A new something along...

Well, it's not a knit along. It's a dye along. It sounds like a lot of fun. For some reason I have a lot of yarn waiting to be dyed and I haven't done much lately. So, I guess I'll have to set aside some time to do some more dyeing. The link to join is under the knitalong category in the sidebar. It's the picture with the cute sheep.

A finished object. Okay, so I didn't finish it. I'm still plodding along on the same boring socks. A friend of mine made this for me as a favor. It's to match the Vintage Bubble Bag that I made my mother-in-law for Mother's Day.

The laptop saga continues...

I backed up things like a busy bee for days before my husband ran the recovery disk. I thought I made sure I had everything. I think I have all the pictures I've taken with the digital camera. When I went to get some sock knitting notes for a friend I found my knitting folder missing almost everything, including the two patterns I've been working on. It's all gone...gone...gone. That was a very sad moment. So, if anyone ever reads this blog, and I've sent you my notes on a knitting project - could you send back to me? Pretty please. The only patterns and notes that remain are the odd ball things that didn't fit into a folder category and were just "loose" in my knitting notes. Lesson learned - when you back up stuff on a computer that is in a coma, check each and every folder to make sure it has all of its contents.

Instead of knitting, I talked to my friend who I taught to knit on the phone. She tried to buck me up. Since I started knitting I've sent her tons of emails of my notes and I'm hoping she still has them. Cross your fingers for me. I have no knitting history, it's all gone. I solemly swear to make hard copies of everything from now on. Maybe I can rent storage.

Yippeeee!!

I'm turning the heel on the sockotta socks. I didn't think it would ever happen. A lengthy discussion was had and it was decided that summer socks do not need to be 6 1/2 inches tall before you start the heel. Really, who wants tall summer socks? Those puppies have been cut off. I'm not even sure how tall they are and I don't care. I started the heel flap and I'm not looking back. Nothing like a sock knitter with attitude. After I finish the heel in both socks I am allowing myself two (yes, two) repeats of Branching Out.

Today I bought myself my first pair of addi 40" circs in size 0. I'm trying, unsuccessfully, (it's all knitpicks fault) to be on a yarn diet. So, I managed to put down the regia that I had in my hands. It was a self-striping ball of wonder. I did not manage to put it down until I made sure there were at least 3 skeins. I'll admit, I did consider hiding it behind other yarn. I got past it though, and left it out in plain sight. I'm not sure if that was a mature decision or a stupid one. Only time will tell. Can I get past it? I'll see if I make it through this week without returning for it.

I publicly knit a sock at a swim meet today. I resisted the urge to take pictures of it at the meet. Okay, I'll be totally honest. My husband had the camera and I had the three boys. He would think I was nutters if I borrowed the camera to photograph the sock at the swim meet. He would mutter about embarrassing our nearly teenage daughter and possible about the Yarn Harlot. He's seen her socks get around. I occasionally read my husband the Yarn Harlot's blog and show him the pictures of the sock on the book tour. He thinks knitters are a bit out there and perhaps, I have done my friend a disservice by getting her hooked on knitting. (He had to make an emergency run to her house today with three skeins of sock yarn that came in the mail.)

I'll post pictures when I get my two reward repeats of Branching Out completed.

A little bit of sock progress. I'm almost ready to start the heel. 

Close-up of Branching Out 

Branching Out from knitty.com 

No pictures, again (sigh)

We started getting high speed internet 3 or 4 months back. We subscribe to a cable company (only method where we live currently) and they never buried the cable. It's strung across three lawns. Well, it finally go cut. What a surprise! The cable company couldn't believe someone cut it. Hah! I bet it happens all the time. Our neighbors had theirs strung through our yard for two seasons. I was afraid to let the toddler in the back for fear he'd trip and fall. The cable company knocked on our door and asked permission to run it through our yard. The guy acted like it would be a matter of days before they buried it. Isn't that fibbing? Well the cable guy came today and, of course, the cable is fixed but still not buried. Maybe I should start a pool like a sports pool on the day it will be buried.
On to the knitting news...
I have two more repeats of Branching Out completed. It's farther than it has ever been before.
I also made it back to a pair of socks. I ripped, knit and ripped them again. Not sure, but I think I have a small deficit or maybe I broke even. (deep sigh) I keep reminding myself I knit 'cause it relaxes me. It doesn't matter if it takes ten years to get one pair of socks done and 6 months for a scarf.

Perhaps I'll have time to photograph Branching Out in front of my new flowers I bought tonight at Sam's Club. They had a serious clearance on hanging planters. I treated myself to two. I might pose a sock in them also.

Speaking of socks and posing, I got the Yarn Harlot's book this weekend. If you have children and you knit to relax, you must read page 21. Page 21 has made me want to buy this for my friend that knits. I had a sock in my lap and "At Knit's End" by my side while I homeschooled the children today.(if you read page 21 you'll know how this relates) I'm working toward inner peace while I try to teach my children to start a sentence with a capital and end with an end mark. Mind you, we've been working on this with the oldest for seven stinking years. I must knit and remain calm. I'm sure she'll be able to consistently use end marks by college. We were able to potty train her and somewhat socialize her. She can read a little French. Surely, it isn't asking to much to end a sentence with a question mark when appropriate. I must go knit a few rows to settle my nerves before I finish my day.

This poor neglected blog...

Well, I'm slowly getting all my software loaded onto the new computer. Unfortunately, I have some drudgery to do before I can get back to serious knitting. Quicken didn't back up properly. I planned for that, but spent yesterday typing in two months worth of checks, deposits, etc. Now, I can't get April to balance. Yes, I know it's June. I'm not really sure what happened there. Mistakes were made but nothing bounced.
As for email. If you think I know how to email you, I don't anymore. We backed up the email addresses, but that didn't work either. So... if your an email knitting friend, drop my a line so I can find you again.
I did get the software loaded. I swear, I will take some time out to knit and post pictures.

The laptop is packing for the hospital...

Well, the blogging laptop is packing for it's trip to the hospital. We're hoping for a cheap and inexpensive stay. Is there any such thing? In the mean time, I bought a brand new hp desktop. Oh, there is nothing like a new computer. In a day or two I should have my camera loaded and ready to go and I will be back in blogging business.
In the knitting news, I still have a Branching Out deficit.

Pictureless Posts

My laptop is in a coma. I'm not sure if it can be resuscitated. Until things are rearranged that leaves me with no pictures for the blog. I worked on the Branching Out Scarf today. There was a small "incident". After the "incident" I retrieved the ball winder. Branching Out now only has two repeats. I think, I'm actually at -8 repeats, but we won't talk about that. I look forward to returning to my socks soon. I now feel the urge to return Branching Out to its previous state before I move on to sock knitting. I hate knitting deficits.