That was fast

Miss Babs is only one state over and the yarn was in stock.  I’m still a little bit surprised to have the yarn for my sweater already.

The blue is a bit lighter than the picture and more tonal than solid.  It is just what I wanted.  The yellow is brighter than I wanted, but I think it will work. I was concerned about matching dye lots.  I knit a sweater awhile back with yarn from different lots.  It did not work at all.  The people at Miss Babs assured me that the yarns were dyed in the same dying session.  I think I will follow their advice to alternate the blue yarns just to be sure.

Here’s what I chose for the final socks for Tour de Sock:

The colored yarn is Mad Hatter.  I had so much trouble coming up with an appropriate contrasting yarn on previous socks, I chose white for this one.  The pattern drops at 0700 my time on Saturday.  The final sock is a notoriously obnoxious thing to knit.  I hope that I don’t throw a hissy fit and give up as I have in the past.

Next?

 I gave up on two of the socks I thought I wanted to do.   I did finish this pair:

I have a sweater that needs button bands and a neckband.  I have the choice of buying a replacement copy of the book the pattern is in or figure out the bands myself.  I am leaning toward the latter.  There isn’t anything else in the book that appeals to me to make.

I saw a sweater on Ravelry that I want to make.  It is called Ixchel and has moon-themed patterns.  I like dark blue with yellow/gold patterns which is what this has.  I ordered yarn from Miss Babs and it is already on the way.  It is probably what is next.

Tour de Sock Stage 5

59th place this time.  I knit large socks instead of small ones.  Also spent some time at the vet trying to figure out why Jasmine won’t eat.  I still don’t know why.  I do know that she does not have any of the nasty things wrong with her that 15 year old cats frequently have.

Steeks, Advent, and More Socks

The one bad thing about finishing the most recent Tour de Sock project fast is free time.  I always end up plotting new projects that can’t be started until TdS is done.  I did finish the latest Handmade Sock Society pair, Honey Bee Dance socks.

 I was holding off on finishing my Rose sweater until my sewing machine was fixed.  I read a tutorial on steeking and decided that the sewing part could be done better by hand.  I got excited  and got all of the supplies ready.  Then I couldn’t find the pattern book, a pdf.  I saved it twice on two different devices.  One was a laptop that my cat knocked on the floor and destroyed.  The other was this iPad and it isn’t here now.    Sigh.  I’m waiting to hear if the pdf can be replaced or if I have to buy a new one.

I went browsing on Ravelry, which always gets me into trouble.  I found an advent calendar pattern that I am going to make.  It is a Georgian town house.  The pattern is released once a week and starts the same time as the final TdS sock.

Speaking of advent calendars, I saw an ad for one that’s yarn.  It turns out that a number of dyers do these.  They all work basically the same.  You get 24 mini skeins plus one full size one.  I ordered one from a dyer here in Georgia that’s new to me.  I liked the looks of her yarn.  I like speckled yarns and this is what is coming.  Everything is wrapped individually, so the fun can go on daily for most of December.

The dyer is on Etsy.  Since I am apparently incapable of only buying from one person when I am there, a couple more skeins are on the way from Knitted Wit.  One colorway will result in a donation to the legal fund to help get refugee children back with their parents.  I refuse to feel the least bit bad about doing that.

Meanwhile back on Ravelry, I went through my library and found four pair of socks that would be good to make.  I had the silly idea that stash diving would give me most of what I needed for them.  Anything else could be added to the DK needed for the advent calendar and I could get a discount from WEBS on the whole thing.  I was only partially right.  All 4 needed white and 3 of the 4 needed black.  Guess what colors I was out of?  A big box is on the way.

The patterns are Question mark socks (they look like the 7th Doctor’s outfit), Shersocks (they resemble the wallpaper Sherlock shot at), Spooktacular Halloween socks, and Ukrainian Rose socks.  The last one is modified from a mitten pattern.  I’ve already worked out the modifications.  Where’s my yarn?  I want to cast these on immediately.

Dolores is ready for Rhinebeck

It has been fun to see what people have been doing with Dolores.  One woman took her to Paris and got a picture of her with the Eiffel Tower in the background.  One had Dolores without clothes lying on a beach towel under her parasol.  Mine thinks that’s an excellent idea as the weather is not appropriate for a sweater dress and leg warmers.

Tour de Sock Stage 4

I still can’t believe that I finished these in a day and a half.  I came really close to the fastest person on the TARDIS teams, too.   I am cautiously optimistic that my rank on this stage will be a lot higher than the previous three.

ETA:  my optimism was rewarded.  21st place!

Dolores as Thirteen?

 It was one of my weird ideas.  Like most of them, it didn’t work out that well.  Dolores was unhappy with the whole thing.  She calmed down when I explained that her Rhinebeck outfit kit has been ordered.  She almost forgave me when I told her that Franklin has designed a gown and matching turban that I will make for her, too.  It may come with a Dolores sized martini glass.

Tour de Sock Stage 3

My intentions were good in yarn selection this time.  The choice wasn’t as successful as I hoped.  A totally solid light color with regular strength fingering would’ve been good.  The pattern suggested light fingering.  The one I used was splitting with virtually no stitch definition.  I half expect to be asked to supply more pictures so the judges can see that I did knit the pattern correctly.

No more socks until Stage 4, probably a week away.  In the meantime, I am planning a 13th Doctor cosplay outfit for Dolores.  I expect it will take vast quantities of vodka to bribe her to wear something this nerdy.  Sorry, Dolores, you are in a Whovian household.  Just be glad you aren’t being dressed as a Dalek.

ETA I didn’t have to send more pictures and came in 46th.  It is the closest I have been to the usual first place person on my team. She had to take an unfortunate dip in the frog pond, so it won’t happen again.