What about...

...Monkey Wrench's favorite uncle's socks?

Weaver! You are a thorough reader. I didn't even remember that I mentioned his socks on here. but I did. Wow.

So I started these using Knit Picks Essential Tweed in Flint. I thought this would be really cool. Again, as it was knitted I realized that USS (Ugly Sock Syndrome) may have set in. That is why it was so easy to set these aside for kick-ass sister sweater.

I brought the half-done sock to Hubby and explained that it may be ugly. After some conversation, I think we both agree that they may be ugly. It's the fleck color choice. Primary. Red, Blue, Yellow on Gray. Looks like a bad 80's color scheme. The online picks are more than deceiving. When he tried them on and when there is some distance between your eyes and the sock, they aren't bad. If you squint and wear long pants, you're good!

We agreed that I would finish them, but I know that Hubby will probably stash these at the back of the sock drawer or "lose" one of them. I don't think I can fault him though. I am making his socks out of the cheap yarn. ha!

Heel flap.

THE scarf

I haven't posted a pic of the scarf yet, because I haven't washed it. I haven't blocked it. I haven't taken it off. Here I am at work. It wraps perfectly around my neck and back down. Perfect length, width and weight.

Amazon, how I love thee..

I came home to a box today:

Aw man. I wanna read Stephanie's new book, but I must work on the sweater.

Actually I'm ok with this. It'll be a reward at the end. :)

Oh, yeah. I got new glasses.

I love, love, love them.

my hands hurt

I had to take the night off.

Too much knitting.... must rest.... the yarn is making me weak....

Just kidding. Yarn is not Kryptonite. I do need to rest these hands though.

Inspiration

Weaver and I went on a pattern binge on Thursday. We were all over the internet tempting each other with fun, new knits.

We found this and this and this and this and THIS. I bought the pattern for the Flair coat. not sure when I'll get to it. Later that night I had some inspiration. My first sweater is gonna get frogged. Remember this yarn? I think I'm gonna use that. Cool! If I get it done this spring will someone remind me to wear it next fall?



PS - I've lost the charger for my digital camera battery. I'm conserving what juice I have. I was hoping to find it this weekend and post like hell, but instead I snapped only one pic.

gauge: my nemesis

So... EmDog emails me Thursday. She found a sweater on a knitting blog (yes, I know. She must have been really bored.) that she really likes. To my delight, she had stumbled upon gold. Behold a really cool sweater pattern.

I make a run to Windsor on my lunch break and find cool yarn. This was done while reading names of yarn and colorway number to EmDog over the phone. "Ok. Google Cascade Yarn. Good. Find colorways for Cascade 200 Superwash. Is there a dark gray? How do you like it?" Blah, blah, blah.

Attempt #1:
I swatched a bit. I say a bit because my gauge in the round is drastically different from flat. So, I attempted it people. I did. But I didn't give it a galliant effort. I got somewhere close, but I really couldn't tell. I'd have to start.

I cast on the sweater Thursday night. Messed up the first time. Twisted the stitches (read: mobius) and cast on 1 too few or 1 too many. Not concerned which it was at this point. It was wrong.

Attempt #2:
Cast on again Thursday night, racing to get something on the needles before it got too late. Too late is 10:30ish. Yeah... racing.

I knitted on this one during regular knitting time on Friday.

Attempt #3:
Sometime on Saturday morning, I realized I was get 20 stitches per 4". The gauge is 18 stitches = 4" Moved up to size 8 needles (i know. 1/2 stitch = one needle size. I know that NOW people.) Moved steadily on this attempt until Sunday morning. Dammit.

Attempt #4:
Getting 19-ish stitches per 4". Move on up to size 9 needles and get my ass over to Butterfly. Lovely Donna confirmed that with 9's my gauge is good. I sat there and knit a few more rows on the stockinette portion just to make sure. She measured again. PHEW!

Exhibit A: Size 7, Size 8, Size 9

Hopefully EmDog will now get a sweater that actually fits.