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Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Floating orbs, pink bananas and socks with thumbs...

Yeah, I totally pooped out and forgot to post last night - I did all the Two-Thousand-Socks calculations, then saw the Golden Globes were on (which means a blessed end to the stupid Joan and Melissa Rivers commercials for a while) and next thing I knew I was trying to decide why my local news anchor was accepting an award for best actor... turns out it was just past my bedtime, and off I went, without updating....

So let's handle that first! We're at 167 socks finished since January 1, 2006. Wow. That puts us at an average of nearly 9.3 socks per day. In order to reach two thousand by December 31, we'd need to finish 5.4 a day, so you can see we're well ahead of the game. In fact, right now we're 8.35% to our goal! Our biggest reporting day so far was Friday, with 31 socks completed! Impressive knitting, gang! I may have to come up with some prizes for milestones (I'm thinking every 500 socks or so) - let me know what you think of that idea, and if you'd like to donate something to that cause. It doesn't have to happen, and it certainly wasn't the intent of this whole experiment, but since we're having so much fun....

~~~~

I had a lovely weekend, and got to spend the day Saturday with two wonderful ladies that I don't get to see often enough. We meet up about halfway between our homes and spend the day chattering and knitting and laughing and having fun. I brought that sock yarn I spun up last week


I got about halfway up the foot, looked down at it, and the little bugger slapped me across the face, let forth a stream of profanities and swore up and down it was a mitten, not a sock.

Well!

By the end of the day, my sock looked like this

(the only yarn changes were on the thumb, where I used obviously just solid green, all the stripes are sheer accidents brilliance in spinning)

I looked at the yarn I had left and decided I likely wouldn't have enough for the cuffs too (so thank goodness the socks are shaped like that, because I wouldn't have had enough for my feet, either) and went to my LYS for some plain black wool to spin into yarn for the cuffs.

No pattern, just out of my wee head.

I shocked that mitten, partly to see if I could get them to full just a little, but they're knit too tightly. I even washed my hands in really hot water with soap, while wearing the mitten, and it didn't felt a smidge. Which is a pretty good thing. The wrist is a bit tight, but can be stretched a little, and is just tricky coming on or off. But I think once I get back to them I'll be happy with the finished project.

Once you get back to them? Why, Amie, would you abandon such an adorable project that could obviously be finished in another day or two?

Well, you see, I read the comments from Friday, and SallyJo had a fantastic idea (yup, it's ALL SallyJo's fault - every last little thing can be blamed on her) that Baby Girl Radiology needed something handknit for her assistance in getting my test results. Soooo...

Yes, I should have done the socks, but I couldn't find my copy of Socks Socks Socks, and there's a free pattern for a hat, which I didn't actually follow because I made some pretty drastic changes, but still. I'll do the ribbing (I'll do a lace ribbing, rather than the plain ribbing in the pattern) in my knitting class today and bring it to him at the office right after.

The yarn I used was rather interesting. I was looking for a machine washable yarn that was three things: a nice pink (check), inexpensive (check), and feels fabulous (double check). I was not looking for yarn that didn't split if you looked at it crosswise, which is fortunate.

It's Plymouth's Sunsette (50 g, 88 yds, 60% Rayon/40% Acryllic, I got it for $4.25 a ball) and it really does feel fantastic - velvety, slick and soft. It also splits like a banana. I rarely have a problem with splitting yarns (I know some do, but it just doesn't happen with me all that often) and this was driving me batty while trying to do the increases. But overall the yarn feels so fabulous I think I would use it again.

Once I've delivered the hat, I have some house cleaning that I want to get started on (I've been too weak to do much of anything around here the past few weeks, and it shows) before I'll allow myself any fiber time. Then I have two half projects to finish up, one of which could be done today. Finishing is a good thing. Starting is bad. (if I keep repeating that, maybe I'll start to believe it....) finishing good, starting bad

finishing good, starting bad

finishing good, starting bad

~~~~~~~~~~~~
EDIT:
Finished!

All done and in the hands of the doctor who was very pleased, and said it was the first baby gift he's gotten! I doubt that's true, but he seemed happy nevertheless.

15 Comments:

Anonymous Anonymous said...

Good to see you back :-)
That "mitten" could be a big-toe sock right?!? I think you should add it to your calculations!

Hey - if you need some help house cleaning, I am a great sorter - I even have some new boxes I can bring down - just say the word - I'd love to see you!

XXOO
Nancy (Emma and Gracie)

9:46 AM  
Blogger Spinningfishwife said...

Sod the cleaning...it will still be there next week. Unfortunately. Have some "me" time, have fun, relax. You deserve it.

Val.

10:27 AM  
Blogger Beth said...

I lurve your mitten - what a fab striping thing it's got going on! Kudos to you on that yarn!!!

11:17 AM  
Blogger Rachel said...

You did spin yourself some Trekking XXL, didn't you? The sock--er--mitten looks great!

I finished another sock yesterday--boring stockinette in not so boring Socks That Rock Alina.

11:44 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I feel so powerful, so influential, so - responsible!
I'm thinking about designing a lace shawl from scratch. Are you ready for that one?
I won't take the rap for the current government, though.
sallyjo

12:13 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I'm noticing a certain amount of sock avoidance here. The sock becomes a mitten, the booties become a hat. Hmmm.
Oh and Bigfoot's socks? one is too big, the other developed a run in the wash. I think I'm developing sock avoidance myself.
she who is all-powerful.

3:00 PM  
Blogger Cathy said...

Great hat, how sweet of you to do that! I'm so happy you are feeling better.

4:07 PM  
Blogger dragon knitter said...

beautiful hat. and as for the sock count, wow! we are hitting it hard, aren't we? i plan on casting on for the jaywalkers as soon as i either a) figure out where i put the pattern or b)print it out again.

4:12 PM  
Blogger Bess said...

Ooooo - that lace angel pattern - yep yep - sooo cute.

Sorry I screwed up the email this morning. You can smack me with your handspun, but have a care. I may hang on to it.

7:47 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

I love the hat!
You are so talented!

Looks like a hat from "Love Story" (Ali McGraw)

9:01 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

That hat is very very cute and a lovely color as well. I'm sure it will be treasured!

I've refered another knitting friend to your Sock-Marathon so maybe she'll pop up in a few days :)

Shea

11:46 AM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hi!
I wandered on to your site this morning, and I love the year of the sock idea! I have a pair of slippers on the needles right now. Will they count (when they're done that is..)?

I love that little pink hat, and now I'm trying to figure out how to change the pattern into something closer to yours!

Laura G.

1:22 PM  
Blogger Amie said...

Hi, Laura - you didn't give me a way to contact you!

Instead of YOs for the increases, I did simple M1s. I skipped the purl lace section both times, and did a simple lace rib (K3, P2, for 3 rows, then every 4th row, K1, YO, SSK, P2)

2:12 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Amie,
Thanks for the pattern info. I can't wait to make some of these baby hats up! It's so adorable!
Laura
daydreamer[AT]deepshell[dot]net
daydreamer.deepshell.net

2:54 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Thank you for posting your changes here--I wanted to make your version, too, and now I can!

11:07 AM  

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