Knit n Things

Tisha’s baby is due in August. I haven’t gotten any further on her gift than casting on. My friend Kim just announced she will be expecting a new little one in November. And now one of my co-workers just let on that she too has a bun in the oven - also due in August. The knit goddess has decided to punish me for procrastination.

With Kim I have a standard to live up to, her last baby got a crochet blanket. Should I do another? Or should I knit her up a sweater. Maybe I should crochet her a sweater. That would be faster, but is it a cop out? She knows I knit but I don’t think she knows the extent of my obsession so she probably wouldn’t be offended by crochet-wear instead of knitwear. At least the baby is due in the winter and I can make an itty-bitty sized whatever I decided to make.

Co-worker presents a bit of a dilemma. I like her, she’s very nice but is she really knit worthy? Ordinarily I’d say all babies should get handmade prezzies but I’ve got so much stuff on my plate that the idea of doing another baby thing makes me cringe. Maybe I’ll crochet for her too - it’s faster. Maybe I’ll just go to the store & buy her stuff, but that’s so lame and I usually wind up spending a fortune when I do that. I have no will power to resist cute little baby things. Alexis wound up with a few hundred dollars worth of crap plus handmade gifties - baby stores are a bad idea.

On the bright side with two people to knit for that don’t read the blog I’ll have something more interesting to show you than same ol’ socks. Which I would show you a progress picture of but I left the camera cord at home and I'm off to Ruggerfest for the weekend so I won't have an oppurtunity to post until next week. But with a few hours knit time in the car I should have more progress show.

You know when you first see the pattern that you have to have it. You immediately buy new yarn; despite the fact that you have Rubbermaid tubs full of the stuff, you buy more. You do math - MATH people - to work out a new set of numbers that will work for your shapelier self. You cast on - you congratulate yourself on the fact that you can count and it fits. You fall deeper. You start to ignore the other projects - they’re not giving you the same satisfaction. Next thing you know you’ve abandoned the knit bag with many projects for this one little sock bag - it’s the only project you think about, the only one you talk about. The obsession is out of control but it’s SO worth it.

I totally love how these socks came out. I won't even tell you the number of patterns I tried on this yarn before this one worked out. The pattern is actually my own design (a first) and although it turned out to be more of a PITA than I thought it would be it was totally worth the effort.

I've always wanted a pair of cute knee high socks. Never could find a pair to fit. It's good to be a knitter. Big thanks to everybody that helped me do the math for these. I'm loving them so much!! I try them on every four rounds and they fit just great. None of that tuggin and pulling trying in vain to get them over my calves. LOVE IT! I want to make lots of knee highs now! I figured this was a good pair to cut my teeth on becasue they have a plain knit section where all the decrease go. No extra headaches to figure out how the pattern will work with all my extra stiches. And since I'm very afraid of getting a case of SSS with my fingering weight 17" circumfrence knee socks I started sock number two. I think this will also help me get my decreases the same on each leg since I'm notoriously bad at taking notes. I can't wait to wear these socks!!!

Part of my Easter celebration every year entails putting gobs of make-up onto 13 men and sending them out to perform "The Living Last Supper." I got involved with this play maybe 10 years ago, two years ago the woman in charge of make-up moved to Maryland and asked me to be in charge. It's an exhausting four day performance but it's an intense and uplifting four days and it just wouldn't feel like Easter without it. I was going to share some pictures with you but Dad cleaned in here and I can't find the camera cord. Needless to say, knitting is on hold for a minute - can't knit with your hands full of grease paint. I started something new - it's puuurty - can't wait to show it to you.