Socks for One and All

In my last post, I disclosed that I'm making myself a pair of socks. In an attempt to use every last bit of yarn, they are knee-highs, and so, taking a little longer than I thought. I do have a finished object for you though:

Boyfriend Socks

Pattern: Boyfriend Socks by Alice Bell
Yarn: mystery alpaca yarn
Needles: US 1
Project page


I am a sweater knitter, as I'm sure I've mentioned before. I tried to talk John into letting me make him a sweater, but he doesn't wear them. He's very athletic and always hot, so he has no need for them, even in a bitter Midwest winter. I finally talked him into a pair of socks after one of the ladies I knit with on Thursday nights at my local yarn shop gave me a few skeins of sock yarn she had begun to make a vest with. I chose the pattern because I liked it a lot more than the standard ribbed sock we are always knitting our men. It was kind of a pain in the end, but so rewarding! He loves them and can't wait to wear them this winter.

John's complaint with the first try (there were three, the third was successful) was that the top of the foot was too tight, so I had to add a gusset. I don't have enough sock experience to know how to do that, so I faked it, but it worked. It looks wonky on the limp sock, but when he wears it, it's great! I promised him a pair of less formal socks. They'll likely be from the same yarn since I have so much of it. I don't want to say I've caught the sock bug, but I certainly appreciate socks more than I used to. Next week I'll show you my incredibly long Fomalhauts and maybe I'll have a new sweater started for WIP Wednesday.

I know I promised John would post about his fish last week. I take the blame for that because I was moving (pretty much done now, yay!) and was too busy/lazy to transfer pictures to his computer. :) We'll move my pictures of the fish from my computer to his this weekend. He got a shipment of beautiful angels yesterday that I know he's eager to share. :)

For more FO Friday posts, as always, got visit Tami!

As Promised...

A knitting post. :) I meant to post a work-in-progress post on Wednesday and a finished object post on Friday, but I got sucked into moving and was also a little lazy when I finally did stop and rest. We're almost done moving, which is a relief.

Briefly, before I run off to bed, here's what I'm working on intently: starry socks. :) I took pictures of all the Stellar Sock Club yarn I've received and failed to share (shame on me!). I'll have to share the love this weekend or sometime next week.

The colorway I'm knitting up is Fomalhaut. It's the second one I received after Orion's Nebula. I knit up one sock in the beautiful pattern that came with it, but it was really just too frilly for this tom girl. Instead, I chose a vanilla sock pattern (it's actually called Vanilla Sock!) and, since a bunch of beads came with the sock yarn, I integrated them into the leg randomly like a...constellation, I guess. I hope to have the pair done by Friday, so I'll share then.

I've got to get to bed! Big day tomorrow! Thanks for stopping by!

The Bunnies

We got them moved in Wednesday. They have been semi-confused for at least part of every day since, until today. John has taken to letting them out to run around and is slowly realizing that every time they get out, they get harder and harder to wrangle back into the cage. Curiously, my little Sweetpea (who has always been the easiest to wrangle) is causing us the most trouble with her walkabouts. She's just so hard to catch! Usually, if we follow her around, she'll get spooked and run back home, but for whatever reason, she's not doing that lately. Silly bun.

I have learned much about my bunnies during these explorations/escapes (sometimes they are permitted, sometimes Sweetpea just breaks for it). I have learned that Spike has a moral conscious. He knows he is not allowed to leave the cage unless I permit it, so he won't, even if Sweetpea has managed to run off. He is never happy that he can't leave, so he will push at the door, but he won't leave, even if a sufficient-sized gap should present itself. Sweetpea, on the other hand, I have always had a hard time figuring out. I like to say she has no moral conscious because she does just take off time and again, no matter how many times we protest and chase her. I really believe, however, that she is an evil genius. She spends her day staring off into space, looking and acting rather ditsy, but she can escape from ANYTHING like nobody's business! I think she just knows that the stupider she looks and acts, the more we will discount her, and the more trouble she can get into! She's so good at it, though, (if that is the case) that I still wonder if she just isn't a little brain damaged from the dog bite.

Here's an article about my little Margaret Nibblet Sweetpea, whose birthday was yesterday. She's three! We have to get her some treats while we're out and about.

While we're on the topic of bunnies, I discovered an adoptable bun at Petco Wednesday. John and I are going to make the mistake of going back today so he can see him (and get fish stuff). He wants a bunny helper in the fish room. :) We are animal hoarders, so don't be surprised if we announce the addition of Zipper to the family soon. Just don't tell my Gma!

I hope you're all doing well! I'll get some knitting and fish posts in order this week, I promise. ;)

Things

Thing the first: thank you all so very, very much for your wonderful comments on the last two posts (and all of them!). I love, love, love reading them and want to respond to them all, but don't yet have a very good way to do that. So for now, just know that I read them all and love them all. And for those who read and don't comment, I really appreciate you taking the time to stop by our little blog and take a look. John and I set it up basically to document things for ourselves and decided that if we picked up any readers, that would be a bonus. We love the bonus. :) John's still around, by the way. He has loads of fishy news (and pictures of baby fishes!), but he's been busy bringing home the bacon and taking care of said fishes and making room for me at his place.

Thing the second: a couple weeks ago I posted about packing for a trip and realized that I was probably being confusing last post because I'm packing again. This time I'm packing to move. I hate it, but I'm excited to be moving to a bigger place and in with my guy.

Thing the third: I finished it!

Cutie Pie

Pattern: Vesper by Heidi Kirrmaier
Yarn: Elsebeth Lavold Hempathy
Needles: US 4
Project Page

After more than a year languishing, not beside the couch as I think I first reported, but rather in a box I used to block the bunnies out of the living room (it was pretty well covered in rabbit hair), needing only pleats and a few rows of sleeve, it's done! The finishing is almost shameful, really, but I figured I'm the only one who will notice. It also hasn't been washed and blocked, so the drape isn't draping yet and the edges are curling and it's a little tiny bit smaller than it will end up, but you get the general idea.

I don't have much to say about it. The pleats were a pain. I would suggest doing a provisional cast-on around the neck and pleating last the knit way instead of the sewing way (as my Ravelry friend roko did), but that changes the character of it a bit. I'm really happy with it and suspect I'll be wearing it a lot all year long. Hempathy is so fantastic! It's kind of scratchy and stiff to knit with, but once it's washed and worn, it's wonderful! I have another project I knit with it (also one of Heidi's patterns) and I wear it ALL THE TIME! Heidi's designs are great too. She turned me on to the joys of positive ease in garments.

Thing the fourth: John and I finally got to enjoy his Valentine's/anniversary present to me last night. He took me to see my all-time favorite musician and entertainer, Keith Urban! I have never and am confident that I will never see a musician who can put on a show like Mr. Urban. I've seen a LOT of artists live, so that's saying something. He's so lively, passionate, spontaneous, charitable, and honest! I've seen him three times now, every time was distinctly different, and this time was the best because I got to share it with John. You can't beat that. :)

Head over to Tami's blog for more FO-Friday posts!

Works and Progress

I feel super icky today, but I figured if I can pack, I can blog about my knitting. :) As I was packing my knitting stuff (the stuff I don't need or want to see for a long time), I discovered all my works in progress piled together at one end of the couch. I packed a few that will never be finished or can only be finished when I have a quiet, organized place and lots of patience to finish them. I left a couple lying around so that I can finish them quickly, as I should have whenever I relegated them to the pile in the first place!  Here's what I've got warmed up on the needles:

This is a design experiment. I'm making a summery top with one under-arm seam. I love the colors and the stripes and the drape and the softness of the yarn....It's going to be great! I just hope it turns out right!

Here is sleeve one of two for a fall sweater. The yarn traveled to Seattle with us, but wasn't cast on until we got back. I really like the way it's shaping up and the pattern is great. The yarn is wonderful (even if it sheds as much as the bunnies), but it's starting to look like summer in Iowa finally and it's just too hot right now! I'll get back to it soon.

Finally, this is from the pile. I think I started this super cute top last spring, finished knitting it (except the sleeves), but never stitched it up to completion. I have no explanation for this. I'm kind of ashamed, really. As you can see, I'm working on the pleats now. It may be my finished object for Friday!

And because I don't take and share pictures of my bunnies enough, here's a glimpse of a typical summer day for my babies. They make me want to be lazy with them all day. :)

Visit Tami for more WIP-Wednesday posts!

What's in a Button?

Last Friday, I had every intention of sharing this finished object with you, but I could not find the perfect button to truly finish it. This week, I still don't have a button, but I will share anyway.

Prairie Grass

Pattern: Turmeric by Veera Välimäki
Yarn: madelinetosh tosh sock from Eat.Sleep.Knit
Needles: US 2 & 6
Project Page


I started this project the Friday before we left for our road trip and finished it the Thursday after we got home. I thought I'd get a lot of knitting done after days in the car, but when I wasn't driving, I was reading the history of Rome to John, otherwise entertaining him (very poorly), or mesmerized by the stunning spring scenery (such as that in the typically flat and boring Nebraska after which I named the project).

I really loved everything about this project except the one thing I had never done before (and far too late realized I was doing in the wrong place!): alternating skeins. For those who don't know, with any hand-painted/-dyed yarn, it is recommended that you alternate between two skeins every few rows so that any color difference is hidden. Googling "alternating skeins" brings up lots of helpful tips and tutorials. One of my two skeins had a darker green in it, so I'm glad I alternated, however, I alternated down the center back and now I have a seam. :/ I have yet to figure how I could have maneuvered it beneath an arm where it would be less noticeable...oh well. I'll probably submit it to the state fair anyway. :)

I have one more stop to find a button. I never know what button I want for any project. I simply take the finished project into a craft store and go through all the buttons until I find the perfect one. I found a few close ones, but not the perfect one. Surprisingly, finding a matching-colored button has not been a problem, but finding a big one that lends to the character I want this top to convey has been. I'll update you when I find the one!

Click to the project page link for a picture of some super cute prairie dog babies we watched for way too long in Wyoming! :) And click here to see more posts from fellow knitters on their finished objects!

We're Back!

We got back from our road trip on Saturday, but I've been relaxing on a couch, relishing in the fact that I'm not in my car anymore and that I don't have anywhere to be, or trying to figure out how to organize my days this summer so that I can get 30-40 hours of studying in (like I'm supposed to), pack my apartment, take care of the bunnies, start running again, and knit too! :) I think I have it figured out. We'll just see how long I can keep it up...(or if I can even get started).

I guess I'll give you a brief rundown of our trip and share a short bit about my favorite part (I can't pick one, but I'll try)! Our first destination was my hometown in Idaho, where we stayed a few nights while venturing to Yellowstone and Craters of the Moon by day. Then, we headed to Seattle. In Seattle, we went to the aquarium, the Space Needle, Pike's Market, and my best friend's wedding. After the wedding, we ferried across the Sound to the Olympic Peninsula and explored Olympic National Park (I think we both agreed this is our favorite national park!). We stayed in Ocean Shores and collected sand dollars on the beach for way too long the next day, then began our trek back to the Midwest. We saw the site of the Battle of Little Bighorn, which I will flag as one of my favorite moments of the trip. The following day, we went to Devil's Tower and Mount Rushmore.  We saw the Badlands from the road, but my parents say that's not good enough, so we may have to go back!  After a stay along the flooded Missouri in South Dakota, we drove back to my Gma's to pick up the bunnies and have lunch, and then high-tailed it back home! We had a fantastic time, but it's good to be back home after two weeks away!

Little Bighorn: History is not my thing. I find it interesting (I am a Classicist, after all), but I can't retain it to save my life (except for two weeks in order to pass comps). I'm sure I learned about the Battle of Little Bighorn once or twice in my life, but all I know now is that it was Custer's last stand against a chief named Sitting Bull (right?). In any case, I know it was a big deal and when we saw a sign that it was right off the interstate, we thought, why not? It was a quarter to 9 and the sun was setting. The park ranger told us we had 15 minutes, so we could drive to the top of the hill and park in a handicap spot if we wanted. So we did. It was remarkable, breath-taking, wonderful, emotional, thought-provoking, unforgettable....

John and I debated the ethics of memorializing a battle against Native Americans (or any battle, really) and wondered whether, if we had been Natives, we would have handed over the land to save our lives or fought to save the land that was our life. I think we decided in the end that there was a certain poetic justice for the Natives that the land fought on and over would never be touched as long as it remained a national monument and cemetery. We watched a lot of Pawn Stars on the trip and also pondered a comment made by one of the shop owners (just the night before!) about Custer's decision not to take his two Gatling guns to this particular battle.  What would that memorial look like? The Gatling victory would have been far bloodier and more heart-wrenching. I suppose, in the end, it is good to remember both the actions we honor and the actions we regret. The object of history is to remind us not to repeat certain actions, though we rarely heed those reminders (I'm a Classicist, remember, those silly Romans were the definition of History repeating itself).

My pictures don't do it justice, so you'll just have to go visit! :) Expect to see a lot more, though! We got some good ones!

We went to a lot of national parks on this trip and plan to visit or revisit more. Which is your favorite?  Why?