chrysanthemum

For me, after all

I really was thinking that these would make a great gift, but I've decided that they have to be mine. For purely practical reasons, you understand. For one thing, I don't have any other blue socks, unless you count a pair of rather ill-fitting Jaywalkers in a sort of scratchy yarn. And I don't. But the bigger issue is fit--I couldn't get the pattern, as written, to fit me, so I didn't feel comfortable knitting it for someone else. What if it didn't fit them either? Could there be a more disappointing gift than a pair of handknit socks you can't wear? That's like a negative gift. I don't want that on my conscience.

The pattern is written from the toe up, and the toe and instep require a smallish number of stitches. That seemed to be working fine, since the top of my foot is fairly uniform. But then you have to make some stitches at the sides in order to accommodate the arch of the foot before you work the heel. I followed the instructions, but it just wasn't going to be enough to comfortably cover my (possibly over-lumpen) foot. I could have ripped back a ways and worked a longer gusset, but that seemed kind of dire, so I scrapped my short-row heel (and just when I'd finally figured out how to keep it from being hole-y) and tried a Widdershins-style toe-up-heel-flap heel. This is kind of a genius bit of engineering. Alas, it wasn't doing the trick for my (almost certainly over-lumpen) foot. I really did not like the idea of trying yet another heel variation (nevermind that I couldn't even think of one) that might not work, so I ripped the whole sock (technically it wasn't even half a sock at that point). I started over and knit it from the top down. I know there are lots of good reasons to knit from the toe up, one of them being that the magic cast-on is just so damn good, but I am rarely worried about running out of yarn, and I'm truly not crazy about short-row heels, plus I hate the sewn bind-off around the leg, so I guess I'm just going to keep knitting my socks mostly from the top down.

There's really nothing to modifying this pattern, of course. It looks exactly the same knit in either direction. I cast on 72, did some single ribbing, and started in on the stitch pattern. Eleven repeats, then a standard slip-stitch heel flap. I toyed with the idea of an eye-of-partridge heel--it seemed like it would be pretty in combination with the lattice pattern--but decided that I wanted the drawn-in slip-stitch ribbing since I was working the heel over a whopping 36 stitches. I worked a square heel, instead of a round one, for the same reason: to narrow the fit. Then I worked the gusset until I had 66 stitches total (37 on top and 29 on the bottom), because that seemed reasonably snug and comfortable.

Then when I got to toe and was all ready to kitchener, I did a quick internet scrounge to see if there were any good tips for eliminating the little corners I always get up there. Um, yeah, why have I never looked for this before? The first tip there under Kitchener Points--that works. Look how pretty that toe is!

Let us know pause for a reflective interlude:

I was working on the toe this morning in a random moment of free time before I took the kids to school, and Lyra was playing with the little ball of yarn that was left, quizzing me about whether I was really going to keep this sock or if I was going to give it away. Then she looked up at me quizzically and asked if I was going to knit another sock. I said yes, and she showed me the ball and said, "I don't know if you're going to have enough yarn for another sock." I told her I had another ball in my basket, and she said "Is it the same color?" It's good to know she's looking out for me. Also, it's very exciting, I think, that A.) she thinks I need more yarn, and B.) she recognizes the importance of matching your dye lots. She's got the soul of a knitter, yes? How long before I can actually teach her to knit, do you think?

So, OK, I've got another sock to knit, but I also got something good in the mail yesterday, and I think I just might be able to handle having two projects going at once. Stay tuned.

Oh. My. Goodness.

What we have here is 1000 yards of laceweight silk from Sundara Yarn. This is Basil over Buttercup. I am in love. I've been wanting to try out some of Sundara's yarn for ages now, but really, the stuff can be quite difficult to get. And even with sock yarn, I'm not much of a stasher.* I usually only buy yarn when I'm starting a new project. Case in point, this luscious skein of luminosity is for the Myrtle Leaf Shawl (Ravelry link) from Victorian Lace Today. It's a gift for my sister Meagan who's getting married this fall. We did some shawl research together last Thanksgiving and decided on this pattern. We looked at yarns when she was here for a visit last month, but I wasn't totally wowed by anything we saw. But then I got the list of newly available yarns from Sundara. I love email notifications lists. Get on this one. Really.

*Which is not to say, quite, that I don't have a stash, just that it is not the sort of fantasy stash that many other knitters seem to have, with a dozen skeins of sock yarn, a selection of lovely laceweights, and possibly a potential sweater or six right there waiting in their very own house for the mood to strike. My stash is less like a yarn store and more like a remnant bin. Or the refrigerator on the day when you finally decide to reclaim all the plastic containers housing long-past-edible leftovers. It's not that you absolutely couldn't scrape together an omelet that wouldn't poison you, but a gourmet meal?

Heart of fluff

My sweet friend, h., whose bloggy birthday is today (Happy Blogday!), sent me marshmallows. Again. These, she said, were rolled in superfine granulated sugar and were meant to be homemade Peeps. The Peeps people need to contact h. immediately, because nothing as garish as this should ever be compared to these luscious pink hearts. So smooth and soft and dreamy. I ate them all myself. (Not all in one sitting. I swear.) My children, much as I love them, do not deserve marshmallows of this caliber. They're perfectly happy with the Jet-Puffed ones from the store, and frankly, are better off not knowing about the extreme deliciousness of homemade marshmallows.

Thank you, h. I promise to get your surprise mailed off tomorrow.

New sock on the needles

It's a Leyburn sock in a pretty Shibui Sock color--Breeze, I think. This pattern has been on my to-knit list for a long time, but sort of languishing on the list. The pattern photos are kind of small and the socks are solid dark blue--the detail is really hard to see. Then I saw this pair, and they shot straight to the top of the list.

I'm really happy with this yarn: it's ultrasoft and squishy, the colors are so creamy, and it's not pooling! So, to sum up: cool pattern, great yarns, socks to love. Alas, you know I'm going to give them away..

Stayin'-home day

My wee girl asks me every morning, either after she climbs in bed next to me for a snuggle, or while she stands in the doorway of the kitchen, squinting into the light, "Is it a school day or a stayin'-home day?" Five times of out of seven, no surprise, it's a school day. I could work myself up into a righteous, guilty rage about it, but the fact is, ours is a two-income family, and we're going to stay that way for the foreseeable future. Sometimes a little vacation day is in order, though. Lyra and I had one today, with donuts and dandelions. I wish tomorrow was going to be another stayin'-home day.

More like it

It's not that I don't like rainbow dots

or playful details,

it's just that I wanted something to tote back and forth to the coffee shop and the cafeteria at the office. Something that wouldn't call attention to itself, but would still be worth looking at.

I'm quite happy with this version. It holds all the things I need (Did you know I have four yarn punch-cards for the various yarn shops around town? Also a Subway card that I used while I was pregnant with Lyra. It might be worth a 6" sub, but it might not, and I don't really crave those tuna sandwiches anymore), plus my cell phone, which I not-so-secretly would love to throw away. And, dude, I measured successfully!  I planned how to put those four card pockets on there just so. Usually I just kind of crab a thing together and hope for the best. This time I did a trial run for the pockets, and took notes on my numbers. I may have to do that again, because it actually worked. Imagine that.

I made this

But I have no idea why.

Actually I do. I had made that little button flower as my trial run for button-flower manufacturing, and I quite like it. And then I had that polka-dot fat quarter sitting out in my little studio with a bunch of other fat quarters that I would make into napkins if I could just get in the mood to do a whole bunch of tiny hems. They looked pretty cute together, and there just happened to be a short red zipper in the drawer and a bit of brown linen hanging around, and I figured a little sewing project would be a good way to spend an evening. And it was. But what they heck am I going to do with this? It's so not me. And I don't really think it's any of my usual gift victims either. Multicolored polka dots, I strongly believe, would make a very cheerful napkin or a darling children's anything, but hmm, not so much for the grownup wristlet. If I didn't like the button flower so much, I'd give it to Lyra--because you know how much I'd love the opportunity to pick it up off the floor and put it away six times a week for the rest of my entire life. Perhaps I should remove the flower and then give the bag to Lyra. Perhaps a plain linen wristlet would be more my style. Hmm, I believe I have a short yellow zipper in the notions drawer... Oh my god, I feel better already--thanks for listening!   

Seven Wonders of my Son

His birthday was nearly a week ago now, but why stop celebrating?

1. His handsome face: warm brown eyes, perpetually pink cheeks and ready smile.

2. The way he occasionally collapses with laughter--seriously, if something's really funny, his legs crumple and he falls on the floor in fits of laughter.

3. He burps the loudest, grossest burps I have ever heard. And he believes they are audible in outer space.

4. He still lets me kiss him goodbye each morning at school. Just a quick peck on the top of his head, but I can tell it makes him happy too.

5. His sister drives him nuts, but he's still willing to play with her, read to her, hold her hand, and teach her valuable lessons--mostly about vile bodily functions.

6. He's big enough to spend an hour now reading quietly in his room. Alone. Captain Underpants is my friend.

7. He's mine, mine, mine. I've been wild about him ever since he got here, of course, but really, as much as I loved him seven years ago, I could never have imagined how much I love him today.

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That's pretty much exactly the same cake I made for Lyra, Ben just wanted blue frosting instead of pink, and he requested a fish on top. He considered this very professional (his word choice). What a good boy.

There's an old saying in Seattle

When it's 70 degrees outside, knit wool slippers.

The forecast for the next ten days includes four days of "high" temperatures in the low 40s and excellent chances for rain-and-snow showers. Maybe it will warm up in May?

These are the felted House Slippers from Knit 2 Together, made with leftover Cascade Pastaza (the orange) and pink and white Lamb's Pride Bulky from last year's slippers. In Knit 2 Together they embellish the slippers with felted bows and flowers or embroidery, but I didn't feel like doing any of that. I've really been liking Beki's button flowers, though, and I thought they'd be a fun touch. I sifted through my button stash, which is not so big, but harbors a few nice sets, and set about making these.

I'm calling them charmingly mismatched. And I'm hoping the glue holds for at least as long as it takes me to work my feet through the bottoms of these babies. 

A little birdie told me

that this shouldn't be an all-baking all-the-time blog,

but my pie turned out pretty cute. We're taking it to some friends this afternoon. Michael specifically asked me to bake an apple pie, and he doesn't really even like sweets that much. I decided not to question him too closely, but then after the pie was in the oven, and I was rolling out the scraps of dough, I figured out why he wanted pie:

Pie crust cookies. Duh.

And to counter all the sugar I've been posting lately, how about some yarn?

These are going to be my new slippers. I've been putting off knitting them because I'm still working on those darn kilt socks, and it turns out, I'm kind of a monogamous knitter, but since it's supposed to be 70 degrees today, what better time to make woolly slippers? And I was shocked that they both knit up in one evening. It's going to take longer than that for them to dry...