I feel like a heel September 29, 2011

Wow, how can it be September 29?  I have NOT finished anything.  If I am to get a pair of sockdown socks done in the month of September, I need to finish by tomorrow.  NOT going to happen.

However, I did finish the heels:

I'm sure I've written this before, but I haven't made a pair of top down socks in more than a year.  I always felt that my heels were sloppy.  I'm not sure why, but they were always loose, the pick up messy, and there were always holes at the gusset corner.  Not here!  I'm so happy with the way these look.  I am no longer intimidated by top down =).

This Sock Down is perfect for me.  The idea is to try new things, new designers, new techniques, and stretch your knitting repertory.  It is happening on the very first project.

Here is what the sock looks like full length:

I should be able to make good progress, now.

Samantha wears a 7.5.  My guidebook (Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks) says that means 9.5 in in sock length.  This recipe says to stop knitting when there are 4.5 in. to go and do the foot chart.  That means some fun knitting math.

9.5 - 4.5 = 5 in   Stop when I have knit 5 in.

The heel measures 1.5 in. 
5-1.5 = 3.5 in  to knit after the heel

The gauge is 12 rows/in.
3.5 x 12 = 42 rows

The gusset will take up 26 of those rows. So after I finish the gusset, I need 42 - 26 = 16 more knitted rows.

I remeasured, and it is almost exact!  If I do the pattern repeat 4 times, I will be ready to switch to the foot pattern.  Easy Peasy!

October Sockdown news:
Of course, not having finished even one of the September challenges has not kept me from looking at October's challenge. 

Technique: Texture other than ribbing or Beaded Knitting or Holiday Socks (single stocking or wearable pair)
Designer: Stephanie Etting (verybusymonkey)

Hmmm.  I checked Stephanie Etting's designs, and they are wonderful, but I really want to make a pair of socks for my husband, the Doc, and they aren't very masculine.  Beaded doesn't seem quite right for him, either. That means "texture other than ribbing."  SKA quite nicely linked a list of patterns that fit that technique, and I ordered a book on Amazon:  

that has at least one of the acceptable patterns.  I just couldn't resist.  I will use yarn from my stash, not sure which one, but something that I think the Doc will actually wear.  I made him a pair of slippers about 2 years ago, and he wears them all the time.

Again, time to get knitting!  I have some gorgeous socks to finish.

C. A. Losi

Sockdown! O! Saturday, September 24, 2011

How can it be September 24th already?????  I have not finished even one sock this month.  My goal was two socks (2 pairs really).  What is happening?

Well, first I made the mistake of casting on just one more project 3 days before the sockdown began.  I felt compelled to finish that before I really worked on my first Sockdown sock pair, the Glass Slippers I am making for Samantha.  Then those socks went bust, when my gauge was off by .5 of a row.  Not kidding.  I had to ravel them.

The 2nd problem is that it is Double experience and Double drop in the online game I play,  Aion,
This means that I am kind of playing it a lot.  Ok, playing it obsessively. And not knitting.  Or, what I've been doing is sort of playing and knitting simultaneously.  I keep my socks in my lap, and knit when I have to wait for something or someone.  Really. I know, it's ridiculous.

The 3rd problem is that Samantha wants "knee" socks.  So rather than make her sock leg length 5 1/2 in., I am knitting them 10 in. long.  But there is light at the end of the tunnel.  I am at about 10 in.  now.  I will knit about 6 rows more, then start the heel.

 I am knitting these socks together, and yet, somehow, they appear to be different lengths.  Well, blocking should take care of that.

My chartreuse project, the mystery socks for September, Watercress, are starting to show the pattern.  I need to repeat the 20 row pattern about 2 1/2 times before I start the gusset increases.  These are knit toe-up, so I will measure when I hit 2 full repeats to make sure the length is on track.  No More Gauge Disasters!

Such a cool color!  Will they be appropriate for a 16 year old boy?  WHO CARES!  I love them.

Need to get knitting.  I have some heels to start.

C. A. Losi

Farmers Market Goodies Tuesday, September 20, 2011

I walked today.

Often, I park my car at the grocery store, then walk around the Xroads Mall, back to my car, and into the grocery store to do my shopping.  Today, I didn't walk quite that far,  but I walked to the far end of the mall, and stopped at Bed, Bath and Beyond to get a new brownie pan.  On the way back I walked through the XRoads Farmers Market.  It's there only Tuesdays, and features local produce.  I told myself I was just looking, not buying today, but of course I bought.  I wasn't carrying much cash, and the market only takes cash. 

But I did buy 1 gorgeous heirloom tomato:

I ate it for lunch with some hard boiled egg and a balsamic vinaigrette. 

I also bought some organic raspberries:

I made a simple syrup with 2 cups of boiling water and 1 1/2 cup of sugar, cooked until the sugar was completely dissolved.  Then I turned off the heat and added all of the raspberries.  Then I blended them with an immersion blender. I strained the raspberry syrup through a wire strainer.  This took forever!  My strainer is small, so it took about 5 batches.  The syrup was thick, and there were tons of seeds.  The syrup would not go through!  I had to mush it through with a wooded spoon.  Finally I put the bowl of raspberry syrup in the refrigerator for about  2 hours to cool.  Put it in our ice cream maker, and voila:

Honestly, it is to die for.

Why am I talking about everything BUT knitting?  I am working on Samantha's Glass Slipper Socks, and making good progress, but they don't look much different, day to day.

Today, I took my oldest son, D, to the DOL (Department of Licensing) to get a new state ID.  They had at least 8 people working, and the lines went quickly, but it still took about 1 hour.  I got a lot done.  I am really thinking that I will need more yarn. I keep checking ebay.  This yarn is about $25 / skein if I buy it from a yarn shop, even an internet yarn shop.  I just can't knit $75 - $100 socks!  I have seen the brand (Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock) on ebay for $8.99.  If I need more, that would be reasonable.  Just need to find my color.

C. A. Losi

Moving on Up Monday, September 19, 2011

Saturday, I walked.
Yesterday, I did not walk.
Today, I walked.

Not only did I walk around our block, Saturday, but I walked up and down the 7 flights of stairs at my daughter's, Samantha, college dorm.  We drove to Portland, OR, Saturday, 3 hours each way, to drop her off at Portland State University.  She will be a 2nd semester Freshman, needing about 2 classes to hit Sophomore status.  It rained and drizzled the whole way.  Fall is here.  Her dorm is fabulous.  She is in a double, and it is longer than most dorm rooms so when you first walk in there is a small galley kitchen! on your left with the bathroom on the right.  Then, room for 2 single dressers, 2 desks, 1 closet (not enough for Samantha), and 2 single beds.  Really nice as you can see by the photos.

There are only 2 elevators for the whole dorm though, so it took a while to move her in.  We brought a dolly to help with all of her stuff.  Had to wait in line quite a while, but, the RA's (resident advisors) had it all under control.  It went very smoothly.

Here is the view from her room:

After she moved in her stuff, we ate lunch, hit the nearest grocery store to stock up on a few things for her room, then I drove the 3 hours back home.

Good Luck, Samantha!  Study hard.

Sunday morning in the paper there was the best comic.  My husband, the Doc, is a radiologist.  The comic  reminded me of a funny story from his training.  Radiologists don't go straight from med school to a Radiology program, they do a "transitional year" in what ever they want.  Doc did his in Internal Medicine, which was the Internship from Hell, in my opinion.  On an average, he worked about 100 hr/week.  He regularly did Emergency Room rotations where he was on call every other night.  Back then this meant that he stayed at the hospital, working, EVERY OTHER NIGHT.  It was insane.  Anyway, the story doesn't really have to do with that except that, one night when he was in the ER, a boy came in with intense pain in his knee.  The ER docs ordered X-rays, and while they were waiting for the Orthopedic Surgeon to come down for the consultation, they said, "Hey, Doc.  You're going into Radiology?  What do you make of these X-rays?"  So Doc looked and said, "Well, first you have them upside down."   LOL!  No kidding.  Anyway he diagnosed Osgood-Slaughters, which the Orthopedic Surgeon confirmed a few minutes later.  So here is the comic:

    

Because of all the driving, though, I barely knitted at all.  I was hoping that Samantha would drive THERE, and I would drive back, but of course, she stayed out all night.  I drove both ways.  It was too gray to really enjoy the route.  I5 takes you past Olympia, and on nice days, you can see the downtown and the capital Dome, etc.  Also, we passed Mount St. Helen's.  I've gone past and seen steam venting from the volcano, before.  Not yesterday. =(  But it was a fun day.

C. A. Losi

Business Party Friday, September 16, 2011

I walked today.

Last night I went to a party with my husband, Doc, for the Executive Committee of the Hospital where he works.  I wasn't dreading it.  I wasn't looking forward to it.  I hate those kinds of parties, especially if I don't know anyone, which I was sure I didn't.  I have met various people from this committee at other hospital functions, and they seemed nice enough, but KNOW them?  No.  My idea of a great evening is watching Dr. Who and knitting.  Or playing an online computer game with my kids.  But as the Doc is head of his department, we had to go.

I had a great time.  It was held at a house right on Lake Washington, with a view of the lake (of course), Mercer Island, and downtown Seattle.  LOVELY.  It was cool, but not cold.  We ate and talked outside on their deck and patio overlooking their dock while the sun set over the city and the lights came on.  The people were friendly and easy to talk to.  We had a 15 minute discussion of the horrible ND/UM football game with the CEO of the hospital and his wife.  The Doc and I are ND grads, and so is their son.  The most fun coincidence is that their son lived in the Doc's residence hall.  Did I say the food was great?  Salmon and tilapia, seaweed salad, green and wax beans, couscous.  YUM.

I must say it makes me look forward to the Bandage Ball, the big charity auction for the hospital.  I will see many of these people there.  I am looking forward to it.

Back to knitting:

I am using the Watercress Socks for my "sit and knit" project right now.  So the progress is slow, but steady.  I need to get to 38 stitches on each side, 76 for each sock.  I am at 26.

The best part of this pattern, let's face it, right now it's just the toes, is that Lise Brackbill  asked for a different type of increase stitch.  She has a link for the YouTube demonstration on the pattern which I will try to link here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SYOYMJBGxrw

I like these increases much more than the ones suggested in Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks.  They are neater, no holes, and much easier to knit into on the next round.

Samantha's Glass Slippers Socks

I have knitted about 5 inches of the legs.  In the real world of socks, I would be just about ready to start the heels, but, Samantha likes knee socks.  LOL, originally she said she wanted them to go over her knees.  I told her no way.  But, I can make them come up to her knees.  After all, these are for her.  Just as I wouldn't sent Hannah socks that I know won't fit, I can't make socks that are too short for Samantha to enjoy wearing.  So, I will knit on.  Here is what they look like right now:

I love them.  This pattern is relatively easy to knit, and gorgeous.  I just wish the yarn was a bit cheaper.  Samantha is worth it.


C. A. Losi

The Ethics of Ripping Apart September 15, 2011

I walked yesterday and today.

I have been thinking about the socks I ripped apart yesterday.  I mean, really, I had about 2 inches to go.  Although there were many small mistakes in the pattern, a zig where there should have been a zag, they were beautiful.  They looked like a birthday cake.  And who looks closely at socks?  However, they would not have fit.  I could possibly have given them to someone else.  But they were super short and fat, and who could wear that? 

So when do you accept a few errors and go on?  How many mistakes are too many?  It made me think of city projects, like the Big Dig in Boston.  When do you deem a project a failure?  O course, socks are not bridges, and people's lives aren't in danger if the socks are too small, or have ladders.  But I had spent considerable time and effort on these socks, and starting over means that there will be no socks ready for Hannah's birthday.  It sets me back a ton on my sock goals for the year. 

I am definitely not a perfectionist.  I was not happy with the ladders.  Really the zig errors were not a problem to me.  But fit?  I draw the line at way too small.  Too large?  Possibly ok... you could wear them as slippers.  A gift?  this makes all the decisions harder.  Why should someone accept a badly knitted pair of socks?  Well, I am learning.  That is important to remember.  And although, nothing I make is perfect, it is knitted with love, and the thought of the recipient in mind.  That being said, I will make these socks, and they will be beautiful AND fit.  Just not this month.

Where am I in my knitting today?  I have finished about 4 inches of the legs of the Glass Slippers  socks for Samantha.  They really look good.

The pattern calls for about 5 inches of leg, but Samantha loves knee socks, so she wants them to be about 9 inches long.  This makes me worry that I might run out of yarn.  I looked at buying some more, but this gorgeous Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn in Midway is about $25 per hank.  How expensive are these socks going to be???  I guess I will keep looking for the yarn for sale.

I did cast on (CO) the Mystery Sock for the Ravelry Sockdown 2011.  The pattern is Watercress Socks by Lise Brackbill.  In order to have them count for the Sockdown, I am knitting them in my chartreuse yarn.

I am making them for my youngest kid, Luke.  He wants a pair of socks to wear over his ballet slippers, to keep his feet and ankles warm before, after, and between classes.  He has long, narrow feet.  I will make the wide size though, to fit over his feet and the ballet shoes.

Here is a photo of my cast on:

These are knit toe-up.  I am a bit more familiar with this method.  I won't work on them too much until I finish the Glass Slippers.  But at least I have cast on in September, so they will count for the challenge. 

I promise, in October, I will make 1 pair of socks only!

C. A. Losi

Can't Believe I'm Doing It

I walked today.

I am ripping out Hannah's Ballet Socks. 

Samantha tried them on and they were too short for her and she wears 1/2 size smaller than Hannah.  What did I do wrong?  I double checked my math.  If I had 11 rows per inch, then I was spot on.  But checking the gauge again ON THE SOCK, I was knitting 12 rows per inch.  How can that make such a difference?  But with a total of 9.5 inches needed, there was about 1 inch missing.  I thought maybe I could just go back and pick up right before the gusset and add 10 rows (what I need).  But with making them 2 at a time, that would be impossible.  So it is best to start over and get it right.  Anyway, I wasn't happy with the laddering.  I am going to change the pattern a tiny bit and have Knits at the joins.  That will help.  Also, I hope to knit a bit looser, maybe I will use size 00.  I really like the needles I am using for the Glass Slippers Socks.  I think that I will recheck my gauge as I go on every sock from now on.  If I had checked before I started the gusset, I would have caught the problem ( I think ).


So, No socks for Hannah's birthday.  But I will make them.  And they will fit right.

On to concentrating on the Glass Slippers.  I should make good progress now.

On Sunday, I plan to cast on the Mystery Sock for the September Sockdown.  I will use my nice green yarn, hoping it is chartreuse enough to count:

I hope I can fit the ballet socks into one of the challenges.  I have to look over the list again.

C. A. Losi

I hate Gauge September 12, 2011

I walked today =)

The socks for Hannah look really short and fat. My sister, Amie, says Hannah's feet are short and fat but really?  this short?  They are supposed to be size 7.5 wide.  Samantha tried them on. She is a size 7.  They were too short.  There is no way I can take them out and make them longer.  This pattern is way too complicated.

So, do I just finish them, and try to stretch them in the blocking?  or take them completely apart, and make something different and quick? 

I even gauged this yarn.  I am so mad.  Even with the ladders and the pattern errors, they are amazing looking.  Like frosting.

C. A. Losi

September 11, 2011

I don't want to comment on the anniversary of the attacks on the World Trade Towers and the Pentagon 10 years ago.  I will just say that some of the cartoons did a great job: Mutts, Candorville, and Baby Blues.

1. All about me

I walked today.  I walked yesterday.  Anyone reading this blog, if I don't start with "I walked today," please comment "Carol!  get off your butt and take your walk."

2. Quick sock update

a. SKA Sept Challenge

No photos of the Glass Slippers Socks for Samantha today,  They aren't that different from the last post.  But I am working on them.

b. Hannah's Ballet Socks

I have knitted about 1/2 inch of the legs.  I am so unhappy with the joins.  Can we say, "LADDERS?" There is something about 2 purls at the joins that is super hard for me to knit without laddering.  I changed the pattern to have knits at the joins and it looks better.  Also, on the Glass Slippers socks, I dropped down 1 needle size to 00 and am knitting a bit looser, but with about the same gauge.  The ladders seem to be gone on those socks.  I soooooooo wish I had done this on these socks, and will do it on all further socks.  Also, I am using Addi Lace needles on the Glass Slippers Socks and Addi Turbo needles on the Ballet Socks.  The Addi Turbo needles have a rounded point.  The Lace needles have sharp points.  I much prefer the sharper points.  This makes the twisted cables a lot easier.  I don't have to use a 3rd needle for making the cables.  I have tried to do this with the regular Addi Turbo needles, and just can't quite do it.  So often, I am unable to slip off the stitch, then get the rounded point through without splitting the yarn.  This might be a part of using a larger size and knitting too tightly?  Not sure.  Anyway, here are the newest photos:

These socks are super short and fat.  I doubt they will fit.  This makes me sad because of the time I have spent on them. =(

C. A. Losi

No Title Thursday, September 8, 2011

I think my brain is fried.  I can't think of a title for this blog.  I get tired of using "Update."

1. TV Update
 I finished watching Buffy the Vampire Slayer: The Complete Series.  I admit it, I sobbed.  It was the 2nd time I have watched the series.  I noticed so many more things this time.  And I seriously love Andrew, Anya, and Spike.  Definitely the 3 best characters ever created for TV.

2. New TV Update
I am casting about for something new to watch while I knit.  I am trying Doctor Who: The Complete First Series.  I really enjoy it.  Last year I made a Dr. Who scarf, for my friend, Ael.  He watched the show in the 1980s. I asked him if I needed to watch the older versions, to really understand it, but he said, no.  It's not like Buffy that way.  Buffy is one of those shows that you really need to watch from the beginning to really understand it. 

3. Gaming
I have started playing a new online game, League of Legends.  It's free, so you don't need to buy anything from Amazon.  It's one of those games that are free to play, and you can buy swag or extra stuff for the game.  One of the guys in our guild in Aion: The Tower of Eternity Steelbook Edition, Zeia, just got a job working for the company that makes LoL, so we are all trying it.  It is really fun, but I am pretty bad at it.  I don't know how long my kids will be willing to play with me.  It is a PvP (player vs player) game, and I am a bit of a liability.  Anyway, it is fun for now.  But, it is cutting into my knitting a bit =)

4. SKA Sockdown September Challenge
I am barely knitting the Glass Slippers socks for Samantha.  It is my "sit and knit" project right now, but I have made a bit of progress:

Can't remember if I wrote this, but, I started with size 0 needles, and was getting some serious ladders.  I dropped down to size 00, and it seems to have fixed the problem.  I need to take a sock class.  I just don't  know why I get such ladders.  I really think it is because I am trying to knit tightly.  By dropping down a needle size, the knitting is tighter, but I am knitting more loosely.  Does that make sense?

The pattern has a cable with a twisted knit (ktbl).  It is done without a cable needle.  It is a bit of a tricky maneuver, since it involves dropping a stitch, then picking it back up, always difficult for me.  But it is much faster for these little twists.  My big problem is that I am incapable of counting.  How can I get off in a seed pattern?  Well, once again, I hope no one looks at these socks too closely.


5. Hannah's Ballet Socks
I am ready to start the heel cups.  When I bought the yarn for these socks, I wanted to use the "right" yarn, the yarn actually used in the pattern.  I actually checked the user recommendations before I bought it, and they all said, "splitty."  When I made the gauge swatch, I had no problems with splitting.  However, I wasn't cabling.  Now I see it.  SPLITTY SPLITTY SPLITTY.  They are still beautiful, though.

The real problem is that I think they will be too wide.  I believe my sister when she says that Hannah has "wide fat feet."  So I used the wide version.  But these seem super wide.  They are wool/nylon, so I think they might shrink a bit, but I don't want them to be super loose.  They are taking way too long to knit, and are too beautiful to not fit.

I hope I can finish up the heel cups today.  I think I might be able to finish one.  That will have to do.

Passages / Progress September 4, 2011

I spend way too much time blogging and way too little time knitting.

That being said, here is my latest blog post:

My youngest son, Luke, passed his driver's test on Friday.  I'm so happy for him.  Of course, now that James's van died, he doesn't have a car to drive for a while.  My husband, Doc, and James have been working on finding a car for James as his job at the Utah Regional Ballet is too far from his apartment near Utah Valley University for him to walk.  Right now the plan is for me to drive out a car the first week of October as James has a performance that week, and leave that car.  James will drive the car home at Thanksgiving (he gets the whole week off), and we will have a car for him by then.  Until Thanksgiving, Luke and I will share ...  Ouch.

Happy Birthday AEL!  Yesterday was my good friend, Ael's, birthday.  Here is a photo of him modeling the Dr. Who Scarf I knitted him last year:

I love colors in the scarf.  I got the pattern off the internet of course!  Dr. Who Scarf Directions. 


I have been working on my first challenge sock for the SKA Sockdown 2011-2012, but since I started birthday socks for Hannah, I am mostly working on those.  Note to self, never start a pair of socks 2 days before the Sockdown begins. 

I love Hannah's socks.  They are the Ballet pattern from Toe-Up 2-at-a-Time Socks.  But, wow, very complicated.  I am doing about 2 rows/hour.  So the knitting is very slow.

I have made it to the gusset increases, but I am afraid there will be huge ladders on the sides.  I hate patterns with purls at the ends.  That always ladders for me.  Also, I am wondering if I am knitting too tightly.  I think if I were knitting more loosely, there wouldn't be such a difference between my tension, and the tension at the sides. 

Anyway, here are some photos of my progress:

I was trying to finish 10 rows a day, but I am not making that.  I am hoping for 5 a day now, and trying to push for 10.  I want to make the mystery sock challenge for this month, also, but I don't want 3 pairs of socks cast on at the same time. 

I have cast on (CO) the first socks for the Sockdown, the Glass Slippers by Cailyn Meyer.  I am using beautiful Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock Yarn, Midway.  So far, I have only finished the cuff (these are from the top down, a new challenge for me), and 3 rows of the leg pattern.

It's a bit more purple than I wanted, I hoped they would look a bit like glass, but still a beautiful yarn.  The rib for the cuff is k1p1 but not really that.  It is k1tbl p1.  Knit 1 through the back loop.  That tiny twist makes for a very pretty rib.  The yarn is really nice to work with, also.  Very soft, like butter in my hands =)

OK, it is already 9 am and I have not started knitting!  I emptied the dishwasher. started a laundry load, made pancakes and coffee, and wrote in this blog.  But NO KNITTING  YET. 

Get started.

C. A. Losi

SKA Sock Down Begins! Thursday, September 1, 2011

I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it. 

Wow, am I a knitting knerd these days?  But it is September 1 and the Sock Down for Ravelry's Sock Knitters' Anonymous Group has officially begun.  I thought about staying up until midnight last night so I could cast on my socks, but, decided that that was ridiculous, and went to bed.  Anyway, I am working on a pair of socks that I started BEFORE the clock started ticking, so I need to actually knit on those anyway.  It is 8:30 and I have not cast on my challenge socks yet!

I am going to make the Glass Slippers sock pattern by Cailyn Meyer for Samantha for my first challenge.  Then (and perhaps simultaneously) I will make the KAL Mock sock in what I hope is Chartreuse.  Since I am trying to finish my birthday gift to my niece, Hannah, I will be making 3 socks this month.  Wow, but I can do it.

Updates:

1. Life first

We went to the Mariners/Angels game on Sept. 30th.  A friend of my son's (Luke) set up the night as a charity event.  He promoted and sold the tickets on Facebook, giving the extra money he made to charity.  We went with a group of Juniors and their families from our high school, Interlake.  It was a blast, though the Mariners are horrible this year and they lost like 13 - 6.  There was one particularly bad inning where the Angels scored 8 runs.  It was like being at a T Ball game, watching the Angels run around and around the bases.  Luke told me that 3 of the Angels batted twice that inning.  LOL!  Sad that the stadium was empty, but with the Mariners playing like that, what can you expect?  Of course, QWest Field is absolutely gorgeous, and a beautiful place to spend an evening.  Our weather as been weirdly cold all summer, though the rest of the nation has been sweltering.  I wore a t-shirt, a sweatshirt, and then a fleece jacket over that.  I was still cold.  9 innings of knitting though.  I worked on the socks for my niece, Hannah.

2. Rain Socks

All done.  Even blocked.  Just waiting for Allie to come pick them up.

3. Hannah's Ballet Socks

2 funny/sad things about these:

a. Toes Mess  I had the toes about 1/2 finished, when I noticed that I had somehow dropped a stitch.  Ripped them out and started over.  I almost just went on, but really, they ARE a gift, and it was the toes for goodness sake.  Just start over, Carol.

I am still a bit unhappy at how sloppy the increase rows look.  I tried to get a close up photo:

I am not sure what to do about that, or what is causing it.  I am thinking that I am trying to knit too tightly, so these rows are just loose by comparison.  Maybe, I should drop down a needle size and not worry so much about knitting tightly.  Anyway, I have finished the first 10 rows of the foot with the beautiful pattern:

Here is a close up (I hope) of the pattern:

Before I worked on James's Aran Afghan from the Great American Aran Afghan, I would never have attempted a pattern like this. 

b. Second funny thing.  Before I started Hannah's Ballet Socks, I did the math.  But I didn't keep it on my computer, as I usually do.  I printed out the pattern, and wrote all my how many row notes on that page.  Of course I lost the page.  This morning, I decided that before I knitted any more rows, I had better do the math again.  She has a short fat foot (my sister's words), so a size 7.5 but wide. 

Here is the Math for those of you who like that stuff:

Size 7.5 Wide

9.5 in long

100% stitches = 88

75% stitches = 66

50% stitches (# on each needle) = 44

Toe rows (TR) = 1 + 9 (increases) + 2 + 2 * 8 (increase, even) = 28 rows

X = desired sock length = 9.5 in

Y = # rows in gusset and heel cup = 75% total stitches - 1 = 66 - 1 = 65

Z = (rows / in) = 11

TGL = X - (Y / Z) = 9.5 - (65 / 11) = 3.5909 in

TGLR (Toe-to-Gusset Length in Rows) = TGL * Gauge = 1.590909 * 11 = 39.5 rows (rounding down to 39)

Total Rows to Knit in Foot = TGLR - TR = 39 - 28 = 11  rows then start Gusset Increases

If you didn't see the number of rows before I start the gusset increases I will repeat it:  11

I have already knit 10 rows.  Thank Goodness I did the math before knitting on.  I would have been taking out rows... not my favorite activity.

1 more row, and I start increasing.

4. Goals Today

10 rows of Hannah's Ballet Socks

Cast on Samantha's Glass Slippers

check out and maybe cast on KAL sock

Aren't goals a wonderful thing?  GET GOING

C. A. Losi