Shut Up & Knit!

Happy Mother's Day!

May you all be treated well today and every day throughout the year without having to remind those ungrateful children that you brought them into this world and you can still take them out.

 

Since it's Sunday...

Primavera Socks with semi-mystery yarn from Stacey.  I used 2.75 mm dpns and a short row toe.  I also knit fewer rows of ribbing at the top and skipped the M1s in favor for my love the YO.  I have no love for the M1.  No matter which way it leans.

Yes, I knit flaps.  Try not to faint.

They look much better in photos than in person.  Trust me.

I washed, hung out and brought in thirty-one pairs of hand knit socks yesterday.  Not a record but not bad.  While I am no fan of hot weather, I do love that it's warm enough to dry even thick socks in a few hours out on the laundry line.  So much nicer than having them hang off of every towel bar, pull handle and shower door in the place.

I has nothing*

Hai!

The only things saving today from being another (totally) lazy Saturday are the facts that I mowed this morning and I am washing socks this afternoon.  Yes, just more wild and crazy over here.

Think there's a way that I can blame the cat for this?

I ripped and restarted Icarus Thursday night.  The cat was sorry to see it go because she loves to nap on it, but I think she'll be okay since I restarted already.  I found one too many mistakes in it and just couldn't stand it.  I could have faked it and it would have been okay, but I would have always known.  Ya know?

Oh, and I loved watching the dumbest player in the history of Survivor get voted off.  I can't help but think he doesn't have a lot of experience with women.  Ozzy would have known that the girls were going to talk to each other and compare notes.  Then again we know about Ozzy...

Don't get me started.  I'm still annoyed with him over what he said about Amy.  (Or is it Amiee?  Or Ami?  Who knows?)  I do know I'm looking forward to seeing how wins tomorrow night.

Anyway, I'll catch up soon enough with Icarus.  Since I'm still ignoring the Noro socks, it's the only thing I've got going right now as far as the knitting goes. 

That's my news.

Unless pondering the upcoming jazz festival somehow counts.  It used to be only dixieland jazz.  Those were some scary long weekends of hiding from bands playing at the grocery store.  Lemme tell ya.  o.O  However, now it's just jazz and there will be Zydeco, so part of me wants to go.  That would be the part of me that doesn't hate people.

Yes, a tiny part. 

A very tiny part.

Hush!

We'll see.  I've got time to figure out if it's worth the hassle or not as it's not until Memorial Day Weekend.   

So, that's my news.  Yes, boring, but it's mine.  I hope your day is going well and you're getting some knitting done.  Unless you got those people you live with to take you out for lunch and a drive.

Love,
me

* Not even a real blog post.  Just an email I would have written to a friend if I wasn't feeling so lazy.  Yes, I do blame the cat.  It's part of her job.  Or something...

A Pink Flower Basket Shawl

The socks wish to thank everyone who felt they were not, in fact, ugly.  The jury is taking today and tomorrow off because the justice system is slow in this world and even slower here at ShutUp&Knit!.

Semi-new business...

Pattern:  Flower Basket Shawl by Evelyn A. Clark
Yarn: Blue Sky Alpaca's Alpaca Silk in Guava.  Five and a half hanks were used.
Needles:  US 6 circular for shawl.  US 7 dpn for cast off.
Time Served:  started: 04-23-08  finished:  05-01-08
Size:  82 inches across the top and 36 inches down the spine
Blocked with:  Cotton yarn (across the top and down the spine) and pins.
Knit for:  Me

I knit fourteen repeats of the main chart and that was plenty.  This shawl is huge and wonderfully soft.  I hope that one day the silk smell will fade, so I can trying enjoy it.

Can you febreze silk and alpaca?

These photos are closest to what the shawl actually looks like.  On my monitor, at least.  You can still see the shiny of the silk in the lower photo, but it's not as blinding as it has been in some of the photos I've taken.

And now I have my pink Flower Basket Shawl.

How ugly is it?

It's so ugly the camera refused to look at it.
Those are fingers, btw.

:p

It's a sock that has some emotional problems.

A lot of emotional problems.

In it's defense, I must admit that I am not knitting the pattern as it's written because I am so over the M1.

Not that my use of the YO is the only issue this sock has.

Oh no. 

He's got some issues of his own making.

The jury here at ShutUp&Knit! is very much still out on this little guy.  I think they are waiting until there is a completed pair before making up their minds.  Personally, I'm wondering where we got such a kind and understanding jury considering what I'm like.

/cough

Perhaps part of the jury's kindness is because they have seen the sock's competition and now pity the sock.  That does make a certain amount of sense once you've seen my Icarus in progress.

And it's better in person.

That is one full repeat of chart 1 and four repeats of rows 19-42.

Do I really have to tell you who is my favorite?

Btw, I am using a 60 inch cable on my circular tips.

Y'all, this is going to be one big baby.

Once I finish with those socks, of course.  Can't leave socks hanging...

Unless, it's those Noro socks.

Shut up.

&

Happy Wednesday!

Ten Places To Go

10 Places You'd Love to Travel To (That You Haven't Gone to Yet):

1. I want to visit Sequoia National Park.  I've been to Redwood National Park ( and want to go back).  It's time to visit the other large trees here in California.
   
2. Oasaka, Japan and make a side trip to visit the ancient cypress trees.  Yes, I have a thing for trees.  Shut up.
   
3. St Helena, California.  While I have been to the Napa Valley, I haven't been to St. Helena yet and I want to go. 
   
4. San Julian, Spain.  Cycling and tapas.  Need I say more?
5. Scotland.  I want to wander the west coast.
6. Wales.  I blame Torchwood.
7. Central America.  So I can visit those ancestors.
8. New Zealand.  There can't be much wrong with a nation full of sheep, right?
9. Victoria, BC, Canada.
10. That little town in Iceland for the Night of the Pufflings.  Yes, I like puffins, too.  So?

This list was harder than I thought because of how many places I've been that I want to revisit. 

And, yes, I know it's a boring list, but it's mine. 

Tomorrow I'll show you a sock and you can tell me what you think because I'm still not sure what I think and how often does that happen?