Resolutions ?

Time to check in with the Resolutions made 31 days ago.

First the good news, I have worn my hand knit socks every day. On the day I needed to 'dress up' it was rainy so I wore my 'dress' boots and my casual sock secret was safely hidden.

As to the exercise before knitting. Well . . . those exercise resolutions are always a challenge. I have tried to walk more, but have to admit that on the rainy days I didn't get out. (Wait, does walking in Costco count?)

So resolutions for February? I think they should be about love - since this is St. Valentine's month. Try to love walking? That's easy to fudge. Try finishing the afghan? That's do-able.
And yes, keep knitting and wearing socks. Sweet!

Sometimes you feel like a nut . . .

Those of you of a certain age may remember the advertising jiggle for Almond Joy - Mounds, sometimes you feel like a nut, sometimes you don't.

When I was knitting my first lace project I realized how nice it was to have a stockinette project. I called it my no-brainer knit. Now with lots going on at our home, I am so pleased to have a stockinette project. But now I have given it a name with a bit more respect. It's my soothing knit. Something to keep my fingers busy, but allowing me time to listen and reflect without having to count stitches or rows with YO's.

All praise to the soothing knit, you have been my mind's salvation this day.

We interrupt your regularly scheduled . . .

Yes, last blog, I was puzzling what pattern to knit for my lace. I finished sock 1 of the Monkey pair. This is a fun pattern to knit.

Enter darling-first-born-son who would like a pr of socks. Yippee! (I didn't even have to twist his arm too much.) He chose from the stash and even helped wind the ball. My attempt at sts/in and circumference yielded a sock that looked too big. Zip into car on dark and stormy night to drive to his house so he can try it on. Yep, too large. So, thinks I, a couple of decreases and we'll take it down. I knit through Masterpiece Theater and then a Sherlock Holmes with Rupert Jones. Look at the sock - terrible. See those bulges on the side under the ribbing? UGLY. ok, into the frog pond. Time to start again.

Then oppsey, phone call this morning from our adorable-second-born-son living in FL. They are moving to CA and could they stay with us until they find a new place. Gasp. The 'guest' room is filled with junk. So my knitting and blogging may be interrupted for a while. But rest assured, I will be thinking of both as often as I can. That's the thing about life - sometimes its orderly and sometimes it feels like yarn in a frog pond.

Poking here and there

This winter we have a new visitor at the feeder. A Nuttall's woodpecker pokes into the top fence brace where I've sprinkled seed. Her head pecks repeatedly to find a treasure.

That's how I feel as I try to decide on my next lace project.

The lovely blue Anne fingering wool needs just the right pattern so I repeatedly poke into one pattern after another in Ravelry. There are so many wonderful patterns, now I don't know which one to choose. Such a delightful dilemma.

Meanwhile I am enjoying the Monkey pattern for my next pair of socks.

Monkey - not on my back

Look, my baby steps are leading me to a new and enjoyable knitting experience. I'm knitting Cookie A's lace sock pattern, Monkey. How could I have been so worried about trying this. Aren't I proud to have taken another baby step up in my knitting experience. Woo hoo. I'm doin' a happy dance.

Baby Steps

Baby Steps - the profound advice in What about BoB?

Each knitting project builds confidence. Yet I am surprised that looking at a pattern I assume it will be too hard. If I can make the leap of faith to just cast on, and take one line of instructions at a time a big surprise delights me. Hey, sez she. I think I can do this!! woo hoo.

So I'm glad to report that I have decided to knit Monkey. Yes, I'm probably the only person knitting socks on Ravelry who has yet to knit this pattern. But more importantly, I found the courage to try.

Feels like a BIG STEP.

Where ya headed cowboy?

Blazing Saddles is one of my favorite silly movies. At the end, before they ride off into the sunset, Gene Wilder asks Cleavon Little, "Where ya headed cowboy?" "No where special", replies Cleavon. "I always wanted to go there." is Gene's reply. Well, that's my reply too.

Where ya goin' with that knittin, girl? No where special. You see when I ordered this brown color of Dream in Color, I thought it would be a much softer rosy color. I was dissappointed when I received my skein and the color was more brown. But I really like Dream in Color's Smooshy and my friend recommended it as the next sock yarn.

After a bit of procrastination yesterday, I decided tonight to just sit and start something and see where it headed. Working this yarn is a joy. The color changes are subtle and I'm warming to the shade. I cast on for a sock pattern and decided it was not enough stitches. But the little bit knit looked so nice I decided to keep going and knit it into a pair of pulse warmers. I love these little circles of yarn. When I use my sock yarn leftovers to knit a set, I am bringing some of the sock color up into my line of vision.

Digression on pulsewarmers: I fell in love with knit designs at the Oleana shops in Norway. While purchasing a shawl, I noticed a small basket of loops behind the counter. The shop girl searched for the English words to explain that they insulate the wrist where the blood comes to the surface. She said that wearing them is both a fashion statement and keeps the body warmer. The ones in the shop were merino patterned to match the other clothing available in the shop. And warmer? - its true.

So back to the theme of the night, I knit goin' nowhere special and came up with these! And now I'm ready to cast on my 6th pr o socks feeling much better about the yarn color.