I spent my new year's eve with parasites. The kids were having a party (to which about 50 of their closest friends had been invited), so I decided to hide in my room with my cats, my dog, my knitting, and a marathon session of Monsters Inside Me on the Science channel.
I love Monsters Inside Me. There's almost nothing better than parasites for some good tv viewing...
Then around 11:30 I took the dogs for a walk for about an hour. There were losts of fireworks in the neighbourhood, some of which sounded uncannily like gunshots. It's always touch and go when you live in Spryfield.
I finished my vanilla Cherry Tree Hill supersock in Northern Lights.
I did a hemmed cuff (10 rows, then purl, then 10 rows then foild and join), a bunch of plain stockinette, eye of partridge heel, double sole decrease gusset (with 1 decrease row for every 2 plain rows), and a standard wedge toe.
I will never purchase Cherry Tree Hill yarn again. There was a huge knot in the middle of the skein, and I ended up having to unpick it because it was way too lumpy. So I had to join the yarn again. I understand that sometimes yarn breaks and splits and there is nothing you can do about it. But if you're selling it, then the least you can do is warn people.
I love Wendee at Hazel Knits and Ruth at Impulse of Delight because they are up front about the knots and even discount the price. I am perfectly happy to buy a knotty / naughty skein, but I am irritated beyond belief when I buy what I think is a nice smooth skein and it turns out to be knotty. I had a skein of Eidos like that from the Sanguine Gryphone once, and it really irritated me (one of my Woodsmokes).
The patterning / pooling on the Cherry Tree Hill is pretty ugly, and I never understand why the pooling on the leg is different from the pooling on the foot when they're both the same stitch count.
So I will grudgingly make the second of these socks and I'll have to keep them because I could never give them away in good conscience.
I also managed to drop a stitch somewhere (which is the danger of pure stockinette if you're not paying attention), and had to pick it up again. Unfortunately, it was dropped so far back that when I went back and picked it up, it now looks like a skar. You can see it on the third photo.
Blech. These socks (well, so far, it's this sock) are not an epic fail, but they're not a rollicking success either.
I haven't received my December Janel Laidman Illumination shipment. That's the last of the 2011 sock club shipments.
It took about 4 1/2 hours to untangle the Traveller for the Porom. It was split in 4 places. So I started all over again. This is where it is now on v 2.0.
And no, it is not that pink. It's more of a dark red.
I finished the body and started the crown decreases. But unfortunately I have such a short attention span that I think I was doing it incorrectly. So I decided I'd have to tink back the 4 or 5 rows and start the crown again. It may or may not require such drastic measures. We'll see. I'm a little bored with it.
And what is with the 5.0 mm needles? They're huge. As someone who routinely knits with needles the size of ballpoint pen refills, it's very odd to change to something huge. I was using my SNA 5.0 mm DPNS, but they were a little too slippery, so I found some bamboo Chiagoo needles and am using those. I suppose I should just suck it up and tink back and follow the directions properly and finish the darned thing. I could probably get it finished today or tomorrow. But I'm not sure that I want to do that.
The tree that was decorated on Christmas Eve apparently comes down today or tomorrow (according to Princess who is the dictator of all things domestic).
The advantage to not having had a tree in several years is that I forget what ornaments we have. About a zillion years ago I made a bunch of fimo ornaments, and they go up every year. Quinn made a gingerbread man out of Fimo when he was about 4 or 5 years old. I think it's my favourite ornament EVER.
Next year, I'm going to take some time off before Christmas and make a bunch more Fimo ornaments. Last time I did them (15 or 16 years ago), they were mostly teddy bears. Not sure why.
My second favourite ornament of all time is the pickle.
We had an eggplant, but it must have broken. We still have the ear of corn. Those came from Christmas by the Sea. I may have to go in there and see what they have for whimsical ornaments. I do love ornaments.
I'm loath to make any knitting resolutions for 2012. Resolutions are just an invitation for failure as far as I'm concerned. Let's take a look at last year's resolutions and see how that turned out ...
1. Make second socks:
- Truckle
- Snapdragon
- Rimefrost
- Fishy Wishy Serendipity
- Watermelon
- Flaming Desire
I made the second socks for Truckle, Snapdragon, Fishy Wishy Serendipity and Watermelon. The Rimefrost and Flaming Desire are still missing their mates. Plus I created a whole bunch of single socks without mates.
2. Finish Stonewall stole
I may have done about 6 rows on it all year. It continues to languish in a project bag.
3. Do 2 Tsock Kits
I got as far as putting some of the Tsock Kits into a project bag. I had a whole year in which to make Tsocks. Soon the 2012 Tsock kits will start arriving, and I've done nothing on any of the previous versions. I suck.
4. Do 3 RSC kits (from any year; no pressure)
I'm not actually sure whether I knit a single RSC kit. And that's horrible since we've been getting 12 patterns a year for the last two years. It's not as if I don't have any yarn to knit with. I'm ridiculous. I still want to join the RSC club this year, but it may have to be retroactive and wait until the next 2 dogs are fixed. Sebastian severely cut into my yarn budget. But the point is, it doesn't matter when I join; it's not as if I'm going to cast on and get a project done during the year anyway.
5. Learn colourwork
I'm with Hunter Hammerson on this one. I don't think it's meant to be for me. And that's very sad, because it would be a great way for me to knit thick socks for Princess while double decreasing my stash. I can envision making all kinds of cool colourwork designs. In fact, I can probably become a colourwork sock designer without ever being able to knit a single colourwork sock.
6. Make a pair of socks with beads
Nope. Didn't happen. I suppose if I got off my arse and did the Queen of Beads kit, that could eliminate resolution 6 and 1/3 of resolution 4.
7. Princess says: NOT BUY ANY MORE YARN
I did drastically decrease my yarn purchasing in the second half of the year, so I guess that counts for something.
8. Oh yeah, take another stab at and finish Theseus and the Minotaur.
It's colourwork. See resolution #5. Didn't happen.
I also think I might want to try them cuff down rather than toe-up. But I hate short row heels. So until I think of a solution, they'll never get done.
9. Knit some socks
This is the only thing I accomplished. Unfortunately, many of them were single socks.
10. Figure out how to magic loop for colourwork.
See above. Still not happening. Although, having said that, I do have a 3.25 mm SNA circ, which may be appropriate for colourwork. Maybe I should give that a try this year.
11. Learn some new techniques.
What did I learn? I learned Turtlegirl76's technique for the gusset decreases on the sole. I am using it pretty exclusively now. So I guess that counts.
12. Have fun and appreciate what I have.
Check.
Well, I think my 2012 resolution will be as follows:
KNIT
That I can do.
