last picture of these, I promise

Here are my happy little picot socks being worn. I think this might be my go-to sock pattern for some time to come. They fit great and are super cute (if I do say so myself). I think next pair, I'll do an in-place afterthought heel. It will be a lot easier than doing the three loop gusset and I don't know enough about short row heels to make one that looks right.

So the details: Trekking XXL #144 on Addi US 1s with magic loop. I cast on 72 stitches, did a five-row picot hem and knit to what seemed the right lengths. Can't wait to see how they hold up in the wash.

Dad's birthday sweater's been drying for 3 days. I still need a zipper, but may stop at Joann's by them tomorrow and install in VT. (Not much else to do sitting around Meme's house after B goes to bed.) I plan to bring Hubby's sweater for knitting in the truck, oh and a little pair of socks.

I switched to the Addis earlier this week after finishing the Happy picots. The Bates US1 I was using was killing my hands. I hope these block out way wider, or I'm not going to be able to wear them. I am so happy with the way the colors are working out this time, though, so I'm going to finish them even if I can't wear them.

Dragon Attack!

I never FO'd these socks. The second one's been sitting around waiting to be blocked for weeks and weeks. I love these socks. The only problem, they were knit at a really loose gauge (to fit my wide ankles without having to tweak the pattern) and will probably wear out quickly. They're knit in Koigu on Knitpicks US3 circs in magic loop and the pattern's from the Keyboard Biologist. I wore them to work yesterday and love, love, love them.

Thor, you really do need to learn to knit socks.

Republic knock-off and a sock FO

Does anyone remember the Republic hat by Nik? I really liked it but thought I'd like vertical garter stitch instead. Well, one rapidly dwindling ball of De Vie Butterfly later and a hat and scarf set were born.


The ball was rapidly dwindling because I knit the too skinny and almost too long scarf first, from the first two balls (not sure how many I had, but it was less than one when I started the hat). The pic doesn't do the yarn justice. What looks brown should be way more orange and pink.


Of course, the person to whom I am giving the hat and scarf, a recent transplant to Connecticut from Texas, is stuck in CT and not making it in to NYC for our lunch appointment. No big. I can replace the button before I see her after the new year. I hope she likes it. I think it will look nice with her blondeness. I knit the scarf a long time ago and started the hat. I didn't like the first incarnation, but with a deadline approaching and a recipient decided, I finished it over the weekend. I sewed the button on during my commute in this morning.

Also, this weekend, I finished my happy little picot socks.

I'll get a modeled shot Thursday when I wear them in for knitting. I love, love, love them. They're knit in Trekking XXL color 144 on US addi 1s using magic loop. I cast on 72 stitches and just knit to my feet. I can't wait to wear them.

Even hubby likes them, not for himself, you know, but for Me or B. I have lots of yarn leftover. I might see if I can get a pair for B out of the leftovers. I think he'd like them.

Dad's birthday sweater is nearly done. I've got just the ribbing on the neckline and joining the underarm stitches. Then, I have to find a zipper. I promise to post a pic eventually!

Christmas Meme

I've got to post something this week, right? Here's a Christmas Meme I got over at Dr. Girlfriend Knits.

Christmas Meme
1. Wrapping paper or gift bags? Cheap wrapping paper with occasional bags. I'm entertaining the crazy thought of buying lots of on-sale Christmas fabric after the holiday and sewing up an assortment of re-useable bags
2. Real or artificial tree? Fake with the lights already on it!
3. When do you put up the tree? Back before we travelled for Thanksgiving, we'd do it that Saturday, but now it's earliest Saturday in December that we get in gear.
4. When do you take it down? First Saturday after Twelfth Night.
5. Do you like eggnog? I love eggnog. I never get to have it though. I can't justify buying it just for me, it's too fatty.
6. Favorite gift received as a child? The year I got my own stereo was cool.
7. Do you have a nativity scene? Yep, small one on the mantle near the stockings. I laughed at myself for putting the Christ back in Christmas. Seriously, though. I don't know why a protestant family has a life-like nativity.
8. Hardest person to buy for? Hubby. I don't know why. I do have a plan this year.
9. Easiest person to buy for? Billy. He's not quite 4. He and the dog would be happy with empty boxes wrapped in shiny paper.
10. Worst Christmas present you ever got? Really cheap pantyhose from my mom's parents. I'm not kidding! They threw in an awful, cheap pink plastic necklace and earrings.
11. Mail or email Christmas cards? None this year. I've fallen out of the habit.
12. Favorite Christmas movie? A Christmas Story!
13. When do you start shopping for Christmas? Used to be Black Friday. We did buy a few gifts this year, but I have yet to start the bulk of it.
14. Have you ever recycled a Christmas present? Probably, but I can't remember for sure.
15. Favorite thing to eat on Christmas? Anything with chocolate.
16. Clear lights or colored on the tree? We have white, but I'd rather have colored. Hubby and I debate what makes a display Coney Island. For him colors and blinking, for me you can't get gaudy enough.
17. Favorite Christmas song? Carol of the Bells.
18. Travel at Christmas or stay home? We stay home since the B came along. We do breakfasts and gifts at home and then mosey up to the in-laws for gifts and dinner.
19. Can you name all of Santa’s Reindeer? Yep, thanks to the intro to Rudolph... Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comit, Cupid, Donner, Blitzen, and Rudolph!
20. Angel or star on top of tree? An angel. My mother's mother made a ton of beaded ornaments and everyone's got a clear angel about 5" tall. She sits on our tree top.
21. Open presents Christmas Eve or morning? We'll be opening with my parents the Saturday before, but nothing at home will be opened before morning. Heck, I'll be wrapping that night after B goes to bed.
22. Most annoying thing this time of year? Got to go with Kim on the commercials. No one buys cars for Christmas, do they? And the jewelry ones. I like the jewelry hubby gives me, but other gifts would be just as great.
23. Do you decorate your tree in any theme or color? Not really. We've got a mish-mash of stuff.
24. What do you leave for Santa? We've never done it before, but since B is older this year and gets Santa, we'll leave cookies.

a sock and a hem

I've completed the hem on sock two.

I'll try to get pics of something other than these socks this weekend. I bound off the armholes on Dad's sweater last night and cast on for sleeve one.

Hubby and I plan to get the tree up tomorrow. Maybe some the tree and some Christmas music will get me in the spirit.

stupid blogger

Here's an outdated pic of a nearly finished sock. I was having problems posting it before (hence the post title). I kitchenered the toe at lunch.

Dad's sweater is 14" long. Couple more and I'll be starting the sleeves.

Haven't touched Hubby's St. Andrew's sweater since the weekend.

Still haven't done anything for the holidays. But, choir is singing again on Sunday.

how to beat away the blahs

Cast on a new project! I don't have pictures of it, but I got about 3" completed on my Dad's birthday sweater. I'm knitting him a very simple zipped cardigan out of Rowan Plaid. Since he thought the yarn was so nice in Mom's Freya. It's just gray and white, so kind of dull, but it's nice to have the ribbing done. I'm knitting it in one piece from the bottom up. My goal is to have the body done to the armhole bindoffs this week, the sleeves to the bind off next week, and joining it all the following week. Ideally, it would be all done and left with him on the 23rd, but since his birthday's not until the 29th, I could work on it during my Christmas Vacation and just mail it up to him the 27th or so.

The work blahs got forceably beaten away by annihilating my to do list. I was beginning to thinkI I'd have to eliminate blogging (reading more so than posting) in order to get done what needs be done by the 20th. However, I've completed what I can and now I need people to get back to me. Do not mention the 250+ invoicse I need to complete later this week, they will not be named until Thursday.

In other happy news, I still have my happy picots sock.

Mondays suck

Same old work crap, but I did realize that I don't have to re-knit Hubby's whole St Andrew's sweater to fix too tight armholes. I can just add an inch to both front and back.