Just do it

I've been meaning to do the post for, oh, more than a week now. Sometimes you just have to do it. I'm a terrible procrastinator you see.

I watched a lot of Olympics, I know, I know, everybody does. I just love it, I laugh, I cry, I yell at the TV. I remember the two Olympics that I had tiny new babies and it gave me something to watch on TV at 3am when I was up with them (one of those tiny babies will be 8 on Saturday). I decided that my Olympics project would be my Gumdrop socks from the July RSC package. So I started with this.



Wound it up, and had it ready and waiting. I cast-on while watching the opening ceremonies and it was the only thing I knit for 10 whole days (well technically there was something else but we'll get to that later). Before too long I had this



At this point, I was very worried about running out of yarn even though my scale said I would be fine. I'm normally worried about running out of yarn, but I was REALLY worried this time. You see, I added length to the leg AND I did a flap heel instead of the short row garter heel. Short row heels just don't fit me right, as much as I would like it if they would.



And because I didn't do the garter heel, I didn't do the garter toe either. Not that that had anything to do with my yarn shortage paranoia. So I dove into sock 2 with what seemed like a too small ball of yarn (pretty yarn too), and you know what? The scale was right and I had plenty. I knit the small size and it fits fine, I might like a few more stitches on the foot to lessen the negative ease a little but they are by no means to tight.

Lessons learned?
1. Trust the scale
2. When you are only knitting one project at time, you can finish it pretty quickly
3. I have no discipline when it comes to Olympic watching and my bedtime.




Pattern: Gumdrops by JC Briar for Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Yarn: Socks that Rock Lightweight, Goody Goody, the July 2008 Club colourway
Needles: 2.25mm knitpicks circluar, magic loop
Based on the colour, I like these socks a whole lot more than I though I would. The pattern was great but even though I said I would knit all the club socks as written, I just couldn't do it this time.


Oh, and that other project, ballband dishcloths while I watch kids swim in the pool.

Two posts in one day!

That's just crazy.

I started another ballband dishcloth today. It's half done and it's wrong because I was sure I knew what I was doing. Apparently not. I'm not ripping it out, I'm just going to do the next half right. It's only a dishcloth after all.

Purple and green

First we will revisit my last completed knit, the Hedgerow Sock. I finally took some pictures of the sock on my foot. It's showing up a little more yellow than it should be I think, I love the colour of this yarn.





Pattern: Hedgerow Socks by Jane Cochran
Yarn: Sundara Sock, Mossy from the Seasons club 2007, Autumn
Needles: 2.25mm Knit DPNs

Then, while we were away I finished the May RSC socks. They are FANTASTIC, a little tight through the gusset getting them on, but just a little. They were really fun to knit and my first toe up socks so they were a great learning experience. Which was just what I was hoping for from this club and the last two socks have lived up to it.



I love the look of the gusset, but if I were to do these socks again I think I would leave out the side ladders that travel up the sides of the foot and around the edge of the gusset. I can see myself doing another one of Yarnissima's patterns Firestarter perhaps?) as I really enjoyed this knit.



The socks are fraternal for more than one reason (heehee). First, I just kept knitting on the leg of the second sock without looking at the instruction and negelected to start the transition to the 1x1 rib in the last diamond on the back. Also, I cast off purlwise on the first sock and although it's not too tight (I worked really hard to make sure it wasn't) it's not all that stretchy so I did a sewn cast off on the second sock and I like how it looks. This is the sock with the rib where it's supposed to start.



Pattern: Cleopatra's Stockings by Yarnissima
Yarn: Socks that Rock lighweight, The Incredible Shrinking Violet. The May RSC shipment
Needles: 2.5mm Knit Picks 32in circular, magic loop
Mods: I'm not normally one to modify a pattern much, but I didn't do the twisted rib on this sock. It drives be batty to knit it and I don't much like the look of it either. But I'm VERY happy with these socks!

Like I said, I finished these while we were away. And what was waiting for me when we got home? The new package, complete with two patterns, I do beleive that Gumdrops will be my Olympics project.