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Last week I had an itch to start a new pair of socks but promised myself that first I would finish the pair in progress. Sometimes I need a little extra incentive to get projects off the needles.
Embossed Leaves.
I made this pattern a few years ago.
I enjoyed it as much this time around as I did the first time. An entertaining 16-round repeat creates these detailed, cushy leaves.
The yarn is Dirty Water DyeWorks Lillian.
The colorway is Ribbit - a scrumptious green with hints of yellow.
Ribbit has just been added to the Lillian line along with Moon Shadow. A few additional colorways will debut in the coming weeks.
Sometimes a grouping of colors will catch my eye. This progression is my color inspiration for the week.
Blueberries from start to finish.
I'm in the midst of another adventure - this one a road trip with 4 teens. The past couple of days I've been glued to the steering wheel. Mile after mile after mile. I've missed my knitting time, but it's been a good opportunity to chat it up with the kids. Teenagers often have a fresh outlook on things, and I appreciate their perspective. And their sense of humor can be entertaining at times. Don't get me wrong. Being cooped up with them for hours on end has had it's moments, but for the most part it's been enjoyable.
The roadside signs for Kent State University prompted a discussion about the Vietnam War and the student protests. It was a good discussion for teens on the brink of adulthood. Driving can be a good opportunity to ponder and reflect. The conversation made me pause and wonder whether we learned anything from those events in our history.
Cross country road trips like this make me want to meander off the main road and explore the back roads the way Charles Kuralt did. For example the signs in Ohio for Grandpa's Cheesebarn caught our attention. We were tempted to take the exit, but with almost 1000 miles to travel and time constraints our focus was on our destination.
Now that we've arrived the kids are doing their thing, and I have time to myself. I have a lot of computer work to catch up on, but after all that driving I've earned knitting time. I have several projects traveling with me - plenty to keep me occupied during my downtime here.
The first project to get my attention was Embossed Leaves. This sock is almost back to where it was at before I ripped it out, and I'm pleased with the results. My reward for 2 days of driving is uninterrupted knitting time with an audio book. If I'm feeling really adventurous, I may even scope out a yarn store or two.
Lately I've been experimenting with yellow and color combinations that include yellow. I was gifted with flowers this past week and of course my eye was drawn to the yellow - my color inspiration for the week.
Yellow with red accents.
We've had an aggressive summer cold making the rounds at my house. The symptoms include watery eyes, continuous sniffling and extended fits of sneezing. By extended fits of sneezing I mean sneezing 10 - 12 times in a row. Sneezing so hard it feels like your eyes are going to pop out. Once this cold grabs you, you must have a box of kleenex in your possession at all times.
No one in the house has escaped this cold. Last week when I had a sore throat that came and went, I thought maybe that was it for me. After waiting on all the sick ones in the house, maybe my reward was just a minor irritation. That was not to be the case.
Yesterday I felt the full force of this nasty, uninvited guest. I awoke to several rounds of serious sneezing but was determined to make the most of it. I would put my feet up, knit to my heart's content and ride out this crazy cold. I was going to make lemonade out of lemons.
And I did . . . to some extent. When I wasn't sneezing, blowing or dozing, I worked on a sock in progress.
This is Embossed Leaves with the heel turned. It was shortly after this that I realized I didn't like the way the sock fit. I love these socks and I've made the pattern before, but something wasn't right. I'm annoyed with myself that I waited to turn the heel before admitting this. On the other hand I'm proud of myself that I didn't confront the issue after I had knit the toe. The sock has already been ripped out, and I have a new strategy. I didn't have the heart to start over yesterday, but I will be casting on again today. I'm not abandoning the project.
When one project hits the skids, it's often helpful to cast on something new right away. It helps keep morale up.
In between sneezing and dozing I worked on this. It may not look like much, but let me just point out that there are many stitches on fairly small needles - one row takes a lot of time. This was the best medicine. There's nothing like a new project to lift my spirits.
I've been working diligently on my Rhinebeck Mitten. If the day weren't so dark and dreary, I'd have a picture to share with you. The mitten traveled with me to Fiber Frolic and Squam. It's been my on-the-go companion, but now I'm stuck. I'm caught up with all the clues and am waiting for the next one to be released.
While I wait, I've been working on another portable project.
Embossed Leaves in Dirty Water DyeWorks Lillian. There's nothing like a sock to take the edge off waiting.
