Schrodinger's Kittie

I actually have knitted stuff.

I finished my first hat of the year for Dulaan, knit a scarf and the watchcap for my dad.

I even got halfway through a hat to match the scarf I knit.

Then I hurt my neck and don’t feel like screwing with the camera to take all the photos…

So, I’ll do that when I stop hurting.

Ok, I know I haven’t really been posting much, lately. I suck the biggest toad toenails. I grant you permission to flagellate me with a cat of nine, soggy noodles. No, smarty pants, not flatulate, flagellate. **shakes head** Some people’s children. I tell you what.

Anyway, life here has been rather disheartening. Work is a definite state of limbo.

“How’s that?”, you ask. Well, amazing what buyouts can do to the company being purchased. And, of course, none of us know how much longer we will be employed. And, if we are allowed to keep our jobs, it is 90% likely that we will have to relocate to Denver.

Now, I have nothing against Denver. I enjoyed the time I spent there. However, I don’t live there any longer. I have a lot of friends here, not to mention a most wonderful man that is a wee bit too large to fit into my luggage…not to mention the interesting idea of accomplishing the monumental feat of managing to manhandle his 275 pounds of deadweight. Yeah.

Then, there is my son to consider. He lives in Houston. Admittedly, I could fly him up every summer. But, I kinda like having him that “close”.

So, I’ve been putting my CV out and hoping for a nibble. I got one last night from Ntelicore. Now, I really like the job that I’d be doing – goodness knows I’m certainly qualified for it. And, the pay is certainly something to be happy about. However, it’s a 5-6 month contract (with possibility of extension). I’m not huge on contracts, but you know what? “Permanent jobs” aren’t so permanent anymore. The pay on the job would be great, it’s with the state, etc. Ntelicore is based out of Dallas, so far as I can find and I really don’t want to take jobs in Dallas. However, if they do a lot of contracting with the state, I’m sure quite a few of the jobs would be here in Austin. I was looking into getting HUB certified anyway so I could do exactly this, so – I responded that I would be highly interested in the position and filled out the forms. We’ll see where that goes, eh?

As for knitting….

I’m working on the random log cabin as the mood strikes, so I figure it will be finished around my 80th birthday. I am working on the Vogue Knitting braided scarf – in silky wool. I am loving how it is turning out.

And for my main project.

The one consuming all of my time.

I am working on an Icarus Shawl in Alpaca with a Twist Fino (black) for Gloria.

It’s so odd. I mean, it’s a laceweight yarn; but, it feels so solid. I keep fiddling with it thinking, “Gee, this is aweful thick.” And my friends laugh at me, because it really isn’t. As one friend said, “You are just used to it being like a cloud and this just has more substance.”

She’s right.

Gloria really isn’t a “shawl person”, but I’m hoping she likes the shawl, anyway. I’d make her something else, but not knowing her dimensions makes it a wee bit problematic.

After Gloria’s shawl, I’m making his father an aran lap blanket out of lightweight yarn. I hope he likes it.

On that note, I’m off to do what it is my company is paying me to do…which, oddly enough, is not blogging.

Toodles!

As promised, here is the pattern for Lover’s Vine:

Lover’s Vine sock pattern:

Lace pattern 9 + 4
Cable pattern 4 + 2

Yarn: STR Lover’s Leap
Needles: Celtic Swan Forge brass dpns size 1, set of 5
Scrap yarn in contrasting colour

Pattern:

Cast on 10 stitches

Pick up 10 stitches from the cast on edge so that now two needles have 10 stitches on each needle.

Knit 5 stitches, change to new dpn, knit 5 stitches, change to new dpn, knit 5 stitches, change to new dpn, knit 5 stitches. 20 stitches total over 4 dpns.

You are now set up.

Row 1: kfb,knit to end of needle one. Knit to last two stitches on needle two, kfb. kfb, knit to end of needle 3. Knit to last two stitches on needle four, kfb.
Row 2: knit
repeat in these two rows until number of desired stitches are on your needles (for me, it was 60 stitches – I wear a size 7 in US women’s shoes)

Set up your stitches by sliding one stitch from needle three to needle two. This will put 31 stitches on the “top” of the sock and 29 on the sole.

Begin pattern:

Row 1: k2, *yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k1* repeat from *, end k2 (this pattern ends on needle two). Knit plain across needles 3 and 4.
Row 2 and 4: knit
Row 3: k3, *yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k1* repeat from *, end k1 (this pattern ends on needle two). Knit plain across needles 3 and 4.

Repeat this pattern until sock measures desired length for the sole. For me, it was 6 inches from the toe to the heel.

When you have reached the desired length for the sole**, work across needles one and two in pattern. Drop your working yarn. Pick up a contrasting colour scrap piece of yarn and knit across needles three and four. Return back to the working yarn and knit across the scrap yarn you have just worked. This will leave you a clear indication of where your heel will go.

Knit in pattern across needles one and two.
Knit across needles three and four.
Knit in pattern across needles one and two. On needles three and four, increase 5 stitches to a total of 65 stitches. 31 across needles one and two and 34 across needles three and four. This allows for two 4 stitch cables (purl stitch on each side) and two pattern repeats of the lace across needles three and four.

Hopefully, at this point, you are at row one of the lace pattern. If you are not, work in pattern (lace over needles 1 and 2 and plain over needles 3 and 4) until you are back to row one of the lace pattern.

When there do the following:

Row 1: k2, *yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k1* repeat from *, end k2 (this pattern ends on needle two). Purl first stitch on needle three, knit the next four stitches through the back loop, purl, k2, yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k3, purl, knit the next 4 through the back loop, purl.
Row 2: knit the knits, purl the purls.
Row 3: k3, *yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k1* repeat from *, end k1 (this pattern ends on needle two). Purl first stitch on needle three, knit the next four stitches through the back loop, purl, k3, yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k1, yo, k2, ssk, k2tog, k2, yo, k2, purl, knit the next 4 through the back loop, purl.
Row 4: knit across needles one and two. Purl, place two stitches onto a stitch holder and bring them to the front, knit the next two stitches through the back loop, knit the two stitches from the holder through the back loops, purl, knit to the next purl. Purl the purl, place two stitches onto a stitch holder and bring them to the front, knit the next two stitches through the back loop, knit the two stitches from the holder through the back loops, purl.

Work until the sock is as high as you want it to be. I like ankle socks, so only went with 8 repeats up the leg.

Stop working the pattern on a “row 3″ row.

work the cuff of the sock:

Row 1: Purl
Row 2: knit
Row 3: Purl

Cast off by purling one stitch, slip it back to the original needle, p2tog, slip it back over to the original needle, and repeat across until all stitches have been cast off.

Go back to where the contrasting yarn is and carefully pick it out, slipping the live stitches onto your dpns. You will notice a bit of open area around each side of the opening. Simply pick up the yarn in these areas as if you were M1. Make sure that you have an even number of stitches across your needles.

Then work the heel as follows:

Row 1: knit
Row 2: k1, ssk, knit across to last three on needle 2,k2tog, k1. Repeat same across needles three and four.

Repeat these two rows until you have the number of stitches you want for the base of your heel. I work down to 24 stitches.

Slip your stitches so they are across two needles (needles 1 and 2 to a single needle. Needles 3 and 4 to a single needle). Hold the needles together and graft the heel closed just like you would the toe of a cuff down sock.

**how to determine the length of your sole: Measure your foot, tip of your longest toe to the end of your heel. Subtract two inches from this length and that is where you will place your scrap yarn for the afterthought heel.

If you make these, I’d love to see photos of them and make a gallery with a link from the sidebar.