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For my BushMaster Study: I had been reading through Folks Socks previously and put it down unfinished. Friday, I came across the book again and flipped through the patterns and found that it contains the perfect pattern for my BushMastery to begin, a child’s size variation of the basic sock pattern!

That’s Gatorade all over her face..

The pattern calls for 15st/2in but I came up with 8st/in with this needle size. I was planning on making the socks for TJ, but with the smaller gauge they were a touch too tight; I finished the length to fit AJ. She put the first on as soon as I was done sewing in ends and told me she had one foot in a sock and one foot out. When I finished the second sock, she simply sweetly said, “Thank you,” as she put it on.
I’ve seen on other sites that many knitters list the FO info, so:

Pattern: Folk Socks book, ‘A Classic Sock Pattern’ (p. 59) as written with Round Heel shaping and Wedge Toe (yarn drawn through at end).
Needles: size 1, Gauge: 8st/in
Yarn: LB Magic Stripes #201 (almost out now! Don’t think I can get another whole pair!)

I’m thinking the gathered toe won’t work as well for our feet. It stretches fine, but I like the fit of grafted toes a bit better.

The gardeners came while we were still in, so I was able to unlock the gate and let them in (they haven’t been in the backyard for over a month). Everyone got dressed and I did the girls’ hair. We stopped by Hancocks and found something I was looking for and then went across to the mall and had lunch (Mongolian BBQ, yum!). We went over to Sweet Factory and got the candy I’ve been searching for. Then, we went to Target…

I just needed gift wrap and a card for the gift, and to pick up some paper and glue for the children. I was thinking that glue sticks won’t be so messy. TJ saw the white glue and I told him that I was getting the sticks instead and he asked again and I told him that as long as the girls don’t use it, that should be fine to have a bottle. Then he let BB hold it.

We went from school supplies to printer paper to gift cards. I chose 2 cards and looked down at BB. The cap was missing; the bottle empty. BB was peeling her chin.

So, I went to the wrap aisle. I picked out cute paper and ribbon. Went to the checkout. The gal in the line next to us started to say something.. And I said, “Yes, it’s glue.” She nearly shuddered and said she thought it was throwup, but that glue is so much worse. We checked out and headed directly into the restroom (Thank you, Target, for being so understanding that we caretakers do really need a restroom not just by the entrance, but also directly in front of the checkstands on the way to the exit). I managed to get BB to stand in the sink while her dripping dress was peeled off her. Just a little got in her hair. I wiped the drips from her legs. Paper towel went into the stroller, then the 2yo, then more paper towel. In the car, the towel we use to keep the seats cooler in the sun went under her bottom and back and she was strapped in.

At home, she wanted to sit on the front step and peel her belly. I ran a bath and set her in the water. Just soaking should get most of it off the way she plays in the bath.

I have a headache.

Yesterday I pulled out my old Magic Stripes sock yarn and pondered it for a bit. I decided that it’s time to work that stash! The first pattern book that piqued my interest was Knit a Dozen Baby Socks by Edie Eckman. They’re only for sizes 6-12mo and 18-24mo, and BB has much bigger feet already. The patterns are for Sport Weight yarn and size 3 needles. Well, I knit loose, so I decided that Magic Stripes is close enough to Sport Weight and went at the Basic Sock pattern (page 4- the baby on the cover is wearing the basic socks in variegated yarn). The other socks call for/need solid colors or complementary colors. This will be a fun book to practice multi-yarned patterns! I could have so many cute socks when #4 is born…

I finished knitting the socks late last night and went to bed. This morning, BB got up early and was not interested in letting me sew. The socks got put off till after Ben was up. He let me get a nap, then I finished grafting toes and sewing in ends. Ben adores the socks because they match the ones I made him! BB meanwhile had fallen asleep in the front room. So, Ben snuck in there and put the completed socks on her feet!

What happens when an 8 year old decides to cut his sister’s dress?

He gets to make her a new one!

Details to follow. The dress is cut and waiting a cooler time of day to be sewn. The pattern is Simplicity 9417 (tuck front dress).

WooHoo! I finished my first pair of socks *for me.* Also, it’s my first Summer of Socks pair! Funny thing is that one would fit Ben’s foot and one fits mine just fine LOL.. Well, I’m thinking of running down to my LYS and seeing if they have more of this colorway. I don’t want to rip out the sock, but I do want a pair, and Ben likes them and would appreciate if I just knit up a match for each and we each have a pair. Isn’t he cute? My man. In lace. And, he’d wear ‘em in sandals!

Not perfect to color, but taken this morning on the couch. They were finished last night and I just wanted to get to bed. I slept in my new socks, yummy.

The in-laws have come and gone. My husband suggests that they’re chasing the heat: they live in OK, came to the Bay for the worst heat wave in recorded history (or something like that), and are now headed to SoCal. At least Sis-in-law and fam live by the beach! Despite the rolling blackouts and extreme heat (we dont have A/C, so our attempt to aquire a fan was squandered by the fact that everyone in the Bay area seemed to have had the same idea about 2 days before us - we ended up with a carpet drying blower thing that works really well at moving air!), the in-laws enjoyed the time with us. AJ was crying at the door this morning and wouldn’t wave goodbye. She simply looked after them and whimpered, “I love them so much.”

(edited to add pic) This is where I ran out of LL, almost finished the heel flap!

I haven’t quite finished the second Embossed Leaves sock, but I have turned the heel and decreased the gusset. I was knitting on it at the Children’s Discovery Museum and received quite a few looks and several questions and compliments. One gal asked how I learned to knit (I picked it up out of a book, but I’ve been crocheting for 20 years, so it wasn’t hard to make the change), another 2 or 3 were fascinated with the pattern, one poor soul told me that I should be proud because it took a particularly talented person to be able to do that sort of thing (no, I didn’t see tied shoes on her, some people just dont know what their fingers are for). One little girl was so cute, her mother explained that I was knitting “just like Grandma crochets” LOL! Harlot would crack on that one! (I just read the Sour Grapes chapter in The Secret Life of a Knitter, what a hoot! As one who crochets, I can admit it takes more yarn, but not quite that much more. Yet I totally agree that half the crocheting pattern producing community seems to be on crack or something). The little girl asked me if I worked at the museum, um, “No, I’m here with my children.” Then she inquired after which were mine and their names and ages and she seemed quite an astute and bright 3/4 year old.

My in-laws arrived last night around 11PM. They had a nice train ride, but the second to last train was late and they couldn’t catch the train here at 9PM. That gave me an extra 2 hours of knitting time before bed. The children were almost clinging to them all day today, so I had lots of knitting time. After just 2 days (I started the cuff Friday morning, finished Sat night), the first Embossed Leaves sock is done:

Even though the thermometer topped 102F in this area (106F by the vineyard we visited), I have 5 happy toes. They say, “Look what pretty piggies we are!” If all goes well, I’ll cast on sock #2 in the morning.

No middles, just ends! My Toe-Up Jaywalkers are coming along great! Much better with the larger needle. I’m getting 13 rows to the inch, so.. the gusset says to increase 2 every other row from 70 to 108, that’s 38 rows; the heel turn decreases from 38 to 10 1 st/row so that’s 28 rows.. 28+38=66 66/13=~5.. Do I need to stop knitting 5″ before the end of the heel? My foot is 9+ inches, so I don’t think so.. I must be putting too much into this. According to this chart, my 7.5-8 sized foot should be ~9.75″.. But, in the pattern, Natalia states that she wears a 7.5 shoe (her feet are probably just smaller than mine) and knits to 4.5-5″. So, am I just over measuring/estimating? Because this is where I got stumped the last time. It seemed that if I knit to 5″ they were too short, but going to 5 1/2″ made them way too long! I’m so confused! I guess I’ll knit to 5″, then on one sock make the gusset and turn the heel… If it still likes me at that point, I’ll do the same on the other sock, if not I’ll rip and try a longer foot on the other sock whilst I let that yarn rest.

The other socks are Embossed Leaves from IK in LL Cedar and Fiber Trends’ Walking Away Socks in that horrible stretched out blue yarn. The EL socks are so quick! After enduring 18 rows of ribbing, the pattern seems to fly by! I got 2 repeats done this morning. The scary blue yarn actually feels nice when knit. I’m still wondering how much shrinkage they’ll do when washed, but I’m liking the pattern and am certain I’ll find someone’s feet that’ll fit them.

On a funnier note today, I lost a child today. I know, I know, how does one lose a child when at home? Well, she’s usually quite active, so the jet trails lead me to her. The first time through, I more glanced into rooms. Then I started looking. She was easy to find, though:

At the end of May, I joined a Sock Club. I thought, Okay ~$20/month for a neat pattern and some nice yarn. The first kit came and the pattern was not my thing.. (I guess that’s the point, move one out of the comfort zone) and the yarn.. The yarn looks like it’s all stretched out. It’s the right weight, but has no stretch or recovery. I let a month go by thinking maybe it was a fluke. So, last month the kit comes and the yarn is worsted weight even though the pattern calls for Lorna’s Laces or a substitute of fingering/sock weight. Hmm..

(pic is of the 2 yarns plus my green Lorna’s Laces for comparison)

The blue is pretty, I could send the socks to Mom, she’d like the color. But, no stretch? I’m afraid that as soon as I wash the socks they’ll shrink 3 sizes!
The pink? Oh, it’s pink. I guess I could suffer through a hat for the girls, but this is *NOT* sock yarn. Sure, one could make socks of it, but how long will they last?

See how scrawny the blue is? Is it safe to use? I just balled it (forgive me, I own no winder, but Mom did teach me to make a proper soft ball to avoid the evil stretch out) and I’m thinking of trying the July pattern with it, but how much bigger than my size should I make the sock?

On our drive to the mountains, we had a ‘restbreak’ (which means I took the girls to the restroom). BB pottied (yes, Brits, that’s a verb here in America.. and it means to use ANY toilet-esque receptacle ), then AJ went, and then I used the facilities. AJ looked at me and said, “You have a big butt. My butt is little, I only go a little way over the toilet. BB’s butt is tiny, but your butt is big.”
Thanks, kid.

I did it. I ripped out that Jaywalker. Then, I re-balled the yarn so the noodles are on the inside (they’ll have *plenty* of time to relax by the time I get to the middle of this skein!). And, I started the cuff for Sue’s sock. But, after getting this much done:

(that’s about 2/3 the cuff) I realized that I’m off gauge and will need to go down to my 00s! But, I’d already cast on my 00s with the new Jays!

So, there you have it. Any one want to vote on whether I should just work straight through the Jays or if I should go out and buy new needles so that I can make the tabi socks for Sue at the same time?

OH! my 1s are free.. I could cast on the Embossed Leaves Socks!