Turn that frown (or sock) upside down

As I prepare to post here for the first time in months, I'm horrified to find that the socks I'm blogging about I very fittingly dubbed "Spring Socks" - they feature a flowery lace design and I used a springy colorway of Malabrigo Sock and I remember hurriedly completing the first one in order to teach a class last April.
And I was feeling tickled that I'm finally in the homestretch of completing the pair...until I realized that it's autumn now.  Sigh.
The first one did spend some months as a loner until I pulled the pattern back out, determined to work up the mate for sock club at the Knitty Gritty.  However, a couple months went by without any real progress beyond the cuff and a couple rows of the pattern stitch, which for some reason (probably my lack of attention) just was not coming easily.

But last month I was teaching Judy's Magic Cast On at sock club, encouraging the participants to try toe-up socks, and I ripped out what little I had of my Spring Sock #2 in order to use the yarn and needles for the lesson. Then I realized something:  I really don't care for cuff-down socks.  There I've said it.  Me, the guru of the Who Knits Socks in Florida? club.  Can't stand them. I always have trouble casting on, I always have a struggle joining in the round on two circulars because I always forget how, and once I finally accomplish that I'm faced with and inch or more of boring ribbing until I get to anything remotely entertaining.
So I kept going with my cast-on example and began working the Field of Flower mate from the toe-up, opposite of how the pattern is written.  And here I am zipping along, having a grand time, and almost finished, just in time for sock weather, if there is such a thing here, which there isn't.

I worked the pattern stitch rows in reverse order on top of the foot, then referred to Wendy Johnson's Socks from the Toe Up to work the heel construction that most closely resembles the flap and gusset on #1 sock (which I barely remember).  Now I've rejoined the leg, memorized the pattern stitch and am literally working circles around this thing.  Surely 18 rounds of ribbing won't be as boring when the result is a complete sock, rather than just a cuff.
Granted, my progress was aided this past week by several hours on planes plus a lengthy delay.  But by the end of sock club tomorrow I'll be nearing the finish line.  Hooray!  I won't have to change my project name to singular "Spring Sock" after all.
The socks might not be exactly identical - sock #1 is a shop sample so I had only my Ravelry photos to refer to - but they'll be close enough.  Let's face it, they're socks for heaven's sake.  And this is Florida.  Who knits socks in Florida?

A Stitch in Time....

Last Friday my daughter took her driving test (she passed - watch out), and as I waited for her I sat and knitted.  This is what is currently at the top of my priority list, and it is perhaps the most mobile project ever:

It's Retro by Norah Gaughan, a blanket worked in five panels with a design so easy to memorize I don't even need to carry around the pattern.  Fits perfectly into my purse or beach bag, and because you only work one strip at a time, it's not too hot for summer knitting.  By mid-September or sooner, this will become my son's college afghan.  Yes, it's washable.

While I worked and waited to see how many cones my daughter knocked over, I realized that two years ago I sat in the same office and knitted while I waited for my son to take his driver's test.  Immediately I was able to bring to mind the project I was working on then - my first pair of socks:

Can't remember what I had for dinner the other night, but I can remember what I was knitting two years ago.  Wonder what project I'll have with me three years from now when my youngest will be ready for his test?

SOAP: Philippians 3

One day late - not bad for the week we had.  Thanking God for a blessed time with family and friends on the occasion of my eldest child's high school graduation - can't resist a photo:

I hadn't planned on posting that photo here, but now that I have I am struck by how it illustrates the passage I'm SOAPing today.  Irony?  Coincidence?  God.

Scripture: "Only let us live up to what we have already attained." Phil 3:16, NIV

Observation: "What we have already attained" refers here to righteousness in Christ Jesus, and this exhortation speaks not of striving to attain salvation, but rather living in a way that expresses gratitude and a faithful witness, serving as an example.

Application:  Having received the diploma and participated in the ceremony pictured above, if my son were now to flop down and become a slothful couch potato, not seeking to further his education, employ his talents, and multiply the gifts he's been given, he'd be wasting that which he's attained, backsliding into mediocrity and setting a lousy example for the value of a high school education.  How much more so, then, must we who understand and have accepted the ultimate gift of righteousness through Christ strive to live in such a way that we are not a stopping point for God's grace and mercy, but rather a conduit for it.  This is not to be confused with striving to achieve salvation, which is a, perhaps the, pervasive lie in the world today.  Just last night I overheard on TV the perpetuation of the misconception that if you're good you'll go to heaven, and if you're bad you won't.  Paul reminds us in this chapter that we are powerless on our own to achieve salvation.  Good works are useless for this purpose.  But deeds are how we live out our faith and allow God to work through us for the advancement of his kingdom.  If I say, "I'm saved so there's nothing more I need to do," I am quenching the very Spirit of God in me.

Prayer:  Father God, fill me with gratitude, willingness, energy and awareness to do the work you have given me to do, giving you the glory and providing a valuable witness for the righteousness you so graciously bestow through your son Jesus Christ.  Amen.

WIP Wednesday

It's 8:00 am, two kids are at school taking exams while #1 son is at graduation rehearsal.  I must say I'm intrigued by the latter, wondering how you get 650 seniors to show up at 7:30 am and accomplish anything inside the space of one hour.  The idea of lining them up in alphabetical order overwhelms me, although my high school class was even bigger, so I guess it can be done.
Tomorrow five out-of-towners will arrive for the long weekend, followed by six more on Friday, followed by graduation at 8:00 am Saturday morning, followed by a party at my house Saturday afternoon.  I have all day today to clean house and get ready....the perfect time to update my blog, don't you think?
And it just happens to be Wednesday, so let's take a look at my WIPs.
Florence 2R's and Amish Coffee are still lurking around somewhere, untouched in months.

Florence Cardi

Irish...oops!...Amish Coffee

I finally got started on the mate to this lonely sock, but it won't get much attention outside of sock club a couple times a month - no hurry, no worry.

Field of Flowers - sample for WKSF club

This unidentifiable blob will someday be a felted footstool cover for the threadbare so-called Dixon family heirloom on which it sits.  I started it a couple weeks ago during the first of several pre-party tizzies, but it's not looking good for this weekend.  So much for impressions.

Aunt Mare

But the WIP that's stealing all my attention is my Stonecutter for Gen:

Knoxy

I hereby pledge to finish this Roxy-esque creation before we board the plane for California three weeks from today.  There, I've said it.  Now I hafta.

SOAP: Philippians Chapter 2

A lot of very familiar sound bites here, which can easily become dogmatic commands sure to cause failure if not read in context and lived out by the power of the Holy Spirit.  This chapter can be overwhelming as Paul admonishes us to imitate Christ in His humility...and put others first....and don't grumble... it's almost a relief when he moves on to talk about Timothy and Epaphroditus - as if just when I can't take any more conviction, he eases the pressure by changing the subject.  Here's my takeaway for the week:

Scripture:  Do everything without grumbling or arguing,  so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky... (Phil 2:14-15)
Observation:  Our attitude is a powerful witness, something that makes us distinct and enables us to bring the light of Christ to the world.
Application:  Often, if not only, it is in the home where I am most guilty of grumbling and arguing.  I can  morph from servant to martyr at the drop of a hat, or at least a wet towel, and things can quickly get ugly.  What kind of message is this sending my family?  Only by tapping into Christ and following his example of humility - not servant-doormat as this world would have you think, but servant-leader - can I hope to move from being ruled by emotions and expectations to being ruled by the Spirit.
Prayer:  Heavenly Father, I confess I am powerless to "do everything without grumbling or arguing" without leaning in to you for grace and patience.  Cause me to cling to you, remembering the true humility of Jesus, to pray before speaking, and to serve in a manner that glorifies you and shines your light to others.  Amen.

Philippians Chapter/Week 1

One week ago, having reawakened my Twitter account in order to be more engaged with my daughter and her friends, I responded to the tweeted invitation from Amy Gross @momstoolbox.com to spend 4 weeks reading and reflecting on Paul's letter to the Philippians.  Her format is near-effortless enough to be manageable, but structured enough to require self-imposed commitment and, in my case, dependency on the Holy Spirit to see it through and reap the rich harvest sure to be waiting for me. Basically we read 1 chapter a week, and post reflections, take-aways, aha moments, etc. on Mondays.
Well, today's Monday, so here goes.  I read through Phil 1 three times, I think, with varying degrees of focus.  And what sticks in my mind the most is the first part of verse 27:  
Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ. 
And what makes it stick in my mind is this:  What the heck does this mean exactly?
When I posted the verse on Facebook, the first response I got was, "Well, there goes happy hour this Friday."  But is this what Paul means? Is this an admonishment to straighten up, fly right, and remove any appearance of questionable behavior or even fun from my life?  Surely not, though this is exactly what the Enemy would have us believe. But I realize that in my own mind I twist Paul's words to mean, "Conduct yourself in a manner that appears unimpeachable, as if you have it all together, that follows all the rules, that draws no finger-pointing, that is holier than thou, that is pleases others, nay, that pleases everybody..." and I am forced once again to recognize that even as a believing Christian I still succumb to the ever-present subconscious nagging that it's all about works and appearances.
If I am to respond to Paul's exhortation, I must understand what the "gospel of Christ" is, and what it is not.   At the risk of trivializing the dilemma, I feel somewhat like Charlie Brown when he cries out in frustration...

This is what I know about the gospel (literally "Good News") of Christ:  it is simple and complicated;  it is good, not bad; it is about God's grace, not my control; it is about my heart more so than my behavior; it is about my intimacy with Jesus more so than my going to church; it means I am saved by Jesus' sacrifice, not my own striving; it means I don't have to know all the answers before I can talk about it; it means that the Holy Spirit will guide me into understanding so that I may "conduct [myself] in a manner worthy of the gospel of Christ"...

Who knits socks in Florida?

Granted, here in Florida we wear flip flops all year long. Granted, one can succumb to the allure of hand-dyed fingering weight merino without venturing into the realm of dpns or magic loop - work it up into a shawl perhaps.  Granted, back when I read Debbie Macomber's A Good Yarn I scratched my head and thought, "Who knits socks?"  But as I re-entered the knitting world several years ago and quickly rose to the ranks of the obsessed (and employed, mind you - not all obsessions are dangerous) I became aware of the pervading buzz about sock knitting, and I figured there must be sound reason behind it.

In May 2011 I cast on my first pair

the first of which I finished (on a different beach) 3 months later.

Its mate was a long time coming, the victim not only of second sock syndrome but of a pattern so boring it was difficult to work up much enthusiasm for it.  Conquering both of these major obstacles, however, I had a complete pair by August 2012.

Though this was my first pair started, it was not my first pair finished.  In the lengthy interim I participated in a  KAL which introduced me not only to Plymouth Happy Feet (my very first purchase at The [Itty Bitty] Knitty Gritty) and Irish Girlie Knits, but also to Honey Badger, the hilarious-but-perhaps-too-vulgar-for-some You Tube video. (Not going to link it here, go look it up yourself.  Honey Badger don't care.)

I also learned that not all US 1 needles are the same size - Honey Badger may not care about that, but you and I do, trust me!  This pair came much faster - just over one month start to finish.

With a bold sense of now-I-know-how-to-knit-socks and a hunger to learn different techniques, I volunteered for a test knit soon after.  Wheat Rib by Lindo Jo Park was my first try at toe-up on 2 circulars, which has become my preferred sock method.

More have followed:  Skew by Lana Holden for a Will Work For Yarn Swap Group project,

Apres Ski by Kate Atherley for a beginner's sock class,

Field of Flowers by Sheryl Giles for an excuse to use Malabrigo.

Still very much in progress are my Irish Coffee socks by Nicola W, featuring a "whipped cream" cuff and belly-warming leg.

The mis-crossed cable early on in the cuff is not what has caused my delay, but it did prompt me to change the project name to "Amish Coffee."

So who knits socks in Florida?  I do.  And I'm itching to share techniques, tips, pitfalls, experiences with fellow enthusiasts and with those who, like I once was, are simply confounded by the whole idea.  Join me at The Knitty Gritty for a free-of-charge, twice-monthly get-together.  Bring your own socks-in-progress, or cast-on the socks-of-the-month project (this month it's yoga socks).  Learn a new technique, or get help for a sock-gone-awry.  Fondle my sock yarn, I'll fondle yours.  This month we'll meet Monday, May 20 from 6-8 pm, and/or Tuesday, May 21 from 11am-1pm.  In ensuing months we'll stagger the meetings every other week or thereabouts.  Become a regular, or pop in now and then.  I'll be there to knit, chat, teach, help, laugh. Hope to see you there!

Like a freight train....

Here comes March.  How did that happen?  I'm feeling a little overwhelmed, a problem I realize will not be solved by sitting here blogging instead of working and lesson planning, but here I sit anyway.  Though my March calendar is probably no more bulging than usual at this time of year, it does herald some new, fun, stressful-in-a-good-way events, while feeding my top three addictions.

First off, I'll be starting to work at my LYS, The Knitty Gritty.  Can't tell you how excited I am about this - it's a dream come true (not the big Broadway/sports arena one, but a dream nonetheless), and I'm elated that Anna invited me to join the staff.  And what a time to start, with the Orange Blossom Yarn Crawl going on from March 1 to 10.  Grab your passport and come on out!

Not only will I be helping out in the shop here and there, but I'm also slated to teach two classes.  The first, next Wednesday, March 6, is a two-hour session teaching ipad users how to take advantage of KnitCompanion, the most ingenious app in the world IMHO.  A single class will really only scratch the surface of KC's seemingly infinite capabilities, but will enable the students to download, set up and follow patterns using this revolutionary technology.

The following Monday, March 11, we'll begin a  four-week adventure learning how to knit socks, toe up, on two circular needles (one-at-a-time - let's not get ahead of ourselves!). Beginners can work in worsted weight to learn the basics on larger needles; more experienced knitters can use fingering weight....and reading glasses!

As if that weren't enough for me to prepare for, Theatre-Go-Round is opening our newest show on Sunday, March 24, which means rehearsing with increased frequency and urgency.  "New York, New York" continues for the next two weekends (with only a couple seats available, if that), then we'll begin a 10 week-run of "Those Fabulous 50's".  We continue to enjoy performing at 14th Avenue Steakhouse and working with the fine folks there.

Publicity shot for Fab 50's

Yarn? Check.  Performing? Check.  Thankfully there will still be time to indulge my beach obsession as well. My bff Big Genny will make her annual pilgrimage to Vero (along with her two girls to keep Little Genny happy), and this is one of those rare years where our respective spring breaks coincide. Our week of R&R (romp and relaxation) will culminate at the Caribe Royale in Orlando (hospitality industry connections are veeeerrrry nice!).

Couple years ago at the Caribe...before Vinny chewed up this suit.

Then, once I put our guests on a plane back to Philly, we'll head to the annual Easter Bunny Bash in Cocoa and watch Eddie kick some skimboarding butt.

LBI Summer 2012

Beach? Check.

Happiness is...

...finding over $125 worth of swag in your mailbox!

The other day I was checking in with a few of my favorite blogs, and on a recent post over at YarnontheHouse I noticed my name and "Congratulations!" on the same line.  Sent Veronika my mailing address and a speedy two days later I'm playing with this:

and this:

with which I might make this:

Honeycomb Kerchief - Bijou Basin Ranch

but it's hard to decide because I also got a couple patterns from Alana Dakos, like Cosette:

Cosette Wrap - Never Not Knitting

which I'm partial to because I'm a Les Mis freak, but there's also this:

Wee Wildflower - Coastal Kids

which is adorable, but oh, then there are the patterns from Kate Oates of When I Grow Up:

Lilly Tunic

but, yikes, I think I grew up a little too much for that one, so maybe this one would be better:

Johanna Jacket

or maybe just a hat:

Dindy Beret

but then again there are some babies on the way who might need something from this:

For now I guess I better get back to working on my test knitting assignment, which is just the perfect size for my wonderful new project bag from Little Lippy Ewe:

Thank you to all these wonderful vendors, and especially Ve at YOTH for sharing the love!

Bank of Royal Copenhagen

Yesterday I went hog wild and spent $22 on myself. While grocery shopping at Publix, the Winter 2012 issue of Interweave Knits jumped into my cart.

and while DD was spending some quality time in Plato's Closet, I enjoyed a manicure next door.

These are the kinds of treats, no matter how seemingly small, that I sometimes agonize over, but no more. Last year I began paying myself for completing certain tasks that I could and would easily avoid. Things like flossing, exercising in any intensity (including little or practically none) for 15 minutes, and going to bed without leaving any clothes on the floor. There are a few others which I am loath to disclose, but in any event I'm now motivated to do these things, if not by their intrinsic necessity or benefit, then by the fact that for each one checked off I put $1 in my favorite vase.

Win/win: things that need doing get done, and I have a modest fund of fun money to spend on little extras that make me smile. And I still have $19 left. Mad Tosh?

 

 

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FO Friday

Wednesday came and went this week, and my WIPs pretty much look the same as last week....except there are more of them. Not to worry - I have 51 more opportunities this year to get those projects off the Wednesday post and onto the Friday post.
However, it is with suitable glee that I present my first finished object of 2013.
[Insert drum roll here.]

This is my version of OwlCat Design's Rosy & Grey Hat by Simone Kereit.  The pattern is still in testing but will be released shortly to complement her Rosy & Grey Wristlets.  Obviously mine isn't so rosy and is blacker than grey. I did some stashbusting and came up with Fjord Solid by Crystal Palace Yarns (Jet Black) and Knit Picks WOTA Tonal (Blue Violet), and I must say I was quite pleased with this color combo.

What tickled me even more, however, was that this was the first colorwork project (of not all that many, mind you) which I attempted to use the "strand-in-each-hand" method.  I am a confirmed thrower and proud of it, but juggling those balls, pardon my French, is no fun.  So I watched a quick continental tutorial and away I went.

[Insert pat on the back here.]  

Such gratifying results from a simple pattern, in less than a weekend to boot!

WIP Wednesday: What's needling me

While most moms I know in other parts of the country are sending their kids back to school this morning, we still have five days to go in our leisurely Christmas* break. (* I know, I know, the school calendar says "winter break", but in my Florida household it's much more Christmastime than wintertime, and so it shall be.) So we're still in a cycle of staying up late and sleeping in, except for my DH who maintains his usual bedtime and gets up for dawn patrol to catch some waves before work each day.

Thought I'd enjoy my coffee on the couch with some knitting this morning, but I got sidetracked by blogging.....isn't it usually the other way around? My favorite project right now is Irish Coffee.....hmmmm...too early in the morning for either kind, I guess.

I'm mid-heel flap on the first sock - two-color eye-of-partridge...in a pear tree. (And yes, the Christmas decorations are still up. Today is the ninth day of Christmas, and while I have no dancing ladies here, I'm still very much enjoying the observance.)  I am loving Bijou Basin Ranch's Tibetan Dream Sock yarn, but I've learned the hard way that the fine-gauge cabling and twisted-stitching of this pattern makes it a "natural daylight only" project for me and my middle-aged eyes.

So for lamplight and TV watching I have the 10-stitch blanket to work on. There's a baby on the way (not in this household, good gracious!), and I've the feeling she won't wait till her February 19 due date.

Not as thrilled with this project as I expected, but it does have the advantage of being practically mindless except for counting the short-row corners.  And the yarn is key - Cotton Supreme Batik is a machine washable and dryable cotton.  Colorway is Sea Glass.

Still dearly loved but shoved in a bag for now is Florence.

The body is finished and the first sleeve started, but she's for me so, alas, she waits.

So far the only serious resolution I have for the new year is that I publish more WIP Wednesday posts in 2013 and that these 3 projects do not appear in all of them.

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