moonfrog

Where has the time gone?! Things have been too busy around here, but I finally had a day to myself. So I used the time to felt my finished clogs. Yep! They’re done. Mom and I got together and almost completed the knitting. As she worked on the final bit alone, she ripped one out — then the other! They just didn’t seem right to her.

In the meantime, I finished my knitting and ignored all my chores to felt mine yesterday morning. Here they are looking like clown shoes. Mom and I both used Cascade 220 for these, but would use a heavier yarn if we make them again. They did not turn out quite as big as expected, which means they couldn’t felt too far without becoming too small.

The felting went well, I shaped the clogs and stuffed them with plastic grocery bags. I even liked them after they were felted; they didn’t look so dowdy to me. I thought about Mom’s clogs and wished hers were done so I could blog about them together for Mother’s Day. I felt a little guilty having mine done when last I heard she was ripping hers out. I decided to wait for hers and spent some time taking photos of hats I’d made recently, preparing to share those instead.

A couple hours later, guess who showed up for an unexpected visit? Mom! And she had her clogs with her, ready to felt! I do all her felting since she has a front-loading washing machine. I measured her foot and set to work. It’s really nerve-wracking felting for someone else. What if they get too small? After all that work?! Mom told me it’s no problem, she’ll just find someone else who can wear them. But all went well. Her clogs are a lovely lavender with fuschia trim. The picture doesn’t show the color right.

And here they are all done — Mother and Daughter Clogs! It was sweet to have a time to do this with my mom. She seemed to really enjoy it, too. We started in November, on her birthday, so it has taken us a long time to finish these up. I hope we can do something like this again, though. I consider myself a lucky daughter to have my mom near and  to share a common interest with her. We don’t go shopping together or have lunches or belong to the same social groups, but we love to spend time with family, cooking and sharing our knitting woes and triumphs. We learn a lot from each other.

I want to show you one last picture. My mom took this one. It’s a baby blanket and two baby sweaters that she made recently. She makes lots of these for relatives and friends and even for friends’ relatives. I’m always amazed at how quickly she whips them up. She’s been a wonderful example to me of what it means to knit and create things for others. I’m lucky to have a mom like her.

And to all you moms out there — I wish you a Happy Mother’s Day!

My attention has been pulled in many directions lately. I’ve been dabbling in some photography, making a new blog header, going to hear the husband’s band play, and so many more things it makes me tired just thinking about it!

I’ve been putting off blogging, thinking I have nothing to say — but how can that be true?! Life is full; it” just not so full of knitting. So I’ve decided to share some of the others things that have been occupying my time.

At the Spinners & Weavers Guild meeting this month, we actually made baskets. First we learned about a great variety of materials, then we made a little basket with some of them. I had made a few baskets previously, mainly with pine needles, so this was a wonderful return to a craft I love.

After making my last hat, I’ve started two more. One ended in frustration as I ran out of yarn and abandoned it. The other is still in the works. My main accomplishment knitting-wise is a scrubby. That seems a little pathetic, but this has been on the list for some time. I have to admit that it is not my favorite thing to make. I finished it just in time, though, since Mom needs a new one right away. I really should work up a few ahead, so she always has one when she needs it. You can see the scrubby, which used up some leftovers in the stash, here with the cancer caps that are being packaged to ship to three different groups. For the record: I only made three of the hats in this batch. The rest are from other people.

Another package is headed off to my grandson. During our trip to Kansas to see him in March, we went to see the movie Horton Hears a Who. So I ordered a sticker book of the story and a Webkinz elephant. Then I printed out a picture for him, made a card with another picture of the two of us (grandson and grandma on the train.) Then my favorite part: I used a picture of Horton off the movie site and used Photoshop to insert my grandson into the photo. He looks so cute! I know he will love being “in the movie.”

My main accomplishment, which is actually part of my knitting, is getting my yarn organized (except the mess that is spilling out of the baskets beside my chair in the living room. Ugh!) Surprisingly, almost 25% of my stash is in the form of fiber waiting to be spun. I hope to finish organizing the room where the yarn is stored so I will have room to do some spinning. I’m a little surprised at how much yarn I’ve accumulated. It really is time to start choosing my projects based on what is already in my stash.

Most of the projects I’ve worked on recently did come out of the stash. The man’s boot socks (the toes are shown in the previous post) are from yarn I used to make myself some socks and some other stash yarn. I have progressed a couple inches past the toes on both socks.

I’ve also completed my first felted clog, which is made of whatever was available in the stash, like it or not. I was only supposed to knit the second sole of this and wait for the class Mom and I are taken to put it together. I just couldn’t help myself and joined the sole to the upper part. Now I need to do the second one. We are returning to class a week from Wednesday, so I hope to finish by the end of class, especially since my feet have been freezing lately.

Our weather has been strange, to say the least. It goes from warm to cold, with snow in the foothills! I’m actually looking forward to wearing my Dowdy Slippers.

I hope to have more knitting next time. Wish me luck!

It has become an obsession. When I travel, near or far, I need to have something to keep me busy when I’m caught waiting. My preferred distraction is a knitting project. The hard thing about small, portable projects is that they get completed so quickly! I feel like there’s a constant need to start a new one.

Just last week I found myself in a surprising bit of a panic as we headed out of town for a two hour drive. My purple and green socks were done and I didn’t have any simple knitting to take along. I told myself that it would be fine for one day. We drove seven miles away and stopped at a deli for sandwiches for the road. I tried to squelch the uneasy feeling . . . I started to get restless. One of our local yarn shops was just a half-mile away. I gave in.

After a quick stop, I came out with two balls of Plymouth Tweed and some new Addi circulars. Oh, and check out the cute cloth shopping bag that comes with a prize every time I return to the shop with it. A hat was cast on immediately. I had been wanting to try one of the slouchy/beret type hats, so I started with the ribbing. Ahhhhh. It was a happy ride.

And I really like this little cap. I won’t keep it, as it is not my colors, but I do think I’ve found a style that looks decent on my head.

Today I cast on another slouch hat due to an unfortunate accident that derailed my next portable project.

As planned, I had cast on the husband’s boot socks, following Cat Bordhi’s Sunrise pattern in the Sidestream architecture. (Found in her New Pathways book.) Judy’s Magic Cast-On went swimmingly. I think I have the hang of this now! After a little over an inch, I decided that the start was too narrow. I quickly frogged and cast on again. No problem! I was happily increasing away, then knitting evenly, almost ready to switch to the main color.

I was using my Knit Picks needles — one metal and one Harmony wood, because that’s what I have in size 4. The Harmony is a bit sharp and I found myself pushing on the tip, so I decided to switch that one to the other end. I grabbed the little tightening tool, and SNAP! I must have sat for half an hour fretting over not having a portable project for today’s two hour drive. I considered a return to the LYS of last week; it was on the way. I resisted. I ordered some new size 4 tips from Knit Picks and cast on for another slouch hat. Sigh. I was really enjoying these socks. They are going along quicker and easier than any other pair I’ve done. Ah well, the new needles will be here in about a week. And it is about time I whipped up a few hats; I’ve been a little behind on that front.

What’s your favorite portable project? Do you take knitting with you often?

My first successful toe-up socks are done. And as these things seem to go, there was plenty of yarn left over. These socks have seen lots of changes during their construction.

I started out using Queen Kahuna’s book, toe-up and two at once. I didn’t really like the cast-on, but wasn’t about to mess it up and end up starting at the cuff again! Then I took Cat Bordhi’s Foxglove Architecture class at Stitches West. Even though the odds were against the change, I switched these socks to the Foxglove method. I took a short break while I vascillated about which rib to use for the cuffs. I settled on my favorite 2 x 2. I finished them off with Elizabeth Zimmermann’s sewn bind off, which Cat explains in her book. It’s like the kitchener stitch except with one needle, so it’s easy to keep track of your place.

These fit perfectly and will match a couple of my sweaters, so I’m happy to add them to my sock collection. I hope my next experience with dyeing results in a more consistent color. As you can see, these don’t really match or repeat well. They are certainly unique!

With another project completed, I’m excitedly looking at what’s next. I ordered some dark green tweed yarn for Katarina, but Web’s ran out and canceled my order. Rats! I ordered two other yarns and need to decide which to use.

The off-white yarn is rustic looking with a subtle tweed effect and good stitch definition; the blue yarn actually has quite a bit of red in it for a pretty heathered look, but the darker color doesn’t show the stitches quite as well. The pattern is mainly stockinette with front strips in garter stitch. I plan to substitute seed stitch instead. The gauge with both yarns is almost the same. I probably need to go up from a size 7 to a size 8 to get gauge, which is strange since the pattern calls for the DK version of the off-white yarn, which is an aran weight. The blue is also an aran weight. The pattern has a good schematic to check the measurements, so I guess it is worth trying.

First, it is time to cast on boot socks for The Bearded One. I promised him the next socks. And he deserves them. Look what came in the mail this week!

We passed through Healdsburg on our way home from San Francisco last week and saw this bag in the window of a shop called Bowdon Fashion Designs. I admired it for its artsy style and beautiful embroidery, but distinctly told the man that I did not need another bag. I guess he did not hear that part! He stopped a couple days later (another trip to SF) and wrote down the name of the shop. (The brewery in Healdsburg is his favorite place to eat on that route.)  When he got home he called and ordered it. It was a total surprise! This will be my new overnight bag — or will hold all the knitting supplies needed for any trip.

So . . . it’s time to cast on those boot socks! The man has chosen the leftover Lorna’s Laces in the Jeans colorway that I used to make my Horcrux socks. I’ll use some tan for the toes and heels (man socks take soooo much yarn!) and another one of Cat’s patterns that the man insists is what he wants. He has good taste. : )

I’m back from my trip to Kansas and it was wonderful. I flew out, but spent a lot of time on a train at Science City in Union Station, Kansas City. Even though the train wasn’t moving, it was a dramatic trip for my imaginative five-year-old grandson, who tried clearing out all the passengers when he decided that the brakes failed to stop the train.

His other favorite spot that day was in the model of an underground sewer, which he called the “zewer” and which we visited several times. There’s a planetarium and lots of special events, a great place to visit with children if you are in the area.

We spent another day at the Moon Marble Company where we saw marbles being made and played with tons of toys. We found a cool set of Tinker Toys with gears that I’m sure will provide many hours of building fun. We also spent a day at the park, where I was obliged to participate fully. Yes, that’s me on the twisty slide. Can you imagine how tired I was when I flew back home? But it was a good tired, to be sure. I just wish my playmate lived closer to us.

This was the first trip that I was lucky enough to book a non-stop flight, but that did cut down on my knitting time on the plane. I managed to crochet a headband, fearing that the weather would be a bit chilly. I wanted one to wear on the motorcycle later because I can’t stand the wind blowing in my ears. I crocheted it out of light purple Frog Tree alpaca and it is soft and pretty, but not really worth a photo.

I did finish something before we left town, though. I used a free pattern called Summer Market Bag. This is another crochet project; it seems I needed a break from knitting for a spell. I used Allhemp6, a dk weight 100% hemp yarn. I like how this turned out. It has a flat bottom that is a little more solid than the net portion of the bag. I might donate this for a fund-raising event for our local spinner’s guild. I have enough of this yarn to make another bag, which will be knit from a different pattern. I made the Everlasting Bagstopper last July, and think I’ll keep trying market bag patterns to compare them. I enjoy making them, they’re useful, and they make nice gifts. I saw some colored twine in Berkeley during one of our trips to the doctor recently and I may try to find some of that to use for a bag.

Well, it’s good to be home. The weather here is certainly the best around. I hope spring is showing its fresh and cheerful face in your neighborhood, too.

I saved the best for last and almost forgot it! Cat Bordhi’s  Foxglove Sock Architecture class at Stitches West was awesome. I feel like it was a breakthrough for me in sock knitting, like I understand the basics better by being set free from them. Okay, let me slow down a little.

We started out making a little basket in order to practice the heel turn. We learned Judy’s Magic Cast On. (See Cat’s You Tube video on this technique.)Then we knit a practice sock. As we worked, Cat talked about the traditional methods of sock making and how we could move away from those traditions. She has such a clear understanding of sock structure and can explain it in a way that I just get.

See the line going up the side of the practice sock? Those are yarn overs used for increasing the sock. They replace the gusset stitches that are usually confined to a small triangle near the heel. We were told we could put the increases anywhere we wanted, even the bottom of the sole. It frees things up to allow uninterrupted stitch patterns that cover the sock. The various patterns in Cat’s new book reflect these new ideas.

New Pathways for Sock Knitters, Book One was available at the Stitches market, so I picked it up the night before class and Cat signed it for me. I actually learned to knit socks in a class that used Socks Soar on Two Circular Needles. It seems fitting that this new learning comes from her work as well.

I knew that some of her new ideas had to be put to work right away once I got home. But there’s that rule I have about finishing one project before starting another, and I have socks on the needles already. This would be a good time to set that rule aside, but I knew my current socks would be frogged if I did that. Hmmm . . . .

So I calculated what I had done and what was left to do. One of the great things about Cat’s class was the emphasis on the math of it all — while making that math seem possible. So I did the math. Nope, couldn’t make this sock work. I was too far along on the foot, ready to start the heel, but I wanted to try it anyway, so I forged on. I shortened Cat’s “arch expansion” which are the increases that would be gussets, but can be put anywhere. These socks were bordering on big from the beginning, so I was more concerned about them being too big at this point.

The count was not right for doing the heel and I knew this was courting disaster. I continued anyway, hoping for the best. I separated the two socks onto their own pairs of needles. (I’m making them two-at-once on two circulars.) Then I let them sit for a week while I wrestled with the feeling that this could not work. Then I did the short row heel. The wraps and turns were somehow clearer after the class. Then there was a special way to move the wraps to the back so they don’t show. Cool! I set them aside again, worrying that the sock would not fit over my foot once it was finished. When I decided that frogging was not that bad, I picked them up again.

Next was the heel flap, but there was no flapping about — it was just knitting things together without any picking up of stitches. Another bonus! So far so good — they seem to fit perfectly. Back on the two original circulars and I’m ready to work the cuffs. Two at once. I’ll probably save this for next week’s plane ride. This is my third try at toe up socks and it is finally coming together. It’s about time!

Tonight I finally made it to the local Handknitters and Spinners Guild. There was a demonstration of an antique sock knitting machine. It was really fun to watch an entire sock coming to life in less than a couple hours. I’ve been interested in sock machines for a couple years, even having someone make several pairs for me for Christmas, so this was really a fun meeting for me.

While it is amazing to see socks knit up so fast, it is an art itself to run the machine. I think two sticks are hard enough for me to handle at this point.

I’ll be taking off for Kansas on Monday to see my grandson. I’m so looking forward to seeing the little guy. I’ll try to post while I’m gone, but not sure if that will work out. Until next time . . . .

I’ve been wanting to replace the winter photos in my header for a while, but just haven’t had the time. For now, I’ve put some pictures of Oaxaca up that show some nice memories for me. The first one is some women washing and dyeing yarn in the weaver’s village. The one to the left is a parade in the same weaver’s village. It’s amazing how these women dance along the street with heavy flower arrangements on their heads.

The second photo in the header is an old commercial loom with lots of spindles full of yarn. It was in an old building that was being restored. Next are some natural dye materials, which the weavers liked to show tourist, although they did not often use them for their yarn. They thought that tourists prefered natural dyes for their historical value, so they gave the impression that they used them. They are very competitive for customers. The last photo is some yarn used for weaving rugs. There were rooms full of this yarn in the weavers’ homes.

I’ve been very busy with Caps for a Cure this month. I took a turn accepting donations and delivered 72 hats to Oakland Children’s Hospital. I have a box of 88 hats to send to a hospice in Florida this week. The knitters who donate to the Caps group are so amazing!

I did manage to sneak in a couple of hats myself that weren’t chemo caps. Adrienne had turned me on to a canceled TV series called Firefly and the follow up movie, Serenity. They have quite a cult following. In one episode, the anti-hero, Jayne Cobb (Adam Baldwin) receives a knit hat from his mother. Although it is quite ugly, he wears it proudly for an entire episode. Of course, this lead to some major fan-knitting of copies of the hat.

In the spirit of Firefly, I knit up a Jayne hat and sent it to Adrienne as a thank you for telling me about the series, which I enjoyed. I also made one for my son, who loaned the videos to me. Before I could give it to him, my dear husband snatched it up and called it his own. Fortunately, my son was happy to let him have it.

My other knitting has been concentrated on adjusting the top-down raglan sweater my mom made for me. The neckline was so wide that I couldn’t wear it, so I started the process (mentioned in my last post) of cutting it apart and making a new neckline. Here’s a composite of some of the steps involved.

I’m pretty happy with the result. It really reinforced the lessons I learned in the class I took at Stitches. The neckline is perfect now. I did run into a bit of trouble when joining the two pieces since the sweater had felted slightly. I managed to felt the new piece just enough to blend in with the rest. The worst part was having all those live stitches hanging out just waiting to run. The old stitches were well behaved from being blocked, but the new stitches took several opportunities to drop down a row. It wasn’t so bad picking them back up — it was just the stress of it all.

That’s about the extent of the knitting lately. A trip to San Francisco interrupted life once again and a longer trip to Kansas will be disrupting the rest of the month. I’m really excited, though, because I am headed out to see my grandson. It has been two and a half years since I’ve seen him and I can’t wait! I should sit down and make him a hat.

Enough for now . . . Happy Daylight Savings Time!

A spell of catching up after being out of town, and I think we’re back to normal. Getting back to my routine feels good, but I sure enjoyed the trip to Stitches West. First stop was an overnight in Half Moon Bay — a bit of a delayed anniversary celebration since this is where The Bearded One and I were married five years ago.

We went back to our favorite restaurant, which is also where we had our wedding dinner — just the two of us and one close friend, ‘cuz you have to have a witness, right? This time we had our dear friends C & E with us, which makes it even more fun. As I searched out the link for you, I realized that Cafe Gibraltar has only existed since 1998. We started eating there in 2000, when it was a tiny deli/cafe, nothing fancy, but the food was great. I almost think the food is even better now, and the new building is fancy-pants and very cool. If you ever have a chance to eat there, be sure you do.

Thursday, we hopped over to Stitches with plenty of time to settle in before class. The Bearded One entered the hotel carrying his bass guitar and music gear, still wearing his sunglasses since he’d been driving. (Silly dear thought he would have time to practice his music.) As he stood there beside E — who sports an awesome long beard — a lady came up and asked C if that was really ZZ Top, the rock band. That tickled us right off.

Then is was down to business. My first class was with Nancy Bush: Nordic Color Inlay. We learned to put in colorwork while knitting with a technique called Roositud that is much like embroidery. There was a very cool trick for getting a yarn tail that was at one end of a color spot over to the other end where you need it. Just flip the yarn over the front of the fabric in a big loop, knit up to where the yarn loop started, laying the color yarn to the back or front as needed, then flip it back and pull it into the fabric. It was like a magic trick!

All day Friday, C and I had a sock class with Cat Bordhi. Fantastic! I’ll save that one for its own post.

On Saturday I learned how to shorten or lengthen a finished piece by (gasp!) cutting my knitting and grafting it back together. We started out cutting swatches and knitting on to them. Then we did a kitchner stitch graft and I learned that it is not a seam. I always pull the thread taut to make it disappear, but it is actually adding a row of stitches that is supposed to show. We learned another graft that I like a lot. We cut our poor little swatches enough that I became pretty comfortable with the whole idea.

Now comes the test. This is a sweater my mom made. It’s a top-down raglan cardigan, but the neckline is too wide. I’ve run my lifeline through where I want the knitting needle to go. Now I just have to cut the next row and pull it off. Gulp! I plan to knit a new neck ribbing and a couple inches, then join it to the sweater. Getting the raglan increases right will be the hardest part. I think knitting the ribbing first, then cutting will be the safest course of action.

Oh, and the market at Stitches? Overwhelming! I did buy yarn. Some natural wool from Brooks Farms to dye and some luxurious alpaca to make a sweater for my mom. It’s heavenly, and frankly, it worries me that my knitting will not measure up to the yarn. I’m up for the challenge, though.

I stopped by the Ravelry booth and bought these crazy shot glasses. With my frog collecting I couldn’t resist them. I told the husband that the “ripped” glass was his. I also toted my Nana Sadie Rose bag around the market and got many compliments on it. This is a new model with backpack straps that make it very easy to carry while shopping. One vendor hoisted up her own handbag with skulls on it for me to admire. A kindred spirit.

This is the Katarina Cardigan pattern by Cocoknits. I mentioned how much I liked the one at Stitches and C surprised me with the pattern. I love shawl collars. I’ve spent a couple hours already looking around the net for just the right yarn. No decision yet; I’ll take suggestions if you have any. I still have a couple projects to finish up before I start it, but the yarn hunt is on!

That’s it for now about Stitches. One more class, saving the best for last. I’ll try not to make you wait too long!

I’m packing my bags to leave for Stitches West in the morning. And guess what’s going with me? The Midnight Express Vest! A week ago, I decided that it would be pushing it too hard to finish it, so I gave up that idea. Giving myself permission not to finish it right away took off the pressure and I just plodded along. About three days ago, I realized that this just might be completed in time, so I dove into the I-cord edging, which I had never done before, but managed to figure out without too much trouble. It was actually fun, with a relaxing rhythm that kept it moving. It also had the distinct advantage of being easy to pull out and pop back on the needles to re-do any wonky parts. It helped that I really liked the contrast, making it a pleasure to knit.

The clasps took a little longer than expected since the ones I had didn’t suit me. There were only three and they were a bit small, so off to JoAnn’s for a new set. I can’t believe this is ready to go! It is a little bigger than it needs to be, but is quite comfortable.

Here are the stats one more time:

• Pattern: Midnight Express Vest (Free PDF)
• Yarn: Casual Tweed Wool Blend in Black Cherry sport weight 10 balls
  • Lamb’s Pride worsted in Black 1 ball for contrast
• Needles: Size 10 1/2 Knitpicks cables
• Time:  Started January 18 — Completed February 19

I used the yarn double to make it comparable to the heavy worsted called for in the pattern. My gauge was very slightly off, giving me a couple inches extra in width (which it turns out I really didn’t need) and some extra length (which I’m quite happy about.) I was surprised to use all ten balls of yarn, ending up with half of two balls left. This vest is knit side-to-side with a schematic that makes it extremely easy. Garter stitch is not my favorite, but it works well for this vest.

I intended to knit Elizabeth Zimmermann’s Rib Warmer, and probably will in the future, but this one makes me happy for now. This 70% wool/30% acrylic blend made this an inexpensive project, but the vest feels good for outerwear. I am looking forward to using some softer yarn in my next knitting.

Well, I better get that suitcase packed — and pick out my knitting supplies. Oh, and I just might have some homework that must be done for my class at Stitches. I put it off until the vest was completed. I think it’s only 3 or 4 swatches. Right now I’m not sure if I’m more excited about going to Stitches or about finishing the vest. Life is good!

While I was digging through some things yesterday, I came across a whole box of yarn I ordered during WEBS’ end-of-year. I didn’t remember it until I stumbled across it. It’s enough alpaca for a sweater and cotton/linen for a camisole. (I’m a sucker for some soft alpaca and this is still on sale for half price.) I’ve been meaning to inventory my yarn and put it in see-through plastic tubs. Now, I’m determined to do it. The tubs have been purchased, and I’m starting to take the pictures to fill out the database on Ravelry. This is all in preparation of starting new projects.

First . . . the WIPs must get done, at least a couple of them. Progress might be faster if I’d stick to one, but I’ve been switching off some. So tonight I’m making the official list of projects that need to be finished.

First up is the one that has been lingering the longest. Shedir. I started this a year and a half ago in a different yarn. This version was started a year ago. It has seen more frogging than knitting. Any other project would have hit the frog pond for good after this long, but I promised myself I would conquer this one. I need to schedule a half day to spend by myself with this pattern. It’s not too hard, it just takes all my concentration. I’m putting it on the calendar for March.

When I set the Malabrigo raglan aside to work on a vest in a cheap wool blend yarn, Carrie thought I was a little crazy, but I haven’t lost the love for this sweater. I’ve done a few more rows, but there’s no hurry. I won’t even mind if this one waits until fall to get going again, so I’m considering it a long-term project. All those rows of stockinette will make for some good TV knitting.

The interloper — aka Midnight Express Vest — went through a serious frogging recently that has taken up most of my time. Somehow, one section ended up smaller than the other two. The pattern calls for three inches, but I’m making them three and a half inches, so I guess I forgot on one of them. Unfortunately, I had to frog two of these sections back. The good news is that I am caught up to my previous point. I have half of the front to do, then the I-cord edging. I was hoping to have this done for Stitches West, but that will be pushing it. Maybe I’ll get lucky and have a day to just knit.

I had high hopes of speeding up the sock knitting this year, but that doesn’t seem to be my style. I’m still plodding along on the latest pair, but thanks to a trip to San Francisco last week, the toe-up socks are almost ready for the heels. I need some uninterrupted time to do that part, then it will be some easy ribbing to the end. I can’t believe how different these two are — I’m not really sure how that happened. I’m curious to see how the cuffs turn out. It looks like I need some more dyeing practice one of these days. I still love the colors and look forward to wearing these puppies.

Last up is the project I probably should be working on first — the Fiber Trends Felted Clog. My mom and I still need to finish this class, whenever we are ready. We had a delay due to Mom’s carpal tunnel acting up, but it is time to get this finished. I knit the cuff and it is an awesome construction. After knitting an inch or so, the end on the needle is attached to the inside beginning. This makes it roll back on itself, for the nice rounded cuff. I have the second sole to make before we go back to class.

That’s not a bad list, but I really would feel better cleaning it up a bit. Thanks for bearing with me as I set these all down. I’d love to hear how you deal with unfinished projects or how you juggle more than one at a time.