Arpil 5, 2007

Met my challenge!

Here's the hat after I over dyed it with orange KA. I don't know how much snow is in the area this hat will go to, but bright or dark colored hats are always preferred to help keep an eye on kids in snow! So, it's bright!

I met my challenge from yesterday: Got my socks and a new Michelle <--click hat CO. In fact I had a bit of knitting time upstairs, and I got a good 3 inches done on the hat. Pics when it's finished!

Using Lamb's Pride WW Super wash (which is more like a fingering yarn IMHO) I cast on a nice purple sock. Got the cuff and a round or two done. I've been looking seriously at the Horcrux Socks (based on a magical item in the last Harry Potter book). I tried a stitch pattern similar to his on my own and failed miserably yet again. I really don't think knitting fancy socks will ever be my forte. (On a side note, to those sock knitters that do the lace patterns, do they run smaller in sizes? I've seen a lot of people online discussing different patterns and finding they need to CO more sts than they generally do with the same yarn and same needles. Anyone else find this true?) Anyway, the stitch pattern on these is a multiple of five. I've CO 48 sts, so adding two or decreasing three is no big thing.... Mine of course, wouldn't have all the additional ribbing, which I don't particularly like anyway.

BTW, I've been meaning to share this link for the click--> Basic Sock Chart with all you sock knitters. Silver of the infamous Silver's Sock Class <--click shared it on the
click--> Knittinghelp.com forum It's got just about all the information on needs to make socks from any weight yarn and for any size.

OH OH OH! Guess what? There is no standing water in my back yard this morning!!!!!!!!!! I told you the water was left running all night Tuesday night...well it was still running at 1:30 pm on Wednesday. So over to the Office we trotted. She sent the maintenance man over to turn off the water and take the handle off the spigot! The kids had been filling up a chest freezer in their back yard and using it for a swimming pool.... :::heavy sigh::: Anyway, now they don't have water in their back yard.....and neither do I. Today is the first day of spring vacation for the local school district, which means they will be home for five days. Perhaps my grands will be able to go out back tomorrow to a relatively dry yard. OTOH, that's five days of unsupervised "fun" the kids next door will have.

April 2, 2007

Monica I and II

Got the second one finished as promised! I think they both turned out very nicely!

Those neighbor kids...the ones I told you awhile back that set fire to winter dead brush and scorched the paint on their house? Well, now they are playing with water....sigh! My back yard is flooded...

That's just a small part from yesterday afternoon. This morning at 7:30, half the yard has standing water.... Because the fruit trees shade 90% of our 20 x 15 ft yard, there is no grass to speak of. But now there's lots of mud. This will be the second day the kids can't go play in back because of mud. The dirt's saturated enough that the mud is slippery. Yes, I'm whining.....but the kids are going stir crazy in the house!

I cast on a sock last night. For one of my grandsons, I think. It's out of acrylic WW so it'll be a short house sock/slipper. Got as far as starting the decreases after turning the heel. My, socks on "big" yarn go fast!

Not much on the agenda for today. My daughter's off till noon, but we have grocery shopping to do as well as a TRIP TO THE OFFICE to discuss the flood in my back yard! This afternoon I hope to settle in with my knitting and watch the first episode of "The Tudors."