The Sandcastle

More socks, more often.

*waves hello*

Minutes of yesterday's Madame Defarge Society meeting:

1.  Susan finished her sweater, "just in time for 90+ degree heat"!  (I'm waiting for permission to post the picture she emailed...)  It's wonderfully soft and very well done.  Immediately she returned to the boucle version she started and then delayed; consultation was provided regarding whether the knit or purl side of the boucle version should be the right side.  Many votes for the purl side - it's a beautiful shade of grey, and it turned at least one person into a purring cat.  :)  To wear, or not to wear, a sweater that makes people rub against you and purr...that became the question.  Susan will psych this one out; I have faith.

2.  Irene (new knitter!) finished a pot holder that made all of us want sherbet and creamsicles.  Susan taught her how to bind off; she's planning a matching dishcloth next.  Go, Irene!!

3.  Sue brought in the crocheted afghan she wants to make again, and the yarn quest continued.

4.  Carol displayed a beautiful lavender and white (double stranded) afghan she's making for her granddaughter.

5.  Becca #1 worked on her top-down v-neck sweater.

6.  Diane (new knitter!) is amazingly fast and her work incredibly even.  She believes that she's working on a scarf.  She's got this left-handed knitting thing going that makes me wonder if I should teach her how to pick instead of throwing the yarn...  She's lightning fast already; her needles will blur with the pick method.

7.  Paula and Becca #2 (no hierarchy there; I've just known Becca #1 longer!!) ate lunch with us and Much Conversation Ensued.

C'est tout...well, almost tout.  I was working on the Transition Socks from Blackberry Ridge.  Finished the heel flap and turned the heel; I worked on the gusset a bit last night.  Here she be:

...and here's the first pair (the Autumn colorway I made whilst trundling all over parts New England in May and June) ~ the "Done Now!" gallery has another update!

Relaxing on the azalea bush (color slightly off):

...and frolicking on the Coastal Maine Greater Kudu
(color better, but too dark - *sigh*):

Pattern:  Blackberry Ridge Transition Socks
Yarn:  Wool/Silk (sport weight); "autumn" colorway"
Needles: US3 dpns (Brittany Birch; present from Ann!)
Cast on:  Damn long time ago.  Bind off:  Anne's house, Providence.

Rho says to tell Anne and Becca#1 that a) they're HERS and b) she's hiding them!  I've offered to teach anyone who wants to make them.  :)

B'lieve I'll go plant the hibiscus now.  *stretch*

*waves*

~ Sand

Promised Glam Shots, and a Podiatric Musing

*waves hello*

I report that, at considerable risk to life and limb (well, ok, limb), I have successfully monkeyed on the porch railing to bring you these:

Full wingspan:

Backlit:

Meanwhile, Pseudo ponders whether or not Mom has lost her mind.

Blocking is clearly necessary, but it is just Too Bloody Hot and Humid even to think about dealing with wet wool right now!

I have finished the Wildass "Bad Day" Socks and am miffed to report that the two balls of yarn didn't quite match exactly.

I blame Ann. 

See, I bought BallO'Yarn #1 with her and WeeBee and Roberto during our Ultimate Retail Experience in New Hampshire.  After knitting Widlass Bad Day Sock #1 whilst watching Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets with Rho and Jeff and April, I decided to buy BallO'Yarn #2.  Dye lots don't matter with this kooky yarn, right?  Right?

*sigh*

Ann, it's all your fault.

I'd better back up.

In 1991, I hit a Truly Awful (no good, very bad, just start screaming now and get it over with) state of Life, the Universe, and Everything, and Ann - bless her soul - invited me to the Exeter Inn for lunch to cheer me up. 

My shoes broke getting into the car.  Of course.  So on the way, I hit Payless, spending my last $10 on New Shoes.

I felt so much better I swear I felt taller!  New shoes!  Lunch with Ann!  Damn the torpedoi!

Fast forward to Ann's driveway.  I get out of the car.

Usually when people get out of the car the people they're meeting say, "Hello."

Not Ann. Not that day.

[*giggle*]  "Are those shoes supposed to match?"

I examine my toes.

*sigh*

It's become something of an inside joke.  "Are your cats supposed to match?" "Are your eyes supposed to match?"  "Are your breasts supposed to match?" (This was particularly a propos right after she had WeeBee.)  I re-knit her Hagrid Feetz Winter Solstice present FOUR TIMES to get the frickin' stripes to bloody well match. 

I thus celebrate this latest iteration of my Ann-induced podiatric asymmetry and name them in her honor:  "Wildass Bad Day Perspective Socks."

Photos later.  First, coffee.

*grins* *waves*

~ Sand

Actual Knitting Content!

What to do when you get the 24 hour summertime maleficus malaise?  Well, I wanted to lounge on a daybed on the veranda (preferably a day bed covered with crisp white cotton linens, all edged in handmade lace, of course), under the ceiling fan, drinking lemonade and eating frozen grapes, like a wilting Southern flower.  The ladies (Becca, Rho and Mom) conspired and, minus the day bed, this fantasy was realized.  I hate being sick!

But one day in the humidity (with Becca's fan) seemed to conquer the worst of it, and the thousand-yard stare (and the fact that time simply would not behave properly) didn't impede finishing the edging on the shawl.  'Tis done, and for the first time in months, I bring you Actual Knitting Content and a Finished Object:

(Edging in progress)

Pattern:  Highland Triangle Shawl, Folk Shawls, Cheryl Oberle
Yarn:  Harrisville Shetland (Charcoal, Peacock, and Teal Blue)
Needles:  sz. 11 Circular (borrowed from Anne)
Yarn Source:  A Stitch Above, Providence, RI

I don't have a good "glam" shot of this yet for the Finished Objects gallery - tried last night but the flash killed the colors.

The Madame Defarge Knitting and Ladies' Terrorist Society* met for the first time last Wednesday in the English Department - Diane and Irene learned how to knit, Susan worked on a sweater, 'Becca fiddled with (and eventually decided not to knit) a scarf, and Sue described an afghan she's planning and went on an internet yarn quest.  I was working on the grey bits of the shawl. 

The funniest thing was the male faculty.  *Peer through door* *Eyes go wide*  *Retreat*  (You're right, 'Becca; "retreat" is the only word for it.)

*Note for people without senses of humor:  This name is a joke.  You will find out picture next to "irony" in the Oxford English Dictionary. 

I'm looking forward to this Wednesday; not sure which project will be on the roster that day now that the shawl is done:

• Wildass "Bad Day" Slipper Socks (I cast on the second last night)
• Seed Stitch Sweater (knit in the round; up to the armscye)
• Blackberry Ridge Transition Socks (at heel flap, sock #1)
• Monet's Sweatshirt (still in an inelegant lump)
• Surprise for Kelli
• Cathy's Baby Blanket (herein lies a tale)**

**Cathy's Baby Blanket - *sigh*  The yarn I bought for it was crap so I tossed it and have to reconfigure.

I sort of feel like spinning today but, Veruca-like, I want my other slipper sock.  (These are ridiculous, strange, and very, very squooshy and comfortable.  I'm thinking of these as "I've had a bad day" socks.  Bad days happen.  Squooshy warm socks help cure this ick.)  Still, I think I'll set up Ariadne on the porch and get some sun; I can work on the bad day socks this evening.

*waves*

~ Sand

J'y reviens

Howdy, y'all.

Major post lag!  I plead end-of-year business, then a lovely long (mostly business) trip.  Business and pleasure both excellent, and I return to the annual sky of blue and sea of green that is the prairie before the corn gets too high to see the horizon.

No pics today, but herewith is a F.O. (finished object) and U.F.O. count since the last post:

F.O.:  Blackberry Ridge socks, autumn colorway.  Love these.  Had to beat several people off with sticks so I could get them home for their intended recipient.

U.F.O.s:

1.  Monet's sweatshirt (still).  Procured an additional skein of silk sari yarn so I can finish it without worrying.  It's still in an inelegant lump.

2.  Blackberry Ridge socks #2, moonlight colorway.  Cuff #1 done.

3.  Highland Triangle shawl:  Center triangle in progress.

4.  Seed-stitch sweater:  Mindless knitting project - very nearly ready to bind off at the underarms.

5.  Surprise for Kelli.

Pictures soon - including pictures of the Manos shawl Becca finished a couple of days ago.

I hope everyone's summer is happening swimmingly!

~ Sand