Planned Insanity

So, I know it's been a while.  There's a reason: I can't stop knitting socks.  In nearly 5 months I've knit 16 pairs of socks....well, perhaps 18, depending on how long it takes me to finish Maeva and knit the second sock of Skew (Nevermind.  Finished sock two while writing this installment).  I've learned that my limit (for sanity's sake) is 3 pairs of socks a month.  That's all I can really handle.  Besides, at the moment, I haven't been able to cast on anything else.

Which is why, for the month of June, I signed up on Sock Knitter's Anonymous to knit 4 socks. Actually 5, but I removed one because it didn't qualify for the time limit.

Yes, 4.

And I volunteered to test knit a pattern.  Thankfully, she only needs one sock complete (here's looking at you, Skew2!)

Six socks in one month.  And I won't be home until mid-month.

No, I'm not losing my mind.

It's already vacated the premises.

Frustration and Accomplishment

**This is a photo heavy post**

I'm getting really desperate to cast on Semele.  The yarn has been ready for months now and my fingers are itching for a pattern that doesn't involve turning a heel (more on that after the jump).  This is what's on my project page in Ravelry:


Originally queued: July 25, 2011
Project created: January 28, 2012
Hibernating: May 14, 2012

See, this has been waiting a very long time.  I was hoping to get started this month, but it might not happen.  Damn.

More Knitting

I made a commitment to blog more this year and I'm determined to do so.

My ongoing commitment to Sock Knitters Anonymous continues to lead me down the primrose path of sock knitting foolishness.

For the month of February, I planned to knit 4 socks (yes, 4...I know, insane me....).  More interestingly, I finished them, some in March, but I started in February and that's what counts! (more after the jump!)

Productive

I think February is the month for me to be productive.


At work, I managed to wrap up a project that was continually delayed last year (not due to me....there was always a competing priority).  It only took a month, mostly due to the developer needing to fine-tune code.  Otherwise, I'm waiting on feedback from the end user.  Meanwhile, I'm up in Maine finishing another project, helping a school automate some of their processes.


On the knitting front, I have already finished one of the Sock Knitters' Anonymous socks.

Clover Socks in Cherry Tree Hill, Loden colorway

The Clover socks were a lot of fun to knit and they took no time! One week for the pair, which is probably the fastest I've ever finished a pair of socks.  Even better, I bound them off and immediately put them on my feet (since it was 18 degrees here in Portland, ME today),  I have a load of handknit socks to wash when I get home tomorrow and for some reason I'm not looking forward to it.

Solid Socks Mystery KAL

Meanwhile, while watching the Superbowl (Yay Giants!), I cast on for and finished the first clue of the Solid Socks Mystery KAL sock.  I was smugly reveling in this fact when I realized that I was using Jojoland Melody from my stash.

Leyburn Socks in Jojoland Melody

CRAP!!! I need to learn how to read the instructions better, because Jojoland Melody is definitely not a solid or semi-solid sock yarn.  So, after admiring the beauty of that bit of knitting, I frogged the cuffs and searched through the Ravelry queue for something else I could knit.  I happened on the Leyburn Socks.  These have been in my queue forever, so I cast on.  So far, I've finished one full repeat of the instep pattern and I can see that I'm going to need to break out the stitch counter for this pattern because it's so easy to miss those rounds of plain knitting.


So far, in 2012, I've finished 3 pairs of socks....I'm thinking that I just might challenge myself to finished the full dozen for the year, especially since I'm already making good progress (2 socks completed, 2 on the needles, 1 waiting to start).  I'm not counting the Escalator socks because they were begun last year.

2012! A Milestone Year!

Wow, how time flies!The last time I updated my blog it was January 2011.....now, it's January 2012 and I'm back again. I would recap the year, but there isn't much there to get excited over...

• Started working for a new client in January 2011
• Left project October 2011
• Placed back on the project (in a off-site consultant capacity) from October 2011-present
• Picked up new client in November 2011
• Gained entirely too much weight
• Knit entirely too little
• Bought Entirely too much yarn
• Had new flooring put into house (Yay!)
• Bought iPad, cracked screen horribly, bought new iPad...refuse to allow this iPad to know anything but the luxury of its case.
• New cell phone....same crap coverage inside my house.
• Ran up Credit Cards...Then manage to almost completely eliminiate CC debt
• Paid off my car (Woo Hoo!!!)

Yup, that's pretty much a recap of 2011.  So, what am I hoping for for 2012?  Well, this is one of those milestone birthday years....and I don't really have anything planned, which is depressing me.  So, I guess the big goals are:

• Remain employed (Always important)
• Out of debt by my birthday
• Stash away more Emergency Fund money
• Come up with decent milestone holiday spot
• Lose Weight (always a goal, even if it isn't obtained)
• Buy less yarn (already off to a bad start there.....33 skeins since January 2)
• Blog more....Already up one post for the year.

Speak of which, I finally figured out how to get more blogging done this year.  I purchased Blogsy for my iPad and this is the first post I'm using it on.  I love it.  It combines all the application I use most in blogging in one app and if it weren't for the fact that I'm hunting and pecking with one finger (although rather quickly).  so let's see if this was a decent purchase.

I decided to get involved with Sock Knitters Anonymous's Monthly Sockdown Challenge.  I started back in October and managed to finish that sock. I didn't finish November's sock in time and, to add insult to injury, I've managed to lose one sock!  However, I did complete January challenge and not only did I complete it, I finished TWO socks in one month!!!  Ha!!!

Sock one: Early Spring by Janice Kang.  Knit with SWTC TOFUtsies in color way 923.  I enjoyed knitting these, but I worried the entire time because the yarn is ~48% cotton and soy (meaning elasticity might be an issue).  I was proven horribly right, but they're still a great pair of socks.

Sock two was the ever popular Hermione's Everyday socks.  Talk about a fun pair of socks to knit!  The only reason I didn't finish this in three days is because occasionally I have to put the knitting down to work.  Umm, yeah I've been wearing the socks around the house, on my new (and dusty) floor.  Why do you ask?

I'm literally chomping at the bit to start February.  February's sock challenge In Sock Knitters Anonymous is:

• Moderator Madness Month – we’re bombarding you with all the things you SHOULD have voted for just because we can :) 
• Technique: Knitting for a Cause or Mosaic/ Slipped Stitches or Self-Striping or Illusion Knitting 
• Designer: Kerin Dimeler-Laurence, Lykkefanten, Kate Blackburn

So, for February, I'm going to knit Clover and Ivy by Kate Blackburn For Sock Knitters Anonymous.

For The Solid Socks group, the challenge is Spring or a mystery sock designed by LauraJ.  Since I'm not big on mystery socks, I'm knitting one of LauraJ's old patterns, BDY February 2011 KAL, in a suitably "Springy" color way.


I'm actually excited about knitting again and returning to my blog.  I look forward to the new year now.