A Big Sigh of Satisfaction

I am done being frustrated and have finally conquered the "easy toe and heel for a toe-up sock".

Ha!

Both toe and heel are accomplished exactly the same way, without wrapping stitches or yarn overs. Don't ask me how, as I would not be able to explain the process in 10,000 words or less. Let me just say that there are several ways to make a sock heel and/or a sock toe and this one turns out to be pretty good for both, now that I have CONQUERED the stupid technique.

There are several online videos which are more confusing than helpful, with fuzzy camera work, or annoying jiggling. Nevertheless I watched them repeatedly until something in my subconscious finally clicked. Then I knit and frogged several attempts and it sunk in. I do believe I could make a sock this way now...Although the proof is in the pudding.

Here's the neat thing. With this toe construction, one uses a crochet provisional cast on and then when the toe is complete the cast on stitches can become live by unraveling the crochet stitches and knitting in the round can begin. One can try on the half made sock as one knits, making sure it fits just right and then the (stinkin') heel can be formed from half the stitches and no gusset or turning is necessary.

One could even make both toes and heels separately and graft them onto an open knitted tube...if one was a show-off.

Now that I have conquered this feat I am having a stiff drink. It's cocktail time after all.

Just A Little Online Shopping

I don't have to tell you that when you find a pair of shoes that make your feet feel heavenly that you should buy a second pair. What if the style turns out to be discontinued? That was just the case with the Easy Spirit shoes that both my sister and I bought recently. (That would be just so like us). We seemed to have gotten the last two pairs. My little toes haven't been so happy since Reebok discontinued their old purple hightops.

But I wanted to see if I could find my new fave online and lo and behold I found a pair on Ebay. Cringe. Buying shoes online? I gulped but hit enter. A few days later I won and that made me feel lucky (DANGER!!). Are there anymore that are available? Yes! and I just found out I won those too. Both are priced less than the ones we bought in town, especially since we pay such high sales tax.

Flushed with success, I continued to shop. What else do I need? ...yarn? No. Not. Yarn.

I swear I couldn't pass up this bargain. Julia's Yarn Shop on Ebay was having a remarkable auction on wool that would easily pass for Noro, only smoother, more like Poems. And the price? Ridiculous. $2 per skein. Eeek. Must hit enter. It came yesterday and now I wish I had bought more bags. Just luscious.

But my best, and of course I saved it for last, is the Brita water filter. Our water is a tad hard and when I brew tea I get a difficult to describe residue on the surface. We had the same thing in IL when our water softener needed recharging. So I have been buying gallons of distilled water for my tea and altho it isn't expensive, I felt bad about all those plastic jugs...
But would the Brita do the trick? Answer: You betcha!

And it has an idiot button to remind me when to change the filter. Sigh. OK, the bargain story. I usually look at Wal-mart.com for stuff like this, because I can save on shipping and pick it up at the local store when I grocery shop. They don't sell these in the store itself. But this time there was no offer for store pick-up. Hmm. Shipping+sales tax brought this item from $35 to $50. I figured I could do better. A quick search took me to Drugstore.com and I got it for $35, free shipping and no tax. Lovely.

Remember when we were all afraid to buy anything online? Now that Paypal makes me feel safer, I am a real fingers-do-the-walking kind of shopper.

That Baktus Scarf

I have been spending a lot of time on the Ravelry site, drooling over projects made by people all over the world. This scarf has over 1800 entries. It is a simple knit, suitable for beginners and just so versatile. The yarn makes it, but there are several knitters who have added their one variations, making it even more intriguing.



You gotta love the model.
I have already made two and am working on a third, in a modified design...

Here's the thing about knitting. There are simple and difficult techniques and there are always several ways to attain the same result. No one can tell you it is wrong if it turns out looking OK.

The challenges are just enough to tantalize the puzzle solver in us. For example. I was cleaning out a box of yarn and found a sock and a half, just waiting to be finished. The pair was knit from the toe up, which I was learning a couple of years ago from videos and patterns online. I did a good job on the first sock and the second was waiting for the heel. Hmm. What pattern was that I made the first sock with? Couldn't find it, didn't save it, was at a loss. So I tried doing it again from the video I did find, and it didn't look good to me, and didn't match the first sock. Grrr.

Last night I decided to just take some other yarn and make up heels until I felt I had figured it out my way. I tried four times and frogged all of the tries. Not good. Now I am really determined to find out what I did the first time. It has become my mission.
When I finally get it right I will dance around and blog the thing, which only really matters to me. And probably I won't be making toe up socks any more anyway, as I prefer top down ones and have 35 pair already. This gets seriously nutty. Am I right?

The thing about knitting is that it is something you can do anywhere. In social moments and anti-social moments. And it is not wasting time, because you have a project that is probably functional in some way. ( I can't imagine why anyone would want a knitted dishrag, and they have become so popular, go figure.) And right now I don't feel like getting up and doing anything.
So I am knitting.
In a few days I will have noticed that I have a pile of new stuff and it has to be put away with the other knits, some of which are stored in our garage. So for me, maybe it isn't the finished product, so much as it is the process. And having a reason to be just sitting by the fire, with my feet up and my hands occupied with gorgeous yarn.

Autumn Reds

The leaves are flying these days and I am collecting them pictorially.

I especially love the ones with more than one color. Even if they are broken, holey, or eaten, I still want them.

Here's a painting from last fall. Foursome
Oil on gallery wrapped canvas
12x12x1"

A volunteer nasturtium from my garden. It looks huge here, but is normal sized. Really.

The ride into town is so glorious as we go down the mountain. We are so lucky to have this view.

Chancellor's Collar

I wanted to make a neckwarmer to go with my Beret Pour Vous? And I still had lots of scraps of Koigu leftover from many other projects, but not enough orange to make that the main color, so I substituted purple. It still works.

I imagined that the squares would drape the shoulders sort of like the Lord Chancellor's neckpiece. So I named it after that. But I could have referenced Nefertiti's collar just as easily, but I just can't see her wearing a wool neckwarmer.

Here's the pattern, written as though you already know about mitered squares...

click to enlarge

Chancellor's Collar
Koigu KPPM, less than one skein main color, and lots of scraps of multicolors.
Needles size 3 circular or dpns
Ribbing: Cast on 96 sts and rib in the round K1P1 for ten rows or 1.5”
Knit in Stockinette for 5 rows, increasing on last round: 1 st every 12 stitches=104 sts

Mitered Square (25 sts): With contrasting yarn: Cast on 13 stitches and knit 12 from needle=25 sts, to form the first mitered square. Knit every row, slipping first stitch of every row and on the right side make center decreases (K2 tog, Sl 1, Psso) over the three center stitches, ending square with one stitch.
90º Triangle (13sts): With one stitch on needle pick up 12 stitches from previous square, (13 sts) Knit every row, slipping first stitch of every row and make decreases each right side row by knitting to last three stitches then K2 tog K1.

Make eight Mitered Squares alternating with eight 90º Triangles. Join by seaming or three needle bind off or whatever method you like.
Change to main color and pick up stitches along bottom edge of miters and triangles, 192 sts.
Round 1: K
Round 2:K and make 1 after every 12 sts (208 sts)
Round 3 K
Round 4 K and make 1 after every 13 sts. (224 sts)
Round 5 K
Change to multicolor and cast on 6 sts, pick up and knit one stitch from between stitches on previous row, K6 from needle. 13sts forms the mitered square. Make a total of 40 mitered squares and join as above.
Change to main color, and pick up and knit 240 stitches along bottom edge of small squares. K five rounds and begin ribbing. Rib for 8 rounds. Bind off loosely.

This would work great with any combination of sock weight yarns.

Surprise Delivery from Japan

Imagine my delight at receiving this book unannounced from Keiko Goke!

It appears to be a retrospective of her career, since there are many familiar works included, plus lots of new ones too. And there are illustrated directions for making just about everything she has pictured.

She is using lots of hand dyed fabrics of course, which is partly what makes her work distinctive.

Not to mention the intense hand embroidery over the surface...amazing!

I love how she takes a simple design and by making it larger than tradition dictates, achieves such impact. Having seen these quilts in person when we taught there, I know this is about 6 feet square.

Even though the directions are in Japanese, you get the idea...

If this doesn't get my juices flowing, I don't know what will. Yummy, just yummy.

I am sorry that I have no information on where to purchase this book, or how long before it becomes available here in the US. I imagine someone will soon tell us all...hopefully. It would make a great holiday present.

Update: Keiko emailed me that her book will be available on Amazon in November, and probably at your LQS. Woowoo! And she has a fabric line which you can also see on her homepage, http://www.keikogoke.com/k_top.html

While the cat's away...

I was out all day and while I was gone Dave (Mr. Mulch) made a stair from the deck to the ground. It looks simple but it took two tries to get it level. He had to dig a trench, removing lots of soil/clay and then put in landscape timbers and 6x6" posts as a foundation. Then he covered that up with more decking, which we just happened to have leftover.

Genius!!! Now I don't worry about falling off the edge as much. It was kind of a drop and a high step to get up to the deck from this side, and now I have steps!! My hero...sigh.

We needed a patio table and inasmuch as it is way past summer, we were very lucky to get this half priced set at our local Wal-mart. It was the last they had and just right for our small family, as it came with six chairs. We have LOTS of chairs, everywhere. How does this happen?

Our original border around the air conditioner unit was askew, and we are going to remove the landscape timbers and fill in with soil and plants in the Spring. That should be nice...if they don't get eaten by those stinkin' voles.

I am so happy to have this deck, in the sunniest part of the yard, altho you can't say that today. But some days it is the sunniest part. And next summer I can see myself outside dyeing fabric here, without the tilting floor, as my old deck was in IL. We used that new recycled plastic wood called Choicedek (from Lowe's) so no warping, painting, staining or slivers. Hurray!

Cheesecake Brownies

This is a very small version of a very big dessert. I first made it to serve at a funeral lunch. With a history like that...things can only go up. Next I made it with my sister for my 60th birthday party and somehow coming out of the oven it fell out of her hands and onto the open oven door...before baking. We scraped up the batter and baked it as it. Still delicious.

However the original recipe makes like 30 pounds of brownies, or that's what my bathroom scale read. Anyway, it is a favorite around here and I was determined to find a smaller version.

Here's the original recipe which calls for FOUR big packages of cream cheese. I found another recipe which uses only one. And a very small brownie mix. Here's the video

Smaller Cheesecake Brownies
1 small package of brownie mix for 8x8" tray
1 8 oz neufchatel cream cheese
1 egg
1/4 cup sugar
dash of vanilla extract

Make up the brownie mix as per package directions (forget the applesauce version in the video) and in a clean bowl mix cream cheese, egg sugar and vanilla until fluffy. Spoon dollops of the cheese mixture over the brownie batter and with a spoon, swirl the cream into the batter. Bake as directed on box.

I lined my baking dish with parchment paper and it all came out so easily that way. Yum!

My Decadent Life

I have trouble staying awake past 9 pm. That's what happens when your body clock wakes you up at 5am. But all my favorite TV shows are on late, when grown-ups are watching and try as I might to have a cup of coffee or tea in the afternoon, I still start fading after the first commercial.

So I have taken to watching the episodes online the next morning.

In Bed.

I know my eyes were open for most of these, but parts have disappeared from my memory, making me think I must have had a momentary dozing mid-show.

Last night it was The Good Wife which I LOVE!! And Monday it is Castle which is fluff, but MURDER fluff, so you know I have to try and solve the mystery. But another show that caught my attention was an UNinterrupted-by-fund-raising PBS series: Latin Music USA which had me doing the mambo in bed.

After a nice conscious watch, it is time for a dip in the hot tub. O I know, for some this is too much like a brag, having one's own hot tub, but keep in mind that we both worked like dogs all our lives and now that we are retired it is our one luxury. (I collected and redeemed soda bottles to save up for this. Really).
Then I get dressed and maybe do a load of laundry or wash the dishes and then it is on to knitting. This is my day until lunch, which we were able to enjoy in the sun (!) yesterday, for a change, and then maybe another soak. Yawn. No wonder I am all worn out and can't stay awake.

Baktus Scarf Version#2

I decided to make this scarf again, in dk weight, heavier than the first one. I used a hand dyed neutral color plus half the scarf is dusty violet and the other half is loden green.

The color is true on the left, but the picture on the right is how it looks in the bathroom mirror. Quite a difference, no?

This is a scarf that might act as a hood in cold weather, or as a shawl in a chilly room, and against the neck is the loveliest and softest wool this side of cashmere. I always thought I was allergic to wool, since as a kid all I ever knew was the scratchy kind. Nowadays it is such a different fiber, sensuous and often machine washable!

Free Knitting Patterns Links

To make it easier to find the patterns I have recently written I have added a link under Lables in the sidebar.

First Frosting

Since it has been raining for two months with only the occasional pause for an overcast day, when the sun did finally break through it brought colder temps. Across the road the frost was clearly visible.
And on the hot tub cover we also found ice crystals.

My impatiens and basil have bit the dust and I may be cleaning up the garden today. No promises.

Sunday afternoon we had a lovely visitor, my friend Colleen, who brought over a nice bottle of Spanish red and a big dessert. We enjoyed nibbles, ala the Mexican Chalet, in the studio, warmed by the fireplace.

Here's the luscious pie Colleen provided. Coconut Cream with Meringue from the Dutch Maid Bakery in Tracy City TN. Dee-licious!

OMG. I must consider dieting....no promises.

Pie Update: Dave finished it. Phew! Somehow it never sticks to his thighs...