finish more knitting projects

Maybe I’ll get better at them someday, but for now I hate making socks. Knit, knit, frog, curse, knit, curse, frog, knit, knit. By the time I get one sock done I’m so exhausted and frustrated that I don’t pick up the needles again for a month. Oh well, this pair will get done eventually.

I’ve been doing a fair amount of knitting since my last post, but this is the first really new thing. I’m working on a pair of socks with heels. First sock is done. It’s not the most gorgeous thing in the world and the yarn is a bit thick, but it is a sock with a heel. I finished the first one last night, and started the second one this morning. It’ll probably take me a while, since most of my knitting is on the bus.

And now I need to figure out where the heck I put the cord to connect the camera to the computer. Seriously, I’d lose my head if it wasn’t for the magic of duct tape.

It’s been too hot to seriously knit, but I’ve been trying just the same. So what if it takes me a week to get my gauge swatch done, I’m going to spend some time knitting something!

Well, like I said, the scarf is done. Now it’s back to the sock sweatmine. It took me a couple of tries to assemble the right combination of needles and yarn. That may be part of why it took over a week to get a final gauge swatch. I’m trying the “Simple Sock” from the “Knitting Experience: Purl Stitch” book because I must learn not to fear the heel.

Hopefully it stays a little cooler for a while. You people in the warmer climates can say what you like, but 90 degrees is entirely too warm for Seattle – especially since air conditioning is still a new technology in these parts.

I just haven’t taken any pictures of the last project. I finished some striped tube socks for Brooke a couple of weeks ago, and she really loves them. Wouldn’t stop wearing them until they started trying to walk around on their own. She especially likes the fact that she can wear them with shoes, since I used a thinner yarn (sport weight) than last time (worsted weight).

Now I’m working on the Shape It scarf from The Knit Stitch (The Knitting Experience, Book 1). It’s a break from double pointed needles and ribbing and such things, and still has a little bit of new stuff: where you turn the needle and cast on a few new stitches at the end of the row. Since I’m still in the early stages of learning, I pick my patterns for what I will learn when I’m done.

Except the striped socks. That was a special request.

I finished my first pair of tube socks today. First sock took me about a month, but the second sock only took about a week! Next project is another pair of socks using the same pattern but with some self-striping yarn purchased from the friendly LYS.

The picture’s a little odd because I had to do a little Photoshopping to make the socks visible at all. Oh, and yes those are Brooke’s feet. She actually modelled for me this time! :)

Okay, so it’s not all that impressive. I just wanted folks to know that I’m still getting some knitting time in every once in a while. Next up is a simple pair of socks.

I made that sound a little nastier than I needed to. I’m just saying I got bored and did a little knitting while I waited for software to install at work today. That’s all.

Perverts.

One of my rare contributions on Fark. In this thread, which discussed this article about a men’s knitting group in New York City. The subject of “does knitting make you teh gay?” came up. This is fark, though. “Does doing thing X mean you’re gay/ugly/terrorist/republican?” comes up pretty frequently. So here was my own little posting. I’m not completely proud of myself¹ but I thought I’d share just the same. Give you

2006-01-19 02:12:51 AM webfiend

I knit. I crochet. I Tivo “Knitty Gritty” all week so I can sit around on Saturday knitting and trying to look down Vickie Howell’s sweater whenever I think my girlfriend’s not looking. I do not, however, wish to spend any of my knitting time being presented with avocado face creams while I try to get something done. I just want to knit, thank you very much.

The good thing about knowing such crafts is that whenever I get caught staring at some attractive girl’s cleavage I can just say I was trying to figure out if I could make the sweater/shawl/shrug/thong panties she was wearing.

The bad thing is that it’s usually true. “Hey, she’s hot! Great ass, incredible legs, and … good lord, look at the cabling on that shrug! And the texture … is that merino? Rowr!”

It’s not gay, but it’s not exactly manly, either.

¹ I seem to be a bit obsessed with sex and knitting. Past a healthy point, I’d say.

All I managed is a little practice swatch, but it’s still a fun feeling. A whole new range of way-too-complex projects is opening up in my mind’s eye now :)

Got bored poking around on Frappr while sitting here waiting for the coffee to kick in, and decided to make a team map. Go ahead and stick your virtual pin on the map if you feel like it. Looks like it even comes with a group forum, so we can be more chatty – again, if you feel like it.

Maybe when the coffee kicks in I can be a little more forceful. If I feel like it.

Edit: Link fixed