Turned

While watching the Woman's Marathon live from Beijing, I turned the first heel on my socks.  They're looking good so far, but, at this point, they seem a little big.  I hope my gauge didn't change when I started knitting without actually looking.  It's taken 4 or 5 years, but, yes, I've finally learned how to knit without watching my work.  For straight stockinette stitch anyway.

The colors in this round of photos are more accurate, the grays aren't as blue as they look in the previous photo.  Enjoy.

Ravelympics moving along

My first Ravelympics project, the socks, are moving right along.  Last night I was able to complete the toes.  Later today, after taking care of some household stuff, I will begin the arch expansion which allows the sock to fit the hind foot.  I may actually finish these before the end of the games!!!!

I'm not entirely sure I'll even be able to start the snood and bag in time, but, we'll see.

All Done!!!!

Yay, I finished my socks!!!!

As expected, they fit perfectly, and they fit in my boots.  I've entered a third project into the Ravelympics.  At the moment, I'm not sure I'll finish any of them, but, I can try.  So, now I've got a pair of socks, a purse, and a snood.  I'm supposed to start casting on for all these tomorrow, at 5 am, oh boy, I don't think I'll even be UP that early.

Off to finish playing with the pattern for a snood.

Socks are almost done, and just in time

So, I have been a bad girl with my socks and haven't been posting pictures and updates, so, here they are.  These next two pictures are from about a month ago.  There's about a half inch of black ribbing on the leg.

And this picture, is from today, there's 3.5 inches of ribbing.

And, now, because some people might be confused.  Why the black legs?  Well, these are for a uniform, and, part of the uniform kind of implies that the socks need to be black.  Well, I don't know about the rest of ya'll, but, my hubby tends to steal my socks unless they're obviously not his, and the size alone doesn't seem to tell him that, so, need colorful feet.  Of course, there's also the issue that black, at sock gauge, is REALLY hard on the eyes.  Do you really want to knit a whole sock in black?  Yeah, I didn't think so, me either!  As to the just in time?  I got a job, it starts Monday.  I'm SOOOOO excited, school paid off.

There's an event on Ravelry that is set to coincide with the Olympics.  It is the Ravelympics 2008.  Yes, that's right, they intend to do this event for EVERY Olympics from here on out.  This is along the lines of the Knitting Olympics, but it's knitting and crocheting, and tatting, and spinning and dyeing and what-have-you.  I am entering 2 projects into three, and maybe 4 events, haven't decided yet.  If you're on Ravelry, and haven't heard about this yet, GET OVER THERE!

Got Feet?

So, I've finished the heels on my socks, and have done the first round on the legs.  Took some time to decide if I wanted ribbed legs, or plain legs with a ribbed cuff.  Finally decided on a ribbed leg.  So, now time for 5 inches of black ribbing!

Shapely!

Yup, you guessed it, I finished my Shapely Tank.  Finally.  That also means I finished my class, with an A, so excited.  Do still have to take a board exam before I can get a job with what I learned from the class, so, it's not all done, but, I'm taking what's left of this week to just chill, relax, reconnect with the hubby who was feeling a bit left out.  Oh, yeah, you want a picture, don't you?

Shapely Tank, is actually written for a sport-ish weight yarn, and, as I'm kinda petite, even a sport weight yarn makes me look even tinier.  So, I found this awesome lace weight rayon yarn, and after some tinkering with the pattern to adjust for the different yarn sizes, I cast on.  Some difference, I had to cast on 128 for the smallest size, and wrap multiples of 13 for the short rows. For the waist shaping, I decreased 7 times every 6th row, and increased 7 times every 9 rows.  I'm a DD cup, but I also like negative ease, so I placed the bust short rows for only a D cup.  This makes the fit taught but not pulling.  I think next time I knit this pattern, I'll do a C and a half short row.  I also figure, next time I do this pattern, I'll do it in the round instead of flat.  I hate seaming, and it was even worse with this boucle, ended up overcasting instead of mattress stitching.

I've also begun the arch increases on the Martinique socks.  No new pictures.

So, I've finished the toe increases for my next pair of socks.  The initial intent was for them to match, but, I didn't start in the same place in the color repeat, so, that's not happening.  It's ok though, no one should see the socks but me, unless my boots will need to be cut off.  And, if my boots are needing to be cut off, I'll be worried about other things that the feet of my socks not really matching, you know?  So, here's a picture.

I'll get to the Shapely Tank finished when school has calmed down a bit.  Until then, no more pictures of it.

Yay, the sock is done.

So, yay!!!!  I finished the sock.

I don't need to alter the pattern at all, afterall.

What I do need to do is bind off looser.  Use a US 7 for the bind off, that's twice as large as the needle the rest of the sock is knit it, but, it's still not loose enough, and I had trouble stretching the sock over my heel and instep.  Still haven't sewn the seams on the tank top yet, so, no pictures.  Soon, I promise.

For now, how about the sock?

Yikes, over 6 months?

Ok, I've been bad.  Very, very, bad.  Yup, it's been more than 6 months since I've posted an update, and I only have an excuse for the last 2. 

You see, I've been back in school again.  An intensive program that occasionally takes all my time.  I have been able to get some knitting in though.  The new program requires that I wear boots, and commercial boot socks were driving me nuts, so, I bought New Pathways in Sock Knitting Book 1, and a whole bunch of sock yarn, and embarked on my first sock I actually plan to wear.  So far, it's just a prototype in "waste" yarn to see if there's any tweaking I need to do to the pattern.  There's only one so far, a slightly pointier toe.

I'm also nearly done with my altered Shapely Tank.  Sorry, no photos of that one yet.  I promise, I'll be better about writing!