30-ish

Well, it only took me a little over 3 months to return to the blog. Please accept my apologies!

As of today, I am 30-years-and-one-day old. That's right, yesterday was my 30th birthday. Woo hoo indeed. I wasn't sure how I'd feel about turning 30, but it turns out I had one of the best birthdays I've had in years. Christine and Anders came up over the weekend to visit, we went out to dinner with them and Joe and Erin also joined us. I got some really great gifts and my co-workers brought in an ice cream cake (Carvel, of course!) and we all stayed and had cake and wine at the end of the day. (Yeah, so we have wine with everything - what do you expect??)

A quick pic from my b-day dinner at Bravo Bravo:

I got two gifties in the mail yesterday, one from my Mom and one from Michelle! My Mom sent me a great little book light - she remembered that I didn't like the cheapo one I've had forever and got me a really neat one like she uses herself. Love it! And Michelle sent me a bunch of fun things! A few boxes of neat teas, knowing that Alex and I both drink a lot of tea and really enjoy different ones. She also sent me this:I totally didn't get it at first and wondered why the heck she sent me something like this.....but, Michelle and Jon are just as Simpsons-crazy as us and that just about explains it. If you don't get it - watch more Simpsons!

The main part of the gift from her I'll use to show off some socks I've finished recently:That's right, she sent me these super cute sock blockers!! I love them! (Although I'm suspecting that she knew I'd like them but also that I could use them to better photograph my socks for the blog.... :) ) These socks are a basic toe-up stockinette pair from Meilenweit Fun & Stripes in I-don't-remember-the-color-number. Love these stripey socks, the colors are really cute.

This pair is made from KnitPicks Sock Memories "Tropical Sunrise" (another of the colors they had on clearance when I ordered a bunch). It is the Crusoe pattern from Knitty. A snug fit with the stranded knit pattern, but I really like the way they turned out.Third pair for this post are Sockotta, I love the finished product you get with Sockotta yarn but it can be a real pain to knit with. It twists like crazy as you're knitting and seems a little more coarse but once you wash it it is SO soft and cozy. I've only used variegated Sockotta before and this particular stripe sequence is so wide that my socks are a bit shorter than normal to make a matching pair. This pair marks my first venture into the 2-circulars method. I made these one at a time top-down on 2 circs. It went okay - you'll see what I'm trying next...These are my current in-progress socks. At the bottom of the pic is Hedera from Knitty - this is a fun pattern and is knitting up really quickly. The middle sock is Reptilian Lace, also from Knitty (I followed the pattern but omitted the beads). A super cool pattern but more tedious than my usual sock so I'm just getting ready to start the mate after having this one done for a month or so. And....on to the top pair you see there....I mentioned that I finished that pair of socks on 2-circs. So, since it went fairly well I thought I'd try 2 socks on 2 circs. I divided my ball of Trekking (my first time working with this yarn though, and I love it!), started the socks toe up and planned a plain old stockinette pair so I could learn the new method easily. The verdict - I hate it! But, I am too stubborn to switch the socks to dpn's and am sure I can finish at least one pair on the 2 circs. It's getting there. Slowly.

Michelle also sent me some yarn - of course! She said these need a new home and I think I can provide a good one! More Sockotta (like I said, love the socks it makes even though it can be a pain). The neat brown multi I think she said is Opal Handpainted, very nice yarn. Michelle, the "socks-that-drove-you-crazy" are cute - but I tried them on and they are too small for me so I'm going to come up with something really neat for the yarn. I see what you mean that it's not really your color but you know I like those orangey things!

Third time is the charm...

Alright, I've tried this twice before over the past couple of days and Blogger has been cranky...so, here we go again!

Just trying to share some pics of finished socks that I've completed lately so nothing super exciting. (Well, I think the socks are pretty darn cool, but you can make your own opinion!)

Now of course when taking such pics you need a couple of good helpers:

First up a plain ol' stripey pair for Alex - yarn is Paton's Kroy in Denim Jacquard. My basic sock with ribbed top, stockinette leg and foot but I used the Forethought heel to keep the stripes all lined up nicely:

Next up, the completed pair of my first toe-up socks. I posted the first one a while back but here's the pair in all its' glory. Yarn is KnitPicks Sock Memories in Grandma, pattern is Yarn-Over Cable from Sensational Knitted Socks. This first pic is to show off my first short-row heel - not too shabby for my first attempt.
Roscoe decided he wasn't helping quite enough and literally wedged himself into the next photo. These socks are Sockotta (don't remember the color number, sorry...), Woven Stitch pattern also from SKS. This was one of those patterns I wasn't sure I was going to like at first but I'm glad I gave it a chance, it turned out pretty well. This color of Sockotta has neat green/yellow/red/brown shades, kinda neat and foliage-y.One more pair to share - this is KnitPicks Sock Memories in Carnival. I love the crazy color combo of this yarn - bright and dark blue, purple and bright orange - great! The socks are the Chevron pattern (again from SKS - loving that book!), but I substituted my regular heel flap for the Forethought heel. I like the look of the forethought or a short-row heel but the heel flap seems to fit me better. I'm sure I'll still make some of all of the above types, it's too boring to stick with one all the time.

Whew! All that helping with the photos just wipes you out!

New goodies!

I found out that the yarn shop down in Old Saybrook was having a Christmas in July sale! I'm sure that's enough to tell you that I had to head down there and see what I "needed". All yarns in the store were 20% off and several were 30% off. I came back with sock yarn for 5 pairs. Not too extreme, right?
Ahh...that's better. So, I took the pic in the sunlight of the back window to try and show the colors a bit better but I'm not sure how great that turned out. There's two skeins of Bearfoot (yum!), the bright one with the green is Mountain Tango and the more reddish skein is Northern Lights, which has a bright orange streak in it that just isn't showing well in the pic. The two small ones are Heirloom "Argyle" in a neat burgundy color with a blue heathered bit to it. Then a Sockotta in a color and pattern I hadn't seen, it will stripe in pale pink, blue, and lavender with red flecks. Very different from my usual vivid color choices so that will be a fun change. The last big skein is Fortissima Socka Color in a neat gray with pink, blue and yellow bits. I also picked up a set of size 1 needles in the short 6-inch length to see how I like those for socks. The ones I'm using now are 7-inch.

Something interesting about that Bearfoot Mountain Tango color - yep Michelle, I copied you on the color! I don't know if it's just the pics, camera, etc. but this one looks tons brighter than yours. I know that Mountain Colors' dyelots vary considerably and I even saw two labelled Mountain Tango today that were very different in brightness. Different enough that I didn't even know they were the same color at all and was looking at both. We'll have to see how the finished socks compare once we get to that one. Maybe we can find a pattern we both like and see how our completed socks look? Just a thought, we'll see...

Now, in a moment of shame (or pride, depending on who you ask!).....I reveal the rest of my sock yarn stash, pre-today's additions:

Eep! Seeing it all spread out like that is kinda scary! So that looks like enough for 18 pairs...plus 5 new ones today...not too bad I guess...? The bags at the top are leftover bits from completed socks, someday I'll make funky socks from some of those.

Boxer-related content to follow soon.....!

Oh. My. Gawd.

Okay, again no pics today. Sorry. Just had to share a great new thing I purchased. Alex and I were at the package store a couple of nights ago (he was looking for a new bottle of Scotch). I decided I'd look for something different for myself while there. Then, I thought it had been a long time since I had any Baileys and that sounded really tasty for a change. Went to check it out and there are new funky Baileys flavors. Now, I am not always one to go for these newfangled weird booze flavors, but the idea of my Baileys with a hint of caramel or chocolate mint just sounded really tasty. So, chocolate mint is a flavor that is hard for me to resist so I gave it a go - and it is great! Mostly like regular Baileys but with just a bit of minty chocolate goodness. Highly recommended!

Shocker!

Okay, no pics and no real news today. I mean, come on, it should be amazing enough to you that I am actually blogging two, that's right TWO days in a row! So, all is well, no news, just a day at work today and dinner at our favorite Thai restaurant tonight. Yummy...spicy string beans.....!

Now the fun - saw this on another blog and thought it might be entertaining:

Take a look around you. Apart from your computer and its peripherals, and your computer desk/table/milk crate and chair, what, in order of their physical closeness, are the five things nearest to you right now?

1. Travis

2. Glass of Cabernet

3. Roscoe

4. Bag o' knitting on end table

5. Woven stitch sock (yet to be photographed for the blog)

Well, thought that might be fun but now that I read over it, I realize it's probably totally predictable. What can I say? I'm nothing if not consistent!

Off topic

So, it's neither boxer nor knit but I wanted to show off my new rose! This is one of three new rosebushes I planted this year (now I have six!) and this is just possibly my very favorite of them all. Okay, one new one has yet to bloom, so we'll see... Just thought it was too neat not to share.

On the weekdays that I'm not working, I've been doing things around the house and keeping up with the flowerbeds, etc. Seems like the weeds have all decided to try and take over this year. Or, maybe I'm actually trying harder to keep it looking nice. And it's been raining so much that I want to get outside on the days that are nice!

Knitting is moving along. I'm trying to work down my sock yarn stash, it's getting a little out of hand.... I started a pair of woven-stitch pattern socks with the Sockotta I got in Old Saybrook when Michelle was in town. Also doing a basic pair of striped socks for Alex. I have several I want to get knitted up and some neat patterns waiting to be made. Pics to follow....

The boys are doing well and are much more settled now that they get more outside time to run around and play. Wintertime and then lots of rain just make them store up all that energy. They also get to go to doggie daycare once a week and come home tired and happy! If the weather stays nice I'll try to get the camera outside and take some pics of them having fun. Gotta go out and enjoy some more sunshine!

More Boxer

So, I was told in no uncertain terms that my last post contained "too much knit, not enough boxer". Since I had more knitting to share this time, I thought I'd incorporate the boys in the photos...hope that appeases the crowd!




While down in Mystic the other day, I stopped in the yarn shop to check out their sock yarns, of course I couldn't leave without a couple of new additions to the stash! (Maybe next time I'll share a pic of the sock yarn stash.....maybe, maybe not, I'm not sure I want you all to see it!) These are Opal in "Ladybug" from the Rainforest Collection and Lana Grossa Meilenweit Fun & Stripes in a neat combo of muted tones, really like that one. (Don't remember the color number right now...) Both of these will make great stripey plain 'ol stockinette socks, gotta show off those cool stripes!





I have one fan who likes to give all the new yarn a good sniffing. I'm sure it's very important that he knows exactly where the yarn has been and who has handled it along the way.









Current sock progress:
I completed my first toe-up sock! No, it doesn't yet have a mate, but I am very proud of my first attempt with the short-row toe and heel. The yarn-over cable pattern gets a little lost in this yarn, but is pretty neat when it's stretched out on my foot. I'll do a better pic when I complete the pair. Below it is my next sock, a basic one for Alex. Yarn is Paton's Kroy in Denim Jacquard. I'm doing a plain stockinette, ribbed cuff, and am trying the forethought heel again, just because it looks really good with the self-striping yarns. I'm finding I have the most fun rotating the socks I'm working on - finish one, then go to the first sock of the next pair, finish first pair, and so on. Keeps me more interested with the change in the yarns and patterns.




And the Bearfoot socks? Done and done! (yeah, yeah, still have to weave in the ends...) This yarn is awesome! So cushy and soft, a little sheen and slick texture when knitting. Colors are great too. Just love it! I tried taking the pic of the socks on my feet to better show off the Garter Rib pattern. Pretty cool!

The only concern I had about the Bearfoot? As I was working on the second sock, my ball of yarn was getting dangerously small! I thought for a bit that I wasn't going to make it, but I just barely did. I wanted to show how little yarn I had leftover but needed a reference so you'd get the idea:

The Return of the Sock

or "Okay okay, Michelle wins and I update my blog"

So, long time no blog. No good excuses, unless you consider laziness to be a good one. My knitting has pretty much been reduced to socks-only. There's some good ones though!

Here's a couple of regular pairs, my usual pattern (all these still need to have the ends woven in) - the left pair is Paton's Kroy in Krazy Stripes, and the right pair is KnitPicks Simple Stripes in Crayon:



This is the now-famous Jaywalker sock pattern, done in KnitPicks Simple Stripes in Sunset:


I had to make the first one a couple of times to tweak the pattern to fit well - apparently the small size was too small but the larger pattern would have been too big. These are just right! (Note the matching stripes!)

On to my work-in-progress socks...

This is the Welt Fantastic pattern (from Sensational Knitted Socks) done in Paton's Kroy, Hip Hop Jacquard colorway. I made this sock three times before it fit properly, so I'm not in too big of a hurry to make a mate for it. I'll get around to it soon I hope. I was sure the pattern wouldn't fit according to the sizes listed and fiddled with it, turns out I should have used the size in the book all along.....oopsie! Check out that forethought heel - how cool, huh? This was my first venture into a different type of heel or toe and it's a great choice for the self-striping yarn.

Okay, the current piece de resistance....when Michelle was here a couple of weeks ago, we headed down to the yarn shop in Old Saybrook and I splurged a bit on this yarn. It is Mountain Colors Bearfoot, and now I know why so many people have been raving over it's greatness. It isn't outrageously expensive, but more than what I've been spending for sock yarns. I finished the first sock last night and it is so yummy! This color is called "Elderberry", the right pic is a closeup of the pattern, Garter Rib from Sensational Knitted Socks.


Just today I started a new sock and....drum roll please.....it is my first attempt at knitting a sock toe-up! I'm using the short-row toe pattern from SKS and will attempt the short-row heel when I get there. For the patterned top, I'm using the Yarn Over Cable pattern from same book. This is Knitpicks Sock Memories in the Grandma colorway. (They apparently are discontinuing several colors of their Merino sock yarns, so of course I had to order several at the clearance price...) Look at that - it's a toe!


Michelle asked how I like the sock book that I have - I guess the fact that these last three socks are from there says something... :) I think it's pretty good, lots of various patterns for solid and variegated yarns, and some good options for self-striping ones. I'm just starting to branch out and see how I like some different types of toes and heels, and the book has lots of options. I like how she gives the patterns according to gauge and foot size and not based on a particular yarn weight. So, I'd say so far so good! I have also heard good things about Folk Socks and Socks Socks Socks! so I'll have to look into those sometime.

In other news around here, that flowerbed we cleaned up and planted last fall is now in full bloom! I took a few pics a couple of weeks ago, now there are lots more tulips blooming but this gives you a good idea of how it's looking:


We also have these super neat red and yellow tulips in the flowerbed up by the house:

And how are the boys? Take a look:

Post-Xmas and A New Year

So, took a hiatus over the holidays....just as I was getting back into the swing of posting a bit more frequently. Thought it was time to post some pics again!
The boys had a good Christmas, they each got a gift bag from my mom containing a bag of four or five little toys. As with kids, the best part is watching them open their gifts! It's these kinds of things where their personalities show through. First - Roscoe stuffs his giant head into the bag to root around for his gift. On the right - Travis rips into his bag, tossing tissue paper everywhere and tries to chew the toys right through their package...

Knitting news:

Some socks to send to my Mom and EJ - I sent him a pair last year and it turns out he loves them! Very nice to hear :)

I only posted a pic of my Chevron Scarf when it was being blocked, so here it is in all its glory:

And......drum roll please......Michelle has been requesting this one....my Branching Out scarf from Knitty. I used a heavier weight yarn than the pattern, but loved this color and thought I'd be more likely to wear a heavier scarf. Turned out pretty well I think.

One more thing:

Christine, this is for you! What do you think of this? It just might already be made up into something for you, just getting it blocked out nicely...the color is a bit darker and brighter in person, but I think you'll get the idea. It's very soft!