Why is mail so complicated?
Today's mission is to finish up the contents of my Knitters Coffee Swap care package and see if I can't get it in the mail by the end of the week. At a minimum, I'm reserving at least one lunch hour and possibly a late morning to deal with the folks as the USPS to make sure that it gets to Scotland.
I spent a good 2 hours reading up on VAT, customs, declaration forms, postal rates (all of which change today!) and various and sundry to see if I could make heads or tails of what's really supposed to happen. I was shocked to find that Global Priority may actually be CHEAPER than standard parcel post - but then again, it's unlikely that I was reading stuff right.
I'll just go to the counter, throw myself on the mercy of the Men in Blue and see how it goes. I'm thrilled with what I've managed to find and hopefully my partner will be as well!
Separately, the Monkey Socks are moving along nicely and I'm ready to turn the heel on the first sock. The yarn is SO SPRINGY and has been wonderful to use. I'm not sure that the sizing is "right on", but so what. Took lots of pix of everything - I just need to sit down (stop knitting, that is) and get stuff up.
Maybe I'll be able to get back to my Grasshopper Socks by the end of next week ...
More Procrastinating ....
Ok, so I ripped out the Grasshopper Socks and am back to two (well, four actually) balls of STR Silkie yarn. There'd been a lot of commentary about how the yarn doesn't like to be frogged and then reknitted and that it tends to get all "fuzzy". It's true. There's a bit of a nap on the yarn that has been frogged back and I'm hoping it doesn't translate too strongly to the socks themselves. I took pictures of the socks before the "Great Pulling" began - posting likely tomorrow when I have more time.
In the mean time, so that I'm less heartbroken about it, I've casted on a Monkey Sock, courtesy of Knitty. I'd been eyeballing this sock for a long time (just like the rest of the sock knitting community) and it's time for something relatively simple in a truly wonderful yarn.
One of my local yarn stores stocks Koigu yarn - the most amazing superwash merino made by a mother and daughter of Eastern European descent up in Canada. It's a blue/purple handpainted colorway and I think it'll work wonderfully for this pattern. It's soft, springy and generally a joy to knit with. It's going on the Size 1 Addi's, as usual, and I need to move along quickly so that I can either get back to the Grasshoppers or be clear for the next Six Sox pair. Pattern arrives for that one on June 1.
Today is a quality knitting day - it's the annual AGM/Spring Clinic for my chapter NISOA, the college soccer referee association. They day was also supposed to include a fitness exam, but the head cold/sinus infection I've been denying all week has absolutely floored me. No running since Tuesday and even stairs are "hard". I got my hall pass and so expect to just knit away quietly in the back of the auditorium.
Time to be off ... man, I've got pictures to post/upload/share ... more time more time more time!!!!
In the mean time, so that I'm less heartbroken about it, I've casted on a Monkey Sock, courtesy of Knitty. I'd been eyeballing this sock for a long time (just like the rest of the sock knitting community) and it's time for something relatively simple in a truly wonderful yarn.
One of my local yarn stores stocks Koigu yarn - the most amazing superwash merino made by a mother and daughter of Eastern European descent up in Canada. It's a blue/purple handpainted colorway and I think it'll work wonderfully for this pattern. It's soft, springy and generally a joy to knit with. It's going on the Size 1 Addi's, as usual, and I need to move along quickly so that I can either get back to the Grasshoppers or be clear for the next Six Sox pair. Pattern arrives for that one on June 1.
Today is a quality knitting day - it's the annual AGM/Spring Clinic for my chapter NISOA, the college soccer referee association. They day was also supposed to include a fitness exam, but the head cold/sinus infection I've been denying all week has absolutely floored me. No running since Tuesday and even stairs are "hard". I got my hall pass and so expect to just knit away quietly in the back of the auditorium.
Time to be off ... man, I've got pictures to post/upload/share ... more time more time more time!!!!
Decision Made
I'm gonna rip 'em out. It breaks my heart to do it, but I'm gonna do it. And it's gonna happen this weekend.
I've been reading over at the Rockin' Sock Club that the socks are very stretchy and that they even get a bit "saggy" when worn for a while. I've had the same problem with my Six Sox Horcrux socks and I'd really hate to do that to that WONDERFUL yarn.
I'm gonna take some pictures of what I have since I suspect that all that amazing "pooling" is gonna be out the window when I downsize. I'm going to also use the figure-eight cast on rather than the wierd backwards loop thingy that was so fiddly the first time around.
Sigh.
The only up side is that the progress bar is gonna show a solid 30% for at least a few more days. :-)
I've been reading over at the Rockin' Sock Club that the socks are very stretchy and that they even get a bit "saggy" when worn for a while. I've had the same problem with my Six Sox Horcrux socks and I'd really hate to do that to that WONDERFUL yarn.
I'm gonna take some pictures of what I have since I suspect that all that amazing "pooling" is gonna be out the window when I downsize. I'm going to also use the figure-eight cast on rather than the wierd backwards loop thingy that was so fiddly the first time around.
Sigh.
The only up side is that the progress bar is gonna show a solid 30% for at least a few more days. :-)
Treason!
Ok, I'll admit it. My wrist is still sore but I've started knitting again - and it's not a pair of socks! Oh, the shame.
Seems like I'm enamoured with the idea of "clubs" rather than just "socks". In my hunt for new and exciting hand-painted/dyed yarns this past spring, I happened upon an wonderful eStore called The Yarn Grove. When I purchased my two skeins of a beautiful natural dyed yarn I also joined their new knitting club - the UnderCover club. Over the course of the next year, we'll all be knitting a patchwork afghan using (gulp) size 10 needles! Can you believe it?!?!
Anyway, I received my package yesterday and I immediately (well, almost immediately) cast on and started working the first pattern. The yarn is O-Wool in a very "interesting" pumpkin color. Not sure I'm in love with this color and I'm also not sure that I'm going to be getting different colors throughout the year. I'm having visions of fuscia+orange+teal+chartreuse. Thank goodness the cabin is always in need of new and warm blankets.
It took me a good 20 minutes to find my size 10's and it was also a bit awkward to be using two separate needles again. I'm so trained to be using two doubles to knit anything that trying to grip a full needle felt "wierd". Regardless, this pattern knit up quickly and is quite nice. I think it's similar to the Lozenge pattern in Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks which, of course, is making me think of more socks.
Maybe that's the real allure of this new knitting club - it's a chance for me to try new patterns and see if I can turn them in to luscious socks. Ah HA! :-)
Seems like I'm enamoured with the idea of "clubs" rather than just "socks". In my hunt for new and exciting hand-painted/dyed yarns this past spring, I happened upon an wonderful eStore called The Yarn Grove. When I purchased my two skeins of a beautiful natural dyed yarn I also joined their new knitting club - the UnderCover club. Over the course of the next year, we'll all be knitting a patchwork afghan using (gulp) size 10 needles! Can you believe it?!?!
Anyway, I received my package yesterday and I immediately (well, almost immediately) cast on and started working the first pattern. The yarn is O-Wool in a very "interesting" pumpkin color. Not sure I'm in love with this color and I'm also not sure that I'm going to be getting different colors throughout the year. I'm having visions of fuscia+orange+teal+chartreuse. Thank goodness the cabin is always in need of new and warm blankets.
It took me a good 20 minutes to find my size 10's and it was also a bit awkward to be using two separate needles again. I'm so trained to be using two doubles to knit anything that trying to grip a full needle felt "wierd". Regardless, this pattern knit up quickly and is quite nice. I think it's similar to the Lozenge pattern in Nancy Bush's Knitting Vintage Socks which, of course, is making me think of more socks.
Maybe that's the real allure of this new knitting club - it's a chance for me to try new patterns and see if I can turn them in to luscious socks. Ah HA! :-)
What to do, what to do ...
During my week of enforced non-knitting, I've been thinking a lot about my latest Rockin' Sock Club socks.
Currently, I've gotten far enough along on the pair that I'm ready to start working the heel part of the pattern. However - here's the bad news: they're "loose" on my foot. Yes, I know that lace patterns can be very stretchy and I thought I took that in to account by going for the "medium" size on the pattern, but I'm just not sure what I want to do. The pattern takes quite a bit of work to get just right and is rather "finicky" in the early stages. I'm totally in a groove with working it and I'm not sure my heart can take frogging it all away.
This is, absolutely, a complete "do over" if I decide to go that direction. Now, is that what I want?
Definitely something for me to think about as I'm running all over Northern California this weekend. It's time for the annual Relay from Calistoga to Santa Cruz with 11 of my closest friends. We always have a great time - nothing like being, sore, stiff and sleep-deprived.
Check back early next week to hear what I decide to do ...
Currently, I've gotten far enough along on the pair that I'm ready to start working the heel part of the pattern. However - here's the bad news: they're "loose" on my foot. Yes, I know that lace patterns can be very stretchy and I thought I took that in to account by going for the "medium" size on the pattern, but I'm just not sure what I want to do. The pattern takes quite a bit of work to get just right and is rather "finicky" in the early stages. I'm totally in a groove with working it and I'm not sure my heart can take frogging it all away.
This is, absolutely, a complete "do over" if I decide to go that direction. Now, is that what I want?
Definitely something for me to think about as I'm running all over Northern California this weekend. It's time for the annual Relay from Calistoga to Santa Cruz with 11 of my closest friends. We always have a great time - nothing like being, sore, stiff and sleep-deprived.
Check back early next week to hear what I decide to do ...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)