quiet

   It has been awfully quiet around the blog for a while, but that does not mean that no crafting has been happening.  Around this time last year, I was in a knitting funk, but not this year.  I have many plans and many of them are right on schedule.  I surprise myself sometimes with how much knitting I can do when I have my mind in the right place rather than scattered about.  Since work has settled down a bit (very busy, but only working during "normal" business hours for the last few weeks), I have time to knit on a regular schedule and plenty of daylight hours to get things knit up... fantastic things.

   Like my Apirka Socks.  I CO on May 2nd and finished weaving in the last end on July 7th.  This was a big project, but I'm happy to say that I was able to finish it in a reasonable amount of time - in between many other projects of course.

   These socks were a relatively easy knit, but there was a bit of uncertainty (which always seems to slow me down) about how successful they would be.  There was no way that I would be able to get the same gauge as specified by the pattern, not that the pattern as written would have fit anyway...  So I improvised.  I knit a swatch and used a total of 5 different needle sizes to get them to fit properly.  I also had to re-chart the toe and heel so the foot of the socks would fit.  In the end, however, I love the finished pair and I'm pretty sure I've finally mastered Kitchener stitch.  Cuff-down socks are still not my favorite method, but being able to successfully graft stitches opens up quite a few doors to new-to-me sock designers.  

   Speaking of socks, I discovered a new yarn shop in my town and felt I had to bulk up my yarn stash a bit.  So I brought a few lovelies home with me.  Including this amazingly pink skein of Mal sock

and also two pretty skeins of Mal lace.

   I still have not explored shawl knitting in any real depth, but I expect this new addition to my stash will solve that.  

Now I'll go back to plotting another big project for the fall.