So, well, I neglected to mention this earlier, but I’ve been sewing during June. To start with, I’ve finished a circular needle holder thingy for Ariel.

  
  Then I made a purse for one of my coworkers.
  Now I resume to my regularly scheduled knitting!

First things first: finished work.

That makes up for the socky sock pair #10 for the year. And yes, I had to make sure the stripes are matchy matchy, as usual. That’s probably why I tried to avoid using self striping yarn nowadays. It drives me nuts to match the stripes up, but if I don’t, unevenness drives me to the point of insanity. Not exactly a win-win type of situation.And as for something unusual: work in progress. I’ve just started on another pair from Favorite Socks – Waving Lace by Evelyn A. Clark. So far I’m enjoying the pattern. I love the subtle diagonals created by YO’s and k2t/ssk. Not to mention the stretchiness – a bit of comfort since I’m knitting for a friend of mine. It looks super pink on the second picture, but it’s really super purple. I’m not sure how I feel about the color. I think I like it, but still undecided. Perhaps it’s because I’m not a generally a fan of purple.

And as for other random thought, things I’ve been obsessing over: playing FreeCell, eating goldfish colors and ice cream bars – especially almond and chocolate covered ones from Haagen Dazs. And also the fact that Bingo song has same melody as for the Old McDonald Had a Farm song. Chris and I have been sining the song, with both songs combined. “..old McDonald had a farm and Bingo was his name-o….” Because it’s funny? perhaps. But because at a point, we kinda forgot how the Bingo song started (we eventually had to google it).

What can I say, apparently, we’re not that bright.

Honestly, I’ve been slacking off with knitting lately – I mean throughout entire April and May. I’ve been distracting myself away from knitting with other things, like, I even fixed my sewing machine finally! I haven’t really sewn anything since I got it fixed, but I did manage to make a pair of pj pants for one of my coworkers (note: I did NOT pick out the pattern or size, or fabric – honestly, if it was up to me, I wouldn’t have chosen those insane novelty prints, or scary tapered legs, and I would’ve definitely made something much smaller – she wanted larger size and now it probably fits her like a tent). I think my next goal for sewing is to make a purse, something I can make without having to go out and buy a pattern for. I have “vision” in my head*, I think it will work out, but we’ll see once I actually get it started.

Oh and I’ve also been playing hours of mindless solitaire and freecell and whathaveyou’s, you know, one of those dumb (yet smarter than you!) card games that comes with Windows. I even went out and bought a book, thinking, hey there’s something I else I can do instead of knitting! (FYUI**, it’s the new book by Chuck Palahniuk) Heck, I think I spent more time staring at blank than I spent time knitting past few weeks.

But, I did manage to finish at least couple of things.

First, that stashbuster sweater. This took way too long, a lot longer than it should have taken. Thank you lack of motivation. But alas, it’s done and done.

And of course, a pair of socks. Well, one and halfish pair. I just started on another pair yesterday, with 3mm needles and sport weight yarn, plain stockinette. I think I can finish before the month is over, but with this much distraction probably not. It’s Hedera from Spring 06 issue of Knitty. It was a fun knit, regardless of my lack of motivation. It’s definitely one of those I’d love to knit again.

In June, I’m hoping to get started on Rusted Root. And hopefully I get my motivation back.

(Here comes the fun and fancy footnote thingy)

*So, I have this anal retentive side of me where I have to make sure I can see it in my head and make sure it actually works in my head before I start on anything. And I don’t just mean knitting. Anything that involves some sort of construction, I have to make sure I plan every detail out inside my head and it has to just work. Until that happens, I don’t start on anything. I have to have this “vision” – some sort of pseudo epiphany moment before I get things started. You know, like, bright light shining over with this angelic (or psychotic) harmonious noise?

**FYUI – acronym for For Your Useless Information. It’s like FYI, but useless.

Dumb thing I did – I meant to send a wee birthday package for Ariel and I wrote wrong street name. So, after like couple of weeks of it floating around somewhere between here and where she is, and it finally came back to me earlier in the week. Oh how brilliant of me!

This really really should have been in her hands by now, long ago. But I guess I have to send it again later. And yes, I’ll have to get new batch of chocolate truffles.

Dumber: I don’t know what possessed me to somehow volunteer myself to make a pair of pajama pants for one of the girls I work with. She handed me the fabric, pattern, and even a spool of thread. The pattern itself doesn’t seem too hard, after all, it’s only 2 pieces (left and right legs) and you sew those together. But here’s the problem. I can’t tell if the lines that’s on the pattern sheet, if it meant to be lines I’m supposed to cut or sew. I have no idea. I never sewn anything from a pattern before (we all know how well I follow the directions, right? Cooking, knitting, etc). If I can find someone to tell me what it is, just to reassure myself, I’d be much happier person and I’d get it started right now, but until that happens, I may have to bang my head against the wall couple more times. (But at least there is a good news – as you may have noticed, I did get my sewing machine fixed after about a year of letting it just sit in the corner of the room!)

And here’s a news o’ fantastico: I got a lovely package from Tania. Isn’t she grand? Now, let see if I can decipher the fancy schmancy french knitting directions. I think I can, I think I can – and that’s what I said about cooking, and see, I haven’t killed anyone from feeding my concoctions…. yet.

And speaking of cooking, now I really have to dip my hands at “cooking” those sock yarn, now that I have a whole batch of them from my lovely. Should I start with Wilton’s and/or Kool-Aid? or should I attempt at acid dye? Either way, I still need to get some stuff before I even dream of starting dying yarn. I still need to go get a scale, a pot, and some sort of dye – whichever I decide to use. Oh it’s going to be so much fun!

Socky sock #8 for 2007: Embossed Leaves

Pattern calls for size US 2 needles but I used US 1.5 instead (2.5mm). Also the cuffs, heels, and toes are changed to my usual likings. The intended recipient for the sock has smaller feet than mine, it fits me pretty snug, so I think it’s all good to go.

Seriously, this is the first time I’ve knitted a pair by doing one sock at a time. That is, of course, not counting the horribly failed Jaywalker I attempted in early last year, and couple of chunky socks done in worsted weight. Thankfully the lace pattern was easy and interesting enough (not to mention easy to memorize) to avoid second sock syndrome! Woo hoo!

I think the pattern would’ve looked nicer in more solid yarn – to show off the delicate lace detail, but I kinda don’t mind it the way it is now. Especially for being “purple”, I kinda came to like the color. It’s hard to believe… me? Liking purple? That’s bit insane.

I’d definitely make it again, definitely a pair for myself.