Progress Friday...

What? It's not Friday, you say? Sure it is... for me!!! Well that's my story and I'm sticking to it!!! To be perfectly honest, last week completely knocked me out, and I forgot neglected to do my progress post, or to even take pictures! I still haven't taken any pictures, but this past week has been a huge mish-mosh of socks and various patterns. Since I finished the Kroy and Pretty Petals I've been drifting around from sock to sock, and of course have cast on even more! I need to update my sidebar as well. I joined yet *another* sock KAL, so I cast on for that one, using one of the balls of my Rams Surprise Package stash.

Currently, here is the lineup of victims: Scales Skin Socks: SSS#1 was finished last week, and #2 was cast on. Unfortunately, it doesn't look like I will finish the pair in time for the deadline later this week, but I should be done shortly after. I'm about three inches into this one.
Derek's Silk Socks: This poor sock is languishing in the background for the time being... to be honest, I can't remember the last time I worked a round on them!
Dura Cabled Socks: My lonely design has been sitting all by itself in my sock bin... another victim of neglect.
Rebecca's Ribbed Camo Socks: This is supposed to be my back-and-forth-to-work sock, but after turning the heel, I wasn't sure if I'd decreased enough for the foot. After three days of sitting on my desk, I finally remembered asked her to try it on, and I was right... I need to frog back a few rounds and decrease at least 4 more times.
My Ankle Socks: These are the ones I'm designing in Lang Jawoll. These were a temporary fix for my work sock problem, and ended up the same way Rebecca's did... needing a try-on to see if I'd decreased enough. I had, and now I'm cruising right along. I'm about a third to half way down the foot on these.
Jackie's Red Socks: This one is the solid, child-size version of my design. I still haven't decided how long I'm going to make the leg on these, so they've come in handy for when I can't take anything else to work with me. I'm about four inches into this one.
Old Shale Socks: This is the newest addition to my line-up, and the current pattern for the Socknitter's List KAL that I just joined. I'm using one of my Super Soxx balls for this in a brown/ blue/ beige colourway, and won't be using a solid like the pattern calls for. I'm still working on the cuff of the first one, but I'm not sure how much longer I will make it. It calls for 6 repeats of the lace pattern, but I'll see if I'm happy with the length once I get to that point, which should be at some time during my weekend.

In other news: I'm applying for two different positions at work... keep your fingers and needles crossed for me that I get one of them. Both of them include raises of differing amounts, both will contribute to my eventual management goals, and both include REAL weekends off {Friday-Saturday or Saturday-Sunday}. I also destashed some of my sock yarn on the weekend. My friend Sandi had her baby and I brought over some of my Bernat Sox to start her sock addiction.

Arrr, me mateys... feast yer peepers on this!!!

In case you haven't heard, today is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. Since this is *supposed* to be a crafting blog, I have this for your crafting pleasure!!!

How many more rows to go?

I am damned and determined to finish my first SSS sometime today. The tiny 2.25mm needles are killing me on the foot! I did my usual 65 rows, and alas, the sock barely made it up to the ball of my foot. This is the only sock I'm working on ATM, so it's a doable goal, even though my housework is calling me! I'm 99.9% sure I'm not going to make the deadline of Sept. 30th for the pair -- this disappoints me, but not so bad that I'm gonna kill myself or anything. Although the sharpness of these needles may do it for me! I had poked a nasty hole in my finger last week that is now finally healed enough that I can work on the SSS again without the aid of a bandage!

I have a bunch of B&L sitting here on my desk right now. It's all nicely balled up, and I *swear* it's laughing at me because I haven't cast on yet! So far I'm resisting the urge to start another pair. I *did* go cruising looking for a new pattern to use up some of my Ram's Surprise Package stash, and I'm currently debating between Fluted Bannisters, Sixth Sense, or Lombard Street. There's another pattern that I could have sworn I saw recently, but I can't recall where right now... perhaps it was in the VK issue with all the socks. It was sort of a spiral ridged pattern... if it sounds familiar to you, drop me a line with the details on where I can find it!

YAY!!! It worked!!!

Well I took a chance and it worked! Here's the promised pics of my FOs from last week. You can click on the small pictures to view the full-sized versions.
Here's the ribbed socks I made out of some discontinued Kroy I bought last year. I had actually started this pair last summer, but had put it aside, and then frogged what I had done to make this pattern instead of the plain stockinette that I had been using. The pattern is my basic ribbed sock, and I am in the process of writing it up as a freebie on my site.


Here's my Pretty Petals socks from the KAL I joined with other members of Jeanie Townsend's group. I used Lana Grossa Maya for these, which is a cotton/ wool blend. I've got my fingers crossed that these will be comfortable to wear, and will wash and wear well. I've got one more ball of this in my stash, and would like to add more since this was such a wonderful yarn to knit with.

Progress Friday {without pictures}

I still wanted to post today even though I haven't taken any progress photos yet. I finished my second Pretty Petals sock on Wednesday evening, so I have another completed pair that I need to add to my tally. Kroy sock #2 will be getting finished sometime before my weekend starts Monday morning as well {maybe even today!!!}. I started 2 new socks this week, both different versions of the same pattern --- a new design I'm working on. Derek's sock is over half-way through the foot, so it will be getting finished soon too. My SSS is about a third of the way down the foot, so I still have a chance to finish a second one before the end of the month, and enter myself into the contest at the Six Sox Knitalong. My cabled sock is coming along slower now. I injured my knitting finger, so I can only knit my tougher socks with a bandaid over it! Plus, one of the needles was accidentally pulled out, and I haven't gotten around to fixing it yet!

Well I'm going back to my knitting, and crocheting too I suppose since I haven't done much on the babyghan! Once I get Kroy #2 done, I'll post pics --- here if Blogger lets me, and definitely in my FO Gallery at LJ.

Golf and deer.

Derek and I went golfing on Saturday, and I've posted here about it. The gallery of pictures is here.

I'm on a mission... a sock mission that is!

That's right, I'm on a mission to see how many socks I can finish this week. My brain is ready to explode with all the designs I have in mind, and I *need* to get them out! I think I should be able to finish quite a few of my SIPs. Derek's sock is nearly half-way down the foot, and if I don't run out of yarn, I should have no problems finishing it. My cabled sock is past the gusset decreases, as is my SSS. My Kroy sock is half-way down the foot, and PP#2 is on the last leg repeat.

I balled up my new Dura for another work sock design, and I started a new design last night out of a stray ball of Jawoll. These ones are going to be anklets for me, but I'm going to do full-length versions for the girls once these are done. I'm on the heel of my first ankle sock, so I should easily be able to get at least one done this week.

I stabbed a hole in my finger on Sunday from the SSS and Dura socks. Knitting at work on Sunday night was *interesting* to say the least!!! I've discovered that a band-aid over the offending hole doesn't affect my knitting, so I'm still cruising. If anything, it's making all knitting easier since I can't feel the poke of any needle there!!!

I broke 200!!!

Yes, you heard it here first... I actually broke 200 at golf today! ROFL!!! I've got some pics of me, and some pics of some deer that we saw today. Derek actually had his best round yet, and broke 80... 79 to be exact. I'll upload the pics to LJ tomorrow. I'm exhausted right now as our game took a *lot* longer than it should have due to a tournament.

The Super Secret Project... at long last!

Since Blogger won't allow me to post pictures, I've migrated the timeline of this project over to LiveJournal, along with a Gallery of the pics. Lemme know what you think!

Progress Fridays Revisited

Well I've signed up for LiveJournal, and will be posting most {if not all} of my pics there from now on. You can check out today's progress post and comment here or there! I've got my fingers crossed that I can get things to work out soon.

I'm so angry I could spit!!!

ARGH!!! Blogger is driving me completely insane! I can't upload a single image, regardless of which machine I use, or for that matter, if it's from home or linked off the web!!! Angry doesn't even begin to cover it. I went and did some hunting online, and discovered I'm far from the last one that's having difficulties like this. In any case, this means that my Friday progress photos are on hold, as well as the pictures of the Super Secret Project afghan. I was so proud of how much I accomplished this week too... *sigh* Let's see if my posts to the help group lead me anywhere... if not, I may be soon searching for a new blog home.

Grumble, grumble...

My computer and Blogger are at it again, and not talking. That means I can't upload any pics until I get on to Derek's computer. *So* frustrating!!! Well here it is, my vacation is more than half over, and I don't have as much to show for it as I'd originally hoped -- best laid plans and all. I've gotten quite a bit of sock knitting done, however, and I have several feet to do since I've turned the heel on my SSS, and am working on the heel of my Dura sock, as well as Derek's GI Dennis.

The Super Secret Project I was working on in August was completed, and gifted on Monday. I'll have that up as soon as I can get the pictures uploaded, and the last update done. It was received very happily I might add. The baby blanket I'm currently crocheting is going a bit slower, but that's because I've been concentrating on my socks a lot, and will pick it back up again once all these heels are done.

I haven't found as much of my house as I would have liked, but I am finding quite a bit. The cryo lab is still begging for attention, and I still *do* intend on getting in there for at least a little while.

Vacation musings...

Well I started my vacation off on a really good foot, I think. I got in the range of 18 hours of sleep/ rest yesterday and this morning. Now I'm fully into knitting and cleaning mode. I want to find my house! And as my rest periods, my socks will get a lot of attention too. I've just finished the third cable repeat on my work socks, and I'll take it outside for a pic later on. I also want to tackle my yarn cryogenics testing lab this week... we'll see on Friday Progress how far I got!!!

Friday Progress...

I like the idea of being responsible to myself {and to anyone that actually reads this tripe}, about my continuing goals and progress. This week wasn't the greatest personally, which is reflected in the complete lack of posts. I *have*, however, taken pictures of my current WIPs, including the latest to be added, the baby afghan for Sandi and Rod... due in 19 days. As always, clicking on any of the pictures will bring you to a larger version that you can see in more detail.

I'm just tickled about my "girly" work shoes, so I *had* to blog them! Here they are with my Durasport which will soon be a pair of work socks for said shoes.

Here's the Durasport all balled up. It's going to be rough on my hands, but well worth it. Progress on my socks is below.

I came home from work early last night, and was able to get started on Round Ripple the 2nd... My friends Sandi and Rod are expecting, and of course a new baby is the prefect reason to stash bust! Rebecca found a bunch of this pretty vari in my cryogengics lab, so I have plenty for a HUGE blankie for baby. I think I've done pretty good for less than a day's work. Like I did with my last crochet project, I'm alternating between this and my knitting to save my hands.

Here's the second PP sock. I haven't made a lot of progress in it this week, but that's mainly because I've been rotating between my various socks until one grabs me.

Here's the THIRD incarnation of my SSS socks. They are actually getting somewhere since I've been doing at least one repeat a day on them. I'm tempted to turn these into my "back and forth to work" sock once the Kroy is done, but the yo round is so slow going, I'm afraid to. The Inox needles, while *much* heavier than what I'm used to, are the perfect dpn for this project.

Here's Derek's Regia Silk Shine sock done with Jeanie Townsend's GI Dennis pattern. I've gotten the first 2 complete patterns done, and I'm back to the tractor tires. I think I will do 3 "tires", and 2 "furrows" to complete the leg before starting the heel. I really hope Derek likes these.

My current sock for at work is coming along nicely. I'm not touching it at home, so all this is, is 2-3 days of work progress. The gusset is now completely done, and it's smooth sailing from now until I hit the toe. Even though I'm on vacation next week, I'll probably push it to complete this one... especially once I choose my next at work sock.

Last, but cetainly not least... my own design done in Briggs & Little Durasport. You can't tell yet, as I've just started these yesterday, but I've incorporated two cable patterns into the leg of the sock. I'm really excited about these. I *was* going to wait until the Kroy was done, but since I've decided to go with the cable design, I don't think these will be an "at work" replacement anyway. I'm thrilled to be learning cables finally, and even more excited at designing my own. Wish me luck!!!