A Good Yarn

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

FO!

I had to laugh when I saw the knitting calendar page warning against knitting and driving, because that's just what I had been doing all day that day. Well, actually not driving, I was just a passenger. I had to go to Fargo for work, so I was lucky enough to be able to knit all the way up and back. I got another mitered square done, but haven't had a chance to sew it together:



Thursday night I finally managed to finish the Lozenge Socks:



Project Name: Gentleman's Sock with Lozenge Pattern
Designer: Nancy Bush
Pattern Source: Knitting Vintage Socks
Yarn: Socks That Rock
Yarn Source: Blue Moon Fiber Arts
Date Started: 8/30/06
Date Completed: 11/2/06

Comments:
These were knit in the Lagoon colorway. I knit them on size 0 needles in the hope that the tighter gauge would fit my foot. They fit coming off the needles, but once I blocked them, the texture spread out a bit and they're a little too big now - I'd say they'd fit a large woman's foot or a small man's foot. I am going to donate them to the Pine Ridge Reservation. Knitting on size 0 needles really hurt my hands, so I won't knit STR at that gauge again.

Over the weekend I went on a knitting retreat that was really fun. I did the driving this time, so no knitting time there, but Friday night after a wonderful meal we all changed into our PJs and enjoyed knitting, laughing and wine late into the night. Saturday I had to get my mocha coffee fix and a delicious cinnamon roll at the local bakery, but pretty much the rest of the day was spent knitting. I did take a short break to get a mini-massage - my skin is already so dry and I just wanted to get moistured with the oil. I think I'm going to have to find a good moisturizing spa treatment this winter. Sunday was a shorter day of knitting, then returning home to pick up Fiona and then head over to my brother's to watch the Vikings. The game was so pathetic I should have just stayed up north and knitted some more. This was the first time Fiona went to the kennel without Finbar, so I was a little worried, but they said she did really well - they give us report cards each day and they noted that Fiona had a boyfriend over the weekend - another little Sheltie male, the same size as her. So cute! The staff at the kennel said very nice things about missing Finbar, too, which was so nice. I always get the dogs groomed at the kennel, so I wanted to show you how shiny and pretty Fiona looks, but she HATES getting her picture taken. Here's the best I could do:



I really should rename her Greta Garbo. Anyway, with all that knitting this weekend, I managed to get a lot done. I got another mitered square done, but I haven't even blocked it yet, so I'll show you that later. I finished up knitting the pumpkin:



It's huge! I probably won't have time to throw it in the washer until this weekend. I also started a pair of felted slippers for the Pine Ridge Reservation:



I also knit a pair of socks over the weekend. No, really, I did. We each got one of the sock blocker keychains and a mini skein of Opal sock yarn, so I knit a sock for my new keychain and one for the one Deb gave me. Aren't they so small and cute?



I wasn't 100% happy with how the Opal yarn knitted up, so I'm definitely going to try some STR. I think the slightly thicker yarn will work better.