Knits, Orchids, Construction -- again.

In knitting news:

I finished a Monkey. Or maybe I did that last week but just took the picture this week. hmm. I haven't cast on for #2 and I think it'll have to wait another week.

Tony knocked out this quick "Cat Squeaker" toy for Sissy. It's from the book Knitting for Dogs by Kristi Porter.

My secret sock pal got her socks! I was getting nervous and it's a relief knowing they got there safely. Go visit Marie at Compulsiveknitter or on Ravelry: knittingmarie.

I started Odessa; or on Ravelry: Odessa. This is the first of my fall/winter gifts -- this one is for a fall birthday.

****

In Orchid news: This beauty now has four blooms. It usually has soo many more but it got a parasite in this last year and the cure almost killed it so we are happy to see that she bloomed at all.

****

In construction news: we installed a closet organizer. Where we once had 6 linear feet of hanging space -- a drop in the bucket for a couple of fags -- we now have 7.5 feet plus six 1'x1'x1' cubby holes for storage. We're still using the guest room closet for all our winter stuff (and Tony's shoes) but it's a start.

The shed didn't get very far this week because I was pretty busy with work but I think the coming week will see good progress for that project.

Later,

Eric

The usual suspects

I found a use for the Cherry Tree Hill I've had stashed away: Monkeys! I am in love with this pattern. And I love the CTH.


We haven't gotten much done on the Shed this week. It has been dangerously hot and we are novices at construction so it's slow going right now.

Just for fun, thought I'd take a few more pics of Sherry Baby before her blooms fade for another year. I'm going to miss her perfume in the kitchen.

Later,

Eric

More knitting and construction news.

In knitting news:

The swift arrived from Joann.com. We got the big one. It's even bigger than we imagined. Still, it is awesome and so purdy.

The Embossed Leaves were mailed out to my Sockapalooza 4 pal.

Pattern: Embossed Leaves by Mona Schmidt

Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock

Color: Carol Green

Needles: Crystal Palace US2 dpn

Started: 06-03-2007

Finished: 08-01-2007

Changes: I used an Eye of Partridge heel instead of the pattern heel. Originally, I added a pattern repeat to the foot but that turned out to be a fubar -- the sock was waaay to long (12"!!!) -- so I ripped it back to 7 1/2 pattern repeats which turned out perfect. I missed the line of instructions that called for a M1 at the end of needle 4 (after the heel) on the first sock so I made the second sock to match. I added two instep stitches for a little ease on a bigger foot.

****

Misc: Tony moved his aquarium into the house. Fishes!


In construction news: We inventoried the parts to the Shed and laid them out according to the instructions.

Then we built the floor frame.

We also built a couple of saw horses and a temporary shelter (tarp and rope and a few poles) to keep the sun off us while we work.

That's all for now,

Eric

Knitting in a trance

Sockapalooza sock number one is finished again! Apparently I was in a trance and could not stop knitting the pattern even though I knew --after measuring -- that I should stop. But what can you do? And besides, my super secret sock pal has big lady feet and the original pattern is for medium lady feet. What's one extra pattern repeat? A 12 inch foot isn't too big, is it?



So the ladies at knit night graciously -- and by gracious I mean: pointing and laughing -- informed me that the sock was a bit long -- even for Sasquatch. Thank you, ladies, I needed some perspective.



So I ripped it back a pattern repeat, picked up the stitches and re-knit the toe an inch and a half closer to the heel.



In Orchid news:

We have a new one in bloom. I forget what this is called but I'm sure it's a Phalaenopsis of some sort.

Later, Eric

We had our first pond related casualty. The goldfish was out of the pond and didn't look better for it. We think that it jumped out. After 5 years in a ten gallon tank, you'd think it would have been a little happier living in a pond.



I finished Sockapalooza sock number 1. I tried and tried and tried to take a picture of it. But it's bizarro green and my equipment is not very good -- plus there's that thing about my poor photography skills -- so I didn't get one.



I did get some pics of Tony's WIPs though.
The BMPs:

The stockinette socks in very cool Trampoline:

Cotton coasters!:

Alien Scarf:

Tony's Jaywalkers

Weekend knits

Tony has finally finished his first sock! He'd doing Jaywalkers in Regia. He's doing the smaller size on size us3. The foot is nearly 12 inches long and he still has a good 20 yards of yarn left from the first ball.

You may (or may not) remember that I bought some Claudia in Ingrid's Blues with which to make myself a pair of Jaywalkers back at the end of December. Well, I cast on for the larger size on US1s without bothering to gauge it first.

I made a sock that was too small for most children. And it took more than one skein for one sock -- that fabric was so tight it could have stopped bullets. I was so disappointed in the darn thing that I never started the second. I mean, what's the point if I (nor anyone else) could wear it?

Well, last week, I frogged the entire thing and rewound it into a nice yarn-cake (thanks Emma and your faboo ball winder). Why waste good yarn? Especially yarn that I love. I cast on again with Knitpicks "US2s" (also known as US2.5s to the rest of us) and I'm getting much better results this time.

This round is going much faster. I am almost through the heel-flap in just two days. The last one took two weeks just to make one tiny sock. Ahh, the endless lessons in gauge.