I Love Not Working...Does That Mean I'm Lazy?

It is so nice to sleep in until 7:30 instead of hearing that annoying alarm buzzing at 4:30am! I'd probably sleep even later if Summer the greyhound would let me. We get up at 7:30 on my days off so I'm sure she figures it should be the same for my vacation days...goofy dog. We have to take our morning walk of a mile and then it's home to tea for me, and kibble for her. I wish I was rich and didn't need to work to pay for frivolous things like...food, heat, shelter, etc. But I'm just a working schmuck like everyone else. Maybe, someday, I'll meet a rich guy who thinks I'm great and wants me to stay home and bake him bread and knit him socks. That's my kind of man!

I got a phone call from my daughter Stacey yesterday to tell me "Mom, go check your e-mail, I just got updated pictures of Logan!" Our little guy was in for his 3 month check-up and the doctor always takes photos for the adoption agency. Thank goodness for digital pictures and e-mail! Think about this...the doctor in Guatemala took some pictures on Monday, e-mailed them to the agency in Texas, who e-mailed them to my daughter in Florida, who e-mailed them to me in Minnesota....who sent them to everyone she knows! I love the internet! You'll notice that Logan is eating well and is getting a little baby-budge. He is up to 13 lbs! Love the big brown eyes, he's a cutie for sure. I also have a recent photo of Miss Mia a.k.a. The Princess. Do I have cute grandchildren or what? I am truly blessed.
I was "browsing" the internet for free knitting patterns, one of the best things about the internet is the great people who share their talent, and I found this sock pattern. Way cute, way hard to read! It is in German but I think I have the main pattern figured out. I may cast on with some of my own hand- dyed yarn and give it a try. Just what I need, another project that will go unfinished. I am so bad...I have so many single socks that need their mates, yet here I sit, ready to start another! It's a sickness I tell ya!

It is starting to look and feel like fall around here. The wind is really strong and gusty today so the leaves are all being blown off the trees. The temps are cool, in the 50's and the sky is gray and dreary. I actually like this kind of weather. It makes me want to get ready for the winter ahead and prepare to "nest in" for a few months. I always think of winter as a resting period. Everything goes to sleep for a few months and then is awakened again in the spring. That's one good thing about Minnesota, we do have 4 distinct seasons, and all of them have their good and bad.

I am off to the grocery store. The kid and dog need grub. With the cooler weather I can actually turn on the oven and make some cold weather meals. Tonight is beef, vegetable, and barley soup served with popovers. I am so lucky that Walker will eat just about anything and appreciates home cooking. Have a great day and keep those needles clicking!

Free Sock Pattern...Old but Good!

While looking through my computer files I ran across this sock pattern I wrote a few years ago. It is a cute and fun slip stitch pattern that is perfect for beginner sock knitters, but fun enough for advanced knitters. You can use any colors but be sure they are contrasting enough to not blend into one another. You want the colors to POP! Two solids is good or a solid and a variegated. Have fun! This pattern is really an enjoyable knit that looks so cute when done.

Garter Bar Slip Stitch Socks
Wren'sNestDesigns©2001


Materials

Yarn: 3-50gm skeins of fingering weight sock yarn that will knit to gauge...two skeins of variegated and one skein of solid color. Yarns should be coordinating colors but different enough to contrast. Or, go crazy and use wild, unmatched colors that hurt your eyes!

MC= variegated yarn (main color)
CC= solid color yarn (contrast color)

Needles: size US 1 set of 5 dpn (or size needed for gauge)

1 st Marker

Gauge: 9 stitches per inch in stockinette stitch
Size: Fits average womans size medium (adjust foot length for different sizes)

Cast On:
Cast on 72 stitches.
Divide the stitches evenly on 4 (18 sts on each) needles.
Join, being careful not to twist stitches.

~tip~My personal favorite way to join is to slip the first CO st unto the end of ndl 4 and the last CO st unto the beg of ndl 1. Simple, efficient and it looks great.

Place marker at beginning of round (between needles one and four) where tail end of CO yarn is. This marker will always be considered the "beginning" of any round. Use a split marker or a little safety pin and move it up every few rounds.

Work K2, P2 (or K1, P1 or K3, P1) ribbing for 1 1/2 inches or desired length.

Leg:
Start Simple Slip Stitch pattern (slip all sts as if to purl):

rnds 1-4 (MC): knit even
rnd 5 (CC): *sl 1 (twice), k4 w/CC* rep
rnd 6 (CC): *sl 1 (twice), p4 w/CC* rep

~reminder~the slipped stitches will be the MC yarn, NOT the CC yarn. The CC yarn will only be used for the k4 and the p4. And of course, the heels and toes.

Work 9 reps of the 6 rnd pattern. End after round 2.

Heel Flap:
The 36 stitches on needles 2 and 3 for instep are not worked. You will be knitting back and forth on the 36 sts on needles one and four only. Knit heel flap in heel stitch, slipping the first st of EACH row.

Knit the heel flap:
Knit to end of needle 1 with MC. Turn work. Cut CC yarn and attach here for colored heel.
S1, and purl back the rem stitches on needle 1 and 4. Turn. Start heel stitch with row 1 (right side) of pattern.

Heel Stitch Pattern (CC yarn):
Row 1:(right side) *sl 1, k 1* rep across
Row 2: sl 1, p across

Repeat these 2 rows until heel flap is square or about 2 1/2 inches long. If you desire a longer heel just continue until the length you want. Remember, the longer the heel, the more gusset sts you will need to pick up. End after a row 2.

Turn Heel:
This is a standard round heel:
Next row: (right side) slip 1, knit to center marker, k2, SSK, k1, turn.
Next row: slip 1, purl 5, p2tog, p1, turn.

*Slip 1, knit to within 1 st away from gap between the sts, SSK, k1, turn.
Slip 1, purl to within 1 st away from gap, p2tog, p1, turn.*

Repeat from * to * until all stitches have been worked, always working together the 2 sts on each side of the gap. End after a purl row. Turn.

Knit to the center of needle one, this is the needle with the heel flap sts on it. Stop, you are now once again at center back of your sock (be sure your marker is between needles 1 and 4) Your sts should be set up as follows:

needle 1: 10 heel sts
needle 2: 18 instep sts
needle 3: 18 instep sts
needle 4: 10 heel sts

Gussets:
Pick up for the gussets:
Drop the CC used for the heel. With needle 1 and MC yarn, pick up one stitch through each slip stitch loop on edge of heel flap. This number will depend on how long you knit the heel flap. Use a crochet hook for ease. Slip the picked up st onto needle one with the 10 heel sts. Continue to pick up sts along the heel flap until all edge loops are done. You will have the original 10 sts PLUS the picked up gusset sts on needle one.

Knit across the instep stitches on needles 2 and 3. The foot is knit in plain stockinette stitch.

With needle 5, pick up one stitch through each slip stitch loop on edge of heel flap. When all loops are picked up, knit across the 10 heel sts on needle 4. You will have the original 10 sts PLUS the picked up gusset sts on needle four. You should have equal amount of sts on needles one and four. You are once again at center back of your sock and ready to start the gusset decreases.

You should have:
1} half the heel stitches and the picked-up gusset stitches on needle 1
2} half the instep stitches on needle 2
3} the second half of the instep stitches on needle 3
4} the second group of gusset stitches and the second half of the heel stitches on needle 4

Knit 1 round even.

Now decrease for the gussets:
Needle 1: knit to 3 sts from end of needle, k2tog, k1.
Needles 2 & 3: Knit even in stockinette st.
Needle 4: at the beginning of needle, k1, SSK, work to end.

Knit one round (all 4 needles) even.

Alternate decrease and even rounds until 72 stitches remain, 18 sts on each of 4 needles.

Instep:
Knit all rnds in stockinette st. End when the foot length is about where your big toe is attached to your foot or approx 1 3/4 inches shorter than your foot. Stop at the marker between ndl 1 and 4. Change to CC yarn for toe and knit one rnd.

Toe:
This is the standard toe shaping. Start at the beginning of needle one where marker is. See how important that little marker has been?!

Decrease round:
Needle 1: K to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1.
Needle 2: K1, SSK, knit to end.
Needle 3: K to 3 sts from end, k2tog, k1.
Needle 4: K1, SSK, knit to end.

Knit one round even.

Alternate decrease and even rounds until 9 stitches remain on each needle.
Knit decrease round every round until 4 sts remain on each needle.

Place stitches on 2 needles. The 4 sts each from ndls 2 and 3 onto one needle and the 4 sts each from ndls 1 and 4 onto one needle. Graft together. Weave in any loose ends.

Knit another sock to match!

Wren's Nest Designs© 2001

Taking Some Time Off!

Yippee! I decided to use up some of my vacation time (I've got almost 5 weeks to use) and take a little Fall Break. Unfortunately, I will be staying home for my vacation and most likely spending my time cleaning and getting ready for colder weather. BUT, I do plan on one last try with the purple yarn and the "difficult" cardigan. It's not that the pattern is hard, it's just that I've had such a difficult time getting the dang thing to behave! I do have to knit a pair of mittens for a Christmas present for Tyler's girlfriend, Mariah. I thought I would start early and actually have them finished on time! I am going to knit them in pink, Mariah's favorite color. If I was really ambitious, I'd also knit a matching scarf. Miracles do happen!

My little Mia Belle turned 3 on Saturday. She is such a little spitfire! I wish I could have been there for her party, but Florida is a long way from Minnesota. The highlight of her party was a Dora the Explorer pinata. My daughter said that the party was lots of fun, but a madhouse. Kids and parents both attended and they had a pizza bar for making your own pizza. Sounds like fun! I am waiting for her to send me a few pictures of the party and then I will post them for all to see my adorable 3 year old granddaughter! There is no news on Logan other than bad news! The Guatemalan government is making foreign adoption very difficult, but hopefully, parents who have all their paperwork in by the end of 2007 will be allowed to continue their adoptions. Please say a prayer that we can bring baby Logan home to the USA and his family here who wants him so badly.

My mouse problem is declining...I think. This is gross, but...this morning I found a dead mouse in my kitchen sink! Yuck! I put out the d-Con mouse poison a few days ago so I am hoping that they get the hint and move on. The house next door is nice, maybe they could find lodging there for the winter. I really hate to kill the little buggers but enough is enough! They raid my kitchen every night and then I have to spend a lot of time with the Clorox spray cleaning the place up. I still haven't figured out how or where they are getting in, but when they leave...it will be in a body bag. Okay, more like a Ziplock bag.

Last night my estranged (I love that word!) husband Steve and I went for a drive looking at some local townhouses. It's a good thing I will be living there without him because every townhouse he liked, I hated. He likes the row style that are 3 levels, tall and skinny with about 12 units per building, and have a neighbor on each side. Think crowded! I like a twinhome that shares only 1 wall with your neighbor. He liked the big complex with hundreds of units and a swimming pool. I liked the small complex set back on a game preserve and park. No wonder we can't live together. :o) Above is a photo of the twinhome I am looking at. Pretty cute, huh? It is only 4 years old and in a nice quiet area. It is a 4 level (I know, I wanted a one level but they are way expensive!) and has a walkout in back. Below is what the living room and deck look out onto. It is a huge park with walking trails (that's what you see in the photo) ponds, marshes, and wooded acres. I like the idea of looking out onto that scene rather than another townhouse. I still have to sell my house, which is a bad thing since the market is so slow right now. I guess if it's meant to be, my house will sell and I will be able to buy this. If not, then I trust that there is something better waiting for me.
I think I will make a quick trip to the local yarn store for the pink mitten yarn. Maybe I just need a small project now to get me back into the knitting swing 'o things! Have a great day! Leave a comment...it makes my friend Janet happy!