Almost Anastasia

I had told myself that I wasn't going to blog until I finished at least one Anastasia sock, but I'm so close I'm giving myself a pass. This sock has proved deliciously addictive - my first actual knitting with Socks That Rock and I see why so many people love it. I'm knitting it on 1s, but it's absolutely flying! The stitches are snug and dense and perfect for a winter sock. (We'll ignore the fact that I'm two seasons early.)

I've just started the ribbing at the top, and have about 8 more rows to go before binding off. So the finished sock will soon be in hand.

I've had a very busy few days, with some time not at work and plenty around the house to occupy me. JT got a new cordless drill in the spring, and I've been putting it to good use. This weekend I put up some shelving in our bedroom closet and installed some hooks for my jewelry. I'm having fun doing lots of little things around the house. But on Saturday night, I encountered a problem that I hadn't anticipated: Our power went out. For three and a half hours. I finished up what I could by the waning sunlight, then grabbed my camera and headed out to our back porch.

I love that you can see a star in that photo (actually, I think it may have been a planet.) The light was so low you could barely make out shapes of trees. And then I went back inside and knitted by candlelight until the lights came back on.

**Any scrapbookers out there?**

When I was cleaning out my desk at work, I found four scrapbook magazines that I don't remember obtaining. Odds are good that they originated in a press kit, or maybe from a coworker. Anyway, I have no use for them and would like to see them go to a good home.

The issues are (clockwise from top left): Simple Scrapbooks: 25 Meaningful Memory Books You Can Make in a Weekend; Simple Scrapbooks Premiere Issue, Jan/Feb 2002; Creating Keepsakes February 2002; and The Big Idea Book of Heritage Memories.

Can you use these? If so, let me know in the comments by 5 p.m. EDT Friday. I'll pick the winner using a random number generator.

Finished!

The sockapalooooza socks, they are done. It was a struggle to the end -- when I started the decreases for the second sock, it became clear that the stripes weren't going to line up. I ripped and redid the toe. They're close but not a perfect match. I can live with it. I hope my sock pal can too.

Sockapalooooza Socks
Pattern: Mermaid Socks by Lucy Neatby
Yarn: Vesper sock yarn, Aquamelon colorway
Needles: US1, done on Addi Turbos
Size: Largest (90 stitches around)
Comments: This was a fun, simple pattern to knit. This is the first sock pattern I've done where there is a pattern that continues around to the sole of the foot. I hope it's not too bothersome -- I tried them on and it didn't bother me, so I hope it will be okay for my pal.

The yarn... oh, what can I say about the yarn? The colors are delicious. I absolutely love the stripe pattern - it's fresh and bright and scrumptious. But this batch, unlike Vesper I've used previously, leaped at every chance to tangle upon itself. I fought the yarn, and the yarn almost won. I hope this is an anomaly, because the colors? Love them.

So, with those socks done, I cast on for something new.

Anastasia socks, in Socks That Rock "Seal Rock." When I was going through my stash, this yarn literally leaped out at me onto the pattern that was on the floor. That's how you know the yarn is talking to you!!

They are knitting up super-fast -- I just started this yesterday morning, and turned the heel last night at the happy place.

*****
Football fans take note: Football-along signups are now open. I'm serving as one of the league commissioners this year - what better way to cement my love of football knitting?

*****

One last note: Happy Birthday Holly!!

There, That's Better

The first sockapaloooooza sock is officially off the needles. Whew! It ended up being kind of a hassle ... instead of untangling the yarn as-is, I guesstimated how much yarn I would need for the heel and then CUT the yarn there.... luckily I was good on my guess and had plenty of yarn to finish the heel, and it was much easier to untangle once I had an end to work with.

The second sock is even started! I might even finish *before* the Aug. 4 deadline.

I'm feeling more zen about other bits of life too. I've done a lot of things around the house so far and have gotten caught up on some not-fun things like bill-paying and sorting through a ton of old papers. And my school project is on track, though there is still a lot to do. I still need to file my passport renewal papers and make a mammoth run to the Container Store, but most everything I can do from home. And I'm sort of enjoying being a homebody, for now at least.

Now, off to play in the yard!

Two Things on My Mind Right Now

1. My Sockapalooooza socks, which are supposed to be easy and fun, are requiring more attention than I'd planned. Look, here I am turning the heel:

But here's the issue. This is a short-row heel that you work by attaching the other end of your ball of yarn. It says in big bold letters, DO NOT cut the main working yarn. Okay, okay, I get it. But then how am I supposed to avoid this?

This yarn (Vesper sock yarn in colorway Aqua Melon) has the world's worst proclivities to tangle on itself. It was a bear to get into a ball (and took a heroic assist from Elspeth), and I've really had to be conscious of what it's doing. I've used Vesper before with no issues (for the mom-and-baby socks), so I think it's just this particular skein that's being really persnickety.

It's to the point where I have 16 rows left to finish the heel, and I can't free enough yarn from the tangles to do so. I may have to CUT the yarn to continue on -- I spent about 40 minutes earlier trying to untangle it, and made essentially no progress.

I'd give up, but I refuse to let the yarn win. Besides, the socks are really cute and I want to finish them!

2. My ever-growing to-do list. I've finished up my job of many years and have taken a new one that should work well with the master's degree I'm pursuing, but I have a few weeks between gigs. I have house tasks and knitting tasks and school tasks and I'm starting to feel a bit paralyzed that I won't be able to do all those and accomplish some of the between-jobs relaxing I need as well. So be patient if posting here is scattered, or is not related to knitting at all.

So far in my 2 days of virtual unemployment, I have done some yard work and spent some time with friends and made pineapple sorbet (my favorite!). I also went to a great Decemberists concert and as luck would have it, had seats just in front of Lolly and her husband. What are the odds?! It was a very fun night!

Photographic Distractions

Oh HI!

You may have been wondering why this blog fell silent. I spent the last week or so being entranced by Colorado and have only now resumed a normal life.

I only knit for about an hour during the whole trip -- too many other adventures to get onto. Regular knitting content will resume later this week. But for now, let me distract you with some of my favorite trip pictures:

Standing in St. Mary's Glacier -- the southernmost glacier in the Northern Hemisphere

Checking out the Central City Casinos

Glenwood Springs Cemetery (they weren't so good at the record-keeping, apparently)

Independence Day on the Colorado National Monument

Independence Rock, Colorado National Monument (look closely at the top to see the climbing group!)

Fireworks, Grand Junction

My aunt's pool, aka the real reason the knitting stayed inside

Train Trestle, Georgetown Loop Railroad