My (unofficial) Knitting Olympics project is done!

It's true; I have finished my first toe-up socks. Just typing those words made it sink in, I think. I can't believe it!



Yarn: Dream in Color Smooshy, Pansy Go Lightly
Pattern: Dead Simple Lace Socks by Wendy Johnson
US 2 needles
Time to knit: About five months (with at least two months' break in the middle, for Christmas knitting)
Rav details

Learning toe-up came about rather spur-of-the-moment, as I blogged about in September. And I'm so glad I took that class with my buddies Tasha and Hazel!

As you can see, these are almost too tall for the sock blockers. And I had 19 grams of yarn leftover! I'm glad I ended the socks where I did, because within an inch they would've needed calf shaping.



I loved working with the Smooshy - so much subtle color variation! - but was bummed when it broke once, on the sole of the second sock. (I also hold my yarn with a death grip, so I am partially to blame.) Despite the name of the yarn, Smooshy, I found it to be a thinner sock yarn.



I currently have no socks on the needles (well, apart from a hibernating, soul-socking, Regia Tweed 80-stitches-a-round stockinette one) but for now, I'm going to focus on a shawlette I've been working on for a few weeks when stockinette was all I felt like doing. It's the In the Land of Oz shawlette, and I just found out a friend is facing some rough times, so I feel like this would be a nice, woolly hug for her.

slow and steady ...

Above is my unofficial Knitting Olympics project. (It's 'unofficial' because I didn't sign up for any teams on Ravelry or sign up via the Yarn Harlot's blog. Just joining in with the spirit.) I'm trying to finish up some WIPs during the Vancouver games, and this is the only one I've worked on so far. I've got about 40 rounds of the pattern + 17 rounds of ribbing to go. I'm planning on getting a lot done on Friday, my only day off work this week.

I have to say that turning the heel of sock no. 2 went 150% better than it did with sock no. 1! No lifeline and no mistakes. I think I have this toe-up heel flap down to a science (well, as long as I follow written instructions).

Happy Knitting Olympics!

I can't say that I have a project in mind. I'm just going to knit as much as I can on my current WIPs. Not exciting, I know.

I do, however, have a finished pair of socks - the first FO of 2010!



Pattern: Shifty by Anne Hanson
Yarn: Hazel Knits Artisan Sock in Pacific
Mods: Knit one fewer repeat on the leg
Needles: US 2
Details on Rav



Loved, loved, loved this pattern. It was really intuitive, even for a generally anti-pattern sock knitter like myself. The yarn is squishy and wonderful, too. I just wish I would've made the leg a bit longer. (I cut it short because of my size 11 feet, and I had 33 grams of yarn left. Whoops.)



The twisted stitches don't look all that impressive while you're knitting, but put a sock on your foot and BOOM. Super pronounced!



The color was really hard to capture, but I think the first picture is most accurate.

Verdict: I'll definitely be knitting this pattern again!

a little of this, a little of that

Sorry for the radio silence - I feel like I start every post this way but man, I am bad about updating!

Since I last posted, it has snowed not once but twice!



We got five or six inches the last weekend in January. I hadn't seen more than dusting in my neck of the woods since I moved here four and a half years ago. So this was pretty darn exciting.



Gracie loved running around in the snow drifts. She looked like a rabbit, bounding around!

Gracie had a big day last week - she has had a spot on one of her eyes for a little while now, and last week she had a procedure to remove the hairs from inner eyelid that were causing the degeneration on her eye. Her eyelids are a bit puffy, and she needs quite a few drops every day, but she is doing well.



As for me? My birthday is Thursday, and I'm really looking forward to it. It will be a furlough day (boo), but I am planning some nice things, including lunch with my sweetie, knitting with my SnB gals and even a massage and haircut at a local spa! I can't wait. I've never treated myself to something like that. I have a 14K relay race Saturday morning so I'm going to use a gift certificate I got for Christmas from a dear running buddy and have a pedicure before the race. (My friend turned me onto the idea of getting a treat for your feet before a big race and I'm officially a convert.) I'm a little worried about how the race will go, because the snow and resulting ice put a damper on my training, but I'm trying to remind myself that I'm running 4 to 4.5 miles and I can get through it just fine. My teammate and I made awesome shirts and I can't wait to debut them on Saturday! I haven't run a race since last May, and I didn't run in the inaugural 14K last year, so I'm pretty excited.