Friday and footies

So, since it's all footies all the time here at By Hook or Pointed Stick, I give you an outdoor shot of the 601 footie. I took this last night sitting our front steps waiting for the hubby to get back with Billy so we could go to dinner. No direct sunlight, but natural light. The colors look pretty good from here. I knkow it's a little blurry, but bear with me. $99 EasyShare cameras don't have Macro functions. I worked on sonnet a bit last night. I'm heading into 8.5" of garter stitch. I think I'll go mad! But when that's done, I'm more than half finished. Well, not counting the sleeves.

Hockey is back and we're very happy chez Netter. Tomorrow hubby and I are going to a Devils draft party at the Meadowlands. We're getting free lunch and tickets for a future game. It'll be fun. I may even get my picture taken with a Devils player.

Hockey is one of the things hubby and I first found we had in common. I hadn't gotten into baseball at the time and wasn't really up on the NHL. But, every winter week in high school I was at a hockey game. My HS didn't have football, but we did have hockey. I grew up thisclose to the great North and hockey is like religion. When Hubby started taking me to Devils games, I found the NHL. And the Devils were good. I was there when they won their last Stanley Cup championship in 2003. Talk about delirously happy. Our hockey team was champs and we'd just found out we were pregnant.

close encounters of the K9 kind

So, when hubby drops me off at the train station this morning (I pick up the bus there instead of the stop closer to our house in hopes of getting a seat), we notice that the transit police have a serious presence. As I get into line at the entrance, I see they have a table set up at the stairs to the train platform and are checking bags. No big deal. I boot up Sheryl Crow on the DJ and zone out. Soon, I feel something bumping against my leg. I figure some idiot's not managing his bag well. I hear "I'm sorry" as I look down and there is a very large German Shepherd sniffing my leg. Obviously Molly's scent was very interesting to the working dog. I panicked for a second, then the officer and the K9 moved along and no one searched me for contraband or explosives. I guess the officer can tell the difference between interested sniffing and "hey, this lady's got a bomb" sniffing.

I have worked a few more rounds on the 601 footies. I've extended the cuff a bit, but will start the heel flap at lunch. I left my novel (The Closers by Michael Connelly) at home so I wouldn't read all the way home again (the last two evening commutes have been knit-less). I also made some progress on Sonnet watching TV with the Hubby. I'll be doing the neck decreases on the back soon, then it's 9" of garter stitch to the shoulder shaping on the other side. That's going to be mind-numbing.

Poor Billy is B-Billy Bruised today. Yesterday at daycare, he feel getting into or out of his chair and scraped the side of his face. It looks a little bit better this morning, a lot of the redness and swelling are gone. He didn't look to pretty yesterday. He also bit someone again. I had two incident reports to sign. They're pretty good at our daycare, though. The lead in his classroom called me to let me know right after he fell.

I am totally jonesing for some new yarn. Why, because it's been a month. Seriously, I've got about 7 pairs of sock yarn in my cart at knitpicks and I'm on eBay and Elann.com throughout the day. Two more months until Stitches. I really need to work through some of the stash in the next two months.

blah, blah, blah, and oh yeah RockStar:INXS

I don't have too much today. I've not been knitting much on the new footies. I read on the way home last night and napped on the way in this morning (don't know why I'm so exhausted lately). I did do a couple of inches on the sonnet, but Molly was a bit of a pest.

Hubby had a good time at OzzFest yesterday. He didn't get too badly sunburned and marvelled at the younger, fitter people passing out. He knows his limits; apparently the kids don't.

I did stay up to watch RockStar last night. I must say I found most of the performances disappointing, except for Jordis, Ty, and Marty. I kept trying to find a reason to dislike Suzie's performance, but she did okay. Over all it was an eh night, which I think was lucky for JD. I do think he'll be down in the votes because he's shown himself to be an Ass!

Still all footies all the time

Yeah, I know I used that already. I don’t think you can sue me for not being creative on my blog.

I finished the first pair of Bob Marley’s Grandma’s footies. They’re great. I highly recommend the pattern from Mind of Winter. I did e-mail one small error I found, but no big deal.
I’ve started my second pair. I was debating working on some other sock pattern, but decided I need more footies! I’m making this pair from a more muted Koigu, P601 lot 12, but still in golds with some blues, coral and a tinge of lilac. It’s all me baby.
I got a few more inches done on the summer sonnet. I’m sick of all the garter stitch already, but the construction makes it fun. I hope I like this sweater. If not, I may seek a new home for it. I am making it slightly smaller than my actual size, hoping it cuts down on the boxy look. I’ll let you know.

Shall I compare thee to a summer's day...

I started Sonnet in Summerwind this weekend. For some reason I can’t stop thinking of Shakespeare's Sonnet #18. It feels like it's taking soo long, even though I've got the right front done. I like the construction of this piece, it's side to side around the body. But all that garter stitch. I like the fabric, though. Pictures tomorrow.

I'm still working on the second footie. I was so taken with the new project, I haven't done much on the footie since Friday. I'm only about an inch or so away from the toe decreases. Then, it's on to my third pair of socks. Hmmm, what should it be? Another footie in koigu, regular socks in Kroy (got two colorways), or something dull in solid Preface (three shades)?

all footies all the time

Here's my finished footie. Hubby thought it looked a little tight, but I like it. I even like my kitchener stitch (performed last night while he was flipping channels).
I've turned the heel on number two and plan on getting through the gusset at lunch. By Monday, I'll have another FO to report.

I tried NBaT on again last night and it's just too big. I overcompensated when up-sizing the pattern. Not sure what I'm going to do now. I can't wear it. I'll have to rip it eventually. I don't know if I'll try another T with the calmer or if I will use it for something else.

While putting the project bag together for my Summerwind Hoodie, I realized that the yarn gauge did not match the pattern gauge. Whoopsie. I kept thinking it was chunkier than it is. It's 3.5-4 st per inch, not the 3 per inch the pattern calls for. I'm thinking it might make a pretty Sonnet.

I'll get started on that this weekend. Hopefully, if I can find knitting time. Hubby's out with the boys tonight (bachelor party for a colleague) and there's a church golf outing tomorrow morning. (I was planning to go, but our babysitter, aka M-I-L, is in upstate NY for a wedding.) Billy and/or Molly tend to want my attention when I'm home alone with them so I might not get too much accomplished.

I'd love to go to the beach this weekend, but I don't know if two adults are enough with a toddler.

dreams of alma mater

Now that my alma mater is going to be co-ed in a matter of months (will the girls be the students and the boys the co'eds?), I dreamt that Hubby and I were given full boats and went back. We had a dorm room together and everything. How weird is that? I don't know where Billy was, but we were our current ages and going back for second Bachelor degrees. I was doing something in science, I think.

I often have dreams of going back to Wells. It was four of the best years of my life. But, don't we all feel that way about college? What a great campus. I'd love to be up there right now, lying on the dock, reading some novel, chatting with Marcia and Bethany. Ah, to be 21 again.

bad NBaT, rip a toe, cranky-butt

So, I finished the NBaT last night. You'll notice that she does not appear as an FO. You may also notice that my "finishing pile" is not a "fix-it pile." I am not happy with the sleeves. They're poofy. I'll have to take them out, rip them, re-knit and put them back in. Bummer. Maybe, I'll just take the sleeves out and wear it as a shell. Hmmm.

I was a little over-enthusiastic this morning on the footie. I started the toe a couple of rows too soon. See:

No way three more decrease rows are covering up that much toe. Oh well. I can't complain about having to spend a little more time on it. I'll have a completed footie at some point today and I just started it Tuesday! (Then I get to re-knit the other one. Think I'll just start from what's left of the ball and work directly from the other sock. Both footies are still on the same piece of yarn. I just couldn't bring myself to cut the Koiu until I knew it was going to be enough for both footies.)

Billy was an absolute pill this morning. He woke up early (about 6) after going to bed early (7:30). Which was fine. But, he wanted to be held constantly. Fussed and cried and screamed unless I held him and I couldn't hold him and sit down. Nope hold me standing up was what "uh uh uh uh uh" meant this morning. So, Hubby was all worried that he'd have a repeat of yesterday's dropoff where he was an absolute pill and asked me to come along and help. I did and as soon as we got there, he was in his chair getting ready for breakfast. Not a tear was shed. Except by me when I had to take the third bus in and was late for work.

Lunchtime KIP, second socks, NBaT, gratuitous dog

So, I spent my lunch yesterday in Father Fagan Park, eating a sandwich and then knitting on my sock. I'm about four inches into the foot of the first sock and finally think, gee maybe I ought to check my gauge. Guess what, I'm getting 18 st to 2" while the pattern calls for 14. Oops. Well, I figure I'll check to see if it fits. Nope a bit too tight. Grr. I haven't ripped it yet. I decided to start the second sock on US3s from the outside of the ball. So far, so good. I'm working the heel flap. See:

I'll be lunching in Father Fagan Park again today. It's nice and shady and nearest the cheap deli. And I'll be turning the heel. These footies are going fast. (Shh, don't tell her she's going to have to re-knit the first one.)

Hubby said his socks were really comfortable yesterday, albeit a bit warm. He got many, many compliments. People didn't believe I'd made them. He said he wanted more, blue, black, gray, and argyle. He's requested argyle before and I told him it had to wait until after my intarsia class at Stitches. But, gee this sounds like a call for more sock yarn. And Knitpicks has just rolled out solid colors. Woot!

I finished the neckline on my NBaT and wove in most of the ends. All that's left is setting in the sleeves. I hope to wear her Friday, if it's at all cooler or drier. Of course it's 67 degrees here in my office this morning. She'd fit right in! It's the 90+ outside I'm concerned about.

Here's a pic of our Molly, enjoying the air conditioning in her favorite chair. (Note: the air conditioner is just to her left.)

Don't you just want to kiss that face?

Totally forgot to mention that Hubby is wearing his socks today. I think he's nuts.

photographic evidence

Here is the heel of the footie.

Harry, heels, NBaT update

So, I finished the Half-Blood Prince last night. Wow, what a read. I must admit I was so sucked in yesterday at lunch that my job performance suffered greatly (read, I was reading at my desk and not working). I cannot wait for number 7. Rowling better get writing! I was a bit stunned by some plot turns, but others weren't too surprising.

Ripped out what I'd done on the heel of my footie last night and re-did it. Amazing how differently things go when you follow the directions! I'm cruising along on the foot. La-di-da stockinette goin' round and round. I wish my DJ were charged. Music makes the stitchin' go faster.

I forgot to mention that I made actual progress on my T this weekend. I finished the second sleeve. Although, it isn't exactly like the first one, I'm pretty pleased. I'm not sure what happened. I was following the first one as a template and I thought I had a bunch of rows left to do when I realized that I was low on stitches and that the sleeve cap was getting kind of tall. So, I held it up to the finished sleeve and realized that I was done. The shapings not exactly the same, but I think it will be forgiven in the seaming. I started the neckline. That was fun. I picked up a bazillion stitches and started working back and forth on a purl row. I turned and knit a row, then got all confused on where the beginning was and realized I hadn't worked down the front of the left-side of the V. I tinked back and have recovered. Need to check the pattern for the height and then finish up. I hope to be able to wear it later this week once the humidity has died down.

sink insanity, footies, parents, Harry Potter

I love my Mom and Dad. I wonder what it would take to get them to move down here. It tickles me to see them with my son. I know how much love being grandparents.

My dad volunteered on Saturday to change the fauce in our kitchen sink. The one we had was corroded and had been leaking under the sink a bit. I had joked about it the last time they were here and when I was out working out Saturday morning, he got to it. By the time I got home, the kitche was already a disaster. It got crazy. They couldn't get the old faucet out, the new faucet had a leak, there were four trips to Home Depot, and my husband lost his mind. But, I've got a great new faucet. My sink looks clean and we all eventually recovered (fortunately Hubby didn't break his hand when punching the basement wall).


I've got a lot more done on my footies. I kind of stalled out Saturday night at the tailgate. The heel's a bit different than the one I worked on Hubby's socks. It needs more attention (and fewer beers) than I could give it at the time. John and John ROCKED by the way. Can't wait to turn the heel and get into some cruisable st st!

I got my Harry Potter. It came a little later Saturday morning that I was expecting. I've not gotten too far (can't be that rude), but I'm well into it now (thanks to a non-knittable seat and a long morning ride in). I'm looking forward to lunch time to read some more. As a matter of fact, I'd rather not work at all!

knitter finds another FO and gives herself a ribbing

Dude's vest is finished. It's way too big for him (although it does fit over his head). But, it's done. I'm pretty happy with it and think this yarn would make a great blanket (especially in stripes). Mayhap when I get my knitting machine up and running....

I nearly, nearly finished the second NBaT sleeve on the bus yesterday. When I took it out at home last night I got a little worried about the shape of it. It just didn't seem quite right. So I held it against the finished sleeve. D'oh! All wrong. I ripped it and started re-knitting it. The notes I took on my final mods were NOT correct so I'm carrying the finished sleeve with me to use as a guide. Shouldn't take too long once I get to it.

I've not been faithful to the finishing, though. Nope. Last night I had to swatch for the BMG footies. Mmmm, koigu. I just love this colorway (I looked at the tag this morning but forgot the number and didn't bring it with me). It's so fruity, so rainbow but harvest. So of course this morning waiting for the bus and on the bus, and waiting for the subway and on the subway, I worked on the first footie. I'm just about to start the heel flap. Picture is from one round earlier. Can't wait!

knitter has an FO and gives self Koigu cupcake

I finished the Hubby's socks last night (I was going to get all cutesy and make some reference to the fact that the one I finished second was the first one, but I confused myself). My kitchener stitch looks much better on this one. I printed out the instructions from Knitty's Summer '04 issue and it was crystal clear. Here they are in all their flash-photo glory.I gave them to him, bu the didn't offer to model them. Just said thank you and put them aside. I didn't expect he'd offer his picture for the blog, he's very private. But, I had hoped he'd try them on.

As my reward for finishing the socks, I've put together my project bag for the Bob Marley's Grandma's Footies. This is the koigu I'm using. I had to dig out my swift and ball winder last night, I just couldn't wait. Then I had to make a special socks-only stitch marker (a little green heart on a head pin that I wrapped twice around a US3 DPN and around itself and then trimmed off). Then I couldn't get to sleep. I just laid there thinking about that little Koigu cupcake.

I've worked a bit on my NBaT sleeve and hope to finish the knitting tonight and maybe get them sewn in. I should also be able to finish up Dude's vest (only one more row and cast-off to do). I'm just so excited to get started on new stuff. Must fnish....

in case you didn't know, only 3 days...

Sock #2 was completed yesterday during our little lunch s’n’b. It was oohed and ahhed over. Sock #1 is rapidly approaching re-completion. I do need to work in my Kitchener stitch, though. People sure are impressed by socks. This one was a pretty easy pattern. I’m looking forward to making many more with a bit more difficulty.

I greatly enjoyed sitting and stitching. My colleagues have asked me to plan another and I will. I'd love to do it weekly, but would that be too much?

Next sock project will be Bob Marley’s Grandma’s Footies from Mind of Winter. I’ve got 5 skeins of KPPPM I originally bought for a charlotte's web, but think would be better as 5 pairs of footies. I love low socks and I can’t wait. The first pair will be for me, I might share later pairs, if I can trust anyone else to not felt them!

I do so want to finish dude’s vest and the NBaT this week. Hopefully, I can squeeze them in with housework tonight and tomorrow night. My Mom and Dad are coming down from VT on Friday (we’re going to see John Mellencamp and John Fogerty on Saturday). So, I need to clean out the guest room and finish cleaning the bathroom.

Hubby very nicely dropped me at the train station this morning. I had to wait for 2 expresses, but got a seat (finally) on the second one. Hence, more sock progress. Last night I had to also wait for a second bus to get on and get a seat. I refuse to stand both ways in one day.

toes, stash (again), whine

I'll get the whine out of the way so you can skip down to the OKC. SRO again this morning coming in on the bus. The driver told me he picked up 6 people with train passes. I'm soooo glad NJ Transit decided to cross-honor the rail passes on all buses everyday. I'm never going to get a seat on the way in again.

Okay, getting ready to graft this toe. I finished the second sock's second toe last night watching Rock Star. (So far, a pretty good "reality" show.) I made Hubby try it on. It's a perfect fit, if it doesn't shrink, as Hubby mentioned a few times. Shouldn't be a problem so long as we remember to keep them out of the dryer. I'll be ripping back the first sock's first toe today and hopefully will have an FO report in the next day or so. I'm booting up Nona's grafting tutorial and will use that to guide me through th e process.

As for the stash, I got my Calmer (for $6.50 a ball) last night. Last of the stashquisitions on hand now. It's a nice, deep, brick red, almost a dull barn red. I can't wait to make something with it. It and everything else in the stash (but cotton, we're having a humidity in flux).

Just heard I'm getting a new laptop today. Must go clean out the hard drive on this one.

toe number 3, stash, and s'n'b

I did finish the toe on sock #2, and it was too small! I ripped and re-started. Hubby laughed at me while we were watching TV on Saturday because I kept making him give me his foot. Hey, the whole point of hand-made socks is that they are custom-fit, right? The bus was SRO this morning, so I only got a couple of rounds done on the subway. I hope to get it finished up tonight and start toe #4. I really, really want some FOs this week.

I did re-start the neckline on Dude's vest on the way to church yesterday. Hubby looked at the three bags (purse, diaper, knitting) I was making him carry to the van (hey, I had the high-chair) and said do we have to take all this knitting? I said yes, I like to knit in the car. Ha to you buddy, I got nearly half of it done. So, there.

I received 2 of my 3 outstanding eBay purchases this weekend. My silk garden arrived Friday. It's a slightly different dye lot from my first 10 skeins of #84, but I don't think it will really matter. I can always use it for the sleeves or something. My Cork came on Saturday. Wowser, is Billy going to look sharp in this sweater. Blue, orange, red, green. Yippee! It might just be the rad stripes I've been wanting to knit!

Tomorrow, I'm getting together with another knitter and a needlepointer for a lunch-hour s'n'b. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm not sure what I'm going to bring to work on. Maybe the second NBaT sleeve. That hasn't been touched in a few days and shouldn't require too much concentration. I need to be able to chat you know to get to know these fiber-minded colleagues!

dodged a bullet

Whoo-boy did Hubby and I dodge a bullet of the home-owning variety. Seems the contractor who re-sided our house and replaced our windows was a big fat scam artist. He was arrested on Wednesday and seems to have stolen over half a million dollars. We were the lucky ones, even if the workmanship on our house is pretty shoddy. But, now we know why he hadn't been returning hubby's calls. He was going to skip town. In the past, he'd come up with some interesting excuses for not returning our calls (wife just had a baby--even though he's not married, appendicitis). We started getting really suspicious when hubby tried to go to his office two weeks ago and it was closed up. Now, we're not sure what we're going to do about the places where the siding is buckling. And so much for our 12-year warranty on the work. Phooey.

I am working the toe decreases on sock #2. I made hubby try it on last night. He was a little wary about the dpns (especially since I'd stabbed myself in the stomach the other day. Try not to bend over with a s-i-p in your lap). But, I found I only needed to work a few more rounds before the decreases. I'm not going to decrease to as few stitches as the pattern calls for, I'm going to make the grafted area a little wider. His feet aren't that pointy.

I finished an NBaT sleeve last night. It fits. Once I determined that, I quickly put my first attempt back on the needles and got to work. Soon, soon, soon.

Who knows, next week might be an FO week! I figure I should be able to whip out the revised ribbing on Dude's vest, too. Then, I think I'm going to make this out of my Summerwind, but I think I might pick up stitches and add sleeves. I know, I was going to start Splash, but I desperately want to knit up the Summerwind while it's still Summer.

stunned

This is keeping me from caring about my knitting right now. I read Kerrie's update and it brought back the feelings I had on 9/11 wondering when if I would be able to get home and if anything else was going to happen. The nice guy on the bus this morning, my sock progress, NBaT sleeve, all seem so unimportant. Pray for them.

sleeve, sock, neckline

Scintillating title, Wednesday would have been just as good.

Anyway, I knit a few rows and got past the first set of decreases on the NBaT sleeve last night watching a mish-mash of poker and Yankees replay. Then I was a Molly pillow. I hope to have a sleeve done this week. I really, really want to start on splash.

A few more inches on the Hubby sock #2. Didn't get a knittable seat yesterday morning and this morning was SRO. Still, the evening commute allows for some knitting around, and around, and around. The rounds are much faster now that I'm no longer ribbing or working the heel. Still, toe seems a long way off.

I ripped out the neck ribbing on Dude's vest this morning (after I had my cereal and while I was waiting for him to wake up). I'm going to make sure the V is big enough for his head and then I'll put in some looser ribbing (pick up more stitches firstly, then use a US5).

I'm a bit bummed. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince is being released next Saturday. I pre-ordered with Amazon back in December; so, my copy will be on my doorstep Saturday morning. But, my parents are visiting that weekend and I won't be able to start reading it for a few days. When book 5 was released, I read it in one weekend (nearly one sitting, but it took two days). In the grand scheme of things, I'm happier to have my mom and dad around than to have the book, but it was a bit of a downer when I realized the timing of it this morning.

In other news, my sister had a migraine yesterday and had to go home from work. Yes, the Deso family curse strikes again. My grandmother passed this affliction to most of her 8 children, including my dad who passed it down to 2 of his 3. Sunday, while visiting with Meme and a couple of Uncles and Aunts, we were talking about migraines, symptoms, and frequency. Ironic that she got hit with one yesterday, huh? She says she blames me, but I know she doesn't really.

inane but first

Forgive me for the lack of wit, but I just left the first comment on the Yarn Harlot's post today.

OKC

I forgot to mention my knitting from this weekend. I finished up Dude's vest and it is so sweet, however, it won't fit over his head. Yes, the mommy of a toddler forgot how BIG said toddler's head is. Fortunately, I figure I only have to rip and re-knit the neck ribbing.

I've turned the heel and worked past the gusset on Hubby's sock #2. I did much of that waiting for our table at KJ's in St. Albans on Sunday morning. And waiting for the food to come. I love turning heels. Can't wait to try a different method.

I also started a sleeve for my NBaT. I've just started the shaping, so hopefully, I can get that finished this week and see if it will fit in the hole. I'd love to get her done. Then, it's time to start something else!

I LoVermont

Anyone else remember that slogan? I remember it on bumper stickers when I was a kid.

We had a good weekend up in ole' Franklin County. We did parades, and bar-be-cues, fireworks, and swimming. All on the smaller side. And I had a maple creemee. MMMMMMMM. Sorry if you think maple-flavored ice cream is gross (that would put you in Hubby's corner), but I got maple in my veins and I'll eat maple butter plain. And maple sugar candy, it's like crack. Billy seemed to enjoy everthing but the pools. He freaked at my uncle's when Hubby and I tried to take him swimming. 80+ water's not quite warm enough. I imagine he'll be like I was soon enough. (And hubby's just nuts, he'll swim in the ocean in May.) The fireworks upset him a smidge, until he learned to anticipate the booms. Then he fell asleep on mommy's shoulder. Awww.

He was charming and everyone loves him and I can't wait to bring him up there next month. I must say, we all started to get a bit cranky toward the end of the visit, but fish and family....