The Sock That Never Ends

Look at this sock.   It looks pretty innocent doesn't it?   Well, as all knitters know, looks can be deceiving.   I first cast on Hubby's socks in October at our church's Zombie party thinking I would just whip them out in no time.   Ha!   The lies we tell ourselves.   In order to stave off boredom and balance the less than colorful yarn that Hubby prefers, I chose a more challenging sock pattern.   Hated that.   Turns out that a combination of lace and cables, does not make for good Zen knitting.   Besides, I started to worry that Hubby would find them too busy.   So, I ripped them out and cast on for my favorite simple sock pattern (SK-020 Basic Toe-up Sock), just wider to accommodate Hubby's manly feet.   I was almost done with them when I realized that I had made them an inch narrower rather than an inch wider.  I suppose I could have given them to someone else but Hubby likes the grey yarn and I like Hubby.   So, I ripped them out again.   This time I decided to try casting on the same number of stitches that I usually do for myself and the boys, but using bigger needles.   Rather than my usual 2.25mm needles I cast one sock on with 2.5mm and one with 2.75mm needles.  I knit each toe plus two inches, tried them both on Hubby's feet, and (YAY!) the 2.5mm ones fit beautifully.   Amazing what a small change can make.

As you can see I am pretty far along on the first sock (I will have to rip out and restart the second one).   The photo above makes it look like I am further along than I really am.   I have only just begun to turn the heel.   T2, whose foot is shorter than his father's, was kind enough to model for me.  I like him too.

What's in your wallet....?

Did I say wallet?   I meant knitting bag....

Inspired by episode 124 (Essential Knitting Tools) of the KnitPicks (KP) Podcast, I set about creating four identical notions bags.   The idea being, it will not matter which knitting bag I have with me (there are only two going at the moment).  I will always have my favorite notions right at hand.   Moving clockwise, beginning at the top right hand corner, these are my must-have knitting tools:

1. Bent Tip Needles (KP) -  for weaving in those pesky ends.
2. Locking Stitch Markers (KP) – Probably my most used item
3. Point Protectors – I rarely use these but I know that if I leave them out, they will suddenly become absolutely necessary.  
4. Split Ring Stitch Markers (KP) – I use these when I am casting on a lot of stitches.   Placing them every 50 sts makes the whole counting thing much easier.
5. Gingher Snippers – Of all the scissors/snippers I have tried, these are my favorite.   They are a bit pricey but last forever.
6. Lace Marker Tin – I used to use small Altoid tins but then I found these Sunshine State, Lisa tins at the airport and just had to have them.   In it I keep:  1) Those uber-cheap white plastic ones from Walmart and/or Hobby Lobby (Ideal for lace knitting);  2) Beaded stitch markers that I make myself and use to mark the beginning of the row when knitting in the round.  3) KnitPicks Key for attaching cable to the needle when using KnitPicks Options (which I do, almost exclusively).  4)  A rubber needle gripper.  These small rubber discs make it easy  to securely tighten Option's join.  Plus, sticking the key through it makes finding it much easier if it falls to the bottom of my bag.
7. Tape Measure – For accuracy I prefer metal tape measures, but these are lighter and fit better.
8. Needle Gauge (Addi) – There are others but I vastly prefer this one.
9. Stitch Holders (Clover) – These come in different sizes/colors but I find the blue ones to be most useful.
10. Double Ended Crochet Hook Set (KP) – Four crochet hooks give you Eight sizes.   The smallest ones are good for picking up dropped stitches while the others are handy to have around if, like me, you often crochet your edgings.
11. Notions Bag – I searched high and low before finding something that I really liked.   This is a 8” x 5” cosmetic bag.   It fits all of the above plus a small pad and pencil (added these after I took the picture).   I like that it fits flat against the side of my bag and I love the kiss-lock closure.

All of these tools are available, in some form, at your local big box crafts store.   Unless otherwise noted, I buy mine from KnitPicks. They are less expensive and I am partial to their signature colors (purples).   I am considering adding a 30” US1 circ to each bag for picking up stitches and knitting socks magic loop style (I am a 5 dpn girl but sometimes it is more practical to switch to a long circ).

Further inspired, I put together two mini notions bags with an assortment of stitch markers, KP key with needle gripper, a bent tip yarn needle and a yarn cutter disk.    I keep one in my purse (where I always have a sock progress) and one in the small bag I carry at Disney (where the other sock lives).

So that's it for me.   What's in your wallet tool bag?

Knitting & Nook

I have not been able to post pictures of most of what I have been working on because they are gifts. However, these babies are for me. Just a simple pair of toe-up socks, worked on US#1 needles, using Colinette's Jitterbug (I forget the color name and I lost the ball band). Northern FL is starting to get cold days (yes, I know, our cold may not be your cold). Wool socks and clogs are perfect for keeping toes toasty.

The Nook drama goes on. I finally got an answer to my email to tech support. It addressed only the skipped pages, saying that they are aware of the problem and it will be addressed "soon". I tried calling 1-800-The-Book, hoping to get info regarding my not getting the promised in-store content. After 40 minutes on hold, I gave up and drove over to a different B&N than the one I visited on Sunday (closer to where I was meeting Hubby for lunch). Here too, the sample Nooks had said content (today it was an offer for five free books which I was not able to take advantage of). Nothing that Gabe, the very nice CS person, tried, worked. He called their tech support number, only to be told that the person answering the phone did not know what the problem was. Gabe would have to wait "3-5 minutes" to speak to someone in another department. 35 minutes later someone came on the line. After Gabe had to explain what he meant by "exclusive in-store content" (I had to laugh) , he was told that I would have to wait for the software upgrade. When would that happen? This weekend, or maybe February, but definitely "soon"

I am very conflicted about how to handle this. I have until Tuesday to return it. Even then I might have to pay a "re-shelving" fee (even though their product does not work as promised!). All of it's problems (mine and the others I have read about on-line) are software problems. That means that a software update could fix them (but will they?). Given our current financial position, this was a lot of money to spend on a toy. If it works out, fine. But I really do not want to find myself having spend the $'s for something I can not use. And then, there is the tech support which, frankly, sucks.

On the other hand, I can read on it (even though the reading screen is neither a touchscreen nor color, as I was led to believe, it is really quite easy on the eye), it is comfortable to carry around in my handbag and, I love the compatibility with my Blackberry. Good enough? I am still thinking (obsessing really). Tomorrow I will try to load a couple of PDF's. That not working could be a deal breaker.