Life, Knitting and the Pursuit of Roller Coasters

I wouldn’t be  all that concerned over the fact that I’m not done yet (or that these are completely different socks than the ones I was planning to make). I’d be concerned over the separation anxiety that I’m having over the concept of putting these gorgeous socks (seriously, the best work I’ve ever done in sock form) in an envelope and just dropping it in the mail. What sort of cruel punishment is that?

There will be another pair or two of twisted flower socks in my future. Quite possibly another pair in the Fleece Artist Sea Wool even.  But seriously, who just drops these in the mail?

I’ve been notably absent again. It’s all Ravelry’s fault. If I’m not trolling the boards, or joining a zillion groups, I’m entering stash. I’ve dug through all the living room stash (sock yarn). I’ve made it through the stash that had taken over much of the second bedroom in my apartment. And tonight, I’m tackling the stash that lives in the second bedroom closet. “Tackling” has resulted in, well, a pile. A big pile. That photo just encompasses what has been entered so far. The closet stash is at least as big.

Once all the data is amassed, I’m going to seriously have to figure out a better storage plan. Fortunately, I’ll have half of a sizable closet to work with once I pull it all out.

There are some yarns that won’t make the “stash” too. There’s already a 20 gallon rubbermaid box that is filling with half skeins and leftovers. There’s a grocery bag full of partials from dishcloth cotton. And there’s a scrap basket of sock yarn leftovers. Enough of all of those that I will be starting some longer term scrap projects soon. I am certain that lots of ballband dishclothes, log cabin everything, and doll clothes galore are all in my future.  For now though, I’ll be spending the weekend digging out. If I don’t surface for a while, come yell at me to blog, I’ll be on Ravelry.

It took a couple days of vacation and plenty of knitting time, but with my 3rd finished pair of socks in a little over a week, I feel like I’ve gotten my groove back and might actually finish some socks occasionally again.

Meet mom’s newest pair of socks.

Yarn: Sunshine Yarns 100% merino Earth Day colorway

Pattern: Cross Stitch Block from More Sensational Knitted Socks

These went fast mostly due to exclusively knitting them and vacation time. I started them last Wednesday. Love how they came out and was a quick pattern that looks good in the variegated yarn.

On the 4th, my brother, sister-in-law and I went downtown for the fireworks then headed over to the Frauenthal for the Four Finger Five show. The Summer Celebration put on a decent fireworks display for the fourth and we had a reasonably ok spot down along the road.

Following the fireworks, the concert was equally impressive. I may be biased considering Four Finger Five is headed by my cousin Joe, but they definitely put on an amazing show. They filled out the band with a handful of guest musicians, had an on stage muralist working on an art piece for raffle during the show, and drew a decent sized crowd of about 200.  All in all a great evening out. And for the second time this week, I learned that concerts are great for sock knitting.

The purple traveling stockinette pair have  had a lot of neat places and things knit into them, and I’m proud that they got the concert on Wednesday night knit into the toe of the second sock. I started them prior to our coaster trip in May, they saw every park on that trip. They’ve had a little knitting time here and there around the house, and the second sock saw Kenny Wayne Shepherd and Four Finger Five in concert before they were completed. Let me just say, doing toe decreases and grafting a toe in a dark theater… not the easiest thing I’ve ever done. But, it’s another finished pair. 

I followed the finishing of that pair with another start. I’m almost done with the first sock in a new pair for mom. I’m doing the cross stitch block pattern from More Sensational Knitted Socks in handpainted yarn from Sunshine Yarns in the colorway Earth Day. If I can finish the first sock today and get a good start on the second, I might be able to leave them with her before I go home on Sunday. Here’s hoping I can finish my sockpal’s that quickly.

It doesn’t feel like it’s been as long since I posted as it has been. I guess I’ve just been crazy busy with summer around here.

My CSA is going well, the half-share I got has been just right for me for a week. I can get through the veggies in  a week and I don’t feel like I’m drowning in food. Awesome selection of veggies too. Its done as I’d hoped and gotten me back in the kitchen.

My brother and his wife are in the state this week. Dad swung us some VIP tickets for the Kenny Wayne Shepherd concert Saturday night at Muskegon Summer Celebration. VIP seems to be a ticket designation for the sponsors. It included a catered dinner, free drinks, and bleacher seating for the outdoor concert. The opening acts weren’t really fitting, but weren’t bad, and Kenny Wayne Shepherd and band put on an awesome show.

On Wednesday, we’re heading for the fireworks and my cousin’s band, Four Finger Five, is playing an after concert that we plan to attend afterwards. They are also opening for INXS on Saturday night, but I’ve got a ton of other things going on Saturday so I’ll unfortunately have to miss that show. Definitely check them out though, they’re awesome!

On Saturday we also went down for the art fair. I didn’t see many knit goods aside from some generic dishclothes, and some crocheted towel toppers. But my mom decided that I was a sideshow for being able to knit and walk at the same time. I was motivated to finish some socks this weekend, so I knit at the art fair, and knit through the whole concert. Which worked well, as I finished one pair and am on the verge of finishing another now.

May I present my second pair of Monkey socks. These ones are all mine and I love them. This is that Two Waters merino yarn that I’ve been fighting with for at least a year. I tried several patterns before it finally behaved properly in the Monkey pattern.  I’ll have a second finished pair yet this week (the purple stockinette socks I’ve been picking at since May are nearly done). And I will FINALLY cast on my sockpal socks.

Mom is also convinced that I’m a super woman (and a greedy one at that) and is starting to ask when she’ll get another pair, so I’ve also got the yarn set aside to knit her another pair soon. I’ll also probably make my sister-in-law some socks eventually too. And, I’m starting to look forward to Christmas. It may be the new sock fumes getting to me, but I’m actually contemplating getting measurements for dad and my brother. To understand how completely insane this is… dad wears mens 10 1/2s… Adam… last I knew was wearing somewhere between a size 15 & 19. I’ll get the measurements, may even buy yarn. But I will definitely guarantee nothing.