Stuck on Socks

Still plugging along

The second Jewel sock with plenty of gusset to decrease. At least I know I've got some easy knitting for SnB on Tuesday evening.

Sunday's football game was So. Much. Fun! Here's one photo (#9 should need no explanation for football junkies) but there are more on the Fantasy League blog. Why yes, the seats are really, really high up there. :)

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Also, we have officially entered No Ringer season for the telephone. Twice tonight in quick succession it rang and there was that telltale pause that indicates a computer-dialed call. I blame this on Election Day fast approaching. Seriously, I turned the ringer off. Can't stand even hearing it ring knowing it's most likely not really for me. If it's an emergency - email. The longest it'll take me to answer it is 6 or 7 hours (overnight).

I can't get caught up

And since I'm so far behind, this may be a bit random again.

1. Contest on Angela's blog! Please vote for Nikki in the ABCs Children's Picture Book Competition. You can vote daily so start now - the title is What's Wrong with Mud? and it's by Gillian Colley of Hanover, PA. Angela is giving away a yarny prize if you post this information on your blog and let Angela know. If you want to see an example of Nikki's great work, just gaze over on my right sidebar to see the amazing illustration of Elvis & Pearl. She clearly deserves to win and this could be her big break into the picturebook illustration world.

2. Buddy Walk - Saturday was so much fun! It was bright and sunny, and a bit chilly. Team Pickle not only met its fundraising goal but surpassed it on Thursday, thanks in part to knitbloggers! Mindy has lots of fun photos here and plans for outdoing ourselves next year are already underway. I'm thinking Pearl needs a pickle outfit...

3. Summer of Socks - pair #6

Pattern: Monkey
Yarn: Blizzard from Cider Moon in Wildwood
My last pair for Summer of Socks. These are a little taller than I prefer, but I got carried away knitting the leg of #1. They fit great, are super soft, and are likely to be a favorite pair.

4. The Wool Gathering - Can you believe this is the first year I've been able to attend?

Angela picked me up on Sunday morning and we headed north. On our way we passed Jeeebus who proclaimed, "Let there be wool!" We met Mindy (different Mindy) and fortified ourselves at the Young's Dairy Farm restaurant before accosting the wool vendors. Angela only bought a couple things, Mindy purchased nothing, and I was good too. Photos:

Legend
Row 1: Border Collie herding ducks
Row 2: Baby Alpaca and Angora Goat
Row 3: Shearing Demonstration
Row 4: Icelandic Sheep - "Excuse me, can you get me out of here?"
Row 5: Sock yarn from Knitting Notions and merino/alpaca from Ohio Valley Natural Fibers
Row 6: Pumpkins - a sure sign of autumn

5. Football - What can I say? Sunday's game was painful even when just listening. My aunt has heard some lovely theories that I won't share unless you're a die-hard Bengals fan but I have a hard time thinking it's anything but our usual inconsistency. I have no Gameday sock progress - since I'm still on sock #1, the ball is a bit unwieldy to carry around. It'll be a more portable project later in the season.

But I did make a luxury purchase today...

It's my new wardrobe for Gamedays. And my fantasy team is doing well too. So in spite of the painful loss on Sunday, football is good for me right now.

How was your weekend?

My heart can't take it

In a stunning show of defense, the Bengals won their season opener on Monday Night Football. This was big. Big enough that I'd have keeled over if my heart was weak at all. Gameday sock #1 (only to be knit during Bengals games) is moving right along. Hope my tension isn't too horrible. I might have been knitting a little bit tight toward the end.

Bamboobaa from The Dyepot, in the Monkey pattern - the only pattern that could dominate this yarn into submission. Kind of the way the Bengals defense dominated - forcing all those turnovers.

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A bit of new yarny goodness arrived from The Loopy Ewe today. Wooly Boully in Lunamoth and Claudia Handpaint in Blue Terra Cotta.

I love these to a completely unreasonable level. The only reason I didn't cast on one of them tonight was the call of the Gameday sock. Both of these will need really special patterns.

Mail Call

Look what I got! The book is the one with all the beautiful patterns that have been mentioned on blogs and Cara is hosting a KAL for one. The book was completely an impulse purchase. It was the Paypal button that did me in. I'm in way over my head - the book is written in Japanese and I'm afraid I'd be over my head even if I was Japanese. I've actually worked a little bit on the Nephew Mittens - yeah, that's still the first one. The sweater's 10" long now though. Real progress.

Just for Monday, I was a Colt's fan. Well, they're #2 in my book, but their win over the Steelers puts the Bengals a whole game ahead of Pittsburgh in our division. Who Dey!

"There’s another guy in Cinci, Houshmandzadeh is his name..."
--Tim McGraw, I like it, I love it Monday Night Football 11-28-2005 edition

BS

No, not Bullsh*t. I'm talking about bobbins.
Thank you all so much for the input on my Bobbin Situation.  I guess the thing to do in the short term is suck it up and learn to ply from a ball. But I’m putting at least a couple of those $28 bobbins on my long-term wish list.  I do still have a good bit of red to spin and a little more blue so it’s entirely possible that income tax refund time will roll around making it all a moot question.  Especially if I practice some avoidance tactics. Procrastination. It’s an art form.

The sweater is growing – eight inches now.  I’ve really got to get a bigger purse to be able to carry it with me. It’s going to be mindless knitting for at least a while longer and it’s not exactly little anymore. It left the “little” stage when I knit past the seed stitch edging.

Some things I saw this weekend but no photos to prove it:

• The most amazing sunset on Friday after work. It was the sort that Thomas Kinkade tries very hard to do justice. I took a little detour on the way home from work that involved a 4-lane highway and lots of traffic and I’m stunned there weren’t accidents right and left  - this sunset was just that gorgeous. Very hard to keep eyes on the road.

• Seven Vs of geese. They were actually flying northeast which is odd. Maybe they were just practicing.

• GoF – I can’t wait until the last movie. Daniel Radcliffe is growing up to be a handsome young man. (that picture's my wallpaper right now) By the last movie it won’t be quite so prosecutable to have a crush on him.  In the meantime, I think I need one of those really long double-thick Gryffindor scarves.

• A herd of deer next door.  How many deer does there need to be before you can officially call them a herd? I referred to them as a family group last year, but then there were only 6.  This year, there are 10. The amazing thing is that I live in town. Three blocks from an intersection with a traffic light. US Route 50? Highway 28? Both are very close. And yet the deer are flourishing. It’s the highlight of Elvis’ day to chase them.

Here’s one last photo for you – something not seen since 1988 – the Bengals are rockin’ this year!  Carson, TJ, Chad, Rudi, Chris, Willie – these men are working together better than any team in a long time. Or maybe it’s the socks?