More Socks

Ellen, which I read your title, I read Sock Convent instead of sock convert. Whew, was worried there for a minute.
Here you see my Socks that Rock "Rock Star" colorway socks. They look more subdued in this picture than they actually are. I do believe they would glow under a black light. They do make a statement when worn.

Today, Mom and I made a trip to Tallahassee for a dentist visit, but we did not waste a perfectly good day - we sought out the new yarn store - which was closed, but the people were there and my goodness, they were so nice and let us come in and see there "new" little place. Naomi, you will love the place - it has got a personality all its own and the people were just as nice as they good be. They did have Trekking XXL yarn and I got a variegated blue from them.
Sock yarn varies from fingering weight to sport weight to worsted. The beauty of socks is their portability and the satisfaction of completing something so wonderfully functional and yet so beautiful.
I share with you this beautiful sock that Katie knitted on her blog. I love the heel and the toe. I will have to give both a try as I am ready to venture out to try some different things on socks. However, I must finish my projects on the needles I have now:

• socks
• Elliott's blanket
• Abigail's blanket
• socks

I do have other projects on needles, but they don't really count at this time as they are on back back burners.
Ellen, you are dealing with Legislative stuff - I am dealing with end of school year stuff, namely IEP time, which will put one over the edge. One must balance work with knitting the rest of one's life. A week at the beach sounds good to me and off I go on Saturday!

Cathy

Sock Convert

Dear Naomi et al,

I am excited about your sock plans. Socks provide quick (if not instant) gratification. About the yarn: I strongly recommend Trekking XXL or Socka by On Line. They are superwash wools (75% wool, 25% nylon, I think) and come in big skeins that will make two generous socks. They are softer than some superwash wools that I have used and knit up very even. They are not the cheapest sock yarn (about $14 a big skein) but nobody knits socks to save money. It is all about process, and I think the Harlot is right. You should think about the price of wool in dollars per hour of knitting time! I don't know if the T-ville LYS carries either of these yarns but I'm sure they are available online.

I am almost done with the black hole baby blanket. Just a few more rows of garter stitch border and a cast off will finish the knitting, and then a wash to get out the wine spots! I will take a picture before I give it away. I have also turned the heal on my first short-row heel sock. It was pretty easy the second time I tried it; carefully reading the instructions was a big help!

Gotta get back to work. The Florida Legislature is half-way through week 4 of our nine-week session!

Ellen

Socks are Easy to Knit

I keep hearing how easy socks are to knit from Cathy, Martha and the Yarn Harlot. Ellen has shown pictures of all the pretty socks she has knitted and Cathy and Martha have shown us theirs. Dare I try? Kntting has been on the back burner at my house for a while but I have decided maybe now is the time to try socks. I do need socks and with my big feet it takes effort to find good ones. All I need are 2 tiny circular needles, some wool and a pattern that says easy. I found some really pretty yarn on the internet for $19.00 a skein but think I will try to find something less expensive for my maiden voyage. A catalog has some 80% wool 20% something else for $8.00 but shipping would be $8.00. Maybe it is time for me to locate the yarn shop in Thomasville. That would be a good field trip for Joe Ann and I-a visit to the yarn shop and lunch at one of the restaurants there. Next week is my vacation from therapy so that would be a good time to make the trip.
Cheers all. Naomi

Baby Blanket Blues

Dear Pointy Sisters - Just a quick note to show the black hole baby blanket. It is more than half complete, but I feel like there is never any sign of progress. The center is a double layer of stockinette with a yellow and cream stripe, and it is much slower going than I anticipated. But as Cathy knows, I am the slave of duty and will finish by April 21.
The trip to Miami was great. I'll post pictures of the Fairchild Tropical Gardens soon, but right now the FL Senate is saying that attention must be paid!

Ellen

We have an Olympic Gold Winner for the Knitting Olympics

Yes, Ellen is our Olympic Knitting Champion. IN a closer look to this athlete in the medal, who appears to be male with a ball of yarn in his right hand and the javelin needle in his left, he would certainly be in the minority. But I digress in the finer details of the medal and let's focus on the fact that Ellen accomplished her goal and to top it off, I can see her now dancing in a Gilbert and Sullivan operetta with her cross and skullbones cap. YARRRRRRRH!

Thank you for the words of encouragement on the walking - Yesterday I put in a little over a mile - maybe those "a little over a mile" amounts can add up on a day that I can't seem to fit in that little bit of walking - anyway, we started a temporary blog for those interested in joining our 40 day 40 mile walk.
Those pointy things are getting a work out - I had to borrow some addi - turbos size 7s from a friend to quit fighting with some bamboo circulars on the baby blanket - the changes I have made are productive and it will be a much better blanket in the end. I would guess I am 1/3 - 1/2 through and the Addis make it clip right along at a nice fast pace.

Congratulations Ellen on your gold medal.
Naomi had a great grandson named Elliott who is precious and who she is going to see today!
Sharon has a new job which keeps her out in the public eye - and I love it! However, she is having computer trouble at home so not sure when she can post.
To all a good day. See Ellen at rehearsal tonight!
Cathy

Ah, better far to live and die under the brave black flag I fly than play the santimonious part with a pirate's head and a pirate's heart!
Away to the cheating world go you, where pirate's all are well-to-do,
But I'll be true to the song I sing and live and die a pirate king!
(Pirates of Penzance, act 1.)

The Olympics are over and I feel like I won a bronze medal. I completed my project on time and with good results, but it did not have a high degree of difficulty! There was no drama at the end about whether I would actually finish, since the knitting was complete on Friday night and the hat was blocked on a mixing bowl all day Saturday. The picture shows the blue microfiber liner band (to keep the itchy stuff away from my face and ears) and the stranding detail. The pillow on which it is sitting is also Norwegian, made from a kit I bought the last time we were in Bergen. The pillow colors are traditional Norwegian house colors, and it does remind me of Norway every time I look at it.

The Valentine socks are done, and I have started a pair of toe-up socks, using some self-striping yarn that was a present from Cathy last fall. I am making an effort to knit tighter so that the socks have a bit firmer shape, but it's hard to overcome well-developed habits. The baby blanket is also back in the active knitting rotation.

Cathy, I love your 40 miles in 40 days idea and wish you good luck with it. I haven't really observed Lent in a long time, but you have made me think about doing something worthy from now until Easter.

My tomato seedlings are coming along, and I just started some peat pots of nasturtiums this morning. They are the tall, vining variety that I will plant under a trellis on which I've had no luck growing anything. Nasturtiums are supposed to thrive in poor soil, and this spot should comply. If it works I'll post pictures!

Ellen