I finished Excessively Long Sock the First! Joy!

Sure it’s pretty, but will it stay up?

The ends are still dangly. This is just in case I have to add a little more to the top to make it tall enough for my Darling Sister’s Darling Legs which are (and I mean this literally) six feet long. I am experiencing more than a little anxiety about this since I, myself, have tried the sock on. My legs are not six feet long (by a long shot) and the ribbing cleared my knee by a couple inches. I have decided that if I have to add more length underneath the ribbing, I will do a simple twisted stitch thing since the diamonds won’t look right if the are knit upside down. If the ribbing clears her knee, I think I can get away with just more stockinette at the top. The up-side of all of this is that diamonds up the back of one’s leg are Wicked Hot.

I didn’t start on sock #2 right away because I took a couple days to make a scarf for the Red Scarf Project.

There are pictures of me wearing it, but due to the rain they are blurry. This will have to do.

Great Gran is making two fluffy scarves (Fun Fur and this other stuff with sparkly eyelash) so I was going for something a little more manly (here “manly” can also mean “boring”). The Red Heart Plush is soft and squishy, not at all unpleasant to work with or to wear. You also end up with an interesting fabric that you might see at the Gap.*

The Cherry Tree Hill from Fuzzy Mabel came today. The Final Bloomin’ Choices are made!

I swear it’s not quite that yellow in Real Life.

I ordered both Leaf and Loden (and some variagated stuff for Mom) so I could make an informed decision. The Leaf is a very pretty color but I am afraid that if I use it, the only thing people will notice is BRILLIANT GREEN SOCKS. The Embossed Leaf Socks (IK Winter ’05) deserve so much more than that. I’m going with the loden, which is also pretty but in a much more sedate, understated way. Unless, of course, my unwitting Secret Socky Pal (in spite of no mention of such an aversion in her blog or in her Sock Pal Profile) should comment that olive green is hideous and she would be ashamed to wear socks in that particular shade of “Ew.” Maybe I’ll be so filled with indecision, I will just go with Natural. Sigh

The weather is its own Paticular Shade of “Ew” this evening. We’re not going to the Farm for supper which leaves me with plenty of time to work on the first sleeve of the Inferior Cardigan. I’m about four sets of increases along and should have a decent amount of progress to show you when next we meet. I might also cast on for Excessively Long Sock the Second. It occurs to me that if they are way too short for my Darling Sister’s Darling Legs, I’ll get to keep them!

*I’d link to Gap.com but I am mad at them. Since their “upgrade” folks who use Safari can’t shop. Gap.com, you are on my List!

My Darling Sister’s Excessively Long Socks are growing.

That’s Cyril, my iMac (I love him) and Jeremy my iPod (also loved). Jeremy is shown getting a new book for me to listen to. Freakishly Long Socks go faster with a story.

Since this was taken, I watched CSI Miami, Gilmore Girls, two Scrubs and made it halfway through the ankle pattern. I should get to the foot today. Hear that, Darling Sister? TODAY. Measure your foot and call me. Surprisingly, this is not as tedious as I thought it would be: I like the Haneke yarn a lot, plus the diamond pattern and constant shaping keep it on this side of mindless. Just so you know, there is a mistake in the ankle pattern (it’s a misprint, really) on row 8. It’s easy to see – One of These Rows is Not Like the Others – no one should have any angst about it.

I did swatch for the Inferior Cardigan and have decided to use size 5s and make the version of the sweater that I have mathematically determined will come out at 39.2″. The Perfect Cardigan measures in at 41 inches (but I don’t think it started out that way). The next thing I need to determine is which version of the sleeves was used. There is a sort of garter stitch trim at the raglan edges that adds a lot of style to the Perfect Cardigan.

Also, I started thinking about bedspreads. I’ve got one that Gran-mother made (crochet). But it’s a little delicate (it was stored here in the house without the benefit of climate control for many years) and a hair too short for the bed. I asked Great Gran if she had ever seen a knit bedspread. She said, “There’s one that Gran* made in the bathroom.”

Here is a more detailed picture of the squares.

How cool is THAT? Great Gran also said that she had a pattern for a spread that was similar and she would look for it. I came right home and googled (just in case the pattern was lost forever) and found this one and this one which would be great substitutes. But she did find the pattern, it’s a pale copy so it won’t photograph well, you’ll just have to trust me.

After toying briefly with using the Haneke wool/linen to make the spread (this would cost as much as one of the new intel macs), I’ve ordered a little bit of two yarns from Halcyon: 3/2 Pearl Cotton and 8/4 Cotton Carpet Warp; both are coming in “natural”. I am going to make a square or two with each and see which works better. Just so you know, I have no intention of making this massive thing all at one time. That would make for some very boring knitting. I am thinking a square here, a square there … with a goal of one square a week I could be finished in as little as six years. Six years?! Yeah, I just did the math again. I may need to think this over. And weep.

*Gran is Gran-mother’s mother which makes her Great Gran’s grandmother and my great great grandmother. If you are confused by this, please feel free to email me.

I found my camera thingy! It’s a good thing, not just because it’s Special and I would have had to order from the guys who made the camera, but also because it’s a Banner Day for knitting and I have LOTS of pictures.

First: I am part of a tiny sock swap (an Intimate Sock Swap if you will) called “Bloomin’ Feet.” Becky and Amanda have organized us and if you would like to see a list of participants (you do), the rainbow sock button in the side bar will take you there. It’s my first sock swap and I am so excited that I can’t stand it. I spent yesterday going through all my patterns.

The Sock Monkeys are more help than Betty.

I’ve narrowed it down to three that I’ll show Great Gran tonight to see what she thinks. There was never any doubt about the yarn, Cherry Tree Hill Supersock (probably solid – two of the three patterns are very textured). My Secret Socky Pal (SSP) left me plenty of decision making space and I want to make something great and soft and delicious and pretty and Worthy of my SSP’s feet. Which is why I am going with the Cherry Tree Hill it is sooo soft and a Known Quantity (I am not going to experiment with new yarns and someone else’s feet).

AND the Yarn Fairy came today:

This counts as a Yarn Miracle since she mailed it yesterday morning.

How pretty it THAT? VERY. When Becky said she was mailing me chenille, I didn’t really know what to expect, but these jewels Take the Cake. What’ll I make? I have no idea, but it will be Stunning. I do feel bad that what I mailed in return was the Infamous Pink Scarf Yarn. But, hey, Becky knew what she was getting into when she offered the trade. . .

The Yarn Fairy also brought the yarn for a project that I have been contemplating for several years. A while ago (I was a Freshman in college), Great Gran made me the cardigan in the picture below. I love this cardigan, it’s perfect: the perfect size, the perfect color, the perfect weight, washable, AND Great Gran made it for me. As a result, I have worn it to thin and pill. After I began knitting, I started thinking: “I heart this sweater and it is really getting worn and Great Gran made it for me. I should really put it away and save it for always.” But I couldn’t do it. I just love it and it goes with everything. The solution? Make a replacement. A sadly inferior replacement to be sure, but something to fill in the gap so that I can save the Great Gran Made one for the rest of my life. Here are the ingredients for Emily’s Inferior to the Original Replacement Cardigan.

Jean also sent me Alpaca Fleece Treats. Lorien rocks.

The replacement yarn is Brown Sheep Lamb’s Pride Superwash in Oats ‘n Cream. M’s brown cardigan has worn so impressively, I thought it would be a good choice. The pattern book is the original (we think). Great Gran came across it in a closet and loaned it to me. She says she thinks she combined two patterns to make it since there is a Workbasket Magazine page paperclipped inside. This is going to be an Adventure.

The Over the Knee socks are coming along.

That’s the elusive Mamie in the background. Did I mention that she hid from the house-sitter for three solid days over Christmas?

Just so you know, how the pattern says to do the decreases is Completely Wrong. That or I am Completely Illiterate. I got mad and knit a swatch to prove How Wrong it was and then made decreases in the sock where they belong. If you are wondering, the sock is being worn by a can of Chunk Pineapple (store brand – the more money you save on groceries, the more you can spend on yarn).

I also made other yarn decisions for the next three Me-Projects. I am going to try out three more of the Knit Picks yarns on them. First, Cutaway to go with my new dress (I love after-Christmas sales). I want to use Elegance in Barn Red (Huh, it’s on backorder. That’s cool. I can wait.). See how well it matches? I want to make a springy v-neck vest in the Grass Shine. The next one is the hardest: I really really want to use Ambrosia in Mulled Wine for the Veste Everest. The Creme Brulee in the stash is just too thin. But even with the Knit Picks prices, it’s going to cost $60 (Ambrosia is Baby Alpaca and Cashmere). I’m sure I’ll do it anyway…the stuff is luscious. I tried to get M to pick his next sweater but he explained that just because he’s inside on the couch because the heater in the office is broken, doesn’t mean that he is not working and can play yarn with me right now. Whatever. It does give me time to cover the models’ faces before I get him to look at patterns. If he thinks the model looks goofy, that will effect his opinion of the sweater.

Are you worn out? I am. This may be my longest entry ever! Hey, Darling Sister, do you like the Cutaway? It looks like something you’d wear…

I can’t find the cable that attaches the camera to the computer. Instead, I will describe, in some detail, what you would be seeing if I were able to include my pictures. I hope all of you had a very Merry Christmas (or winter holiday of your choice) and did NOT loose your firewires while visiting your husband’s family.

Family Denim is on hold while I make a few decisions: A) Do I rework the pattern to fit the Denim Style gauge I like? B) Do I break down and order the Debbie Bliss yarn that is Outrageously Expensive? I mean really, people, cotton grows just down the road and I KNOW how much a bale is worth. C) Do I order another yarn for the sweater and use the Denim Style for something else? Since these questions remain unanswered, I have swatched for a couple of new projects.

The above is a swatch for Veste Everest in the the Interweave Knits of Fall 2005. I’m not totally sure that the Creme Brulee is going to work for this (it’s really a DK weight and the gauge wants worsted) but since I’ve already got it I thought it was worth a shot.

This is the beginning of Elizabeth’s Over-the-Knee Socks. The very beginning. I have a looooong way to go. As a little bit of an aside: there are people who love bamboo needles. LOVE them. I am not one of these people. Especially if they are size 2 DPNs. I just feel like I’m going to break them in half any second. But I only have four aluminum 2s and with 84 stitches, I really need five. The bamboo ones were on sale. Sigh.

I also finished one of the green striped socks (the pop-up image is of the dog wearing it) and have started the second. M’s blue ones have been washed three times now and still look great. Certainly no different than any of his other (more expensive) hand-made ones looked after three trips through the wash. Knit Picks wins again!

In closing, I hope every one has a very Happy New Year and I will buy a replacement cable at our Wal-Mart this afternoon.

The couch is full of yarn. And cats.

I finished those Blue Striped Socks. M wore them to the Nutcracker – the participating Davis’ were very good by-the-way. I did not make a pink doll sweater, I just couldn’t talk myself into it. There’s always January. I had to order another set of size 2 dpns for Elizabeth’s socks (I only had four and they were pretty short) so that’s on hold for a bit. I’ve been working on a sleeve for the Denim Family Pullover, but I’m just not sure about this yarn. I am substituting Bernat’s “Denim Style” for the Debbie Bliss, and it is listed as the same weight and gauge. If this is the case, why am I having to knit with it on size 4s instead of the recommended 8s to get it the right size? That just doesn’t seem right. The resulting fabric is stiff and I just don’t think it’s going to look right. I am thinking of giving up until after Christmas and working on my Green Striped Socks (kin to the Blue Striped Socks that can be seen above).

Then there is this:

Betty, honey, Lucy can’t breath!