Good Morning!
Brrrrr - my computer says it is 13 degrees out with the temp dropping. Our thermometer on the patio is reading 10. Either way it is cold. It is also dark early - not even 5 a.m. yet as I type this. I am up extra early so that I can get my car running and defrosted. We did get a little snow and then when Fletch was outside cleaning off the cars yesterday the precipitation changed to freezing rain. So...the car is coated in ice. I need to leave by 6:45 for my office - extra early/allowing extra time so that I can take main roads instead of back roads through Valley Forge. Oh well, c'est la vie.
Today is Wednesday which means Unraveled Wednesday where we all link up with Kat and her Merry Band of Unravelers to talk making and reading. I am so happy to tell you that I have two finishes to share today!! Yes, two! First up the Treasure Socks are finished.
Fletch likes them and wore them yesterday! (I wish I had thought to get a picture of them on his feet - they look great!)
The second finish is my Lopi hat.
I knit the ribbed brim longer than called for so that it can be doubled. And then I made a very messy pom-pom for the top. I don't really like making pom-poms, but I persevered and voila!
The bad/sad news is that I will not be wearing this. I did wear it Monday when I drove over to C&M's to feed the cats. My entire head was itching and by the time I got home, my forehead was red with a rash starting! The Sigla sweater I knit was made with Lopi, but I always have a turtleneck or tee shirt on underneath that so the yarn doesn't really touch my skin.
And then we have the Sock Squad yarn. Which has been causing me fits and making for some unraveling. First I tried a twisted 1x1 rib using the mini skein. It looked horrible - I had ladders and it just looked messy. Ripped it back and did my normal 2x2 rib. Much better. Then I started the Fairy Maiden pattern and my knitting looked awful. Apparently that cable pattern is too fiddly for me (I may try it later). Ripped all that out. Now I have started a 2x2 rib in the main color.
Much better! I plan to do a little bit of colorwork using the mini skein just under the cuff and then do a plain sock and use the mini for the toes. I fooled around on the computer last night and came up with two options for the color work. If time and energy permit I will try that tonight. Hopefully there will be no more ripping!
Reading is as it has been for the past couple of weeks - nothing new to report. Fletch and I are closing in on the finish of Fox and I (finally). We have under an hour to listen. I decided to finish listening to Heaven and Earth (and actually cancelled my library request for the book). Surprisingly, I have found a rhythm with this and have been enjoying listening to it while knitting or stitching in the afternoon!
If you remember, I decided to have two books on my nightstand that I would read each evening. Both are a series of short essays for each day of the year. Hal Borland's 12 Moons of the Year continues to delight, but I'm afraid I am going to have to bail on Simple Abundance. My copy is the original version and it is way too dated. I'm finding it more annoying than anything else and that's not what I want when trying to relax and go to sleep. Instead I will start Winter Solstice (I also bought "Summer Solstice" by the same author).
A company-wide announcement of my retirement was sent out yesterday. I guess it's official now! As a result of that, emails have been coming in congratulating me and wishing me well, etc., etc. All very nice. I'm amused, however, that some of the emails are from folks I have not worked directly with in decades! Even better are the emails from folks I do not know! LOL
Well, I've probably rambled on long enough. Time to get the car started and see if I can get the ice melted off of it. I've a very busy day ahead of me at the office. Stay warm in this bitter cold!
A couple of deer late yesterday afternoon browsing and grazing under the sunflower seed feeder hanging from my clothesline. As soon as I took this picture some noise spooked them and they ran off into the neighbor's yard.
I hope by now you are safely at the office and that you didn't have any major issues getting there! It's currently 8º here (feels like -5º), so I am happy that my daughter has a 2-hour delay and I don't have to go out in it yet! The socks look fantastic and I'm glad to hear they fit Fletch perfectly. Sorry about the hat. If you still want to wear it, you could try knitting a liner for the part that touches your forehead. Or you could just pass the hat to someone else and knit another that won't make you itch!
ReplyDeleteIt was a bitterly cold walk with Sherman this morning... we were both bundled up! Those socks look so great, Vera! Bravo to you on the finish of them. I am sorry the other sock is giving you fits and starts, but I hope you found the sweet spot!
ReplyDeletethose socks are AWESOME!! bummer that the hat causes a rash...it is beautiful!
ReplyDeleteI am so excited about your retirement, Vera! You're going to love it. :-) The socks are divine! I love the color/pattern combination you used, and I'm so glad to hear Fletch has already put them to good use. I wondered about your Lopi hat . . . I have made two sweaters with Lopi over the years -- and I haven't been able to wear either of them, even with a sturdy layer underneath. (You'd think I would have learned after just one sweater, but . . . no.) I can't imagine a hat made of Lopi! For me, it would be misery. (Although there are a lot of people who have no problems wearing it.)
ReplyDeleteThe socks are great! I can't wear Lopi next to my skin either. When I use it for a hat I always line it with a soft acrylic. I do love it for mittens though. There is nothing better for clearing snow off a car though. Keeps you hands nice and dry.
ReplyDeleteThose socks are great and I'm glad they're keeping Fletch's feet warm! I'm sorry to hear about the Lopi hat because it also looks great, but maybe it will keep Mailing or someone else warm. You did get up early and go out in frigid weather for work this morning, so keep on accepting those congratulatory emails!
ReplyDeleteThe socks and hat look great! I've never been able to wear Lopi - it's warm, but far too itchy!
ReplyDeleteCongratulations on your finishes (even though you can't wear one of them!)
ReplyDeleteWriting a blog post before 5 am is truly dedicated! I hope your drive to work wasn’t too hairy.
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely love the hat, will check out the pattern. Sorry though that it doesn’t work for you wearing it.
Gorgeous deer photo, I think I’ll share it with my cousin, also here in England
Love your socks and hat Vera. Reading those temperatures instantly made me cold, be sure to stay warm!
ReplyDeleteI think it's quite gracious of people you don't even know to send you congratulations on your retirement. Who knows--perhaps they have appreciated and benefited from you doing your job well. You've made an impact on many people while serving in your position.
ReplyDeleteTwo finishes! And they're both great-looking. I sympathize with not being able to wear wool right next to your skin. I simply cannot, period.
(And we've got lots of school closures here in NEO today; single digits and dangerously cold wind chills. Still, it's sunny, so I'm feeling less desperate than I could be.)
I have no problem with Lopi sweaters (I wore one yesterday, in fact) and mittens but I think a hat would make me itch, too. It's so pretty, too, what a shame. Fletch's socks are great, I love that cuff and the contrasting stripes on the feet. I am so excited for your retirement, I will be watching you blaze this trail with eager eyes!
ReplyDeleteYup, knitting socks should be relaxing not a misery! It's beautiful yarn and you can turn it into a great pair of socks! As the socks for Fletch proves! Too bad about the hat but it happens! Someone will love it!
ReplyDeleteFletch's socks look great. I'm sure he appreciated them this morning. DANG! It was cold.
ReplyDeleteWe'll have to play it by ear for Saturday. Looks like more snow is coming and roads are probably going to be icy.
It was 11 degrees here this morning ... too cold for a walk (except a short one for Lucy to do her business) and that made me cranky! The Treasure Socks turned out beautifully. I love the stripes on the foot - very snazzy.
ReplyDeleteI hope you're home from work and all cozy--and that the Panera people arrived on time. Be safe! I love those treasure socks. And sad about the hat.
ReplyDeleteWell darn, I'm sorry that hat caused you a rash because it is pretty, pom pom and all. The treasure socks turned out great and I bet you will figure out something wonderful for the new yarn. The trial and error can be tedious though.
ReplyDeleteI just love the 'interest details' on Fletch's socks. Funny you say that about the hat. I just had to give away two hats that made me itch. No rash, but miserably itchy! Could you line it with some very thin fleece?
ReplyDeleteVera, no woman has perfect pom poms!! LOL!! I like your pom's natural look!
ReplyDeleteAlways fun to read your blog and follow your knitting. I went to Valley Forge Jr High and Conestoga High School (class of 73). Living in MI now where it is just as cold!
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