Home Knitting

Perhaps the only thing better than Airport Knitting is knitting at home, while snowbound.  All the flights from Boston to Las Vegas are canceled, my trip is a bust. I’m making the best of it by enjoying some peaceful time on the sofa in between trips outside with a shovel to clear the end of the driveway.

This is the same Welted Rib pattern, this time with another skein of hand-dyed. The colors of purple, fuschia and lime green make me smile, especially when the sky outside is all gray and white and dull.

Airport Knitting

Lately my work life has been travel-filled, which is always good news for a knitter. Last week, while flying from Boston to San Francisco and back I finished these.

Welted Rib Socks

Get all the details on Ravelry. They are knit from my own hand-painted yarn, which I posted about here.

Flying 6,000 miles in 4 days is always more bearable when I have a pair of pretty socks on the needles. And in addition to relieving the boredom, knitting has a wonderful way of bringing people together.

On the way home from San Francisco I had a very long wait at the airport so I splurged on one-day pass to the United Airlines “Red Carpet Club”. The staff couldn’t have been nicer. And they had snacks, coffee, tea, soda, and very comfy chairs!

One very sweet employee noticed me and perched herself on the arm of the chair next to me to chat about knitting. Then about 20 minutes later, another traveler stopped by and asked if I’d mind explaining how I was knitting in the round. We had a little knit group right there in Terminal 3!

Tomorrow morning I fly out again, this time to Las Vegas. I am a little worried about the 12 inches of snow (!!) forecast for Boston later tonight. I am hopeful that the good folks at Logan will keep the airport open and won’t keep me waiting around all day for my flight to depart, but just in case I will have a new sock project packed in the carry-on.

And if you see me knitting away, please say hello.

Welted Rib Socks and It is Still Winter

On Monday night, before my newest skein of hand-dyed yarn was fully dry, I was winding it into a ball and casting on for a new pair of socks. It’s been a while since I’ve knit a pair for me. And here in New England, with the last two days of swirling snow flakes, whipping winds and temps in the 30s, I am  reminded just why a girl needs MANY pairs of nice warm socks.

The pattern is my own creation – a simple welted rib design. If the sizing works out right, I will share. Stay tuned. And stay warm.

Snowy Day

I haven’t been to the gym on a weekend day since last year. Instead of using the treadmill I’ve been using that fancy new exercise equipment that is all the rage here in the Northeast, the shovel. Last night’s forecast was for 1 to 3 inches of snow. The actual amount was about 6 to 8 inches. No worries though. The snowbank is now over the mailbox, but the driveway is clear and my legs are feeling the burn.

I’ve been enjoying this snowy weekend.

First, my latest pair socks are finished. They are a gift, and hopefully the recipient is not reading this. I’ll be putting them in the mail on Tuesday.

Pattern: Campfire Socks by Cider Moon
Yarn: Araucania Ranco Multy, Color 314. Purchased at Webs

Second, for dinner last night, (and lunch today) I made a big pot of beef stew and a batch of Ina Garten’s buttermilk cheddar biscuits. Yummm. The perfect food for a snowy day.

Third, Jeff and I are going to see the Bruins play tomorrow afternoon. Just about three weeks until Spring Training, so until then, I am enjoying hockey.

Hope your weekend is fun too.

Isn’t it amazing…

…how you can take two weeks off and only two days after you return, be right back into the same old routine?!

Before I could say Happy New Year, I was right back to it, up early, on the road to a client meeting, writing another proposal, editing a spreadsheet, and ducking to avoid the office politics. That explains the need for this at the end of the day. Really, to be completely authentic, this blog should be titled Knitsox and Chocolate and Wine.

To try to bring my mind and heart back to that feeling of vacation joy, let’s review some of the projects from the blissful two-week break.

First, there was Honeycomb.

The second photo shows more stitch detail.

I finished the back over the weekend. It is knit in Jo Sharp Silkroad DK Tweed, purchased during the amazing Webs blowout sale the day after Christmas.

Second, there is a pair of socks that will be gifted to someone very special, very soon. The first sock was knit plain old vanilla stockinette.

Then I saw this pattern for Campfire Socks by Cider Moon in a broken rib pattern that looked so much more interesting. So, of course, I began the second sock in the new pattern, which means I have to reknit the first sock, which just means more knitting, which is really what its all about, right? More Knitting!! Yippee!!

Here is a closer look.

The yarn is Araucania Ranco Multi, color 314. Jeff says they look like Grateful Dead colors and I have to agree. The first pic shows the first 28 sts in the broken rib pattern. Mostly pink and green, right? But flip the needles over to opposite 28 sts and it is blue and purple.

Some people call that pooling. I just think its cool.

So to everyone else out there who is trying to ease back into the usual work-week routine, I raise my glass and my needles in salute. Hang in there. Tomorrow is Wednesday. We are almost half way through.

Finished Just in Time

Whew. It is 3:15 PM on Christmas Eve and the nephew and niece socks are done and wrapped. Apologies for lack of photos, but I was on a roll, what with the finishing and weaving in, that I just jumped right into the wrapping and never got the camera out. Maybe tomorrow I will photograph the socks during the unwrapping.

In addition to the socks I’ve finally finished wrapping all the other gifts, baked a tray of candy cane peppermint brownies (yum), hand washed three sweaters and finished a full load of laundry. All that’s left is to make a salad to bring to dinner tonight at my sister’s and I’m done. Jeff is probably right when he says why bring salad, no one ever eats it anyway. But I was asked to bring salad and bring a salad I will. Salad and peppermint brownies. (Yum).

Merry Merry Happy Happy. God Bless.

Snow Day

The forecast last night was for 6-12 inches of snow, beginning after midnight and continuing through the day today. By noon yesterday, I’d already decided that if I awoke and the snow was falling I would was working from home today.

It is so nice to be able to boot up my laptop, switch on the Blackberry and be connected to the office. I participated in two conference calls, wrote a new project proposal, and arranged reservations for two upcoming conferences. All in all, a very productive day.

The actual office is just one town away, but on these days when the city plows have yet to clear the street, the daily newspaper is never delivered, and the snow piles up on my driveway and covers my little car, it is such a treat to be able to accomplish the day’s to do list from the comfort of my office-slash-knitting room. And to not have to wash my hair.

Halfway through the second conference call, my colleagues seemed to have the situation well in hand, so I began casting on for “A Child’s French Sock” from Knitting Vintage Socks. That’s the problem with the office-slash-knitting room. It’s a bit of a distraction. Just a bit.

Lilly-ish?

I have a new and very fashionable friend who knows all the best designer names. She finds the best deals at TJ Maxx and has introduced me to a whole new world of wardrobe possibilities. She especially loves anything colorful, bright, with big crazy prints and is a big fan of anything Lilly.

I think she might like these socks.

They are knit from 2 skeins of Plymouth Knit, Col, Colorway 46 on size 3 needles.

Pictures Pending

Updated, with pictures…

Tree…check

Kid sock yarn…check
Pictures…blogger, we have a problem.

Believe me, I’ve taken the photos, but beta.blogger seems to be suffering some malady and the nice toolbar with the ‘insert picture’ icon has gone AWOL. Hopefully, it will return soon, so I can share my thrilling photos with the world.

Speaking of photos, did I tell you that when we were in Florence I ruined by Kodak Easy Share Dock? Before we left for the trip, Jeff and I stopped at Brookstone to buy a voltage converter that would allow him to charge is iPod and me to charge my cheap, but nonetheless reliable Kodak digital camera while we were on the road. Those Brookstone salespeople are so aggressive. Can I help you?!!! What can I show you??? We managed to survive the attack and find the voltage converters without stumbling and landing into one of those vibrating massaging chairs.

Once in Florence, we dicussed (argued) about how the universal converter actually worked. Finally, we plugged it into a funny italian socket, which has the vertical plug openings instead of horizontal. Those crazy Italians.

Actually, we didn’t just “plug it in”. Jeff had to do some major finagling (is that a word?) balancing and maneuvering the plug to stabilize it in the outlet. After about 15 minutes of electrical acrobatics, the converter was in place and the Easy Share dock was connected. Then we fell asleep. (It had been a busy day filled with much walking and museum-going. And wine. And gelato.)

Ten minutes later Jeff woke with a start, jumped off the IKEA-like, low to the ground italian bed and sprinted to the outlet. Little wisps of white smoke puffed into the air. The acrid smell of burning electrical wires filled the room. The Brookstone converter was in fact, JUNK, and my Easy Share Dock was toast.

Now, to show you my yarn, I must attach two wires, first to the camera, then to the computer and to the power source. I’m shocked that it works.

Hopefully, when blogger is fixed I can show you pictures. Until then, rest assured, my weekend plans are right on course.

Hoping for Inspiration

Don’t you just love Friday? I plan to catch up with family, put up the Christmas tree, and continue knitting socks.

This jumble of knitted goodness will eventually become gifts for some special kids in my life. These first three pairs are for the older niece and nephews, all between 10 and 14, so the colors are fairly routine. They look a bit bright here, but believe me, the are much more muted in “real life”.

The remaining yet to be knit pairs are for three handsome nephews, all between the ages of 3 and 6. I’d like to use some bright and cheery “kid” colors, but haven’t been inspired by what’s in my stash…yet. Hopefully this weekend I’ll find just the right color combinations.