As I Emerge From My Chocolate-Induced Coma...

... I realize I have a TON to share with you!

First of all, feralmama received her scarf! Here's a photo of me wearing it (so glam)...


And a detail shot (please ignore my chins)...


Yarn: Cotton Fine by Brown Sheep in Barn Red, Salmon Berry Red (discontinued?) and Tea Rose - held doubled
Pattern-ish: Anniversary Scarf by Nicky Epstein for Vogue Knitting. Of course, I didn't follow the pattern exactly; I think it is designed to be more of a necklace? I wasn't crystal clear on the directions, so I did my own thing as usual. The flowers and the main scarfy part are wicked easy, basically garter stitch and yarn overs, and very fast, so try it!

Next, we present the Yarn Harlot!


I'm the one on the left. (If my hair was up to its usual misdeeds, we would look more alike.)

In our very own Ann Arbor last Friday. She is wicked smart and hilarious. Go see her. (And buy her books).

Unfortunately, I arrived a mere hour and 25 minutes early, which landed me in the upstairs overflow room. I actually considered not staying (let's repeat that: I actually considered not staying, yikes), but I remembered she would still sign my book afterward, so I stayed, and of course I am so glad I did. Her speech/talk/presentation/convo was amazing; now I know what to call it when I get so carried away knitting that I forget what pattern row I am on - theta state.

Here's some photos of the overflow room:


If you look on the large size at the far right corner in the way back - that's Joe in the kilt, who Stephanie blogged about. Very nice kilt hose and sweater.


Smile, you're being blogged!


View from my seat - better than it looks.

I met a very nice knitter named Christine, of whom I completely failed to take a picture with my camera, although I hope she is happy with the ones I took with hers.

So, theta state - big revelation to me. Yes, this actually happened on the &*^$# Lacy Diamante socks last night. You would think, after knitting an entire other sock and 3/4 in this pattern, after knitting the 12-stitch, 12-row repeat 42 36 15 1/2 78 93-1/2 times (yes I counted) i would have it PERMANENTLY ETCHED ON MY BRAIN. But, no. Last night I finished a plain row and had zero clue what pattern line I was on. In fact, I knit an entire wrong line & its companion plain row based on where I thought I was, only to tink back 144 stitches this afternoon to fix it. One more repeat, then it's the ribbing and DONE. Maybe by tomorrow... nice thought.

And... (drumroll) I got my MMRAL&SE box from Bassett Knitter! She totally spoiled me...


We have a Clapotis (now I don't have to knit one myself - woo!), Vogue Knitting Ponchos book, a *little bit* of chocolate, a cute card with a picture from The Yarn Girls' Guide to Kid Knits (one of the first knitting books I ever bought), leftover project yarn, TWO SKEINS OF LOUET EUROFLAX OH MY GOODNESS I CAN NOW DIE HAPPY, a selection of teas, a packet of Cosmos seeds and some dried pansy "real flower confetti."


The chocolate fumes alone were enough to induce a coma. (Servings: 1.)

It amazes me how someone I have never met knows me so well. Do I really mention chocolate all that much on here? Did she know I drink tea but not coffee unless absolutely necessary? Did she know cosmos are some of my favorite flowers?

Amazing. Knitters rule.

Peace of Mind

I've made a decision about the Tour de France Knit Along.

I am not withdrawing from the race! Rather, I will change tactics and strive to finish my Sockapalooza socks during the tour. Remember their name from early on, even before I made the final-final FINAL decisions on color and pattern, was Grapevine. Well, grapes... wine... France... you know.

Anyway, not sure of the "rules" on this. The TdF mods seem pretty easygoing, so I hope it won't be a problem. But I'll email them to be sure.

I turned the heel on the second sock tonight, narrowly avoiding a major frogging disaster. I was knitting along on the heel flap, thinking about short-row heels (which I've never done) and how hard are they and what do they end up looking like, la di da, picked up the stitches along the side for the gusset, hmm hmm hmm, knit across the top in pattern, concentrate concentrate, picked up the other side, tra la la. Uh, I forgot to TURN THE HEEL.

Good thing I had only done one round when i caught it. Tinked back with no major issues. I gotta try it on purpose some time tho - I think that would make one crazy looking sock.

And does anyone else keep wanting to call it the "Tour de Force"?

P.S. I fully intend to post Nettie, but should I have some people test it first? Testers? Volunteers? Guinea pigs?

Alohahahaha - Hawaii Laughs at Me

Well, maybe not the entire state.

But these socks? Definitely. Let's review our progress thus far...

Cast on 64 st on size 1 (US) dpns, knit in k2p2 rib for 1 inch.

Make one extra stitch (on purpose). Start pattern, a repeat of 12+1 (because 13 divides evenly into 65, right? Stop laughing. It gets better.)

Complete one full pattern row repeat (14 pattern rows). Realize that a stripe of plain stockinette stitch is forming at the end of the rounds. Ponder.

Decide that since it is a 12+1 repeat, that I will just add the "+1" to the beginning of each pattern repeat to avoid the stripe. Rewrite pattern notes to reflect this brilliant breakthrough.

Decide to not frog yet, but try to work out the pattern for the back of the heel and top of the foot. Move 32 stitches to one needle and start each row with the beginning of the pattern repeat instead of with the "prep" stitches that the official pattern calls for at the beginning of each row. Fail to produce satisfactory heel pattern. Figure it will work out once I have the cuff done and am more familiar with the pattern.

Frog back to ribbing. Re-pick up 65 stitches on tiny (for me) needles.

Fail to realize that if the heel flap experiment failed, adding the "+1" to the beginning of each pattern repeat is not going to work either.

Knit two rows. Realize the above.

Tink back to ribbing.

Really study pattern. Realize what "12+1" repeat means.* Start knitting pattern as written. Again. Flash of insight as I realize that "end last repeat K4" means that instead of the "k7" instruction at the end of the repeat, I will K4 on the last repeat. (Isn't that what it just said? Duh.)

Realize I have 4 extra stitches, which accounts for the previous stockinette stripe. Decide to work the last 8 stitches as k2tog. Ha! Got rid of those pesky extra stitches.

Work second round. Realize I have miscounted somewhere; I do not have enough stitches to complete the last pattern repeat.

Frog the entire sock in fit of temper.

Re-cast on 60 stitches. Work 1 row stockinette. (For socks, I always work the first row after cast on in stockinette because I would go stark, raving bonkers trying to k2p2 rib that first wonky row.) Work second row stockinette unintentionally.

Quietly set sock aside and eat many, many snacks.

Mom will be here in 8 days. I have zero socks for her. I am NOT a fast knitter.

On the positive side, I learned how lace repeats work.

*Newbie Note: A 12+1 repeat means there are 12 stitches in the repeating part of the pattern, plus one extra stitch somewhere in the row to make it even. So instead of 65 stitches (13x5), I needed 61 stitches (12x5=60, 60+1=61). I still didn't quite get it for a while. Read on.