the jaywalkers live!

I haven't been updating; I know. The truth is, I haven't been knitting much, either. If anyone's interested in my progress on my first sock, though, here's something to whet your palate:



I have big feet, sadly, so it's going to be a while before I'm done.



The only new skill I have left is dealing with the toe (kitchener stitch). After a few practice runs through, the heel flap/gusset is a breeze, although somehow less than enjoyable. Turning the heel, however, was way too exciting. I'll have to try short-row heels for my next pair, I think. Until then, ta!

reality of the afghan

Now that classes are back in session and my free time and energy have plummeted, I have (unsurprisingly) realized that there is no way I am going to be able to finish this afghan in time. Of course, 'in time' is a relative phrase of sorts. I could put the monstrosity off until next Christmas, by which point I should obviously have no trouble getting it done.

Even that, of course, assumes that I can manage to bring myself to work on it often. I bought the yarn quite a while ago, while I was still a very new knitter. Now that I've gotten to play a little more with fiber, that awful acrylic very nearly makes my fingers bleed at the sight of it. Lion Brand's Homespun is splitty and awful---and I've been working the blanket on bamboo, which is way too sticky. I refuse to buy another pair of huge needles I'll never use for another project, but I am definitely becoming a metal-needle convert (thanks entirely to the KnitPicks line). In short, even if I didn't have all this work to do, managing to get myself to work on this thing has been painfully difficult.

I will finish it eventually, if only to get that yarn out of my face (I doubt there's anyone out there who'd be willing to buy it all off of me, and I refuse to just toss it). It's just going to take another season. In the meantime, I'll be entertaining myself with socks---the perfect, portable project for my suddenly busy life.

all warm and cozy

Pattern: Cozy, from Knitty



Yarn: Exactly as requested, Reynolds Mandalay in 'Oatfield.' I was slightly disappointed to find the yarn much darker than I expected (the pictures at the purchase location were accurate, but it looked a lot lighter in the pattern photographs, which I had judged to be more accurate in ordinary light).

Needles: US size 8, aluminum, knit straight on circs.

Time: I started this sometime around late March/early April, I think. Obviously, then, it took me quite a while, but there were a few weeks here and there where it went untouched, as well.

Modifications: I stopped knitting after seven skeins, as it was already quite long enough. The eighth might have been useful were I taller, though. The only other modification I made was more a matter of misinterpretation, and might be corrected at a later date (see my comments below).



Comments: This is my largest project to date (in terms of sheer size). It's definitely a lovely pattern---quite easy for my first lace project (it probably helped using a relatively thick yarn), although I certainly learned the value of lifelines. The pattern calls for ending with row eight, but I wasn't surewhether that meant stop before knitting row 8, or after. I chose after, but as it turns out, I should have ignored the eighth row of the last repeat---it left me with a tiny stockinette section once I added the gartet stitch border. A minor issue, thought I might go back and fix it at some point, easy as it is to remedy.