Let’s try this again

Rattlesnake Creek sock started Sunday… progress as of yesterday evening:

Then I tried it on.. much pulling and tugging and I had to admit it was too tight…

This morning

Time to cast on again, with bigger needles!

Finished Socks!

In just 9 days I knit an entire pair of socks!! To be fair, they are knitted in aran weight yarn. Mom bought herself some Danskos at the outlet a while back and she likes them for flying because they are easy to take on and off. However, she has very narrow feet and found them to be pretty loose so she has been on the look-out for thick socks ever since. When I saw this aran weight superwash (Victoria by Spirit Trail) at Md Sheep and Wool I knew that was the ticket. The Cable Twist pattern is great, just interesting enough. The socks will go in the mail to mom, a late birthday surprise. From there I am sure they will have many adventures with my world traveling parents! Ravtails here.
PS: What is it about red? I have enough trouble with color and photographing these was a dozy! None of these are actually right, oh well.

Wedding recap

While the wedding of my brother-in-law to his darling was not the wedding I would have chosen for myself, nor did it proceed at the pace I would have chosen, it was perfect for them and they were pleased. In the end, that, and a long and happy life together are what is important.

The flower girl dress turned out quite well if I do say so myself and the fit was perfect. The final formula, size four top and size eight length. I could have gone even longer, but I think it looked fine. The last minute trauma was the realization that one can not seem to purchase a half slip for a little girl. (As an aside, the sales women in the girls department at Sears didn’t even seem to know what a slip was…) So late Friday morning I cut apart an old slip my mother-in-law had and remade it into a slip to go under the dress.

For Bunny, there was much less sewing involved, I only had to shorten his pants. Easy-peasey after making a dress!

Both kids did a great job during the short, but very hot, service and I was quite impressed with the rent-a-pastor. I was particularly proud of how well Bunny did in the receiving line. Shaking everyone’s hand and looking them in the eye. I guess all that money on Tae Kwon Do has been well spent!

During the reception, after the meal, the bride and groom performed. Him on keyboards and her on vocals. It was neat to see them do what they truly love. If you would like to hear more of my brother-in-law’s talents you can go here.

On the trip back we made a detour to go to a town which turned out only to have a bar and a post office, but had a great name, and thus photo op!

Finished Hemlock Ring

I was pleased with myself that I actually got the wedding gift knitted and blocked days before the wedding! I finished the crocheted bind of (thanks to JulieFrick for the convincing that crocheting was much easier than the crazy knitted bind off in the pattern) on Wednesday evening. Washed and blocked Thursday morning and it was dry in time for bed Thursday night. Folded neatly with a card and delivered Friday morning. Heck the wedding wasn’t till Saturday so I was way ahead of the game.

I can see why so many people are knitting this, it really is a fun knit and gets to be sort of hypnotic.

Details: Hemlock Ring throw as detailed by Brooklyn Tweed with help from The Rainey Sisters. Knit with Alpaca with a Twist, Baby Twist in brown using size 8 needles. I used all of one jumbo hank and some of the second. There is still plenty left on the second to make something else. I kept going till there were 75 stitches in each section. It blocked out to about 46″ in diameter. I think now I should have made it bigger, but this way I got it done! Ravtails here.

Details on the wedding tomorrow!

You’re doing what?

Once upon a time I used to sew clothing instead of knitting it. In fact, while I didn’t sew my wedding dress, I did sew things that I wore at both the rehearsal and at the party the evening after the wedding.

In recent history (we just celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary in June) I haven’t done much more sewing than putting the patches on Bunny’s Tae Kwon Do uniform. Oh, and I started a quilt last summer, but that’s a whole other story.

The reason for sewing today comes because my brother-in-law is being married on Saturday. Bunny is the ring barer and a cousin is the flower girl. The cousin in question is long and lean so finding a sun dress long enough would have required major alteration. I offered to make it rather than face the altering. I forgot how fun (and fast) it is to make clothing. After pre-washing yesterday, today in about two hours I got it cut out and have most of the top (and thus the fiddly parts) finished. It helps that I picked a super easy pattern and the only modifications I’m making are to make it size 6 with a size 8 length. I have high hopes that she will look particularly adorable!

In other news the yard sale was a success. We made $134.50 and only had to put $70 of gas in the borrowed minivan, so an actual profit! I didn’t bring back nearly as much as I took so that’s the real gain. There are a few things that I’m going to try to sell on Craig’s list or Ebay, we shall see how that goes. After the sale, I found some real treasures in my parents’ basement. Relics from my mother’s by gone days of crafting… but those will have to wait for another post!

What I collected before yarn

Why I needed three strollers for one child is not completely clear to me anymore, but I remember at the time I had good reasons. Off to the yard sale they go, perhaps I can buy some more yarn with the proceeds!

Wow! Thanks SP!

Today was one of those days when I just wasn’t all I wanted to be… Didn’t get much done around the house (we’re preparing for a yard sale this week-end) and then while I was the good mother and took Bunny to the zoo after camp, I got overly exasperated with him when we had to make not one, but two emergency potty trips up a giant hill… How is it that the zoo can be uphill both ways?

On an up note I did quite well at the Interweave Scratch and Dent sale, snagging over $200 worth of books I have been wanting for less than $100. Then the best part of all. When Bunny and I got home from the zoo there was the large, bulky envelope sticking out of the mailbox. While Bunny was disappointed that it wasn’t for him, I was thrilled, it was for me! My remarkably local SP had sent me a gift! And what a gift it is…

Feast your eyes on not one but two skeins of Classic Elite Silky Alpaca in the Apricot colorway… so soft!

Two mini soak packets. One floral one citrus.

A little Yankee Candle that’s French Vanilla.

And see that blue pouch there? That’s not just a pouch! It’s a handknit washcloth! And there was soap (Burt’s Bees) inside. Hey SP, what pattern is this? I love it!

A beautiful card came too!

I feel very spoiled indeed! Perhaps this will inspire me to do some massive cleaning out tomorrow. I would love to have a whole mini van full of stuff to take up to my parents’ for the yard sale.

PS: if you’re going to be in Lancaster, PA on Saturday and like yard sales, there’s going to be a whole street of them… let me know if you need details.

Flowers, Food, Floods, Fireworks, Fourth

Our day yesterday…

We started the day yesterday at beautiful Mount Vernon. While B played in a concert on the lawn Bunny and I explored the out buildings and gardens. Bunny decided that we should photograph the insects in the garden. I’m not sure I always got the bug in the picture, but there were some pretty flowers nonetheless! There were also costumed soldiers, a replica of the Liberty Bell, and people passing out birthday cake!

After we got home there was time for a nap for me (yeah!) and then it was off to Fairfax High School for another band concert and fireworks. We got onto the field and staked out our space. B went up front for the sound check and Bunny and I hung out and tried the moon bounces. Bunny’s dinner was the all-American meal, corn dog and kettle corn! I had the all-American Pad Thai and chicken skewer. It was great and there was plenty for me to save half for B.

As we were eating, the clouds got thicker and thicker. The scene around us soon looked like this. And the rains came. The band played on. The rain continued. The band finished, the rain let up. A Jimmy Buffet tribute band played, the rain started again. The 1812 Overture was canceled. B packed up his horn. The rain got harder. The fireworks went off as the rain poured down. Soaking wet we trudged back to the car. We had some blankets in the car so we stripped Bunny, wrapped him up, and he was asleep before we were out of the parking lot. At home I dumped all the wet stuff in the tub and have been washing today. This may be the end, however, for our NeatSheet, it had puddles on it last night…

Strep… and some knitting!

Just what every family needs… matching antibiotics. I took Bunny for his physical on Tuesday and when the doc looked in his throat he decided then and there that there would be no vaccinations. “Just a virus I think,” said the doc, but he decided to do a strep test just in case. Mind you, this child has not been acting sick. No complaints about sore throat, and the only stomach aches have been when he’s bored in the car. (Previous strep has resulted in stomach aches.) They do the swabs and the nurse is back in less than five minutes… it’s positive. We get a prescription for antibiotics and it’s off to CVS.

Of course as soon as the doc started talking about Bunny’s throat mine started feeling funny. I figured it was all in my head and didn’t think much about it till about 5am Wednesday morning when I awoke with a pounding head ache and a killer sore throat. A call in to my doc and I was being seen by 10am. Quick strep test showed two lines so either I have strep or I’m pregnant. Since she stuck a swab down my throat, I’m going with strep. So I now have my own antibiotics and am recovering.

Once we knew that I had strep too, B went off to the nurse at his work for a strep test as well… his was negative, he’s missing all the fun!

Meanwhile, on the knitting front, since the red socks are done it was time to cast on for the next project (I say this as if there aren’t a multitude of UFOs, but you know…) A Hemlock Ring! On July 19 my brother-in-law is getting married so I am making a Hemlock Ring for the happy couple. They live in Oakland, CA so I figure they need something to take away the chill once in a while. I’m knitting it from Baby Twist by Alpaca with a Twist. It is so soft and lovely! I have the center section done and am on to the feather and fan part. I really like the way it’s knitting up, and haven’t gotten bored yet…

Tonight B has a concert with his quartet. Tomorrow he is playing with two other groups, one in the morning and one for a fireworks display. If you’re in the DC area and want to join Bunny and me in the audience for any of these let me know and I can give you full details. I would love to have company older than 5, and we have both been on antibiotics long enough that we’re not contagious!