where’s my marble notebook?

Posted by ann

Ack!! It’s hot & humid again!! Even this guy looks a little sick of the summer scene. He seems weary with that one pathetic little marigold who doesn’t seem to know that the party is over.

Lots of things are afoot around here. Subterfuge and Harriet the Spy stuff! I am sure you have all heard the big news from Cara. Well, stay tuned for some fun & games designed to make her crazy. No, the puking is beginning to bore me and I need new ways to torture her For any knitting content, you will have to mosey on over to Ravelry. It’s all Top Secret!

Posted by ann

I call her Montauk Momma even though I bought her in Bridgehampton. She was the first of my major cement pig statuary. This was years ago and Boar and I had taken a romantic weekend get away out east and were doing a little shopping. He had already talked me out of some very expensive bronze pigs. He really did not want to spend all of that $$ on cement and he almost broke his back wrestling Montauk Momma into our car. I remember Boar saying it would be my headstone. She sits on our patio outback and whenever Boar takes notice he reminds me of his promise.

that Boar is such a kidder.

Posted by ann

Fall has officially begun – today is the first day of school. D#2 left this morning for her senior year! Shall I wax poetic about how quickly the time goes, or how I remember all of the other first days of school? Or shall I just get on with things and show you some knitting? and pigs!

Ta-Da! A pair of finished Roza’s Socks and a pair in progress!

The finished set is done in Cherry Tree Hill and for the other I am using Trekking XXL. I love both of these sock yarns and the Trekking seems thicker than I remember it being. Have they changed something at the mill or has is just been too long since I’ve used it? The CTH pair seem a bit snug. The brioche stitch of this pattern makes the ribbing extra grabby – this is great because I love socks to hug the leg. But my calves need a ‘hug extender’ – I’ve got strong peasant stock in my genes! It will take a strong wind to knock me over, but a few more stitches to get around these gams. For the Trekking pair I added a pattern repeat – instead of casting on 60 stitches cast on 66. I will have to find some skinny-legged someone on my Christmas list and wrap up the Cherry Tree Hill pair!

sock!

Posted by ann

This sock is the result of on-the-go knitting. We traveled to PA this weekend and the first thing I packed was the knitting. But what project? Babette involves too many skeins and would be an unwieldy traveling companion but I was almost to the bind off row of Lotus Blossom. And I had been warned about this row.

*I shall take a moment to speak of the Lotus Blossom bind off. The shawl is lovely, the charts are impeccable, the bind off? she is a MoFo. Eight hours of knitting to get that shawl off the needles. During the blocking portion, I had a horrendous moment of thinking that the center bottom bobble was in the wrong position —- my heart stopped for the briefest of moments before I realized that everything was okay. phew.

Anyway, Carole had given me the bind off heads up, so I knew to take another project along for the ride …. and that’s where this sock comes in. The pattern is Roza by Grumperina and can be found in Spring Interweave Knits 2007. I am using Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Superwash – which happens to be one of my favorite sock yarns.

This is a great pattern. First and foremost, I like a sock to hug my leg. While I can appreciate the beauty of a flat-fabric sock, for wearing comfort I like some kind of ribbing pattern. But knitting ribbing can get boring. Until now, Retro Rib was my go to sock pattern. Not that this has replaced Retro Rib, let’s just say that in my sock family, Retro Rib has a new little sister!

mommy loves you all ….. really.

how about a little dining room pig picture?