What Could I Do?

Around and around goes "The Sock Everyone Is Tired Of Hearing About." I am actually taking tomorrow off from work with the intention of doing only two things. One, put something in the mail for the trekster and two, finish "The Sock Everyone Is Tired Of Hearing About." I am about to start the gusset which as we know, involves decreases and, for a new sock knitter a certain amount of concentration.

But tonight was the weekly meeting of the Silicon Valley Stitchers. Which means I needed something relatively mindless to knit. What to do, what to do?

It started around 3:00 this afternoon at work. I was busy pretending my keyboard was a piano and was banging out the notes to "Jingle Bells". Hours of data entry will cause me to do things like that. By using only the "Enter" key I was able to discover that the first verse of "Jingle Bells" will get me to row 19 on an Excel spreadsheet. Then I counted how many key strokes there were between the fields I needed to enter data into and started entering the data with my eyes closed. This knowledge may come in handy if I ever go blind. However, this little exercise was quickly brought to a halt by the voice of my supervisor asking, "April, are you sleeping?"

Obviously I needed to find a more productive use of my time. Downloading free sock patterns seemed like a good idea. And there it was. There in the Knitty archives was the pattern for the Broadripple Socks. With just a little bit of lace to keep things interesting but overall, simple enough for a newbie. How was I supposed to resist starting a second pair of socks when they begin like this?

Why yes, that is Koigu KPPPM. Why yes, these will be the most expensive socks I've ever owned. But the COLOR, my God, the COLOR. I want to wear them NOW.

And apparently I wasn't the only one who was bored today ...

Interior Decorating by Andy - Call Now For Your Free Consultation

BIG Score

Tonight was the bi-monthly meeting of the Santa Clara Crochet Meet-Up group at Knitting Arts in Saratoga. Jen, our fearless leader, was at the big TNNA show somewhere in the Midwest and came back with freebies. Which she decided to share with us. If it was me, heck I woulda kept it all myself.

Sock Yarn!

More Sock Yarn!

The Regia Silk Color feels soooo nice. The colors are very masculine but I'm pretty sure I'd be hard pressed to find a guy who wanted a pair of variegated silk socks. I think they'll look great with jeans. The composition is 55% Merino, 20% silk and 25% polyamid with 200m per ball.

The Regia Crazy Color reminds me of the beach. I think something lacey would look nice in these colors. I've been madly downloading free sock patterns so I'm sure I have a pattern somewhere that would be appropriate. It's very soft as well. 75% wool, 25% polyamid, 210m per ball.

I've been swapping over on the Knitty board in my continuing effort to obtain more sock yarn. Tonight when I got home from the Crochet Meet-Up this was in my mailbox ...

And I have to admit, I'm a bit confused. I was under the impression I was getting one ball of Schaffer "Anne". Tell me, does the skein on the left look like it's the same colorway as the ball on the right? I think I need to take these in to work tomorrow and weigh them on the scale. Because I think I got twice what I thought I was getting. Who in their right mind would swap two full skeins of Anne for 3 sets of circular needles? Of course I could always just ask the person who swapped with me. But that would be rude.

Saved By Jack Bauer

Thanks to Jack Bauer and three episodes of "24" tonight I was able to get through 1 1/2 inches of leg, a heel flap and get the heel turned on sock #2.

The Sock We're All Sick Of Seeing

Don't you just love turning the heel? I love turning the heel. I wish someone would design a scarf with random heels placed all over it. It might be a bit lumpy but it sure would be fun to knit. Sock #2 is coming out much better than Sock #1 did. My ribbing is a lot tighter and my DPN's don't flop around nearly as much as they did before. And my two little edges for picking up the stitches for the gusset are both the same! What a concept.

You know what else I wish someone would invent? Besides a scarf covered in heels. A voice activated row counter. Something you could put on your table near where you knit and at the end of each row you'd just scream "DONE" or "FINISHED" and it would say, "Thank you Knitting Goddess, you have completed row 1,932." How complicated could it be to design something like that? They can put a man on the Moon but there's no such thing as a voice activated row counter? Where are our priorities? Of course, you'd have to leave your row counter at home whenever you went to a Stitch 'N Bitch. There's a recipe for disaster if I've ever heard one. Oh, I just thought of something else. The row counter would need to be of sufficient weight so that it wouldn't be knocked over by crazed cats doing laps in your apartment.

Ralphie

This is a picture for trek's little Neatnik who went to the aquarium yesterday. She saw all kinds of interesting fish and since Ralphie is utterly fascinating ... OK, that might be a bit of a stretch .. Since Ralphie is a fish as well I thought I'd post a picture for the Neatnik.

And last but by all means, not least ... A few days back when I posted my 100th post and was exclaiming about all the wonderful people I'd met since I started my blog I forgot someone. Well I probably forgot a lot of people but this person in particular should not have been missed. Well if you come right down to it, nobody should be missed. This could go on for days. Anyways, I forgot to mention *** MY OTHER SECRET PAL ***. Am I an idiot or what? Yeah, no more prezzies for YOU little Miss April.

Ladybug, Ladybug, Fly Away Home

Or better yet, fly into my mailbox!

This is the "Ladybug" colorway from Opal's Rainforest Collection. I adore ladybugs so when I saw this online I knew I needed to add it to the sock stash. I have to admit that when I opened the envelope today I was a bit disappointed. I mean, it really doesn't look like much does it? But apparently, through the magic of knitting, it will soon look like this.

I like it. A lot. In fact, I like all the colors in the Rainforest Collection. Well maybe not the Parrot. But definitely all the other ones. I've never knit with Opal but it feels nice so hopefully this will be a success. At least enough of a success to justify buying another ball in a different colorway.

We haven't seen the Irish Hiking Scarf lately. It saw quite a bit of action this weekend and is coming along nicely.

This Louisa Harding yarn really is fantastic, I can't say enough good things about it. Plus it comes in 20, count 'em 20, different colors. You could knit an entire wardrobe using it. I just might.

That's all I think I have to report for today. Although if someone could please explain to me how I incurred $24.00 in late fees at Bradley Video, I'd really appreciate it.

100 Posts Later

For those of you who don't blog or don't use Blogger, when you log in to your blog it happily tells you how many posts you've created. Wonder of wonders, this is post # 100 to the Weaving Inn. In honor of the occasion I was going to write something deeply philosophical about how blogging had changed my life. How it had restored my faith in humanity. Lifted me up from the darkness of despair and into the light. Umm ... no.

I have, however, met some very special people who I might not have met if they hadn't found their way to my little corner of the Internet (hi trek! hi Renee! hi Amber! hi lurkers!). And that's pretty cool. I've also gotten to share pictures of some of my little projects, both bad (the amigurumi kitten who still has no head) and good (let me get back to you on that). But what it really comes down to is that I like to write. Those of you who've received e-mails from me probably already know that. Heck, even my Instant Messages sometimes rival "War And Peace." I write personal ads for friends. I write non-fiction articles that people actually pay money for (yeah, I can't believe it either). I write children's stories about dragons that blow bubbles that become rainbows. I write.

100 posts ago I couldn't figure out for the life of me what I'd ever write about in a blog. I should have known better. Thank you to everyone who reads my daily scribbling. It really means a lot to me.

OK, enough of the Oscar acceptance speech crap, let's move on.

Apparently once this is finished and blocked -

It will look like this -

Well except it'll be a different color. The Oak Leaf And Acorn Scarf proved to be a bit much for this beginning lace knitter. Enter "Emma's Scarf" which is ridiculously easy. This would be a great first project if you've ever thought about knitting lace. The lace pattern is over 16 stitches and 8 rows. Simple simple simple. And it's knit on either worsted or chunky weight yarn using US size 8 needles. Instead of your usual cobwebs and toothpicks. So it's quick, it's not difficult and would make a lovely Christmas gift. Which is only six months away.

Kerry and I went on a road trip today to Felton and Scott's Valley. Trust me to go to a quilt store and find ...

More Sock Yarn!

Actually, Kerry found it so technically it's not my fault that I bought it. OK, so it's not Sundara or Socks That Rock or Lorna's Laces but I'll give it a whirl and see how it knits up. I really like the colors so even if it's scratchy it'll still be pretty.

My Bestest Friend

Around And Around

Stockinette stitch. US size 2 needles. A recipe for madness. Around and around I go, row after row. What in the world possessed me to knit a sock strictly in stockinette stitch? Sure, I was not "sock savvy" but jeepers creepers I could knit cables in my sleep and I can fumble my way through a lace pattern. But no ... I decide to go knit knit knit. Thousands of tiny little knit stitches with not a single yo, k2tog, c3f or ssk in the lot. A project like this ... Well you start to have crazy thoughts. Like ... maybe I should start using crank! Hell, I could fly through this puppy in no time! Or ... what if I only wore this pair of socks with long pants. Would anyone notice that the leg of one sock is 6 3/4 inches and the other 2 inches.

Which is why, when I got home tonight from the weekly meeting of the Silicon Valley Stitchers, I said to myself, "Self, if you don't sit down on the couch and knit something that requires even the tiniest part of your brain, you may never knit again." Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Fiber Trends "Oak Leaf And Acorn Scarf"

Rowan 4-Ply Soft in "Leafy"

Now how clever am I? An oak leaf and acorn scarf knitted in a color called leafy. My originality overwhelms me. All I can say is it's a good thing I've got a decent stock of lace patterns and appropriate yarn on hand. When I first purchased this yarn and got it home I thought, "Bleh, this color is the suck." But then tonight I remembered something a lady who owned a yarn store back home once told me. "There are NO ugly yarns, just ugly interpretations." Or was that something someone in a quilt store told me about fabric? Well regardless. Every yarn can be beautiful if you use it to make the right garment. I'm hoping I've made the right choice for this yarn. We'll see. Because I'm not really crazy about the pattern either.

Ralphie asked me to send a shout out to all the single girls out there in blogland. It's 86 degrees in his little tank right now which means Ralphie's ready to make like Marvin Gaye and get himself a little sexual healing. He's spent the day building bubble nests in his tank and if you look very, very closely you'll see little globs of white around the fake plastic plant. Male bettas, when they get ready to spawn, blow these bubble nests because after the female lays her eggs in the gravel he picks up the eggs and puts them in the nest until they hatch. Ralphie's a little irked with me right now because I moved his tank for a better photographic opportunity. Which sort of busted up the love shack a bit.

So if any of you ladies are free this weekend and would like to meet a nice betta, let me know. Ralphie's waiting.

She's Outta Control

No, not me. My secret pal !

Crystal Palace bamboo double pointed needles. In sizes US 2 and 3. You know what I think? I think my secret pal is Bill Gates. In fact, I'm quite sure of it. I mean, I was totally unaware that Bill knitted but what other reasonable explanation can there be for this amazing influx of gifts? It's like my birthday every day of the week. After all the craptastic things that have happened this year this is a most welcome blessing. Now all I have to do is figure out who it is so I can repay some of this generosity.

THANK YOU SECRET PAL !!!

Two beautiful sock bags were also in my mail today. Isn't this cow bag great? And I think the lining is perfect. This is, of course, a trek sock bag. I can't show you the other bag because it's for my secret pal and the knitting blog world is a small community. But seriously peeps, if you don't own a trek sock bag you really need to. These are OODLES better than those Lantern Moon silk sock bags. I know, I own one. We're talking a quality product here. These babies are built to last. And all you have to do is set up a swap with trek. Does it get any easier? I think not.

One ball at a time, that's how we build our sock yarn stash. Lana Grossa's Meilenweit "Fun & Stripes." I like this colorway a lot. I'm going to use it to make the Knit Picks "Mock Croc Socks." It's a free pattern, you should go download one. I'd link the pattern but it appears as though the Knit Picks site has blown up. What in the world does "There has been an overflow or underflow in GC pressure memory," mean? Sounds like too many knitters buying too much yarn. Funny, usually little Cindy Lou has gone to bed by now. Ha!

How friggin' hot was it in California today?

100 sweltering degrees.

I Shall Remember This Day

Finally ...

The Sock

I know you're probably all sick to death of hearing about this sock so last post for a while, I promise. Anyways, it fits. It's not quite as snug as I might have liked but that's OK for a first time effort. Now it's time to start it's twin although I'm beginning to question why people need to wear matching socks. Perhaps I should start a movement among sock knitters. Wouldn't it be great if all you ever had to do was knit just one sock, in one pattern and one colorway and then you could move on to another one? Well I suppose you could do that now but I don't think the mismatched sock fashion craze has started yet. But it's a thought.

Mail call from Knit Picks today and it was definitely a box full of wonderfulness.

I think these are all pretty self-explanatory but what the heck. On top, a book filled with wonderful sock patterns. All of which are named after towns or countries. There's even a Canada sock! Unfortunately I'm not that crazy about it but the thought was nice. Bonus points, the book is spiral bound so it lies nice and flat.

In the center, sock yarn. Of course. The Simple Stripes, for some reason, is squishier than the Essential. Go figure because they're both 75% wool, 25% nylon.

And on the bottom, my personal obsession, baby alpaca. Not nearly as soft as Misti Alpaca but definitely acceptable. I *love* the color. It's going to be used for my "Falling In Love" scarf once the IHS is done.

Well I must dash, someone seems to have "missed" the litter box. Cats. What a concept.

The Exorcist Yarn Cake

As I mentioned last night, I have been doing an inventory of my sock yarn. Today I took my ball of Fortissima Socka to work to weigh it on the postal scale. It came in at 3.2 ounces so I don't have quite 100 grams. I figure if I do the cuff, the heel flap and the toe in a different color I should be alright.

Since I'd already tried to make a sock out of it before there were a few yards pulled out from the ball. "Hey, why not wind it up into a tidy little yarn cake on the handy dandy yarn winder," I thought to myself. This would have been a splendid idea had this ball not been riddled with great honkin' globs of tangled yarn. It seemed as though every 3 or 4 yards it would puke out another glob and I'd have to stop and untangle the dang thing. What made it even worse was that I'd get it all untangled and then it would start to feed upon itself. Just laying there on my desk it would tangle right back up. My ball of yarn is clearly possessed.

Linda Blair In Yarn Form

Hey, how come I don't have any super cool note cards like this?

This is a thank you card from the socially correct trek. Is it adorable or what? I want some of these! And that's a real little needle there. I'm holding on to this card for the next time I lose one of my DPN's.

Sock Talk

Progress is being made on "The Sock." I've got about 1/2" more to do before the toe shaping. So of course I'm already thinking about the next sock pattern. One of my favorite places online to pattern shop is The Knitting Zone. Why? Because a good portion of their patterns are available for download. There's that old instant gratification thing again. Just pay your $5.00 or whatever the pattern costs and presto! no waiting for the mailman to show up. And while I was browsing this afternoon I came across this little number from Wildhorse Designs ...

April Fools Sock

Wow, I'm only on my first sock and already they're naming patterns after me! How cool is that? Of course trek has an entire line of sock yarn named after her but she's been at this longer than me.

I was reviewing my sock yarn stash today and it really is quite pitiful. We're talking six skeins/balls of sock yarn. I have my two BEAUTIFUL skeins of Sundara handpainted yarn that my Secret Pal sent me. I've got what remains of the ball I bought for Sock School and it's only a 50g ball. There seems to be an entire ball of Fortissima Socka but I would need to weigh it to be sure. And then there is a mystery ball that I *think* might be Lang Jawoll. Who knows where the ball band went. I also have this ...

Austermann Step - Color # 10

Which knits up like this:

Funky, no? Not only is it funky looking but it comes "mit Aloe Vera und Jojoba Oil." How's your German? Not so good? OK, it has Aloe Vera and Jojoba Oil IN the yarn. Seriously. It's supposed to last for like 40 washings. Has anyone worked with this yarn? It's quite soft and squishy. Although something just occurred to me. Does that person's feet look like they've been splattered with blood? Have I been watching too many episodes of Law & Order? Let's move on.

I am seriously lusting after this book ...

As has been mentioned ad nauseum in this blog, I am a traditionalist. And this book just gives me goose bumps. I sat down on the floor of Barnes and Noble this afternoon and studied it page by page. There are some seriously beautiful socks in here. In fact, I would love to make every single one of the patterns in this book. Twice even. Alas, I showed remarkable restraint and left it on the shelf. Next payday will be here soon enough.

The Secret Pal Strikes AGAIN !

Prezzies! Again! I'm beginning to think that my Secret Pal did NOT read the instructions for this swap. The instructions clearly state "two packages, over two months, each approximately $15.00 in value." Perhaps she suffers from a reading disability? She's already been threatened with Secret Pal Prison and yet, in the mail today ...

Comfort Zone DPN's

Five, count 'em five, that's onetwothreefourfive sets of Comfort Zone double pointed needles. In US sizes 0, 1, 2, 3 and 6. In wonderfully bright colors. These are very cool high tech space age flexible, non-breakable polymer needles. With super sharp ends for poking naughty kitties. Over time they actually conform to the shape of your hand. And they're so light it's unbelievable. They also come in packages of SIX so if you lose one you can just carry on. Take that, gap in the back of the cupboard! Is my Secret Pal the BEST or what?

THANK YOU SECRET PAL !!!

The Sock

Someone is knitting a sock. Someone is ripping a sock. Someone is knitting a sock. Someone is ripping a sock. There is not a single component of this sock that has not been redone at least once. Heel flap - oopsie! Only supposed to slip stitches on the knit side. Picking up the stitches for the gusset - oopsie! I'm on the wrong side. The only thing that went right the first time was turning the heel. Probably because that's my favorite part. And I *still* can't seem to slip the first stitch on the knit row so that I get a nice little line of easy to pick up stitches going up the side. I *am* slipping purl-wise and yet ... it's all bumpy and icky. But I shall persevere. Because I'm having FUN. Yeah, that's it. I'm having FUN.

Reporting Live From Africa

Hot. Very, very hot. Horribly hot. AFRICA HOT. How hot is hot? I swear to God these animals are roaming around in my parking lot ...

You think I'm kidding right? Lordy, it was 98 degrees here today. It's like living in h-e-double hockey sticks. I'm Canadian, I'm not wired for this kind of weather. Especially since I'm carrying around about 40 pounds of extra insulation which I do not need. And it's supposed to be like this ALL weekend. By Sunday night I imagine I'll be a little pool of lard in the middle of the living room carpet. So I did what any rational person would do when confronted with a heat wave. Started knitting the Irish Hiking Scarf.

I figured, "It's wool, it'll absorb the sweat quite nicely." KIDDING! Trust me, I had the AC cranked full blast until about 9pm. It is my personal opinion, at this moment in time, that Louisa Harding's Kashmir Aran is the *only* yarn for knitting cables with. Which is probably where the "Aran" part of the name comes from. Duh. I am more than pleased with this yarn. It's not that obvious in the picture but the stitch definition is amazing. It also has a very silky feel to it so it flows very nicely over the ol' fingers onto the needle. Why, it's hardly sticking to the sweat at all. I'd give it a definite ten. My only concern, and I can't figure out if this is a feature or a flaw, is there were maybe half a dozen places where it wasn't spun too evenly and there was a noticeable bump. But I wouldn't let that stop me from buying it again.

And waiting in the wings while I play with the IHS ...

The Sock

Trekking XXL, 75% wool, 25% nylon. You ladies probably already knew that though. This is Pure and Simple's "Beginner's Lightweight Sock" pattern. Also known as a k1, p1 rib with stockinette stitch. On Plymouth Bamboo needles, US size 2. This colorway makes me think of strawberries. I like Trekking, but then who doesn't?

Ice cream. I need ice cream.

The Hunt Is Over

Tonight after work I popped into Commuknity. They have social knitting on Wednesday nights and I was still on the hunt for the yarn for the Irish Hiking Scarf. I was thinking maybe baby alpaca but after fondling a few balls (ahem, get your mind out of the gutter ladies) I thought maybe all that cable work would more or less *melt* in something so soft. And then I found this.

I think the word to use here is "bingo." This is Louisa Harding's Kashmir Aran. It's composition is 55% merino wool, 35% microfibre and 10% cashmere. Not quite as soft as baby alpaca but it does have a nice hand. And I think it's got the oomph for all those cables. It's not quite so shiny in *real life* but it does have a bit of a sheen to it. Also, as with most of the yarn at Commuknity, it was very reasonably priced. I can't tell you exactly how much because the gentleman I am knitting this scarf for actually reads my blog every day. In my book, that fact alone gets him a scarf.

I would have cast on for the IHS tonight except you know what they say about sock yarn ...

"You can never have enough."

Now let me tell you that this picture does not do justice to the colors in this ball of yarn. In fact the ball of yarn doesn't do justice to itself. I probably wouldn't have bought it except Emy (my fantabulous Sock Teacher) recommended it. And Emy knows oodles more than I ever will about sock yarn. So when I got home I decided to give it a whirl. I am loving this yarn. LOVING. When I get a bit more done I'll post another picture so you too can be in awe of Miss Emy's amazing sock yarn picking ability.

In other yarn-y news ... I ripped out the Little Rune Sock because I am not pleased with my Sockotta yarn. I'm thinking that wearing a pair of socks made from Sockotta would be like walking around with brillo pads duct taped to the soles of your feet. Big ouch. Or maybe I need to knit this particular yarn on like a size US 0. Frankly I have no idea because frankly all I've knit is a sockette and half of one other sock. No sock expert am I.

Furthermore ... I've ripped out the Falling In Love scarf as well. As you may (or may not) recall, I was using Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock yarn for that little number. Well if I'm knitting a scarf with hearts all over it I'd like something that looks a little softer than the kitchen twine effect I was getting.

See this is what happens when you purchase a yarn winder. You feel absolutely no compunction whatsoever about ripping things out. Because then you just rewind all that lovely yarn into a stunning yarn cake, throw it into the stash box and it's as though that particular project never existed to begin with. I think I'm on to something here.

Rubber sweaters for my DPN's. May I never lose one again.

What Are The Odds?

Once again, the Yarn Gods are messing with me. I mean what are the odds that there would be a slight gap between the back of the cupboard I store my dishes in and the actual shelf the dishes sit on? And what would be the odds that when I put my sock in progress in there to hide it from Andy that one of my DPN's would slide down into said gap? I mean, come on now. Why is there a gap in my cupboard? Does this mean the whole thing is going to come crashing down in the near future?

Oh don't think it ends there. Of course it doesn't. What would be the odds that while I'm trying to fish the needle out of the gap that there should be a knock on my screen door? And in thinking that it was my neighbor I would feel compelled to yell, "Just a sec, I'm trying to get my needle." But it wouldn't be my neighbor, it would actually be the Sheriff? "Oh hi, I'm April and I'm an IV drug user, c'mon in!"

Fortunately Mr. Sheriff was more concerned in determining whether the man on the Most Wanted poster he was carrying bore a resemblance to my next door neighbor. As opposed to say, arresting me instead. Thankfully Mr. Most Wanted is not my neighbor. But you wouldn't be at all surprised if he was, would you?

Little Rune Sock

In recognition of trek's continuous sock knitting inspiration, my first "official" sock is one of her very own patterns. This is the Little Rune Sock which is for a little person. Little person meaning child, not midget. Unfortunately my self striping yarn really doesn't do justice to the pattern but I'll know better next time. I'm using Sockotta because hey, that was in my stash. 45% cotton, 40% superwash wool, 15% nylon. It's not bad, not fabulous. I'm using size US 3 because hey, that's all I've got in the way of DPN's. I've just started doing the heel flap. At least I *hope* I'm doing the heel flap.

Ralphie says,

"Oh my God, that's Cousin Eddie in that can of cat food!"

Somebody Loves Me!

I hereby declare my "Other Secret Pal" the very best Secret Pal in the entire world. And you should all be horribly jealous that I have such a wonderful secret pal. Because after a craptastic weekend and a tedious Monday I came home to the following ...

Fabulous gifts #1, 2 and 3

To start, a very beautiful card with nice things written about my blog inside, an incredibly pretty paperweight (at least that's what I'm going to use it for) and Divalicious stitch markers. My first stitch markers that aren't made from plastic! Hooray! Andy is *quite* fascinated by the stitch markers.

Fabulous gifts #4 and 5

Cute cute cute note cards and mmmm ... Gummi Bears. The very best Gummi Bears too! Not some cheapo Walgreen's brand. Nope, these are the original brand and highly prized by Gummi Bear afficiandos. They make a wonderful lunch with a can of Diet Coke.

Fabulous gift #6

How cool is this? Anyone that does any serious cooking knows that Oxo Good Grip cookware is the BEST. And the timing couldn't be better because I've been using my other measuring cup to refill Ralphie's fish tank. Which is kind of icky. I love kitchen stuffs!!!

Fabulous gift #7

And if Fabulous Gifts 1 - 6 weren't enough OH MY GOD IT'S SUNDARA HANDPAINTED SOCK YARN. Ladies, please ... wipe the drool off your chins. The color way is "Mixed Berry" and truly, have you ever seen more beautiful yarn? It looks even better in person but I'm not going to show it to anyone for fear they may try and steal it. I'm going to have to work on my sock knitting skills for a few more months before I even *think* about using this.

So clearly, I have the best Other Secret Pal in the whole universe plus infinity.

THANK YOU SECRET PAL !!!

Oh Hell Yeah

As hard as it may be to believe ...

A Sock

Oh hell yeah. And can I get a hallelujah along with that? It's a sock. A sock knitted by me on DOUBLE POINTED NEEDLES. With all manner of socky things, like a gusset and a heel flap and a kitchener toe. Let us ignore the fact that it's all of about 3 inches long and find out how this miracle occurred.

First of all a big shout out to my new best friend, Emy, at Commuknity. Little did she realize she was getting a sock-a-phobic in her Sock School today. A determined sock-a-phobic but a sock-a-phobic nevertheless. But with unwavering patience she managed to teach me the fine art of sock knitting. There were a few tense moments like when I couldn't remember how to pick up stitches (hello? how long have you been knitting?). And if you had seen me holding those DPN's in my hand at the beginning of the class you would have thought I was holdin' a bunch of chickens upside down. Those sticks were a flappin'. Unruly buncha toothpicks.

But at the end of the class there was much cheering and shouting as I waved my little sock in the air. You may now refer to me as "April, Knitter Of Socks."

In other news ... I am seriously behind in making blankets for Project Linus. And adding to the guilt I feel over that is the fact that they've finally put my name up on the site as a bona fide "Blanketeer." So someone needed to get busy this weekend. Well busy last night anyway ...

Tiny Hearts Blanket

Nothing like crochet to get things happenin'. I still have one more row of hearts to do and then some type of edging. But hopefully it'll be finished tomorrow. This is a preemie blanket done in Lion Brand Baby Soft using an "H" hook. The finished measurement is supposed to be 18" X 20" but I think mine is going to be a bit bigger. This is a super simple pattern once you get past the mistakes. Repeat after me pattern writers, "Testers are my friends and should be coaxed into service before I publish my pattern."

Wilma says,

"Why stand when you can lay?"