic Loop
Gauge: 8 sts per inch (32 sts over 4"), to fit standard women's US sz 7-9
Notes: This is a toe-up, Magic Loop pattern and assumes familiarity with these techniques.

Please note, this has not been test-knit! If anyone would like to do so, please leave me a comment or drop me an email (my email address is in the sidebar).

Slow and Steady

Progress continues on the 2nd Sockapalooza sock - just not as quickly as the first sock went. Seeing as how the deadline isn't until August, I don't think I have anything to worry about. I am, however, very eager to get the sock finished so I can delve into my sock yarn stash again.

Several of you requested that I make the Sockapalooza sock pattern available, so I am working on that! Thanks for your interest! I've got it written up, but need to tweak the format and see if I can add a picture or two - so look for it in the next day or so.

Before I started the Sockapalooza knitting, though, I did dabble a bit with some lace design swatching and since I don't really have any other knitting progress to show you, I'll give you pics of that instead. Once I get a few other things finished, I plan to knit this and write up the pattern. The question will be, do I leave it as I've swatched it here, with a basic garter stitch border? or do I branch out and attempt a lace border? Thoughts?

Pardon the scary pin job - I didn't want to steam block it.

Sockapalooza: One Down

One Sockapalooza sock down, one to go! I finished the first sock on Friday night and started the next one Saturday morning. It seems strange to have started the second sock so quickly, since I am usually prone to distraction...which leads to Second Sock Syndrome...which leads to several single socks with no mates. However, that is not an option in Sockapalooza, so I am being diligent.

Here we have the completed sock. If anyone shows any interest in the comments or by emailing me, I would be willing to write up the pattern.
A close-up:
And proof that I have started the second sock:

Socks, Soxie and Not Socks At All

I started my Sockapalooza pal's socks this week. Panda Wool plus a pattern of my own design equals hours of entertainment. I consorted with dear Barbara Walker to find a stitch pattern combo and am very pleased with how the sock is turning out! Toe-up, short-row heel, magic loop...perfect.
I also got some new yarn this week...really had no intention of buying new yarn, but I think we all know how that usually turns out. Here is Great Adirondack Soxie in the color Nightshades. It's very hard to get an accurate picture of this - I think it looks brighter in this pic than it really is:
I also started some new lace this week...the Hanami shawl, which will be for my sister. Since she has wool issues, I'm using Conjoined Creations Pastimes laceweight soy silk, which is just absolutely heavenly!! I can't even express how much I am loving this yarn. I don't know if it is just because of the fiber content or what, but it doesn't even really need to be blocked! I will anyway, of course, but you can see in these pictures...it just lays flat and does exactly what it's supposed to do. I have not steamed this and it is not stretched or held taut. It is laying in it's relaxed state.

Crazy, huh?

Poor, Poor Roddy...

A few days ago we had a heavy rain. I went out later in the day to get the mail and check on my flowers and realized the snails and slugs were back on the porch again. So of course I ran for the camera!

We are big fans of the movie Flushed Away (well, all the stuff Aardman does, really) and now anytime I see the snails and slugs outside, all I can think of is the slugs singing, "Poor, poor Roddy...flushed down his own potty..."

A New Venture

My sister and I have started a blog together. Just a general sort of blog - like an ongoing conversation between us, really. On some issues, we share a brain and on others, we're like the Odd Couple.

You can check it out here - as always, comments are welcomed:
Posts From the Edge

Morfin

Hissy, hissy, little snakey,

Slither on the floor
You be good to Morfin
Or he'll nail you to the door.
-- Morfin Gaunt, translation from Parseltongue

Yarn: Trekking XXL, color 100
Pattern: my own, toe-up, short-row heel
Needles: US sz 1.5 circular

I love this yarn. It's crazy. It's impossible to match, so you don't even have to attempt to try. The colors and the overall weirdness of it immediately made me think of Morfin Gaunt, who certainly scores high in the overall weirdness category of Harry Potter characters.

SPS

I got more dramatic hair color yesterday. I'm letting my hair grow out a bit so if it's gonna be awkward for a while, you've gotta have a little oomph so you can bear it. It's hard to tell in this picture, but the base color is quite a bit darker than I've had and the blonde at the front is lighter. I've got highlights of it all throughout, but I quite like the feature bit in front.

Cho and her un-named friend...or, All Cookie, All the Time

These are a few weeks old already, but I realized I hadn't shared the pictures yet.

Here we have Cho, for my sister:
Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A
Yarn: Claudia Handpainted in Blue Fields
Needles: KnitPicks dpns, sz 1 (but not really, they are 2.5mm)

Then we have un-named socks for my aunt's sister...just didn't feel compelled to name them since I'll never see them again:
Pattern: Hedera by Cookie A
Yarn: Schaefer Anne, color was not given on the label
Needles: beats me, LOL! I honestly cannot remember.

If you haven't tried any of Cookie's sock patterns yet, you really should.

Frazzled

The combination of returning home from two weeks away, unpacking and thinking more and more about our upcoming move has left me feeling very frazzled this week. It's like I keep thinking of more things that need to be done (which isn't so much a feeling as it is a reality). I haven't knit for days (THE HORROR!!) and I'm not sure if I will before I go to bed tonight. Just depends on what I manage to get accomplished between now and then.

However, thanks to my sister, I do have a fantastic deep red Franklin Covey Planner and I am putting it to good use. She is very involved with FC and was able to explain a lot of the concepts during our time together. So far, so good.

Speaking of our time together, my sister and I had a long weekend getaway in Chicago while I was visiting my parents. It was fantastic! We shopped, we ate, we rested and perhaps most impressive of all, we saw Wicked. It was everything I wanted it to be and then some. If you can go, GO.

I'll leave you with a picture of my sister and me. Pardon my big ol' forehead.

Yikes

Been a while, eh? I've been out of town and a proper post will be coming soon. I promise.