First Day of Grade 5

Hi Everyone,

My dd had her first day of Grade 5 -- it was an exciting day as she started at the middle school! She was a bit nervous last night, but came bounding in the house today exclaiming school would be a piece of cake this year.

On the knitting front, I've been working on a pair of worsted weight socks for a class I'll be teaching at the end of the month. It's a pretty easy pattern and works up quickly because of the weight of the yarn. I'm just making ankle length socks -- wasn't sure how the pattern would knit up, and I didn't want to waste a lot of time frogging it if pattern didn't work. But it is great basic pattern and you could do a lot with it.

On the reading front, if you haven't read her book series, I highly recommend you pick up Kate Jacobs' books The Friday Night Knitting Club and Knit Two. Such lovely books! I could read them again and again. After you've read them, here is a fun website to go to.

Well, that's it for tonight. I need to get my girl into the tub and off the bed! Have a great night everyone!!!

Nice Fat Ankles and Nubby Feet!!!

Good Morning My Beautifuls!

Okay, so the other day I picked up some sock wool to make some Jaywalker socks (with a shorter leg on it). Well, I was so excited to get going I just grabbed my needles and knit away. Now, I really wasn't paying attention. I used 3.0 mm dpns (double pointed needles) for my "Almost 10-lb Socks" so I wasn't thinking to even check what the pattern calls for (2.25 mm dpns). I thought the sock looked rather "fat" while I was working on it. But, like an idiot, I just kept knitting. I Kitchener'ed the toe last night and I was left with...hmmm...let's just say it looks like it was made for a person with extremely fat ankles and a nub for a foot.

I like the colourway of the wool, especially with the Jaywalker pattern. You can't tell from this picture, but it is actually quite loose around the ankle. However I'm gonna have to frog this one (rrrrrrrriiiiiiiiiiiiiiip it out). They are supposed to be a gift for someone and I can't possibly give them that!!!! They would be offended. It would be like saying, "I love you and your fat ankles and nubby feet!" Horrible!!!!

Well, a week has passed since I last wrote. Sorry about that. It's not that my life jacked up to an exciting level or anything. I was just...busy. Doing what? Well...it couldn't have been that exciting since nothing really comes to mind.

However, I was checking my e-mail messages last night and I received a letter from one of the magazines I submitted an article for. They are going to print my article!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Woo Hoo! I believe that's #4 on my list of "things to do" this year. Booyah!

Well, I'd better go. I have a sock to frog, breakfast to eat, and victory dances to be danced! Have a great day, my pretties...

'ello, 'ello, 'ello

Happy Friday Everyone!

Happy Thanksgiving to all my new American blog friends. I hope you all had a relaxing holiday and filled up on the turkey 'n' fixin's.

Tomorrow I should have some new pictures of Madeline's felted clogs. I'll wait for some natural light for taking piccys. They are pretty cute - I just hope she wears them! She's a typical kidlet. She wants you to make something for her, wears it a couple of times, and then really doesn't give it a second glance. Ergo, I will not be making her a sweater anytime soon. I figure there's no sense putting blood, sweat, and tears into something she really won't wear more than once or twice. She always says she will...but never really does.

On the sock front things have gone from ugly to worse. I tried to knit a pair of socks sort of improvising with a basic pattern. The sock yarn I bought was Regia 4-Fach Haltbar in a light denim blue (varigated). Really nice stuff, but the mini-cable pattern I chose does not look good. It keeps twisting the leg part (when it should be straight). Plus the foot part seems too small. It's hard to tell from the picture, but it looks like it should fit my 7 yr old daughter. Darn it that's so frustrating!

I also previously tried the Jaywalker pattern, but it was so tight, I couldn't get my heel through the leg part. You can also see along the vertical stripes, I have these gaping holes. I'm not sure what I'm doing wrong!!!

I am not sure what I did, but they are not as nice as my self-striping socks. I find the Regia yarn is quite stretchy. Perhaps I just need to do a plain pattern with the stretchier stuff. Any advice or feedback would be welcome. This is only my second pair of socks that I've tried to knit. Yargh! I am so frustrated!!! They were supposed to be a Christmas gift, but now I am sure I won't be able to get them done in time for shipping (sorry mom...maybe for your birthday). I'm totally bummed!

Well, I better get going. My hubby took my daughter out tonight and so I have a couple more hours of quiet knitting time to myself (eeeeeeeeeeee!!!). Maybe I'll pop in a movie and finish Madeline's clogs (will post pics tomorrow). So many choices, I'm not sure what to do. Until tomorrow, keep knitting!