Saturday, April 26, 2008

Tickle Your Tofutsies



Using my #3 son as a foot model, I present to you my first Tofutsie socks. Done on US 1 needles, using the free Tidal Wave pattern from the SWTC yarn website. I did make one alteration.........Thanks to BeckyB at my LYS (and new Ravelry bud) who just mentioned in passing that it would be so cool if the second sock would spiral in the opposite direction........So I did. I cannot ignore a comment like that!

So not being able to install a chart here; offer my alteration to the pattern in words.

8 stitch repeat, 12 row pattern - all even numbered rounds are plain knit. Between * and * is one repeat of the pattern.

Row 1 - *knit 5, k2tog, yo, knit 1*
Row 3 - *knit 4, k2tog, knit 1, yo, knit one*
Row 5 - *knit 3, k2tog, knit 2, yo, knit one*
Row 7 - *knit 2, k2tog, knit 3, yo, knit one*
Row 9 - *knit 1, k2tog, knit 4, yo, knit one*
Row 11 - *k2tog, knit 5, yo, knit one*

Haven't test worn the socks, but the look is amazing. Tofutsies is my weapon of choice in Sock Wars III - so I liked the practice I got working with this yarn. I still think it would make an awesome lace shawl.

Friday, April 18, 2008

My Back



So you see my back, with my newly completed Syrian Shawl draped across it. For some reason, this shawl is disconcertingly NOT black in this photo - what do you expect when you let a 10 year-old handle the camera? There was a pic of my front taken, but my only reaction was "moo!" You would think after spending nearly $300 at Gene Juarez Salon yesterday (cut, color, eyebrow waxing, and professional make-up application) I would look better......but it's a "me thing" I know. I hate getting my picture taken. But hubby just won't model my completed shawls for me - weird, I know.....

Now I don't normally wear a cocktail dress in my front yard, but DH and I had a black-tie optional affair to go to last night. This was my shot at "glamorous."

Next on the knitting front, completing the Diamond Brocade Baby Blanket and getting back to my Diamond Fantasy shawl.

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

For Your Viewing Pleasure



Well, it is done! and a full 24 hours ahead of schedule - The Syrian Shawl, ladies and gentlemen! Really I am pretty proud of this. It is only my second triangular shawl (with knitted on border) AND my first successful foray into laceweight knitting. Tried it before - failed misrably. Which was really bad, since I had difficulty resisting not buying it. Now I can pull out all my skeins of laceweight and start making plans!



That edging used every blocking pin I had and then some to get it pinned out, but the cool thing is laceweight dries in a flash, so a couple hours on the board and it was done.

Now lets hope a new shawl makes this sow's ear look like a silk purse tomorrow night. If you're very good, I will post a pic with the shawl wearing me tomorrow night.

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

UPDATE!!

Rounded the third and final corner last night on the Syrian Shawl. I will make my deadline! Pics when I have it on the blocking board!

Saturday, April 12, 2008

Around the Corner.........



And the other corner too! Hard work on the edging of my Syrian Shawl had me rounding corner #2 early this evening - last full edge and half the top edge to go and I am DONE! Can't slack off though, I have a deadline. Thursday night is the REALTORS gala (black tie optional) and I needed a pretty to go with my LDB - new accessories can make the same dress go so far!

Gotta get back to knittin!

Wednesday, April 02, 2008

Sock Pron

After reading about the Yarn Harlot's adventures in sock photography, and knowing that I would have several opportunities over the next year or so to take pictures of my socks in progress in some interesting places, I decided to start my own "traveling sock" photo collection.



My first entry is a very special one.....a picture of my friend (and NYT bestselling author) Jodi Picoult, me (the craptastic looking one in the glasses) and my first Tofutsies sock at her reading here in Seattle. Ya know, in all the years that I have been going to Jodi's readings, this is the first picture I have ever taken of her, or her and me. Partially, because I hate getting my picture taken and partially because I just recently figured out how to use the digital camera without swearing at it in the process. Mastery of technology trumped my distaste of getting my picture taken. It likely won't happen again. BTW, thanks Eileen for taking the picture. I love Eileen. I only manage to see her once a year or so, but she always makes me smile. And she knows all sorts of great stuff about visiting authors.

I think my sock photo essay could be interesting. I have some things coming up that will be fun to take the sock to. Come to think of it, I may be a little envious of the sock - it can go to black tie affairs without having to squeeze into a pair of Spanx to do so! I wish I could say the same thing!