You Can't Hurry Love...No You Just Have to Wait!

My falling In Love socks are complete. Finally!!! It took a visit to the doctor, and being in the waiting room FOREVER to get these babies done.

No more teasing DEB!!!

Time for show and tell.
Let me also add, that I just showed them off to Mommy, and her remark was "GET A LIFE!!!" Well, at least I'm not on drugs!!! She is just pissed that I will be going to Rhinebeck the weekend that she wanted me to help her decorate a wedding. Hey, I had my Rhinebeck plans before the couple set the date. Whatever!!! Hello??? Whose life is this? You can't get mad at people for doing whatever they want to do. So, Rhinebeck here I come. I need some more yarn, and I want some Ice Wine too.
Hmmm.. I guess that means no shawl for Mommy this winter. Oh well, more time for me to make sweaters.


Speaking of Sweaters, here is my update on the Snuggle sweater.
I have also set a deadline for the Central Park Hoodie. It was really cold today (60 degrees in August) and I wished I could have just put it on..but it's kinda hard to do that when it is in pieces. So, it will be blocked before the weekend, I promise. I need it for the Rhinebeck trip. September is around the corner, and then October will be here before you know it.

I Fell Halfway in Love

It has been a while since I posted, but good news. I completed 1 side of my Falling In Love sock today, and in order to prevent Second Sock Syndrome, I immediately casted the second one on.

I almost had a heart attack today, because I bound off, cut a tail in the yarn, then tried on.... and it would not go on. Of course, I bound it off too tightly. So, I then did it all over again, loosely, and it was perfect.

I have to visit the hair salon tomorrow, so that will be about 2 hours of knitting while I wait for my hair to dry. Long plus thick hair is a mixed blessing. I hope that is enough time to get past the heel. We will see.

So, I have been taking some pictures of my stash to get some artwork for a flyer that I am creating. This is the raw, un-photoshopped version.

While doing this, I remembered that there was a specific project that I bought this yarn for. It is from a magazine published in the UK called "Knitting", the March 2006 issue. It was designed by Jean Moss, and I think this sweater is so adorable. It uses Rowan's Cashsoft DK yarn, so I know it will be super soft and supple once it is knit. Here is my swatch being blessed by the angels. OK so, I know my swatch is not the full 4 inches in length, but I figure if I use the specific yarn that the pattern calls for, and the actual needle size, I should be okay. I plan to knit the 34" size. I am not going to be crying about the fit later on, because the yarn is being blessed by the angels. Someone, tell me you have faith along with me. Can I get an AMEN!!!

Here is what the sweater will look like. I substituted some colors, so that I can get a more "pinkish" sweater. There is a sky blue, brown, and red that I have replaced with wine, fuschia, and lilac. I have a pair of pink boots that would match this baby perfectly. You know I am a fashionista at heart.

I know you missed me!!!

I know it has been a hot minute since I have posted, and for that I apologize. I have been extremely busy. So, first I will tell you what has been keeping me away from my needles.

Aside from knitting, my other passion is singing. I don't usually tell many people because they ask me to sing on the spot, and I get extremely nervous. However, when I am singing for a bunch of strangers in a huge crowd, it is okay. So, I recently linked up with a band called Tropic Topic, because they were looking for a singer to add to their lineup of talented performers. So, here is a clip from YouTube of a performance we did at a Street Festival in Fairlawn, NJ.

Now, I said that I love to sing...but driving to gigs cuts into my knitting time.... If I were rich and famous, then I would have a big tour bus, and a state of the art knitting room in there too, so I can get into my zone on the way to a performance. But, this is the real world ladies and gents, and I do not have a cheauffer, stylist, or makeup artist. So, you just gotta do what you gotta do... while the wool suffers.

In the meantime, I have beeen working on some socks.

Here is the progress of my Falling In Love sock. I am still on the first side.

:-(

Just about 2 more inches to go.

I have also started a pair of Sidewinders with my Sit N' Knit Meetup group. This sock is a real challenge for me, because I cannot see where it is going just yet. But, I am still pressing on. More updates soon. Well, I must also comment on the Austermann Step yarn (from my stash). It feels wonderful when you are knitting with it. Very smooth and soft. Maybe the niceness of the yarn will help me to get over the wonkiness of this pattern. I feel that the pattern was written properly and thoroughly. I am just having a hard time seeing how it gets created from the side. I should be a pro by the time I get to sock #2. Also, I am interested to see how this self striping patterning looks, so that will keep me going.

I said I would do it! / Falling in love part 5

So, I was so intrigued by the Falling in Love experience that I set out to do it two more times. I bough MORE Colinette Jitterbug yarn. The red colourway is called Fire (#71) and the cream/pink/green colourway is called called Marble (#88). The Marble one is going to match the Twinkle sweater that I am making, because if the pink flecks. But, I promise that I will start the sweater at home, and make the sock on my travels (consecutively), so hopefully, they will be done around the same time.

Here is the progress of my Falling in Love sock. I was so happy to be able to get through the gusset increases and the heel flap.


So, after I finished the heel and joined the round again, I realized that I forgot to cross a cable on the left side. It so happens that this cable should have been crossed before the heel flap was done. Shoot.... Why didn't I check it before??? Well.... I was kinda half asleep. So, it is back to frogging and doing it all over again. Aaarrrghhhh!!!!

I went to Nancy's house yesterday for a BBQ, and felt so out of place because I forgot my knitting at home. There were some members there from the Noble Knitters meeting having a blast, and my hands were itching because I wasn't knitting something. Do you get the feeling that I don't like being left out of the group? Maybe it is an only child thing. I don't want to be lonely anymore. That is the reason that I was half knitting/half sleeping. I was trying to overcompensate for missing out. I had a lot of fun. Nancy, we must do it again!!!! And, I will keep a project in my car just in case we ever have another impromptu knitting moment.

Falling in Love part 4

On to better news. The Falling In Love sock is progressing rather nicely. I am happy so far. I only had to frog about 2 rows, because I missed a yarn over and it threw my stitch count off. Note to self.... don't try to knit a sock on the bus, and talk on the phone at the same time. LOL!!! I am falling in love with this yarn too. I just may buy another skein. To make up an excuse for why I will buy it....... I will be sure to buy a color that matches a sweater that I intend on making. Hopefully Colinette Jitterbug comes in a nice rose color. We will see.

Falling in Love part 3

I am so happy to report that I am making progress on my Falling in Love sock. The hearts are just popping out of this pattern. I am truly loving this Colinette Jitterbug sock yarn. It is amazingly soft. Here are a few pics at different angles.

Falling in Love part 2

I casted on my Falling in Love socks using the Magic Cast-on for Toe-Up socks as seen in Knitty.


I began with 9 stitches on each needle, and increased by knitting in the front and the back of the second stitch, and second-to-last stitch on each of the two needles.


Here is the count of 31 stitches on each needle.



Now it is time to start the cable and lace pattern. Stay tuned......

Chante and Nancy, thank you for the inspiration to start this sock. Nancy, I really think you should fall back in love again. I think the color of this Jitterbug yarn will work with this pattern.

Falling in Love

I would like to personally thank Nancy and Chante for allowing me to Fall in Love again. I have seen their excitement over the Falling In Love sock from Magknits this past Tuesday at our sit and knit.

I went to work Wednesday, printed out the pattern, and it was staring at me all day. Thursday, I tried to find the yarn online, then I realized that I didn't want to wait a week for shipping, as the pattern was still stalking me, and would not leave me alone. Friday, the pattern was taunting me so much that I decided to go to Seaport Yarn, and get a skein of Jitterbug in Lagoon-138. It is the same gauge, and really soft, and machine washable. Woohoo!! Actually, Seaport has 10% off of all sock yarns this May, so I thought it was justifiable.


Now that we know each other very well, and are keeping it real, I am not embarassed to say I ran out of work and raced to the place in 3 inch heels. I was trying to get there before they close at 6, and I ran the equivalent of 2 stops on the 4 train... because I didn't want to deal with the MTA slowing me down. For us New Yorkers, I know I am making total sense here. For people outside of New York... well, you just have to come here and experience being on the express train and seeing the local train get to the destination first. It is super annoying... and then we all wonder why we are so uptight. Don't worry... I will take it slow when I am knitting my socks.

So, thank you Nancy and Chante for making me increase my stash one more time. Nancy, you are very diligent about not increasing your stash... but I do remember seeing somewhere that we will not be penalized for sock yarn. I am planning on using size 1 two circular needle method. So, I think now we have a Tri-Borough KAL from the BX... to Uptown..to Bklyn. Does anyone from Queens want to join in???? Chante, I may need help on the two circulars, since this is my first attempt at it, and it is my first lace pattern, and you have me terrified about the K4TOG.