notice

It is with regret that we announce that today's blog post is cancelled. Recent developments dictate that the author of this blog must keep her head down and keep knitting in order to complete the secret project by end of day tomorrow.

Speculation and projecture about uses for the leftover yarn halted quite suddenly yesterday when my coworker Linda exclaimed that she'd like a couple of these knit for her girls for Christmas. Could I direct her to the pattern so that she could make arrangements with her mother-in-law? Yes, I can and not only that, I have the yarn for her too! Linda works Mondays and Wednesdays with us, so ideally I'd like to hand off the leftover yarn tomorrow at the end of the work day.

Is this realistic? Well that's another question, isn't it? I calculate that there's about 8 hours of knitting left for me. If I concentrate exclusively on this project, and if I have the opportunity to knit a few hours at work each day, and if I knit a couple hours this evening, then yes, it's possible. And failing that, I could move to emergency measures: setting the alarm to get up a few hours early tomorrow morning to knit. Hopefully it doesn't come to that!

Year of Projects - Denmark Post 04

Knitting on the Road: Canada • Canal du Midi • Conwy • Dalarna • Denmark • Friday Harbor • Hiiumaa • Huron Mountain • New England • The Road to Oslo • Santa Fe • Spey Valley • Christmas in Tallinn • Traveler's Stockings • Uinta Cabin • Unst • Whitby 

Progress on my Denmark sock has been slow and steady. Depending on how my work day goes, I may be able to finish this first sock today. And then get started on the second sock before I entirely forget the mods I made to the heel now that I've added two repeats to the sock to accommodate the smaller than recommended needles and the finer than recommended sock yarn.

There has been lots of progress on my secret Christmas knitting project. You'll have to take my word for it though, because to look at those massive balls of yarn that never seem to get any smaller, you'd think there was no progress at all. They've become quite the topic of conversation around these parts; mostly we've been bouncing ideas around about what to do with the million yards that are likely to be leftover once the secret project is done. Please don't forget that it's a secret - the intended recipient reads this blog and the comments. If you know what it is, please don't let the cat out of the bag!

Once my Denmark socks are done I plan to have a good look at the rest of the patterns in the book Knitting on the Road to see if there are a couple suitable for gift giving. If so, they'll move to the front of the queue. There's very little time left until Christmas and I think I'd better focus on that deadline ahead of everything else.

it starts today

Shhhh! It's a secret!

My Christmas knitting, that is, it starts today. My first project is a secret project. Many knitters out there may recognize this particular pattern but please don't tell. The intended recipient reads this blog and all the comments and I want it to be a surprise! And if you know the pattern you may be surprised that I've started it at this late date, but not to worry, I'm already almost a quarter of the way.

Also on my Christmas knitting list are the fingerless mitts I mentioned the other day. As soon as my replacement credit card arrives I'll download the pattern and get started. There was a problem with my credit card when I was in California so the old one was cancelled and now I'm waiting for new. Hopefully in the next couple of days!

Now back to my quiet weekend around the house. The first load of laundry is on the go, grocery shopping is next and then errands. With a December birthday, I'd better get my new license plate stickers this weekend as well. And then knit, knit, knit - I've got miles of stockinette to go!

peace and quiet

such a variety of cards!

For the first time in three weeks we awoke to an empty and quiet house, and how nice is that? It's been great having guests and our vacation was great, but it sure is nice to be home and back to our usual routines. I expect that there'll be more consistent knitting and blogging in the days ahead. Is it too late to start Christmas knitting?

Gavin and I both agreed to keep this weekend free for relaxing and catching up on household chores. There is an odd assortment of groceries in the kitchen to munch through - fancy cheeses, crackers and breads, dips and condiments. Sounds like we'll be grazing instead of eating proper meals for a few days.

There's also a most interesting assortment of wedding wishes cards decorating our dining room - from exotic Chinese cards and envelopes, to traditional pastel and foil-stamped North American cards, with a liberal sprinkling of hand-made cards. On my to-do list this weekend is organizing photos and thank you notes for friends and family who put the "special" in our "special day" two weeks ago. Has it been two weeks already? I guess the honeymoon is over and we're old married folk now!

work-in-progress Wednesday

finally, progress!

This Denmark sock has been on my needles for a long time it seems to me - almost a month exactly. And although I've been working on it quite often it didn't feel like I was making much progress until now. Yesterday I started the heel flap and sock progress usually accelerates when the heel turn has been completed. At least that's what I usually find.

Now's the time to finally put a name on these socks. Once completed they're going to be part of my Christmas gift knitting. When I cast on I had a name in mind but a couple of weeks ago that friend dropped a not-so-subtle hint that she'd like some fingerless mitts instead. Okay-dokey, but where will these socks find a home? That's what I need to decide in the next day or two, in time to tailor the foot length to the intended recipient.

Tosh Sock in "Cove"

Also in the next couple of days I need to make a tentative list of Christmas knitting. And with about a month left, it'd better be short. I guess I'd better cast on some fingerless mitts soon. I've got the yarn and I've decided on the pattern, but first there's a pair of socks to finish!

It's Work-in-Progress Wednesday over at Tami's Amis. Click the link to have a look at what everyone else has been up to. Almost certainly there's a lot more Christmas crafting being done!

Year of Projects - Denmark Post 03

purple everywhere

Knitting on the Road: Canada • Canal du Midi • Conwy • Dalarna • Denmark • Friday Harbor • Hiiumaa • Huron Mountain • New England • The Road to Oslo • Santa Fe • Spey Valley • Christmas in Tallinn • Traveler's Stockings • Uinta Cabin • Unst • Whitby 


Today's blog post is being brought to you by the colour purple. At least at the moment it feels like I'm surrounded by purple. My Denmark sock is still at the same point it was two weeks ago - out-of-town guests, the wedding and then the honeymoon all got in the way of knitting progress, in a good way. But I've got a pair and a half of mitts knit in purple Cascade 220 superwash so knitting wasn't halted altogether. Most of the plain stockinette mitt was knit at LAX and on the plane yesterday. As well, Santa Monica did provide opportunities for stash enhancement thanks to stores like Wildfiber and Compatto Yarn Salon: I came home with two skeins of Wollmeise, as well as a skein each of Madeline Tosh and Pagewood Farms MCN sock yarn.

We flew back into Toronto late last night so this morning has been all about laundry and getting ready for the work week ahead. I did take a few minutes to weave in the ends on the three completed mitts because, with four ends per mitt, the photo would have been altogether too messy otherwise. My plan for the rest of the day is to finish the laundry, make up the beds with clean sheets, dash out to do a quick grocery shop and finish the second mitt.

I'm also keen to get a move on with these Denmark socks. There's a skein of Wollmeise in lovely variegated greys that I can't wait to get on the needles. Maybe for Spey Valley socks?

finishing up

washed up

We fly back later today so this morning is all about tidying up and finishing up. A first pair of Maplewood mitts is done; well, the knitting of them is done, but there are a number of ends to be woven in. Darning needles were not on the approved items list for carry-on luggage so that'll have to wait until I'm home. For such a simple pattern of knits and purls, the effect is quite striking. I'm going to cast on another to knit on the plane, after all, with a five and a half hour flight ahead of me plus all the usual waiting around at the airport I figure I should be able to just about knit another pair.

finished up

Yesterday was very cloudy all day. In fact, for most of the afternoon the skies were threatening rain but we got away without that. No point in sightseeing so we rented bikes for the day and worked our way south through Marina Del Ray and Hermosa Beach. It's mile after mile of wide open beaches and endless skies. I think I could bike that every day!

Later in the afternoon we had planned to rent Segways but by the time we were back in Santa Monica we were too late -  the minimum rental is two hours and the rental shops were only open another hour. So we wandered around the pier where I found a souvenir in one of the shops: this little shark tealight (or t-lite if you prefer how it's spelled on the tag).  He's got quite a mouthful of teeth and quite piercing eyes so I had to have him. Now, where can I jam him into my suitcase?