Just in time!

Here are the finished socks! at 9:40 pm. Details tomorrow (or the next day depending on how crazy it gets tomorrow, things will get back to normal soon!)

almost there!

Yesterday I was seriously stressed about getting my April socks done...okay not really stressed, but almost resigned to the fact that it wouldn't happen! This weekend was great, but ended up with lots of busy things not involving knitting....rearranging furniture to accommodate new furniture, cleaning, shopping, laundry, organizing my shoes (really---DH built some shelves in the closet) Anyway, once the house was together very little knitting time remained. I did make the heel.
Heel flap:

Turning the heel:

So my mom is serious about learning to knit socks (she's diving right in....no first project scarf here!) So I wanted to detail a little more about the heel for her! (I can't wait to be home and get you started mom!) Grandma has her going well on the basics! YEAH! Thanks Grandma! Can you tell I'm excited?
So that was all this weekend....then yesterday my needles just flew! I'm not sure why the foot is going so fast but yesterday I got over 3 repeats done (and made dinner, cleaned the bathroom, picked up, did dishes, and did my school work) Not sure where the energy came from either, but....now I have 1 repeat and the toe to do! Woohoo! That is totally doable, even with dinner with my advisor's advisor tonight and church tomorrow night! So I think the April socks will squeak in. (I'm starting my May socks early....I don't like this rush...I'm not sure how people function at Christmas when they are trying to finish a dozen projects at once)
Oh and last week I got a pic of the albino squirrel that lives on campus (I mentioned seeing him here). So very weird!

Knitted Giraffe sighting!

If you are a giraffe enthusiast (like I am) you may know that there aren't that many patterns out there to make these adorable creatures! I have found an awesome crochet giraffe (Radley) He is fun and cute, but not knitted. As I like to crochet that isn't a problem, but I'm always on the look out. In fact many new visitors come to this blog looking for knitting giraffe patterns (fancy that!) While there are a few out there, which I've linked to on the side, they leave a little bit to be desired in my opinion. But look at ysolda's pic. In the back row is the most adorable knitted giraffe sitting proud and tall. Her elephant and bear went of a field trip and met some new friends. Some of the animals patterns are available, but I didn't see the giraffe. Have no fear, I've emailed the store asking about the pattern! We will sure try to get it, because he is sooooo cute!! Further, if you run across super giraffe patterns please let me know. I will be happy to link to them for all giraffe lovers looking for a pattern.

A cat who plays!

So I had a post all ready for you Wednesday all I had left to do was add the pics. I had written in the early morning anticipating a crazy day. Well now is when I'm finally posting it. Please forgive my quietness this week and next, it isn't that I have a lack of things to say, but with the semester ending things get crazy....I'm never sure why the semester gets so crazy, it isn't that I have exams because I don't, but guest lectures, visitors, research, etc. Then everything seems to stop once classes are over (that is when my house gets clean :) ) Anyway things are good here, so here is a short update, plus kitty stuff!


**previously prepared post, with updated sock info**

In light of no new knitting....well that isn't entirely true, I've got 9 more rounds before the heel! (woohoo), but it looks just like the last one, so not very exciting. So I thought I would share some fun pictures of my cat. (no kids=spoiled cat)

For some reason she likes to play under the family room rug. I'm not sure what the appeal is, but she rolls, sleeps, and even cleans herself under the rug. My dad would say the cat has "issues."

She is fun to watch when she is in the "rug" mood though! Hope you all are having a super week!

A gator!

While DH and I have lived in Louisiana for almost three years, we just had our first alligator spotting! DH went to visit the Old River Control Auxiliary Structure north of BR to seeing the very swollen Mississippi river not realizing he would see this too:

Spring has definitely sprung here! See our Jasmine plant on our back porch all in bloom. It likes to cascade up and cling to anything it can and now is covered in little white blossoms!

One of our favorite trees is pictured below. It is a sweet olive tree and is covered with little clusters of white blossoms. Not only is it pretty, but it smells heavenly!

Okay, how about a little knitting talk too! In the past I have shied away from grafting toes on my socks. Why you ask? Well every time I've done it I haven't been 100% please with the results...it's okay, but I can never get it to look just right! In response, I've taken doing a star toe most of the time. Now when working on my Old Navy, I wasn't sure a star toe would look as good and I just having trouble not following the directions! But I remembered a post Knitting Daily had done about grafting! So I gave it a try and got the best grafted toe I have ever done! It still was a little awkward, but...I like the results!

Half way there!

I'm not sure why I always think I will get to post of Friday. I should realize that it isn't going to happen, but...somehow I hold out hope. See Friday is when I meet with my advisor and tell her what I've been doing all week, and there is always that last minute scramble! Thanks for all your prayers regarding my presentation! It went super and everyone seemed really interested.

On to knitting news....sock one is done! I'm super pleased with how it turned out. The pattern goes really quickly especially once you get used to doing the cabling row. When I was doing the leg, I got to thinking maybe I should shorten it just a little so that I make sure I have plenty of yarn for the foot. I decided not to, then I had to take out the heel and redo it, and again considered making the leg a little bit shorter...but again decided not to. So talk about knitting on the wild side....here is what was left:

Hopefully the second skein is as generous :) So I'm halfway to my Pair-a-month challenge, not too many days left in April, so I've already cast on for sock number 2. Speaking of the PAM challenge, my partner and I agreed on our rules. We didn't really like the idea of giving/buying yarn for a pair of socks....we're both on budgets and my partner is on a yarn diet...maybe that would have really motivated us to get our socks done, but anyway....we decided that we would give a gift ($5-10) of yarn, tea, or books (it need not be new) I think this will work out well and not break the bank. On other news, my mom has decided she wants to learn to make socks (I think) See what happens, give mom handmade socks which she loves....she wants more....she's going to try! I can't wait. She has knitted before a little bit a long time ago....so hopefully my grandma can get her comfortable with some basic knitting skills before I get there and then she will be on her way!

1 piece down, 3 to go!

Yeah! as promised here are pics of the back of the sweater. I realize that they look really similar to other pics you've seen here of the sweater, but I'm done with the biggest piece and totally excited! I'll block it once the other piece are finished, that way I can make sure the seams are the same length. The neck shaping directions were a little weird, but I think came out ok, we'll see when it goes together.

Just to refresh your memory this is from Classic Knits. It the the V-neck sweater pictured on the cover. All the designs in this book are really classics. Nothing fancy, just what I would call staples in the wardrobe! The yarn is 100% alpaca gifted to me by my awesome grandma (and is now discontinued) Oh speaking of the yarn--the back took about 2.5 skeins! I had 11 total, so I think I'm in great shape!

On a side note, I've been shopping for luggage. Yep, with Scotland on the horizon I definitely need some better luggage. What I have is okay, but worn and I've got to be able to pack for a month--how do you pack for a month? Does anyone know how to pick good luggage? It is all so confusing and so many prices!