I’ve been busy the last few days!

Both of my readers may have noticed that the skin changer option was removed for a while from the sidebar. This was because I wanted to create a new theme — a real WP 1.5 theme and not something remade from an old skin. The only way I could figure out to do this was to remove the skin changer, upload my new theme in its own folder, and use WP commands to access that theme while testing.

Then I found this great tutorial from Tamba2 on how to use XAMPP on a PC running Windows. XAMPP sets up an Apache server right on your very own desktop, complete with PHP and MySQL. And thus, by loading in a backup of my blog database and a copy of my WordPress installation, and a bit of extra work to get the Carp Newsfeed and Homeland Security scripts working, I am able to test my new format locally just as though I were running it out on the web. But you, gentle reader, are not subjected to the vagaries of my new design, which in no way works correctly yet.

So the theme switcher is back. Feel free to use it. When the new theme is ready I’ll make it the default and post an announcement.

I can see that having a local, working copy of Persistent Illusion is also going to be way convenient next time I want to upgrade or try out a new plugin!

In other news, on the knitting front I’m more than 1/2 way up the ankles on the Wildfoote socks. I have to admit I’m a bit disappointed in this yarn. For the price one has to pay for a 50 gram skein, one would think that The Brown Sheep Company could at least provide a single, unbroken strand of yarn. But I’ve found at least two knots in both skeins I’m working with. I like working with this yarn, but I’m less likely to buy it in the future if this is common.

Here’s a pic of the Wildfoote socks as of last night. You can just see the second sock to the left of the picture. I had completed the heel flap and gusset decreases and worked up the ankle about 1 inch.

Today I finished about another 6 rounds on both socks, so the ankles are 1/2″ longer or so than in the picture.

It seems to be taking forever to finish these. But I keep reminding myself that when I’m done, I’m done, with no second sock still to do!

It’s hard to tell from this picture, but the heel is worked in Eye of Partridge from about 6 rows before the turn through the actual turn, and then the heel flap is worked in heel stitch. The instep and ankle are in blueberry waffle stitch (2 rows of 2×2 ribbing followed by two rows of stockinette, repeat endlessly). Those are 24″ #1 Addi turbo needles (what Addi calls #1, which is 2.5mm and thus slightly larger than a standard US #1). The yarn is Wildfoote in the Brown Sugar colorway.

And when these are done, the next project is a pair of socks for #1 Son.

On the knitting front, I’ve started the gusset increases on the Wildfoote socks. I like the blueberry waffle pattern with the Wildfoote yarn. It’s working out well. And it appears that the socks will fit well. Can’t wait to finish them.

Of course, that means I have to actually work on them, and I can’t seem to manage more than 4 or 5 rounds a night.

Last night #1 Son asked when I was going to “get those things done” so I could start on his socks. Oh… and I was going to make him some gloves, too, right?

It’s been cold in my cube at work. Really cold. I’ve asked the building services people several times to see if they can warm me up a bit, but so far no go.

Friday I was freezing. When I found myself pouring a cup of tea for the sole purpose of warming up my hands so I could type, I realized I needed to do something! And, being a knitter, I knew the perfect thing to do.

Friday lunch break was spent at the Yarn Garden, picking up a skein of Regia 4-ply mini ringel color # 5220. And this weekend I made fingerless gloves. You can see the results at right. Click on the picture for the bigger version.

Yes, I made two. And yes, I matched the stripes. And, yes, my cube is plenty warm today, so I don’t really need these. 😆 But I think they make quite a fashion statement!

I also had a big, big jones for 90-minute Beer Bread. It’s a yeast-bread recipe that really does take only 90 minutes and results in a yummy, hearty bread that’s perfect with soups, stews and chilis. It also takes a bottle of beer — or, rather, it takes a partial bottle of beer (the rest goes in the cook!). I usually use ale, but all that was in the fridge was a bottle of MacTarnahan’s Blackwatch Cream Porter. It was the best batch of Beer Bread I’ve ever made! From now on, Porter it is!

Click on the link below for the recipe. I served mine this weekend with a vegetarian chili. The recipe makes 1 loaf, but I always double it and make two loaves so I can freeze one to have on hand.

Today I had the privilege of seeing the Son Of Aran sweater knit by Jerry at When Knitting Was A Manly Art. All I can say is that pictures do not do it justice. The yarn is a much darker, yummier green for one thing. And the workmanship that went into it is simply amazing. Kudos to Jerry!

After lunch today I ran down to Oregon City for the 18th Annual Spring Fiber Sale at Abernethy Grange because I really wanted to see that sweater! The Grange has two floors, and both were loaded with vendors selling all kinds of wonderful fibers, fleeces, yarns, spinning supplies, etc. I had promised myself that I would only look for yarn for #1 Son’s socks. He wants seafoam green. There wasn’t a lot of seafoam there. But I did buy a skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts’ luscious “Soft Rock” handpainted yarn in the “Mermaid” colorway. It’s a blend of soft greens and purples. Yes it has some seafoam green in it. No, it’s not going in #1 Son’s socks. 😀

Jerry turned me on to a great book by Mary Ann Beattie at Queen Kahuna Creations. This is a good-sized, substantial book with lots of color pictures — good for knitters like myself who need to see something to get it. The book is full of all kinds of cool techniques like a long-tail cast-on for toe-up socks that Beattie calls the Aloha Cast On. I ordered the book as soon as I got home, and I can’t wait to get it!

I also saw a pair of blueberry waffle stich socks and I really like the way that pattern knitted up. I’m not that happy with the way the Wildfoote socks are coming out. At the gauge I’m knitting, they are turning out too big for my skinny feet. And the pattern doesn’t show against the multiple bright colors. I’m thinking I’m going to rip it all out and try the Aloha Cast On and the blueberry waffle stitch. Yep… I think that’s what I’ll do.

Here’s the picture of my completed sock scarf, all washed and blocked. As we all know, it is a blatant rip off of Jerry’s version of the sock scarf.

Except mine doesn’t look anything like his.

For one thing, mine is a lot fatter, and at about 4 feet long (because that was all of the yarn I had) it’s 1/2 the length of Jerry’s at 8 feet. His is striped, mine is ribbed. He worked both sides of his top-down. I started at one toe and worked toe-up and then top-down on the second sock.

It’s all good. 🙂

I’m glad to have mine finished. It was a lot of fun to do, though, and worked really fast. I might make another one some time, if I get ambitious. I like the way that the fish-tail cables turned out.

This is a picture of the Wildfoote socks as of last night. It’s hard to tell from the picture, but there is a fairly subtle lace pattern between the ribbing on the front of the socks.

I’d messed the pattern up at one point and, after unsuccessfully attempting a “fix” with a crochet hook, ended up tinking out about 6 rows.

If the weather holds out the way it’s been so far this March, there won’t be much call for wool socks until next autumn. But if I can get them finished fairly soon, I may get a wearing or two in before summer.

The next planned project is a pair of socks for #1 Son. If he doesn’t decide on a color soon, though, I may knit up some cotton yarn I have laying around. That would be a pair of socks that I could use! I may also knit a second alpaca pair for my friend, who is going to wear out her socks because she refuses to take them off except to wash them!