Monkey Doo Doo

As we were getting ready to leave for Winnipeg last Saturday morning, I was trying to decide which socks to wear - I put one Feed My Brain sock on my right foot and a Monkey sock on my left foot and asked The Gambler which I should go with (even though I have to make very important and snap decisions on a regular basis when I am at work, I can still be immobilized by indecision on issues that really don't matter. It's like a secret power.) He said "Wear the right socks". As I started to take the Monkey sock off I noticed something: There's a hole in my Monkeys! I initially cursed whatever had snagged the sock and ripped the yarn, but after a closer look: I realized that all the strands are intact. I either a) dropped a stitch when I knit them and didn't notice until now, or b) knit a stitch with only a few fibres of yarn, leaving the bulk of that stitch "free", and when those fibres broke, the stitch started to drop. Whatever had happended, I had worn (and washed) the socks at least 5 or 6 times before noticing it. At first I thought that I would just rip back to that point in the sock and re-knit it, but since it is just above the ankle, I'm going to use some of the leftover yarn to pick up the stitches and do a patch job.

How did May get here so quickly?

I got alot of knitting done during my recent week off, but not much blogging. This weekend was spent at the hospital, so I've only got time for a quick knitting update before I head to bed (was up until 3 AM - need sleep). Monkey socks are now completely done - I ended up having to reknit the toe on the second one AFTER I had finished grafting it shut; turns out I knit one too few pattern repeats. Sigh. I think I ended up knitting those socks about twice over altogether. It's not noticeable, but I accidentally started to knit the second sock from the outside of the yarn cake rather than the inside - so technically one of them is upside down. I of course knit my beloved short row heels instead of the flap heel called for in the pattern. I'm thinking of using more flap heels after I take the flap heel seminars on the upcoming cruise. Speaking of cruise knitting - I am desperately trying to finish the Consolation Vest before the cruise: It doesn't help that I'm having to modify the pattern due to a) being freakishly tall long torsoed, and b) not having the same row gauge the pattern calls for. That red bead is sitting at the point I was supposed to divide for the armholes. This means much trying on to determine when to add the next increase/decrease, etc. Early in the week I whipped this up - it's a headband based on a hat designed by Melissa. It's knit out of Fibranatura Oak. The white blobs of purls will become sheep once I do some duplicate stitching. Although it's possible that might get done on the plane to Seattle - I leave Thursday afternoon, and haven't even wound my yarn, let alone started to pack!

Monkey See

If you had a million Shakespeares, could they write like a Monkey? Stephen Wright Never hold discussions with the Monkey when the organ grinder is in the room. Winston Churchill I am not so much interested in what Monkey man was derived from as I am in what kind of Monkey he is to become. Loren Eiseley Monkeys are superior to man in this: when a Monkey looks into a mirror, he sees a Monkey. Malcolm de Chazal The surest way to make a Monkey of a man is to quote him. Robert Benchley

Deviation from Standard.

Sigh. I was so excited that I could knit the Monkey Socks Pattern as is. Once I did a few pattern repeats, I tried the sock on. And it was difficult to slip it over my heel. But I could pull it on if I used some force, so I knit on. I decided to add some extra stitches when it came to the heel, and was part way down the foot. I had got alot done when I was stuck in the hospital Saturday night because of the snowstorm; it was probably 60% completed. Yesterday, I tried the sock on to see how much further I had to go before starting the toe. That was when I finally faced reality - it's REALLY REALLY difficult to slip the sock over my heel. And the pattern is pretty stretched out when it's on my foot. The sock is too small, and this is the reason why: 12.5 inches - that's how far the sock has to stretch to make it over my heel. A pattern that boasts that the lace pattern easily stretches up to 12 inches? No good for me. Sigh. I guess I qualify as having a high instep. And nothing I do can change it - I could lose 50 lbs and those bones wouldn't get any closer together. Once again, it's been frogged. I'm now knitting it using an adaptation to the pattern that enlarges it to 72 stitches. Speaking of bones - I really wish that I had shorter arm bones: Sleeve progress is snail-like. So what better way to console myself than to start a new project? This is Standard Deviation from the book Knitting New Mittens & Gloves: Yes, I am knitting myself some fingerless gloves. My rationale is that I am taking a cruise to Alaska in May, and it's going to be a bit nippy at times, but I fear being mocked by Alaskans if I wear real mittens. Plus, it's a chance to try some colourwork before I cast on for Glenna's Amazing Argyle Socks. It's also a bit of a stashbuster - these are the yarns I am using: I had the blue, the blue marl, and the purple yarns in my stash (buying 3 single skeins of 3 different colors of sock yarn seemed like a good idea at the time). Today I picked up the white and the purple marl - I'm going to Kool-aid dye the white yarn red. Because none of the colours match those in the pattern, I will call these The Deviation From Standard Handwarmers. BTW - Why is it that so many "stashbusting" projects end up requiring the purchase of new yarn?

Hey Hey, it's some Monkeys!

This weekend, I started working on The March Madness Monkeys. Here's the progress as of today: Doesn't look like alot of knitting, but here's what it took to get this far: 1) Do a provisional cast on for a 72 stitch toe up sock, knit about 95% of the toe, and then realize that the sock will be too big for me(I've never used 2.5mm needles for socks before). Frog. 2) Start a toe up sock for 64 stitches. Marvel at the fact that it seems like the sock will fit my foot. ( I always have to adjust sock patterns to fit my size 11 feet). Knit the pattern chart from the bottom up. Knit half the chart before I realize that the chart is SUPPOSED to be knit from the bottom up, so the pattern will be upside down. Rip back to the toe. 3) Knit the pattern chart from the top down, believing that it will generate the same pattern upside down. After 2.5 pattern repeats, realize that it doesn't. Frog. 4) Start knitting the sock top down. Try slipping the cuff over my heel - with much wriggling, it can make it. Knit 2 pattern repeats. Try slipping it over again. Again, barely makes it over. Cast on feels too tight. Frog. 5) Start knitting the sock top down using 2.75 dpns for the twisted rib cuff. The purl stitches on the twisted rib look like mesh, but it makes it over my heel. Knit 2 pattern repeats. So by now I should be knitting the foot. Oh well. Have I mentioned my joy at having only 64 stitches per round? It's like the sock is kniting itself!!