wonder woman socks

I finished the first of the wonder woman socks. For Christmas, when people asked, the only thing I could think of that I really really wanted was a whole bunch of self striping sock yarn from Artistic Yarn by Abi. And Boy did people deliver. I got wonder woman, monarch butterfly, AND sock monkey.

It was really hard to choose which to start with. In the end, I went with Wonder Woman, hoping it would make me feel more heroic.

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Can’t have second sock syndrome when Wonder Woman is involved.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Mar 19, 2019 at 7:31am PDT

I'm really pleased with how it turned out, but I did finish this two days ago and haven't yet cast on sock number two. I know that I will cast on soon (maybe today!) but at the same time I'm feeling a little hopeless with socks. Just mainly because I don't have any shoes that let me show off my really cool socks.

So instead I've been daydreaming about sweaters. It seems weird to think about starting to knit a full sweater on the cusp of spring. That seems like more something you do in January to cheer yourself up or in October to prepare for the coming winter. But NO! I am the person knitting the full on sweater in July when it seems way too hot to even think that you might ever be cold again. Or the one finishing a sweater in July when just trying it on for a picture makes you want to puke.

I'm not saying I won't cast on the second sock. I'm also not saying I won't spend an hour on ravelry today dreaming about the next sweater project.

Do you have a sweater you're knitting now? Drop me a link to a picture.

finished socks

Every week I put "Blog" on the weekly to do list and every week it seems I fail. I looked back though and since January 23, my weeks have been filled with snow days. So not really having a lot of time to think about what I have been knitting. I can't even really articulate why it is so hard to concentrate when the kids are home. Maybe because usually that means we are all home, as my husband also works in an educational setting that has weather delays and cancellations. Anyway, we usually have an average of 4 snow days all winter and this year we've had 12.

I do have some socks to show! I finished the black socks that I started way back in September.

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Weaving in the ends. Weaving in the ends We shall come rejoicing weaving in the ends.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Feb 13, 2019 at 8:09am PST

I had a hard time being motivated to finish these because black yarn on black needles is really hard to see in anything but bright sunlight.

I also struggled with the yarn. You see I found a knot, which yeah whatever. The problem is that this knot was very much like a similar knot I found in another sock yarn in that it TOTALLY threw off the pattern of the self stripes.

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Summer ballgame socks. Slightly peeved at the pattern matching problem on the leg that is NOT my fault.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Sep 11, 2018 at 1:56pm PDT

You can see it above in the leg of these socks. In that instance there were actually two knots, and I didn't realize the patterning was off until much later. This time, I saw it within a half inch of the knot. and I thought to myself, I can fix this!

My plan was to just pull the yarn out until I was back on track color pattern wise. Which would have worked.... except that the knot seems to be where the yarn then reverses the color pattern. I could find the stripes, they were just backwards.

Here's where I confess it took me way longer than it should have to figure the solution. I unwound the entire rest of the skein (Which let me check for additional knots), and then used my ball winder to wind it backwards. THEN I found where the pattern picked up.

Doing this sock made me feel like maybe I didn't like knitting as much as I used to, as I really didn't like picking it up. But All the troubles combined with the dark colors in this dark season must have been in, because less than a week ago, I cast on a sock with some yarn I got for Christmas and it is so much more fun to knit again.

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Wonder Woman socks!

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Feb 14, 2019 at 10:35am PST

quick

This is going to be a really quick entry to say just a few things.

1) I am in the process of taking my pictures down from Flickr and so there will probably be broken picture links in old entries. Sorry.

2) I finished a hat as a present for my stepfather at Christmas and forgot to show it off. Here it is:

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It occurred to me that I forgot to post a picture of this hat! It was a gift and I hope it is keeping its recipient very warm.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Jan 23, 2019 at 10:47am PST

3) I am going to TRY to be better at updating than I have been. We are finally starting to settle into something resembling an actual schedule and I'm hoping that will help me both get more knitting done AND blogging done. We will see.

4) I actually have at least one more finished object to show off. And progress on my socks. So I'll work on that for next time!

honey cowl

The funny thing is that when you make time to knit--you actually get knitting done.

Last week I mentioned that I has started this Honey Cowl something like a dozen times before finally getting to something the right size but untwisted. I've been working on it a little every day and it is almost done. Maybe.

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I love how this #honeycowl is #knitting up.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Dec 5, 2018 at 9:44am PST

I mean the pattern says to make it 12 inches wide, and it is five inches now. I thought I might see what it looks like at 8.

I'm really happy about it because it has been so gray here that the pop of color while I'm knitting has been so cheery. I even took it in the car to do school pickups and let me tell you there is no happy camper quite like me in the car with the audiobook and my knitting! I don't even mind waiting.

And yes, I am making this for me. I will not be knitting anything for anyone this holiday season, although I will be baking assuming I can get the energy going.

finding time

If you are a knitter (or crocheter, cross stitcher, quilter, etc. ) you often hear from people--Oh I never would have time to do that. Actually I hear this about my reading habits too. Sometimes, people say this to emphasize a culture of busy-ness. Like their jobs are so all consuming that that they have no free time.
And my response is always--we make time to do the things we love.
And it is true. I don't love watching tv or movies or playing board games. Some people do and they watch more TV or movies than I do and sometimes I catch myself thinking--How do these people have time for that? Well they don't try to keep themselves in handknits or read 125 books a year.

That said, this fall has been really busy for me. My hours increased at work and I found that I really had to make time for knitting if I wanted to get it done. (Although my reading has stayed the same so maybe I just love reading more?). Because of that, I am ALMOST finished with a sock I started way back three months ago.

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Have about another inch to knit on the first of this pair.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Nov 28, 2018 at 9:10am PST

Maybe I would have made more time for this pair if it wasn't such a dark yarn. It makes my eyes tired after a long day to sit down and try to knit these. I have to give them up much earlier on car trips and sometimes I think I just don't think it's worth it.

Well, the dark dreary days of November must be getting to me in other ways too. A friend of mine and I went to a football playoff game that our teenagers were doing a halftime show for (we lost) and along the way we stopped at two yarn stores. I bought a skein of yarn at each and got them home and realized I had purchased skeins that were RIOTS of color.

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Saturday a road trip to a football game turned into a mini Lys shop hop. I think I was in the mood for more color as the days grow gray.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Nov 19, 2018 at 9:43am PST

You might have to click through to see the second one. The first is a sport weight and the second is a sock yarn.

Because I am finding SOOOOO much time to knit these days, I decided to start a second project. I figure the Malabrigo Rios will make an excellent Honey cowl. And given the first draft (not pictured anywhere because DUH) looked really good but fit me more like a turtleneck, I ripped it out and started over bigger. And kept twisting when I would join. Also the bigger size felt way too long. So now I have settled on an in between size not listed in the pattern (should work though). I'm pretty sure I haven't twisted this time. fingers crossed.

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You know what they say: 7th (?) time is the charm. #joinbeingcarefulnottotwist

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Nov 28, 2018 at 9:12am PST

Hopefully the bright colors will encourage me to find more time to knit.

Halloween post op--pictures

I promised pictures last time, and pictures you shall have.

First up the teenagers asked me the weekend before Halloween if I could help them do a group costume with their friends. And I said--Yes, if we can do minimum fuss. So Each friend bought a blank t shirt in a different color and my job was to make the t-shirt look like an M&M. Pinterest had ideas and I found an M template. Quick trip to the craft store and I had this iron on stuff that you print designs on and then iron it on your tshirt. It was white though and that was all I needed. I made four M's and then sent two off to school Tuesday with ironing directions and ironed two onto shirts and BAM, costumes.

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Instead of sewing kids (teens) costumes this year, I ironed them.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Oct 30, 2018 at 1:37pm PDT

That's good because of MY costume. You see, I had some last minute alterations on my costume because the size I had to make assumed a busty woman and, well that was a bad assumption. So Much taking in was required, but in the end, I was a fabulous Ms. Frizzle. Complete with Lizard. And don't worry--MANY many kids knew who I was.

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To the bus! This year I made my costume instead of the teen costumes.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Oct 31, 2018 at 12:32pm PDT

And finally, I am trying to make time to knit a little every day so I can finish these socks and maybe try something else. I love how the purple ended up at the heel so I have a front and back shot for you.

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Front and back of a sock I’ve been working on since September.

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Nov 5, 2018 at 6:40am PST

Am hoping for more time to knit and maybe a bigger project or two. We'll see.

costumes

I have on my to do list to blog and I really really really want to get a good chunk of my list done this week. But I don't really have any updated pictures. All I have are old pictures--and a whole lot of anxiety.

Ok, so my daughters declined Halloween costumes this year (well at this point I hope they aren't going to spring something on me last minute) but a new job in the children's department of the library means that even though I didn't have my schedule for Halloween until recently, I am hard at work making myself two costumes. Well one and a half.

I decided at first that I would be Olivia the Pig. and then I learned a co-worker had done that last year and may do that again. So I decided to be Ms. Frizzle from the magic school bus. So I bought some planet fabric and a dress pattern.

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Started my Halloween costume. Any guesses?

A post shared by Jodie (@ja_gardner) on Oct 2, 2018 at 10:20am PDT

And thus begins the anxiety portion of our adventure. I have measured myself and have made the size the pattern says to make--which happens to be the largest size the pattern makes. Yes, a commercial pattern. And the waist/hips section are really close to my measurements. I've had to let go of the number attached to this size as it is larger than anything I've ever purchased. I have finished everything on the dress except the zipper. I figured that if it didn't fit, I would add some fabric there. Well, I tried it on last night and I think that it will fit. So also on the to do list: sew in the zipper.

The second costume is for the library's Harry Potter week. I'm recycling a Harry Potter robe made for a certain fourth grader and wearing black slacks, and a gray v neck sweater. I've made a dicky (love that 1960s word) out of a shirt I picked up at a thrift shop and now all I need is a tie. I was feeling like I should make or buy a few different colors and wear this all week, but the robe says Gryffendor so maybe once is enough? And really, I am thinking I may need to make the tie.

I'm hoping that I'll have some pictures next time. I'm also working on a sock that I'm sort of half thrilled with. And one child is telling me she wants a red cardigan, so I know more knitting is coming soon.