Nevermind. Figured it out. I had to knit back along one of my needles to get the yarn positioned where it was supposed to be. Stupid, engrossing, retarded Fringe!
I decided to try a new project tonight, so I thought I’d work on making two socks at once. I’m not trying to be too ambitious, but I thought I’d get a jump on the skill, since I just signed up for Sit n’ Knit’s sock swap. So I’m cranking along, right? I’m starting with toddler socks, as recommended by the book, because, hey, Satanski and Sidekick would love to have socks to dirty and tear. I’m making the same sock, but using two different yarns, just to make sure I don’t lose my plaee. I’m feeling no pain, knitting while watching Chuck, then Gossip Girl, and finally Fringe.
I paused a bit at the beginning of Fringe just to catch up, because I’d started watching this particular episode last week, and was trying to remember what had already happened. So then I get a little into it, but not too much, because Fringe is deeply stupid, but then I realize: I have completely forgotten how to knit. Like, I looked down at my knitting, and had no idea how I’d done that, or where I should go from there. So this is what I’ve been doing for the last 20 minutes. Thinking: Fringe is retarded, and so am I.
Gracious.
I signed up for Interweave Press’s “Knitting Daily” email because, why not, right? I don’t usually read them the day that they arrive, but I have gmail automatically start them, so that I can find them when I want to. I was casually glancing at my inbox, not paying too much attention, when I saw the starred message with a subject of “Are You A Knitter Who Likes to Quit?”
I was like, Hallelujah! It’s good to know that I’m not alone. It’s not like my lack of consistent knitting progress keeps me up at night, but I sometimes wish that I wasn’t such a slacker. I know that it’s a question of willpower, but if I am going to focus on improving such an integral part of my personality, knitting is probably not the avenue I’m going to use to do so. So, encouraged, I opened the email, and at first couldn’t figure out why a picture of a blanket occupied a large portion of the screen. Then I looked at the subject again. “Are You a Knitter Who Likes to Quilt?”
Of course I couldn’t get that lucky!
I finished the booties! Well, actually, they’re socks. I used short rows for the heels and toes, and liked the final product. I wasn’t sure how they’d come out, and I definitely fixed some fatigue-related errors whilst weaving in my ends, but I’m really happy with how they came out. And my coworker really liked them, so that makes me feel good. Everybody else was impressed, but it was his opinion that matters, since it’s his kid I made them for. Also, he was happy to hear that the blanket is still in the works, and that I may actually finish before his child makes his debut into the world.
I’m exhausted, but it’s totally worth it!
I like these socks, and I’m going to make them again, but next time I will not add the third stripe of the contrast color, just to make them look more like the Old Skool socks I was picturing in my head.
Also, and it’s worth noting, this is the best my short row anythings have ever looked!
I’m not going to finish the OpArt blanket in time for tomorrow’s baby shower. It’s getting pretty big, and I’m up to 668 stitches total. I’d probably have pulled an all-nighter and finished it, anyway, but then I remembered that I’d still need to block it, and it definitely wouldn’t have been ready in time for the shower tomorrow at noon.
Still, no worries. I decided to use that old baby shower standby, the booties. Not just any booties, though. I am using (what I hope will be) leftover green and white from the blanket to make booties that are reminiscent of old school socks. I’ve made enough booties that I don’t really need a pattern at this point, so I’m just kind of winging it, and throwing in a short row heel because I hate myself.
aim-less |ˈāmlis|adjective
without purpose or direction
DERIVATIVES
aim-less-ly |ˈeɪml1sli| adverb
aim-less-ness |ˈeɪml1sn1s| noun
Thanks, Mac dictionary! For those of you (all one of you, in fact) who are breathlessly awaiting my next post, please take a moment to acquaint yourself with the above definition, and consider how it may apply to this web site.
I have been working on stuff lately, but coming down with the plague last week prevented me from updating this site. I’m almost finished with the OpArt blanket. It’s not worth photographing, because I now have 640 stitches crammed onto two needles, and the whole thing looks oddly smooshed. I was going to do three more stripes, but I somehow lost (I guess?) a ball of green, so after I finish the next 22 rounds of white, I’m going to bind off. This is convenient, since the baby shower is this coming Thursday, and I may actually finish it on time. Perhaps the yarn gremlins actually did me a favor.
In other news, a friend of the family, a person who I actually USED TO BABYSIT, just had her baby shower this past Saturday. I’m useless with dates, but this time I’m 90% sure I didn’t know when it was anyway, so I just reached into my stash and gave her a pair of booties that I had on hand. Oddly enough, they were a hit (I had to leave early), but my mother received several breathless phone calls from the momma-to-be later that evening about other things, and each time she couldn’t stop talking about the booties. And then her mom got in on the love the next day. I’m surprised but touched that they were such a hit. I had actually been feeling a little bad about not having anything else to give. I have several more skeins of that yarn, and since she liked the booties so much, I’ll make a matching sweater.
I didn’t take a picture of that pair of booties, but since I only use one booties pattern, here’s what they looked like (this is even the same yarn):
I was able to go back and change all the pictures in my posts from those on the Blogger servers to those that I uploaded to WordPress. In general, it doesn’t make much of a difference, but in reality, I need every bit of space that I can wring from Google without ponying up extra cash, and now I’ll be able to delete that album. Here’s what I’ve been working on lately: one mitten (Subway Mitten pattern), finished, and horribly oversized (now palmed off on my dad, or will be whenever I finish the second); a pair of socks using my lovely Brooklyn Handspun (prettier to look at than to knit with, although I no longer loathe it); and the ever-present OpArt, which is growing, but not nearly as quickly as it should be, given the kid is expected somewhere in the next 3 weeks.
