4 Things Meme, New Socks

First: I finished one of the Mineshaft Comfort Socks last night! I had to separate the socks when I got to the toe, because I needed to readjust the stitches. I am so relieved that the end is in sight. I will be able to hand them over to Suzanne on Sunday, so they can be sent to her father-in-law!

It took a LOT of effort to decide what yarn to use next, but I didn't break out the random number generator this time. I wanted something cheerful with blue in it, but was not wanting to rush out and make socks from any of the new yarns. I then spotted a beautifully mottled cashmere blend skein from Creatively Dyed, as pictured. I want something soft and fun, and not stripey, so that will do. I think I'll use the slip-stitch pattern I was trying to emulate the first time I started the Mineshaft socks, only I will look at the instructions this time.

Speaking of the new yarn, I got a nice note on Ravelry from the dyer of the Accidental Knitter yarn. She'd read my review and commented that I seemed like the right person for the extra colorful yarn. What good sales strategy to write a personal thank-you note when she couldn't be at the show herself!

Meme, as Promised

I was tagged for this meme a week or two ago and hadn't had time to get to it yet. Since I am such a bad responder and an even worse tagger, I'm not tagging anyone in particular--if you feel like doing this, though, that would be cool--let me know so I can read yours! There is at least a wee bit of knitting content in this.

4 Things I Did Today:
-Uploaded a new biography to Eddie Collins' website.
-Ate some delicious oatmeal from the cafeteria.
-Gazed at the piddly amount of rain falling from the sky and wished it were more.
-Put a poppy as my Facebook icon to honor veterans.

4 Things on My To-Do List:
-Get nametags for the wedding
-Reschedule my hair appointment so that it does not conflict with a wedding dress fitting.
-Finish my Maelstrom and Wrap Me Up projects.
-Put my dining room furniture back together.

4 of My Guiltiest Pleasures:
-Bejeweled. It's the only computer game I like. It is on the computers, the phone and the Palm Pilot.
-Lattes and mistos. I just love coffee and steamed milk.
-Expensive sock yarn (duh).
-I love fast and beautifully made cars, even though I guess I will never again have one thanks to the economy and my guilt about wasting energy. Also I love trains. I got all excited at a train photo one of Beccano's friends took, just yesterday (this kid is an amazing train expert).


4 Random Facts About Me:
-I used to be an "award winning" Web designer. Before it became a programming job. I like writing a lot more.
-My favorite foods are butternut squash and salmon sashimi.
-I dated three guys named "Bill" in a row in my twenties.
-I am a very tactile learner, and I mainly knit because I like to touch the yarn. Also, keeping my hands busy calms me. I know, I am not the only one with that feature!

Sock Knitting Meme

I am sure glad Floderten!strik posted this on her blog, since I won't have anything to really show you until I knit a few more rows on Shalom.(And do check out her blog--she is a great writer with wonderful wit and insight, especially considering that she has just started her university studies and is not a native speaker of English.)

I have been a bit preoccupied with life this week, so I didn't get as far along on Shalom as I would like. I am on the bottom border now! There was high school open house to go to, a rehearsal for an upcoming gig (locals: Tuesday the 23rd at BB Rovers on 183 near Oak Knoll, at 8 pm there will be almost an hour of me and my friends trying to sing harmony outdoors in a smoky loud environment on equipment that is not ours. Whee!). And of course there is a distracting hurricane that thankfully should miss us, but has the roads and hotels all crowded with refugees. I bet we don't even get any rain, sigh. But I am hoping for the best for those down south.

Anyway, here is the meme:

When did you first learn to knit socks? I first learned some time in the 80s, when I made one sock but found it too complicated, so I figured it was beyond me. Silly me.

What’s the first sock you ever knit? Ravelry tells me my first socks, depicted above, were made in 2003. My friend Nancy Jo and I learned together. The pattern is Adult Basic Socks by Deirdre Wallace. I was hindered greatly by my choice of perhaps the darkest sock colorway ever, so I could not see the stitches very well. So, there are a couple of "interesting" holes in it (I think they are where I messed up transitioning from one DPN to the other.) And I misunderstood the heel pattern, so it is plain. That's OK, I got it on the next sock and have not stopped since.

Favorite Sock Pattern? That is like asking who is your favorite child! I am really liking the one I am working on right now, Celebratory Chevrons, which was the Loopy Ewe first anniversary pattern.

Favorite needle method? One sock on magic loop. However, I have done the last few two at a time, since I like finishing them both at the same time. I don't "hate" any method, though.

Favorite sock needles? US 0 or 00. This is because, as we recall, I knit a bit loosely. This is the equivalent of a 1 or 2 for "normal" people.

Who do you knit socks for? Mostly me, though I made a few for a friend once, and have done them for my sister, Lee, Lee's dad and the daughter of a friend.

How many pairs have you knitted to date? BWA HA HA HA HA. Let's say "a lot." OK, I counted on Ravelry and there are 71 listed there. I think there are some I didn't photograph before giving away, but that is a reasonable estimate.

What is on your sock knitting to-do list? I want to make something with my shiny yarn with silver in it, knit with Panda Soy (I love to try new yarns), do at least one "new pathways" style sock, and successfully complete a fair-isle style sock in two colorways, since my last try didn't work. Oh, and entrelac socks. I just need to stop on other things and make the pattern I have!

What kind of socks do you like to knit-
Striped? Yep. That is all I did at first.
Colorwork? I need to work on not getting them too tight with my floats. Like I said above, it is on the list.
Plain Stockinette? Occasionally, especially with very colorful yarns. It's a nice rest.
Cabled? Yes, though I find single traveling twisted stitches annoying after a while.
Lace? Probably my favorite.
Anklets? I made one pair and I like it a lot. I will probably make short socks out of my Panda cotton, when I get to it.
Knee Socks? Not so far, but I have seen a few really nice patterns. It is just too hot here.
Solid colors? I like semi-solid ones best. Most solid colored sock yarns are too glaringly colored for my taste.
Bright and crazy? Fraid so. Even if Lee hates them. I like looking at the colors when I am iknitting.
Faux Fair Isle (the yarn doing all of the work)? I have made a few and have yarn for more. I like them fine as everyday wear.

Tag a few sock knitters here: As the blog I stole this from said: Consider yourself tagged, sock-knitters.

Taking a Rest to Play Tag

It's only 10 am and I am already tired. I get a burst of energy each month (or more often now that hormones are going nuts on me) and so I have just spent an hour or two decluttering in my office and part of the kitchen. Secretly it's because my dad will visit in a couple of weeks and I don't want him to think I am a total slob. Of course, the office is still pretty cluttered, so he will have no idea how much better it looks. So, I am taking a break.

Here's a photo of one thing I sort of organized, my straight knitting needles (most of the aluminum ones are hiding). The random knitted thing is a magic ball scarf my son once worked on. I have no desire to finish it. The container is a Noni bag (you may want to click: her home page currently features a knitted felted flower bra). People at the yarn shop love to make them, and I test knitted one (you will see my name on the brochure of this pattern). My flowers came out pretty well, but the bag itself lists badly and can't really sit up on its own. I have no urge to make any of the other patterns, but they are very well printed and pretty. There's a messenger bag I may do for my son, but of course, all black. Whee.

As for playing tag. My blog friend Dragonfly has tagged me for yet another meme. I have the same issue as her, which is running out of bloggers to tag. So, if I tag you, don't feel overly compelled unless you have the time!

Rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules on your blog
2. Share 7 facts about yourself on your blog, some random, some weird.
3. Tag 7 people at the end of your post by leaving their names as well as links to their blogs.
4. Let them know they are tagged by leaving a comment on their blog.
   

My Random Facts:

I'm going to make some of my facts knitting tidbits. No rule said you couldn't.

1. For 20 years I did "combined" knitting and purled by going under, not over. At least I eventually learned the trick to compensate for it.
2. Many of you may already know that I collect things with pansies on them. I have lots of nice pansy art, pansy wallpaper, cups, dinnerware and such. You may not know why I collect them. When I was young, my mother always had them, in a large square planter on the back patio (near the wonderful fish pond my dad had made, full of goldfish and catfish). She told me she liked them because the blossoms looked like faces, so if you plant pansies, you always have friends. I really love those friendly faces, which come in almost as many varieties as human faces.
3. In 8th grade I made spending money by crocheting bikinis for friends out of this totally bizarre 100% acrylic yarn that actually made nice, stretchy, wearable bikinis. I never wore one. I also made dozens of granny square purses for fun and profit. The li'l entrepreneur.
4. I like almost all foods other than natto, which is fermented soybeans from Japan. The smell and texture combine to make me feel sick.
5. I never wanted to have children. I thought I would be a terrible mother. Whew, am I glad I had those little boys, who are now young men who make me incredibly happy and give me the drive to keep going.
6. I subscribe to Car and Driver magazine. I really like cars--think they are interesting and beautiful (some of them) and I enjoy driving a good car. Of course I am all for alternative fuels and less pollution. And don't get me started on how foolish it is that we build houses that have no services within walking distance. I always loved it in Ireland, where you could walk to get food, go to the pub, or go to the drug store, no matter where you lived.
7. I have never enjoyed a computer or video game except Bejeweled. Playing games takes away knitting time. I do like Bejeweled, though. It makes me feel old. Like a lot of things do these days. Of course, I will be old in three weeks, so it makes sense.

I'd probably have more interesting facts if my mood was better--the job search clouds my perceptions, some times more than others.

OK, here are my seven people: Lee, Judy, Killer Peach (cause she started posting again), Diane (ditto), Titianknitter, Saranda, and Yvonne (because I didn't tag her last time). If you're already tagged, ignore me.

Knitting: The sock is going well--I'll try to finish it tonight. Too many errands and events yesterday to get much done.

Eww, I Was Tagged. Will Make It about Knitting

My faithful blog reader friend across the waters, Yvonne, has given me a lovely "you make me smile" award (thank you, Yvonne, so do you). And she also (ack) tagged me on one of those meme things. Where I have to tag other people. I hope it does not offend any of them.

Since this is my knitting blog, and I have very little knitting news today due to spending last night watching my family buy guitars (long story), I am going to answer in knitting related ways. OK, here I go.

The Rules: Once tagged, you must link to the person who tagged you. Then post the rules before your list, and list 8 random things about yourself. At the end of the post, you must tag and link to 8 other people, visit their sites, and leave a comment letting them know they’ve been tagged.

My 8 random things:

1. I used to know how to tat and think I could do it again.
2. I would like to spin and knit up Buddy the Dog's hair.
3. I have never seen anyone actually wearing a clapotis.
4. I love to turn the heels on socks.
5. I cannot stand to knit with slippery yarn--it bothers my fingers.
6. It makes me really happy to teach someone to knit then see their finished product.
7. My favorite part about knitting may well be picking the right pattern, and then the right yarn for the pattern, and debating that endlessly with my friends.
8. If I had to choose just two yarns to knit with the rest of my life it would be Debbie Bliss Rialto and Fiesta Boomerang Light. I could change colors, though.

Please forgive me for tagging the following people: Jo, Jody, Lee, Liz, Tina, Sam, Saranda, and Stephanie, because I think you are the friends least likely to hate me for tagging you. [She grins weakly.] And um, all of you make me smile! Actually, everyone who comments makes me smile--I am so happy to meet all the new people and hear from old friends. And all the people whose blogs bring me cheer, make me think, or otherwise add to my life! So, the Blogosphere is good, even if memes are scary.

Knit on (unless you are tagged, in which case, you have to figure out if you know 8 other people).