Two FO’s and news of a UFO refound

In a fit of finishing I have actually managed to finish not one, but two projects!

Reverse Bloom Washcloth from Week-End Knitting knit in Crystal Palace Chenille. This is for our next-door-neighbor who turned 80 this summer. Ravtails.

Rattlesnake Creek Socks from Wooly Wonka Fibers knit in Dream in Color Smooshy from The Loopy Ewe. These had a tumultulous start and were for the previously mentions Sock Knitters Pentathlon, but sadly were not finished by the deadline. That said, they’re great socks and I enjoyed knitting them a great deal. Ravtails.

After finishing these and swatching for a sock class with CookieA this week-end I was left rather at loose ends on the knitting front. So off I went to my bag of UFO’s and found my Shetland Triangle started in the summer of ‘07. What a delight to knit. I wonder why I put it away?

Socks Done!

For the second entry in the Sock Knitter’s Pentathlon the socks were Berlin Muster. To say there was a pattern overstates things a tad. Really it was just a lace chart, and a tricky one at that. While my socks don’t match (I changed my mind about which stitches to keep on the foot and which to use on the heel between socks) I am pretty pleased with the results and feel like I have grown as a sock knitter!

In a burst of speed, after working on these for six weeks, I turned the second heel and finished them up in four days. The fact that we were at the beach this week-end helped. Bunny hung out with his grandparents, B slept, and I knit each morning. Not a bad way to start a day!

Ravtails here.

Next up, Hemlock Ring… I wind the yarn tomorrow!

The F-Word

No, not that F word… Forty, as in I am forty today.

I remember when my mom turned forty, I was 9 and never doubted that she was old. Mom will turn 71 on Friday, and I’m thinking old is more like 90!

No major birthday plans, I opened cards from my parents and aunts and uncles this morning and am now carefully plotting my purchases. We will have a family party with B’s family this evening before B and his dad have to rush off to band practice. I’m planning to spend the day knitting on my Sock Knitter’s Pentathlon sock two, since it’s supposed to be finished by the end of the month. Plus I want to get it done so I can start so socks that will “count” for Summer of Socks!

The photos are of a long delayed reporting of an actual FO. At the end of May I decided to knit a baby hat for the impending arrival for B’s boss and wife. I took some Yarn Pirate BFL with us to the beach for Memorial Day week-end and planned to knit the Norwegian Sweet Baby Cap. Apparently it was not meant to be. After starting five times and having to rip for one reason or another I decided to do something different. Since we were at the beach with limited Internet access, I grabbed More Sensational Knitted Socks (I had brought that) and started looking through. I found the Sailor’s Rib pattern and made up a baby hat from there. I’m pretty pleased with the results, I think I may try making it again and actually take notes this time! Ravtails are here.

Sock

I started a sock on Saturday… You see I had been waiting to finish the dishcloths before starting a new sock and on Friday they were done. I also wanted to find the “right” sock for my return to sock knitting after the tragedy. I had joined the Sock Knitter Pentathlon not sure if I would participate or not, but it seemed that the planets were aligned and the competition was set to begin on Saturday, the very day I was ready to start sock knitting again. I read the guidelines for the first sock, solid or semi-solid with 8 stitches per inch. I went through my solids and semi-solids and there weren’t that many choices. I even swatched, and that narrowed the choices again… I went to sleep Friday night eager to see the pattern (that would be released at midnight) when I got up and get started knitting knowing I would be doing it on two 2.25mm circs with some Koigu I got at Thanksgiving.

I got up early Saturday, by Bunny’s choice not mine, and checked on-line. The pattern, Jacobean, looked nice, I even already knew how to do the cast-on so I set to work. I was pretty impressed with myself, and while I never expected to be the first, I never expected what would happen next. At 9:28am, after I had knit a few rows of a toe (and made French toast) I got the email that the first person had finished. Wow, clearly different people have different priorities. I don’t think I could knit a pair of socks in 9 hours even if I wanted to…

I’m happy with how my sock is coming along, I like the way the yarn looks, although I am finding the Koigu a little splitty and am not completely sure what the fascination is. Also, despite swatching I seem to be getting 9 stitches per inch, but they fit so whatever.

Grades are due on Thursday, can you tell I’m procrastinating by writing a blog post?