socks

Stepping Carefully

Posted on by Dan

You’ve been seeing a lot of Virginia’s socks recently, and this post is no exception. With a couple of weeks having gone by since the last post, there has been some major accomplishments, both with knitting and household projects.

Sock #4 (52 Sock Challenge)

The above are Lisa Lloyd’s Narragansett Bay Socks, knit using Mountain Colors.

Sock #5 (52 Sock Challenge)

These are knit with Trekking.

Sock #6 (52 Sock Challenge)

And, these are made with Meilenweit.

Sock #7 (52 Sock Challenge)

With a final push to get these done, Virginia finished these just a couple of days ago. They are from a Dale of Norway sock pamphlet (NR-8001), knit using Smart yarn.

Sock #7 (52 Sock Challenge)

You might be noticing the structure that Virginia is carefully balancing on. That is where I come in to the picture. Lest you think I’ve given up on crafty pursuits, I haven’t. Currently, though, my free time has been consumed with replacing our deck.

Deck Framing

I’m happy to say (after taking Thursday off of work, and pretty much working through the entire weekend) we’ll have a brand new, sturdy (that’s the key word) deck for the next photo shoot (in other words, probably by next weekend).

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Back to Normal?

Posted on by Dan

The dust is finally starting to settle on our bathroom project. In fact, with the exception of a couple of tiny items on the to-do list, we’re calling this one done.

Once again, I did not take a “before” picture. But, let me tell you, the “before” was quite a stark contrast to what we ended up with. Imagine yellow/tan linoleum on the floor, walls and ceiling covered with dark cedar paneling, a giant two-sink vanity (complete with an expanse of mirrors, large globe lights a la dressing studio) and shiny gold-plated fixtures for that extra-fancy touch. I wonder why we waited 8 years to do anything about it. Nonetheless, we (with the aid of a very helpful carpenter/plumber/tiler/all-around-handy-man) finished our project, and are enjoying not having to run down to the basement in the middle of the night anymore.

Bathroom Remodel

Not pictured is the bathtub, which we kept and surrounded by white 3″x6″ subway tiles.

Bathroom Remodel

Also not pictured entirely is the new toilet, which now only uses 1.6 gallons per flush, instead of the guzzling 5. Who knew toilet technology would continue to improve so dramatically.

Peonies

With normalcy comes, of course, more knitting. And what is more normal on this blog than seeing another pair of Virginia’s socks. These are knit with leftover Trekking and Elann sock yarns.

Sock #3 (52 Sock Challenge)

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Lots of Goodies

Posted on by Dan

Despite our house being in chaotic limbo (we’re putting the finishing touches on our bathroom) the craftiness must go on. And, we’ll both represent in this post (as well as our yard).

Socks-a-Plenty
Virginia wrapped up two more pairs of socks.

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These are from her never-ending supply of Meilenweit.

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And, these are knit from Socks that Rock lightweight from Blue Moon Fibers (sorry, I can’t remember what colorway I bought for her — ’twas a long-ago birthday present).

Yes, That’s Spinning Below
I debated posting this freshly-spun yarn, since I still have 9 more ounces of this Corriedale that I dyed up in four three-ounce segments. But, since they are all very different in color, I’ll post them individually. Once they are all spun up I’ll probably revisit them as a group for a single project.

Handspun - Corriedale

This is a single skein. There are approximately 319 yards of 2-ply yarn from 3 oz. of top.

Garden Delights
Our yard is pushing through the various floral stages, with new surprises practically every day. We are fortunate to have plenty, so bringing some indoors to enjoy makes hardly a dent on the supply outside.

Lily of the Valley

Our neighbors think this shade-loving ground cover is a nuisance and keep whacking away at the ones encroaching on their property. We, however, love the Lilies of the Valley. Grass is sooo over-rated.

Iris

And, I think the Irises are early this year. These come and go quickly, so we really have to be present and enjoy them while they bloom. I love how intricate these flowers are, and have tried to capture that in this close-up photo.

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Spinning, Even More Socks

Posted on by Dan

No sooner do I post a finished pair of Virginia’s socks when I see another pair off the needles and blocking.

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And, since the blogging police are insisting we disclose all information pertaining to our projects, the above socks were also knit using Meilenweit (this pair, the 6-ply sock yarn). The pattern is one of Virginia’s creations. She knit them on size 2.5US needles (double points). Let’s see… the photo was taken on our deck at about 3 p.m. on Sunday afternoon. Air temperature was a perfect 68˚F (actually a little cool in the breeze, but nice, nonetheless). Anything else?

On to spinning…

Back from an extended absence, I’ve managed to finish 8 oz. of dark Icelandic roving (it’s from the lamb, so it’s nice and soft). I picked this up last year from Riverwinds Farm, who had a booth at Shepherd’s Harvest. They do such a great job in preparing their fiber. I look forward to buying from them every year.

Handspun - Icelandic Lamb

There are a total of 394 yards of 2-ply yarn. The wheel is all clear now, so I have the exciting activity of picking out what to spin tonight!

Hope the weather in your neck of the woods is a great as it is here.

ETA: In case you haven’t figured it out, the photos are now bigger. So, you can click them to see a larger version… you know, for more detail.

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More Flowers, More Socks

Posted on by Dan

I’m glad I’ve decided to include more flora (and fauna) in this blog. During the spring, when surrounded by all of this blooming glory, it’s easy to start taking it for granted. So, having a record of what we can expect each spring will, I think, not only lighten up the darkest of winter days, but remind me now that this is a good time to be awake and aware of all that surrounds us.

Virginia definitely takes advantage of our new “cutting garden” (planted exclusively for brightening up the house), and I’m glad she does. I just wish we could have a show like this in mid-January.

Tulip Bouquet

Alas, unless you want to spend an arm and a leg for tulips in the middle of winter (not to mention encourage the enormous amount of energy and fuel expended in trying to get them from farm to store), we have to enjoy them when we can. Fortunately, there are other things that we can take advantage of in the middle of winter, that are harder to enjoy in warmer weather. Things like…

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…handknit socks! Virginia’s sock needles are starting to pick up steam again, and I suspect we’ll be seeing more of those around here.

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