I’ll LOVE You With All the Madness In My Soul!*

July 5, 2005 By

OH MY GOD! You guys are incredible. I’m LOVING all the LOVE SONGS! What fun I had this weekend. Seriously – some I haven’t thought of in a while – some I just adore – some I need to try out. So great. But without further ado, the winner of The Summer of HATE LOVE LACE contest is:

KRISTIN

She chose Let’s Stay Together by Al Green as her favorite love song. Great pick Kristin! (I’m also quite partial to You Ought To Be With Me – a great one by Al Green if you’ve never heard it!) Congratulations Kristin! Send me your address and the Zephyr (plus some sheepy and flower cards) is in the mail!

I’d love to send a couple of other PhotoArtCard packages out too – first to Louise, who was the 1776th comment on my blog (she chose Blue Velvet as her lovesong)! It seems fitting that she should get a prize this Fourth of July weekend. Sheepy cards for you! And also for Anne, who chose Silhouettes On the Shade. (Click on the link to HEAR this great song!) Unbeknownst to Anne, that is one of my all time favorite songs. My daddy sang that to us when we were little – all the time! When I told my sister someone had put it on the blog, she said, well you have to send them something! My dad came to visit this weekend too and he got a good laugh out of it as well. Thanks Anne! Sheepy cards for you! (PS – Do you know your domain isn’t working? Hope you get it fixed soon!)

Thanks everyone for playing. I’m going to open the comments back up – so feel free to keep adding your love songs. I thought of a couple more I love: As by Stevie Wonder and Lovely Day by Bill Withers and Dancing in the Moonlight by Thin Lizzy. UGH! I could go on and on and on and on! I LOVE me a GOOD LOVE SONG!

The weekend was crazy – as expected. There was some of this:


The Carousel at Van Saun Park

And some of this:


Blankie/Pacie, Uncle Georgie’s shades and my Dora bikini!
Ah! This is the life!

And A LOT of this:


Chunkilicious Laughing it UP!

Today we had this:

And let me tell you, them leaving me is a HELL of a lot harder than my leaving them! I was so sad I may have shed a tear or two. Sure my house has been turned upside down! Sure I’ve got a ton of laundry to do! Sure I didn’t touch the knitting AT ALL since Thursday (I think I’ve been knitting in my sleep though!) But what’s better than little Charlotte walking around saying “Cara’s house! We’re at Cara’s house!” Or Max and Georgie swimming together and just hanging out. Or Baby Eli, so, so deliciously fat laughing and laughing and laughing! Nothing. There’s nothing better. My house is suddenly very, very quiet. I will be happy when G comes home tonight – I have missed him. Not much quiet time with three kids wreaking delightful havoc!

I’ve got to get a job out – so I have to dash. And I still need to get through two repeats and the border on the FBS. I’m dying to start my SockaPal2Za socks as well. Thank you again for all your comments and especially all the compliments on FBS. Can’t wait to show you a finished project!

Have a great back to real life day. I’m not sure I’m ready for it!
L, C

* Possibly my favorite Bruce lyric EVER. From Born to Run. Definitely a LOVE SONG!

Filed Under: Contest, Kids, Photographs
July 4, 2005 By


https://januaryone.com/blog/post_1/

Filed Under: politics and other crap

Summer of Hate Love Lace

July 1, 2005 By


In honor of the fact that I only have two more repeats and the edging on my Flower Basket Shawl (which unfortunately will have to wait until after the weekend – I doubt my niece and nephews will let me get in any knitting) I’m giving away some beautiful Zephyr Wool-Silk!


Jagger Spun Zephyr Wool Silk
50% Wool, 50% Tussah Silk
1260 Yards (enough for a large Flower Basket)
Color: Iris

Okay – here’s what you need to do to win this yarn. Since I’m all about the love…



leave me the name of your favorite love song in the comments. I’ll be picking randomly on Tuesday. So you have the weekend to get in touch with your loverly side. (Only one entry per person will be counted. Thanks!)

I’ll start you off with some of my favorites:

The Very Thought of You
Can’t Get Enough of Your Love, Babe
Prove it All Night
Drive All Night
For You

You get the picture. And if you want, I’ll throw in some cards – sheep or flowers. Or both. Have fun! Can’t wait to see what you come up with – I’m a sucker for a love song.

Have a great weekend everyone – hope I come back with lots of fun pool pictures. If not, I’ve got plenty of work for everyone!


My New Toys. (Ann! I totally understand now!)

Filed Under: Contest, Flower Basket Shawl

Fourteen

June 30, 2005 By

Flower Basket repeats done,
Fourteen Flower Basket repeats.

If a yarn over should happen to fall,
Thirteen Flower Basket repeats done!

That should sum it all up for you. Time spent: two hours (give or take a little) knitting ten rows. Two hours frogging two. Lace is a bitch – especially when you’re a bonehead like me. I managed to work my way back and have started the fifteenth repeat (which I think is actually the fourteenth repeat to be honest. When I’m done this repeat section I’ll have fifteen baskets.) I went to bed late. But I’ve already done a purl row this morning. I like to leave it by doing the first row of the next repeat so I can pick it up on a purl row. It’s like doing exercises at the piano – get my fingers all limber.

But the shawl is really taking shape. I was noticing all kinds of interesting things about it’s construction last night. Now that I’m almost finished, I’m finally SEEING the pattern. Have I mentioned that I love Evelyn Clark? I can’t wait to start my sock pal socks. This weekend for sure. Or next week. Depending on the kids.

Speaking of kids, I got all my work done yesterday. The photos are off to the printer and all I have to do today is clean! My bathroom’s in desperate need and the kids will need baths, so I’ve got to do that. Also, I have some errands to run before they get here tomorrow. And I’m on call in case my sister decides she wants company for the ride. Usually I take the train down and ride back up here with her, but she thinks she’s okay. So we’ll see. Better for me because I’ve got tons to do before they arrive.

I hope I wasn’t being too pedantic yesterday with my photography blatherings. I am a firm believer in “if I can do it, you can do it!” I thought as proof I’d show you some progress I’ve made over the years. My family gave me a digital camera for my 30th birthday – five and a half years ago. I had been interested in photography as a teenager – my parents gave me darkroom equipment for my bat mitzvah gift. It was never, ever used (and I really wanted the initial ring everybody else was getting.) The camera was a Kodak with 2.5 megapixels and I basically documented the first year of my nephew’s life with it. On his first birthday, I upgraded to my Sony DSC-F707 and I was off.

Almost every year we go to La Quinta. One year (I think 2001) while Georgie was playing tennis, I thought, why not take some pictures of the gorgeous flowers they have all over the property. BINGO! I was hooked. Every year we’d go back and I’d spend more and more time taking flower pictures. And every year they’d get better:


April, 2002 – Sony DSC-F707


May, 2003 – Sony DSC-F707


July, 2003 – Canon 10D

Over the years, I’ve taken (literally) thousands and thousands of pictures. Tens of thousands. With all of my cameras. (In fact, the shutter died on the Canon 10D after two years. They fixed it though.) I believe in practice makes perfect. 😉

I also thought I’d show you a before and after “developing” job. I like to underexpose my pictures a little so I can lighten them myself. Especially when I’m using a flash – it takes away the harsh flash light quite nicely. Anyway, here’s the same lily from above – before and after.


Before


After

The before picture is completely untouched except for resizing for the web.

I like to think I trained my eye to see things in a more pleasing composition. Don’t ever be afraid to get close! Macro lenses (and settings) are essential for this, but I think it gives a much better picture. Remember to look at the background – empty space can be your friend, but not when it’s cluttered and distracting. Most of all, experiment. There are many, many days when I go out to take pictures and get nothing. There are also days and when I go out, come back in and look, go back, look, go back until I get what I want.

Photographing kids is a whole other animal. Just shoot until you and the kid fall down from exhaustion. Cross your fingers and hope for a good picture. 😉

Thanks for stopping by!
Have a great day.

Filed Under: Flower Basket Shawl, Photographs

Nothing. Nada. Nil.

June 29, 2005 By

I purled a right side row on FBS yesterday and didn’t realize it until I was half way through the lace pattern on the next wrong side row. Sometimes I even amaze myself. So I ripped that and managed to get half way through another repeat. This is taking WAY too long. I actually think I might be getting ~GASP~ bored a little. And for some reason I can’t imagine how this is going to block out bigger. 80% Cotton, 20% Wool – is that it? What I see is what I get? C’mon Carrie! Show me your blocked FBS! Inquiring minds want to know!

I’m still cranking out pictures. For a job. People don’t realize, but with the digital SLRs out on the market, the pictures DO NOT come out of the camera finished. (As opposed to a P&S where the pictures tend to be overprocessed, so you don’t have to!) The cameras are made so that the pictures come out of the box, if you will, needing work. That’s why they call it a DIGITAL DARKROOM. Did you know that the “look” Ansel Adams is so famous for came from the darkroom, not the camera? It’s all about dodging and burning and tweaking exposures – darkroom, darkroom, darkroom. So I “develop” every picture I take. Most of them not much – just a little brightening here and there – a little sharpening. But with the kids, I go through every picture. I’m a GENIUS at getting out snot, food, little scrapes – if a kid can get it on them – I can get it out. Hell, I’m even working on a father whose kid got chocolate all over his shirt. It’s tedious work sometimes, but I like it. It’s time consuming though – and I don’t have a lot of time. The kids are coming and once they get here, I won’t be able to do anything. Nothing. Nada. Nil. (Unless you count giggling and cuddling and playing and crying and not a lot of sleeping…you get the picture!) So the pictures HAVE to be done today. This is all just procrastination.

I’m asked all the time about what kind of camera I use. Currently, I’m using a Canon 20D. Before that a Canon 10D. And before that a Sony DSC-F707 (long since discontinued.) I’d like to think (and I may be deluding myself here) that I could take the pictures I take with a pinhole camera. You know, like it’s the eye not the equipment. That’s not to say that a good camera can’t HELP me get the better picture. For the kid picture taking, my equipment is ESSENTIAL. The fast shutter helps me IMMENSELY. The shutter is like lightening and I can take a lot of pictures at the same time to get EXACTLY the one I want. Also, the camera body doesn’t mean as much as the lens on the camera. It’s the lens that gets you the picture – the camera body just processes it onto the film (or card, in the case of digital). Well, it’s not as simple as that – but I’ve paid a lot of money for a lens, and A LOT of money for a lens, and the difference is noticeable in every area – picture quality, focus quality, everything. You pay the big bucks for GOOD glass, and it’s worth it.

Lesson over for the day. I haven’t been out to shoot flowers in a while and I’m missing it. As much as I like the process, being stuck at the computer all day can get a little old, fast. So I leave you with what I’d rather be doing:

Taken with my old Sony DSC-F707, with an added Macro lens.

Filed Under: Photographs

A Tisket A Tasket…

June 28, 2005 By

A candy apple basket…

I have three more rows to go on the 11th repeat, which will give me twelve baskets on either side of the divide. My goal is sixteen or seventeen. The pattern is very easy, so easy I keep fucking it up – especially on the first two right side rows of the repeat. Something about the k2togs and ssks is freaking out my brain because once I get past those, I’m fine. And now of course it’s taking a MUCH longer time to get through a row. Those purl rows are killers. I realized why too. You have like twice as many stitches to knit. On the right side you’re always knitting some together and creating yos – on the back you have to purl EVERY SINGLE STITCH. But I’m plugging away. I can see the end and it seems so close.

I’ve also been slowly knitting on my retro rib socks:

I have to admit, these socks aren’t half as fun as my stripey ones. I’m beginning to think I’m a stockinette sock girl – as long as there are funny stripes. But I have been getting loads of compliments on them when I knit in public. People keep thinking it’s a sleeve for a kid’s knit. When I tell them it’s a sock, for me, they look at me like I’m crazy.

Speaking of which, time for more forward progress on my brain. I’m finally admitting to myself I have a touch of OCD – but, of course, without the compulsions that get you a clean, organized house. Just the crazy, wacked out obsessional thoughts! Who knew I could be so lucky!?! Shrink day today, so maybe a meds adjustment is in the works. Although I don’t do too well with medications – of any kind. I’m very sensitive. 😉 Oh and Tom Cruise – FUCK YOU.

I got a new toy this weekend. A new phone! I’ve had my old one for a LONG time. Longer than these things are supposed to last – especially when three babies have chewed through them. But a new toy I have and I’ve discovered the wonders of RINGTONES!

When Georgie calls from his cell phone: DETROIT ROCK CITY!
When he calls from work: UNDER PRESSURE!
When he calls from home: OUR HOUSE!
When my sister calls: BLISTER IN THE SUN! (or maybe the theme from Days of Our Lives. Hers may change.)
When my bro calls: CALIFORNIA LOVE!
When Joe Random calls: 1 THING!

Georgie wants me to work in Tubular Bells. You know – the theme from The Exorcist? I can’t even hear that shit without getting creeped out. Let him put it on his own phone!

I’m having a fantastic time – Georgie and I spent hours (literally – we were at his office) going through ringtones. I’d try to stump him with a polyphonic greatest hits of our lives. No good Bruce tones though. Bummer. Tell me what your favorites are!

Off to do stuff. Thanks for hanging out with me!

Filed Under: Cuba Libre Socks, Flower Basket Shawl, Miscellaneous, Socks

Cheeseheads and Sharpies

June 27, 2005 By

I’ve been avoiding blogging about the last few days, not because it was awful or disappointing – but because it was so good, so lovely, so RIGHT, I’m at a loss for words.

Admittedly, Thursday was a bit stressful. I had been designated cruise director, a job I’m not often given, and since I’ve got that debilitating perfectionism problem, well, you guessed it. I wanted everything to be perfect. Doesn’t really leave you a lot of time to enjoy yourself. But I managed. 😉

Jen and I headed into the big city around 9:30 and met up with Vicki at her hotel. Lauren met us there and when we could pry Vicki off her bed with seventeen thousand pillows, we headed up to Tender Buttons. I think Vicki got a good picture of the place. It’s basically nirvana for buttons. Button Heaven if you will. VERY overwhelming. But somehow Vicki, Jen and I all managed to find the PERFECT buttons for our projects. (Lauren didn’t need any – but she was essential in the choosing.) Here’s what I found for Bohemia:

Lest the picture isn’t revealing enough – these babies are LEATHER. Aren’t they super perfect for the aran delight this sweater will (hopefully) one day become? As perfect as my buttons are, Vicki’s are better. I hope she shows a picture.

After TB, I took Vicki on her first ever subway ride to meet up with the rest of the gals at School Products. Ann, Nancy (go wish her a happy birthday today!), and Cassie joined the rest of us – I didn’t get anything, but a few of us walked away with goodies. Sadly, Jen had to leave us after School Products (hope you’re having a good time basking in the Caribbean Sun Jen!) but the rest of the troops made our way to Habu. Again, I’ll let others tell you about this place, since I’ve already given you my first impression.

With the tantalizing deliciacies of Habu under our belt, (that’s two yarn stores down, no yarn for Cara) we headed off to the Shake Shack for lunch. Vicki’s husband met us there and we stood in line for supposedly THE BEST BURGER in New York. (I’m sticking with the Burger Joint at the Parker Meridien, but it was very good.) Some guy asked me if they were like In-N-Out. No. They aren’t like In-N-Out. Nothing’s like In-N-Out – but that’s a whole other post.

We ate, we knit, we relaxed on what had to be one of the top ten weather days OF ALL TIME. Seriously. Vicki got really lucky considering the gross, disgusting weather we’ve been having. I’m sure she had a taste of it on Saturday, which I think was one of the hottest days in the city. But on Thursday it was clear, no humidity, blue sky beautiful.

Satiated by our burgers, we took the subway down to Seaport, leaving Nancy to go back to work at my old stomping grounds. I knew I recognized her from somewhere! Great to meet you Nancy. Seaport Yarns is crazy. It used to be a consulting firm, but post-9/11, the proprietress decided to follow her heart and open a yarn store – right in the middle of the consulting firm – at least that’s the story I’ve been told. I welcome a correction. (One thing to note is that of the four yarn stores we went to that day, NONE of them were storefronts. Meaning, three were in office buildings and one was in a residential building on the second floor. Gotta love NYC!) Seaport pretty much has everything and anything and I did come away with a purchase, even though I was made fun of mercilessly. (So what if I’ve only finished ONE pair of socks?!? Can you EVER have enough sock yarn?)

While Seaport has A LOT of yarn, I’d have to say their book/pattern selection is second to none. They have everything.

Cassie had to go after Seaport, so Lauren, Ann, Vicki and I headed uptown to the Yarn Connection to meet up with Kathleen, who was joining us for dinner. By that time, we were pretty much spent. The day started at 10:30 (9:30 for me) and I think we were yarn crawled out. The Yarn Connection provided a lovely table, some punchy conversation and a couple balls of yarn for me.

I’m thinking this will be trim for a long sleeve v-neck sweater (Nothin’ But a T-Shirt? The Vogue Tennis Sweater?) I have a bunch of chocolate brown Calmer, so these two balls will be the accent. What do you think?

After YC, we walked around aimlessly because by that time all my planning skills had pooled in my feet with about ten pounds of water weight (can you say swollen tootsies?) We ended up at some tables off to the side of THE New York Public Library building. Yes, the one with Patience and Fortitude. (How apt!?! We knitters should adopt them as our mascots. Anyone ever try to knit lion mane?)

Soon after, Lauren had to catch a train and the remaining four needed something for dinner. I seriously couldn’t think at that point. What should we feed Vicki? Something New York. Something she can’t really get in Wisconsin. Of course! Pizza! And not just any pizza, but John’s Pizza. My fave. (Okay, they have cheese in Wisconsin, but mozzarella? Please!) So Ann, Kathleen, Vicki and
I had pizza. And beer. And laughed and teased and laughed. I had a great time all day, but this was the highlight for me. These girls are irreverent and bitchy (in the BEST sense of the word) and funny and loving and just a BLAST! I’m so glad I got to meet ALL of you. Thanks for giving as good as you got.

Suffice it to say, I didn’t get home until after midnight. Apparently Kathleen and Ann got home much later – but hey – that’s what happens when you live on LonGUYland! 😉

Want to hear about Friday? Read on…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Blog, Bohemia, Socks, Stash

It’s Not Nice to Fool Mother Nature!

June 23, 2005 By

Remember those butter commercials, they were goofy to be sure, but good ol’ MN really showed her stuff yesterday.

I watched the most spectacular storm come across the swamp. I’m sure I’ve mentioned it, but it’s worth repeating. I live smack dab in the middle of a swamp. The Meadowlands to be precise. My apartment is situated in my building so that I look right out into swamp land – due west. We get THE most spectacular sunsets you can imagine. I think it has to do with all the chemicals in the air, but whatever it is, every night has the possibility for a technicolor cornicopia. I’m not kidding. G and I often yell to each other from room to room – did you see it? Look out the window? Amazing.

We talk about moving all the time, and if we ever do (which I hope we do eventually) one of the things I will miss the most is watching the weather from my balcony – be it sun or rain or snow. I have the perfect view.

Besides the sunsets, there is nothing I like better than watching a storm roll across the swamp. The dark clouds barrel down and the sky is often a mix of blue and black. Yesterday afternoon was no exception. I absolutely love the clarity in the air that comes with dark clouds. It’s hard to describe and I know my camera could never capture it, but there’s a glow in the air. The green of the tree leaves is crisper. The billowy grass in the swamp is tinged with gold on the tips, despite the lack of sun.

Yesterday I could see huge bolts of lightning hitting beyond the turnpike. Thick strikes that seemed to last forever. Kids by the pool (by the pool, not in the pool) would yell out, “did you see that? did you see it?” and not two seconds later another bolt would appear a little to the left. A little to the right.

The rains came and the winds picked up and the lighting became fierce! The strikes landed in front of my window, almost literally, in the swamp across the way. The winds were viscious, blowing around pool chairs and deck chairs and I closed the window because I was actually frightened.

The rain descended in torrents and marched across the swamp like ghostly soldiers. The thunder echoed their battle cry. The flag billowing tattered in the parking lot was a stark witness to the war.

I’ve never been truly scared by a storm since I’ve lived here. I’ve seen A LOT of storms blow across the swamp in fourteen years. Yesterday, I hung up on my sister and hid in the bathroom for a few minutes. We have windows facing west in every room of the house. The bathroom is the safest place with no windows.

It passed fairly quickly and I went back to work on my computer. Later on I passed by the windows again and witnessed the redest orb I’ve ever seen. The sky around the sun glowed like it was, literally, on fire. Here’s hoping that sun was a harbinger of a beautiful day with beautiful bloggers and beautiful yarn!


Not from yesterday, but from my balcony nonetheless.

Filed Under: Miscellaneous, Photographs

Hump Day

June 22, 2005 By

You know when you wake up with a headache, the day just might suck. Too soon to tell – I have a lot of work today, so hopefully that will keep the demons at bay. Thanks for making me feel like I’m not alone in my craziness.

I’ve lived with anxiety and panic since I was thirteen for sure, but probably earlier. It’s like an addiction – always there – even on the good days. I’ve learned A LOT about it over the years – it all has to do with control. The last few weeks I’ve been making some emotional breakthroughs (baby/infertility stuff mostly) and when I get very emotional I have a very nasty habit of hiding it with rationalizations. I’m not sure about you, but feelings CANNOT be rationalized. And when I can’t rationalize, I panic. It’s as simple or as complex as that. So I’ve let myself go a little. It’s okay – I’m figuring things out. Incredibly hard things, for sure, but stuff that needs to get worked out. I need to be patient with myself and kind to myself and let myself be sad, so I’m working on that too. In the meantime, I’ve got good friends/family who will listen, a shrink who’s kid I’ve put through college already and the greatest husband/best friend a girl could have. And blog buddies who don’t think it’s (TOO) crazy to buy 87 different kinds of self-striping sock yarn. Thanks for that, by the way! (My favorite, so far, is the Trekking Crazy Stripes. I LOVE the colors and the feel of the yarn. It’s all I can do to not cast on RIGHT THIS MINUTE!)

For all of you who asked about where I got the sock yarn from – I googled Cotton Surf or Trekking Crazy Stripes. The three places I bought from were The Knitter (they were super friendly over the phone), The Knitting Zone and Carodan Farms. Hope that helps! Have fun. (Oh and don’t say I didn’t warn you!)

Some progress was made yesterday on the FBS. I finished another repeat. My goal is at least one repeat a day. We’ll see. I’m at nine repeats now and I want to go to 16 or 17 for the large shawl. Or maybe 15 or 16. I’m surprised at how fast the lace row goes (right side). The purl rows seem to take forever. I’m usually a little faster on the purl side. And I hate strongly dislike the first couple rows of the repeat. I don’t like the k2togs or the ssks, so I’m trying to get that first row done on the next repeat. Couldn’t do it last night, but that’s my goal. It’s good to have goals.

Yesterday I was organizing around here a little bit and accidentally deleted two posts. One was the picture of me in the Israeli Army. Don’t worry, they’re back. Apparently when you delete a post it’s deleted from your database, but not from your server. So I was able to cut and past them no problem. The thing I don’t have is all your wonderful comments. They’re there, on my server, but I’d have to cut and paste them all back in. I might. Not today. But I might. Anyway, be careful out there. When’s the last time you backed up all your stuff?

Another one for Norma – go see how her garden grows!

Filed Under: Flower Basket Shawl, Photographs

SOCKASTRIPENANZA!

June 21, 2005 By

Admittedly, I’ve gone a bit crazy the past week or so. In more ways than one. My anxiety has reared its ugly head and I’ve let myself give in to it – something I’ve been working on for a long, long time. My shrink always says that my being smart and having an excellent imagination are recipes for torture – and torture myself I do! I’m exceedingly good at making myself feel awful! YEEHAW! (See, Margene, I’m working the yeehaws in every where I can.)

Don’t feel sorry for me or extend sympathy – unless of course you yourself make yourself crazy – because then I’d like to hear I’m not the only one. (LOL – I’m only half serious.)

Anyway – the craziness has extended into SOCKS! I know. I’ve made one pair. And it’s not like I haven’t been collecting sock yarn for a awhile. But the STRIPES made me NUTS!

Columns left to right:

Opal Petticoat Regia Cotton Surf #5413 Trekking Crazy Stripes #48
Regia Mini Ringel #5217 Regia Cotton Surf #5411 Trekking Crazy Stripes #39
Regia Crazy Color #5402 Regia Cotton Surf #5414 Trekking Crazy Stripes #35
Mountain Colors Wild Rasberry Regia Cotton Surf #5412 Trekking Crazy Stripes #38

In my defence, It looks like the Cotton Surf and the Trekking Crazy Stripes are being discontinued. Or, if they’re not, they were on sale. Seriously, I don’t know which ones I want to knit up first! The Cotton Surf #5411 (The Reds) might be for my Sockapalooza 2 Pal. She likes red, stripes and cotton – perfect, no? But she also likes lace. So I might try to find a nice cotton solid (anyone know of any cotton solid sock yarns?) and make the Go With the Flow socks from IK – or I may just go with some nice Koigu instead of Cotton. But I think Go With the Flow is the pattern. Maybe I’ll make the exact socks in the magazine. Can I make my sock pal two pairs?

Knitting saved me this weekend. I don’t know how many repeats I’ve completed on FBS, but I’ve completed 8 baskets on each side of the divide and am two rows into the nines. Experienced FBSers: Does that mean I’ve done seven repeats? I don’t know how to count this.

The pattern is great. I look at the chart at the beginning of the row and I’m gone. I’ve had some to rip back a row or two, but for the most part it’s going well. I like it – the yarn is good, the color is good, the pattern is good. It rescued me from a panic attack the other day on the train – although it is hard to knit when your hands are shaking. But it was a blessing because I HAD to concentrate. You know, get out of my head and all.

I’m home and feeling a bit better. Georgie calms me down. No matter how crazy and evil my thoughts – he can always do me one better! Gotta love him. I’m off to get my hair done today so I can look pretty for Vicki on Thursday. I’m thinking a yarn crawl that day – so anyone in the NYC area interested, send me an email and we’ll map out a plan. We’ve got the whole ISLAND to cover and a contest prize to buy! (Thanks Jackie for the link!)

Oh and this is for Norma:

Filed Under: Flower Basket Shawl, Socks, Stash
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