Progress

You know what's great? Hiring someone to clean your house. Not only do you not have to actually vacuum, mop or dust, but you also have a really good reason to de-clutter your house. I've been an organizing demon. I bought new shelves for the basement, cleaned off the workbench and organized all the stuff that used to be on it. The cleaning lady isn't going to clean the basement, but it freed up space for other stuff. I cleaned out my bathroom cabinets, and got rid of a bunch of stuff. I cleaned out both of the desks in my computer room and moved some stuff that didn't need to be in there to the basement shelves. I still have some work to do in the closet and put in some shelves to store my quilts, but I've made a lot of progress. It's very refreshing.

When I haven't been shuffling stuff around my house, I've been knitting. I'm caught up on my Mystery Socks:


KnitPicks Stroll Tonal yarn in Golden Glow

I forgot to cross a cable above the last bead and didn't notice it till I'd already done the next cable round and the increase round. I had to drop those stitches down 8 or so rows, cross the cable, add the bead, cross another cable and re-do the increase on them. It was a very scary prospect, let me tell you. BUT, I did it and I can't remember which cable column I had to fix. Success!

I started another KAL (Knit ALong), but I'm behind on that one already. Here's Clue #1.


Madeline Tosh Merino Light, Tart colorway

The pattern is based on the movie Roxanne, but whenever I hear that name, all I think about is Eddie Murphy singing the Police song at the beginning of 48 Hours. It was kind of a problem when I had a sister-in-law named Roxanne.... Anyway, I finished Clue #1 on the start date, and haven't touched it since. Clue #2 came out last Thursday, but I'm still trying to decide if I want to modify Clue #1 like a friend of mine did. I can't decide. I need to look at it closely. I know I did my pfb (purl front and back) stitches wrong, thanks to an online video. If I go back and modify it, I might be able to avoid those crazy stitches. Decisions, decisions.

I finally got back to my Spring Fern Socks and got a few pattern repeats done.


KnitPicks Stroll Tonal in Springtime

I've done more on my Christmas socks, too, but I don't have any pictures of them. I kind of think I made them too wide but I really don't want to rip out 1.5 inches on two socks to narrow them down by 4 stitches. They fit, but they aren't very snug. I might put in a decrease when I get past the widest part of my foot, but we'll see.

I got the scarf from my bookmark scarf exchange partner.


All folded up


Cable/lace detail.

I was a little worried when I got it, because while the knitter said it was wool/nylon yarn, it feels like cotton to me (and everyone else who's touched it). It was kind of scrunched when I got, but I soaked it really well and laid it out flat to dry. It blocked better than I expected.

One day last weekend when I got in the shower, I tossed my socks down the laundry chute, like I always do. One of them apparently missed the bin at the bottom and I had the basement door open. When I got out of the bathroom, this was waiting for me outside the door.



That would be a crumpled hand knit sock, retrieved from the basement by my faithful "puppy cat," Blue. He's so sweet. Strange, but sweet.

The middle furry children aren't impressed.


"We don't fetch like dogs. Stupid 'kitten'!"