slow ride (progress)

I am totally consumed by this.

By the way, for anyone who may be wondering where the knitting content went, if you haven't clicked "unsubscribe" by now and sent me packing into the cyber-ether, please rest assured that there will be knitlovin' content on here verrrrrrrrrrry soon. I promise.

Oh, also, when I said this was going to be my "knitblog" where I would go on and on about knitting only, I may have stretched the truth a bit - like, a teeny lil' bit. I may have some quilting to post about here soonish. And more embroidery. And if I ever get my shizz together and take Maryse up on her offer to teach me crochet, there may even be some crochet on here.

One more thing, why does she not run the other way the minute he asks, "Do you think that I could be scary?" Even when I was 15, that would have sent a huge red flag a'flyin' and I would have been all, "Yeeeeeeeeeaaaahh, so I'm getting out of the car now. Call me and there will be a restraining order, creepy dude." I believe it was at 15 that I came up with one of my favorite adages: I have no time for creepy people. Okay, maybe I came up with that when I was a little bit older and had way too many creepy people lurking about my life. But STILL! Oh yes, that's right, this is fun, fluffy fiction and not real life. Take it with a grain of salt. Keep it in perspective, M, keep it in perspective....

this does not appear to be knitting

The other night I decided to combine a certain person's doodlings that runneth over our coffee table (that runneth over almost every surface of our home, actually) with my itchin' to get stitchin' because I thought, hey, it might be fun. I handed said person a soluble marker and a freshly ironed piece of canvas and said, "Get to it!" The resulting piece is a butchery of a simple split-stitch, but you know, a lot of fun nevertheless. I'm just warming up, and this was the perfect piece for practicing, just a nice simple outline, a.k.a. a hollow. The next project is already lined up and promises to be more challenging; I can't wait to dig in! I tried to choose the same or at least a similar palette for it as this person would choose if they were doing this as "a piece."

Also, last night, when I was looking through different embroidery blogs (because never let it be said that I am not obsessive) I came across this post on this awesome blog, feeling stitchy. I have a ton of thoughts about the points raised because it's something I actually think about a lot, but I think I'll write about that once I finish the next project.

knotty thoughts

I am juggling a bunch of different projects right now, both for work and for the fun of it, so of course, I am daydreaming about doing something totally different from anything I am currently working on and starting an embroidery project. What can I say? I have been terribly inspired by all the beautiful embroidery I've been seeing all over the place lately. I haven't embroidered anything in a loooooooooon ass time, (and I was never great at it) but my fingers are just itchin' to get stitchin'.

tiny tiny, tiny little needles

In some ways, I am a huge product-ho. I'm not necessarily into having the latest gadgets, cosmetics, accessories, or fashions, but if I see or hear about a new yarn or new needles, I have to have them, if only to try them out. I think that's really what it's about for me, experimenting with the new and seeing how it works. When I first saw these Hiya Hiya needles over at Tiennie's blog, I wondered about them. I had seen them before someplace (was it Loop?), but decided against getting them because it seemed too much like an impulse purchase. I didn't really need them, per se. They did seem like they would be great for sock-knitting. I thought about them and thought about them. Well, as luck would have it, the Loopy Ewe announced they would soon offer these and had them up in the shop within a week. I was thrilled with this serendipitous development and snagged myself a couple. They were awaiting me when we returned from Dance Camp, and immediately I cast on with them. Can I say that I am certainly not used to knitting with such itty-bitty needles? They are so teeny and charming, BUT.... My fingers feels huge and clumsy, and the knitting itself is going painfully slow with my stumbling, fumbling digits. Hurts my hands a bit, too (what with the CT and all). I am hoping that it just takes a little getting used to and that once I get the hang of it my fingers will be flying. I am used to holding my needles more loosely and towards the middle and cradling the back of the needle with my fingers, like in the top duo of photos:

In the bottom duo, you can see how my massive hands hold the adorable Lilliputian needles. *sigh* They're just right for Mischa, but for me? Give me some time with them, maybe. I seriously thought that socks would just fly off of 'em. There is still hope that in a week's time, I will have totally gotten the hang of them and will be just tearing through socks. For now, however, it's little by little, stitch by stitch. Here's the progress I have made in two separate knitting sessions (top photo):

And in the bottom photo you see the progress I made on a Pomotamus in one night using DPNs, which I haven't done in a looooooooooong time but figured I would do again for variety's sake (and because I already have socks on all my US size 1 circs). The Pom is going at a much faster rate than this super-simple ribbed and textured sock. I don't think this Pom is going to make it to the second pattern repeat, however. I was loving the Pom at first, but now I am not so sure if this colorway is doing it any favors. I don't think I would mind ripping it - at all. I think this particular colorway works better in the ribbed and textured pattern, but I am not totally sure about that either. So I am up in the air about both of these. Should I just do some plain ol' stockinette socks? What do you think? Which pattern do you folks prefer for this yarn and colorway? Let me know. I think although I totally love this colorway, it's going to be tricky to get it to work with a pattern.

Oh hai! Yr guydance - i needz it!

crazy coo-coo way out swingin' single socks

Recently, I went into a yarn shop to see a certain talented indie dyer's yarn in person and hopefully get some into my sticky hands. When one of the people at the shop asked if she could help me, and I told her about my query, she informed me that they didn't have any at the moment and wouldn't be getting any in until the Fall because no one knits socks in the summer. Really? No one? Huh. Interesting. I knit socks in the summer. I'm pretty certain I am not alone on that. I mean, my friends knit socks in the summer. I look at knit blogs and see socks everywhere in the summer. In fact, there is even a knitalong called the Summer of Socks. I even took a little poll, and of all the people who participated (thank you, by the way!), everyone was on the side of sock-knitting in the summer. I thought that was a pretty strange thing to say. I mean, it's one thing if you're not getting the yarn until the Fall because of the dyer's schedule. I well know what an indie crafter's business is like in the summer. That's fine - no biggie. But to tell me no one knits socks in the summer? Wha-huh? Strange indeed. (Of course, I am so ridiculously shy that instead of countering that with, "I know a lot of people who knit socks in the summer," I politely thanked her and walked away.)

Anyway, socks are in full effect over here this summer, starting with these Spring Forward socks in Koigu (in a colorway that Diana and one ms. grumperina brilliantly and simultaneously described as sea-glass:

And these Waving Lace Socks, from Favorite Socks, also in Koigu:

Funny thing about this second pair of socks. I ran out of yarn when I reached the toe of the first sock, which means that I won't have enough yarn to finish the second. Now I could do the smart, methodical thing and frog the first one (or part of the first one) or I can try to find more yarn like a crazy person. Guess which one I opted for? Although, in my defense, I would like to say it is not so much because I'm crazy (although I probably am) as because I am damn stubborn, which might be the same thing in the end. What is the definition of an unreasonable man again? Besides, I would rather have a sock with an off-colored toe that no one will see under my Wellies or boots and have the sock be long enough so that I don't get a chill than have perfectly matching socks and chilly legs. (I'm a wuss about the cold.) More on this later, though....

oh no(ro)

How's your summer coming along? Things are pretty darn good over here. I forgot I had this blog here for a moment. Let me tell you, people, I've got nothing but socks for you. It's all socks in the summer for me (which ties into the poll I took, but more on that tomorrow, when I will actually have finished socks to share with you). Let's start with these. Actually, I started this pair of Jaywalkers in April or May. I'm not sure, and I didn't bother listing a start date on my project page on ravelry. Why did I not do this? Furthermore, why would I abandon this seemingly decent sock? Honestly, I am not crazy about knitting with this yarn. In fact, I kinda hate it a little. The yarn itself is so pretty, with all its little flecks and its single-ply rustic charm, and the colors are lovely. Knitting with it, however, is a whole other experience, at least for me. It feels like I'm knitting with twine, and it keeps twisting on me as I knit. I have a friend who is interested in buying it off of me, but I am still debating whether I want to frog this (or stop right here and sell the leftover yarn) or forge ahead with it. I'm totally on the fence. I'm thinking I may forge ahead because I do enjoy the color changes as I knit. Oh, Noro! You're so darn pretty, but so darn stringy and harsh.

we're back!

Dance Camp was a blast! Duggan is an amazing person to do this every year, and now he's doing it three times over the course of the summer. This was just the first session. Actually, this session isn't even over; we just had to leave early because Matt had to get back to work. The kids' final performance is tomorrow night. (Break a leg, guys!) I don't think we'll be participating in the other two sessions, since each session is going to feature different teachers and different types of dance (with an emphasis on hip-hop and jazz because those are really Duggan's specialty). Being as this session had tap and capoeira, the next will have ballet and something else. Speaking of capoeira, good lord, what a workout Matt gave these kids! It was pretty strenuous, but I noticed while going through all the photos, that in most of the photos of the kids doing capoeira, they were smiling while doing their thing. While Matt may have tired them out, they certainly seem to have enjoyed themselves.

There was also a contingent of kids who were not participating in one number or another and instead chose to help Matt paint a mural in the rehearsal room. It was kinda funny seeing Matt direct this mob of kids with paint in their hands. I think he was a little overwhelmed at first (I know I was - big time), but in the end, he did a fabulous job. (Even though we still have to go back up some weekend and tidy up the mural a bit.) Oh, and finally getting to the stars of the show - the kids... what can I say but wow! What a great bunch of kids, so hard-working and talented. They really brought it this year! Their parents should be so proud because seriously, these kids are wonderful. They certainly inspired me to believe that just maybe there is hope for the future after all.

You can see more photos of Dance Camp here.

Sadly, I don't have any new knitting to show, but soon, my friends, soon....