Stand up Comic?

I like to knit my socks at a firm gauge, for maximum durability, but perhaps this is going too far?

Then again, as socks they sure stand out.  They're for my brother-in-law as a Christmas present and he's a stand-up sort of guy.

These socks sort of look like they're ready to take a walk off on their own. Too bad they don't knit themselves...

Home Improvement Reveal

It took quite a few weekends, but the exterior of our home is finally finished. Here's the before, in all its minty green glory:

And here is the new, neighbour approved, maximum curb appeal, improvement:

Hooray!  We decided against putting the shutters back up and eliminated the screen door.  I think it fits in better with the design of the house and looks more modern.  Some how the house looks bigger now. 

And thanks to Jody for the spinning tip, I've decided to keep practicing my thicker spinning.  If I make an effort to learn both at the same time, perhaps I can avoid being stuck in only one kind.  It can't hurt and it might help.  So, here's some black welsh in progress spinning:

I love the yarn this made.  It's thick and cushy.

Laughing my Face Off

When I began to learn to spin I stated to many and all that my goal was to learn to spin fingering weight.  It's my favourite weight of yarn to work with.  But I was met with a lot of skepticism from well-meaning friends.  They all told me that once I learned to spin fine, I would find in extremely difficult, impossible was implied, to spin thicker again.

Well, I'd say, you just draft more fiber, use a heavier spindle and off you go.

Oh no! said my friends with a laugh.  It's not that simple, everyone has this problem.

Mary Jane said "Laurie, when you come crying to me that you can't spin thicker yarn, I will laugh in your face."

Well, look who's laughing now.

I just decided to give it a try and got these results on my first attempt. I imagine I could get better with practice. Here's a comparison with commercial Shetland fingering weight on the right:

Mwhahahahahaa!!

Wipe the Slate Clean

Nosevember is finally here in all its gray glory.  The first time I walked out of the office at 5:30 after the Daylight Savings Time weekend I had a horrible shock, as it was pitch dark!  Their seems to be a heavy expectancy in the air; the trees and fields anticipating snow, the people anticipating the Christmas rush.  It's time to be still and marshal one's strength.

Just because I haven't been blogging the knits doesn't mean the knits stopped happening.  They've backlogged into such a jumbled pile that I don't even know where to start in recording them all.  I've neglected updating Ravelry too.  Actually, my husband noticed that my Ravelry project page is prettier further down that it is at the top.  I don't know quite what's happened to my knitting lately, but I don't think my most recent batch of projects will help pretty up the page much.  It's all utilitarian, chill blocking stuff.

So, I'm just going to come clean with all my projects and we'll start fresh.  Works in progress abound and the next big thing is will hit me soon enough.

Let's start the parade:

Details on my Ravelry project page.

Too tired to blog

I had good intentions to write a blog post this weekend.  I was going to talk about the serious case of startitis I've got, driven by the November wind and a desire for warm woolies.  I want a chullo, maybe a Thorpe, for keeping my ears warm when I walk the dog, and a new pair of slippers, snugger than the felted clogs.  But what's on the needles are oodles of socks and some Christmas gifties.

I was going to take photos to show you the socks, and talk about the my latest crush, Stephenie van der Linden.  Her book Around the World in 26 Socks has fed my fever and I've cast on multiple socks from her book.  Two have stuck, one having the neatest and easiest short row heel I have ever worked.  Ever.  The other one the first stranded sock pattern I have worked that actually fits my foot.  I'm so thrilled and it's so beautiful, I can't wait to show it off! But I don't have any pictures.

Why?  Well, because our home renovation project ate my blog post.  This is the biggest UFO of them all and as much as a new hat will keep me warm, a finished house will be even better.

That toothpaste green at the top is the color of the old siding.  It's the original 30-plus year old stuff that's become full of holes.  The grey at the bottom is the new stuff.  The blue in between is the styrofoam insulation Jim is adding to keep us warm and toasty.  This house reminds me of Pinochio. It's becoming real!

And just for the record, I'm not the one doing the work, it's this goof-ball:

I just have to take on his share of the weekend chores in addition to my own and that's what's left me so pooped.

My Regrets

I regret that I haven't written this sooner.  I have completely finished my Noro blanket and I am underwhelmed.

Perhaps there are too many beautiful versions on the net.  Perhaps my expectations were too high.  Perhaps in skimping on the cost of wool by buying my skeins on sale, I short changed myself.  

I regret getting so caught up in the process that I neglected details like gauge.  Even the gauge on my edging is wrong, resulting in an untameable curl.

You know what, I don't care.  I'm willing to live with my regrets.  Because at the end of the day I have a warm, colorful blanket that my family has already been enjoying.  Bring on the winter!  We has a blanket.