Quick note

Fear me.

In other news - new house, new job, new state, etc. all going swimmingly so far.

Ob-la-di, Ob-la-da

My life goes on in Sock Wars IV for the time being, though I was the first warrior to end it for three others. I am waiting for socks in progress to arrive and crossing my fingers that they will be here in time for me to knit them on the plane this weekend.

My thoughts and best wishes are with my friends and co-workers who have experienced changes in their employment situations over the past few days, both good and bad, expected and out of the blue. Good luck, everybody.

Transit

transit
Originally uploaded by ShelbyD

This is an image Greg sent me today, of things getting loaded into the moving truck. (Knitting related content: the white topped plastic containers in the middle contain some of my yarn.)

My third Sock Wars target emailed me yesterday to confirm receipt of her socks - Termiknitter strikes again! She is planning to mail her Barcelonas in progress today, which would mean they should arrive by Friday, the last day I'll be able to get mail in California. My assassin has both addresses, too, but I'm hoping the only socks I get in the mail this week are for me to knit, not wear.

While I'm waiting for socks in progress, I am knitting some....socks. They're just such good travel projects. My June personal sock club socks are being made from some stashed Knit Picks Essential Tweed yarn in the Inca Gold colorway. I'm using the Traveling Vine pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks for the leg and keeping a plain stockinette foot. I'm about 60% with the first one. I have two more skeins of sock yarn in my suitcase in case I finish this pair before we are unpacked at our new home.

What Will Stay

The movers will be here in the morning to begin packing us up. This weekend we have packed suitcases for the next two weeks, taken the last few pictures from the walls, and set aside some books and toys for the girls to have with them. This afternoon I am picking up keys to the hotel room we will stay in starting tomorrow night.

All of our things will end up with us in Indiana at some point, but as I look around I think about what can't be packed away. The window I watched the unexpected August rain through on the morning Bea was born. The sink where I rinsed off Ellie's lost teeth and scraped knees. The backyard stump of the ash tree that toppled over on to the house last January. The path in the floor that I paced with an unhappy baby, singing Christmas carols. The trees that we planted, the garden walls, the grape vines just now growing their first fruit.

Stop me before I knit again

I have a second Sock Wars kill under my belt. The late, lamented knitaroundgirl was very quick in sending her socks in progress, because Greg just called from home to let me know that they've arrived. My initial assassin, Lunalover, met her socky death yesterday, so I hope I can get this pair of Barcelonas out the door and score three kills before my inevitable destiny unfolds.

In relo news, I have a new job waiting for me in Indy! I will start the same day Greg does, June 19th. We've approved an offer on the house we're selling in Simi, all things are moving along nicely for our new home in Carmel (knock wood), plane tickets for me and the girls are in hand, day care for the kids is getting lined up, the movers come on Monday, and on and on. It's been quite the whirlwind.

Take Cover

My first Sock Wars kill is confirmed!

Places I worked on that pair of socks:

• My desk at work (cast on over lunch on Friday)
  
• Home - also frogged back an inch, grr
  
• LAX terminal
  
• 30,000 feet above the American Southwest
  
• The monorail (monorail, monorail, jazz hands) at the Dallas Airport
  
• Dallas Airport terminal
  
• 28,000 feet above middle America
  
• Rental car
  
• Our hotel room
  
• Rock Bottom Brewery in downtown Indianapolis
  
• UA theater in Indy
  
• Backseat of tour guides car as we tooled around Indy area - also frogged back an inch here because I was paying attention to the tour and not my sock
  
• Backseat of real estate agent's car
  
• Greek restaurant somewhere in Indy
  
• Office of our real estate agent - finished the toe as we were drafting an offer on a house. He let me have a 2-day FedEx envelope and I sent it out from there on Monday afternoon!
  

On like a prawn that yawns at dawn

Let the Sock Wars begin!

Ready... Aim....Fiber!

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Originally uploaded by ShelbyD

The pattern for Sock Wars IV will be released in about 12 hours. I just tested my gauge in my chosen yarn and it's spot on using my favorite 1.5 size needles. I'm excited but don't expect to last too long with everything else going on. My assassin manages a LYS so is probably able to knit at work, whereas I am not. Maybe the vagaries of the postal system will help me out.

The sock pictured is one of a pair of Groovy Socks I made as a warmup to the Sock Wars battle. As of dinnertime tonight they are all done. The leg is a teensy bit loose on me but I plan to give these to my Mom as one of her Mother's Day/thanks for babysitting gift. Greg is picking her up in the morning and she'll be staying here with the girls while we are in Indianapolis.

Sold Out

First of all, Happy Mothers Day!

Yesterday morning we had a garage sale to get rid of some things we don't want, don't need, don't fit, or can't move. We cleared over $400 - yay! We sold lots of outgrown kid clothes, some housewares, books, a bunch of computer equipment, potted plants (movers won't move them), toys, furniture....general stuff. We also gave away the firewood in the side yard, the remnants of the ash tree from the backyard that fell over a year ago. Thanks for the new roof, ash tree, it's a selling point in our favor. It was fun but exhausting.

I met a knitter from the neighborhood during the sale and we had a nice sock chat. She even showed me her socks in progress, made from the same type of yarn I'm planning to use for my Sock Wars pair. Speaking of Sock Wars, I received the dossier of my target this evening. My target has size 10 feet - ack! I wound my yarn into center pull balls so it's all ready to go on Friday. I'm almost to the heel of the second sock of my warmup pair but can put an unfinished sock on scrap yarn if I don't finish it by the end of the week and need to free up my 1.5s. Fear my pointy needles, Bond Jane Bond!

Target Practice

In preparation for Sock Wars IV, I'm working on a pair of Groovy Socks in Trekking XXL. This is my first assassin-style knitting competition, and it should be fun. We've planned our home search visit to Indiana for the weekend of May 16th, which just happens to be the day after the Sock Wars pattern is released. So, I should be able to make good use of several hours of airplane time to work on my socks. I'm expecting to receive the dossier of my target in a day or two.

I'm giving my arms a rest tonight and catching up on some recorded TV while my husband and his sister are at the Star Wars movie. She came into town today to spend a few days with us before we move, help us with Saturday's garage sale, and to go to a Shins concert with Greg on Sunday night. The girls were a giggly mess playing with her after dinner - they really enjoyed spending time with Sarah when we were in Hawaii in January and are quite excited to be with her again.

There has been a steady stream of agents, inspectors and appraisers through the house over the last few days, but Greg's been orchestrating all of it during the day while I'm at work. I think tomorrow someone from the moving company is coming in to assess how much crap we have - sorry about all the books, moving people!

Whither thou goest...

Gee, it's been a while since I had a non-pattern post.

My husband has recently accepted a job offer in Indiana, so our family is getting ready to relocate next month. One of the first things I did was arrange and consolidate my yarn stash, which really has shrunk quite a bit over the last year. It fits comfortably into four Sterilite drawers.

I was born in Iowa and lived there until I was 12, and spent most summers there through high school, but it's been twenty years since I've been through a Midwestern winter. I've become quite accustomed to the mild California climate. We'll have a lot more use for handknits when there's actual cold weather.

There's so much to do it's better not to think about it all at once. We've been clearing out closets and getting ready to have a monster garage sale next weekend. We're talking with the relocation company tomorrow to discuss the timing of getting an appraisal on the house, making a trip to Indianapolis to find somewhere to live, and moving. I gave notice at my job late last week - my last day will be in early June. Once we get there, I need to find a job, and I haven't interviewed outside my current company for 11 years. Then there's day care for the kids, getting E enrolled in school, and learning everything we need to know about a new city.

All in all, it's an exciting change for us. I've always told people that the Midwest is a nice place to be from.

Seamless Spa Mitt

What to do with those little balls of cotton left over from making dishcloths? This spa mitt only takes about one ounce of dishcloth cotton. I’ve made gift sets with a matching facecloth and spa mitt from a single skein. It is knit in the round on double-pointed needles and requires no seaming. It looks small as you’re making it, but the ribbing will stretch quite a bit. It should fit snugly enough not to fall off the hand when wet.



Materials
Size 8 double-pointed needles, set of 4
Tapestry needle

Yarn: Sugar ‘n’ Cream cotton (about 1 oz, 30-40 yards)

Gauge: 5 stitches per inch in K2 , P2 ribbing, unstretched


Pattern
Cast on 28. Join to work in the round. Arrange stitches on three needles as follows:

Needle 1: 8
Needle 2: 8
Needle 3: 12

Work K2 , P2 ribbing across all stitches for 11 rounds.

At the end of the 11th round, when you have worked all of the stitches on Needle 3, turn the work. At this point you will back and forth on the dpns, which leaves a gap on one side for the thumbhole. Beginning with a WS row, work 9 rows of K2 , P2 ribbing across all 28 stitches. Remember to turn the work at the end of each row to work back and forth.

On the next row, which is a RS row, work K2 ,p2 ribbing across all 28 stitches. When you reach the end of Needle 3, join to work in the round again. Work K2 , P2 ribbing for 22 rounds or until desired length.

Finishing

Turn work inside out. Slip the first two stitches of Needle 2 to Needle 1. Slip remaining stitches from Needle 2 to Needle 3. You should have two needles with 14 stitches on each. Bind off all stitches using three needle bindoff. Break yarn. Weave in ends.

Waimanalo Sock Pattern

This sock is constructed from the top down with a short row heel and toe. The marine color palette and gentle wave pattern remind me of an evening in Waimanalo Bay. I need to get better photos - these are rainy day cell phone pictures.


Materials

Needles: Set of 4 doublepointed needles, size 1.5 (or size needed to obtain gauge)
Tapestry needle


Yarn: Misti International Hand Paint Fingering, colorway Marina, 1 skein (437 yards)
Gauge: 7 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch

Size: Women’s medium


Pattern notes

Wave pattern:
Row 1 and 2: Knit
Row 3: *K2tog 3 times, (yo, k1) 6 times, K2tog 3 times*, repeat from *
Row 4: Purl
Row 5: Knit
Row 6: Purl


Cuff

Using long tail cast on, cast on 54 stitches. Join to work in the round, taking care not to twist stitches. Arrange on three double-pointed needles as follows:

Needle 1: 18 stitches

Needle 2: 18 stitches

Needle 3: 18 stitches

Beginning with a knit row, knit 8 rounds of garter stitch (one row knit, one row purl). If a longer cuff is desired, add additional garter stitch rounds, ending with a purl row.


Leg

Work wave pattern 9 times or to desired length of leg, ending with row 2.

Heel
To set up for the heel, unknit the last four stitches of the previous round and place these unworked stitches on Needle 1. Next, slip the first four stitches on Needle 2 to Needle 1. The heel will be worked on the stitches on Needles 2 and 3.


Begin by unknitting the last stitch on Needle 3, and place on free needle. Wrap that stitch and turn the work.


Row 1 (WS): Purl to last stitch. Wrap and turn.

Row 2 (RS): Knit to stitch before wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn.

Row 3: Purl to stitch before wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn.

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until there are 10 stitches unworked in the center of the row.

Row 4: Knit to first wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn. (This stitch will now have two wraps.)

Row 5: Purl to first wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn. (This stitch will now have two wraps.)

Row 6: Knit to double-wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn.

Row 7: Purl to double-wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn.

Continue in this manner until all stitches have been worked.

Foot

The wave lace pattern continues down the center of the instep. Each round of the foot is worked as follows:

Needle 1: K4, work next row of wave pattern (18 stitches), K4
Needle 2: Knit
Needle 3: Knit

Work 8 repeats of the wave pattern or until foot is 2 inches shorted than desired length, ending with Row 2.

Toe
Toe is worked on the stitches on Needles 2 and 3. Begin by unknitting the last stitch on Needle 3, and place on free needle. Wrap that stitch and turn the work.


Row 1 (WS): Purl to last stitch. Wrap and turn.

Row 2 (RS): Knit to stitch before wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn.

Row 3: Purl to stitch before wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn.

Repeat Rows 2 and 3 until there are 10 stitches unworked in the center of the row.

Row 4: Knit to first wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn. (This stitch will now have two wraps.)

Row 5: Purl to first wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn. (This stitch will now have two wraps.)

Row 6: Knit to double-wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn.

Row 7: Purl to double-wrapped stitch. Wrap and turn.

Continue in this manner until all stitches have been worked.


Finishing

Turn sock inside out. Slip stitches from Needle 3 to Needle 2. Use three needle bindoff to join stitches on needles 2 and 1. Break yarn. Weave in ends.

Unwinding with Ravelry

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Originally uploaded by ShelbyD

This past Thursday evening I braved the traffic and the misplaced enjoying-myself-on-a-schoolnight guilt and attended a Ravelry event at Unwind in Burbank. The place was packed with knitters, decked out in their knits, browsing and buying and chatting and in general having a lovely time.

A door prize ticket was offered in return for food pantry donations, and I actually won a pair of books! I met some local and semi-local knitters, saw some beautiful projects, and had a chance to chat with Mary-Heather (the weather, for I am lame) and Casey (iPhones and software). The staff at Unwind were very welcoming and good-humored and remarkably chill about the half-chaotic crush of people.

I went in to the store pre-allowing myself to buy yarn for a pair of socks and a Tempting sweater, and left with two skeins of KPPM and seven of Tahki Torino. I started the Tempting this morning and am about 4 inches into the body. It would be nice to finish it in time to take to Hawaii next weekend (!), but I know it's probably a stretch.

Simply Lovely

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Originally uploaded by ShelbyD

This pattern, the Simple Yet Effective Shawl pattern by Laura Chau, is as easy as the name suggests. I'm very happy with this finished object, made from a single skein of Noro Silk Garden Sock yarn.

February Lady Sweater

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Originally uploaded by ShelbyD

I love this new sweater! I finished knitting the second sleeve last night and sewed on some vintage buttons I dug up from my button stash. I would have gone for new buttons last weekend, but for the global economic collapse making me think that maybe I could look at the buttons I already have.

Cabin Carry - Felted Bag Pattern

The slow color changes of this yarn and the log cabin construction technique contribute interest to the final look of this felted tote. The bag is constructed by knitting two log cabin squares from self-striping yarn and joining them together while creating the sides, bottom, and strap of the bag. There is no seaming and minimal finishing required.

Materials

Needle size: US 10½ / 6.5 mm (or size needed to obtain gauge)

Yarn: Noro Kureyon , colorway 150, 5 skeins (550 yards)

Tapestry Needle
Stitch markers
Safety pin or removable stitch marker

Gauge: 3.5 stitches per inch in garter stitch, prior to felting

Dimensions: about 18” by 16”, plus strap, prior to feltin

Front and Back (make 2)

Cast on 12. Knit 10 garter ridges (20 rows). *Bind off on right side, keeping last stitch on right needle. Rotate 90 degrees clockwise. With right side facing you, pick up one stitch for each garter ridge or bound off stitch. Knit 5 garter ridges.* Repeat from * 11 times, ending with 13 blocks total (center square surrounded by 12 additional blocks). Bind off all stitches on right side.

Strap and sides

At this point you will be joining the front and back pieces together while creating the sides and bottom of the bag. This is accomplished by picking up stitches from the front and back pieces at the end of each row of the side piece and knitting them together with the side stitches. This might be a little awkward for the first inch or two, but very soon the side of the bag will have enough structure to make it easier to handle. The sides of the bag widen slightly toward the bottom.

Setup row: Arrange front and back pieces with wrong sides together. With right side facing, pick up one stitch in corner of front piece (as if you were going to begin another log cabin strip). Using backward loop method, cast on 2, place marker, cast on 1, place marker, cast on 3. Pick up one stitch from corner of back piece. Turn.

Side Row: Knit first two stitches together (picked up stitch from previous row and first strap piece). Knit to end. Pick up one stitch from the next garter ridge or bound off stitch at the edge of the adjacent front/back piece.

Repeat side row 10 times.

Increase row: Knit first two stitches together (picked up stitch from previous row and first strap piece). Knit to stitch before first marker, kfb, k1, kfb. Knit to end. Pick up one stitch from the next garter ridge or bound off stitch at the edge of the adjacent front/back piece.

Repeat side row 15 times.
Repeat increase row.
Repeat side row 19 times.
Repeat increase row.
Repeat side row 19 times.
Repeat increase row. This is the last increase row. To mark the point on the opposite side of the body of the bag where decreases need to begin, trace a straight line across the work to the opposite edge and place a safety pin or removable marker at that spot.


Work side rows for the remainder of the side of the bag. When you reach the corner of the piece, just keep going - continue around the corner by picking up the first garter ridge/bound off stitch from the bottom edge. Continue side row for the bottom of the bag and second side of the piece until you reach your pin/removable marker.

Decrease row: Knit first two stitches together (picked up stitch from previous row and first strap piece). Knit to stitch before first marker, ssk, k1, k2tog. Knit to end. Pick up one stitch from the next garter ridge or bound off stitch at the edge of the adjacent front/back piece.

Repeat side row 19 times.
Repeat decrease row.
Repeat side row 19 times.
Repeat decrease row.
Repeat side row 15 times.
Repeat decrease row.

Work side row for the remainder of this side of the bag, which should be about 11 rows.

When you reach the top corner of the piece, knit back and forth on the remaining 7 stitches until strap is about 28 inches long. Bind off all stitches.

Finishing

Sew strap end to cast on row of side. Weave in ends. The felting process is pretty forgiving here, so don’t sweat imperfect finishing, but make sure that all ends are secure enough not to unravel during felting.

Felt. There are many, many felting tips and tutorials online. I usually toss my item in a pillowcase or laundry bag and put it through a short hot wash with a bit of detergent and a few pairs of jeans, checking it frequently and stopping before the spin cycle.

Block to the shape you want and allow to dry completely.

Sock Put - Gold!

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Originally uploaded by ShelbyD

Just finished these Spring Forward socks, my third pair for the 2008 Ravelympics. This yarn is Kraemer Jeannie that I dyed earlier this year.

Time for a victory lap! Or bed. Probably bed.

Sock Put - Silver

Grandiflora
Originally uploaded by ShelbyD

Grandiflora socks in Knit Picks Bare that I dyed earlier this year. Not the best photo, but still - finished! My gold medal pair was cast on immediately afterwards. Two Spring Forward socks stand between me and the Ravelympic finish line, but I'm confident that I'll make some good progress over the weekend.

Sock Put - Bronze

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Originally uploaded by ShelbyD

My first pair of socks for the Ravelympic sock put was a pair of Thuja socks for my husband. Started on 8/8 and finished on 8/10. These were nice and quick due to the sixe 7 needles and worsted weight yarn.

Since I have three pairs planned, I've decided to score myself as follows: One pair - Bronze, Two pairs - SIlver, Three pairs - Gold

I am one sock into my second pair, Grandiflora, which is going slower since I'm down to size 1 needles and fingering yarn.