31 October 2010 · 3 Comments
I have done a thorough investigation and can now confidently say that being sick sucks. Refusing to lay down and rest so as to get better seems to prolong being sick. Doing even more stuff than usual because you’re busy and things need to get done seems to actually make it worse. Despite my very best efforts, I appear not to be able to will this germ away and have had to actually lay down and rest as opposed to saying I will lay down and rest and completely neglecting to do so. I really don’t think this is fair and would like to lodge a complaint with the appropriate authority. Please do let me know if you find contact information for said authority.
I have actually managed to get a fair bit of knitting done (while resting…in bed…under blankets…with hot tea and other strengthening medicines ready to hand). Heather’s sock is clicking away (I’m past the tricky point and it now also qualifies as easy knitting) and needs only an inch or two of foot plus a toe to be finished. The zombie sock is also going well and I continue to be unreasonable smitten with it given that it is such a simple little thing. It’s made with Creatively Dyed Yarn’s Luxury in Weston. I picked it up in Pittsburgh back in February. Amazingly enough, when these are finished I will have used all the yarn in that photo. The top one turned into Diluvian, the purplish-gray one turned into Peregrinate, the pink one turned into Anemochory, and the last one is on the needles. This is almost unheard of. It seems I generally like to let yarn marinate in my stash for a year or two before deciding to bring it out and use it.
And thanks to everyone for your thoughts on the camera/ipad/wheel decision. I have a feeling I’ll get the camera first, as it is more or less a reasonable business expense and will be useful for future big projects. The wheel and ipad are more toys and alas, will have to wait.
15 May 2010 · 2 Comments
So I apparently really need to paint my back stairs. Until I do, we’ll just have to pretend they make a fetching backdrop for sock pictures. As for the socks themselves, they’re not quite this pink in real life. The sun was setting and the light was a bit funny. I’m not cool enough to correct it. Imagine them a wee bit more purple. You can also try and imagine what my neighbor thought when she came outside to mow her lawn and found me, sitting on the porch in a pajama shirt and jeans, feet held at an unnatural angle, with The Boy crouching over me taking pictures of my socks. Some day I might explain, but for now I’m enjoying the mystery.
11 May 2010 · No Comments
Proof I’m here, proof I’m knitting, and (alas) proof that my yard is a bit shaggy.
These are made with the lovely Hedonist Sock, which is a marvelous merino cashmere nylon mix. I’ve used this blend of materials before (in Brigid, Graupel, and Slant) and always enjoy it. It’s very comfortable to work with and seems to hold up well even after repeated washings.
The blend does pose just a bit of a challenge to design with though. It tends to be…soft. I don’t mean soft to the touch (though it certainly is that), but soft as in the opposite of crisp. I’ve found that m/c/n yarns often have just the slightest hint of fuzziness about them, sort of a subtle halo. This means that both very lacy patterns and intricate cables tend to get a bit lost. Textural patterns, on the other hand, show up marvelously. These take full advantage of this characteristic. As soon as it dries out a bit, I’ll try and take a picture of them on my feet. For now, the blocker will have to do.
P.S. These are now up for testers if anyone is itching to make them right now.
