Found

Close one: the socks were in the back of my car. I've taken to bringing them with me pretty much everywhere in the hopes that I can pull them out and work on them. I have no memory of putting them in the back of the car, but I went to get hokieboy's bag of toys and there they were, snug in their little bag! I'm going to be more careful. I did start my KAL washcloth since I didn't have my socks. Poor socks. Someone needs to tell me a little more about second sock syndrome. I can guess that it takes longer to finish the second one because the thrill is over. I just want to know if handknit socks really feel better on your feet! I'm not sold yet. I've been informed that I am not to buy more yarn until I use up what I have. My husband found my stash, hidden away in the laundry closet. It's actually small, only two rubbermaid bins. It doesn't take up much room at all! Unfortunately, it's all worsted weight non-socky yarn, and socks are my current experiment of choice!

Missing: socks. Reward.

It's gone. I had it last night. I don't have it today. I was getting so close to finishing the second sock and it's gone. It'll turn up. I hope.

It's a sock!

The first sock is a sock. But wouldn't you know it: 6 rows before the end of the sock, I drop the working needle right between the boards of my front porch. I have been wanting to put a rug out there, but we don't have the money. So, I was able to finish the sock, but I can't start the second until I get new needles. Daggonit. I guess I need to block the sock, but I need to figure out how. Maybe I'll wait until I can get to yarn for supper and ask around!

On another note, Hokieboy is potty training and it's going very well. He got his first "all day no accidents" car today!

Progress report

I started a sock! Yay! First wearable! I'm doing okay with it. In fact, I've turned the heel already and I'm working on the foot. I had a little worry about my gauge, but I've decided to continue. I started with the required 7 st/in but then it became st/in. I've since relaxed a little and I'm just going one stitch at a time. It's just a sock. It's my first sock, and if it's not perfect, that's okay! I'm just getting my feet wet! If this turns out well, I'm excited about the baby sweater that's next. The only problem is we are completely broke and I'm going to have to dig through the yarn I have for a while. I hope I have enough of something nice to start the sweater. I have something in mind, I just don't know how much I have.
I have pictures of the sock in progress, I'm just too lazy to download them to the computer so I can upload them to the page.
We had yarn with kids yesterday. It was a good time! One 3 month old boy + one 14 month old girl + one 2 year old boy + one 2 1/2 year old boy + one 3 year old boy= lots of noise and lots of fun! The three mamas had a good time talking and some knitting was actually done! Yarn for breakfast is Saturday and we're having a brunch for Jessica who's getting married. Paul's working Harborfest, so it looks like I'll have the kids with me again!

this habit doesn't have a patch

So this is a little ridiculous. I have a new addiction, it seems. Interestingly, I have flirted with this addiction for a couple of years. I have found a whole new world of enablers. My husband will be thoroughly dismayed when the depth of my new addiction comes out. I don't think I have enough time or money for this adiction. My children get in the way. My bills get in the way. My need for food and water gets in the way. It's knitting. And reading about others who knit on the internet. I blame meetup, and myspace, and Leah, and Tracey, and Yarn for Breakfast, and anyone else I can think of to avoid blaming myself!

The eternal baby blanket

A long, long time ago (just after Christmas 2005), I began a beautiful pink baby blanket for the little girl growing in my belly. I had the best of intentions. I would get her blanket done in time for her to use in the hospital when she was born in April. She was born in March. Six weeks early. Her blanket was not finished. When she came home, the blanket was not finished. Months passed. The blanket was not finished. Christmas 2006 came... and went... and the blanket was not finished. A few weeks from her birthday, I was determined to finish her blanket. I knit into the wee hours. Then, I ran out of yarn. Whoops. I don't get out to that store much anymore, so it took a while to get the yarn. Her birthday came and went. The blanket was not finished. I got another ball of yarn. Then I ran out again. So, back to the store for yarn. It's been discontinued and they had no more of the lovely pink. So I bought some white. Her blanket is finally finished. It only took six balls of yard, five pink and one white, and only 17 months. About eight inches of the corner are white. It's rather silly looking, but a pretty good story to tell her one day while I teach her how to knit.

In the beginning...

I took a class on how to knit at the YMCA at Virginia Tech back in 2002 (I think...). It was really fun! The first part of the class was just the basics, but the second part was more in depth. We actually made an itty bitty sweater. It was itty bitty so we could complete it in just a few hours. I learned so much in that class. Later, I took a workshop at a yarn shop where the main focus was to get us to buy things. The instructor cast on the stitches for the beginners and said they could come back later to learn casting on. The point that day was to learn the knit stitch for a scarf. No other stitches or techniques were taught.



Since I learned to knit, I self-taught crochet. I like the appearance of knit things better, but they seem to take me more time than crochet. Knitting is more compact, but crochet seems to travel better. When I want to knock out a quick baby blanket, I'll crochet. If I want something more satisfying, knitting feels more like an accomplishment.



I have created 3 knit baby blankets, 4 crocheted baby blankets, several knit cotton washcloths, a couple of knit Christmas pickles, and 2 knit Christmas stockings. I am about to begin my first wearable: socks! It seems like everyone in Yarn for Breakfast is doing socks, so I'll give it a shot. I picked up some yarn and a pattern at Knit Wits' clearance sale, and I think I'm going back today to see what else I can find! I'm sure she will appreciate me hauling my toddlers into her little shop two days in a row! I also picked up a pattern for a sweater for my kids.



Anyway, I have a blog in existence on myspace: ptownval; but this is my attempt to focus on one thing that I enjoy: yarn.