So here we are in Daytona. we’re having a working vacation. The house we are still trying to get rid of down here needed some work, so we rolled it into a week long vacation.

Other news has been sparse. I am teaching an online Algebra course this summer. It’s paying for the Tokyo trip my sister and I are taking in 3 weeks. It has meant a lot of time at Panera for me. Free WiFi and cinnamon rolls, can’t beat it.

I am trying to craft ahead a bit for Christmas this year. I am on my second pair of sock…and I have a new favorite yarn It’s a Babu Ull by Gjestal. I am doing the garter rib sock from Sensational Knitted sock. It works great with varigated yarn. Photos as soon as I get the camera to work witht he new laptop.

We got to see a turtle released back into the wild two days ago. It was a 250 pound Loggerhead they found with an impacted intestine.

OK…so sorry this is late!! We’ve had a crazy week, so many apologies.

1. Repeat after me “no hurricanes, no hurricanes, no hurricanes” . Okay we just had to get that one out of the way first. We needed to created a bit of “good weather karma”!

Done!
2. What is your favorite hurricane supplies snack?

Anything chocolate, as long as there is no mint.

3. Do sock patterns normally fit you “as written” or do you usually modify them for size in any way?

Nope…they usually fit.

4. What are your foot measurements, not just shoe size? (Measure the length of your foot from heel to toe, then the ball of your foot. )

length: 8 3/4 ”

ball: 8″

5. What one city abroad would you visit and why if money was no object? (and terrorism was non-existent)

This one’s easy! My sister and I are going to Tokyo this summer to visit my brother.
6. Do you wear socks all year round or just during the winter? Do you prefer them tall or short or regular height?

I am almost always cold, so I wear them year round…usually medium height.

7. The last time the power was out during hurricane season (or bad weather of any kind) did you knit by lantern or were you lucky enough to knit to the hum of a generator? Or did you knit at all?

By candle…

8. Make a wish for your favorite sock yarn that you’ve already used once. What would it be?

Hmmmm…I think Lorna’s Lace

9. What is it about sock knitting that keeps you wanting to knit more and more socks?

Easy to take to the playground, quick to finish, and always a bit of a challenge

10. Make a wish for a sock yarn that you are dying to try but haven’t bought for yourself yet. (be specific, even color-way if you’d like)

Cherry Tree Hill…

11. What size needles do you knit socks for YOURSELF with the most? Are they circular or bamboo needles? What brand?

Multiples of 2…2, 4 and 8. Usually bamboo.

12. If you could only take 3 yarn related books and one previously knitted project that you love with you when you evacuated what would they be?

Anything by the Yarn Harlot, Sensational Knitted Socks, and a good knitting stitch book. I think the one project that I would save is my cardigan I finished last year:

13. What knitting notion do you wish you had that you just keep putting off getting for yourself?

Notions?! I just want more yarn…

14. What is your favorite tv show?

Don’t really watch much TV, but when I do I make it cheesy…like CHiPs reruns.

15. Do you want a lacey sock or a “solid fabric” sock from your hurricane partner?

Either is fine

16. It’s midnight and the power has been off for two days, its hot, and you have a craving for something sweet! What would it be? (This is a FOOD related question! LOL)

Chocolate Ice Cream

17. Tell us a story about any of your hurricane weather related experiences.

We’ve had several, but Isabel was the worst. The girls were 3 yrs and 6 months. We had no power for 11 days. Husband is a journalist, so he was gone the whole time. The tap water got contaminated, so I had to boil water to rinse the baby. Thank goodness she was nursing.

We eventually evacuated to my parent’s house, where the little one rolled onto the floor and got a skull fracture of an inch and a half. Very short roll, but really hit wrong. She’s fine now, but it was scary.

It all culminated in her christening…the power was still out and the church was lit with candles. Very special day.

18. What was the one thing you wish you had remembered to get last year for hurricane supplies that you swore you wouldn’t forget this year?

Bleach! 3 feet of water in the basement…what a mess!

19. What color sock would you like to receive from your sock partner? (if you don’t have a pref just say so otherwise give us a hint!)

Anything green!

20. Well surprise, this one isn’t a question at all.. it’s a THANK YOU for filling out this questionnaire and posting it.

I know spring is here, and summer is just around the bend. Maybe it’s the Nor’easter, but I have been in such a mood to knit with wool this week.

I am having a major covet over the yarn Wendy has at Knit and Tonic…Koigu color p62.

The girls and I were driving home today and I was struck by the colors of the new leaves against the sky. The leave are still at that mustardy-green stage, and the sky has been a rather dramatic blue gray all day. This color-way would be a perfect start.

This makes me want to do elaborate fair-isle on tiny needles. Which is exactly what I will need in August around here, let me tell you.

And in a nutso side note…I got to do a pair of socks in a swap for Wendy a year or so ago. It was the closest thing to a celebrity encounter I’ve ever had. Important celebrity anyway…I got to see Ronald Regan when I was 12, but did he knit? Hardly.

I finished it a week ago, and here’s the shot:

I have worn it a bunch this last week. It’s been chilly!

OK, so I was searching You Tube for knitting videos. And yes, all of my students would find that impossibly dorky. I don’t care, there are some great tutorials out there.

I found this. It’s a Lego knitting machine. 

 You know you want one.

It’s official! Matches went out Monday so I need to start planning.

Last year I designed my own pattern (I use the term loosely).  It ended up a complicated mess, so this year, out of kindness to my tradee I need to find something simpler.

So, anyone seen any good sock patterns recently?

I truely have not meant to ignore this lonely blog the past few days. We’ve been in Williamsburg heping the parental units get their house ready for sale. They are moving up here near us. (Yay!)

The husband has now tiled their kitchen and master bath, hung new lights, plumed things…all sorts of general handyman things.

Moi? What have I been doing? My KoolAid sweater is almost done…I lost one ball of the purple yarn has disappeared, so I am having to improvise a bit.

I have also done some shopping for fabric for the girl’s spring wardrobe. I need to get cracking on this too, they have outgrown most of the rest of their clothes.

Today was soooo much calmer. Kids survived school. I survived school. Thanks for all the lovely comments…I will catch up on responding, promise!

And this evening I got an hour to work on:

Sorry for the grainy photo…The camera doesn’t work so well indoors.

I started this while we were in Florida. This is a better shot of all the colors:

It is a bunch of Knit Picks yarn I over-dyed with koolaid. I was almost done, but the sleeves were getting tedious. I figure I have a few weeks left where I can use a lightweight sweater, so I might as well crank it out. It now has half a sleeve and a neck.

In the vien of sprint cleaning I am trying to finish a few things.

I just finished this blanket for the girl’s newest cousin this weekend. I started in November, when my sister in law asked for a blanket with holes in it.

a tease

Since I slammed my hand in the car door a few weeks back I wasn’t sure if it would ever end. I do not crochet much anymore, so with the bruised hand it felt like it took forever. . but now, done!

I used Valley Cotton from Webs, which is always one of my favorite yarns. Little sis’ ni-night was made in this yarn, and it has survived for four years now.

There was also this:

Needless to say I love the stuff.

This is what I love about a raglan sweater…once you get past the initial math you quickly get to the “wow! It’s a sweater point”

The girls were my photographers:

Big-sis’ picture from the top bunk

Little-sis told me to look more interesting …I swear I tried

I am thinking it wouldn’t be too hard to create an Intant-O-Matic Raglan creator. Punch in some measurements and out pops a pattern. Shouldn’t be hard in Java Script.

The goal:

I’m not sure quite where I want it to hit on the waist. Again, the great part about a raglan…just try it on and see what works.