Friday, May 29, 2009

Sock Summit Go!

There was much frenzy and wailing and gnashing of teeth about the Sock Summit this week. I was in the crash, I had a fake success, and then I actually registered.

I was lucky enough to get a full slate of classes, and while I won't be taking Amy Singer's class (boo!), the Summit is so full of amazing that my teacher list makes me woozy. I just hope I don't make an idiot of myself in front of these seriously cool people.

Now I just need airfare and accommodations.

I'm a toe (or two, I may have had some premature toe action on the first sock - I've got to quit that..) away from finishing super-happy socks for The Cup, and I may post a progress pic of my not-scary laceweight stole.

We've got big yardwork plans this weekend, but I hope I can get a good pile of knitting done as well. Classes start back on Monday (when new classes for The Cup are posted) and I'm afraid my knitting time may be somewhat curtailed.

Tuesday, May 26, 2009

Crazy in my head

Tomorrow at 1pm registration for Sock Summit opens. And I am going. I'm very nervous about signing up for classes. For one thing, my class list's associated teachers make me feel like a squeeing teenager. (OMG, Amy Singer! EEEEEE!) For another, every time I look at the class list I change my mind about what to take (just now I kicked my Friday AM plans to the curb twice in the last five minutes). Seriously, this event has me all kerfuffled.

I'm booking away on House Cup projects. I got some serious sock time in yesterday and today - my socks I started a week ago Saturday are on the second gusset - yay me. My lace stole has one end on a holder, and the other cast on. May get another row or two in before sleeping tonight, if I can tear myself away from the crazy-making website.

The Indy 500 was yesterday - hence the plain sock time, mostly in the car, but there during some caution laps and when the crowd started getting to me. Then watching the replay after - both last night and this morning. The stole, surprisingly, seems to be going better with podcasts and DVDs of The Wire - the latter in the later half of the lace ends, when they get more automatic.

Ok. Going to sleep soon. I promise.

Wednesday, May 20, 2009

House Cup

I meant to do some cleaning of my house over the break. And some of that has happened - Mandie came over and helped me get my stash room under control, and Chris and I have gone through some boxes and we may well be moved in before too long (it's only been two years).

But mostly I've been knitting for the House Cup. Started 20 days ago, here are three little projects:

webcam wristers
Wristers for Quidditch. Go Gryffindor!

charms 1
A headband to keep my now-short hair out of my face.

And...
muggle studies
Rose's Wristwarmers, which have been in my queue longer than I've been watching Doctor Who, if you'll believe it. This pattern is the one that made me sit up and say "hmm, maybe I should get that show from the library..."

I signed up for an OWL, so there's a long-term project that's going to be started any day now. I also have a plain sock going that if the pair is finished this month, will be my Defence against the Dark Arts homework. (Actually, it'll be Defence homework either way. But I'm hoping to get them done, they make me really happy.)

I'm going to go clean up my house a bit and then myself some - and then I think I get to knit some more.

Friday, May 1, 2009

May Day

So my friend Mandie of Sheepy Time Knits has this colorway I just love: Aurora Borealis. She recently started dyeing fiber as well as yarn, and so when I had the chance, I snagged a braid of superwash BFL in Aurora Borealis- and this is how it spun up:

P5010077

There's a touch more than 200 yards of it, which isn't exactly what I was hoping for - I was trying for socks, and it may not be enough. However, I've recently had other ideas...

Meanwhile, I joined the Hogwarts House Cup and have been clearing the needles in anticipation of today's class postings. Here's a pair of finished socks:

P5010076

Regular top-down with a short-row hourglass heel, Red Heart Heart and Sole yarn in Toasted Almond. Yarn bought and socks cast on in a post-Christmas "I have nothing to knit and my stash is 500 miles away!" panic.

Finished an unbloggable pair as well, and have made headway on my green things from last fall - am at armhole/shoulder shaping on the back of my cardigan, and have gotten back to the leafy green shawl which will someday be finished, maybe... This means I currently have exactly one pair of socks on the needles, if you can believe it. But that'll change soon enough - the Cat Bordhi group is meeting at Village Yarn Shop this weekend, and I'll need a pair for that!