April = Yellow and Orange.

That’s the Sunshine Yarn from my Yarn Aboard pal, Alison. I am making up the pattern for the April Socks. The yellow and white Peaches N’Creme is for a dishrag. I never really considered knitting dishrags before. I mean, I’ve got a bunch of store-bought towels that work great and I use them all the time – why would I waste hard work on something that is going to get filthy and disgusting? Then Amazon sent me Mason-Dixon Knitting.* Kay and Ann make a wonderful point about using your knitted objects which got me to thinking: I made a certain sweater** and I love it. I did a great job on it (even though I say so myself).*** But I never wear it. I never wear it because I am afraid that something is going to happen to it. I am hoping that using handknit dishrags to wipe the counter will help me get over that.

I’ve also gotten a good start on the Honeydew Top.

The markers came from the Three Sisters etsy shop. They were handmade by the Third Sister and I love them.

I’m not making Bardot after all. When I was ordering, I was some how struck with a sort of Pattern Illiteracy and purchased yarn that is the completely wrong weight for the pattern. I emailed Jimmy Bean and managed to secure two more hanks in the right dyelot.**** God bless Jimmy Bean’s Customer Service, they are some of the nicest people and don’t even laugh at you when you tell them what you did. At least, they don’t laugh Out Loud. I am now making this by Knitting Pure and Simple but with short sleeves, different increases, a wider band at the neck and maybe different side shaping. All of these changes are cosmetic – I really like the pattern! Top down sweaters are cool. I’ve ordered some Rowan Cotton Tape (discontinued so it’s cheap) off of ebay to make Bardot.

In a photo finish:

Mom first, Great Gran second and Emily Dead Last. We shall not speak of this again.

In case you’re wondering, the 2-up red socks that I started for March’s Project Spectrum have been recategorized as Red Hot Sizzling Socks and don’t have to be finished until July. I did start the gussetts.

*Mason-Dixon Knitting is a great book! Really great. Fun patterns (many are easy enough for the Rank Beginner but will still make the Experienced Knitter say “I want to make THAT”), wonderful photography and more of the casual, friendly writing that is a hallmark of their blog. Flip through it in the book store, you won’t be sorry. I bet you take it home.
**You may remember it: the Tyrolene Cardigan? There’s a picture in my gallery and posts about it somewhere but I am too Lazy to dig through my archive to find them.
***I had only been knitting for a year and was awed (who am I kidding? I was Deeply Impressed) by how well it turned out. You’ve all got projects like that (if you don’t you will soon, trust me). Projects that you look at and say to your self, “I made that. I made that thing, it looks just like the picture and it fits. Awww, yeah.” I will add, before I get an email from Mom, that she embroidered the flowers for me. I do not know how to make a lazy daisy.
****I only needed one more, but panic will do that to a girl.

Joy!

My Bloomin’ Feet Socks arrived!

Jaywalkers (my first pair) in Socks that Rock from Carole! I love them. I love the colors, I love the pattern (really really clever that Grumperina) I love them with my clogs, I love them without my clogs, I am a happy girl.

I did not walk down the sidewalk my socks, Mom. I put them on when I got to the verbena.

In my Socks That Rock exuberance, I’ve left out the other goodness in my socky package: Choxie (eaten), coffee (on the pot so we can have it in the morning), and a card with a “Long-billed Curlew Decoy” on it (painted by Carole’s brother-in-law). I am developing a thing for duck decoys, just another of the many benefits of a Bloomin’ Feet Swap. Thanks again, Carole, this has been a mountain of fun!

What’s this?

It’s enough yarn to make 39 pairs of socks!

With the addition of yarn from Laura’s etsy shop:

Isn’t the tape measure cute?

My Socks I can Make Without Leaving the House total comes to 40. I think this is a respectable number of potential socks. It has to be – the Sock Yarn Addicts Club starts today. You should follow that link. Seriously. 40 pairs of socks is Small Potatoes compared to the Masters.

So much happened this past week that I really didn’t get to blog about because of all the contesting. I imagine I will get around to telling you about it eventually, but right now, we are going out to get some lunch.