Finding Time to Knit

Life has been busy lately. Grad school is involving more reading than I can explain, and to add insult to injury, it seems like we're assigning every essay in the book this quarter. That means a lot of grading.

So knitting time feels scarce.

But I'm still getting a ton done. How is that possible? The Girls' Night Out KAL is going great. I've turned the heel and am mostly done with the foot (pictures maybe tomorrow when it's at a more beautiful stopping point)...and I'll have finished these socks in less than a month. What is it about KALs that make you magically knit faster than you do otherwise? And where's the "I'm making a ridiculous shawl for my wedding" KAL?

*sigh*...the wedding shawl is not progressing. And every time I look at it I get the sinking feeling that it's not going to be big enough as written...and I really don't want to have to alter the pattern :( The rows are so long, and yet it seems that no amount of blocking will make it a reasonable size. Maybe this was a foolish project.

Regardless...just checking in. Really trying to break my bad blogging habits :)

Mystery KAL Clue 2!

Here are my latest socks post-clue 2...can't wait to see what the next part will be!

The girls do have feet, but the bottom edge rolled up a little, so you can't see them...they're super cute, though!

A new KAL!

Here's the latest from the ever fab Knitters' Brewing Co.!

Another mystery KAL entitled "Girls' Night Out"...this is clue 1, but
I already have clue 2 started. Isn't Wendy awesome?!?

Pictures!

In an attempt to appease you all, I have pictures of many marvelous things.

Firstly the finished beaded butterfly socks that you saw the heel turn on a while ago.

Secondly, a pair of grey rollercoaster socks that I made through Sockamania (thank you, Anni!)

Thirdly, fabulous tiger socks (yes the second one is done, it just isn't in the picture) that I made for another Knitters' Brewing KAL (thank you, Wendy!).

Fourthly, made depressingly little progress on my wedding shawl, which I have a sneaking suspicion may not end up being large enough, which would mean that I would have to completely rechart the border to accommodate more repeats, which I don't want to do in the first place as more repeats of this = more soul sucking mind numbing monotony. But it is a lovely pattern!

And last, but not least, my newest WIP, purple hooters with a twist. Yet another KAL with Knitters' Brewing. I can't say enough good things about their yarn, their customer service, their KALs, their Ravelry group, etc. Go buy yourself something pretty from Wendy; it's 100% worth it!

the first sock...the final chapter

so you may or may not remember that this ridiculously large sock was intended for a high school friend of mine. i finished it in time for christmas...so i decided to hang it in her locker full of hershey's kisses. at first she didn't recognize it as either a sock or a stocking (that speaks volumes about the general sock-y-ness of it)...but after a bit of explanation she was properly impressed/amused. she then proceeded to wear it on her head as a hat for the rest of the season. i got many other requests for sock hats, but did not make any more...it took too long to make a sock that wouldn't even go on a foot! i didn't try socks again for three or four years...but that's another story altogether.

the jaywalker is still in progress...pre-heel turn but getting close. the next clue on the mystery sock comes out on wednesday, so that'll be good. and in the process of moving i stumbled across a half finished sweater that i may or may not resume...love the color, not the pattern.

pictures of more socks in the next post!

socks socks socks socks socks

so i don't have time to type out more of the first sock story (recital tonight)...but i thought i'd tantalize you with pictures of one of my socks in progress! it's a mystery KAL through Knitter's Brewing, and I love it! I also finally finished the rollercoaster socks, but not pics at the mo....and i have the second jaywalker of a pair on the needles now...it's my back up knitting for when i'm waiting on more clues for the mystery!

the first sock...and many others

so we were going to pick up the stitches for the gusset.  having no idea what it actually meant to pick up stitches, i first tried to get the needle to go through the stitches parallel to the heel flap, because that what what direction i was knitting before.  then i figured out that perhaps i should try it perpendicular to the flap.  so i get all million stitches on a needle, then read "knit across the front, then pick up the other side".  that didn't make any sense to me, because i hadn't used the yarn to pick up the stitches, just shoved my needle through.  so my working strand was still back at the heel.  fortunately i decided that there was no way that the pattern meant for me to pull the string way down to the bottom, so i did knit along the side (with great difficulty) and across the front, then did my gimpy pick up, then knit.

there was nothing remarkable about the gusset decreases except that i used k2tog for all of them since ssk was way beyond my level of comprehension.  but in the grand scheme of things. the non-mirrored decreases were the least of my troubles.  so i got the gusset decreased, then read, "knit to within 2 inches of the toe".  well, as the wise among you may already have guessed, i was already at or beyond 2 inches of the toe...worsted weight yarn and giant needles will do that for you.  :)  but for good measure i decided to knit a few rounds even since that's obviously what i was supposed to do.

i then worked one of the saddest, pointed toes ever, so i wouldn't have to deal with grafting live stitches at the end.  so i managed to spend many many frustrated hours producing what might be the most grossly disproportionate sock of all time...to find out how it was received, though...you'll have to wait for the next installment.

back to the present:  i promised pictures of the watermelon mitts.  i can't find my camera, so i took one with my computer.  you'll have to excuse me looking ridiculous in the background...

and here are the urban rustic gloves i think i mentioned a million years ago

i have a new pair of socks almost done, and i'm in the middle of a mystery KAL for a pair of beaded lace socks...VERY exciting!