She had rings on her fingers and bells on her shoes

November 7, 2005 By

And I knew without asking she was into the blues
She wore Fire on the Mountain Socks That Rock
I knew right away she was not like other girls
Other girls.

I’ve been listening to The Dead all morning, and to be honest, I forgot how much I really enjoy them. I’ve been dancing around in my seat letting the arms fly. Of course, I’m wearing my socks. Tina – you are my HERO! I know I’ve gone off before about Socks That Rock and I may be sounding like a broken record, but this is my favorite yarn. Tina – YOU ROCK! (Warning – copious amounts of sock pictures to follow.)

That should do it, no? Jaywalker pattern by Grumperina. Socks That Rock in Fire on the Mountain. Size #1 Addis. PERFECTION.

It was a hard weekend. Meaning, I worked really, really hard. Three shoots – five kids. Now I’ll be strapped to my computer until the next shoot next Saturday. I’ll be so happy when it’s January. Don’t get me wrong – I love what I do and am extremely lucky that this endeavor seems to be working out, but it’s hard with a seasonal business. You get a couple of jobs sprinkled over a month or two and then BAM. Nonstop work. Like I said, I’m really happy about it – just tired.

What’s up next knitting wise? Well since Baby Xavier is here, I better get cranking on his Prairie Blanket. Sorry baby! I promise you’ll have it before it gets warm. Or cold. But not before it gets warm AGAIN. What is up with this weather?!

I need mittens – I want cozy warm handspun mittens from some of the stuff I bought at Rhinebeck. Then I read Nona’s tutorial on i-cord finger gloves and by golly – I know EXACTLY the koigu to use for gloves.

And I have to start a pair of angel socks for the Sockapaltwoza. Weird things happened there with my own angel, but I’m not going to blog about it – let’s just say the effort was underwhelming in the least. I know they’re angel socks, but c’mon. Again, I want to thank Alison for all she did with this knit-along. By almost all accounts it was delightful. And I will be signing up for the next one. Anyway – I’ve got to make angel socks and I think I’m going to do the Go With The Flow sock pattern from IK Summer ’05. I searched the blogs for info on these socks and it seems the consensus is they’re a bit small knitted as written. I will be using the specified yarn (coincidence) but I’d love to hear if anyone made these and had size issues. Right now the plan is to add one extra pattern repeat. Maybe I’ll cast on today.

And the Vesper Yarn is calling me like an obnoxious man with a bullhorn. I HEAR YOU! I may wind it up today. You know, just to touch it a lot. I’ve decided that I will be doing a few rows on the Sunshine Socks every day BEFORE I’m allowed to knit anything else. I want those fuckers finished. If I can make two pair of Jaywalker socks in about three weeks time, I can make a stupid st st sock in a week. Just because I’m so not liking the yarn is no excuse. Besides, I want a month’s worth of socks like Margene!

Question for you all (actually I have two today) – what shoes do you wear to show off your socks? I need some new shoes and I want them comfortable (I generally live in my Merrells) and I want them open a little bit (preferably slip ons) so that my fantastic socks show through. Any and all suggestions welcome.

And my second question? Well, I’m so sad to report that my Almost Everyday Cardigan is pilling horribly. I have one of those stone things and I tried to use it but I’m afraid it made the situation worse. Please help me. I want to LIVE in this sweater – and it’s crazy pilling. Georgie got in the car after the last time I wore it and asked me if I was shedding. I had been pulling off the pills while I was driving and there was a nice little pile of red yarn left for him. Not fun.

Thanks for all the encouragement to run on Friday – I DID! And I’m off to run again now. I leave you with this –

Well I ain’t often right but I’ve never been wrong
It seldom turns out the way it does in the song
Once in a while you get shown the light
In the strangest of places if you look at it right

Filed Under: Deadhead Socks, Socks

If the Socks Are A Rockin’, Don’t Come Knockin’

November 3, 2005 By

Introducing Rock Star’s hippie cousin:


This sock is all about the love and while it still ROCKS, it does in a DUUUUDE, catch my trail kind of way. Its mate has already been started. Maybe a finished pair by next Monday.

I’m feeling really bad about all the Jaywalker‘s I’m seeing out and about in blogland. Seems many, many people are having problems with gauge. This makes me sad because I’m at the point where I cast on my 76 stitches and rock out. No issues whatsoever. I’m using Addi size #1s. Two circs. I think I might have knit a bit tight on this third sock because my scale’s telling me I’ve got 2oz left to start the second sock. I started out with the same 3.8 oz as the ROCK STAR pair and by the time I got to the second one on that pair I had 1.9 oz left. No biggie. Just a little more wiggle room. Anyway – I’m hoping people can work out their issues with the pattern because I really, really love it. Something about it goes so fast for me. Maybe because I’ve got all the measurements in my head (like 25 repeats before the heel; 57 before the toe) so I know exactly where I am at all times and how much I have left. And, still, I’m LOVING this yarn. I think I want to get two skeins of Fire on the Mountain so I can make extra long socks. I think the natural pooling in the stockinette is really nice. I’d like to see it run free on some knee highs.

Speaking of SOCKS THAT ROCK – JANET rocks. She won the blogiversary grand prize – a pair of socks, knit by moi, in her choice of SOCKS THAT ROCK colorways. Toni’s out of stock, ahem, right now, but Janet – let me know what you want and your size (fingers crossed for small feet) and I’ll get started, oh I don’t know – how’s January sound? Things should be pretty slow by then. 😉

And Wendy wins the runner-up prize. She’ll get some SOCKS THAT ROCK – but she’ll have to knit it up herself. Wendy wins because I liked her birthday present suggestion the best. A tiara. You know what? She’s absolutely right. I wouldn’t have considered myself a tiara kind of girl, but after wearing Charlotte’s Butterfly Princess Tiara at various times on Halloween, I’m saying YES! Bring on the diamonds! Every girl needs some sparkle in her life, no? (Although Mason Dixon Ann almost won with her suggestion of pillows. I could use some new pillows Ann, so feel free! And I also need liked Patti‘s suggestion of a year of housecleaning.)

All the rest of you should worry not. I will most likely be buying myself a wheel and Georgie’s got the whole Bruce thing covered. He let me know the other day that we’ll be going to see him on November 18th. Look for the hyperventilating to begin around the 10th.

So Janet and Wendy – congratulations and send me your addresses. And then go back and read yesterday’s post. HAHAHAHA! I’m pathetic.

When I made my startling confession to being a deadhead, some of you questioned my mention of “the one.” I just love how you all leaped to Georgie’s defense. So sweet. Have no fear – if you read carefully I put “the one” in quotations marks – clearly demarcating that even though this was a “the one” it wasn’t THE the one! Georgie is THE THE ONE. The one and only. As in She’s The One. “The One” is the guy I gave that very special gift that you only give once – in a basement rec room with Light My Fire playing in the background. I shit you not. Ahhh. Special Memories. All I have to say is that he was no Steve Lapierre. Of that I’m sure. 😉

Oh yeah. In the interest of full disclosure I bought some more yarn. Sock yarn at that. Someone stop me.

Pretty purply Koigu. Couldn’t resist.

Long coveted Vesper Sock Yarn. Enough said.

Have a great day!
L, C

Filed Under: Deadhead Socks, Socks, Stash

Fire on the Mountain

October 28, 2005 By

Oops. I did it again. I couldn’t help myself. Really. I swear.

Blame it on Sandra. I was wandering blogland and came across her (attempted) Jaywalker socks in the Fire on the Mountain SOCKS THAT ROCK colorway. I thought they were looking mighty fine, but apparently Sandra’s are way too big. Then I remembered! I had picked up the same colorway at Rhinebeck! ( No “which colorway DIDN’T she get comments” please.) So I cast on. I couldn’t help myself. Things are going swimmingly! I swear these socks are fast. I managed 15 repeats last night – ten more before I start the heel. Finished sock by the end of the weekend, I’m guessing (hoping.)

Know why I picked the Fire on the Mountain colorway?

Cause I used to be a deadhead, that’s why. Surprised? It was a high school thing. And a boyfriend thing to be honest. I’ve never been one to find music on my own. I always find them through other people (mostly guys with whom I’m somehow involved.) You all know Georgie gave me Bruce. My first boyfriend gave me Earth, Wind & Fire. My best friend in high school (a guy) gave me Steely Dan. The “one” gave me the Dead. 😉

I’ve been to a few Dead Shows (and managed to stay sober throughout. HONEST! I did NOT inhale!) When I saw them later on they were really awful – maybe around 93? 94? But when I saw them in ’86 they were amazing. AMAZING. I’ll never forget it. The best part, though, was that my baby sister was four at the time and we used to listen to the Dead together in my basement turned bedroom. We’d dance and sway and she wanted to go with me to the concerts. But my parents wouldn’t let her (which was really, really smart.) I did bring her home a souvenir though – a tie-dye with a huge skull on the front that she proudly wore to preschool. I think they made her take it off because she was scaring the other kids. Way to go sis!

So I think I’ll knit on these socks with a little Jerry and the boys on in the background. R.I.P.

~+~+~+~

You all think you’re worth so much? How about sharing the wealth!

How pathetic is that? HAHAHAHAHA!

Thanks for all the BLOGIVERSARY wishes! MWAH!

ETA: Letitia, honey, maybe YOU should read one of your books. It’s bad manners not to leave a real email address. And just for that, you’re not getting SOCKS! Thanks for stopping by though.

Filed Under: Deadhead Socks, Socks