Sometimes…

you just have to say wtf?!?

The last three days I’ve been waking up about 5am – not just uh it’s morning ok, cool… roll over… but actually awake.  This hasn’t happened for a few months.  So… this morning I FINALLY got access online the W2 I’ve been waiting for (the ‘you do not exist’ W2) so I completed and e-filed Federal.  Going to file State in a few weeks since I owe about $22.00

Then to add to the fun and frustration, I did 17 job applications and browsed a boatload of career/mentoring/we’re better than anyone out there sites.  The applications took pretty much all morning.  I’m so done with those for a day or two.

A close friend from back in Tx called a couple of times today.  It’s nice to be in touch and have that little emotional pat on the head.  Especially right now – maybe no one wants to pay to have you around eight hours a day but I’ll call you just because I want to – type thing.  Ouch, that sounded a bit off.  It wasn’t meant badly, just it’s particularly nice to have someone stay in contact ‘just because.’

Yesterday wasn’t a superior knitting day but there was some progress.  Mom’s stole/wide scarf is coming right along.  And the boring navy socks now has the first heel turned and gusset nearly finished.

Marci’s Nippers have a couple inches to go before the heel starts and I’m still figuring out what Ravelympics’ project is going to be.  I sorted through several more patterns last night and am now further from knowing than ever    Come Friday evening, I’ll be casting SOMETHING on though!

If there were time, I’d be starting Snowden Becker’s Myrtle Cardigan.

Snowden Becker's Myrtle

But… there’s not time to order and receive the yarn (kind of have to wait until the tax return arrives to make any purchases oops!) AND… I really want to knit up her Decimal (Knitty, Spring 2009). Decimal has been in ‘queue’ since it was published nearly a year ago.

Decimal Knitty, Spring 2009

AND… I also want to try Snowden’s new Beverly  which should be out on KnitPicks‘ site shortly.

For those in the greater Salt Lake area or who are interested… check out the listings for Service for Susan.  Susan disappeared several weeks ago, quite possibly the victim of foul play.  The general subject is still pretty tender for me so not going to expand further than refer any interest to Facebook or the local news.

And on a slightly different note:

Yes, yes, I do!

Socks, socks, job applications

The 15 job applications for the morning are complete.  I’m hardly even getting the standard ‘thanks for applying’ automated emails these days.  There must be too many applicants for some employers to have a generated response.  However, I’ve completed 15 applications daily and will continue to do so complete with follow ups, etc.  I hate filling out applications.  Then again, who doesn’t?

The 3+ hours of sock knitting per day is resulting in far more progress.  I’m working on the eye of partridge heel on the amazingly boring navy socks; the Nippers for Marci are proceeding well – going to have to order more yarn though since I’m making them longer than originally anticipated.

The lace is straight forward and a joy to work.   I’ll undoubtedly make another pair at some point.

AND… I finally found a toe up sock pattern that may eliminate the ‘mountain effect’ forever!  *happy dance, happy dance*  It’s called Fred and George by Rosemary Waits.  I’m in lust with how lostandlovely’s turned out.  Rather than do the stripes in the pattern, she chose Koigu Painter’s Palette. 

The Socks for Soldiers have been dormant for a while now.  I feel like an epic failure on that.  In all fairness, with the house being for sale a lot of things are packed – again – and they were accidentally boxed with some other projects.  I finally found them and am casting on again.  The pair I was working on absolutely did not have that perfect look and the tension was a bit off.  Again, I feel absolutely, painfully guilty for not holding up my end of this.  Having major blocks of time to devote to this worthwhile mission is one happy byproduct of the current jobless state.

Als0… I’m finding that bringing myself to work on Mom’s scarf/stole (Scarf for Ally on Ravelry) is nearly impossible.  The pattern is lovely, I enjoy it.  Whether I just don’t like the way the yarn/pattern combination is working up or whether it’s because I started it in Heidi’s ICU room before she passed, I’m not sure.  Perhaps it’s a bit of both.  So… decided last night to send it to the frog pond and start over with a different yarn.  I think a visit to Three Wishes is in order.  Their selection is perfect, plus they have several new classes, the nicest owner and staff possible and well… I need to do something outside the house hehe.

Toe up sock

The obvious finally hit me.  When working a toe up sock for a fairly wide foot cast on way more stitches rather than increasing so much.  Am I really that dense?  Yes, yes, I am. 

Most toe up patterns instruct to cast on 8, 10, or 12 stitches, knit, increase from there.  If you’re going up to 68-72 stitches around the foot that’s some HUGE increasing.  So…. if one modifies it to cast on more stitches it lessens the increasing which, ta da!  Eliminates the freaking mountain look.  When I say the toe up socks I was working on looked like mountains, I mean that quite literally.  It went from 12 stitches cast on to 72 stitches in roughly 3.5 inches.   I’m guessing some caution must be used or the toe won’t fit snugly.  This shall work!!!!!!

School, finally!!!

I was accepted to the U of U a couple of months ago but at the moment the class schedules available in my major won’t allow my work schedule. So… I applied to, and was accepted at SLCC in sociology. Yes, it’s ‘only’ an associates program but fully transferable to UVU or U of U or anywhere else. AND, it’s nearly all online!!! Should I be concerned that I am admitted to Spring Term which started 11 Jan 10, on 22 Jan 10? uh, think I’m a bit late! Or they started me a bit earlier than I had applied for hehe.

I’ll be starting Summer 10 and can’t wait!!!! The financial packets are being gone through, the course catalog online would be a bit dog eared by now if it were possible to dog ear an online publication, the proper places are being requested past university transcripts, etc. This SO rocks!

I’ve been trying to get back into school for nearly 17 years now but there was always ’something’ in the way. Small children, moving around, career obligations, general life stuff that other people overcome but… I’ve FINALLY done it! Go me! sorry, doing a bit of a self congratulatory thing here oops!

The plan is get the associates as quickly as possible, finish the bachelors then go on for masters and perhaps doctorate. For a while there I’d halfheartedly convinced myself that I am far too old to be seeking a doctorate. Of course, I’ll be the same age in six years whether I go for it or not. So, duh! DO IT! What if the job market is bleak for someone of my greatly advanced (cough, cough) years by then? Helloooooo… it’s a bit bleak now. You’ve been temping for four months… DO IT! It is now in the process of being done. Oops… can’t quite help it, one more time – go me!!!!

—————–
The navy blue boring socks are going to be knit top down. I gave up trying to make it look like a sock for rather wide feet doesn’t look as though it has a mountain for a toe going toe up. It’s working out far better this way. Seriously?! Yes, it looked just like a big huge mountain with tiny little peaks for the first several inches. Not a fan.

Marci’s socks have been a bit neglected during the mountain/toe thing so am working on those today as well as cast on a bright pair for moi. I am in considerable lust with this yarn. Yes, KnitPicks again – hey, I like it!

Beckett Shamrock

Those are most of my favorite colors, warm, cozy, bright yet subdued whilst somehow set off by the black. Nearly psychedelic. Love it! I’ve been playing around with stitch patterns trying to come up with just the right combination to show off the colors and not drown the overall pattern.

And one quick plug – click on over to Wooly Thoughts.  They are amazing!  Remember the whole knit quilt thing I did a while back?  Check this baby out…as well as this one
exhibited in the Guildhall in Chester back in 2001.  Just go look at the whole exhibit, actually.  It’s truly inspiring!

Sock Hell, Blood Pressure, Work… I need to get away!!!!

I’m working on a pair of toe up socks that I’ve reworked the toes three – yes, three! – times now.  I just didn’t like the way the pattern was working, didn’t like the toe itself which was my own fault for improvising and not getting the math correct, and now they seem to be sorted out.  At least the first toe.  Yeppers, I’m making the pattern up again.  It’s not that there aren’t brilliant patterns out there, it’s that I want this pair to be a specific way.  The heel will have to be borrowed from a written pattern though.

In better news – Marci’s socks are coming along quite nicely.  And… I may just cast on a pair for myself as well.  I need socks.  I need some slippers too.

Something beautiful inserted because I needed it
On the work front things are still a bit up in the air.  Last night one of my fellow temps texted that one of us (there were four of us that came over after the lay-off) was let go yesterday.  The reasons were attendance and lack of call volume.  We’re a bit confused as her attendance was the same as the rest.  We’ve all had the nasty cold/flu thing so have missed an average of three days each over the last four months.  Lack of call volume?!?  We have three new clients on top of the ones all ready established and have had calls holding for weeks.  Bit unsettling!  And the search for permanent work continues.  I’ve had a couple of offers but none that could possibly pay the bills.

AND….  4B dropped my medical insurance.  Thanks, babe.  Maintenance meds are about $325 a month now and the doctor visits are canceled.  They wanted to run more tests – again – but not going to happen for quite a while now.  I did see a PA yesterday who charges $48 for the first visit and my blood pressure was frighteningly high.  Must be stress, never had a reading anywhere near that high before. (186/80 – I’m usually in the 80 -90/70’s range)  Oops!  I will be doing relaxation exercises and treadmill time.  yikes!  She was able to change one med which should help drop the pounds the former one put on.  Being on 3 meds that cause weight gain isn’t good!  Until about three months ago I was able to keep things under control but when another one was added – oops!  Twenty pounds ‘magically’ appeared.  Cutting that one should help!!!!

Christmas socks ~ One nearly done

I frogged the heel cup and re-worked it, have no idea why but did a double decrease PER SIDE originally.  That would have been one tight heel!  It sat there for days while I dreaded unraveling so this morning… I sucked it up, took it out and re-did it.  As with most things, it was a bit less painful than anticipated and didn’t take all that long.  Now I’m deciding whether to carry the colorwork down the foot or do a solid green until the toe which will be red.  The only shoes that I can really wear them with are tennis shoes or another pair of flats so thinking it won’t really matter if the pattern continues. After all, even though I’m working on writing up the pattern, the majority of it is still in my head.

Thanksgiving at Mom’s went well; I only stayed a couple of hours as I don’t want to get anyone else sick.  The rest of the day was spent sleeping and reading.  Quiet day all in all.  A bit lonely, actually.

Yesterday was spent working.  Two clients’ open enrollment ended yesterday and there were the typical last minute phone calls.  I still don’t have access to one of the clients so had to keep making cases for someone else to input them.  I dislike making work for others, particularly when it’s something I’m more than capable of handling  but that’s how it is right now.

My co-worker Heather had her baby the week before last and Juan and Alicia had theirs.  I worked with Alicia at CVS/Caremark and now work with her hubby Juan at ADP.  I really enjoy my team; I just wish we had a clue if any of us (read ME) are going to get hired as regular employees.  I desperately need benefits and not having a ‘real’ job is nerve wracking sometimes.  No pay for sick time and no holiday pay is really messing with the old budget!  Oh well, it’s sure better than nothing and I’d like to avoid unemployment as long as possible now.

I sent 4B an email requesting payment on the money he took out of my account, cash advances that I had to repay for him, etc. I seriously doubt that I’ll ever see any of that $1500 or so.  But, at least I asked.  Reasonably nicely even!  Losing everything in the storage unit still kind of hurts sometimes.  Marci asked for the vanity set that I’d inherited from my grandmother.  I’d planned on giving it to her when she turned 18 last year but it’s gone so…. can’t do that.  I wish I could give my children half of what they deserve, they ask for so little.

More Ramblings

More ramblings on roomates, life, and knitting
I made some great chicken noodle soup then spilled a huge bowl on myself at the office pot luck. (can you say unwitting Exorcist costume!)

The Holly’s Red and Green Snowflake Socks are moving along; I received my Rowan book a couple of weeks ago, can’t wait to get started on some new projects; the sparkly Christmas stockings ! I bought three skeins of Heather’d Pink from KnitPicks and for the life of me can’t remember what I was going to do with it! I’m trying to finish the Holly Red and Green Snowflake Socks so the pattern can be posted. This time there will be a proper pattern, not just general guidelines. (Read – I want to remember how to make them again so will be very detailed. If you’d like to make some – please do!)

Seriously, perhaps the roomate should be on meds. Maybe he is, idk. Around 11:30 or so last night he was listening to 80s music VERY loudly (omg… 80s pop-lite?!??) and it was keeping my 18 year old up so…. she had her brother ask M*** to turn it down so she could get some sleep before early classes in the morning.  M*** turned it down, shut/slammed his door and muttered loudly ’they always say shut up,’ ‘why should I have to shut up,’ etc. for at least 20 minutes whilst banging things around.   He frequently mutters loudly and bangs things around but until last night we never asked him to quiet down in any way.  He also pops in and out of his room constantly if I’m on the computer late at night, sits and stares at the microwave for up to 15 minutes at a time,  and a lot of other odd behaviors.  The kids and I are not at all comfy with him for several reasons but it doesn’t seem to bother ex-hubby/landlord.   Odd is okay, different is okay, eccentricity is encouraged. Creeping people out? Not so okay.

Mind, the kids and I stay in our designated areas upstairs most of the time (lol NO, there are not designated areas, we just like our own spaces) but sometimes we enjoy watching tv or using the computer downstairs.  I often look at the treadmill down there and think about using it… but that’s another story.  Will converted the laundry room into his bedroom so he and M*** have the downstairs with the exception of the common family room.

Anyway – not sure what, if anything, Will is going to do about the situation.  It’s not horrible, just not at all comfortable.  And I wasn’t kidding about the meds.  I have a suspicion what the deal is but it’s not really my place to say much unless directly confronted or the situation gets out of hand.

Generally, everything else is going fairly well.  I’m still pretty tense about only being a temp.  I need full benefits fairly soon and haven’t had much response to the resumes/phone calls.   On the plus side, the car is registered even though the rear ball bearings could go at any time and the windshield has a couple of cracks, it still passed.  Woot!  David made cookies last weekend, 2 dozen or so Reese’s Pieces and a dozen White Chocolate Macadamia Nut.  WRT received a tub of Chocolate Chunk cookie dough for his bday along with some cozy slippers and a new Janis Joplin Greatest Hits cd since the old one has scratches and it’s a MUST on road trips.

And now an update of an entirely different sort.  As I was getting ready for dress-up at the office last Friday I came across a check Heidi (deceased sister, see earlier posts) had given my daughter a week or so before she died.  Out of no where I started crying uncontrollably.  I’m learning a great deal about grief and ‘the process’ but sometimes the emotionality eclipses the intellectual in ways that surprise me.

knitting away again

Work just hasn’t been that busy so knitting is making progress. On The Needles right now:

1) still working on Mom’s Not Pink Stole 2) Holly Red and Green Snowflakes

I’ll be writing up the free pattern for this pair shortly.  The ’snowflakes’ are pretty easy and can be placed wherever suits you on the leg portion.  The heel is your somewhat standard sl1 type heel and the turn will be fairly standard as well.  At the moment, I’m planning the instep and sole to be plain green and toe plain red but that is subject to change.

3) Blackrose Wristlets

The free pattern for these pretty wristlets is from Knitty 2008 by Knittyspin. I like the way these are working up in Knit Picks Imagination.

This afternoon I took Marci shoe/cosmetic shopping.  omg….  How does one spend that much money so fast?!  yikes.  But, she really does need the shoes.  One of her close friends is getting married next Friday (yep, day before Halloween) and Marci needs shoes to wear to the celebration.  I ended up getting her a pair of flats, pair of heels, a warm winter hat and some mittens (she DID ask if I could make some for her which of course, I all ready have started but she needs some this week so….)  I even bought myself a $6 pair of blue shoes with black heels and we decided $2.00 on vintage type clutchish handbags was a fantastic deal so got one red one and one nude/black lace one to share.

David needs new shoes too so…. going to have to get some next week along with a couple pairs of jeans.

Mint Green Fraternal Twin Socks

And finally here’s the Fraternal Twin Sock pics.  It’s been several months since they were finished but I just got around to photographing.  As you can see, I got bored and changed the foot design a bit on the second one. 

The heel is WAY too shallow but they fit fairly well anyway.  It’s my own fault, I was making up the design in my head as I went – oops.

I also did my own nails (as in acrylics) and toes.

Currently On The Needles

1. WRT’s second Summer Sock is ready for heel turn, not too much longer to go there
2. S4S has finally been found (temporarily ‘lost’ in yet another move) and is cast on
3. Mom’s ‘Not Pink’ Comfort Wrap
4. Carnival Top

I need to get WRT’s  socks finished so can keep moving along on the Socks for Soldier olive drab pair.  Mom’s wrap is coming along, it’s a little more plain than I’d like but she’s not really into tons of lace.  I may just knit her up a proper lace shawl one of these days though and bet she’d wear it!

The Carnival Top is from Knit ‘N Style, April 2009 (ravelry link) – comfy, fun, easy going.  I’m doing it in light lavendar Caron Simply Soft that I had sitting around for quite a while.  It’s been far too hot to wear recently so haven’t worked on it for a few weeks.  Guessing if I don’t get a j-o-b quickly after the lay-offs I’ll have plenty of time to work on pretty much anything I want to (that I have the yarn for, of course).

Felted Christmas Stocking Pattern

Felted Christmas Stocking

Here’s the pattern/guidelines:

Original guage was 8 st st = 1″    feel free to alter as you’re going to felt and may want a different size stocking.  After felting this stocking is 6″ (15 cm) from top of ruffle to bottom of heel and 6″ (15 cm) from back edge of heel to tip of toe.  Prior to felting it was a women’s large size.

Materials:
Needles – 1 pair straight sz 3 (3.25 mm); 4 (or 5 if you prefer) sz 3 (3.25 mm) double pointed needles

Yarn – Knit Picks Palette Fingering Weight, 1 skn Garnet Heather (main color), 1 skn Ivy (second color)  note – requires apx. 1/4 skein main color and a few dozen yards of second color.

Ruffle and Top:

• Using SC Cast on 300 stitches (yes, 300) on SINGLE points using fairly firm cast on of your choice.  I used loop cast on.
• Knit right sides, Purl wrong side or 4 rows (2 each k and p)
• On right side K2Tog every stitch (total of 150 stitches)
• Switch to double point needles arranging 50 stitches per needle (if using 4 needles total),  join being careful not to twist stitches.  The ruffle tends to curl so be extra cautious.
• Knit 3 rounds
• On right side K2Tog every stitch (total of 75 stitches)
• Knit 2 rounds
• Knit to last 3 stitches of 1st needle, K2Tog, K2, K2Tog, knit to last 3 stitches of next needle, K2Tog, K2, K2Tog, knit to last 3 of last needle, K2Tog
• K2Tog, knit to last 3 stitches of 1st needle, K2Tog, K2, K2Tog, knit to last 3 stitches of next needle, K2Tog, K2, K2Tog, knit to last 3 stitches of last needle, K2Tog
• Knit
• It helps stabilize the top if you add about 1/2 inch of K2P2 ribbing here, you can omit if you wish to and knit
• Change to MC and K 4 rows
• Knit decoration of your choice  – this one has an eyelet heart from Stariel’s Blackhearted.
• Knit another 4-6″ (again, depends on how long you want the stocking)

Heel:  (I did slip stitch, if you prefer a different one – go for it!)

• Arrange stitches so there are 32 on 1 dpn – this is your heel needle
• *Row 1: SL 1, K1 – repeat across
• Row 2: Sl1, Purl *
• Repeat 10 times
• Change to SC
• Repeat 10 times
• Change to MC
• Repeat 12 times (32 rows total)

Turn Heel:

• Change to SC
• K19, SSK, K1 turn
• Sl1, P7, P2Tog, P1, Turn
• *Sl1, knit to stitch before gap, SSK, K1, turn
• SL1, purl to stitch before gap, P2Tog, turn*
• Repeat * to * until all stitches are worked – DO NOT slip first stitch on your last purl row.
• Knit across

Pick up and work gusset:

• Change to MC
• Pick up 17 stitches along side on same needle
• Knit across instep needle
• Working on 3rd needle, pick up 17 stitch along side, knit across
• Arrange stitches so beginning of round is now in the middle of the heel (it should be there all ready, but just in case…)
• Knit around to 3 stitches before instep needle, K2Tog K1
• Knit Instep
• Knit 1, SSK, knit
• Knit until 16 stitches are on each of the two ‘heel’ needles

Work around until stocking is 4″ shorter than desired length

• If you want to add SC stripe or pattern here, go for it.  I did a K12 MC, K SC, K12 MC around then K10 MC, K3 SC, K10 MC around then K12 MC, KSC, K12 MC around stripish pattern (didn’t work out perfect but it was pretty close)
• Go back to MC
• Work until stocking is 2″ shorter than desired total length

Toe:

• Row 1: K1, SSK, knit to last 3 st on instep needle, K2Tog, K1. K1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts on sole needle(s), K2Tog, K1
• Row 2: Knit around
• Knit these two rows until 40 total stitches remain then do Row 1 five more times

Graft:

• I did Kitchener, do whatever grafting you’re comfy with though.

Felt:

• To semi-customize the felting I ran EXTREMELY hot water from the faucet and held the ruffle portion under it for about 30 seconds at a time until it was 3/4 of the size I wanted it to be (think it was 5 times).  Then I held the rest of stocking under the water for about 30 seconds per time three times.
• Then… threw it in the dryer with the darks and… out came the Christmas Stocking.

Still having holiday issues.  Maybe it’s because the tree is in a box by the side of my bed (er now 4B’s bed arghhhhh) with about 10 boxes on top of it.  idk. But…. my son is happy as the proverbial clam!!!!  He was gifted Slipknot tickets for their March 09 stop in Denver.  Thank you, B!!!!!!!!!!!

Basic Sock Chart Socks

After ripping out WRT socks yet again, I decided to switch over to the Basic Sock Chart by Linda Peck offered for free.  It’s straightforward for sizes baby through men’s 9.  WRT socks are size 10.5 so had to do some knitting math but think it’s working out far better than the toe up I was trying.  Mind you, the toe up pattern I was using is a perfectly good pattern, it just wasn’t working with this combination of yarn and gauge I was getting.

Why do I like the Sock Chart so much?  1) I prefer using 4 dpns not 5 whenever possible but typically do gusset pick ups and subsequent next row with 5 then drop back down to 4 needles;

2) the top of the sock and over the foot can be done however you want – lace, cables, ribbing, plain – you just have to divide whatever stitch pattern you want to use into the number of stitches for your size/gauge;

3) it’s easy to adjust for wider/narrower feet and ankles;

4) you can do whatever heel type you like.

The heel is turned, gusset stitches are picked up and am working on the gusset shaping now.  That’s what happens when you are awakened at 2am for the third night in a row and can’t get back to sleep.  Not happy about the annoying wake ups and ridiculous conversation but thrilled at the unexpected extra two hours knitting time.

ohhhhh… and guess what I noticed yesterday!!!!  My son has a nekkid iPod…. hmmm….. wonder how he feels about cables done in blue.