Down for the Count

My Simple Brainless Socks turned out to be not so brainless after all.

I was cruising along nicely, with my Fleegle Heel, where the heel flap also incorporates the gusset increases. I had all the necessary stitches and was well on my way with the turning of the heel, using up those heel stitches and getting back to the original number of stitches. Suddenly I realized the the heel stitches had more left on one side of the turn than on the other.

Oh oh. Several minutes of frantic counting ensued.

Out came the needles and back I frogged. (Rip-it, rip-it.) After successfully frogging back and picking up the poor stitches, I re-counted. The problem was a result of my stitch mixup earlier, when after again miscounting, I had transferred two stitches from instep needle to heel stitch needle. Turns out that was unneeded.

Everything has been sorted out. Copious notes have been made to hopefully prevent the same problem with the second sock, as well as making them both match, and I am once again short-rowing my way through the heel.

You would think after my problems counting (to 10!) with The Ten Stitch Blankie when I had to rip back one whole side, that I would have learned my lesson.

Apparently not.

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Another One Done

My thirteenth project of the year is finished. While this one was crochets and not knit it still counts.

The scarf that was the original part of this crochet adventure has been done for some time. But yesterday, I managed to finish and stitch them both up.

I am planning on making these the first gifts destined for the Christmas present pile. They will need a bath and blocking but there is plenty of time before they need to be ready.

Now to finish some of my Works in Progress. The WIP pile is way too large to start anything new, so I will ignore the fact that November is NaKniSweMo. National Knit a Sweater Month. While I do have a couple I could finish, I think I will work on the socks I have going and the couple blankets in progress. I need to finish the Baby Hap for the Purple Princess, even if she is no longer a baby.

Let's see how long I can avoid casting on something new.

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The Scoreboard Flies Again

If you are a reader of my blog going back to the last year's Detroit Lion's ever dismal football season, you may remember a season-long project of mine called the Scoreboard Cowl. The idea was one round for each point scored in each game all season long. In this case Honolulu Blue for the Lions points, and a silvery gray for the opponent's scores. Between each game I added three rounds of charcole gray. At the end of the year I picked up the stitches from the provisional cast on and joined the ends of the giant tube with five rounds of charcoal. One game went into overtime and that is designated with a single round of the charcoal.

The season started rather heavy on the silver and very light on the blue. But the blue came on a bit stronger by season's end.

One thing that did happen was lots of scoring throughout the season. Which resulted on a rather long cowl.

It was a bit better doubled, but with my "no-neck" I was lost in it. (FYI--that is a mere sliver of my wool room in the background, including Gertrude, my duct tape dress form.)

Anyway, since I was swimming in it, and knew I probably wouldn't be wearing it, I posted my Facebook friends recently to see if anyone would like it.

My first cousin once removed jumped on it and I promised it to her. I passed it along to her mother, as she was out of state, and the mother passed along to her.

I think she likes it. It even goes with her Detroit Lions bracelet and tee. Glad to see it in the hands of a real fan.

 

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Flip Flops

The temperature is acting bipolar again, flipping cool, then hot, the repeating the process. At least I have been enjoying the cooler weather when we have it. And I can't wait for more.

With the recent frost advisory Hubby and I picked all of our squash, under the watchful eye of Montgomery and his flock. They were waiting for me to give them a couple ears of overripe sweet corn, and not too patiently either.

While gathering the squash, there amid the dead weeds, I could hardly believe my eyes to find the squash still in blossom.

And with the possibility of highs in the 80's this coming week, maybe it will have a chance to grow.

Personally though, I'm waiting for snow.

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I Promised Pictures.

Here are the pictures that were sent to me from my spinning demonstration on Tuesday evening. Phone pictures so not the highest resolution, but you get the idea.

Yes, I do spin barefoot. At the most only with socks... and only hand knit of course.

This picture shows the sweaters and other items knit from my handspun, I had lots of yarn, as well as fiber: merino, mohair locks, Southdown wool, Shetland wool, blends, silk hankies and even some yummy soft pygora.
Not pictured is another chair that displayed a couple shawls and a poncho. The one shawl was this one completed during the 2012 Summer Olympics. It had bits of many different handspun samples. And no, my Gertrude didn't get to go.

Finally, after yesterday's rain, I managed to get everything brought in and put away. I'm glad I tossed the stash for this. I found some fiber, and yarn, I had forgotten about. Now I have more projects in mind.
That's all I need.

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Spinning Success

I think I was a hit.

At my spinning demonstration Tuesday at the church ladies group, I may not have known what I was going to say but I had plenty of display items, two tubs full! What I didn't have was presence of mind to take a picture of the table laden with fiber samples, hand knits, yarn and tools. I didn't even think to have anyone take my camera and get a picture.

But I didn't need to worry about what to say. I had a few questions to get me started, and continued from there. The one in charge, was great about asking some to get me started. Then as I referred to some of the items on the table (sweaters, socks, hat, fiber, etc) she passed it around so everyone got a chance to see it up close.

There were lots of questions, and I think those who were there enjoyed themselves.

I know I did. But I still haven't completely unloaded the car.

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Crafty Little Me

I almost forgot the other day, in my review of current knitting projects, to show my progress on the Ten Stitch Blankie.

That was almost a week ago. I have since continued the right side to the top and turned the corner.

There won't be a lot of knitting going on tomorrow though. I may have mentioned a while back that I was drafted into giving a talk on spinning at our church ladies group. Tomorrow is the night. So tomorrow will be devoted to gathering stuff and loading my car, Hharry.

I will be tossing the spinning stash and sorting my handspun and knits using my handspun. Two wheels, my Traditional, and my portable Joy, will be loaded into Hharry together with samples of fibers. I hope to have Shetland roving, hand painted top, some merino top, mohair blend, Southdown, even some silk hankies, and angora cloud if I can find it. I plan on taking two shawls, and possibly two sweaters made from my handspun. One shawl is a sampler of an assortment of my handspun, the other is cormo silk. I may toss in my "Fleece and Fiber Sourcebook" too.

It may be more of a super "show and tell" than talk. I hope they like it.

 

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Chilling With The Critters

Just a typical Sunday afternoon: knitting, NASCAR, and a few animals.

Lewie on the footstool and Lizzie on the floor, feeling a bit subdued after her thwarted attempt to play with a chicken, and both managing to sit quietly for a while. The only reason Lewie is here, is because Leo had already claimed my shoulder.

(Non race fans, feel free to skip this paragraph.). The race was a rain delay from last night, but went quickly. Lots of the Chasers (championship finalists) had trouble so it is still anyone's to win. Of course, Talledega is in this tier, and that is usually a wreck fest.

Montgomery has been taking good care of the girls.

I went looking for them earlier. They had wandered to the front lawn. When I called, they all came running. Unfortunately they do not understand Lizzie's exuberant need to play. Monty started chasing Lizzy the second time she tried. I think she will avoid them now.

Didn't seem to bother the girls much at all. But they do stick close to Montgomery.

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Being Creative

I haven't given an update on some of my knitting projects, so I thought I better take a few pictures and start sharing.

The heat seems to have broken as well as the humidity. So while I will soon return to finishing the Baby Hap for my grand niece, the Purple Princess, I want to spend a day or two more on my most recently active projects.

I haven't been able to work much on the Cactus Flower Gold Digger sock. The gloomy days recently hindered much in the way of chart reading.

I have only done a few of the charted rows. I recently put it in time out also. Lewie, the black fuzzy cat kept jumping on my shoulder in spite of the humid weather. I did convince him to sit on my lap. But when he jumped off, his leg was tangled in the needle loop. And he pulled half the stitches off. Well in all fairness, it was the needle he pulled out, not the stitches. After much patience, I managed to replace all the stitches, and salvaged the cable twist intact. Whew.

My Simple Brainless Sock is at the end of the leg and I have started the gusset.

Since I am again working a Fleegle Heel, as on the Gold Digger, I do the gusset first and then turn the heel.

And the Close To You Blue Shawl grew quite a bit during my trip up north to the fiber festival and after.

I think I may have accidently started making an extra two garter rows between decrease rows. But I am being consistent, so all is good. Never let the actual pattern get in the way of a design element, I always say.

On the non-knitting front, I made a batch of laundry sauce. It isn't lavender because I could not get any lavender Purex crystals, but this scent, whatever it is, is pretty good.

Since I don't have a regular blender, I had recently got a stick blender so I could whip this in the quart jars. But, unfortunately, the blender won't fit into a regular mouth jar. I managed to dump it into a metal bowl and it whipped up fine. Messy, but fine.

Note to self, get my hands on a couple wide mouth jars before my next batch.

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Little Farmer Giggles

With my daughter-in-law back to work after the arrival of Little Peanut, she is working different hours and I no longer get my day a week with my grands. I have missed them greatly, especially my little buddy. I caught up wth my teen granddaughter first  She was worried about creepy clowns,

When he saw me, Litle Farmer was quite as excited to see me as I was to see him. He grabbed my thumb and dragged me to the living room, where he then pushed me down on the footstool. He then proceeded to show me all his big trucks, a couple balls and tractors, and his favorite Farm Trader magazine. (It is full of tractors and other farm equipment.). He was full of laughs and giggles.
I couldn't stay long. And while he would give me a hug, he wouldn't come shut the door for me when I left.
And Little Peanut pretty much slept through the whole visit.

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Movie Time

My favorite old movie channel celebrates a star each month. This month, in addition to their star, Christopher Lee, with all his delightful monstery movies, Turner Classic Movies is also celebrating their monster of the month: Frankenstein.
Every Sunday evening they are presenting a round of Frankenstein movies. Tonight are the original and the early sequels, Bride of and Son of. The rest of the month will have a variety of Frankensteins.
As I watch them, I appreciate Gene Wilder's version, Young Frankenstein, even more. There are many inside jokes I didn't get then that I find hilarious now.
Time to settle in and watch and knit.

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