Grindstone

Thanks to everyone for their birthday wishes!  I'm slowly slogging through all my email and will reply to all though it will take some time. 

I had a fabulous birthday and spent the afternoon sitting on the patio with Birchington.  I reached the point where I've started to reduce now.  I took the width to approximately half the 299 stitches of Birch.  I do have a 4 stitch border (3 st st + 1 yo) on both sides of the pattern to ease in the next step.  I've been slipping the first stitch of every row, creating a selvage that will be easy to pick up for the borders. 

Friday night we went out to dinner to celebrate.  We did indeed go to the Trackside Grille in Fair Lawn where my baby sister and her fiance met us, coming in from her temporary digs in Allentown.  The closing where she sold the house near me was on Tuesday so it is for real.  She's happy, I'm happy.  Plus she's moving to Lancaster county where the fabric hobbies abound and will probably be a good stop point for a MDSW trip.  I had some delicious Cappelini Basilico and a glass of wine.  I shared some very delicious French Onion Soup with Kathryn.  She loves her soups.  My parents ran into a friend at the restaurant, sharing the reason we were there, who then told the owner to be good to me.  He bought me a drink with his compliments.  Took me a minute to figure out what I really wanted with my dessert.  I asked for Frangelico.  Yum.  I had to beat my kids off it.  Don't tell anyone but I did dip Alex's pacifier in it to give him a taste.  He rather enjoyed it.   The one dark spot was that Kat melted down around dessert time.  Mom took her out to the car where she watched Barney on the DVD player.  All in all, it was a great day.

Saturday was a gorgeous day.  The stifling humidity and outrageous heat were gone leaving a day that was oh so beautiful.  I again parked my butt in the rocker on the patio with Birchington.  My other sister came up with her youngest son and her mother in law to spend the day and lend a hand.  Her hubby and oldest were on a boy scout camping trip.  We had a lovely day outside swimming, gabbing, eating and enjoying each others company.  The twins had a blast following their almost 5 year old cousin around.  As Birchington is not a good social knitting project, even though I do grok the pattern (thanks Cate for reminding me of that term!), I did need to catch up on the baby project.  While I want the precious prizes for being first on Birchington, there's a harder deadline for the baby.  I don't like missing deadlines.  I managed to knit 2 day's worth of quota on it before running out of yarn.  Mom picked up more from my apartment yesterday when she went to feed the animals.  Since it is a super secret project I can't post any pictures of it so you're picture-less for Saturday.  Oh well.

Sunday dawned bright and clear again.  The weather was downright enjoyable and I once again took my perch.  This time with my knitting.  First Birchington and then after Mom returned with some yarn from my place, a camera sock for her brand new Elph identical to mine.  As you can see, I used Sockotta from the stash and have plenty left over.  One problem, I don't particularly like the yarn.  Anyone want a slightly used skein of sockotta?  There should be more than enough for a pair of woman's socks as long as you don't go nuts with the cuff. ( Drop me a comment or email at crazyfiberladyATgmailDOTcom if you're interested, maybe we can wheel and deal ;) 

While the poor pool heater gave up the ghost yesterday, there was swimming.  The 12 year old girl from next door came over to swim with her friend later in the afternoon.  While Kathryn was taking a nap, Alexander played lifeguard.  He stood there watching the girls in the pool for a very long time.  Amazing for a little bloke who doesn't stay very still for much.  Perpetual motion is more his bag.  Generally there's a big grin on his adorable little face.  Goofy boy. 

After dinner, bath and bed, I sat down with some new sock yarn last night to start a good commuting project.  Okay, I have loads of projects on the needles and well, yes, I did need another one.  I have a couple of commuting options open to me and with the ankle unhappy, I wanted the one that forced the least amount of walking.  The Bus.  Even though I've been taking the bus more frequently these days, the motion of it still makes me a bit queasy, especially if I'm knitting something that requires a lot of attention.  That knocked Birchington out of the running.  The Super Secret project?  It was getting a bit big to schlep around as a commuter project and I was trying to minimize the amount of schlepping (at least until healed).  Everything else was at home and not at my temporary residence.  That necessitated a new projects, specifically SOCKS!.  I saw a link last week to Simply Socks Yarn Company and the availability of the Rainforest Opal yarns.  Now with all the sock knitting I've done over the years I've never used Opal, though I've wanted to try it.  I ordered a couple of colors:

I have to admit I had a lot of trouble narrowing down to just these and was sorely tempted by quite a few of the colorways. I placed the order on the 20th and the box was at my house on the 23rd.  Good service in my book!  I started with the Flamingo and while I don't have my favorite sock needles with me, I'm making do with a set of US2 (I'd rather have my 1's).  The yarn is fabulous.  I think I finally have a favorite sock yarn.  Yes it is a self striper and yes I've gone on the record for not being a fan of that type of yarn.  Hey, they sell solids too.  I'm not sure why I went with these, though the Lady Bug does hold a warm place for me as Kathryn's nickname for her first 5 months was "Bug" and was accessorized with ladybugs.  The socks were a good project for this morning.  A bus broke down in the bus lane into the Lincoln Tunnel stopping everything dead.  We sat there for some 30 minutes.  Was I upset.  Au contraire, mon frere.  This knitter was ecstatic to have bonus knitting time!  By the time we arrived at the Port Atrocity (okay Port Authority Bus Terminal) I had started the heel flap.  Zippy socks.

A quick update on the ankle, it still hurts.  Yup.  Tender, swollen, funkily bruised and definitely there.  Also definitely better than it was a few days ago.   My boss is out on vacation this week though I have a project that I need to have completed before his return.  Now if only the feller I'm relying on for some feedback would actually give me the feedback I could work on it.  I don't like being dependent on others.  Ugh!

Craft on!

Comments

[Chris]

Glad your ankle is feeling better and wishing it to return to normal quickly! Pretty sock yarns! And yeah, for a happy birthday celebration!

[--Deb]

It sounds like you had a pretty perfect weekend, except for the ankle which is, at least, going in the right direction! Wasn't the weather nice for a change? The camera sock was very cute. You know, I've been looking online at digital cameras again--always a dangerous sign. I think I miss my old (original model) Canon Elph . . . which one do you have, again?

[Elaine]

I'm glad your birthday was wonderful and your ankle better. The Birchington is looking so good! I saw an advert for that Opal yarn and have been sorely tempted though in completely other colorways. I'm up for Zebra, Tiger and Parot. Yeah, I really need sock yarn. Well, yes...I think I really do need sock yarn!

[mamacate]

Happy happy happy birthday! It sounds like you guys had a fabulous weekend and that you're recovering well, though what a drag to be hobbled on your birthday. Sigh.

Knit on, and I hope this week is good and filled with unexpected knitting opportunities. :)

[Kristen]

I'm just starting to get caught up - goodness gracious you've had a lot going on!!! I'm sorry your ankle still isn't at 100% - that's one of the joints that is easy to take for granted until it is sore!

I just used Opal sock yarn for the first time as well - did you have any problems with the strands twisting back on themselves? (the yarn between the knitting and the ball was always kinked and sometimes pseudo-knotted on itself. I like how the socks turned out and I'm hoping that it was just that ball. (it was frustrating to work through)

Do you still have the sort-of ball of sockotta? I'm intersted in trying it (and other sock yarns I haven't tried yet!) and I'm more than happy to send something you want/need your way :)