Socks — Page 3

Monday Monday

April 3, 2006 By Cara

It’s one of those mornings. Daylight savings time really threw us for a loop. I’m up by 7:30AM every day (even on the weekends) and today I slept until 8:30. Then G was really late and I drove him into the city so my morning was pretty much shot. Add to that some seriously hurting boobies and a massive sinus headache and I’m just so freaking happy today!! Yeah MONEY!

I did, though, have a very fun and productive weekend. Saturday was CAR day. G and I had narrowed it down to three cars after all our (his) research and spreadsheets and statistics. We had one more test drive Saturday morning: one was already pretty much out of the running because of cup holders (all things being equal, it’s a dealbreaker), one was on the top of the list, and then one needed to knock our socks off. Didn’t happen. Then we went and test drove our first choice again and we were both once again COMPLETELY WOWED!! We love this car. It’s different – not many people have it all – it’s fast – it drives like a dream – it’s safe. Everything we want. We’re not in a complete rush – we have a couple of months before we have to give our car back, so they’re working on finding exactly what we want. (We always go for a weird combination of color/extras that’s kind of hard to find.) On Sunday we actually changed our minds a bit about the interior color and G sent the guy an email. Wouldn’t you know it? They found the original car we asked for at the port, but now we’ll have to wait again for the color combo. I’m so excited!!! I would tell you what car we got, but it’s so perfect for the ABC A-Long Letter R that I don’t want to give it away. 😉 Suffice it to say we’re EXTREMELY excited about our new purchase. It’s going to be a blast!!!

Friday I worked diligently on a job and rewarded myself by starting my Sockapaloooza socks.

And the whole time I’m knitting them (I got about two pattern repeats in after the picot edge) I’m thinking this yarn would look really really good as…

…you guessed it. Some people may claim to be a harlot when it comes to their knitting, I’m just basically a whore. I scraped the sockapaloooza socks and started a pair of picot edge jaywalkers for moi. So crass. I knit the entire cuff on Saturday going from car dealer to car dealer. G was nice enough to drive the whole time – usually I’m the one behind the wheel. The heal has now been turned and I just have to pick up the gusset. Before you go and accuse me of being the worst kind of charlatan, the yarn just wasn’t working with my chosen Sock Pal pattern. I’ve since ordered some new fantastic yarn from Tina at Blue Moon, which should arrive later this week, and this yarn is guaranteed to be PERFECT for the pattern and my sock pal. GUARANTEED. And since the socks I’ve chosen are short, on size 2s with an easily memorizable pattern, we’re good to go by the deadline.

The best way to gain back interest in something you claim to be bored with is to actually SAY you’re bored with it. All I did this weekend was knit socks. I picked up the Embossed Leaves sock again – and found that I had made a mistake with the instep pattern somewhere after I picked up the gusset so I ripped. Then counted wrong and ripped again. FINALLY I’m on my way to finishing the foot. It’s going pretty fast – I think I’ve got a repeat and a half to go before I start decreasing for the toe. There’s only one itsy bitsy problem. I think I like them better on the needles than I do on my feet.

I dont’ know. It’s weird – I think they look really cool off – the colors the yarn the pattern, but on, they seem just eh. Oh well. I will finish them. I think it’s pretty funny that you all got so concerned when I said I was bored with socks. I mean, I don’t really consider myself a sock knitter. Of course, I knit socks, but basically I’ve knit the same sock a million times. I often get questions about socks and sock knitting and I rarely know the answer – unless, of course, you’re asking about jaywalkers. I don’t know anything about heels or toes or short rows – in fact, I put my normal jaywalker heel on my embossed leaves sock. Not that I mind being thought of as a sock knitter, it’s just not really how I see myself. That said, here are the three socks I’ve got on my needles currently. Two need the gusset picked up and one needs a foot.

Yesterday, I finished another job and sent it off to the printer! YAY! And I’m thisclose to getting the taxes done – I just needed some stuff from G which he provided late last night. Today they will be finished. And then I have to at least make an attempt to clean. A bathroom at the least. Bookish Wendy is coming for a couple wild parties with the girls over at MDK. I hope they don’t get sick of me because I plan to go to see them Tuesday, Wednesday (with the LI Crew in da house!!!!), Thursday and finally Friday in Philly! WHOOHOO! I lurve me some Ann and Kay.

Last but not least, I flashed my stash on Saturday. Many of you stopped by to see. When I was taking the pictures I didn’t really think much of it – it’s just another blog thing why not, but after getting all the comments and traveling around to other people’s stashes I actually was kind of uncomfortable about showing mine. The few posts I read about excess and waste didn’t help matters, but I glossed over those. I mean, I know I have a decent amount of yarn. Some of it I should really get rid of because I will never knit with it and deep down I know it but I’m not ready to part with it. Besides STR (which I’ll get to in a minute) I haven’t really been buying a lot of yarn lately. Most of what’s in my stash was bought last year: my first experience with elann.com. My first trip to Maryland. My first pair of socks. Since I’ve gotten rid of all those firsts, the only yarn I’ve really bought had a pattern to go with it. And I’ve been trying to knit from stash when I can. The STR is a whole other ball game. I think of that like a collection. And the truth is that I do knit it up – I’ve got STR socks on the needles (right now three pairs going) at all times since I started buying it. I
‘m going to Maryland next month and while I will probably come home with some yarn, I don’t have any intentions of buying any. I won’t be buying any STR (unless I see something I’ve really been looking for, but I doubt it.) I will be looking for fiber and spinning stuff. That’s this year’s obsession. Right now I’m too busy making my own yarn to buy someone else’s. 😉

The thing is my house is also filled (and I mean filled) with books. I doubt anyone would comment on the excess of that. Just an observation. I could be wrong, and I’m sure my feelings of discomfort are just that – my feelings. No one said anything unkind to me – it’s just the impression that I got from the comments. And no need to stroke my ego in the comments today – it’s all just thoughts off the top of my head.

Off to finish the taxes and clean a toilet or two. Ghost story winner announced tomorrow.
Have a FANTASTIC DAY!
L, C

Filed Under: Embossed Leaves Socks, Socks

Frantic

March 15, 2006 By Cara

Hi! Let me introduce myself. My name is Cara and I used to blog. A lot. Oh god how I miss it. I’m home again folks and I can only hope you missed me as much as I’ve missed you. And miss you I did! I’m SO out of the loop. I forgot not one but TWO birthdays: two of my best blog buds Margene and Wendy. How awful am I? I pride myself on being an excellent friend – I work hard at it – and I totally dropped the ball. So much so Margene sent ME a present for HER birthday! How ridiculous is she and how much do I suck?

Bunnycrack from Kim! Awesome, no? That Margene. She rocks. Happy happy birthday to you! And a FANTABULOUS birthday to the BOOKISH Girl! Sorry guys. Next year I’ll do better. I promise.

So G and I had our homecoming last ~~year~~ night (But oh man it felt like a year! Being at my sister’s – no matter how much I love her, the kids, spending time with them – is NOT a vacation. I work hard. This time there was lots of work and lots of sick so I’m happy to be home.) and it wasn’t what I had anticipated to say the least. I’m on the train coming up from Philly and I get a call from G-Love. He had arrived home a couple of hours earlier and when he finally got home from the airport he realized a mistake had been made! Right out of our favorite movie, G had picked up the wrong suitcase at the airport!!!! Now, before you start snickering and think to yourself WOW! She bagged a winner! I saw the suitcase he picked up and it was identical to his bag. And to make matters worse, the bag itself is very different and easily identifiable. Georgie is the last person on earth (I guess, now, one of two) to NOT have a roller bag. Know what I’m talking about? He carries a soft suitcase (not a duffel) and it’s got this bright orange/yellow trim and the word LUCAS on it. So here comes the same bag on the baggage carousel and right next to it – TOUCHING it – is his other bag. He was on the phone arguing with the car service guy about where to meet and I was ringing in on the other line and he just picked up his bags and left. It wasn’t until he got home that he realized he had the wrong bag. When he called me I was all like OH MY GOD it’s FRANTIC and what if there are drugs in the bag?! Apparently only an I-POD, ten pairs of sneakers and some condoms. Somebody had fun in Miami.

When G called me I was like no biggie – pick me up at the train station and we’ll head over to the airport. I always come into Newark Penn Station and the airport’s like ten minutes from there. One problem though – G flew into La Guardia. Nothing like a midnight run to LGA. While we were going through the tunnel we got a call from American Airlines informing us they had his bag. Whew. We got to the airport with a little detour (missed a sign) switched out bags and headed home. Thank god we made that little detour because we took the BQE home and there was like a ten mile back up going TOWARDS the airport. Which we would’ve been stuck in. Maybe until today. Sometimes there is such a thing as luck.

So we’re home. Safe and sound. I miss the kids terribly – I’ve spent A LOT of time with them this month and now they’re off on a fabulous family vacation. The baby and I had some great bonding time. As sad as it is, it’s a great ego boost when the little guy cries every time you’re out of his line of sight. Awwww.

Knitting was sporadic. I found that weaving in ends on Short Rows was a great nap filler. I’m almost done, believe it or not. I have another new goal for this sweater – I want it done by Passover. And I have a FANASTIC new project on the horizon – details later in the week I hope. I need it for an event at the end of April so I have to start it soon, but it’s something I’ve been dreaming about for awhile and I think it will be phenomenal if I can pull it off.

Socks, socks, socks! I finished a jaywalker and cast on for a mate (not this sock’s mate – but you know how I like to switch socks up.) And the embossed leaves saga continues!

Looks like I haven’t made any progress, doesn’t it? Uh uh uh! Looks can be deceiving! No sillies! It’s not the second sock or anything as ambitious as that – it’s still the first sock. Only a brand new incarnation! I got to the turning of the heel, believe it or not, and decided it wasn’t right. I had done about 15 rows of ribbing and the 3.5 pattern repeats called for and, well, it looked short. So I ripped back to row 12 of ribbing and started knitting the pattern on size 2 Addis. I continued on 2s for two repeats, then switched to 1s. Right now I’ve got about 3.5 repeats done and I’m planning on doing 4.5 and then starting the heel. Everything’s going along pretty well now. I’m happy with it.

Anyway. I’m back. And I hope to be back for good – for a while at least. There’s still a lot of running around this month and now it’s extending into April and May but, it’s okay. I’ll deal.

Hope you’re having a GREAT day!
L, C

Filed Under: Embossed Leaves Socks, Jaywalkers, Life, Socks

Embossed Leaves

March 4, 2006 By Cara

God I just LOVE jumping on someone ELSE’s bandwagon. Love it! So I’m making these pretty socks from the Winter 2006 IK in Koigu #P704. I’ve decided that the spackly spotty Koigus are my favorites. What a surprise to knit! Every now and again such a shocking color rolls past my needle – something I’d never expect and seems so out of place – that I have to laugh. Very nice. (Although for the record, STR is MUCH softer than Koigu. Surprisingly so.)

Okay – so the socks. I LOVE the pattern. So much so I’m planning on knitting 8 million versions of this sock as well. There is a problem though. I followed the cast-on directions (even though they don’t really seem like what I thought a tubular cast on was supposed to be) and I did the ribbing on size 2 Addis (3mm) and then after fifteen rows of twisted knit ribs, I started the pattern on size 1 Addis (2.5mm). Now I’m thinking I should’ve done the whole thing on 2s. Or even start over and do the ribbing on 3s and the body on 2s. They seem too tight. All you embossed leaves knitters out there – what say you? Yeah. Yeah. I didn’t do a gauge swatch. They’re socks. Do you really swatch for socks? Isn’t it just easier to rip out and start over? Thanks for the thoughts.

I washed my yarn and hung it to dry and you were all right. It seems a lot better. Thank you all so much for your advice and encouragement (and offers for a good home for the yarn. The yarn appreciates it, but I think I’ll keep it.) I think my problem was I really thought my spinning was improving by leaps and bounds (and I still believe this) but when I went to ply and was reminded of those bits of the spinning where I HADN’T improved – I was disappointed. It’s a one step up and two steps back kind of thing. I’ll get there. I know I will and I can’t wait to spin some more.

Unfortunately though there won’t be much spinning this month. Although I’m going to kick ass to get the Project Spectrum Spinning in. It seems I’ll be on the road a lot this month – G’s away a few weekends in a row and I’m on my way to Philly today. We’ve got some family stuff going on this weekend that I don’t really want to talk about, but I will absolutely appreciate any good vibes you can send my way. I’m awfully open on the blog – but only when it comes to me and me alone. Stuff that affects my larger family I like to keep pretty quiet and it hasn’t been the best of times for us lately. Tomorrow is just another chapter in the continuing changes that we’re all still struggling to get used to. Blah. Let’s all sing together: It’s just another Xanax Sunday la, la! (Apologies to The Bangles.)

I be back home on Thursday, so I’m not sure how much I’ll be blogging between then and now. I’m on kid duty a lot – I’m actually going to help out my sister – so my computer time might be kind of scarce. Look for late night shout outs. Have a great weekend! See you soon!
L, C

Filed Under: Embossed Leaves Socks, Socks

Join the CLUB!

February 22, 2006 By Cara

Now you too can have the stash I have! Well sort of…. Blue Moon has unveiled their SOCK CLUB!!!

Filed Under: Socks

Come Play With Us

February 21, 2006 By Cara

So Becky tagged me for the “The View from Your Front Door” meme. I told her that it would be really, really boring. I’m not so sure she believed me.

I live in a high rise apartment building, so looking out my front door gives me a wall. A very boring wall. I thought I’d take a picture of the hallway too. This is walking straight out my front door and turning left:

It’s a crappy picture of the hallway, but it’s usually pretty dark out there. They’re supposed to be re-doing the hallways in the building – walls, carpeting, lighting. They’re charging us a gazillion dollars but the board’s fighting about it. As usual. Supposedly it was all supposed to be started and halfway completed by now and I think they painted the stairwells and maybe ripped out one floor. Fun, fun, fun! Anyway, the most interesting thing I can say about my hallway is that sometimes it scares the freaking crap out me. (Ask Jen. She’ll tell you. I totally wigged her out the other day.) It’s because sometimes, when I’m walking down from the elevator to my apartment, all I can think about is the twins in The Shining. You know – the ghost girls who want Danny to play and then the hallway fills with blood and I literally break into a run to my apartment. I hate scary movies and I think The Shining, with Jack Nicholson, is one of the scariest movies ever. But yet, whenever it’s on, I have to watch it.

I much prefer the view from my balcony:

For this very nice meme I will tag: Jasmin (because I learn something new on her blog everyday), Kris (because she’s my bp and she lives far from me), Stephanie (because she has a beautiful blog and lives in a beautiful place), and Kimberly (because she takes great pictures and here’s a good excuse to take some more.) Do you want to do it? Well, then, I tag you too!

I may have exorcised the Ikea Demons yesterday when G and I test drove a car out of Sweden known for its safety and family appeal. Welp this car is the fastest car I’ve ever driven and I’ve driven some fast cars. The last time we had that much fun in a test drive we bought the car. We’re still a couple of months away from any decisions, but I know what I want. Actually, I have to say that car shopping yesterday was one of the most pleasant experiences we’ve had in a while. Two dealerships, two different cars, two test drives. No one gave us a hard sell. Both salespeople loved the cars they were selling. Both extremely likable. I’d feel good buying a car from either one. And that says a lot. What was interesting too is that one salesperson had been in the business for over 20 years. The other was just barely OVER twenty years OLD. But that second test drive, with the young guy, MAN was that fun. You know you’re in for a good time when the salesguy gets in the car and says, don’t worry, I went to Skip Barber. Yipeee! G and I are still laughing over it!

I’m off to the dentist today. Blah. I hate the dentist. Well, I actually like my dentist and everyone in the office. I’ve been going there for 15 years and G something like 20. In fact we both have appointments today – one after the other. All together now: AWWWW! We get to see each other in the middle of the day, which is always a treat and may just help relieve the awful anxiety I get at the dentist. And it’s going to be bad today – I haven’t been in a while.

I leave you with my knitting from yesterday. Favorite STR EVAH! 😉

Filed Under: blogging stuff, Jaywalkers, Photographs, Socks

P.I.S.S.

February 20, 2006 By Cara

As the indomitable Snow put it, I’m suffering from Post Ikea Stress Syndrome. P.I.S.S. How great is that?

When last you found our intrepid Heroine, I was going to take the fucker apart and show it who’s BOSS! On Saturday G and I ventured out to a Lowe’s to get some supplies for rip down and rebuild. I think we were successful. Things were looking up!

Cedar balls, for the finished product, and an electric screwdriver. I was OPTIMISTIC!!!

We started to take the thing apart. The first thing we had to do was get those little grabby half circle things out of the holes – you know the ones that hold the metal thingamajigs? You don’t? Consider yourself lucky because once you get those things in there they don’t freaking come out! So we’re trying our hardest to get these fuckers out and it’s amazing we’re still married and we can’t get them out. Then I think hey! Maybe all I have to do is unscrew these screws over here and I can get it out! No go. Those little wooden Ikea pegs things that I want to stick in some Swedish designer’s eye are everywhere in this piece so even if you take the screws out you can’t get the thing apart. So we’re back to trying to get the top off so we can begin to TRY to take the thing apart but we can’t do it. I’m crying. I want to throw the thing out. And G’s totally with me. I call Ikea and ask them if I can drop the thing off and pick up a new one, since I can’t take it apart. The woman tells me I can return it fine, but it has to be unassembled. In the calmest, most exacerbated voice I have I tell her that if I could get it apart, I wouldn’t have to bring it back. She puts me on hold. I want to set fire to everything around me made of particle board. She comes back and tells me that they’ll take it, but I’ll have to pay an additional percentage, depending on its condition, over and above the 30% restocking fee. I say thank you and hang up. We consider this. Really, really consider this.

One problem. The freaking thing won’t fit in our car.

So we, two intelligent creative people, think of what to do. We’ll rent one of those trucks from Home Depot! Yeah! That’s it! And we’ll take it back to Ikea and get 50% or less than what we paid for it then buy a new one! Then return the truck! So we’ll be out an extra $500 but it will be PERFECT!

I actually made a few phone calls to some people to see if I was crazy to do this (G was right there with me, god love him!) but no one was home. Which turned out to be a very, very good thing.

This is CRAZY! I thought. GO BACK AND RETHINK! I was right when I started. Go back and drill the freaking holes in the wood. Turns out that middle piece, remember? It’s not particle board. It’s solid wood. Maybe that’s why it’s the piece that holds the whole sideboard together? Anyway, we get to measuring and turning it this way and on its head and every which way and in the end WE DO IT! WE DRILL HOLES AND THE DRAWERS WORK! And it’s all fixed and we can dance and sing and rejoice.

Almost.

As I’m finishing the rest of the drawers, I realize that one of the reasons you needed to put that freaking piece of wood in the right way, besides the holes, is that the stain is on the front side out. You know. To match up with the rest of it. So I’ve got all the drawers in and everything’s together and this thing ain’t never coming apart, but I’ve got a nice solid piece of PINE sticking out of my DARK WALNUT dresser. FUCK!

Off to Home Depot we go.

It looks good enough for me, so please don’t tell me if it looks bad. Seriously. I don’t want to know. This thing about killed me. I have poly for it too but I’m letting it go for now. I can always poly it later. Jacobean MinWax if anyone’s interested.

You think that’s the end of the story, don’t you? It’s NOT! So I hated the drawer pulls that came with the dresser and I walked into Restoration Hardware and found the perfect pulls IMMEDIATELY. Bought them, brought them home, tried them out. BINGO! They don’t fit. Well, they fit, but the screws were too short and they didn’t come with backs. What the? So on our venture to Home Depot we got some longer screws and some nuts and washers and problem number 3,719: the screws are silver and the pulls are a dark bronzy color. So the guy at Home Depot suggests we paint the screws. We buy paint and long discussions ensue on what’s the best way to paint these little teeny tiny screws that will attach the draw pulls that I adore for the dresser that I now loathe.

The ones I love on the left, the Ikea icky ones on the right.

Not to fear, my lovelies. At around midnight Saturday night in a stain induced haze I figured out the problem. So genius am I.

See (well you can’t really see, but take my word for it) the Ikea pull has like a tube that extends through the hole in the drawer front and you screw in the screw into the back. So what I figured out is that I could attach the Ikea drawer pull onto the INSIDE of the drawer and screw in the screws on the beautiful drawer pulls into the tubes from the front. Make sense? Look at the picture again. It makes perfect sense and better yet it WORKS!

~~For all intensive purposes~~ fuck it This thing is FINISHED. I do like it. I like it a lot. But I’m still mad so I’m not filling it with yarn just yet. I want that to be a kind of spiritual event. So I need a day or two. Soon though. I’m getting there. Recovery is hard.

Knit Olympics:Day Ten: PROGRESS!

I started the second mitten. As I mentione
d before, I’m doing the reverse on the second one. Pink as the Main Color, Navy as the contrast. I like it! I’m confident these mittens WILL be finished by next Sunday.

I also started a couple of socks:

On the left is the ribbing for the Embossed Leaves Socks from the Winter 2006 IK (do I really need to link to it?) in Koigu #P704 and on the right is a new Jaywalker in STR Panzanite (no it’s not on their website and Toni at The Fold doesn’t have it – if you like it, call and ask for it!)

We’re off to look at cars today. G has a spreadsheet with him. Oh fun!
L, C

Filed Under: Jaywalkers, Knitting Olympics 2006, Miscellaneous, Socks

Did someone say socks?

February 3, 2006 By Cara

Oh My God. I want one!

Sock Peacock by Felt Up Designs

Did someone say socks? TAKE TWO!

Look what I won! All that gorgeous SILK! It’s pretty funny really. Danielle was looking for sock patterns – JAYWALKERS need not apply. So I sent her a link to the Acorn Socks I knit last summer for SockapalTWOza. She loved them and I won! Thank you Danielle! I hope you love knitting the socks as much as I did!

PS – Thanks to Jasmin. I saw the contest link on her blog when I was trolling for Jaywalker updates! By the way, Jasmin has a gorgeous blog. You must check it out.

PPS – Danielle is holding another contest! She wants hat patterns, with lots of hand dyed angora to give away!

Filed Under: Socks

Knit. Eat. Sleep.

January 31, 2006 By Cara

Rinse. Repeat.

It was a wonderful vacation. We slept great. We ate even better. And, well, I surpassed my knitting goals. There was lots of cuddling and togetherness. A pedicure. A spin out. A suite. All in all, it couldn’t have been better – even though the weather wasn’t as warm as we’d have liked and the wind was a bit too strong. I wouldn’t trade it for the world though.

Here’s what I knit:

I finished the Short Row sleeves. YAY! All that’s left is to weave in the 3,418 ends from the back and the front and seam, do the collar and seam some more. I can taste the end. Hopefully it won’t take another six months to finish.

I finished my Rare Gems sock AND my first Red Hot Sizzling Sock. The RHSS is knit using Ruby Slippers STR with the picot edge modification – I started it Wednesday when I should’ve been packing – managed the picot edge and a couple repeats before it was time for bed. So most of the sock was knit in Florida – including the last couple of repeats and the toe while waiting on the runway for the plane to take off. The flight took about two hours longer than scheduled so I was also able to cast on and start the second Petroglyph sock. I got past the ribbing and a few repeats – but we were watching The Wedding Crashers on the plane and until I got smart and put it down, I screwed up some of the repeats. I’ll rip that today and start the second RHSS as well.

The food was unbelievable. I had what can honestly be described as the best meal of my life. I was dizzy it was so good. We ate at Mark’s in South Beach. For an appetizer I had Jumbo diver scallops, puree of calabaza, guava butter and plantain chip. Georgie had Tartare of yellowfin tuna, avocado, cucumber noodles, lemongrass oil. For dinner I had pistacio crusted lamb chops with brussel sprouts and cauliflower with bacon and pomegranates and potatos au gratin. G had Maine lobster tossed with saffron linguine, roma tomatoes, basil, white beans, English peas and prosciutto, served with roasted garlic crostini. Neither one of could speak the food was so good. (All of the dishes above are on the menu at the website except my lambchops.) I don’t even remember dessert, but it paled compared to the meal.

The next night we ate at Azul in Miami. I started with the butternut squash soup with hazelnuts and G had fried oysters wrapped in salmon, tuna, beef and crab carpaccios. For dinner, Georgie had the halibut and I had the Salmon duo – one side of the plate had poached salmon and the other side had salmon wrapped in mushrooms in a kind of spring roll type wrapping. Yummmm! Dessert here was really a treat though – vanilla souffle with three different sauces – chocolate, rasberry and creme anglaise. So divine.

Every meal we ate was delicious – but these two meals stand out.

What else? We had our first stuck on the runway experience – you know – when they taxi out and it looks like you’re going to take off then they stop the plane and tell you we’ll be sitting here for the next two hours – make yourself comfortable? Yeah. Not too much panic from the anxious claustrophobic girl. The good thing was I had already taken my pre-board Xanax so I was nicely juiced when they made the announcement. I knit along happily on my RHSS and finished it – I was about to kitchener the toe when I couldn’t find my cuticle scissors – I always travel with them. The round tips have been allowed by the TSA for years and years. Anyway, since the plane was a free for all I went up and asked the flight attendants if they had a scissors. Not allowed. But one of them told me she saw a woman knitting a blanket back in coach – let’s go ask her. So I walked to the back of the plane with the flight attendant – but she didn’t have scissors. We talked for a bit about my sock and then I made my way back to the front. Fun times on an airplane.

By the way – in case you’re flying any time soon – customs has completely RELAXED the requirements for knitting needles and such. I used to have a whole system for getting my needles and such through customs – but this time they barely batted and eye and even told me I didn’t have to take my scissors out (I used to put them in the cell phone bin because otherwise they’d rip apart my stuff.) I traveled with addi turbo circulars – from US 1s to US 6s exclusively and had no problems what so ever.

I’ll be making the official announcement tomorrow, but I’m closing down the jaywalker knit along after the giveaway on the 14th. I decided yesterday and as hard as this decision is for me, oh my god what a weight off my shoulders. This thing has taken over my life and that’s not fun. Basically I’ll be shutting down sign-ups tomorrow, because, well, if you haven’t had an update by then, you’re not eligible to win anyway. It’s been an amazing ride, but I kind of want my blog back.

I wanted to add a word cloud which I saw over at Karma’s but I’m having server issues all over the place. When things get back up I’ll add it.
Here it is!

Have a great day!

Filed Under: Jaywalkers, Short Rows, Socks, Vacations

Jaywalker Seven!

December 30, 2005 By Cara

First things first.

Yesterday I finished my fifth pair of Jaywalkers – my third since the knit along started. These are Azurite STR. You know what that means? Let’s do the math! I first blogged about Jaywalkers on October 20, which means I started knitting on October 19th. Yesterday was December 29. That means that in 70 days, I knit FIVE pairs of Jaywalkers. That’s a sock a week people! That’s got to be some kind of record, no? This morning I laid them all out in their glory.

Since this week it’s all about me (I mean c’mon – it’s my blog – I can brag a little – and my birthday IS two days away!) I’m taking the easy way out on the updates. They will return, in the extended fabulousness, next week. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Amanda‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Anne‘s finished socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Bethe‘s finished hybrid socks! And the ones she just started!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Carole‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Say a prayer for Corrina‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Ellie‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Gail‘s finished socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Helen‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Holly‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Jeanne‘s finished socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Jen‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Jenny‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Jess‘s finished socks! (December 26th entry.)

~ Happy New Year! Check out Kate‘s finished socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Katherine’s finished socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Kelly‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Kris‘s doomed socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Kris‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Laura‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Lauren’s finished socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Lisa‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Liz‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Liz‘s finished socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Liz‘s socks! (She needs your vote as well!)

~
Happy New Year! Check out Manda‘s socks! (Manda, darling, you’re the PSYCHO, not me! No one dies during updates!)

~ Happy New Year! Check out Marie‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Margene‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Naomi‘s two-color socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Renata‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Robyn‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Rosemary‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Sandra‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Shannon‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Tracy‘s socks!

~ Happy New Year! Check out Vicki‘s socks!

I leave you with this:

Yeah. That’s right. I’m rubbing it in! 😉

Filed Under: Azurite Jaywalkers, Jaywalker KAL, Socks

I’m thinking I know what you’re thinking

December 27, 2005 By Cara

So yesterday we went down to Philly for some Chanukah festivities. Our first stop was at my Aunt’s where basically my mother’s family and some extras got together for a deli tray. (Do me a favor – don’t ask about the deli tray – if you don’t know, you don’t want to know.) In the olden days, we’d all get together at my grandmother’s for Chanukah and a deli tray, but Grandmom’s not into entertaining anymore and my aunt seems to be all into the family thing these days. One of the things she requested when she sent out the printed invitations was that all the adults bring a $5-10 gift for a pollyanna type exchange. Normally, I DO not like to participate in these things. First off, I can’t stay within a budget (as any of my secret pals might attest to) and also, what the hell can you buy for $5-10? Apparently a lot.

After eating and the kids opening their presents (I mean, c’mon, how much happier could my grandmother have been when my nephew jumped up and said “How did you know? It’s JUST what I wanted!!! My sister was pretty stoked too since she bought the gift for my grandmother. Good deeds all around. Warms my heart!) it was time for the adult gift exchange. Have you ever done this? Everyone gets a number and you go in backwards order – person #10, for instance, picks a gift. Then person #9 can either pick a new gift, or any other gift. So if you’re #1 you basically can choose from anything. These things can get kind of raucous. Especially when a NON-relative takes away your 85 yr old grandmother’s jet propulsion foot massager and said grandmother winds up with a flask. Fun, fun, fun! Anyway, to make a long story even longer, G’s gift ended up being one of those 20Q toys. Have you seen these?

You think of something, and then the artificial intelligence machine asks you 20+ questions until it guesses what you’re thinking of – the thing is freaking freaky! It pretty much always gets it right from Aardvark to Tampon. I shit you not. My sister was the one who contributed the gift and we had many hours of fun before the exchange. Anyway, so G is in line at Dalessandro’s Steaks (because one of our agreements when he comes to Philly is that he gets to try yet ANOTHER cheesesteak place. He fancies himself a connoisseur. If I’ve told him once I’ve told him a million times: no matter if he married a Philly girl, no born in Boston raised in Chicago and Jersey City boy is EVER going to be a cheesesteak connoisseur!) and he’s completely engrossed in his 20Q game when some guy, with his kid standing next to him, starts tapping G on the shoulder. He looks up and the guy pulls his own 20Q game out of his pocket and proceeds to say: “Last night I thought of the most vile disgusting things and it got them all right!”

If that’s not an endorsement for a toy, I don’t know what is.

Okey dokey. Because it NEVER gets old, The Hard Rock Jaywalker:

Socks That Rock – Hard Rock Colorway. ‘Nuff said.

And in the it’s getting REALLY old it’s multiplying category:

Yup! That’s right folks! We’ve ADDED gifts to the pile that can’t be opened until my birthday. I’ve blogged about this before, but my Dad gives us all a birthday book – a special book from him – since we were born. So when I saw him yesterday he gave me my book(s). With explicit instructions NOT to open them until Jan 1. He does this every year actually, so it’s a no brainer. And usually it’s the only present I open in the morning (G gives me his presents at midnight) so I don’t mind waiting. Now I’ll have a BONANZA! Yippee!

Off for a much needed haircut and lunch with my honey today! Have a great one!

Filed Under: Hard Rock Socks, Socks