Jeans and Sneakers

Seriously, it seems impossible to make any worthwhile progress on these socks.  I’m still on sock #1 and I started it on Saturday!!!  And!!!  I’ve only gotten about an inch past where the heel will be, once I finish the rest of the sock and come back to it.  When I found this pattern, I thought it was ingenious. . .and maybe it would be in a yarn that didn’t shrink once each row comes off the needles.  But this yarn with it’s elastic content, and it’s harsh-to-my-fingers cotton seems to negate logic and only make about 70% of the progress you’re actually knitting. . .so you end up with less than you feel like you should have, and it’s taking FOREVER!!

I kind of can’t wait to be done with these.  I think if I ever choose to use Cascade Fixation, it will be for a much smaller (or at least more entertaining) pattern.

Another friend of mine is considering commissioning me to make him some socks.  (HI BAY-SAN!)  I laughed out loud when he asked me because he was like “if you’re successful i’ll commission some socks”.   I was like, what do you mean if?!   :P  Rob said I should charge him extra for doubting.  Haha!

Did I mention that I caved and bought a yarn swift online last night?  I found an online coupon for joann.com and got 40% off my order, making the total cost a meager $47 including shipping, which is quite a deal on a wooden swift!!  I’m supAr excited.  I was going to get a ball winder too, but I think I’ll just get one from Karen.  I like giving business to small shops.  :]  Besides, her prices are good, and I don’t have to pay shipping charges or wait for the item to arrive.

Tomorrow night is Knitters Nite Out!!  I can’t wait, I’m so excited.  I’ve got my chair all ready and everything!  I was actually thinking about knitting a cover to go over my folding camp chair, so that it’ll still be portable, but much prettier.  I’d probably just knit up something to go over the existing fabric of the seat, so as to not lose any stability, but maintain portability.  We’ll see.  It might have to wait until I’ve got a crazy yarn stash and nothing to knit.  For now, I’m up to my ears in projects that I’ve started, and ones that I’m planning, so I’ll wait.

One of the blogs I read, Fig and Plum, recommended a book series called His Dark Materials not too long ago.  I’ve been thinking about seeing if they had them at the library ever since she mentioned it, but I never got around to it.  Yesterday my hands hurt from knitting the Cascade Fixation and I was sad that I didn’t have anything to read.  That lead to a conversation with Rob about books that I want and he ended up getting the set for me at Amazon.  YAY!  I’m excited about them, can’t wait until they get here.

While I was looking at those, I also came across The Dark is Rising set, at which I’m baffled.  I don’t understand how I could have grown up an avid reader and not come across this set earlier.   It sounds right up my reading alley, and apparrently is well reputed.  I’ll probably get that after I finish His Dark Materials.

Does anyone know of anything that would hold open a paperback book so you can read it and have your hands free?  I’d like to knit and read at the same time, like I do with movies, but paperbacks have a funny way of springing off whatever heavy object I can find to try to hold the pages open.

I took a nap today after dinner, and slept for about 3 hours.  I have no idea if I’ll be able to sleep now, but I think I might.