Sock Monster

I am a selfish, selfish daughter who doesn't love her mother.

Originally Mum said that the two pairs of woollen socks I'd knitted her were enough. Now that she's refusing to go away for winter, she thinks she might need some more socks - NOW!

That's not how she expressed it. What she said was how lovely these faux-isle socks are,


just perfect for chilly mornings at the gym and lovely as bedsocks as well - not too hot - and isn't it a shame that she doesn't have other colours and didn't she buy some sock yarn in Nundle last year?

This yarn, as it happens.

The irony of her wanting me to knit fine yarn on tiny needles into bedsocks for her is not lost on me.

Kilroy Woz 'Ere

Beanie 2007.76

Luckily the Double Chunk beanie only takes 1.5 hours or so, and they are made all the better for the 10mm dpns Olivia loaned me.

Photographing oneself wearing a newly minted beanie is helped by the medication, self-administered, found in 4 litre containers thoughtfully provided by Morris of Rutherglen. I am harbouring a small bug in the respiratory system. Nothing I can't drown.

Thanks for your words of encouragement concerning the serious leave miscalculation. I'm way beyond lists - the spreadsheets of to-dos are multi-level and multi-page. After about 15 seconds of arm flapping many items were immediately wiped off the lists; like promoting SnB, Knit 1 Blog 1 and Canberra Knitters through the many beginner knitting courses on offer in Canberra in term 3, and product development with The Shopping Sherpa. I still have to prepare a (non-knitting) workshop for Saturday week, recruit and train staff, and about a million other things.

I've narrowed down the take-away project to one of 3 and will probably do a cabled cardigan, either in a gorgeous green Cleckheaton Country, or a thrifty purchase of probable Bendigo aran weight in a natural creamy colour; only it will be longer and a-lined to accommodate the (many)womanly hip measurement. There may be time for tension square making this weekend - or not.

Another thing not being done by tomorrow (the intended deadline) is the Matinee Jacket pattern. Sorry all - it's in such a draft state that it would be irresponsible to publish just yet.

And to update you all on Mum's knitting progress. As of yesterday she's made 61 pairs of wristwarmers in the 4 weeks they've been away and is completely out of yarn (including a small care package I sent up). She's bought a few magazines from a South West Rocks op-shop (it's genetic!) and is having a little knitting rest in anticipation of my arrival with reinforcements.

I'm working on the matinee jacket pattern. I need to resize it for newborn and 6-12 month sizes, then I'll stick it up on the blog. Promise. It'll be a week or two because I've got a slip stitch pattern requests to work out as well.

The WIP basket is shrinking, which is a Good Thing TM. The aim is to have as many of the WIPs done or reclaimed by the time I go away at the end of July. Wish me luck.

On Tuesday Mum informed me she thought she might not have taken quite enough wool away with her. Apparently the plan to take "her" entire stash was foiled by Dad at the last minute and he'd only pack two large shopping bags full. She's made 10 pairs of wristwarmers in the first 5 days. Good news, though. On Wednesday she found a $2 shop that sells yarn. She's found an acrylic she reckons is better than most and will do until I arrive in a 6 weeks' time with reinforcements. I don't care if it's acrylic if she's buying it herself!

Cook from the Cupboard continues but reading my daily food intake must be about as interesting as I find food preparation to be. I did play freezer roulette again yesterday and found a curried split pea soup with mint (by the taste of it), which wasn't at all bad - pity I have no memory of cooking it or where I got the recipe from. Tomorrow should see the last of the curry made on Saturday.

Shake your boodle

So I took two shopping bags of unravelled, washed and skeined jumpers - about 4 jumpers worth - and the little yarn swift up to Mum yesterday. She's had my ball winder for nearly a month now because she hates floppy balls. Most of the wool is just beautiful and has responded well to the washing. She's decided that it's too good and in too big a quantity to knit into wristwarmers and I should be re-making jumpers from it.

TAPH (through gritted teeth): OK, fine, but this is the only spare 8ply I have.

MUM: Well I've worked out the sizing for knitting them with 5 ply.

TAPH (internally): My Bluebell, she's after my vintage Bluebell!

TAPH (out loud): Sure, Mum, that's what stash if for.

And of course this is what stash if for. It is fantastic that she's knitting again and she's getting so much pleasure from it.

I am, however, trialling a new word for the stash. After spending a good deal of time playing with Etymology Online that Rooruu posted about, I've fallen in love with boodle meaning "lot or collection" from the Dutch for property, boedel. It's the word from which we get the phrase "kit and caboodle".

Behind the 8ply

OK, I admit to keeping the 20 balls of pale green alpaca and the 20 balls of Jo Sharp navy for me. I need at least 20 balls for a garment for me. I don't think I'm being unreasonable.

I'm also keeping the pretty things I won in the recent Yarn contest (pic below). I made the mistake of opening the parcel in front of Mum. She immediately claimed "her" bits. Apparently she's always wanted pink alpaca and merino scarf in just that shade of pink. The two pink scarves I made her last year, which were her favourite things ever, and the lace shawl I made from a Yarn pattern are, apparently, nothing special and only the alpaca merino blend will do!There was also an unseemly tussle over the Brittany cable needles in which the words "selfish" and"disown" were used.

Apart from those items which I have selfishly kept for myself, yes Mum has knitted through the 8ply. I am currently unravelling, washing and winding several op-shop jumpers to feed the woman's voracious appetite for wool. She suggested, yesterday, that I was holding out on her and taking advantage of the fact that she can't get into my house easily (too many steps) to properly check that I'd handed all the good stuff over. This, after I let her knit the single balls I was keeping to knit the pretty flowers on Folly.

OK, back to the skeiner now.

Yarn goodie pack - it was worth being disowned for!