Plumb Amazed

Now I know what a marvel these here innernets are.

I know how my life has been made easier (on-line shopping/bill pay/banking and mapping an address).

I fully understand how much easier and how much fun I have keeping in touch with those I cherish and love. (Hello email, FB, camera phones, and Picasa webalbums! I love you all!)

I truly appreciate how my world has been expanded in reading blogs, blogging myself, and those friendships I have made through all of that. (I just love you guys!)

And to be able to ‘check the resources’ of the entire world, or at least those in the language that I read, with just a few clicks of my mouse. Well, I think that is just powerful, I must say!

Yet! I have recently still been flabbergasted by it all.

As I was casting on some socks from Charlene Schurch’s book, Sensational Socks, I picked out a 4 stitch repeat pattern that I thought suitable and reasonable and fairly, but not too, simple. But when I knit past the cuff and was ready to start the pattern, I realized what I read was not what Ms. Schurch meant. And what she meant, I could not figure out. I switched to another pattern easily enough so I could continue knitting (her book allows such derelict behavior!). But! I needed to know! What she meant!

And this is what I did to find out.  What she meant. I first checked to make sure there weren’t problems in the printing of the book, and found on the publisher’s site, that while there wasn’t a better explanation of what was stumping me, there were some errata on the pages I was going to be paying attention to. Printed off 2 fixed pages just like that! Good thing I checked.

Then I went to Ravelry.

And I searched Patterns for these particular socks. Which I found.
Then I searched for posts regarding this pattern.
And I found some posts with my same question.
And someone who had answered by posting a video of how to do it!!!

A video, people!

Come to find out, there is a whole group on Ravelry for Ms. Schurch’s books on socks! Of which I am now a member.

In less than 12 hours, dilemma resolved.

That doesn’t even talk about this video demonstrating Navajo plying. That’s on my list of goal for 2010. And this video shows how to do so clearly.

See what I mean!

I am still plumb amazed by it all.

So Many Ends!

But so worth it.

Thanks, Mason-Dixon Knitting. And thanks, Kay (of the same M-D Knitting), for ‘favoriting’ my Ravelry project, too! I was all a-flummoxed! My little twist on the original pattern is using variegated yarn for the center instead of four different colors. Makes for a few less ends to weave in. A few.

I have two finished. I am off to start another.

And it’s Friday, so the winners of my ‘unremarkable contest’ are…

Corwink wins the handspun, and...

~Phyllis~ wins the roving!

Congratulations, and send me your info by email and I will send your booty post haste! And thanks, dear readers...for giving me a chance, coming back, for taking the time to comment, and for your suggestions to broaden my reading habits.

It was an eclectic group of sites, and yet strangely compelling....

Famous...kinda...sorta....maybe....

I had a personal message today from a volunteer editor in Ravelry wanting to use my photo of the baby booties as the featured photo on the project page. In spite of the fact that there are very few of that particular project showing as knitted in Ravelry, I am still flattered. There doesn't have to be a photo, you know!

A few weeks ago, I posted about winning some books by the Yarn Harlot. Remember, yes? I would like to bring to your attention the comment (yes, singular...I don't get that many) to that post. Imagine my surprise. Imagine my effort in trying to explain my excitement to Wonderful Guy!

One of my first posts was about my hometown, Greensburg, KS. It was destroyed by a tornado a year ago in May. About 2 weeks ago, on the Planet Green channel, a series called 'Greensburg' began, chronicling the rebuilding choices, efforts, and successes. In this series, one of the families followed is that of my oldest BFF, as my girls make the reference. Except now she is 'Mom's FBFF' (.... or famous best friend forever....). Her son plays very prominently in the series as one of the high schoolers active in the efforts, and comes across very well, I think. (Tish, you must be so proud of him!) I have to admit, it is a very strange to see those I know and the place I grew up on TV!

See...famous!

We have sent the Middle Daughter and Friend back to Salt Lake, and are making preparations for the trip to Kansas day after tomorrow. No time for winding down! Things to do, places to go, people to see...well, certainly things to be packed, animals to be cared for, and plants to be watered. Always with the drama!

Needles of Iron....

I read yesterday about site counters, and have been thinking about the implications of such regarding my philosophy of blogging. Do I care how many might read it? When being honest with myself, I know when I see how many times my Ravelry projects get viewed, I get a charge out of it. And undoubtably, the Ravelry linkage opens the blog up to others. While I might not mention it to those who know me, certainly some can see there that I have one, unless I remove the address, which I could. What a conundrum!

Today, on the Needles of Iron…as usual, a Four-Corners Dishcloth (1870 Pearl), a Maple Seed Hat (Angela Hahn), and Alison’s Scarf (Annie Modesitt). My history with dishclothes will be for another post. I have developed a process to determining what my current WIPs are at any given time, and this has kept me challenged, yet also let me have some mindless knitting. I keep about 3 projects going, one being the ubiquitous dishcloth, one a project using a little bit more concentration and technique, and the last requiring new technique and skill levels. When some knitting time rolls around, I can pick up whatever is called for. The hat is using leftover yarn from my Cinnabar Scarf (another Angela Hahn), and I hope there is enough. I am using some Paton's Decor for the scarf, sturdy enough for some learning of new technique with the requisite frogging. The scarf's I-cord cast-on is very interesting, and I think I like it alot.

I have knitted a lot this past year, and really it has only been since June when the group at work started knitting the squares for the Greensburg project (again, another post). FO’s are listed on Ravelry and I count 25 projects, plus dishcloths. For half a year! I have honed some old skills, and picked up new ones, too. I have come to look at knitting as one of my Momma’s legacies. I value the lessons from my mother, teaching me the basics as a young girl. As I have taught others, I’ve come to appreciate her patience. Well, at least now I do!

Other crafty accomplishments this past year: I completed the quilt for the grandbebe girl, the eldest daughter’s lifetime scrapbook, and the dearest sister’s 50th birthday scrapbook.

Back to knitting….