I really should be in bed but...

I was under some crazy idea that I could actually finish my Lissajous stockings by Sunday. I don't know what kind of speed knitter I thought I was but I did manage to make decent progress on my right stocking. I'm almost finished the front diamond decal, which seemed to be a lot easier the second time around. Once that is done, then I worry about the calf shaping and I am almost half way through that as it is.

Lissajous: Sock #1-DONE!!! Round 2-Row 5,Chart A; Row 34, Chart D; Row 24, Chart H

What kept me going tonight was the KnitPicks' podcast I was listening to (episodes 189-196). I now want to stash palette yarn for cardigans and that might be what I purchase for my Cyber Monday purchase. I only worry about that fact that the page says 'Hand wash' and 'feltable'. I don't like hand washing. I don't mind the delicate cycle and hanging out to dry though. I'm going to have to do a bit more research I guess.

Bex Preparation

In prep for my trip and the Bex sock, I started to cake my yarn. First of all, I found out why my skeins of Wollmeise wasn't caking properly. When I got the Wollmeise, I mounted my ball winder on my bookshelf for the first time. Previously, I had held the winder in hand. Didn't swing the arm properly (the part that's sort of like the eye of a needle). Once I did that, I probably could have caked the entire 100g skein, instead of the max 30g I was getting before.

It was going so well. And somehow, I'm about 3/4 of the way through, I have a tangled mess. It's not a knot yet but I had to put it down before it got worse. The caked half looks beautiful. It's enough to do a swatch and start the sock.

Now that I have to go on a plane, I have to concern myself with how safe it would be to carry knitting needles. I have a strong preference for my ChiaoGoo Red Lace Stainless Steel needles. I have no idea how well those travel with airport security and carry on luggage. I think just in case I'll put them in the suitcase, where they can't cause problems.

Back track 3 posts ago

So back to the whole dyeing yarn thing. I actually went to my local grocery store and bought 4 packs of Kool-Aid. I hate Kool-Aid, ever since u was a child. I'm glad I finally found a use for it. Now for the yarn.

It's coming!

Excitement is brewing! I finally got the email telling that I can finally order the ChiaoGoo Interchangeables. I am SO EXCITED! I can finally put my Anisette Cardigan back as WIP instead of a hibernate (bad story of bad KnitPicks Interchangeable that would bend as I knit).

As for the Annisette Cardigan, one of the ladies in my knitting circle is almost finished. Just needs to finish up the neckline and add buttons. Yeah, I feel jealous but I know I will love mine as well when it's done.

I gotta pack a kit

I just found out that I'm going to New Jersey for a week, just when I'm supposed to finish up the Lissajous stockings and start either the Kai-Mei's or the Bex's.

But let's be honest now. I've already decided to do the Bex with my Sweet Georgia Tough Love in Pistachio. I'm gonna have to work quickly to cake the yarn and work out the gauge.

It is half way finished!

I finished the left sock of my Lissajous stockings. They look so purty!

I am excited to be working on the right sock. I think I am on a sock roll!

Something new to try

While going through the Cookie Jar thread on the Ravelry group Sock Knitter's Annonymous, someone was knitting the sock pattern called Bex. I had flipped past this pattern quite a few times in my book however seeing hers, made me want to knit it. And I really liked the peach yarn she used. Much to my dismay, it was not purchased in that state and she had dyed it herself.

Off and on for the past year, I've wanted to give a try at dying my own yarn. I know that Knitpicks has yarn for dying but since I've tried other types if yarn, I...don't really want to use anything but their Gloss line which contains silk. I was also wondering where the in Indie Dyers got the base yarns. I went on google and found a site that sells undyed yarns in 5 skeins bunches for under $50 for BFL, which I have always wanted to try.

I'm not certain what kind of dyes I'd use. I'm teetering between Kool-Aid or the Jaquard acid based dyes from KnitPicks. It seems safer (and cheaper) to go with Kool-Aid so maybe I should start stocking up with the packets and start investing in a drying rack.

Still Knitting

Progress on the Lissajous is coming along nicely. I'm pretty sure I can finish the left sock tonight. I have already started the right sick but I don't think I can finish it by the end of September but that doesn't mean I won't try. I still got a week and a few days.

I think I've decided to do the Kai-Mei's next in the Cascade Heritage in the colourway Teal next (especially since I was supposed to do them from back in April for my birthday).

PS, I really hate the fact that I can put the pictures in the order I want to via iPhone.

Can poetry analyzation go too far?

Old temple bell tolls
Frog jumps into ancient pond
Loud splash of water
- Basho (or someone's English translation of his Japanese haiku)

I saw a haiku about an old temple bell, a startled frog and a loud splash. But not some people. The teacher's talking about the human condition. Many others are seeing it too, so either I'm blind or people are looking too deeply. It really makes me wonder what Basho was thinking about as he wrote. Was the really using the haiku as a canvas for the human condition? In my mind, I'm seeing the painter guy from PBS painting a scene. Maybe I'm too literal for this kind of poetry.

The teacher gave us an in class assignment of writing a haiku. Yeah, I did more than that in the 20 minutes she gave us.

Sitting in a class
Feeling dreadfully behind
Still don't get haikus

This is not easy
Poetry is not my thing
Just what I've observed

This is not easy
I do not notice nature
I'm always inside

The the teacher informed us that modern haikus don't have to deal with nature. So I celebrated by writing another haiku :eyeroll:

Wonderful reprieve
To incorporate new things
Now I have a chance

Haikus aren't my suit
I need much more than fifteen beats
To express my craft

I am not concise
When writing comes into play
But I am trying

I got the pattern
But not the right idea
Still working in that

The teacher then asked us to read them aloud in class. That's when I felt woefully out of it. Apparently politics in the US is about birds, grass and drones. I'm my mind, quite obviously I am not getting this assignment. When reached my turn, I confessed that I was not getting the hang of this assignment, especially in regards to nature (note haiku #3). Teacher told not to put myself down and just read it out loud. I decided on haiku #7, especially since I had just started writing #8 but it wasn't complete. She said something to the regard that apologies are not needed for our writing. Well that idea sparked haiku #8

Darkness is around
Apologies not needed
There is still hope

Still no nature really in sight but it seemed just as depressing as everyone else's. By the end of class, I started #9 but in still looking for the first line.

Writing can be depressing
I prefer a smile.

I'm currently on a roll. I was walking to the bus station from class, and did haiku #10.

It is elusive
I need my "A-Ha!" moment
It is out of reach

We got homework. What's our favorite story and why. I'm still compiling a list but "I Love You Forever" by Robert Munsch will definitely be on the list. It's actually pretty serious for Robert Munsch but it still has that touch of whimsy that I love in stories.

And then of course after everything that happened today, there is still my favorite haiku, which according to the rules provided by my teacher, is not quite a haiku except in the number of syllables.

Haikus are easy
Sometimes thy don't make sense
Refrigerator
- by Rolf Nelson (you can even buy the tshirt from Threadless.com)

I did a bad :(

So remember my vow to not buy anymore yarn until end of November? I broke it last Tuesday and ended up on Mr. Yarn. I bought another Canadian dyer called Sweet Georgia. It's a sick yarn called Tough Love in the colourway Pistachio. Plus I also purchased the yarn for my Reese's I love you to pieces blanket (but since its acrylic, from Walmart and cost me less than it I pay for a skein of sock yarn, I don't really count it)

Lissajous progress

Other than a busted needle [broke a size 1US harmony wood dpn] all is well today. I think I’ve made it over 25% of a completed pair. Next goal for this sock, make it to the heel flap (hopefully by tomorrow or Wednesday). I am really pleased with the progress I'm making. I don't know if I'll finish it by the end of the month but I'm not giving up. In my mind, if I can get these done in a month, I have no excuse for a regular length pair of socks.

Lissajous: Round 11-Row 8, Chart A; DONE-Chart D; DONE-Chart G; Sock #1 And Nothing for Sock #2
Off to bed!

Look! I did a craft!

I was inspired by the dollar store. I was looking for Post-It notes but I couldn't find the kind I was looking for. I always make a trip through the craft aisle but I usually don't buy anything. This time however, I noticed a picture frame that had a white backing and a silver-ish frame. I knew the store also sells paints. And then I remembered about a picture frame from The Sims 2, that someone had reimagined so that the frame was white and the matte border on the inside was a different colour. Next thing I know, I'm leaving the store with a bottle of green paint, a set of paint brushes and the picture frame.

I'm pretty pleased with the results and I want to change all the picture frames in my room to match but I'll probably use another colour other than green since that is my favourite colour and it is my wall colour. So I guess I need to be on the look out for a colour that goes nicely with apple green and chocolate brown but I'm starting to lean towards a bright orange.

Lovely looking Lissajous progress

I have been knitting away for the past 3 days and I am liking the progress. I'm becoming well acquainted with the cables, traveling all over the place. The colour switching is coming along well but those ends will require quite a bit of weaving in. But on the upside, I'm looking forward to it because that will mean the socks are done :)

These are coming along nicely

More progress has been made! I still have a long way to go but I'm seeing the pattern emerging. I'm gonna enjoy this process.

Sock 1, Chart D-Row 2, Chart A-Round 2/Row 2

Thought I'd get more done in an hour

I really don't have much patience when it's something I want to do. As soon as midnight hit, and it was officially September, I started my Lissajous Stockings. I gave myself an hour before I went to sleep.

I casted on the stitches, which only seemed to take awhile due to it being 104 sts. I had "The History of Rome" podcast playing, and set to stop when my hour was up. Imagine my surprise when the podcast stopped and I was about 2/3 of the was across the front side of the first row.

The setup row with the charts at first seems difficult to follow but now that I've made it past that, I'm sure I'll be okay. I'm looking forward to continuing on Sunday morning instead of tomorrow. I promised my mom I'd help her with a wedding cake after church tomorrow.