The good news is that I’m ready for the sock class. And it’s a week early! The handouts are written and at the printer, to be picked up on Saturday. All I need to do is knit a couple of quickie samples, and I’m done, done, done!

The bad news is that the cupcake hat count still stands at 1-1/2.

Probability of there being 4 cupcake hats completed by tomorrow morning: 0. Zero. Big, fat goose-egg.

#1 Son was nice about it. He said, Don’t worry mom, there will be other gigs.

This has been an “interesting” and very, very busy week.

And that’s my excuse for the reason why I have completed exactly 1-1/2 cupcake hats. Those who are keeping track will note that means I have 2-1/2 cupcake hats that have not been even started. I have until Friday morning to finish.

EEK!

I’m going to be in Knitty! I’m going to be in Knitty!!!

Did I tell you I’m going to be in Knitty?!?!?

Doin’ the happy dance…. :smile::!::grin:

You already-published people can laugh at me, but this is the first time since I had haiku published unknowingly at the age of 10 that my words have been anywhere a large number of people will see them. Don’t get me wrong — I love all of you regular readers and lurkers and casual drop-ins. But I think there’s a couple fewer of you than the number of people who read Knitty.

Watch for the April issue!

B, of Thursday Night Knitsters hat-queen fame, started it.

B came to Tangle knitting night with the cutest little cupcake hat. It really looked like a cupcake. We all oohed and ahhhed over it. It was so cute.

Alas, I have no small children to knit for, and hats are not my thing.

But Alice put on her thinking cupcake-cap and went for it in a big way. She crafted this wonderful front-window display with lots of little cupcake hats “baking.” See her Mixmaster getting another batch ready? (Click on the pic for the larger version!) We all oohed and ahhhed over it. It was so clever.

Certain colors and textures of yarn began selling out as local knitter hopped on the cupcake train. Alas, I have no small children to knit for, and hats are not my thing.

I showed #1 Son the picture of Tangle’s window. Aren’t these adorable? I asked.

Mom, replied my wonderful offspring, We would so wear these. Can you make four by Friday? We have a gig then. Pink. With sprinkles.

So thus I was drawn into the cupcake madness.

Four of these puppies… By Friday. Today was Saturday. I had six days.

I called Alice in a panic. Alice, I said. I need yarn! (Yes, I realize this was a dumb thing to say. When have I ever not needed yarn?)

Since I was forced to pick out pink yarn wanted to follow #1 Son’s wishes for pink, the choices were limited. This is what I ended up with:

• Cascade Sierra (cotton/wool) in color #50 for the cake part
• Cascade Indulgence (alpaca/angora) in color #9434 for the frosting. (These kids better appreciate that fiber!)
• Crystal Palace Little Flowers (nylon metallic novelty) in color #409 (Spring Picnic) for the sprinkles

The pom-pom “cherries” were donated by Alice. She has this really cool little pom-pom making gadget (Susan Bates Easy-Wrap Pom Pon Maker – yes that spelling is correct). Alice is a professional pom-pom maker. I now have one of the little gadgets, too. But I will be happy to wind a simple pom-pom when necessary. I do not aspire to professional greatness.

I made a few changes to the pattern. Since my hats need to be adult-sized, I cast on 88 stitches and used US#7 needles (one Inox Gray, one Crystal Palace bamboo – it was what I had on hand). I knit the cake part for 3″ and the frosting for 4″ before beginning the decreases. Also, although the pattern says to switch colors when started the decreases, I believe that to be an error and did not do so. About 1/2 way into the “nubble” row (the driping icing edging), I realized that knitting 44 little nubbles would be the death of me, so I crocheted them. (So sue me.) Much faster, and saved my sanity.

This one was completed at 2:00 AM Sunday. Three more to go. The things we do for our kids.

Lest anyone wonder, I don’t know what a punk band is going to do with cupcake hats. I’m not sure I want to ask.

Whatever happens, it’s all B’s fault. She started it. 😆

If the last few entries have seemed disjointed, well… that’s how my week has been. Disjointed to the max.

The good news is that the basket weave socks are finished! Yea!!!

Note the lovely pinwheel toe and the non-crocheted crochet bind-off. I debated over the ribbing at the top. It doesn’t seem very basket like. In the end oh-dark-30 dead brain common sense prevailed, and ribbing it was. I finished them up last evening at Tangle, while drooling over the new Noro that just came in and trying out some Suzanne ebony circs.

The particulars:

• Blue Moon Socks That Rock in colorway Falcon’s Eye.
• Inox Gray US#2 (2.75 mm) needles.
• Basket weave stitch pattern from Sensational Knitted Socks by Charlene Schurch.
• My own non-pattern sock pattern

Yes, my feet are happy and warm!

I tried some new things out with these socks. The octagonal pinwheel toe was new. I also tried out a method for having ankles wider than feet without increasing post-heel-flap. Someone who might sign up for the sock class said, You’re going to to teach how to have ankles that are larger, right? Since I nodded and agreed that of course I was going to do so, I thought I’d better come up with a method to teach. 😆 I think it worked out pretty well, and it fits within the whole “non-pattern” pattern theme.

I also swatched for my sock pal’s socks last night. The pattern says Gauge: eleven rows equals one inch. And that’s the only clue it gives me. So I knit a dozen rows (why go overboard?) on my new Suzanne 3.0mm ebony circs (I am in love with these needles). Approximately 11 rows yielded approximately 1 inch of knitting. I don’t know what to do other than call that “good” and adjust as necessary as I go along.

Today I cast on and knit a few rows on the toes. I can’t begin to tell you how wonderful this yarn feels. It’s not the best stuff to knit with — tends to split and such. But… ohmygod… angora, silk and cashmere. It’s almost sinfully soft. I might have to keep these for myself. (Just kidding, sock pal.) The ebony needles grip that slippery fiber just perfectly. I’m now keeping my fingers crossed that I’ve got gauge (whatever it is) and I won’t have to go down a needle size.

Also, if you’re keeping score, this means that there is nothing currently on my Inox grays. Nothing. There are several skeins of sock yarn calling my name…

Must… Be… Strong…

I just found 1/2 of a bar of chocolate in my drawer. It was a present from one of the women I spent the weekend at the coast with a couple of weeks ago. I’d forgotten (really) that I stuck it in my drawer at work, just in case I needed it some day. Like right now. Oh my goodness… it tastes sooooo good.

Almost I can get back that wonderful calm energy I felt all that long weekend. Lazy shopping trips, long beach walks, talking, eating, knitting. It was all so nice.

It took no time for that to just fade away when I returned to the city.

I’m still here at work, finishing up a couple of things after most have left. The walls are being repainted, and a crew is here with ladders and such. They’ve turned a radio to a country station and are singing along to the music. 🙂 A little different atmosphere than the usual work-a-day world.

If I close my eyes and taste that chocolate, I can almost transport myself back to the beach.

Stressed is desserts spelled backwards…

The green basket weave socks are just past the point where I could legitimately make them anklets so I must admit publicly I will not wimp out. I will finish them. But they are not yet to the point where they go back to being mindless destressing knitting. I must finish them soon because I must start on the Sockapaloooza socks, Alice’s socks, the samples for the sock class, and several other socks ideas that are tumbling around in my head willy-nilly. It appears that 2006 will be the year of the sock, any other plans I may have made to the contrary.

Thank you to those who have asked after Kidd. He is doing better.

I have finally found a food that he likes. Fancy Feast Gourmet Gold with Ocean Fish and Salmon. Dry food. Kibbles. [shrug] I’ve been tempting him with all of the moist food, as close to Gerber baby meat as I can get and still be cat food — expensive little cans full of bits of yummy things with gravy poured over. He turns his nose up at them.

I filled a little bowl with the FFGGOFS kibbles and he spent a solid hour in the kitchen crunching away. Go figure.

Cats are strange.