Friday, May 1, 2015

Friday Mishmash

Jeff was Mr. Popular with the cats the other evening:
Kip loves him the most, and was so happy to sleep on Jeff.  But Henry likes Jeff, too...however, he and Kip don't get along (don't ask me why), so this was as close as he could get to Jeff without having to SEE Kip.  Cats are strange creatures.

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Our weather this spring has been ridiculous - we've had storm after storm, and then on Monday, this picture was posted on Facebook:
Spotted near the airport, which is a few miles from my house.  It never touched down, but eek!!!  Do not like seeing a funnel cloud!

Of course, all the rain has made our plants look amazing:
Paco says "it's blooming incredible!"

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Did you happen to hear shouting from the rooftops on Wednesday afternoon?  No??  Well, maybe it was just in my head, but I was so excited...you see, I finished knitting my very first SOCK!!!  I really couldn't believe I did this - socks are a challenge, and the little attempt I made at a bedsock, over two years ago, had put me off socks for what I thought was forever.  But I had this yarn - I'd gotten it in a subscription, and I wasn't super crazy about the colors.  However, it was nice and soft and it was supposed to self-stripe, so I started thinking about using it for a pair of socks.  It's a heavier weight than traditional sock yarn, so I wouldn't have to cast on as many stitches, which was appealing to me.  The other thing that I wasn't thrilled about, in thinking about knitting a sock, was going round and round and round on double pointed needles.  So, I decided to try it using a 9-inch circular needle.  Why not??  Well, guess what?  It worked!  I got the leg of the sock knitted so fast, and then I had to make the heel flap, which meant switching to DPNs, but that was OK.  After I made the heel turn and gusset, I switched back to the circulars until it was time to decrease for the toe.  I closed it up with the Kitchner stitch, and what do you know...I made myself a sock:
Stages of creating a sock.  Yarn is Twisted Fiber Art Yummy Striping, in Cabana colorway.  Sock pattern was a mishmash of Susan B. Anderson's How I Make My Socks, plus Stephanie Pearl-McPhee's Good Plain Sock Recipe from her book, Knitting Rules! 

I tried to not stress over the pattern.  Like I said, I was using a heavier yarn, so the instructions for that were pretty much "cast on fewer stitches and do the math for the heel" which caused me some consternation, as you might imagine.  But I managed to muddle my way through it, and I remembered to take detailed notes along the way so I could replicate the sock for the match.  I'm pretty shocked that this turned out and fits me - as you can see from the pictures, I tried it on along the way, but I still had my doubts.  And I even want to make the second sock, which can be an issue with knitters (it's called "second sock syndrome" and it's real).  Who knows - maybe next week I can show you a picture of me wearing a pair of handknitted socks?!

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Tonight we are going to the local Relay For Life - we're part of a team with (who else) some of our runner friends.  I'm not sure how long we'll last (it goes from 7:00 pm to 7:00 am), but there is an Amazing Race-type challenge at 2:00 am, which sounds like fun, so hopefully we'll be awake to do that.

Have a great weekend!

23 comments:

  1. Wow what a color way for a sock! What subscription knit service do you get? I've seen two of them mentioned on Facebook. I haven't tried knitting socks yet who knows maybe this will inspire me to try. Right now I am knitting my husband a sweater for this coming fall. I'm thinking of making some kind of knitted mish mash of color squares for a quilt for my king size bed that will be a big project for sure.
    Can't wait to read all about your "Amazing Race " adventure. Have a great weekend.

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    1. This yarn was from the Twisted Fiber Art club. They did three shipments last fall. Not sure I'd do another club - I think I prefer to choose the colors myself.

      A sweater is a big project in my eyes...a king-sized quilt?? Now that's a PROJECT!

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  2. Yes, you must totally make your second sock...lol. have fun this weekend at Relay!

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  3. Love your sock. I use dons for the whole sock.

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  4. Socks are indeed not that easy to knit but you did great!

    The relay sounds like a lot of fun. Enjoy it.

    How is Paco doing? Is the new medication working?

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    1. Paco is doing better. Jeff bought a flea collar at Petco that doesn't contain the same ingredients as the topical/oral medicine, and it's helped, thankfully. Plus I'm spraying my house with Ortho Home Defense, and we did the nightlight/bowl of water trick for a few days. It's a true war on fleas over here, LOL!!

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    2. That's great to hear, happy for Paco and for you because we don't want an unhappy dog and Mom.

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  5. Great job with the sock!! YAY for Relay! Hope all goes well! Ours is next weekend! :)

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  6. Fun sock!

    I love the kitties, too. They always made snuggling look like the best thing in the world.

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  7. Love the colorway of your sock! Congrats on conquering knitting your first sock! Now get to work on the matching one...LOL!
    Cats are so weird. I'm next to you but my back is turned so I'm not? LOL
    Have fun at the Relay!!

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  8. I have to admit, there are times that cats are more amusing than dogs. That picture is a classic!

    Wow, the funnel cloud picture is amazing. But yeah, I wouldn't have liked it being so close. Did you have sirens going off?

    The sock!!! Gorgeous how it stripes, even the heel flap, and it fits so perfect.

    And I can't believe your (are those day lilies?) blooming already! They are so beautiful.

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    1. We don't have tornado sirens here in town. Lightening sirens, yes - and it's weird if I happen to be outside when I hear them going off at Scary Statue park...I usually hightail it back inside!

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  9. Ok, I enjoyed the 3 sleeping beauties pic. Especially with the explanation that goes with it. Henry's cold-sort of-shoulder.
    The weather pic is amazing.
    Paco...I think he looks more like he is not impressed. Ha. Maybe Paco is saying, "Whut da fuss? Dey just flowers. Soon as yoo turn arwnd I going to "water" dem for yoo. Yoo welcome, Mom."

    Wow, that sock, Shelley! So nicely done, I'm happy for you. I think you & I may have had a pair similar to these in what, 8th grade? Doesn't the color throw you back a bit? Love. I especially like the acupuncture pic of your piggies. Made me smile. Please muster the courage and gumption to make at least ONE more. :)
    Chrissy

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    1. I am constantly trying to stop Paco from "watering" the good plants when we go out to the front yard! You nailed that one, LOL!!

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  10. I love those colors and I am super impressed that you made a sock! You definitely should make the other one - that would be such a cute pair of socks. I would wear those in a heartbeat! :)

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  11. I love that pic of Jeff and his cats. Yes, I said "his!" (I think Paco is yours though.)

    Hurray for defeating the sock demon. Now, knit the mate. Think how lovely they will be to wear during one of your 3 cold days next winter ;)

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    1. The cats are definitely Jeff's. Although Henry likes to come lay by (and drool on) me if I go to bed early enough.

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  12. My friends who live in Dallas said they have been having nutso weather too. Scary! But it's rain that you need, right?

    Oh gosh! If you have taken this long to try a sock, maybe I never will! I am happy you mentioned self-striping - I bought some yarn that ended up like that, and I wasn't expecting it and wonder if it was supposed to, like yours. I like the way your sock turned out. They are a fun and crazy color! :) Second Sock Syndrome. LOL!

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  13. AWWW! The picture of Jeff and the kitties is priceless! Henry's back turned body language is hilarious! Big WOO HOO on the sock!!! Have a great weekend!

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  14. And one fine looking sock it is! Wow, that is one well-developed funnel. Eek is right. :/

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  15. Love the socks!! They are amazing!!

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  16. wow that tornado is beautifully terrifying.
    Im so sad I missed you when you ran in Austin.
    if you do again---Id love to lollop alongside (ok behind) you.

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