Saturday, July 07, 2007

Regaining Some Focus

I've had a very productive day today. I went shopping in the morning and bought a tankini top that I really like. Just the top, I already had a bottom. Swim suits are so expensive and usually don't last long, so I hate to pay full price for one. I always wait for the end of season sales to buy one.

We cleaned up the computer room, or "Men's Den" since that is the main place Jim and the boys hang out. There's still another bit to be done, but I've learned my lessons from the Fly Lady. Just clean a bit at a time and, if you are persistent, you will eventually get it done. I figure that when my kids are grown and out of the house I will enjoy a really clean house. For now, a clean enough house will do.

While working at everything a bit at a time will get you there eventually, sometimes it's really nice to focus on just one thing and get it done. Like a pair of socks:


The pattern is based on Judy Gibson's You're Putting Me On pattern. I call them my Random Rib socks because I created a random rib pattern for the foot and leg. Like I said last time, why not?

I can tell you why not, because there's no rhythm! I never realized how my hands would memorize a pattern so I could knit without looking too much. I kept messing up the stitches on these. It got so that I could only knit them while watching the whole time, which means I couldn't get distracted by TV, or company. After I finished the first one, I found I'd switched a knit to a purl all the way down near the ankle! I decided to leave it. It's just more randomness.

I knit these toe up so that I could use every bit of this lusciously colored and silky soft yarn from Apple Laine. I put in some calf shaping and finished the whole thing off with some nice, regular 1x1 ribbing.

I needed the regular ribbing so I could do a sewn tubular bind off. I love the rounded edge it creates. This picture is a good representation of the richness of the color in this yarn.

Tomorrow is supposed to be really hot. Here's what is planned for Sunday. We'll start with a big family breakfast of ham, eggs and toast. We also do appreciations at Sunday breakfast, where each member of the family tells the others something they appreciated about each person over the past week. After breakfast there may be some gardening, before it gets too hot, or some grocery shopping for the next week. And after lunch, we plan to go to the Aquatic Centre for a swim (hence the need for a swim suit).

Of course, there will be knitting interspersed amongst all this activity. I'll be cleaning my needles of the small projects. It's either going to be another sock or a mitten. I'm not casting on another new thing until I've cleared off two more projects. Hats are calling to me.

4 comments:

  1. Anonymous12:02 am

    I love the Flylady - though I've fallen off the wagon since we moved. The biggest thing I learned is the timer - I can manage anything for 15 minutes. Just 15. Amazing what gets done in that nonthreatening little bit of time, though!

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  2. Very nice! I love the colourway. I guess the downfall of randomness is that you paint yourself into a corner to keep them that way. :-)

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  3. Anonymous12:55 pm

    I like the Random Rib and that Apple Laine yarn is gorgeous. I'm trying that "focus on 1 thing and get it done" plan.

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  4. Anonymous3:14 pm

    Nice socks, I love the colorway! I especially like how you have the 1x1 rib evolving out of the pattern stitch. It is a pet peeve of mine for the ribbing to look like it was just slapped on top of the sock.

    I have sworn off of pattern stitches that I can't memorize or take too much of my attention. It isn't enjoyable for me and therefore not worth it. Of course, there can always be an exception to the rule for the right project.

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