oh my. looking back at the archives, i started these socks in the beginning of march! so, almost 5 months later, KP has his very own pair of socks.
yarn: paton's kroy sock yarn; windsor tweed
needles: US2s addi turbos, two pair
pattern: yarrow rib socks from nancy bush's knitting vintage socks
modifications: i used 72 stitches instead of whatever was called for in the pattern and i'm glad i did. KP's feet are man sized and the called for amount of stitches wasn't going to cut it. i also used a short-row heel here instead of the heel flap called for. the instructions i got from the elfine socks that i used for my sockapaloooza socks as well. i think that the next pair of sock i do i will try the blue blog backwards YO instead though. i think that it will have cleaner results.
round toe
i really like the round toe called for in the pattern. in fact, every nancy bush toe i've done so far is awesome! they fit my feet (and apparently KP's as well) like a dream and NO KITCHENER! not that i don't like the kitchener stitch but this is just all that more easy.
KP loves his new socks
when KP put them on he said, "wow!" and i just had to say, "i know, right?" god, i love handknit socks. now after seeing felicia make jaywalkers with her angel sock yarn (i have some), i want to make some too! this time i'll slap a short row heel on there and a different toe and see how that goes. but i'm not casting on for socks again till i at least make it through the second kyoto sleeve and the back. i'm disciplined, i tell ya.
ok, one more thing before i go.. lovely caitlyn is selling her cute bags and tissue holders on etsy. she gratefully sent me one of each a while back for giving her advice on her blog. i love them both and have used them several times already.
so if you're in the market for a cute bag, please stop on by her site.
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this post is severely lacking in progress or pictures, sorry to say. i actually broke down over the weekend and started working on the second sock for KP. he's been so patient waiting for these socks that i feel i should just knit on them and FINISH THEM ALREADY! i've been working on them far too long and i feel guilty when i glance over at my WIP bag and see them languishing with the clapotis. so since the last massive update i've done one more repeat on clapotis, 4" of the second kyoto sleeve, and a few inches on the second sock for KP.
on saturday, KP and i rented a car and drove up to connecticut to visit our family for the day. while he played frisbee with his brother, i knit on one of the lounge chairs and chatted with my father and mother in law. i got a little flack from one of the guests but i think that he just wanted to know more about what i was doing so after a few jabs in the ribs, he was asking about how i learned to knit and everything was ok after that. the problem with driving to any destination, though, is that i'm always the navigator and have to give directions and watch for signs AND i get car sick easily so i can't knit in the car. saturday was pretty shot knitting-wise.
sunday, i got a chance to see lisa and veronique's new, cute apartment before lisa and i headed over to jess's place for some world cup action. i must say that i'm pretty happy with my world cup participation this time around. KP and i watched almost every single game (except for that one that KP accidentally deleted from the DVR! oh well) at home after work. we managed to avoid most spoilers during the day so it was as if we were watching them live with everyone else. the univision coverage was SO much better than ABC. yeah, i don't understand a lick of spanish but at least i don't have to listen to american color commentary which is repetitious at best. i watched the last game at jess's in english and was surprised at just how bad it is! ugh. jess and her lovely husband put out a great spread of cheese, crackers, chips, dip, fruit, wine, and beer. they were great hosts and all their friends were nice to hang out with.. though i found myself surrounded by france supporters and i was rooting for italy.
anyway, i'm very VERY happy that italy won! i love italy. our trip there was probably one of the best trips we have ever taken. the people we met there were warm and welcoming, the food and wine amazing, and my maternal grandfather is italian as well. i have much to love about italy. the more i think about it though, they got really lucky at the end. if zidane hadn't flipped out and headbutted materazzi (i love the announcer in this clip.. "POUR QUOI? POUR QUOI?" jeez, what does it look like?), the french team may have been able to pull through in the penalty kicks. from what i've seen online today, zidane flipped out because the italian player was talking smack at him? give me a break! this is a professional sport filled with testosterone. if you can't take the trash talking, you might as well not play. you have to be able to turn away or tell the other player his mother is a goat. anything but give in and resort to hitting or striking another player on the field. materazzi may have insulted him but zidane should learn to control his temper.
anyway, i have a full work week ahead of me but next week, KP and i are off! we're going to visit friends and family around the tri-state area and make a trip to cape cod! i can't wait. i really need a vacation and some extended knitting time.
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into a sock!
an overexposed sock
excuse the brightness of this photo, it was the morning and i have no patience to correct things before my first coffee of the day. but, it's an actual sock ladies and gents and it fits KP perfectly! i like the round toe in this pattern a lot. it was easy to memorize and required no grafting. i sit here and can't believe this is the only project i have on the needles right now! i've been meaning to cast on for birch now for close to three weeks and still haven't had the time or energy to cat on 299 stitches. every night i get home close to 8, shower (because i just came from the gym), sit on the couch and go over the blogs i missed during the day, eat dinner, and then it's 9:30/10:00 and i barely have the brain power to watch TV much less start a project.
so over the next few days, i'm working on the kyoto pattern (i wish they could correct the massive underlining on this page.. someone forgot to close their tags!) see the yarn all balled up in the picture above? i didn't wind up all the skeins yet. i always have a feeling that i might abandon any project due to frustration before i start it and if i have to sell of the yarn then it'll look better in its original form. defeatist, no? well, i come prepared. prepared to fail and then completely happy and surprised when i don't! this is how i get through most challenges. prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
anyway, i'm planning on doing some significant changes to kyoto.
- i will not BO at the shoulders on either the front or back pieces and will instead leave the stitches live so that after blocking i can use a three-needle BO.
- once the front, back, and sleeves are all blocked and put together, i'll pick up stitches around the bottom to make the sash. i had heard from a few people that kyoto came out really short for them. this way i can try it on as i go and make sure the length is good for me. i don't mind increasing the width of the sash a little to compensate. an obi on a kimono is usually very wide, stretching from the breast to upper hip area.
- i also plan to pick up stitches around the neckline for the collar and knit those, flipping the instructions to accommodate knitting from the inside out, not outside in.
originally i was going to knit the sleeves in the round like a big tube since they have no shaping and decided against it. really, the sleeves should mimic the sleeves of a kimono and drape downward ever so slightly. the weight of the hem there should accomplish this nicely.
this'll be a big project for me! i've only ever done a small amount of seaming, and that recently on the raspberry ribbed baby jacket. but it went well and i like the mattress stitch a lot. i've never sewn in sleeves and never done a three needle bind off. but that's why i have the knitters book of finishing techniques! i love this book. it's just the right size for portability, it lays flat when you open it so you can have it near you and not need to hold it, and its illustrations are well-drawn. this and the monste stanley knitter's handbook are two keepers.
so hopefully i'll have a new project or two on the needles this weekend! if all else fails, i can always knit on grey blob #2 which wouldn't be that bad as i'd like to be done with these. i have some nice sock yarn waiting in the wings *evil smile*
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so i have today off from work! huzzah! i decided to make this weekend four days instead of the usual three because of all the things that had to be accomplished around here. saturday i had a production meeting and then carrie's bday to attend. sunday was slated for a day in the park and i even managed to twist kaitlyn's arm into coming with lovely little MJ.
kaitlyn and MJ enjoy some time outdoors
monday KP and i were off to NJ to see my family... and then wow, the THREE DAY weekend is over. so i had to put another day on just so that i could do stuff around home. and i did. i cleaned pretty much all day and finished pimping out the gallery. there were many points this weekend where i thought that i would have certainly given up on the gallery upgrade if i didn't know what the hell i was doing.. and it's a good thing that i do know what i'm doing because if i didn't i would surely have screwed this thing up and all the images would have been lost and/or broken.
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i owe you all big time. BIG TIME. it's busy in my life but that's no excuse for neglecting you for soooo long. in my defense, i've been working overtime at my day job and coming home to do freelance every night, as well as taking my japanese class and working for my production company, but it's just no excuse. i'm sorry.
... that and i lifted weights at the gym yesterday and my neck sorta hurts so i'm feeling a little battered. i decided that the only way to loosen up those muscles was to drink.. alone... during the day.. at home!
it IS st. paddy's day after all!
oops! what do we have here! those there be some finished arm warmers! and that's not just it.. i have tons more photos to show you.. so sit back and let me talk your ear off just for a sec..
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