Knits

Dear Sock pal,

I feel sort of slack that I didn’t make a pretty sock band thingie to wrap around your socks giving you lots of detail about the socks. They are washable! I don’t think I remembered to jot that down. It’s superwash wool. I hope you also don’t mind that I didn’t make an extraordinary package for you. I have seen various pictures of other sockapalooza packages (either sent or received) and feel like I may have done bad by you! I hope all the beautifully wrapped packages filled with gifts (and in some cases lots of sock yarn!!) are an exception rather than the rule.

Hope you receive them soon - the post out of Oxford has not been reliable lately. =(

Please enjoy them!

-shannon

Well, I have been pretty good about not adding to my stash, but I did buy some yarn for something for my sister that is hugely popular and starts with C.

It was really difficult to take a truly representative picture - too bright, too dark - you know how it goes. This photo isn’t really representative either. It’s too dark, but getting close. It’s various shades of green with just a tad of yellow and blue thrown in. I had it out to photography and Dakota took a liking to it immediately - rolling on top of it, rubbing his face and body on it, snuggling it - but then I had to put it away because he really grabbed on, face buried in it, and started kicking it. Bad kitty. Maybe I need to make him a mini-skein.

I thought I’d made more progress on my modified-modified Cathode, but I didn’t. I tried it on and was disappointed to see how much more I really needed to do before I separated the sleeves. That’s what I get for having a long whatever-it’s-called between your boobs and shoulders. And I didn’t cast on for the socks, but am definitely planning on that tonight. I need something to take to the work knitting group.

Completely crap picture in many, many ways, but you can see Dakota loving the yarn.

I have been in a really foul mood with people I come into day-to-day contact with all week. Not all people, but a small handful. It’s not pleasant and it’s driving me nuts because I am not a confrontational person and for the most part, the situations wouldn’t even require confrontation. I think it all may be down to PMS. *sigh*

Oh, I think I forgot to point out Domesticat’s Drunken Bee sock pattern. It’s not a full pattern - just the chart and some basic instructions. I really need to do some stash busting so I can get some semi-solid sock yarns into my stash. I may, again, try to sell some of it, or give away some small, spare bits. OH OH, and totally humbling to see THREE people now knitting my sock pattern. Seriously. It feels me with delight and awe that someone would choose to knit something I wrote up!

We’ve had a hot weekend here. Obviously I mean hot by British standards, but they’re also my standards ’cause I do not cope with heat AT ALL. I wonder if this bright, sunny weather is going to stick around more than beyond this weekend. It’s been a terrible summer. We had some really great weather back in April and when I went to Ireland in June, we totally lucked out and had amazing weather; if it wasn’t for that trip back in June, this summer would’ve been a total bust really. It’s a real shame because now that the summer solstice passed way back in late-June, night comes far more quickly and there really hasn’t been opportunity to actually sit out and enjoy the warm, summer weather with a pint or glass of your favourite (alcoholic) beverage.

Well yesterday I managed to get into town to return some jeans that didn’t fit despite being the EXACT same style and size, just a different colour dye, to the one’s I have that fit me perfectly. I was so annoyed as I only have one pair of jeans that fit me. I’ve got a couple pair of cords that I can get away with although they are a bit big. While in town I actually decided to shop for meat and produce at the Covered Market. Let me tell you, I am a convert. I used to always shop for produce at the weekly Farmer’s Market back in Monterey. Oxford offers one twice a month, but it’s at a stupid hour (in the middle of the day like 11-2 or something) on a Thursday so pretty much only those who live or work in the city centre can go. I’m not really sad about it because I did actually happen to pass through it once and it looked awful. Yesterday I bought a ton of vegetables and four organic sausages for about £6. That is dead cheap. I grilled most of the veg and all the sausages up for a late-lunch for me and the boy. I am still stuffed. So I am going to try to haul myself down there every week with my reusable shopping bag(s) and get some fresh produce and maybe some meat.

I also bought this salt and pepper shaker set. I realised I don’t actually have pourable salt and pepper though. BUT IT IS SO CUTE.

I cast on for a modified-modified Cathode. As I was browsing around Ravelry (I swear my addiction is getting less) I saw a version of Cathode sans giant collar and in a solid yarn. I liked it. It actually ends up looking quite similar to the Split-neckline cap-sleeved tee in Fitted Knits. So I am knitting that to look similar to the Ravelry users version, but even further had to modify it because the yarn I’m using isn’t quite as chunky. *fingers crossed* I’m nearly at a point where I can slip it off the needles and see how it’s going.

I may actually cast on for some Pomatomous socks tonight as I’ve been meaning to for a couple of weeks now. I’m going to do them toe up and, hopefully, two at once. *more crossing of fingers* I’ve also got another ball band dishcloth on the go as I was re-teaching someone how to knit on Friday night and thought that it would be a good project to re-learn on since it is relatively simple and an object can be completed relatively quickly even by a slow knitter.

Hope you’ve all had a good weekend. Mine was good even though this morning as I went to change my bed sheets I found the following:

NOT IMPRESSED. Luckily it was actually between the top sheet and blanket.