Ruh roh...

I miscalculated on the Lily pond sock.
When I added in the decorative rib I didn't realize that it is a four round pattern and the lace arch is 11 rounds. When I get to the next round one..the rib pattern is off by one round. I have to rewrite the pattern now to match what I designed.
Dangit. Didn't think of that... should have used just a regular rib pattern. Ah well, such is the designing life. I'm almost done with the first Oriel sock, going to try and do a sewn bind off for the cuff. I tried the suspended bind off, which was supposed to be stretchy, but it wasn't any stretchier than a regular bind off in pattern.
Zoya was doing a sewn bind off and said that was the one that got the best results for a toe up cuff.
So anyway... going to go upload some photos and post them as promised.

My markers are in a shop!

I took the markers that I just made and showed them to Liz down at Needlecraft Cottage and she offered to put them in her shop on consignment!
Yippeee! I'll have pictures of them up shortly so people can see some of what is down there. There are eleven sets, all but two will fit up to a size 3 needle, the other two will fit up to a size 6.
They really are pretty and when I went down to visit today and showed them to Phyllis, she was ecstatic! Enough that she called another lady that she had mentioned my markers to and left a message to let her know they were down there.
Oh, my yarn came from Amazon, it's Cascade Heritage in Dark Sunset and it is a dark maroon with just a touch of navy blue. Devon (son) thinks it looks better than he even though, now I just have to get that made into socks that will fit and not be too short on the leg. So obviously I'm going to do a toe up sock pattern because he likes shorter leg socks anyway. I just handed him the Sensational Knitted Socks book and told him to pick out a pattern that wasn't too complicated given the dark color.
Okay, for the record so I have it written down:
We figured out due to possible gauge and stitch count the best pattern will be...
Garter Rib with a possible gauge of 7 or 7 1/2 his stitch count will be 80. The other option is 72, but since I made socks for me with that count... I think 80 is better.
Okay, off to do some more markers and some jewelry.
Yay!

Ribbit again.

I ripped out about an inch of the cuff on the Oriel sock because I realized I had more yarn left than I thought. So I'm doing a half repeat of the pattern and then start the cuff. More than enough yarn for that. Maybe even for a whole repeat.

The yarn I ordered on Amazon from Alpaca Direct (Dark Sunset...medium and dark burnt reds) is shipping today from Oakland. That means it should get here Thursday or Friday. Devon still doesn't know I think, it's going to be an early birthday present for him with the promise of turning it into socks before October. It depends on how long it's going to take me to do the current socks. I only have two sets of sock needles and they're both being used.. I refuse to only do one sock and then stop because that opens up all sorts of gauge issues. Bad enough doing them one at a time. The Oriel already appears smaller than the Lily Pond but that's due to the difference in the lace pattern.
I cast on for doing a baby sweater but pulled that off the huge long cable and started a Kiri shawl with the lime/blue Carribbean lace yarn. It had better start looking good or that's going to be a bust as well. It's not my colors and lord knows (again)why I picked out those colors. I think they looked a bit more subdued on the screen.
I have three balls of that, the blue jean color and a brown... not in the mood for plain colors right now but will have to be at some time.

I made six sets of 'lace/sock' markers that will fit up to a size 3 needle. They're tiny so they don't get in the way but they're purty! Haven't had a chance to get pictures because SOMEBODY took the rechargable batteries out of the charger and put them in the remote. So the camera has been dead for the last 24 hours. No one has to be anywhere tomorrow morning so I will be going to Needlecraft Cottage and show Liz the markers and the card system.
Okay... going to move on to the next journal and see about posting my personal stuff there. Lots of drama there....

Aack! Haircut!

As you can see by my new photo... I got my hair cut. It's way shorter than I wanted it, leave it to say I was looking for something other than the 'K.D. Lang' look. Oh well, it grows out, just take about three months for it to get to the length I actually wanted.

I am knitting the cuff on the first Oriel sock..woohoo! Going to do that until I run out of yarn and if it's long enough, I'll just do it as a fold over cuff. I like those kind better anyway. I didn't think I had enough to do another repeat and a long enough cuff, so I just have to remember the stopping point. I had to rip back the first try at the cuff, which almost turned into a disaster. I was at work and wanted to get it done, so I started a K2P1 rib,but halfway around that I realized I had started with a k3P1, soooo, ripped that all back in about fiteen minutes. I then knitted the k2P1 rib for about a half inch and then double checked the pattern and it was supposed to be a 1x1 rib. Sigh. It's all fixed now and I'm running along nicely.

I succumbed to yarn envy and the desire to see if I can do socks for someone other than a kid. My son (18 and 6'2") wants a pair of socks too.. in red and black or some combination of those colors. Well... I had about $24 left on my Amazon gift card so he stood over my shoulder and looked through yarns that were there and found one called 'Dark Sunset'. I hope it's the color that it looked like on the screen. I'll know sometime next week when it arrives.
I've also been making new sets of stitch markers for smaller needles. i.e.: they fit up to a size 3 needle. I made three sets of five and two sets of six markers. They should be up at Etsy sometime tomorrow or Monday evening. I also have a new set of earrings in red, pink and clear crystal bicones. They're gorgeous and I wish I had thought of that for Valentines.
Another mised opportunity, oh well.
So now the only thing left is to find another set of sock needles ..because once that yarn arrives I'll want to dig right in and start another pair.
The other problem is I should be researching a shawl pattern because that's my knitting goal this year; a true lace weight shawl. I'd love to do that Forest Path or the Peacock Feathers patterns, but one is only in a book and the other isn't free either, but at least it isn't a book.
The Forest Path is two of my favorite things, Entrelac and lace patterns.I just might have to spring for that pattern...but I do have a couple of other patterns I downloaded so I want to go through those before committing.

Okay, it's almost 11 and I'm pooped. Eyes are getting foggy, time for bed.

Back to the Lily Pond sock

After discovering this new short row method, I have decided to rip back the Lily Pond sock and use that heel. I got out the cards I made for it and discovered that one of the lines was almost totally obliterated from it sliding around and being played with by granddaughter. I panicked because I couldn't remember what book I got the stitch from.
At lunch today I suddenly remembered that I had made some notes in my journal book in my bag. Lo and behold..there it was! I got the stitch from the Vogue Dictionary of Stitches!
Yay! Because I need to add on about two more inches of foot before I can start the heel. The Oriel Sock has an impossibly long foot section and it looks like I'll be able to get two full repeats of the lace on the leg before having to start the cuff.
Another 'yay'.
Oh, and I listed a few of my earrings on Etsy again as well as the first version of my Infinite Stitches Pattern Cards.
Yay! Spread the word... I'm selling them now. Hopefully. As soon as I get some more cash flow in, I'll be trying to streamline the process so I can make a set of ten in one night. The only thing left is to get the extra fine sharpies to go in with it and the large bags. I figure by the time I get the first order, I'll have enough change to get those and be all set.
Oh yeah..the label cards... that's easy.
Okay, so I just have the cards and laminating sheets, binder rings and clips..but that's good right?
Alright, going to go laminate some more so I have some ready.

I found it! After the fact.

I was looking for a short row heel that didn't involve wraps, and knew that since you could do it with a heel flap, why not do it with just short rows. I couldn't find the directions at the time and continued on with the double wrap instructions from the SKS book.
Well, now I have found the Short Row Holy Grail!
Priscilla Wild figured this out (and as she says in the video, she's on Ravelry too) and put a video demo of it up on YouTube. I have put the link over on the sidebar for the video... it's so simple and it works! Going to be using it on the second Oriel sock so they'll be both short row but one will be (hopefully) smoother.
Had two students for class tonight, fun ladies at two different skill levels but at least the 'beginner' had knitted ages ago. She may have thought she had forgotten, but her hands and brain remembered. I could tell after she did her first row she had learned to knit at some time in her past.
Okay, getting a bit late and have two other blogs to post on.

Around the corner!

I successfully navigated and completed the short row heel on the Oriel sock and am on my way up the leg. I somehow ended up with one less stitch than I should have on the heel needle but just picked up a thread and everything is cool. I am on round 10 of the stitch pattern and every time I try to take a picture of the sock indoors it's too dark, even when I set the camera for indoor/low light.
I'm also looking at some extra wide lace edging patterns for that costume design, also a narrower edging for the collar. Now, in actuality the original version of this was likely a jacket over a blouse with lace edging. I don't know if I want to do a separate blouse, I hate buttonholes and standard clothing. That's why I was in the SCA, long tunics and hidden zippers or lacing up the back.
I saw some absolutely gorgeous fabric at Home Fabrics today. Unfortunately, most of them were not the colors I need for the Victorian outfit. I found one or two fabrics that would do okay for the skirt but ... still not the perfect piece. I got some ideas for the more medieval gown that I have. Actually it may end up being a rather non-specific era, possibly a 'noble's' gown from some future planet. All these ideas and no money to implement them.
I tried to scan the purple plaid fabric but it came out very subdued... hard to get across the idea.

OH! Beading NEWS!
South Sun is opening a new store down on Midway across from the Michaels store...which is right around the corner from the nursery.
Oh this is such a bad thing for me and Kathleen (coworker who also likes beads). Bad news for Michaels too.. since they sell bead stuff, this is going to be really interesting. There's also another bead store about five minutes away (ten if there's bad traffic) so this is going to be interesting to see what happens. I know the exact building they are using and it's very small compared to the one up in Kearny Mesa. I think I'm going to have to visit there after they're officially open on Monday.
Okay, have to get to bed and work some more on the Oriel socks.

I scored on some patterns!

I went to Joann's looking for fabric, because the store I wanted to hit was closing in ten minutes when I called.
Joann's is a disaster. They have all the signs of closing the store but the employees are clueless. It wasn't that bad a year ago when I was in there, so this is a sure sign that they're eventually closing. Either that or they have no intention of caring about the customers.
The pattern table had only one updated book for Simplicity and the other books were all from last year. The patterns in the drawers were in no way consoidated, many of them had the separator card turned so it was red on top which is a sign that it's being discontinued and yet they hadn't pulled them.
It was a disaster trying to find anything.
I was lucky though... I got a Butterick pattern and it's close to the pattern I had in mind, it's missing the bustle but that's easy.
I think this will do for the dress I have in mind:

The darker view on the left is the one I want to use. The skirt is full enough I could put a small bustle in it or just put a bustled skirt over it. I almost bought a hat pattern and a cape pattern but put those back. I did get the corset, crinoline, pantaloons and camisole pattern though, and a token medieval gown pattern. The pantaloons are intriguing as they are split at the crotch so you don't have to pull them down to use the privy..interesting. Actually they're connected in the front, but not the back and they tie so you just untie them and drop trow as it were.
I haven't bought any costume patterns in years and I'm going to take advantage of my current mode.
Anyway... I have a hitch in the Peacock sock pattern, I went through this once already and didn't notice anything so it must be right, but the lining up of the pattern isn't working on the row I'm on (round that is, and it's 23). I had to run through the lace part once, backed up, double checked the stitch count, checked again and it isn't lining up...hoping I didn't screw up on something.

Going to go look at the costume pattern I got and see just how difficult the jacket is.

Oh, I figured out the name for my knitting invention...it's as obvious as the page I'm writing on...don't know why I didn't think of it in the first place. Oh well. Off I go.

Typo spotted in pattern!

I was running through the second repeat of the Oriel lace sock pattern and go to Round 11 I believe.. definitely will double check on that..
In any case, I discovered that there is a mistake in the written pattern that is not drawn in the charted version.
Here's the way it's printed:
Rnd 11: (P1), *P2, YO, P1, K2tog, P1, SSK, K1, YO, P3*

Now, not seeing the rest of the pattern, you would have to see the chart to understand that. It's forming a bottle neck of sorts, where the P1 is framed by the two decreases. the problem is, it's a K1 on either side.. in the chat it is correct, as it's printed here, it's wrong. That first P1 should be a K1 just before the K2tog.
So it should read:
Rnd 11: (P1) *P2, YO, K1, K2tog, P1, SSK, K1, YO, P3*

I was looking at it after I had done the entire row and suddenly had the epiphany I just described. It's too late to try and fix the previous round iteration but that's okay, I'm still on the foot. No one is going to notice.

Okay, I'm falling asleep here, Shrek 2 is on, Ava is down for the count.
Never sleep type, you end up with sentences from your head on the screen which has nothing to do with what you're actually typing.

G'nite

Sidetracked from knitting

I've been doing research into finding out whether I really want to do an 1800's costume for next year. I was looking through patterns and pictures for just the right skirt arrangement that I've had in my head since high school.
When I was on a trip to Canada, and before that, I was drawing pictures of simplified bustle dresses. They were 'themed' with the most spectacular one being 'The Peacock Dress' in blues, greens and a train with cascading layers. I think I found the pattern that I saw in my head. The skirt pattern of course, not the actual dress, but the skirt with the right falls and cascades... and it's a $25 pattern. ::head falls to desk in exasperation::.
I'm just following a wish in my head of course, never going to succeed in doing this but now I know that the design I thought of over thirty years ago could actually be out there. I think the original drawings still are in a box in the garage.
I don't have the money for bills let alone some hobby high hope that will not bring in money.
I am a lot closer to getting my 'Knit thing' finished. I have the one that I'm using right now, which means it's got writing on it, but I took pictures of it anyway. Then I went and checked on my Etsy shop, and...it's empty. All my listings expired so there's nothing for sale there. I won't be able to renew any of the listings until the weekend when I have a little bit of extra money. I haven't come up with a name for it yet either... other than 'that Flipping Thing'.
I am still moving forward on the Oriel Sock, which I need to get pictures up on Ravelry, so I can link this blog to it. I get paid tomorrow thankfully, from both jobs. Yay! I still want to knit a lace shawl, a true lace shawl, I have the yarn..just need the pattern.

Oh, one of my ideas for the dress, since the theme next year for ConDor is 'Ancient Futures, Steampunk' and other such anomalies... I was thinking of using a fabric for the dress that's 'futuristic' looking and knit a lace shawl or some accessory that would give it the right touch. Some metallic touches here and there, an odd fabric that shouldn't be there... some 'holographic' type fabric for trim... See, I've got a great idea, just no means of implementing it cheaply. Not to mention waiting until my front room isn't taken up by extra people. That will clear up in April hopefully.

I'm also working on some new stitch marker sets. We got some new bead strands (or maybe I just didn't notice them) at Beverly's. I didn't buy them last night because I remembered I have two coupons at home I could use on them. Now I have to find them...not too difficult though, I think I remember where I left them.
Okay, have to post on my other blog...
(the story blog I started I'm only going to post once a week on, otherwise I'll end up writing there instead of on the actual story.)

See ya!

So far, so good

Since I was busy at the con this weekend, I didn't do as much knitting as I would have, but more than I thought.
I worked on the Oriel mostly, and am on row 24 of 28. Since every row is busy, it's difficult to have it everywhere. It's turning out gorgeous though, and will likely fit as well as the other sock. Which, because I'm attempting a different heel, it's going to be a bit trickier to do and I should really have brought it for when I had at least two hours of downtime at the con.
I did meet a fellow knitter who was also a panel guest who was knitting a pair of neon green wool blend mittens for the Afghans for Afghans charity. I showed her my sock and she had never heard of using two circulars. I commented on her yarn and told her 'that child will not get lost in the snow.'
I got more connections and work on writing done than knitting, but that's why I went.
Soooo, pictures to come soon of Oriel.