WORD FROM THE KNITTING GODS

There I was.

I had mostly finished my rabbit---from Last Minute Knitted Gifts. I need pink mohair for the ears.

I had run out of Casacade Chunky Baby Alpaca for my scarf, and needed more.

I'm still afraid of my Jaywalkers---will there be enough yarn?

So I rummaged around, pulled my size 2 double points, and cast on a sock with the Essential tweed from Diane. It's a cheerful blue dubbed Marina, and the little flecks of color make it look like a birthday party. This yarn, I decided, wanted to be a Ribby Sock. I already have a red pair of plain stockinette socks, so this was going to be ribbed all the way down the leg. I was working out of Ann Budd's book, the Handy Book of Patterns.

The phone rang. I put down my good 3 inches of the Ribby Sock.

"Hello, blah-blah-blah, may I ask who--"

"Hey, it's (name) I'm stopping at Happy Garden, you want something?" It was my sister---no one else dares interupts the polite spiel I rattle off whenever I pick up the phone.

"Sure. Get an extra egg roll and General Tsos."

"Ok."

I laid the phone aside. Knit, knit, on the Ribby Sock.

An uneventful call.

But one that would change my life.

A good deal longer than pleased me, she finally arrived home, bearing the damp scent of a rainy day and hot Chinese food with her. I needed to finish my row, and as I did so, she called from the kitchen.

"There's only one fortune cookie!"

I made as if I would wrench it from her, but I didn't care. After all, it was just a fortune cookie. Right? I heard the crackle of the wrapper, and saw the indifference on her face as she read in a bored tone,

"Finish your works on hand. Don't be greedy."

I put it in bold, because I'm sure it came straight from the Knitting Gods themselves, whoever they may be. If I had to guess, they'd probably be along the lines of the gods in Douglas Adam's one book, about a down and out detective who is waylaid by bunches of annoying and astonishingly human 'gods, such as Thor. Amusing book, but not really a stunner.

In any case, I gasped, and staggered back. My sister raised her eyebrows.

"It's....my knitting! The rabbit-the scarf-the sock!" I was channeling William Shatner as I managed to stagger towards the egg rolls.

"Yeah. Whatever."

I pulled out a Diet Coke. still pondering the impact that this message would have on me, my life.

And after finishing the Chinese?

I worked on my Ribby Sock.

Hurrah for Yarn and Contests!

Drum-playing.

Resting from drum-playing.

Getting ready for Halloween.

True Love.


Splurge? Klepto teddy bear? Klepto me?

Nope. Diane, at

http://andinmysparetime.blogspot.com/

hosted a contest on her blog, and I was the lucky winner. Today, on this gloomy, rainy day, I received a package in the mail, and was overwhelmed by her generosity. I am crushing badly on the Knitpicks essential tweed. I'm so sorry that I can't make this a longer post, suffice to say, THANK YOU!

Where Did These Books Come From and When Did Knitting Take Over My Life?

These are my latest finds. I am SO triumphant over the Barbara Walker book---sorry old lady who was also looking at the knitting books, this is MINE! I am lerving also the Last Minute Knitted Gifts, and Folk Bags. Which is odd, since I'm not a bag person.

I officially counted my knitting books, and had a picture, which was crappy. I have 34 books, which are the following

Kaffe's Classics

The Handknitters Design Book

Hip Knits

Vogue Knitting

Celtic Knits

A Second Treasury of Knitting Patterns

Last-Minute Knitted Gifts

Hollywood Knits

Hip to Knit

More Sensational Knitted Socks

New Directions in Knitting

The Knitting Experience: the Knit Stitch

Knitovation

Folk Bags

Vogue Stitchionary: Cables

The Complete Book of Traditional Fair Isle Knitting

The Knitters Handy Book of Sweater Patterns

Teach Yourself Visually Knitting

The Complete Book of Traditional Knitting

Knitting in Plain English

Chicks with Sticks (It's a Purl Thing)

Getting Started Knitting Socks

The Yarn Girl's Guide to Beyond the Basics

Classic Knits (Knight)

The Knitter's Handy Book of Patterns

Mary Thomas's Knitting Book

The Knitting Sutra

KnitLit Two

The Knitting Directory

Compassionate Knitting

Mindful Knitting

Knitting Heaven and Earth

Step-by-Step Spinning & Dyeing

I also have four Vogue Knitting magazines, including two older issues with FUGLY patterns, three Interweave Knits, 3 Knitter's, and a stack of old and UGLY leaflets, oh, and a magazine called Knitting Elegance with some truly ugly patterns by Amy Blatt.

My queue at Ravelry is bursting. After this post is finished, I'm updating my Limenviolet profile at Chorewars. I have 1/2 Jaywalker on the needles that needs only the toe finished, and a plain vanilla sock that needs its heel turned. I found my lost size 2 DPNs.

I know that I will be getting at least two more books for my birthday. There's birthday money burning a hole in my pocket right now.

When did knitting take over my life?

PS. I want to learn to crochet, too.

Fudge Socks: Journey to Socks that Fit

Here's me, knitting Jaywalkers

(Knit, knit, knit)

Here's me, thinking

(Think, think, think)

Here's me, slowly realizing something

(Realize, realize)

I don't think that I will have enough yarn. I've knitted everything but the toe, and even if I did it in a different color, I don't think I would have enough for the second sock. It's hard for me to tell, because this is only my second pair of socks. I'm knitting this in Sundara yarn, which comes in 350 yard skeins. I put that sock aside while I pondered. I also came to realize something else.

Still pondering. The sock fits perfectly, though.

Fudge Socks: I just want them to fit!

In other news, knitting mother's yarn has already been put to good use. The red Regia immeaditely appealed to be as bright, simple, and just plain nice, so I wound it up. I picked up an old Knitting Calender 2005, I think, and there were some really cute sock patterns in there. But I didn't want pattern. I wanted a plain vanilla sock that would fit in my shoe and not fall down. I wanted (gasp) a sock that would be like a plain old commercial sock.

One pattern recommended multiplying gauge by foot circumference (duh) and then subtracting 10% for a snug fit. Now, I hate loose socks, and I have funny feet. By funny, I mean that I have a narrow ankle, and a fairly large foot circumference, at least compared to my ankle size. I seized on this suggestion.

I guessed at gauge (permissible, since I usually knit too big and the 10% gave me wiggle room) 7 inches, multiplied by 8, and after some math, cast on 52 stitches. My ribbing suuucks. Seriously. The tight ribbing that looks like someone sucking in their stomaches? I get loose, wavery ribbing that, if anything, is wider than the sock leg 'body'. I like the way that rolled edges look like, perky and right for the socks that I had in mind. So I just knitted. I knitted around and around until I had, oh, 5 inches, maybe 5 and a half. Time for a heel flap.

Out came the More Sensational Knitted socks book. I really liked the heel on my Jaywalkers, which is called Eye of Patridge, and Sensational said that it looked most like stockinette. Good; I wanted it to blend into the sock, and also, the thicker fabric would last longer in my shoe. But, I was cautious. I didn't want baggy socks. So I looked at the narrow heel socks, and after some more math, started the heel on 23 stitches--about the right number for a 56 stitch sock.

I call these Fudge Socks, because if my stitch count was a bit off, or realized that I needed to do some tinkering with the toe decreases, I just winged it. Or, fudged it. There was no pressure to get it 'right' because I was inventing this sock!

Even I, knitting it, thought that it might be too narrow. But I knitted, did the heel turn, also in eye of patridge, and picked up the stitches, and kept knitting. But, then I had another idea. Sure, I would decrease. But I would not decrease to 52 stitches, I would simply decrease to 56 stiches, to accomodate my foot, which widens from the heel onward.

It worked.

Oh, my sock isn't perfect. There's a hole at the gusset I need to fix, and some bleeping ladders that I still can't seem to avoid, but right now, I am wearing a thin, closely fitting sock that accomodates both my narrow heel and my wide foot circumference (which is 8 inches, and I wear 6 1/2 size shoes) It fits into my shoes, it doesn't fall down, and the color is cheerful and lovely.

Now, on to the next sock!

Annoying Blogs

Please, just because you're a woman, or mother, or anything, you are not required by law to

1. Have a pink background. Really, my eyes are hurting.

2. Have soft, annoying music that replays over and over.

3. Talk only about your kids

4. Be nice

5. Listen to me.

More Yarn & Amazing Knitters

Stop. Go to this blog

http://knittingmother.blogspot.com/

Looks...ordinary?

Be not deceived, young readers. This knitting blogger is...a Dispenser of Yarn.

OK, before you get really excited (a Dispenser of Yarn? I thought they were just a legend...a myth invented by my father's grandfathers...) I'll explain. I was whinging and whining about my lack of yarn. Taking pity upon this yarnless knitter, she asked if I wanted some sock yarn.

PS. The sock in progress is Sundara yarn, not the new stuff.

Hmm.

YES!!!

This divine woman sent me yarn, someone she doesn't even know personally, and may never ever meet, free sock yarn.

I'm really loving on the red Regia. Knittingmother, thank you so much!

My Yarn Has Come In

Sundara Sock. Sweet Brier Rose colorway. That pretty much sums it up.