wisteria

And I say it’s all right.

Gentle reader, I promise not to foist too many gratuitous garden pictures on you. But I had to show you my wisteria. It’s on a trellis right outside my bedroom window. This morning I woke to wisteria-perfume wafting through my open window on a gentle breeze.

That and a 16 lb cat demanding breakfast.

After the long, cold, dreary, dark winter, the sun is so glorious! I don’t even mind that it was almost 100 F yesterday. (I think that’s around 37 C.) I’m usually not a heat lover, but, oh man bring it on! I’m finally warm! Today is supposed to be a bit cooler, and tomorrow absolutely perfect.

Then we go back to rain. Probably until after July 4th because I remember only rare years when I didn’t freeze to death watching the fireworks.

I’m really hoping for a decent autumn this year, though. September is usually our best month, with long balmy days and cool (but not freezing) nights. The good weather lasts most years almost to Halloween. September is so good that almost every year there is talk of shifting the school year to leave September free. I love it also because the nice warm days let my grapes ripen. They are a late-season crop in my yard, and they need the sun. Last year it rained all September and October and my grapes mildewed before they could get ripe. I was bitterly disappointed – as were my neighbors, colleagues at work, and friends, all of whom usually share the bounty. Because of the cold spring, the grapes have been slow to take off, but they are making up for it. A week ago they were leafless. Today there are flower bud sprays all over the vines.

monkeys without borders

As I mentioned, I did get a bit of knitting time in this week.

As you can see, I am up to the ankles on the toe-up monkeys that I’m knitting with the special STR colorway: Knitters Without Borders.

I’m loving the way that this yarn is knitting up. There is a very definite white stripe, but it’s narrow. I did end up with a splooch of white during the gusset increases. On this sock it’s underneath the foot, but on the companion sock it’s smack-dab on top. Oh well. Adds interest.

I tried something new on these socks, too. New for me, at any rate. I knit my standard heel. But as soon as I started the gusset increases, I also started knitting heel stitch on the sole. After having blown out the bottoms of my two favorite pairs of socks, and having several other pairs that are looking a wee bit thin, I decided to see if a little reinforcement would help. You can just see the rows of heel stitch marching up to the heel turn.

Those of you who have knit one of my free patterns (links to the right, or under the Freebies button up top) know that my heel is a bit different from most toe-up flap-and-gusset heels. I have a narrow heel, and I totally suck at am challenged by the wrap-and-turn method of doing short rows. So my standard heel is turned over 1/4 of the total stitches. Instead of doing a wrap/turn, I do M1/turn or turn/M1. The increases serve two purposes: they fill in the gaps left by the short rows, and they increase the number of stitches from the 1/4 of the total that I started with to the 1/2 of the total that is needed for the heel flap. The end result is a cozy turn that hugs my heel and doesn’t slip or bag.

monkey heel

But it’s also not conducive to having any sort of pattern on the sole that would require matching up with a pattern on the flap. So I usually start the flap pattern (most likely heel stitch or eye of partridge, with or without a garter border) at the same time as I start the turn. But I already had the pattern established on the sole before I got to the turn. Eek!

Yes, I know that nobody is going to look at the bottom of my heels except me. Me and whatever knitters (you know who you are) who grab the in-progress socks from my hands in order to inspect them.

I solved the matchy-matchy problem by fudging a bit where I actually did the increases. The established pattern was Sl 1, K1, Sl 1, K1, Sl 1, K1, etc. I increased through the turn so that the end result was Sl 1, M1, K1, M1, Sl 1, M1, K1, M1, etc. When I finished the turn and knit across the short rows to start the flap, I went back to: Sl 1, K1, Sl 1, K1, Sl1, K1, etc. So the original Sl1 remained Sl1. The original K1 became a Sl1. And the M1 became the K1. I had to cable a couple of stitches around to make the count come out right, and that’s how the final new Sl 1 ended up right in the middle. It doesn’t look too bad, if I do say so myself. (The sole is to the left in the pic and the flap is to the right.)

And now I must be off. I have annoying things, like bill paying, that must be done. Plus I have some real work I must attend to this weekend. I so enjoy our chats together that I didn’t want to miss out sharing with you. But now I must do other things.

So I think I’ll drive over to Woodland Woolworks. The day is just too pretty to waste.

The title of this post reminds me that I still have a pair of socks that needs darning: the Rooster Feather Socks. I managed to blow out the heel on one of them. But I think I have some of that yarn left somewhere, so they won’t end up like the poor Snake River Socks with non-matching patches on the bottoms.

The socks I am working on now – toe-up Monkeys in the Knitters Without Borders colorway – have heels reinforced on the bottom. I can be taught, although I need to be whacked with a 2×4 for it to take it sometimes takes multiple repetitions.

I’ve been sick most of this week, but mending there as well now. Enforced inactivity has afforded some knitting time but, alas, no bloggage or photography or inventions. The garden is coming alive, though, and we’ve actually had a day of hot weather. We are promised another day or two of sun before the rot sets in again. I will snap some knitting and garden shots. My wisteria is really lovely this spring.

For today, I can only offer you this link, shamelessly stolen from Sam Klein at The ZehnKatzen Times: The 50 Worst Album Covers, as determined by Newsday. Some of these are so incredibly bad that they really defy description and it’s hard to believe they were ever published. (Some may be are offensive. You have been warned.) You can vote for your fav. I got a good chuckle out of the cover showing the sneering sleazeoid who looks like he’s about to deliver some particularly bad pick-up line. The title: Can I Borrow A Feeling.

the actual signage

I promised I would show proof of my backside being signed by The Yarn Harlot, and here it is! This photo is courtesy of Kathleen, who graciously agreed to let me post it for all to see.

A week or so ago, Kerin delivered Flat Judy to me. I mean to have it laminated, but I haven’t had time to do that yet.
On Tuesday, #1 Son decided to move his computer from his room in my house to his room in his house, where it will be decidedly more convenient to use. He also asked if he could have the old router that I’m not using any more, because it’s better than the one he has. And I’m fine with that because I hate to see old stuff go to waste.

Tuesday night I came home late to find unmistakable signs that #1 Son had been there (a half-finished pot of coffee, etc.). And I found Flat Judy with old random computer parts piled on it, right where Stephanie signed it!

We are not amused.

I have rescued it and stored it safely away from too much abuse and I will get it laminated as soon as possible. (Query to my gentle readers: does Kinkos laminate? Or where is a good place to have that done – prefer PDX metro west side.)

The Harlot signed my backside

You can see that not too much damage was done. There’s the signature in all it’s glory.

How many people can say their backsides have been signed by a Harlot. I know… I’m easily amused.

I have started a pair of toe-up Monkeys using the Blue Moon Knitters Without Borders colorway. I really like the way that this is knitting up. I have seen a couple of other pairs of socks in the same yarn, and it’s funny what a difference gauge can make. All of use are getting totally different results.

I really like the way that the white strip on my socks is really narrow and really pops against the darker colors. It’s easier to see on the sole side, but try to imagine it.

Last night I acquired a new offering from Sharon of Stitch Jones. That link is to her new shop, which is almost ready for prime time. In the mean time, head over to her Etsy shop and check out some of the new colorways. Yum!

Tangle knitters

Here in the Portland area we have an almost embarrassing number of local yarn shops. We knitters here are very lucky. And the shops are very diverse. There’s one to suit the mood of every fiber junky, whether looking for the trendy and hip or the classic and elegant. It’s all here. And most of it is available via mass transit.

But there are so many, and new ones spring up at regular intervals. So, while sad, it’s not too surprising to hear now and then that one will be closing. Except one never thinks that it will be one’s favorite yarn shop. It’s always the one that you didn’t go to all that much, you know.

But today… it was my favorite. Tangle will close on June 14th. I am so sad. 😥

I have been hanging around Tangle almost since it opened. When I first came back to knitting and realized that there were places that sold only yarn, and it was good yarn, and I didn’t need to buy my yarn at Michael’s. And I could wander in to this amazing yarn store and just breath yarn fumes and sit and knit and chat and be amongst my people. And Alice didn’t even mind! At Tangle, I met women of every age and every shape and size and color and knitting ability. And every one is a treasure that I am so much richer for knowing.

Judy’s Magic Cast On was born in my family room, but it was refined at Tangle. I can remember some of the conversations that took place:
Me: Is this something that’s cool?
Knit Buds: Yes! You should publish it.
Me: Really? Do you think anyone would really be interested?
Knit Buds: YES! Publish it! NOW!
Me: OK

Without the downright insistence gentle nudge from my Tangle Knit Buds, JMCO would still be just that thing that only I know how to do when I start the toes of socks.

At Tangle, with Alice’s encouragement I learned to teach knitting. My first sock class was such a disaster, and my long-suffering students so understanding and so patient. I think I learned as much or more from them. (I made exactly zero on that first class because I had to keep reprinting my handout. It was full of errors.)

On Thursday nights it doesn’t matter if I am early or late or tired or happy or whatever. I am welcomed into the circle, and if there isn’t an empty chair one is found, and a glass of wine is poured, and everyone asks how my socks are coming along, and I feel myself relax as I pick up my needles. And we chat and laugh together, and sometimes cry together, and before I know it it’s time to go home.

Between the lime green walls, nestled in the yarn cubbies, amongst the knitting circle chairs, around the finicky swift… Tangle holds my heart.

Salish Sea Socks

I have finished the Salish Sea Socks. This pattern was part of the 2007 Rockin’ Sock Club. I don’t know when, or if, it will be made available to the general sock-knitting public.

I had a lot of fun with this pattern and only wish that I hadn’t gotten distracted (oooh… shiny…) and let them languish for so long.

As is her wont, Cat has come up with a brilliant pattern. I really love the way that the gusset increases are hidden inside the wavy pattern on the foot. And the traveling garter-stitch rib on the ankle was a fun knit. I actually behaved myself and followed Cat’s instructions – with one change. I modified the heel turn to use the math from the smallest size given in the pattern. I paired that with the gusset increases that were called for by my actual size. Et voilà – a sock that fits my skinny heel. I still sort of prefer my own heel turn to Cat’s, but this worked pretty well and I’m always glad to learn new techniques to add to my repertoire.

Today the sun is shining, but I have the feeling that the cold has not completely loosened its grasp on the Northwest. I will probably get to wear these a time or two before it’s time to close up the sock drawer for the summer.

By the way, if you haven’t there recently, go over to the Blue Moon welcome page. I don’t know how long it will be up there, but right now the picture shows the PDX Knit Bloggers at the Yarn Harlot event. And there’s Flat Judy right in front. 😀

The Knitters Without Borders colorway is now available on the Blue Moon site. $3 from each skein purchased goes directly to Doctors Without Borders.

The pictures of this colorway in the skein do not do it justice. I’ve already cast on toes, and I’ll have a pic soon. Until then, go over to FiberQat’s blog to see how wonderful it looks on her needles. Then go buy some. You know you want to.

The Particulars:

• Yarn: Blue Moon Socks That Rock Medium (100% superwash merino / 5.5oz, 380yds per skein); one skein of Bella Coola with a goodly bit left over
• Needles: a pair of Addi Lace 24″ circulars, US#2
• Pattern: Salish Sea Socks by Cat Bordhi – one of the 2007 Rockin’ Sock Club offerings
• Modifications: I followed the pattern pretty much as written. The only change was to use the heel width from the smallest size with the heel height from the size I was knitting otherwise. I tweaked the number of wing stitches accordingly.

Four years ago I asked What Do I Do With A Blog? in a little box in some software called Movable Type, and then clicked a button labeled Publish. In some ways I am still asking that question.

Four years ago I was a geeky, single, working mom with a teenage son who was deep in the long dark night of the soul called adolescence. One day I told my brother that I was interested in blogging software and thought I’d start one to play with. Bro replied, You know, if you start a blog you have to write in it all the time at regular intervals. You’ll never keep it going.

Ha! to you, Bro.

Four years ago, I had no particular thing I blogged about regularly. I just wrote whatever came into my head. I toyed with political blogging for awhile, but that took too much time to research and too many were already way better than I could ever hope to be. I toyed with techie blogging with much the same result. I wasn’t all that surprised that I had few visitors. But hit count had never seemed the point of it all to me, anyway.

Three-and-a-half years ago #1 Son became the proud possessor of a learner’s permit. And I picked up a set of DPNs and some rather hideous yarn and started knitting a pair of socks. I started writing about my knitting. Something clicked. And, seemingly overnight, I found myself in the wonderful world of knitting that is found online, and in my local yarn shops, and at fiber festivals and yarn festivals, and everywhere I go.

Some things have changed, some have not. I am still geeky, still single, still working. The blog is now powered by WordPress, which I hack on a regular basis to beat it into submission. #1 Son is still a teenager, for a few short months more. But he has (mostly) escaped the Borg and come back into the light to be revealed as a young man I can be, and am, very proud of. I have wonderful friends all over the world. And Knit Buds and PDX Knit Bloggers. And I have you, gentle reader, to chat with. And we are all bound together by little strands of fiber.

I’m going to keep typing at semi-regular intervals until my fingers fall off.