Stupid

I'm stupid. I've been feeling just a little sad that noone ever comments on my blog and wondering if anyone actually reads it. Then I just saw a comment somewhere today and realised that if moderation is on, you have to actually go looking for the comments, Blogger won't send a mail about them. Duh! So I checked, and there where comments! I'm thrilled that people are actually reading and commenting on my blog. And extremely sorry that I haven't answered the comments :-( I really appreciate them, thanks. So here are some answers:

Gita, I ordered the Leaf Lace Shawl pattern from Get Knitted, in physical form, not as a download. I think it's a great beginner pattern, I've enjoyed knitting it very much.

Debi, I got a mail from my tea swap pal about a week ago, the 27th. I was starting to get a bit worried at the time :-) And I heard from my Sockret Pal on the 29th.

Sockret Pal, nice to hear from you (I got your e-mail too) Good to hear that you'll find it easy to get goodies for me ;-) I must say that I have to think a bit more about my spoilees, I don't share most of their tastes. But that's part of the fun isn't it? Thinking outside the box, considering colours and other things that you usually don't.

Today I felt so sick at work that I actually went home again after a couple of hours. Nauseous and tired and stupid. I think that the stress of last week got the better of me. So I'll stay home tomorrow too and rest. I sat quietly and knitted and listened to Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. I finished both the Tiger socks and the Leaf Lace shawl and a hat I started yesterday evening!


Project: Tiger Socks
Yarn: Opal Rainforest Tiger, one 100 g skein with leftovers enough for kid or baby socks.
Needles: 2.5 mm Addis, Magic Loop
Pattern: This is a mixup of two toe-up Knitty patterns, an idea from Keyboard Biologist and my own thinking. I cast on like for Widdershins but realised that the sock would be too narrow so I kept on increasing until it seemed right, 62 stitches instead of 54. Then I made the heel from Hedera. I wanted a k2-p2 rib so I increased 2 sts after the heel.
Both these patterns have heels that look like a top-down heel flap heel and I wanted to try that. It worked beautifully! The idea from Keyboard Biologist is to knit plain stockinette but everytime there's a black stitch directly above another black stitch, that stitch is purled. This gives a little more texture to the sock. I like the effect.

The only problem with these socks is that both Mum and Dad has hinted that the want them for their birthday, which are both coming up very soon (this week and next week) And they fit both of them. What to do?


Here's the unblocked Leaf Lace Shawl. It is quite large even now, very cosy. I don't know where to block it. It would fit on our queen size bed, except for the upper edge I think, but the yarn is thick and it will probably take a few days to dry. Somehow I don't think M wants to sleep on it... I think I have to do it on towels on the floor somewhere. I think I need me some blocking wires too.

And here's the silly hat I made (yes that's me). One skein of super thick yarn I got somewhere. I've tried to make a hat out of it before, but there wasn't enough of it. This hat is very slim so there were just enough. I had barely three inches left after weaving in the ends... I had intended to make this hat, but I was running out of yarn fast so I decreased faster and made no ball at the end, just a long i-cord. I have to try that pattern for real though. Maybe for the kids, or for M.