Buckthorn Stripes

EDIT: OMG! OMG! OMG!! It's been dead at work all day, which is typical of Saturday. I had a busy spell for about an hour. I noticed about 10 minutes ago that someone left a blue Shoppers Drug Mart cloth reusable shopping bag in the chair out front. Just a minute ago I went for my green reusable Sobeys shopping bag with my knitting in it, and it's gone! OMG! I'm sure the person will be back cuz their bag has a telephone in it, a discman, mail, and other things. I looked to see if I could find out who it belongs to, but I have no idea. I don't even know which person it belonged to. AACKK! Whew! RELIEF! Another store in town just called -- the lady just realized what she did and is on her way back. The worst part was it has Marti's book in it. Mental note to keep stuff behind the counter, even when it's slow. Bag is exchanged, everything is a-o-kay. My heart is just beating a mile a minute still.

Blogger and Flickr are acting weird on me this morning. I tried to post the exact same way I always post photos, but for some reason it's coming out wonky. (I am at work, so I will have to check when I get home. Maybe it's the way this machine is set up, even though I've done it before here.)

I finished my first ever pair of toe-up, short-row-heel socks. I still prefer top down, heel flap. My SRHs are getting better. There are no holes, I just would like them to look a little neater. I suppose that will come with practice. The best thing about this method, though, is not worrying about running out of yarn at the toes. Also you can use up every little bit of yarn, which is what I did. These are a men's 9-11, I'd say. You can see they're quite long in the toe for my ladies 8 foot (men's shoes I'd wear a 7).

As you can see in the pictures, I messed up the sequence of the stripes. There are two shades of brown, and I didn't check one I started the second sock to make sure I was in the right place. I thought I was, and by the time I checked it against the first sock I was well into the foot, so that was that. At least with this yarn it isn't a big difference. Everyone that knows me knows that I'm matchy-matchy.

Buckthorn Stripes

Patons Kroy Stripes

started October 15

finished October 24

2.5 mm needles

provisional cast on of 10sts

worked toe increases up to 60sts

heel done over 30sts

vanilla sock started toe-up with short row heels

The recommended needle size is 3.25mm. I would definitely stick with smaller needles, it makes a nice thick feeling fabric.

I think I've finally decided on the shower gift to knit for Hub's cousin's shower on November 22. She doesn't know what she's having, and I have been humming and hawing over what to make. (They keep asking if I'm knitting something -- oh, the pressure!) I am going to borrow this book from Marti and make the top-down cardigan with maybe this bonnet (in a plain version) and some socks to match. I will use Bernat Jr. Jacquards, and I'm leaning towards the City Kid colorway. I just have to wait for the yarn order to arrive hopefully this week. We only have one skein of it left, and I need two. (I think I'll buy that book -- maybe get it for myself for Christmas. I think it would be well worth owning.)

So I'll leave you with the Cannon Loach -- the Oldest One saw him resting like this yesterday and said he looks like he's being launched from a cannon. I read on the internet that loaches can act really weird with barometric pressure. It's suppose to be rainy and nasty tomorrow, so maybe it was a sign. He was extremely active last night -- the most I've ever seen so far. Quite entertaining, for a fish!

Happy knitting!