Knitting and the World Series

I've been working on the reversible cabled afghan when I've been home, but lately, with the World Series, I haven't been home (because we don't have a tv). So, instead, I've been working on my black socks. I think the knitting of socks encourages the mojo of the Sox.

I finally decided to knit the black socks in a fairly simple pattern. I was going to learn a new pattern for the toe from Knitting Vintage Socks by Nancy Bush. Instead, in the first sock, I knit a french toe. Then I decided I didn't like it. So on the second sock, I did a flat toe and am now reknitting the toe of the first sock. As you can tell, I'm almost done. I'll post pictures when I'm done.

In non-knitting news I've been a very faithful Red Sox fan. Last night was almost embarassing when the pitcher for the Rockies walked 3 Sox in to make the score 13-1. I felt like we should have given those last 3 back. But they're ours now. And we'll need them, I think, as we head to Colorado.

Miscrossed Cables

This picture gives you a glimpse of what I've been working on. It's Sarah and Bruce's afghan for their wedding present. I'm running a bit behind, as their first anniversary was last Sunday. I blame the heat in Toledo all last summer. If it hadn't been so darn hot, I would have had this finished long ago. Instead, I'm still on skein 9 of 12.

Of course, it has nothing to do with the incident which is pictured here. Nope, not at all. That's the result of a miscrossed cable. Nothing really to see here at all. Continue on your merry way. Really, though, I'm fixing it.

In other great news, I'm on Ravelry! My username is CraftyAbby. I just got my invite today. I would stay up late exploring the site and documenting my stash, but I'm on call tonight. So I had better go to sleep soon so I will be able to go in at midnight if they happen to need me.

By the way, the wedding in Wisconsin was beautiful. But I didn't bring my camera (where is my brain these days anyway?) so I am waiting for photos of the shawl from friends.

Spiral Socks

I'm home sick today. I came down with a little cold/sinus nastiness beginning on Friday when I was on call. It turns out I am in good company. It hasn't been so bad that I've been debilitated, so I went to church on Sunday and to work yesterday, all the while washing my hands religiously and covering my cough diligently (and correctly). But yesterday, I was sneezing and coughing enough that I decided not to go visit patients. Their immune systems are fragile enough. And if it were my grandma in the ICU, I wouldn't want some sick chaplain visiting her, not to mention infecting the staff.

So this morning my supervisor advised me not to go into work. I'm using a vacation/sick day (they are one and the same for me) which sucks, but I'm spending the day in a nice way, even if it's not at the beach.

I made a squash curry soup for lunch, which was delicious. Will went to the library for me and got the next 3 Katherine Kurtz books for me. And I finished a pair of socks this morning.


Pattern: My own, with a heel flap and a french toe
Yarn: Wool, purchased at Fiberworks in Toledo, Ohio. I forget the company (Regia?) and the colorway and I lost the ball band somewhere in the cross country drive (maybe Montana?), but there are browns, blues, and greens in the colorway. Yarn leftover? Yep, tons.
Started: August 6th at the ELCA Churchwide Assembly
Finished: October 2nd at home in Berkeley, CA

These were my "I'm taking a break from knitting the shawl" knitting. I like the pattern, especially that the two spirals go in different directions. And somehow I like it better when the spirals point down to each other like in this picture, as opposed to switching the socks to the other feet.

I'm now trying to decide which pattern to use for a pair of solid black socks. Should I just do a quick and easy pair of my standard pattern? Or should I do the monkey socks? Or will the monkey pattern be obliterated by the solid blackness of the yarn? I'm itching to cast on, so I'm going to decide soon.