Mama needs a new pair of socks

I’m blocking out my Throwback before I continue. Best to find out now if it’s a giant swatch - lol. 

I know about the magic of blocking, but I’m still impressed at how much it improves a wip!! This is looking so excellent - I have impressed myself with the spincycle dream state colours that I picked!! (Shades of Earth, Robin’s Egg, and Melancholia) Maybe it’s just how they line up from where I started them from the balls, but they contrast and complement each other nicely. The light blue of the woolstok is more challenging to capture, but it’s a perfect foil for the more intense colouring in the patterning. 

It’s just finishing up drying, so I’ve managed to get the 1^st Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock socks done and started on the 2^nd.

My go-to sock needles - 2.5mm Signature Needles - are showing some wear. 

No noticeable impact on feel or function, but you can certainly tell that they are my faves!! 

I have also cast on for my go-to baby gift for Jenny’s next child. 
While I am generally more of a natural fibre lover, I have to give props to Bernat Blanket for being a fantastic yarn for (baby) blankets. It just wears and washes so well, great colour range, and I just enjoy knitting with it. 

A small step

It’s been a busy week at work, but I have managed to make some small progress on my most recent WIP. 

I am pleased with my mod on Throwback  especially since it saved me the grief of knitting, then *gasp* purling back with three colours. The last increase round is a bit bubbly on the surface; I’m hoping that blocking will sort that out. 

I’ve just separated for the armholes and I’m on the nice relaxing stockinette straightaway - maybe I’ll work on that after this posts. 

I finished knitting the heel flap, then realized that I hadn’t changed to the contrasting heel colour. D’oh!! So after ripping that back, I’ve made so visible progress on my Rock, Paper, Scissors, Lizard, Spock socks from Turtlepurl. 

Or maybe I’ll work on these ... 

I had a lovely visit with my grand babies this afternoon. Mina’s little Entrechat for her perfectly, and the colour is so complementary. She is so close to making her first steps; there was a camera in her almost every time she was standing. These children make me feel so much love. 

Or maybe Amin’s blanket that I have promised for his birthday in 2 months. 

Or, or, or ... I really do need to finish a thing or two! But you know as well as I do that I’m just not happy enough unless I have too much to do! 

Truncated

I had my St John Ambulance refresher course today to renew my certification today. It was informative - there are always minor changes to the procedures - and productive; I started my Turtlepurl Rock Paper Scissors Lizard Spock socks. 

I also managed to do the zig zag portion on my Throwback cardi. I don’t hate the truncation in the pattern that was needed to take out that 3^rd colour in a row, and I certainly love it more than knitting with a 3^rd colour in a row!! 

So that was my day - how was yours? 

Done, Done, Started

I finished Cheryl’s Jelly Rolls!! 

Then I knit up the cutest wee Entrechat shrug for our Ramina. 

It’s blocking now, then I need to find the Perfect Button. The Essence of Autumn yarn really carries this sweater across the line!! I don’t recall the exact yarn - I have misplaced the ball band. These reds are so deep and saturated; I can’t wait to see ‘Mina tucked into it! 

Now I’ve started my Throwback Cardigan  The Needle Emporium ladies decided that this would be our Frolic sweater and while Sarah and Lynn are done theirs, and Julie’s already got a good start on hers, I’m playing catch up. Fortunately, speed and deadlines are my specialty - lol!! 

So. I may have to purl back in fair isle, not as much fun as knitting it, I assure you, because I’m not willing plan out steeks, but I’m a grown woman, and I refuse to use three colours in a fair isle row!! Nuh-uh, and you can’t make me. 

I have tweaked the pattern to adjust to mainting only two colours per row, and while I’d like nothing more than to knit a few more rows to see how it looks in yarn, tomorrow is going to be a long day after a few preciously long days. 

I’m still on the defense against The Dreaded Lurgy, and I can only ask so much of the Loathsome yet Effective oil of oregano. I leave you with my progress thus far, and ask you to join me tomorrow to see how it grows. 

Traditional Progress

Just a quick little update tonight. 

The carpet is drying nicely. The white noise of the a/c and the ceiling fan are for a function, so I am tolerating them. I usually try to turn them off for a few hours a day at least to give myself a mental rest, but needs must. 

A sunny day meant another lovely day to hang out some washing. Is fall cleaning a thing?? I’ve been in a mode lately ... today it was the shower curtains and liners, and a couple of blankets. They all now smell like sunshine!! 

I managed to sort out my gauge, though even down to 4mm needles I still need to be mindful to knit snugly almost or I stray into too loose territory. 

Wow - don’t the colours really start popping in that yoke??

Once Peter and Chica got used to the living room not having the usual things in it, (they are quite attuned to things in their environment and aren’t keen on change. Don’t know where they get *that* from -lol!) they were happy to have the extra playing space. 

A lot of people see stockinette/garter as boring; I love it!! It is so relaxing and soothing to me. It is also something that I’m known for - my even gauge, and nothing shows it off like stockinette! It’s a lovely way to finish off an evening. 

My Ignorance Amuses Me

So I’m on series 8 of Masterchef Australia. Every year, they do this challenges, and for the life of me, I would’ve sworn on a stack of bibles that they were saying “diggerstation”. Between the accent and not really knowing what the word was, I just rolled with it. I finally decided to Google it. Big Surprise - no such thing as a “digger station”. Some research later, it turns out that it’s a “dégustation”. :facepalm:  What immediately came to mind is that bit in Tomb Raider where Manfred Powell says, “My ignorance amuses me”. “Digger station” - LOL!!!  

My knee is back to normal - phew!! I iced it to near frozen on Friday night. It wasn’t perfect Saturday morning, but I had to work. I think that the degree to which my knee got iced the night before and the amount of Naproxen and codeine that I can function on scared my knee into self-reparation! 

So I had today off from work. I think that I actually do not know how to relax. I mean, I get the concept, but I don’t know how to not do something productive. Unless I’m actually asleep or physically incapacitated, I need to be doing. So I had started deciding last night that yes, I really did need to clean the living room carpet. The stains had started to run into each other, and I couldn’t remember the last time that I had done it. I shifted furnishings and strayed last night, and then 6-ish hours later today, with a load of laundry done and hung as well, the carpet is clean(er). I don’t know how many more wash/rinse sucked I would have had to do to have it come out actually *clean*, but there is a marked improvement! 

I will feel the workout tomorrow - pushing and pulling the 25lb+ Bissell Proheat 2x (mine has yellow accents which I love!) an incalculable amount of times adds up. I was focusing on holding my core tight and alternating between my left & right arm, paying attention to being hard on the muscle and easy on the joint. I am pleased that it is done though, and while I don’t use it a lot, I have to say that this carpet cleaner is worth all the money! 

I had been making nice progress on Humulus  but the fabric just didn’t look the same as the stranded yoke. Sure enough, too loose. GAH!! I reknit the 2” after the sleeve division, trying to tighten up my tension a bit; still too loose. I’ve taken it back to just after the fair isle bit and am dropping to 4mm. Pretty needle tips on the Marblz!! 

Remember when I started out and said that I tend to knit more loosely on circulars - yeah, here it is. The fair isle was keeping the looseness in check.  It is easier to adjust needle sizes than it is to consistently adjust your tensioning to achieve gauge. Well, for me anyway. 

So here is to a night of backwards progress!!

Yoke

Day 5 of 30 Days of Flowers!
The lines are so tiny, it makes trying to stay inside them a challenge, but I don’t give up easily. Another Prismacolor lead  failure. 

I have made excellent progress on my friend Lynn’s Humulus  You can see the floats and the pattern. I really try to do my fairisle neatly, and don’t carry a float more than 3 stitches. Just another round or two then I’m onto the separation of body and sleeves. I really love that pink bit in the Dream State fairisle section!!  

Yes, that is a bag of ice on my knee. I really didn’t do anything, but after lunch I got up from the table and my knee just felt wrong. It’s not muscular, or a strictly weight-bearing pain. It’s a stabbing pain when I move my knee. Hopefully rest, ice, and elevation will get me through work tomorrow, then I can decide on going to urgent care or not. I did try a knee brace that I have (not THE knee brace which is for my right knee, but a good one from years back) and it didn’t help in any noticeable way. I hate mystery injuries that I can’t diagnose. 

Humulus Le Deux

Made excellent progress after re-starting Humulus and the gauge is spot on. 

Because I prefer a tighter gauge than is generally called for in most patterns, sometimes I don’t realize I’m off until a bit in. This fabric, relative to the first go, definitely feels looser in a better way.

I’m definitely liking the gentle fair isle effect that the Spincycle Dream State is giving without having to change yarns! I love yarns that do the work for me. 

I made egg bites in my Instant Pot yesterday from this recipe  They can put a bit more dense than the Starbucks ones that I love, so I may reduce the steam time a minute or two next go. 

The flavor is good, though the flavor of the Swiss cheese that I used is coming through rather strongly. I’m not a massive fan of Swiss, so I think I’ll have a go with the Gruyère next time. 

I also need to let them cool down in the mould so that they come out less misshapen ... I was in such a hurry to try them though.

Today is day 4 of the 30 Days of Flowers colouring challenge with Johanna Basford. The colouring pages are a free download - give it a go!

Does colouring make you happier? I think so. It’s relaxing, except when I look at it and I’ve gone outside the teeny tiny lines. D’oh!! Still, I enjoy it. 

Except when the lead is broken all the way down and I just have broken tips. These are Prismacolor; I may pop into the art store in Barrie and see what other options there are.  

Giant swatch

Well, it’s a giant swatch, but it serves its purpose and I know that I have to go up a size needle. 
Honestly, I think that the time invested knitting this was worth it. I struggle with circular swatches - the arranging of the yarn behind to do just knit rows. They use up a lot of yarn and in my experience, they aren’t as accurate as actually knitting around. 

I have also enjoyed knitting with both the Woolstok and the Spincycle yarns - this was not a hardship and I don’t mind that I’ll be in a state of déjavu reknitting this first bit. 

I don’t ham it up a lot for pictures - I mostly don’t like having my pic taken - but Julie caught me in a moment!!

 I love this pic (I ganked it from her blog). It is a sweet torture working her booth at the shows - I can’t have all the yarn and yet I want all the yarn!! She has so many projects knit up for inspiration and the colours!! 

I am wearing the Veronika cardigan in in Mad Tosh Chunky in Wilted Rose. Lynn and Sarah are wearing their Comfort Fade Cardis. 

V

Still knitting, no fear. I just feel busy and unfortunately blogging takes the hit. 

I have been working, knitting, and fluting, mostly in that order. It’s like the Holy Trinity of my life, with Craig factoring in like a woven thread. 

Tomorrow is going to be an exciting day, but that’s tomorrow’s story. Today, I give you the start of V-neck shaping on the Flat Rib Pullover. I don’t know why I’m feeling like progress had been so slow on this project - probably because it has been, but I can’t pin down exactly where my knitting mojo has gone - but this is an excellent point at which to mark progress and get a surge of momentum! 

 Yes, my little buddy got in on the pic - Petey is truly never far from my side ❤️🐶❤️