Oh, look, it’s “Take Really Out of Focus Pictures” Day

Posted on November 30, 2010 by Suzanne

Now, in theory I could try again to take IN focus pictures, but that would require changing socks again, and taking the memory card back out of the card reader and putting it into the camera and finding a spot with better light and…I just don’t have it in me.

These adorable socks are called Absinthe, the pattern is from Knitty.com. I even used the yarn that the pattern calls for, which is much prettier in person, vs. this lovely out of focus picture. I knit the plain toe section a little bit longer, and only did 4 repeats of the leg pattern (instead of 5) because I was running out of yarn, (thanks to making them longer in the foot…). My cabling still needs work, but I’m pretty happy with them.

I finished the second one on Sunday (the first has been done for awhile). Naturally, that meant I could start a new pair of socks (though I did finish knitting a Christmas present before I let myself start the new sock:

These are called Blueberry Bubbles. They are going to be stinking adorable. The cable just wiggles it’s way up the side of the sock, the right sock will be the mirror image. The cable pattern is super easy — no cable needle. You just pass a slipped stitch over two knit stitches, and then a yarn over in the next row. I’m using some hand-dyed yarn I bought online about a year ago. I had started different socks, but changed my mind. When I found this pattern, I knew this pair of socks is what this yarn really wanted to be.

Oh, and I might have ordered some yarn to make this sweater: Elphaba Pullover. In a dark green, though. Cause is’t Elphaba, don’t you know? **

But now, I must return to the customer quilting on the frame. IT is a beautiful quilt, but the stitch in the ditch is…tedious. More tedious than stitch in the ditch is normally, because it’s not long straight lines: it’s 1 inch or less lines. Stop and start and stop and start…and…you get the picture.

And I’m doing it uncaffeinated. I have gone cold turkey: I have not had a drop of Pepsi in 3 weeks.

I only mention this because I could REALLY use a Pepsi right now. Like, you might get me to agree to just about anything if you offered me a Pepsi. Well, maybe not ANYTHING, but…I can just about taste it, and feel the sugar rush and the caffeine rush and…yeah.

Like I said, I’m off the stuff, and I know that I will be a better, healthier person for doing so, but damn it. I WANT A PEPSI.

**In case you don’t know: in the book and musical “Wicked” Elphaba is the name given to the Wicked Witch of the West. She is green. Plus, there’s the whole Emerald City thing.

Counting Down: 26 Days

Posted on September 27, 2010 by Suzanne

26 Days until I Race for the Cure. (I still have a long way to go on my fundraising goal, if you can help, here’s my personal fundraising page. If you CAN help, I’ll be eternally grateful).

Today’s run/walk: 1.89 miles, .73 running. I think that a month ago, in addition to it being too hot, I was running too fast, pushing too hard, gasping for breath while my heart pounded it’s way out of my chest.

I certainly didn’t FEEL fast, but I wasn’t sure I could go any slower and not have to just revert to walking. Now, I’m concentrating on my feet, trying not to let my heel strike, and I’m going much slower — consequently, my perceived exertion as far as heart/lungs: much, much lower. I could have carried on a conversation today, which I wouldn’t have been able to do even just a few days ago.

Now, if I could convince my legs that things are better, we’d be golden.

Speaking of legs, or rather feet: wpid IMG 0984 2010 09 27 12 34 Counting Down: 26 Days
I finished my watermelon socks last night. I love this pattern, it’s called Cabletini and can be found on Wendyknits.net, under her free patterns. The yarn is Zauberball. I’ve had them on all morning, and my feet are quite magically happy today.**

Do you think I could get away with walking around with my pants rolled up?

Yeah, I didn’t think so.

I did start a new pair of socks (well, restarted, I think I’m on the 3rd try for the toe on this new pair. Sheesh), but I also got this great idea that I need to make Mark a scarf for Christmas, so I started that this morning, too. Shh, don’t tell him.

And now, I need to get some quilting done. In addition to falling off the exercise wagon, I ran into a brick wall known as a quilting block, and I’ve only just gotten through that (it was a customer quilt, I let it take too long, I made it harder than it needed to be, and every time I touched it, it was like I didn’t know what I was doing. It was ridiculous. I did finally finish it last Friday, so now….I should be quilting every minute of the day to catch up on my backlog. Sheesh, again.)

Happy Monday!

**Zauber is German for “magic”

I went away, and then I came back

Posted on August 10, 2010 by Suzanne

I bet you didn’t even know I was gone! You know, in theory I like the idea of traveling, and I was thrilled to spend time with my sister and her family, but Oof. I’m hoping that by tomorrow I’ll be recovered and ready to be productive.

The trip was sort of last minute — my mom talked me into driving to Michigan with her for the weekend, my sister is at her in-laws for the week. (Well, and so is her husband and their two kids). Now, when the Earleys go on a long driving trip, Mark does 99% of the driving, so I get to knit, read, snooze, etc. to my heart’s content. My Mom didn’t seem to want to drive the entire way, so I had to drive some, too.

Neither one of us got as much knitting done during the weekend as we would have liked.

Let me rephrase: we knit a LOT, but neither of us knit particularly WELL: I’m on my FOURTH try to do the heel on this sock. If I added up all of the knitting I’ve done, I’m pretty sure this sock would be done, and I would have started its mate. As it is, I’m about ready to turn the heel (again, sigh), and then we’ll see if I’ve got it the right size, and without holes at the ankles this time.

This yarn cost a lot of moola, and I want to get these RIGHT, and not just settle for OK-ish.

(I should clarify about Mom’s knitting: she spent some time working on the sleeve of a sweater, and I think that went fine, but the sock she tried working on got ripped out and restarted…um…3 times?)

The boys are off at football practice (OMG it is so hot and HUMID out there, I do not envy them. at. all. They will come home soaked, and not just because they dunk under the pump…). I really ought to be doing something productive, but all I really want to do is read a book on my new Nook.

Sorry, for my Facebook friends, but…I can’t stop…

Look! I’m reading a Book on my Nook!

New knitting

Posted on August 1, 2010 by Suzanne

In a move that will surprise absolutely no one, I chose to start a new project, rather than do something practical (i.e. finish an existing project…)

The yarn is Stars and Stripes Forever by The Painted Tiger. Isn’t it awesome? Self-striping yarn is really cool. I’m doing a pretty simply ripple type pattern because I want the socks to look a bit like a waving flag. Plus, I have found that I need a little bit of a pattern to keep my interest, straight stockinette all around is not my cup of tea.

The boys just got back from being out at the farm. There was dirty digging and it’s hot and humid, and they came home wanting a trip to the pool.

For the first time EVER this summer, I decided to throw on my suit and join them.

Except? Danged pool is closed for a private party.

Sheesh.

Socks!

Posted on July 30, 2010 by Suzanne

Hey! I just finished my socks!

The pattern is Pink Ribbon Socks by Laura Spradlin. If I’d had pink yarn, I would have made them pink, but I only had purple.

The main casualty of this particular project was a set of circular needles:

I’m not entirely sure what happened. I was working on these in one of our hotel rooms, I got up to do…something…and when I came back it was slightly bent. I kept on knitting, but was dismayed a few days later when I went to push stitches up onto the needle and it started to bend even further! Apparently I don’t know my own strength.

Or…since a 2nd set of needles is also starting to bend…I wonder if these are just cheap needles, and I need to find something different.

Now…to decide which knitting project takes it place. Finishing an existing project? Starting something new? Hmm…..tough choices.