...where i apologize in advance for being all over the place.*
My knitting hands in action, for the random contest over at Jerry & Maxy's place (have you entered yet? all the cool kids are doing it :))
i can't believe i'm outing myself in photo as a finger pushing knitter, but there you have it. how the hell am i going to learn holding 2 strands of yarn with the same hand for fair isle? ergh. and anyone wanna guess the movie playing in the background? 7 am, mini me asleep fare. *and*-- (lots of "ands", i'm feeling a mood to irritate the gramma queens today. my excuse? a bachelor's degree in english from cal = i can talk bad ingrish all i want; the canon and i are tight like that. mah party vein, fo sho.) ...i am also a rabid nail biter. they're not bleeding today, but the day is still young.
my hands at rest. you can see i'm feeling cheeky, having taken these before monkichi was awake. ha. farking hubris.
oh yeah, my feet aren't (that) dirty, teva tan lines.
A pic of the stockings i'm working on...
one feet, two feet.
The plan is to work one's leg til I have the calf shaping done, repeat the next. Work again til the knee decreasing is done, repeat. The "sock" portion as they are are pretty close to my normal sock knitting, its the leg that's going to be tough (how much "negative ease," how much stretch.) I'm going to hold off on increasing for a bit, so I can tell just how far I can push it/pour my legs into these things to get a nice tight fit without screaming for mercy.
I do notice that when I knit lace socks (not that I'm a lace expert or anything), that the most important part of getting the lace to pop isn't horizontal blocking/stretching, but vertical-up the leg stretching. I've noticed it in these too (I neglected to take a pic of them on, one of those days things again)-- so part of the goal is to place the increases along the stretched route of the leg, praying the not-yet-purchased garter will help me in keeping them stretched onwards y upwards.
***
Beginning sheer randomness (I do try to do the segue thing, but again, just one of those days)...
I've meant to take pics of my Red Cross Knit Kit, had it on my desk for a while. WhipUp had a writeup about it and reminded me...
Red Cross Sock Knitting Kit
4 oz wool "olive drab" yarn, 4 plastic w/ metal rod inside double pointed needles, one pattern, one plastic darning needle.
Nice idea, I dig the box. The yarn is nice (it is soft), the closest it reminds me of is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock:
Lorna's -- Bold Red (not true to color)
Red Cross -- Olive Drab
The LL has the nylon content, none in the RC yarn. I don't know if the RC is machine washable or not (doesn't say). The RC has less loft, but simulating tautness they're quite similar. Now that I look at them together (the Lorna's was sitting on my desk, waiting to be Baudelaire... now I need to find a new yarn I think, Interlacements Tiny Toes in solid red for the bauds instead...? I want red socks on the needles next)-- they look kinda good paired off. I wonder if I can find a white Lorna's and perhaps do the "red cross symbol" on a sock cuff or throughout a sock? (who am i kidding? i can't even hold yarn correctly. do they make a white lorna's? eek, no more yarn spending... the box is almost too heavy for me to move now.)
(edit: of course lorna's has a "white" yarn-- natural. argh... simply sock yarn co., a vendor after my own heart, has it in stock. somebody stop me please... why am i ogling allison's site *again*? :))
I don't see myself knitting this yarn with the needles they enclosed. I'm not a snob about plastic needles-- they're size 5! The pattern calls for 7 sts/inch, I have no idea if I'd get 7 sts/inch on US 5's with Lorna's, but its just madness :)
An upclose of the side panel:
"As legions of servicemen and servicewomen answered their country's call during the Second World War, they were joined by more than 7 million American Red Cross volunteers, who worked at home and overseas to provide comforts and necessities for American soldiers and prisoners of war. As part of that effort, knitters from shore to shore took up their needles to make millions of socks, caps, and sweaters. Join the American Red Cross as we celebrate the tireless bands of an extraordinary generation and knit a bit of their history."
Now I feel a bit bad in not knitting the pattern :)
***
... and here i slip into total randomness about stuff I want to do, eventually...
* I've joined the Mystery Sock KAL...
...haven't chosen a pattern yet.
* I'm contemplating SOCK WARS...
(the girl from auntie has a great question about it though...)
* I'm going to make some dpn protectors a la Sherry's TOO FREAKING AWESOME diy teK (for reals, check this out)...
*Did you notice the word "yarn" made the Choka On It "top 100" words concordance, from my last contest I'm guessing? I did, so I'm going to go and try to write up some more couplets containing the word "yarn", maybe try and get "sock" on there too. Come join me :)
* I'm going to nominate some blogs for the "addict's choice" knitting blog awards... (I've already done one-- I love "let me explaiKnit" though I love lots of others, too-- that one just popped up in my head when I read about the awards...)
* I'm gonna stalk etsy and hope to see some knitters in their etsy/CRAFT magazine contest (submissions due August 21!... dig Jess Hutch's robot army on the front cover of the new mag!)
*I'm going to write my indigo girl a letter, cos I've stopped and started half a dozen of them.
...and I'm gonna go lay down.
**
*one of those days... I fully don't expect sympathy, but as this blog is a bit of a release for me, today its definitely one-- I feel a lot better here at the end of this post than I did up there at the beginning. Day started fine... til my kid and I were playing on my bed and he jumped/bounced over my body (as I held onto his hands), and he hit the wall/window. Hard. On a metal outcropping. Gash, thought-there-would-be stitches, my-god-is-that-skull fear. He's fine. Cried a lot less than me. Big hole in the head, still. Definite scar material. My heart's broken.
Fast forward to snacktime, I turn my back and he's gotten on his toes and into the utensil drawer. (New thing.) 1 second later he's waiving a serrated bread knife with a 7" long blade like a freaking jedi lightsaber. No joke. Its kinda (almost) funny now, because I say "no!" and reach for it, its a game and he starts to run. And I just die inside, following my train of thought. Again, he's fine-- no harm no foul except to my too tense heart. New drawer locks are being purchased instead of my much-needed nap when this is done.
Lunch is over, mister-mister walks into the edge of the table. Hard. This is in addition to falling all over clean socks (white cotton ones, thanks!) atop hardwood floors he's pulled from the sock drawers to dance on, twice.
See, he has a bad day and I have an absolutely worse one. I just, yeah. Someday remind me to tell you about the "v for victory" on his forehead. Don't worry about us, this is just my feeble attempt to explain away my rabidity and my scatteredness... and also to thank you for listening and giving me an outlet for something unrelated to the bad-mom-day I'm having.
We're fine, and no pics of his more-bumpy-than-usual head forthcoming. :)
My knitting hands in action, for the random contest over at Jerry & Maxy's place (have you entered yet? all the cool kids are doing it :))
i can't believe i'm outing myself in photo as a finger pushing knitter, but there you have it. how the hell am i going to learn holding 2 strands of yarn with the same hand for fair isle? ergh. and anyone wanna guess the movie playing in the background? 7 am, mini me asleep fare. *and*-- (lots of "ands", i'm feeling a mood to irritate the gramma queens today. my excuse? a bachelor's degree in english from cal = i can talk bad ingrish all i want; the canon and i are tight like that. mah party vein, fo sho.) ...i am also a rabid nail biter. they're not bleeding today, but the day is still young.
my hands at rest. you can see i'm feeling cheeky, having taken these before monkichi was awake. ha. farking hubris.
oh yeah, my feet aren't (that) dirty, teva tan lines.
A pic of the stockings i'm working on...
one feet, two feet.
The plan is to work one's leg til I have the calf shaping done, repeat the next. Work again til the knee decreasing is done, repeat. The "sock" portion as they are are pretty close to my normal sock knitting, its the leg that's going to be tough (how much "negative ease," how much stretch.) I'm going to hold off on increasing for a bit, so I can tell just how far I can push it/pour my legs into these things to get a nice tight fit without screaming for mercy.
I do notice that when I knit lace socks (not that I'm a lace expert or anything), that the most important part of getting the lace to pop isn't horizontal blocking/stretching, but vertical-up the leg stretching. I've noticed it in these too (I neglected to take a pic of them on, one of those days things again)-- so part of the goal is to place the increases along the stretched route of the leg, praying the not-yet-purchased garter will help me in keeping them stretched onwards y upwards.
***
Beginning sheer randomness (I do try to do the segue thing, but again, just one of those days)...
I've meant to take pics of my Red Cross Knit Kit, had it on my desk for a while. WhipUp had a writeup about it and reminded me...
Red Cross Sock Knitting Kit
4 oz wool "olive drab" yarn, 4 plastic w/ metal rod inside double pointed needles, one pattern, one plastic darning needle.
Nice idea, I dig the box. The yarn is nice (it is soft), the closest it reminds me of is Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock:
Lorna's -- Bold Red (not true to color)
Red Cross -- Olive Drab
The LL has the nylon content, none in the RC yarn. I don't know if the RC is machine washable or not (doesn't say). The RC has less loft, but simulating tautness they're quite similar. Now that I look at them together (the Lorna's was sitting on my desk, waiting to be Baudelaire... now I need to find a new yarn I think, Interlacements Tiny Toes in solid red for the bauds instead...? I want red socks on the needles next)-- they look kinda good paired off. I wonder if I can find a white Lorna's and perhaps do the "red cross symbol" on a sock cuff or throughout a sock? (who am i kidding? i can't even hold yarn correctly. do they make a white lorna's? eek, no more yarn spending... the box is almost too heavy for me to move now.)
(edit: of course lorna's has a "white" yarn-- natural. argh... simply sock yarn co., a vendor after my own heart, has it in stock. somebody stop me please... why am i ogling allison's site *again*? :))
I don't see myself knitting this yarn with the needles they enclosed. I'm not a snob about plastic needles-- they're size 5! The pattern calls for 7 sts/inch, I have no idea if I'd get 7 sts/inch on US 5's with Lorna's, but its just madness :)
An upclose of the side panel:
"As legions of servicemen and servicewomen answered their country's call during the Second World War, they were joined by more than 7 million American Red Cross volunteers, who worked at home and overseas to provide comforts and necessities for American soldiers and prisoners of war. As part of that effort, knitters from shore to shore took up their needles to make millions of socks, caps, and sweaters. Join the American Red Cross as we celebrate the tireless bands of an extraordinary generation and knit a bit of their history."
Now I feel a bit bad in not knitting the pattern :)
***
... and here i slip into total randomness about stuff I want to do, eventually...
* I've joined the Mystery Sock KAL...
...haven't chosen a pattern yet.
* I'm contemplating SOCK WARS...
(the girl from auntie has a great question about it though...)
* I'm going to make some dpn protectors a la Sherry's TOO FREAKING AWESOME diy teK (for reals, check this out)...
*Did you notice the word "yarn" made the Choka On It "top 100" words concordance, from my last contest I'm guessing? I did, so I'm going to go and try to write up some more couplets containing the word "yarn", maybe try and get "sock" on there too. Come join me :)
* I'm going to nominate some blogs for the "addict's choice" knitting blog awards... (I've already done one-- I love "let me explaiKnit" though I love lots of others, too-- that one just popped up in my head when I read about the awards...)
* I'm gonna stalk etsy and hope to see some knitters in their etsy/CRAFT magazine contest (submissions due August 21!... dig Jess Hutch's robot army on the front cover of the new mag!)
*I'm going to write my indigo girl a letter, cos I've stopped and started half a dozen of them.
...and I'm gonna go lay down.
**
*one of those days... I fully don't expect sympathy, but as this blog is a bit of a release for me, today its definitely one-- I feel a lot better here at the end of this post than I did up there at the beginning. Day started fine... til my kid and I were playing on my bed and he jumped/bounced over my body (as I held onto his hands), and he hit the wall/window. Hard. On a metal outcropping. Gash, thought-there-would-be stitches, my-god-is-that-skull fear. He's fine. Cried a lot less than me. Big hole in the head, still. Definite scar material. My heart's broken.
Fast forward to snacktime, I turn my back and he's gotten on his toes and into the utensil drawer. (New thing.) 1 second later he's waiving a serrated bread knife with a 7" long blade like a freaking jedi lightsaber. No joke. Its kinda (almost) funny now, because I say "no!" and reach for it, its a game and he starts to run. And I just die inside, following my train of thought. Again, he's fine-- no harm no foul except to my too tense heart. New drawer locks are being purchased instead of my much-needed nap when this is done.
Lunch is over, mister-mister walks into the edge of the table. Hard. This is in addition to falling all over clean socks (white cotton ones, thanks!) atop hardwood floors he's pulled from the sock drawers to dance on, twice.
See, he has a bad day and I have an absolutely worse one. I just, yeah. Someday remind me to tell you about the "v for victory" on his forehead. Don't worry about us, this is just my feeble attempt to explain away my rabidity and my scatteredness... and also to thank you for listening and giving me an outlet for something unrelated to the bad-mom-day I'm having.
We're fine, and no pics of his more-bumpy-than-usual head forthcoming. :)
22 comments:
Your kid sounds like my two. I swear people think I must abuse them - scars and bruises everywhere! They aren't very graceful, and they bruise easily like me. Mine have done stuff like the knife episode, and I have to try to keep calm cuz I know I'll freak them out and make it worse! I've had several outpatients visits with both of them. I'm always get wwaaayy more freaked out than they do, too.
Stockings are looking good! I admit I'm a "pusher", too. And a "thrower". I signed up for the Mystery Sock KAL today. I read about the Sock Wars, but I decided to pass on that one.
Hope tomorrow is not so crazy for you!
Those are tantalizing pics of the red cross sock kit.... i might have to check that out.
I wish i could pay attention long enough to figure out this whole pushing/picking thing. i don't know which i am.
Oh, poor kiddo, and poor you. Hope tomorrow goes better. :-)
just had to stop by and drool over those ebony needles.... so jealous!
In yesterday's paper there was a story about a mom's concern on raising a son. (Hers was a teen) As a mom of 2 twenty-something girls I thought "HA! Ya got nothing; try girls Chickie and see how hard that is!"
I bow to you in my best "not worthy" salute...omg: the knife!
Having "helped" my first born on the monkey bar of the swing set at age 3 - and droping her on her head while she hung upside down, I know this: FEAR FACTOR will be with you for a long time to come.
Now I'm going to go Choka a sock couplet or 2 if that helps?
Thank you for reminding me that I'm not quite ready for a kid. :-)
You mothers....you're an incredible bunch, I tell ya.
(Thank you for pointing out that Red Cross kit! I NEVER would have known about that, and what a neat idea for a gift for my History-Channel-Loving Army-Buff dad!)
Oh my gosh! What a day!!!!
That Red Cross kit is neat - I love the yarn color, and loved it more next to the red!! (I also love light blue and olive)
Glad to see you hold the yarn in your right hand like I do - thought I was one of the only ones! I did fair isle with one in each hand -took a bit, but you get a rhythm down, and you only have to knit...
i'm glad that you two both made it through the day ok.
i love your black socks. i can't wait to see them modeled.
Yikes. My youngest was like that when he was little. Always getting hurt. The doctor once said after the third trip there in one week, that I should really consider getting him a football helmet to wear when he was awake. Oh, I could tell you some stories...
I actually held my breath while I was reading the part about the knife.
My oldest has a scar (that is now barely visible)on his nose from a very brief stint at daycare. Way back when, we thought he needed to be around other kids and so we tried it out. He fell on his face and scraped it up, probably because he couldn't handle being around other kids at that point. He remembers nothing, but I always see it and remind myself that he's a lot tougher than he looks and he will be fine.
It's kind of like knitting something that gets frogged a million times and has moments that look like crap until you block it out. Kids are tougher than we are.
I think kids are just prone to bumps and bruises. My 2 year old has had 2 black eyes this month alone. She got one at a playground, and one at home when she ran her ridealong into a book case. It's amazing how resilient they can be though. I'm always freaking out, and my kids cry a little and then want to go play again.
Oh, how awful, glad the little guy (and your nerves) are alright. Now I can appreciate how little trouble three antsy cats can be. :)
Nice pics of the Red Cross Kit. I've always thought the tin box was too cool.
Quick, where is the bubble wrap and duck tape? Kids! But they are so fearless. Gotta love all the baby safety devices out there.
Red Cross sock kit looks like fun, love the tin box it comes in.
kids always bounce back...my siblings and i had our share of bumps and bruises. i remember when i was three or four i ran under the ironing board to help my aunt...and ended up with my forearm burned crispy - but not a wrinkle in sight!!
now that you're an IK subscriber, you can get on their websight and read some articles about two color knitting. it goes over different styles of two color knitting...and even uncovered the mystery of eastern/western/combined knitting for me...it might get you motivated to start on a pattern from one of your new books...
love your black socks, by the way.
those stocking are SO beautiful! i love them, i love the yarn, i love your lace!
i'm sure you are the very best mother possible, and he wouldn't trade you for any other one!
i don't push my needle when i knit, but i do knit english—i'm a thrower (is that bad?).
sorry to hear you had such a rotten day! I hope both you and the little guy are doing better now. :) I think I clicked all your links today. you are such a fount of information!
poor little mini-me and poor mom too. :( but i am of the opinion that kids are actually made of rubber, much more durable than anyone gives them credit for.
when i was a baby my mother left me on the kitchen counter and went into the other room. why you would leave a baby on the kitchen counter is beyond me but anywhooo ... she didn't realize i'd learned to roll over. BAM! hello floor.
and look how well i turned out! ok, maybe that wasn't the best analogy ...
Kids have to learn about gravity somehow. :)
First, i hate to enable, but I should tell you that undyed Lorna's sock yarn is the schiznazz. It's really great to work with and it sucks up one's own dye with aplomb. I just bought some last night that I intend to make into something excitingly vintage - I just don't know what.
Second, I should say that I really thought that kit was something from WWII! I love the thought of Red Cross knitting kits - there may be one in the future of a man in my life soon.
And lastly, just a gentle reminder that children are truly made of rubber. I know it's horrifying (I had a horrified guffaw at the thought of the Jedi knife-saber) but someday your baby will be telling an amusing story at a cocktail party about how he got that teensy weensy little scar, and it will undoubtedly impress some cute girl. Try to keep the VERY long view. :)
Rockin great pics!!!! You rule! I'm sorry about mini you's bumpy day. He's sooooo resiliant! Big hugs to you both!!!!
Sorry you had such a rough day (but love the socks!). Kids are like that - mine always had bruises and cuts. At one point my youngest had a black eye from falling into a table and I remember worrying that people would think I hit him. Hope tomorrow gets a bit better!
I have one of those sock kits, tucked away... And no way in the world can those needles be used for that yarn.
Hope no more injuries!!
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