Sundries

I find it a little ironic that just after I started acquiring a pretty decent readership to this blog, I suddenly became unable to maintain regular blogging habits. Part of me hopes that you are all reading this through bloglines so you don't waste a lot of time each day clicking through favorites, only to see that once again, Liz has not updated. I used to do that before I found bloglines, and the one that sticks out most is Eunny's blog, which dropped off around the same time that I started reading it. (hope that wasn't my fault!)

Anyway, here is a brief update on where we stand with the wedding plans.
-The cake has been arranged and is going to be delicious
-The rehearsal dinner has nearly been arranged and is going to be delicious
-The flowers have been arranged and are going to be beautiful. We're using blue and white hydrangeas--white for me with a little blue, and blue for the bridesmaids. I showed the florist my veil and he immediately pulled out some Queen Anne's Lace, which will pop out of the hydrangea bouquets in a most attractive way.
-The dress. I am so excited about the dress! When my grandparents got married in 1948 my grandmother wore this dress.


My aunt wore it, then my mother wore it, and then my uncle's wife wore it. And as much as I loved the idea of being the fifth bride in my family to wear such a special dress, I could not get past that shoulder ruffle and the giant butt bow, not shown.

To make a long story short, we're taking apart that enormous skirt and turning it into another dress entirely. I had my second fitting last week and have the third on Thursday, and it's coming together beautifully. I may post pictures later, provided my fiance will agree not to look. It's not the bad luck aspect I'm worried about, it's the ruined surprise.

I have been knitting, too! Those Christmas socks are done.


Yarn: Claudia Handpainted in DF Green
Needles: US 1
Pattern: nothin special in the toe and foot, Baudelaire heel, 3x1 ribbing in the cuff.

I still need to give these a vinegar bath so they don't bleed on the recipient's feet. I think he's going to love them, though.

Much progress has been made on the cardigan front, and I am working on the bottom of the sweater right now. I am making things more complicated than they need to be, but I think the final result will be worthwhile. I couldn't get a good picture, though, so you will have to wait. I haven't knit on the gauntlets at all, but anticipate picking those up as soon as the cardi sleeves get boring.

What have I been working on?

It feels like I haven't been doing much knitting lately, but somehow I still have tons to show off. Mostly, I've been knitting socks.

-Big socks on tiny needles


(Those same Christmas present socks, nearly to the heel turn on #2 right now)

-Tiny socks on tiny needles


(Finished the purple one recently, the turquoise one has already been given away, and I plan to give the purple one away soon. I'll never make it to a full Christmas tree at this rate!)

-Big sock on big needles


(Hopefully this will be Dave's Christmas stocking, but there may not be enough yarn for a decent-sized stocking, in which case I plan to frog and make myself a hat. Oh, and these "big needles" are 13s and they feel SO weird after using 1s)

-Tiny sock on big needles


(Little Sky Sock from New Pathways for Sock Knitters, I used the wrong sized needles so this one is way too big to serve properly as a baby sock, but whatever.)

I haven't attempted the second learning sock yet, but I'm thinking that the next pair of socks I make will be from this book. I'm curious, I know a few of you have been knitting from her patterns so far, do you use the decreases (edit: I mean INCREASES) she recommends? I didn't really like them.

A big order from Knitpicks came in yesterday and I am muchly pleased. I am now using those new wooden needles on a non-sock project and I *LOVE* them. I also got a set in sock sizes, plus some cable needles for the upcoming cabled afghan.

We're off to see the Harlot!

Expect an update tonight or tomorrow. The Yarn Harlot is coming to town today! Or, well, to be more accurate she is coming to a suburb way on the North side of town. Fortunately for me, I have knitting friends now, and I will be riding up with at least one, maybe two.

The super-organized organizers are giving out tickets for the book signing, so we know where we have to stand in line (hopefully this will prevent a big rush, which could be very dangerous with all those knitting needles around). I went up on Friday to get some tickets and came home with yarn for three Christmas projects. I cast on immediately for the first one, modeled here by Banjo the Wood Boy.



I'll be knitting on that tonight. I'm almost done with the heel now. These are a surprise Christmas gift for someone who almost never reads my blog, but I won't say who just in case. The yarn is Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in "DF Green," a bit darker than the pic shows. She uses Louet Gems as her base yarn, so y'all know how much I love it. Oddly, though, the yarn is shedding bluey-purple dye all over me. Any thoughts on how to set it?

Houston knitters, if you're gonna be at the Harlot tonight, look for me! I'll be wearing the Venezia pullover, damn the 96 degree heat index!