Finished my first “Two to Tango” sock.  First problem I encountered:  Couldn’t get it on.  The fair isle fishies part was too tight.  So there I sat — sock half on my foot.  Davey came to the rescue:  “Mommy, I have a tiny foot!  I will put it on for you.”

Then it occurred to me to wet it and block it.  I began the process by getting it wet and stretching it out some, and now it went over my foot.  (It was abit like being in high school again, on the bed, trying to cram my jeans on.)  It did stretch pretty well though.

Plan of action for 2nd sock:

1.  I need to get some sock blockers. (that would apply to first sock too).

2.  Address sizing issues.  The cuff is a little floppy(maybe even a lot floppy) and the fair isle fishies section is too small. From the fishies to the toe, the fit is fine.  The pattern called for a 3.25 needle, but since I knit kind of loose I went with a 3.0.  Why I did this with a fair isle sock though is beyond me.   I think I may go 2.75 on the cuff.  When I get to the fishies I will switch to 3.25.  That should give me just enough ease to get that sock over my monster foot.  Then back to 3.0 to finish the sock.  A good alternative would be to give the sock away to someone whom it might fit, but I am not satisfied enough with sock 1 to give it to anyone. (The person would need enormous calves and waifish feet in order to fit the cuff and fair isle properly.)

3.  I also made an adjustment for the toe.  The pattern called for going down to 8 stitches and then grafting.  By the time I got to 20 stitches, I felt like I was wrestling with the dpns more than I was knitting with them.  I also don’t like that pointy of a toe.  So I did like I usually do – 10 stitches each on 2 needles for Kitchener grafting.  That worked fine.

Also on the toe – I was a little iffy on the striping.   The striping got off when I decreased every other row.  I decided to just wing it, and I think (hope) I did it ok.

A couple of other observations:  The cuff involves a repeating pattern.  Where each repeat  starts it looks like a ladder to me.  (Like if you didn’t get your tension right between dpns). Not happy about that look.  Also, I am not thrilled with how I picked up stitches around the heel.  It could look better.  I thought about blaming it on the yarn, but I think I am fooling myself on that one.   So I learned a lot on this sock.  It’s like one giant swatch of a sock.    Now….sock 2!

Home again!  I have missed blogging.  We got in at about midnight.  Davey was asleep about 20 minutes after we left Tulsa.  He was worn out and is worn out today.  However, he had a wonderful time.

I finally get to blog about my presents for my nieces.  I knitted February Lady (young lady) sweaters for them.  I used the soft and squishy Cotton Supreme.  Great stuff.  Wonderful to knit with. I have been fretting over how the sizing was going to go.  I made the smallest size and then adjusted for the arm and body length using patterns for a 10-12 child size.  Here’s Mikayla.  I think it fits pretty well.  There’s some room for growing too though.

Here is Jaydn’s.  Ideally I would have made it a little longer.  I still could.

Overall, I think they turned out well!  Plus my beautiful nieces make the sweaters look better too! So fun to knit.  I had started one for me, and now I need to get back to it and finish it up!

I didn’t work on my little fishie sock hardly at all.  Instead I finished a sock with Plymouth Happy Feet in a dk weight.  It’s a basic sock with a 3×1 rib.  It is a wonderful pattern by Plymouth as well.  It’s a great first or second sock pattern.  I say second because I learned to knit a sock by following this wonderful tutorial by Silver Sock.  I didn’t have anyone around to teach me at the time, but this took me through step by step.  So anyway, these socks are so comfortable and were great to knit on while riding in the car.  I needed to finish the second sock because I need the needles soon for my next sock pattern in Joy of Sox.

I took so many pictures while we were at home.   Davey played with all his grandparents.  He played with his cousins.  He met new wonderful friends who are the children of my friends.  It was a great time for him.

Here he is playing doctor with his cousins.  I mean this measuring is SERIOUS business!

Here he is (post-chocolate cupcake) playing with his Aunt Karen:

We went to watch Mikayla and Jadyn play softball.  Afterwards Davey and Jadyn had fun running through the sprinklers!

I am still going through my photos and trying to weed out the good ones.  I take too many in hopes of a couple of nice ones.  I really like this one we took yesterday at the park.

We are having fun in Oklahoma!  Right now Davey is playing with his Pa, and in a few minutes we are off to see Oma and Opa.  It’s been a non-stop playing extravaganza almost since we crossed the border.

We stopped at a Dollar Tree in Northwest Arkansas where I bought him a few things to give him periodically to make the drive a little more fun.  He kept asking me, “What else do you have in that bag of junk?”  I admit, it’s not high quality stuff – but I just don’t know where he got the word Junk!

We played with our friends in Tulsa until about 9pm.  A splash park and then Shawna and Tony’s house.  He loved playing with Sarah and Lily.  When he woke up this morning (he’d been asleep when I brought him in) I asked him where he was?  He grinned really really big and said, “Lily’s house!?” 

So I have no pictures today, no real knitting news – I did get to work on an ongoing sock for awhile while David drove.  I couldn’t work on my fishie sock as it required reading and more careful study. 

Ok off to follow Davey in fun!  Happy Friday.

We are heading out on a little trip to Oklahoma today.    It will be a busy time with lots of visiting.

So  I was contemplating starting my next project in the Joy of Sox on the drive home.  I haven’t gotten #2 done yet, so I was trying to decide if I was breaking my rules.  Then I thought – well they are my rules.  I am going in order and this is a special circumstance as I would like to put the driving time to good use, but I am limited as to what I can knit because I get carsick.    These socks are called Takeout for Two.  I have never knitted anything like these before, and I probably wouldn’t have if  I wasn’t knitting this book.  Which is why I like this project so much.  I probably wouldn’t have tried out the little fishies pattern either.

I am decreasing my heel now on my fishies sock and am getting ready to settle in to the foot.  I am hopeful that at least the first sock will be done by the time we get back home.

Davey is running around the house lamenting the fact that the little sticker he got from the nice lady at Walmart is torn.  “Mommy, my sticker is torn!”  So dramatic!  He is already very expressive.  He gets that from his Daddy. (no drama from his mama.)

Davey created a Playdoh Baby yesterday.  He carried him around and told us how much he loved him.  At some point, he divided the playdoh baby into twins.  Then they magically came back together.  Here is a photo of Playdoh Baby:  (David and I quietly said out of Davey’s hearing that Playdoh Baby kind of resembles an internal organ of some type.) You can see how much he is enjoying little “PB”:

I started the heel of my sock last night. I did the heel flap and finished turning the heel. Now it is time to pick up the stitches around the sides.

I love the two-color heel!  I don’t know why there is that wrinkle in the middle.  These photos make me nuts.

Two more things about the sock.  I described the cuff as having kind of ruffles.  Well my knitting friends at my knitting group last night helped poor rather blockheaded me.   My friend Karen said, “oh those are waves at the top”.    Hadn’t occurred to me despite the fact that I am knitting fishies in water.  Then I wondered, “Why is it called Two to Tango”?  My friend Lori suggested it is because I am using 2 colors.  Sounds reasonable and had also not occurred to me.

Davey and I went walking again this morning and ended at the thrift store.  Today we found some great German puzzles!   On one of them, you connect the mommy animal with her babies:

I love this little puzzle!

And finally – Poor Koko.  She has a wound on her elbow that is not healing well.  So, Elizabethan Collar.  Poor girl, I just hate to put it on her.  She doesn’t like it either.  She’s 14 and has enough challenges as it is being arthritic and almost deaf.  Now we had to put that collar on her.  Here’s hoping her elbow will heel (I have typed in heel like that 10 times.  I have heel flap on the brain.)

Ok I really can’t tango much today with my sock – I need to get over the alliteration too. (that probably won’t happen though.  I enjoy it too much!)  I have got to finish my other projects.  I can’t wait to share them next week.  Well, if they don’t turn out to be hang off the body or floppy armed short waisted disasters.

I began the heel flap last night.  Cuff is done!  All I can see when I look at this picture is that vertical line running down the middle of the sock.  Small problem when going from needle to needle.  Oh well, it’ll block out.  (At least I will comfort myself with that for now.)

I think one reason that I love this sock so much is that those colors are just very soothing to me.  The blues remind me of the ocean.  It’s so darn hot here.   I have to stop talking about the heat though.  It is ONLY June 22.  We’ve got July, August, and part of September.   Oh but I just mentioned it today to explain one reason why this sock appeals to me so much.  (and the fishies are just too fun!)

Davey and I walked around town this morning.  We ended our walk at the thrift store.  We like to check there periodically for toys for him.  Last week we found a Wiggles Guitar.  Today we found a mega blocks Fire Truck.  1/2 price sale so it was $2.00!  He loves it.  He’s been pulling it around the house and filling it up since we got home.  Here you can see that playing can be serious business.

Here I got him to say “cheeeeeese”:

Finally, I wanted to share this blog – the Frugal Life Project .  I just discovered it a week or so.  She usually posts at least 2 times a day.   Things like sales at Old Navy, or a great sale on a park bench at Amazon the other day (with free shipping!).  Yesterday she put up a link to a Disney website.  You can set up a phone message for free where a Mickey Mouse character will call and leave a personalized message for your child.  I set it up to call this morning  for Davey.  At 9:00. Great planning on my part – we were out walking.  So we missed it – the answering machine didn’t get it. I will try again.  Anyway, she puts up coupons, recipes, all kinds of stuff.  I love it! (You can follow it on facebook and twitter as well.)

Happy Father’s Day in particular to my father and to David!

I still have a tendency to forget about Father’s Day applying to David.  I’m so dumb.  He loves being a daddy to Davey, but my brain knew him for so long before he was a father, I guess it just  forgets to make the connection sometimes.

Davey and I are going to get him a cake.  “Cupcakes Mommy, and a Cake – a Race car cake Mommy!” says Davey.

Have a great day!

It’s naptime.  Not looking good.  Do we want to battle the heat at the waterpark?  Not sure I have it in me.  Think I’d rather stay where it is cool and try to finish this sock!  I had to order some yarn for my Two to Tango socks that I am starting next.  It arrived today.   I can’t wait to get started.

Also, I really like this artist and his blog.  I wanted to share his latest entry: http://woowork.blogspot.com/2010/06/business-by-book.html

Happy Friday afternoon!

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