In Memoriam

We witness this day the passing of an old friend.....one of my first pairs of handknitted socks. Granted, it was not the first pair I knitted. Those, I hate to admit, were done in such a hideous color of self-striping yarn, that they are destined to live in my sock-drawer forever, since I so seldom can bring myself to wear them. But rather my recently departed socks were worn so often, in all but the warmest of summer weather, that they served me long and hard for three winters before finally expiring at the toe. But they lived a good and useful life, providing their final day of service in a new pair of Dansko boots.



These socks, my dear reader (yeah, I know there's only ONE of you out there), went out at the top of their game!

There are new pairs of socks on the horizon (there is
always a new pair of socks on the needles somewhere around here), and they may be fancier than my old blue, aloe-impregnated, top-down socks - I have progressed to lace and toe-up patterns - but they will always be my first. Among the first made, the first loved, and now......the first lost to old age. Rest well my old friends.

Cave In!

OK....I admit it. I caved and bought a subscription to Handknit Heroes.

I am so weak!

I've Seen Everything

It's Official.....I have NOW seen everything when it comes to knitting. Was visiting my usual rounds of my favorite blogs and found this on Mason-Dixon Knitting. A graphic novel for knitters! I am simultaneously incredulous and thrilled. I want a copy of this comic so badly.......but I don't want anyone to know I would actually buy it. Geez, talk about dirty little secrets. I have a couple of swaps to buy stuff for.....Hhhhhmmmmmm, hey swapees, how do you feel about "modern art?"

Also finished my Clever Shawl for the school auction. O.K., so the pic is a bit fuzzy. I'm still trying to learn how to control my new camera. But fuzzy is good.....the shawl is all fuzzy and soft, just like a nice bit of wool and alpaca should be.

Oh hey! one last thing.....I hurt not at all! from my first week two workout. That ROCKS! I'm actually looking forward to tomorrow's workout.

Week Two, Day One

Well, I successfully repeated week one of the Couch-to-5K program, and confidently (this time) went on to week two this morning. This week, it's six 90-second segments of running interspersed with 2 minutes of brisk walking. It went surprisingly well, considering that one of my knees was giving me fits at the end of the week, last week. I was afraid for a bit that this running thing might not be for me. But it became clear that the knee pain was more a result of too much high-heel wearing and not too much running. So less of the high-heel thing, in future.

I also finished a second Carol's Clever Shawl. This one is for the upcoming school auction, done in a lovely blue-grey wool and alpaca blend (Berroco Ultra Alpaca).

I'm starting to come up with ideas to modify this pattern with different lace edgings. A trip through Knitting On The Edge can really get the ideas flowing. I have a feeling that I will be doing several of these over the next year for the females of my family. SIL has already requested one for her birthday. Fortunately, her birthday isn't until November, so there is hope that I will be able to knit something besides shawls all year.

I'm going to try to knock out a Little Arrowhead Shawl for the auction, too. I've got a month, and it shouldn't take too long. I've got this much so far..... I'm using Jojoland Melody Superwash. I think the way it's dyed will make an interesting and versatile shawl. Not that the picture is any indication of the color....looks kind of indistinctly salmon-y to me. It WILL get better as it progresses. Until I pinned it out, I wasn't all that impressed with this pattern. Now......I LIKE it.