Long overdue blog entry

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Originally uploaded by knitswithasilentk

I've been busy. I know you knitters with children know what I mean.

I've even knit, but haven't blogged.

But here I am. I figure if I can take a camera phone photo, at least it can make it to the blog less than 2 months later.

I did Revenge of Dish Rag Tag again this year, and it was fun! Here is what I received from my tagger. I remember taking a photo of what I sent out, but must have not saved it in my phone, because it's just not there. It's a dishcloth along with a solar powered blinky key ring and another ball of dishcloth cotton.

Hopefully I can get some more phone photo pictures to get some more of my projects up here on the blog!

BTW, as it is now November, I'm starting to think about advent calendars. While I really love some of those handmade ones, I don't have the crafty time to do it (along with knitting some small Christmas presents in the 20 minutes here and there). BUT - this I think I can handle:
Bubble Wrap Advent Calendar. My TLD loves bubble wrap! I even bought some Christmasy stickers at OfficeMax to put on the bubbles. Now to tell him to only pop one a day....this morning he was jumping up and down on a sheet.

Dishrag Tag

Dishrag Tag
Originally uploaded by knitswithasilentk

Here is the lovely dishcloth that my teammate Beverly (IL) sent me. We love the marled green and white color! The Emergency Sock Knitting Kit included some folded scissors, stitch markers, a coil-less safety pin (I've heard of them but never actually seen one) and some other useful things. TLD went for the tin immediately so I took the loot out and let him play with the box for a while.

We've put the dishcloth to good use and it has so far escaped any injury- that yarn must be made of steel!

A great pattern and a really fun swap. Thanks again, Emily, for organizing this fun event!

FO: Dish Rag Tag dishcloth

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Originally uploaded by knitswithasilentk

This year's Dish Rag Tag required you to do a specific design. It turned out to be a checkerboard in basketweave, so easy to memorize and a great cloth! Also, since we switched to the Priority Mail Small Box, it only fit one ball of yarn, so you didn't have a choice in yarn. Here is mine, ready to be sent to my teammate. Sorry for the poor photo - I forgot my camera and had to use my phone. Couldn't delay mailing it for lack of a camera!

In the foreground are some sheep soaps and an alpaca finger puppet. My next teammate was April (TX) and she reported that her son made off with the puppet. I had trouble parting with it myself.

Pattern: Official Pattern of Dishrag Tag: The Sequel (.pdf)
Yarn: Lily Sugar 'n Cream, in a gorgeous dark brown/tan/white colorway. Coffee and cream...mmm...
Needle: Size 7, Knit Picks Options.

Our team, the Dishrag Divas, is almost done!

I've decided to make a little NICU blanket for Kathy using the Son of Dish Rag Tag official pattern, expanding the middle to 12 squares and going until it's the right length. I have some Lion Wool-ease in sportweight that should make a nice little blankie. It's up next for TV knitting....

Wee Tiny Sock 2008 (received)

Wee Tiny Sock 2008 (received)
Originally uploaded by knitswithasilentk

Amanda made this adorable red striped Wee Tiny Sock for the swap and mailed it to me. Her post office was ornery and insisted on an extra 17c postage, so it went back to her and she covered the envelope with 2c stamps - hilarious! (I should have taken a picture. Bad blogger!)

I love the colors and of course it's just plain adorable. I think I'll make a series of Christmas ornaments of my Wee Tiny Socks!

I asked at my local post office about it, and Mary (my postal worker extraordinaire) said that if it won't fit through a 1/4" slot, then it is a package and needs the extra postage. I think it depends on the envelope you use, whether you put the sock in card stock (say, in a greeting card or something), and the pickiness of the person who handles it, whether it gets a pass or not. Last year, I enclosed it in a notecard; this year, I put it in a business envelope. And we have super-friendly people at our post office (although probably the handler was in Santa Barbara, where all non-local mail gets sorted). (Or maybe the term is super-lax people? I mailed a Christmas card to Ireland this year with only domestic postage, and it got there!) Something to consider for next year....

FO: Wee Tiny Sock 2008

Wee Tiny Sock 2008
Originally uploaded by knitswithasilentk

Here it is, in the same pose as last year's Wee Tiny Sock.

Pattern: The Official Wee Tiny Sock Pattern (pdf)
Needles: Brittany birch dpns, size 0 (which annoyingly warp....)
Yarn: STR mediumweight in Undertoe, left over from the Chevron Scarf.
Notes: I followed the pattern exactly. There was a hole on one side of the heel flap. Pah.

It seems mighty pathetic that the 3rd FO of 2008 is a Wee Tiny Sock, but there it is. It was fun to knit, and I finished it up in two sittings - started at knitting group on a Monday, then finished it on a Sunday night (the night before mailing) sitting in the living room with the Sweetie.

Thanks, Emily, for the great swap!

FO: Dishcloth for Dish Rag tag

Dish Rag tag - from Tracy (OR)
Originally uploaded by knitswithasilentk

My package arrived yesterday, and did it have some nice stuff! A wonderful blue and green dishcloth - the bias garter stitch is the speediest pattern there is, and then Tracey (OR) added a lovely crocheted edging. In addition to the requisite dishcloth cotton, she included some Classic Elite cotton (Provence?), some bath gel, and two bottles of nail polish. Brilliant - I can throw out my decades old nail polish and start afresh. Not pictured is the other ball of dishcloth cotton.

This is what it looks like now (garterlac dishcloth by Criminy Jickets), as it wings its way to our fearless organizer, Emily.

Wee Tiny Sock Swap

Wee Tiny Sock Swap
Originally uploaded by knitswithasilentk.

(Blogless) Megan has received her package, so I am showing you my photo before I sent it. I included one of Aija's markers (have you not ordered from her?) which she sent FOR FREE with my order. I was just passing on the goodness. Okay, I kept one for myself, but I thought this was a perfect thing to include in my tiny sock swap. I included it in an envelope that Aija used to include a business card - that is also an Etsy product made of repurposed paper, in this case, pages of an atlas.

Thanks, Emily, for a great swap! Hopefully, I'll receive mine soon!

Wee Tiny Sock sent!

I mailed my Wee Tiny Sock this morning. I hope the recipient likes it.

Otherwise, I have no knitting news. I've carried my sock toes around, but haven't gotten them out.

I leave you with this photo, which I took a couple of weeks ago. Today started out very foggy, which is typical following several days of hot weather. This is for you, She-Who-Knits-By-the-Seashore!

FO: Wee Tiny Sock

I finished it! Actually, I started it on Sunday and finished up the toe Monday night during the break from choir. Kind of sad I didn't actually finish it in one day. This was for the Wee Tiny Sock Swap.

Project specs:

• Yarn: Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock, almost solid Pine, left over from the Amana Star bonnet.
• Pattern: Wee Tiny Sock.
• Needles: Size 0 Brittany Birch. It actually made sense to have 5" needles for this project!
  
• Mods: I picked up 12 stitches on each side of the instep instead of 9. I like to pick up as many stitches as I feel are necessary to avoid holes. I think it made for a roomier ankle area, since I had more decreases. Also, I did the heel twice because it came out wonky. The second time was less wonky, but I am still not 100% happy with it. The second time I did wraps for the short rows.
• Notes: It was super fun to do this tiny sock. I found myself talking about my plans for making fingerless gloves, because I just can't imagine making individual fingers, and then realized the irony that I was basically making a finger (the sock leg).
  

Sunday, my knitting group celebrated our 1 year anniversary of being together by going on a road trip. We had lunch, then yarn shopping at a LYS, and then had tea. It was so hot that I had a "cordial" instead - a drink made from fruit concentrate, water, and sugar. Kind of the original "juice from concentrate". I met another knitter in the LYS (hi Anne!) and we chatted about other yarn shops, Shaefer Anne yarn, and how we both were on the watch for Addi lace needles. Unfortunately, she lives too far away to join our knitting group, but hopefully she will drop in on us now and then.

I'm a joiner!

I finished the knitting on the Pea Pod sweaters. I'm partway through weaving in ends - the right side represents the done weaving ends pile (light green body only), the left side is the pieces that need ends woven in (dark green body + 4 sleeves). Then seaming, and finally knitting the neck band!

Have you heard about the Wee Tiny Sock swap? Today is the last day to sign up - it's super fast and it ends next week. Just sign up, knit a tiny sock, and mail it next Friday. Fun and quick, and doesn't break the budget (or yarn diet).