2 Circs for WHAT??

As I stated in my last little blogger attempt I'm easily bored so took to another method to soothe my knitting frenzy in the form of knitting socks. I do love to learn something new. So, since Cast On had an article on two socks on two circs AND I'd recently been gifted a vintage sock book on the exact same subject. Thank you Gloria of the San Diego Fiber Arts group!! I decided to go out and buy two cute little size 2 needles and figure it out.

HOW CONFUSING!! OK - so that was my gripe the first time I gave it a whirl. I chalked my confusion up to starting a new project during Saturday Night Live and being a bit tired. So, I got started again late Sunday night - I can tolerate almost anything while watching the goofy girls of Wisteria Lane. So, by last night, at Chorus rehearsal - where we had a reaaally long break I dragged out the bizarro sock contraption. By this time I'd figured out the whole - like a dog chasing it's tail bit, since the first night I kept finding myself knitting on one needle with the other falling onto my lap!! Duh! This couldn't be the right way. So, rather than spell it out the silly analogy of the dog chasing it's tail finally registered with me and I at least could use both needles. But

IT TAKES TOO MUCH CONCENTRATION!! The lady I was talking to at rehearsal said it looked like it was too complicated and I had to agree. Usually, I virtually never look at what I'm knitting unless it's a portion of a pattern that I'm just learning. For these goofy circs I was glued to the stiches. I knit to RELAX! This was not relaxing. So, I agreed with my rehearsal buddy and switched over to the double points then and there.

So, if anyone out there ever reads my musings AND if this two circ thing is something you know about. PUH-LEASE tell me what's so great about this method and why oh why should I give it another try?

Other than that - it's been a spectacular day in San Diego - beautiful blue sky from the moment I woke up. Only down side is my sweet baboo is on the other coast AND this is Tuesday so I have bible study and can't knit until I get home. Yeah - I'm an addict.

Well, time to go pick up DS#2. Funny thing - I got this hour of my life back unexpectedly when he called me to tell me his guidance counselor went home sick, thus cancelling our third attempt at scheduling his next year's freshmen classes. It's getting to be a joke around here.

Time to go - Happy Knitting

Sock Success!

So, since I'm still waiting for my Mermaid seller to send me a new pattern I've taken to sock knitting with a vengence. I finished my first pair while I was listening to all sorts of transfusion lectures overlooking beautiful Lake Tahoe. What a great experience all around. The self striping sock yarn I bought - supposedly to make one pair of socks - had so much left over I decided to make a second pair. Yes, I do have very small feet. Just to be sure I had enough for two I made them cuffless - like a golf sock or something. So, I finished those Saturday after knitting like a crazy woman trying to stay awake during a cord blood transplant meeting at LAX. Less interesting topics at a less than picturesque place. Hey - you can't win them all. I got the education credits AND I got two more socks out of the deal.

I decided to send the first pair of socks to NYC as a gift for a 97 year old family friend just out of the hospital. So DH took them out there on his business trip. Reportedly, she loves them. Unfortunately I didn't get around to taking a picture of them before gifting them.

Since DH is out of town, I don't have the Mermaid pattern to finish that up, I turned to socks again. I got some more self striping yarn but in a gorgeous subdued shade I think DH will like enough to wear. But since I bore easily and crave new skills I dug up the new book AND the latest issue of Knitters - I think - that describes two socks on two circulars. Thus far I'm not sure why people think this is an improvement over dpns. I just read the two circ description on the sock knitters web site and am willing to try again. My biggest trepidation with this is I'm more of a "touch" knitter. I do it by feel and don't spend alot of time watching my needles so this whole grab the right end of the correct needle seems a little too intense for something that I do for relaxation.

So, it's Monday and theres a huge list of gotta do's. Wish I could find that digital camera cable so I could post the pics of my finery instead of just talking about them.

Sock Lover

Well, since I can't continue with my Mermaid until someone helps me out I've put renewed vigor into my sock knitting. I finished my second sock last night and was wearing them around my hotel room and then slept in them. Very comfy. Since I have pretty small feet I have a lot of the skein left which was supposed to be enough for two socks. So I'm thinking I'll make some little "footlet" type socks - no cuff type to use up the rest of the yarn.

I really have to take some pictures since this is supposed to be a knitting blog to keep a record of all my projects.

I'm still having a hard time getting the hang of the blogging and posting. I nearly thought I'd lost this but fortunately it was in the draft page. Who knew?

Mermaid SOS!!!

Well, I have another thing to be miserable about! Here's my SOS post on the Hanne Falkenberg KAL that I sort of lurk on. Hopefully someone over there will help me out.

Mermaid SOS!!!
KnitDoc-KNIT!I've been lurking reading and looking at all the beautiful Hanne's out there. I'm nearly done with the body of my Mermaid - I think it's number 10 - it's black and grey with the cyclamen gussets. Everyone I show it to is pretty impressed. The problem is I must have shown it one too many times and LOST my pattern!!! I've called everyone I know to see if I dropped it in their car, at their house, etc...Anyway, I obviously am in need of some help here before I just wind up breaking down and buying a second kit for the last page of the instructions. I can post a picture - probably in a week or more - I'm going out of town tomorrow - if you need proof that I really bought this thing. Could someone pretty please find it in their heart to send me just the first part with the collar shaping as well as the I-cord attachment and the entire sleeve instructions as the end? I've been working on this thing since January - actually started the day my mother died in frigid Wisconsin as therapy. As we all know knitting is the best therapy and I couldn't continue the project I'd been doing at the time which was actually the felted clogs that I was making for her upcoming birthday. Yeah - as I packed to rush to the hospital I found the first clog and knew she'd never wear them. So, I threw the Mermaid in the suitcase since I'd no idea how long I'd be there. OK, OK, this is getting too maudlin. I just hope someone out there will take pity on me and send me a partial copy which I promise to not share or sell to anyone, anywhere. You can e-mail me at asecord@prodigy.net

Miserable Blogger

Miserable blogger describes me in more ways than one today. OY - I keep saying I need to tell you all that I made my very first sock and a world of other things. But nooooo! I don't want to put that on until I take a picture of said sock to show the world. So, I put it off and off, etc...

And I'm miserable because I've had off and on GI distress for the better part of a week. Yup miserable top and bottom today.

I've been wanting to post on the Knit List that my knitting was deemed "Inspirational" last week! Yup - I was at a blood banking conference. Yes, just as boring as it sounds. In my other life I'm a blood banker doc - so if you see someone on a board somewhere calling herself "Bloodqueen" that's probably me, too. I just get alot of people wondering why I have such a dark, goth sounding name so now I use DocBeccy more than BQ.

So, during the first day of this conference I'm sitting there in the dark - mind you this was a supreme sacrifice since we were in a conference center at the shore of Lake Tahoe and the weather was spectacular. So, are we outside revelling in God's glory? NOooooo. We are sitting in the dark prying our eyes open to listen about strange antibody behavior.

While doing my best to stay awake I whipped out my palm pilot and played some solitare to combat the eyelip droop. I realized how stupid this was because I couldn't look at the slides this way and I had my knitting up in my room just begging to be paid attention to. So, at the break I went and got my lovely self striping sock and the next thing you know - one by one participants came up to me to show me they had brought their knitting in to occupy themselves!

Later, in the elevator a lady - actually one of the moderators asked if I'd been knitting. I said yes and she said that I'd inspired her to bring her knitting with her to the next meeting since I was one of the few that managed to stay awake during the talk.

So - I'm chalking this up to a "Knitting in Public Victory"

Btw - I love knitting socks! Now I just have to take a picture of it, my baby blanky that needs to be given away before the kid can walk and my Hanne Mermaid WIP.

Hopefully after aleviating blog guilt I can get my other end to start feeling a little better.