Update finally

Seemed like, every time I tried to update lately, either someone needed me to be somewhere or to do something else....

Later in the day, things happen, and I spend some time with my thoughts, and I have all these things - ideas - opinions - etc. - rolling around in my head. I keep thinking, 'these are things I could or should blog about'. You know, like in the "old days", before computers, people would keep diaries, or journals; writing down their thoughts, their dreams, there ideas - venting on stuff that they would never say aloud.

Now, though - we have blogs. Online journals. That are public - almost like saying things out loud. So, we tend to either say things on a blog, that we would never say aloud, because we are somewhat anonymous. Yes, it is public, and anyone can read. Yes, some of you who read my blog know my "true identity" - either because you know me in person, or because you've met me online. Which is why I probably wouldn't say anything here that I wouldn't say in person.

Mind you, I'm a fairly open person. I often speak my mind... Ends up that I sometimes have to explain myself, justify myself, or apologize at times.... I tend to speak first, think (or remember) political correctness later.... The "joys" of the written word - you read it in your own voice, coloured by your own mood at the time.... misunderstandings can occur, because what may have been written in jest is read in seriousness....

Ok... so.... I started talking about that, because my point was, that later in the day I think of all sorts of things that I *can* write about, but by the time I get back onto the computer, I never remember to do it.

So, you get, instead, whatever my fogged up not quite awake yet brain can come up with.... :)

And pictures....

Monday morning, I was going to update this blog. Instead, I got a phone call.... apparently, this coming Sunday is a baby shower for a relative, that I see very little of. However, it *is* family.... So, instead of blogging, I had to arrange a little shopping excursion.... Ok, Monday was shopping day anyway, but I really hadn't planned to buy more yarn. (One of these days, I'll admit to my stash - to give you an idea, the cotton for dishcloths - two mesh laundry bags, three copy-paper boxes, and I still haven't finished sorting it all; socks yarn - two copy-paper boxes, three Walmart type bags, and I *know* I haven't finished digging it all out yet; we won't talk about the acrylic yarn, I have two copy-paper boxes full of novelty yarn so far; I'm not counting the yarn with WIP's and UFO's.... and I'm no where near finished sorting, and that is just the craft room, I really do have a lot more that needs sorting.....)

Back to the current topic - I knew I wouldn't have time to make anything fancy by pattern, so I needed to let the yarn do the work. As I started to say, this *is* a relative, and if I can make baby blankets for co-workers of DH, I *should* do one for family.... So, while shopping, I picked up two balls of Red Heart Baby Clouds. Monday night, I made a chain "long enough" with an N hook, and I started single crocheting. Well, actually, I started out with a K hook.... After about six rows, I realized that the blanket was becoming way too dense - almost a stiff fabric. So I frogged, got the N hook, and started again... After about six rows of sc, again, I felt that the fabric just wasn't working - so I frogged back, but left a foundation row of sc. Then I started the "pattern" of *sc, chain 1* repeat to end.... Kept that up until I ran out of yarn. By then, it was getting late enough, that I stopped for the evening. I also did the size test - folding up the corner - knew that two balls wasn't going to be enough yarn.... So, Tuesday, I did a fast run out to grab a third ball of the same yarn. Last night, (Tuesday night, of course, lol) I joined in the second ball, and carried on. When I ran out of yarn, I started the third ball, did about four more rows, folded corner to corner, the blanket was square, so I did a soft scallped edging. Apparently, this is going to be a boy (hope that is correct, because I really had to get blue - I don't think white is a good colour for a baby - shows dirt too easily - and they only had icky greens, pink, white, and the yardage was way down on the variegated compared to the solid colour but still the same price) but a simple softened edge just seemed to finish off the blanket. Nothing too frilly, just a nice edge.

Other wise, I would have been working on some socks that I'm currently knitting:

On the left, we have Lilac Socks. From Jeanie Townsend. On the right, Horcrux Socks, from the Six Sox Knitalong group. For those who don't know the word "Horcrux" - it comes from the Harry Potter books... :) I'm a Harry Potter Fan. I love those books. I came late to the party on them. When they first came out, there was so much hype, and I've found that most of the time, the hype takes on a life of its own, and the original never lives up to the hype. But, somewhere around the arrival of the third book and first movie, someone convinced me to give the books a shot.... Well, I now own the first six books in paperback, and have read them all twice, and am nineteenth on the hold list at the library for the last (sob) book.... (I can't afford to buy hardback books right now). Anyway - I thought the idea of a sock inspired by the book series was a cool idea, and since I'd been sorting my yarn, and had come across this lovely Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Merino in colourway Iolite in my stash, I just knew I had to knit these socks!!! Now, I don't really need a stitch marker at this stage of the sock, (and honestly, seldom need a stitch marker at all for socks, unless I'm doing them two on two circs, like the lilac socks above)but I couldn't resist leaving the stitch marker on for the photos.... In fact, I'll show the close up of both stitch markers I'm using right now....

Ok, I'm doing the lilac socks, because it is a nice spring thought project - I love the scent of lilacs in May/June :) And, what better symbol of warm weather, than a dragonfly? :)

As for the Potter inspired socks - well, if you are not a fan, then you won't get the reference to "Chocolate Frogs".....

And, you likely won't understand the pattern close up - a zig zag scar....

The pattern as written only asks for one zig-zag pattern repeat on the leg - but I don't like short socks, so I did a second repeat. Otherwise, I'm doing the heel and foot as written :)

So.... That is what I've been working on lately. That, and catching up with my emails....

I do have other pictures that need to be shared, but as I've said before, I'm not a typist, and this blog updating is a very slow, time consuming process for me.... So, the other pictures will just have to wait.