Monthly Archives for August 2008

WIP Wednesday #2

Two weeks in a row – amazing, huh?

No progress made:

  • Multi-colored fractal
  • Blue and green fractal
  • Tree skirt for Matt
  • February Lady Sweater
  • Blue Waves Clapotis
  • Bright, Bright Baby Blanket
  • Puzzle Scarf

Neverending Sock Yarn Blanket

Last week I forgot to mention the Neverending Blanket. Anastasia (now a Mrs. – go and wish her congrats) pointed this out, which I thank her greatly for. I started this a few months back and have been slowly adding to it. I started with sock yarn I was never going to use. Soon I got some sock yarn scraps via a Ravelry swap. Then I finally had some of my own sock yarn scraps to add. I’m now up to an entire gallon Ziplock full of scraps but the needle I was using to make the blanket is being used for something else. No problem, the blanket is sort of always on hold anyway. I don’t have a super recent photo but here’s an old one.

sock-blanket-progress

Anastasia Socks

These are just about done. I still need to weave in the ends but that should take, oh, ten minutes. The recipient, Ivy, is coming with us this weekend to Yosemite so I’ll give her the socks then. I am really terrified that she’s not going to like them at all. Yes, a FO post will come early next week.

079/365 Almost Done

Sidewinder Socks

In a streak of selfishness (and not wanting to work on any WIPs), I cast on for a pair of Sidewinders in Aussi Sock Friday (?) night. Loving the patter so far, despite several mistakes. I’m embracing them. Sort of. These are a work at home only item as the rows are wayyyy too long to do on the train to/from work and I doubt I’ll have the concentration necessary when back at school. Although I keep thinking these are for me, they may become another Free Socks for Whoever item. We’ll see.

078/365 Directions, Again

Amaterasu Socks

I’m not quite sure why I bought the Trekking XXL I’m using to make these other than the fact I’ve always wanted to try it. Totally not my colors, self-striping (I now realize) drives me batty, and it was a bit on the expensive side. But, Dao from my knitting group is helping to solve my problems. She has graciously accepted my offer of hand-made socks. Hope she doesn’t intend to get them before, oh, Halloween (or, maybe, Thanksgiving). Only photo so far is blurry and just shows the toe on the first sock.

FO: Headband in Alaska

This project was made to use up the leftover yarn from Eileen’s scarf. It’s from a company called Drops that has tons and tons of free patterns. I’ll be making another for myself in a solid color. This one will be sent off to someone who lives somewhere cold.
Pattern: Headband in Alaska
Designer: None Given
Source: Drops Website (link)
Alterations: None
Recipient: Eventually gifted to Anastasia
Yarn: Trendsetter Tonalita
Colorway: 2345
Amount Used: Approx 75 yards
Needles: Size 7, 24″
Started/Finished: March 6/8, 2008

Photos of this will come later, when I can have someone take a photo of me modeling it (looks like crap just sitting on a table).

WIP Wednesday #1

This is going to be painful as I’m going to commit to being honest about just how many WIPs I’ve got going right now. Not going to conveniently forget about the WIPs hanging out in the trunk with the stash. We’ll start with the oldest and, therefore, most embarrassing. There are other projects I’m swatching for but so far nothing’s working out quite right. Until I’m happy with the swatches and/or beginning of the project, they won’t be on the WIP list. Oh, next time I’ll be better about pattern names, yarn types, etc.

1. Multi-colored fractal (80%): I started this cross stitch in March, 2006 and haven’t touched it in six months. Little chance of ever getting finished, to be honest.

fractal 090106

2. Blue and green fractal (20%): Another cross stitch. May get finished someday but only if someone tells me they want it. Gifts motivate me.

blue and green fractal - as of 092107

3. Tree skirt for Matt (1%): Got this on our 2nd ever trip to Solvang (last June?). Not much progress on it at all. The kit was super expensive so I feel horrible that I’ve totally pushed it aside. Need to get back to working on it ASAP. Would love to finish by Christmas but, really, that isn’t going to happen. Maybe next Christmas…

4. February Lady Sweater (30%): Started in early June before the weather got too hot then put aside in favor of lighter projects. Will pick up again when it gets cooler. I really love the pattern and am excited to finish it, but all that yarn on my lap – ugh! (Yes, that’s it on my head – best progress shot I have right now.)

024/365 Not-a-Hat

5. Blue Waves Clapotis (15%): Started when I wanted a lighter project and needed a break from socks. I got a ton done on it in a very short period of time then suddenly stopped. It’s a great blue color and while I’d love to say I’d wear it all the time, I know it’ll end up as a gift. Maybe for Maeghan?

6. Bright Baby Blanket (5%): Not sure exactly when this got started but it was sometime in the not-so-distant past. This will be given to Isabella (Izabella?), the newest baby in our extended family. Yes, the mom is fine with a super bright blanket. She’s not what I’d call a lover of pastels.

babyblanket

7. Anastasia Socks (60%): Approaching the heel turn on the 2nd sock but have yet to take any photos. Will have to remedy that soon. These are for Ivy, a member of Matt’s extended family who loves “totally crazy” socks. Hoping to finish by the time we see her in late August (Yosemite camping trip!!).

8. Puzzle Scarf (5%): Funky scarf for Matt made out of acrylic I got super cheap when we were in France. The yarn has resisted being turned into at least five different patterns but finally allowed this one. It goes pretty quickly though, being a scarf, I know I’ll have to put it aside often due to boredom.

puzzleprogress

Question – Use of Online Nicknames

It always amuses me when I read about someone’s “DH” or “DD” or “DS.” First of all, I hate the word Dear. It implies that the person is not just valued by you but that they are your lfie. Sure, Matt is really important to me but calling him my Dear Husband makes me feel as if I’m a second class citizen. I bow down before my Dear Husband. Same goes for DS and DD. Forgot my distaste for the names for a moment and think about this: why do people use them?

Maybe out of laziness. Few of us have an important family member with a name of two characters or less (in the US, at least). Maybe it’s that we’re afraid. If some stranger finds out my child’s name she’ll get kidnapped and I’ll never see her again. Maybe we want to seem like we’re in the know. Everyone online refers to their husband as DH so I should, too.

But there’s another alias system the Web 2.0 types use: making up nicknames for everyone in their lives. I’ve seen HusBoy, First Son, Pretty Girl. Do these nicknames get used for the same reason as the DH/DD/DSs do?

Do you use a nickname or D-something abbreviation? Why? I could never keep straight who is who if I used nicknames the the D part drives me batty. I don’t want to insult anyone, really, I’m’ just curious.

FO: Springy Teal Socks

One night at SnB, Rachael stopped by the coffee shop where we were meeting. She saw the socks I was making (the Koigu ones for myself) and joked that I should make her a pair. I promised her I would, in green, her favorite color. I picked up the yarn at a tiny yarn shop in Solvang, California and was happy to find out the particular teal shade I chose is her favorite green. She chose the pattern from several I thought she may enjoy and sent me her foot measurement. Sadly she moved to Portland a week before I even started the socks so they’ll have to get mailed to her.

This pattern is very easy to memorize, even for someone like me who can’t memorize patterns at all. Just two pattern rows and the rest are stockinette. Used my now-standard figure 8 cast on from the toe up to a short row heel and cuff. I lost my notes on the first sock when I left my copy of the pattern on an airplane but, luckily, I was able to remember without them.

Sock at Lake Erie

Pattern: Spring Forward
Designer: Lind Welch
Alterations: None
Recipient: Rachael of The Ruckus podcast/Sparkledarkko on Etsy
Yarn: Araucania Ranco Solid
Colorway: 108 (Wish it had an actual name!)
Amount Used: Approx 300 yards
Needles: Size 1
Started: July 3, 2008
Finished: July 20, 2008