Down to one

Just one pair of socks on the needles! T's are resting in his drawer-only had to use the burgundy in a stripe near the top-that's the beauty of toe-up. I'll be sure to use that method anytime the yarn supply is limited!
And FLAK is progressing-5 inches on the front!

Spring!

Here in SC, we have seen many signs of Spring lately. One in particular made me especially glad-my peonies are up!

I hope they will do well this year. The hostas and lilies are sending up shoots as well. I planted a Pomegranate tree this weekend and may or may not add a sour cherry tree. I've wanted one for several years now, but may need to postpone it until next year.

FLAK progress:
Today I cast on the neck stitches and joined the fronts! While delighted by the progress, I am dreaming of short-sleeved cotton blend sweaters. Maybe because I need some? Yes, I pulled all the warm weather clothing out of storage last week :~) Predictably, today is cool again.

Also knitting the heel flaps for T's socks. He's growing impatient...he keeps asking for his brown socks. I'm hoping to have one of my Work Nights tonight(this is where I stay up an hour or so past my bedtime to work on projects-I shoot for once a week-but it rarely happens) so that I can get the heels done.

I've also started another bobbin of the Targhee

Yes, the neps are still driving me crazy :~( Every fifteen seconds or so has me wondering aloud what I was THINKING to send it off to a mill knowing full well how freakishly picky I am. Yeah, it's great fun. I have to space it out with the colonial top to keep from completely flipping out. Actually, the whole experience is probably very good for me on some level.

Nearly there

I knit another 3 inches over the last couple of days, and I want to end at 8 inches. It's coming along! I really love the color.

I have knit on the shawl some, too-I can't help myself! The pattern is burning its way into my memory but I'm not quite ready to stop checking the chart. I still love the yarn and the lace pattern provides enough variety but is not so complex that I'll never master it. In a few more rows, I will only need to check it before beginning a new row.

I'm reinstituting my "Spinning on Fridays" rule. I've gotten so little spinning done lately, despite all my best intentions that I must take action. Tonight I'm finishing up that bobbin of purple Colonial!

I planted the Alpine Strawberries this afternoon-once I moved the Elephant Ears, Bee Balm, and Catnip out of the bed I wanted them in-whew! I also rearranged the salad garden-some of the mesclun and lettuces needed more room-only now I have very little space for the sugar snaps I intended to plant on Monday. Maybe just one row-ha! Sounds like knitting. My elderberries and blueberries are all budding and the plum tree is blooming-spring is right around the corner! This is my favorite time of year :~)

Just once more!

I've forgiven T's socks for their errant ways and have set them on a new path. Charlene Schurch's toe-up directions sound reasonable so I snipped them in the spot to begin the heel flap. This better work. BTW, I really like this book-it is chock full of useful info!
I borrowed Cat Bordhi's sock book from the library last week-her discussion of Lucy Neatby's trick for Kitchener stitch may be the only thing to save me. I'm really resisting all that "extra" wasted knitting, but when I consider how many mis-grafted toes I've ripped...sigh...I'm wavering.


These little beauties helped me gather my resolve to tackle the bad boys. They are Knitpicks' Dancing and they are for C. She wants to knit them herself! Her washcloth is coming along, but not THAT well!

And after seeing some fantastic FLAK progress, I decided to post a pic of my progress hoping it will shame me into knitting on it more. Here it is perched on top of its knitting bag. A measly three and a half inches on that back. I've got to get some discipline!I really enjoy the knitting once I get started, but it's not something I can pick up and put down easily. A necessity in my home! Hence, so many plain socks! My other excuse is that while Paton's Classic is lovely, it's not baby alpaca. When I had that ten minutes after breakfast this morning, the shawl won. But the rest of my "little minutes" today must go to the FLAK. I'm putting in a marker before I begin to help motivate me. Let's see how much I can knit today!

New name

Last week the owner of spin2knit.com contacted me. SO, to avoid confusion, I now have a new name! Many thanks to Melissa for her help in guiding me through the process!!! It was much simpler than I thought. Well, once I thought of a new name-that took a bit longer than I expected ;~)

Mommy brain strikes again

T's socks have been declared done, tried on, scowled at, and then ripped out 3 times now. First, the toes were too long and pointy, but then the foot was still too long, finally, the heel too small. They have been banished to my knitting bag where I hope they are learning a valuable lesson. You'd think this was my first pair of socks!!! Thoughout this whole fiasco, the ability to weave live stitches together has remained elusive. After umpteen pairs of socks with nicely grafted toes, I simply cannot do it anymore. I've pored over the instructions and checked other books until I can't even look at the socks. Here's what is happening-I know it's almost impossible to see since it's so close to the ribbing. It's the lumpy, twisty row eight rows above the stripe. Perfectly awful. (Please don't ask why I have grafting to perform at this point of the sock-you really don't want to know. Let me just say that these socks were doomed from the start and leave it at that, OK? However-I WILL WIN)
On the other sock, I was so disgusted, I just jerked all the live stitches off the needles and began to weave them together willy-nilly. However my whim/gut instinct dictated. The result was a flawless reverse stockinette stitch weave. I flipped the sock inside out to check. Yes, there it was-the real deal-on the INSIDE of my sock heel! How can this be? Am I doomed to a three needle bind off forever?

I knit the first two rows of the Alberta shawl last night and all my knitting equilibrium was restored. Lovely, lovely yarn. (Knitpicks Andean Treasure-Embers) I've not knit with alpaca before so I'm thoroughly enjoying this. See its humble seed stitch beginnings? It shall hereafter be known as the Emma shawl, since I'm listening to Emma on audio book while I knit.

More socks

Only one heel to go on T's socks before I am finished. I'm making ankle socks with striped heels because I am running out of yarn. He's been wearing ankle socks all winter anyway. I'll post a pic when they are completed!

I went to A C Moore last night, with two 40% off coupons in my hot little hands. I was determined to purchase another set of circulars for sock knitting and then I saw Charlene Church's(OK that looks wrong-I must be misspelling it) Sensational Knitted Socks book. A $25 price tag means less when you're holding a coupon. AND, I had NO children with me so was able to peruse the book at leisure. I was quite impressed and I have a whole 3-ring binder full of sock patterns, not counting the books that also have sock info inside of them. I was SO tempted that I actually couldn't make a decision. I left the store with only ONE circular needle! I figured I could take a little time and go back on Sat. Then, I headed over to Hancock's to see what kind of fabrics they might have that would suit a special project I have in mind. While I was waiting at the cutting table I looked over at the book rack and there was The Best of Knitter's Arans and Celtics. Who knew? In a fabric store? Several nice sweaters there, but the pull on that one lessened overnight.
My Stahman's Shawls and Scarves book arrived today. I'd seen that one before when I borrowed it years ago from the knitting guild library. Why I waited so long to purchase it is a mystery. Simply lovely designs! I may never make another type of shawl again. I'm thinking of devoting the Targhee blend I've been spinning to the Marialis shawl, but then there's the Andean Treasure in Embers...I may use that for Marialis. I've already cast on the seed stitch edge, actually. I'm a little uneasy about using my handspun for lace-I'm not sure that my spinning is even enough. Fenna might be better for the Targhee, and it would make the perfect shawl for winter reading by the fire. I need to take a closer look at the yarn before I decide.