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