To count or Not to count

I've been comtemplating adding a "counter" on my blog (if blogger will let me.) I have mixed feelings about this. I'd like to see the number of visitors to my blog...but I'm thinking there probably aren't many, so maybe I'd rather not know!

But, that brings me to what's the purpose of blogging? My boss has been thinking about a blog for our department to keep our customers up-to-date on new products & services. Boss has been looking at blogs from other similar departments and said, "But, they really aren't Interactive, because there are very few comments posted."

I didn't disagree. But, I do disagree. I see a blog as having the potential to be interactive, but I don't see that it's the purpose of all blogs. Political blogs, perhaps, because the posts would generate debate. But, blogs to update customers about new products & services, or a blog like mine that updates whoever-drops-by on my little hobby projects. There's really not much to debate or comment on. If any visitor wants to comment, that's great. But, I certainly don't expect comments.

I read about 20 blogs now on a fairly regular basis. I enjoy being updated on the bloggers' projects and what they do share of their lives. I've only commented on a few. Maybe I should just say, "Hi, I visit your blog every week. Thanks for posting." ?? --- maybe I should.

February Socks Update

Hauled my February socks down to DD3's yesterday, but forgot to get a digital photo of them. So...I scanned them on my printer/scanner.

People just aren't knitting anymore? Say it ain't so!

Two road trips in the past few days and visits to two new-to-me LYSs in two different towns.

1) This was really a "Fiber Arts" shop - and it must look like heaven to a quilter. But when I asked about yarn, the Owner said she's discontinuing most yarn, because "People just aren't knitting anymore." Oh, Really? I replied. And I mentioned being on the Socknitters list with thousands of others who knit socks. Her eyebrows KNIT together in a puzzled frown. The Owner said that we could look through catalogs and she'd special order for me. That was a great offer, but I declined since I don't know when I'll ever be up that way again.

2) Yesterday we visited a newly opened YARN shop. What fun! DD1 & I went to visit DD3 at college, so they both went into the shop with me. We did a lot of browsing - and squeezing of the yarn! :-) There was a smallish, but respectable, selection of sock yarn. Only one Step - in an orange colorway. Yuck. I bought a ball of OPAL Feelings in #1703. Also, touched a skein of Buffalo yarn! $60 per 50 g. I'll pass on that one!

OTN: February socks. Two legs and heel flaps completed. Doing the heel turn on the first. I should be able to do a lot of knitting tomorrow...These WILL be done in February!

You'll have to trust me

No photos to prove my progress:

Buster's mittens OTN mitten #2. I'll finish it tonight
February Socks. OTN sock #1...I've been sidetracked. I'm nearly finished with the heel flap. On all of my previous (seven?) pairs I've done a s1, k1 type of heel flap. That seems to be sturdier, but the Kiefers are a bit snug in my work flats. I'm thinking the stockinette flap might fit better.

Ten minutes left in the Black Hawks-Fliers game, so I'm off to watch & knit mitts.

SAM3 KAL February Sock progress

This is my first experience with Knit-ALongs - There are a lot of posts & photos on the SAM3 KAL web site with FINISHED pairs -- already! I actually finished those Kiefers on February 1st. I guess I *could* have submitted them as my February sock.

Oh, well. My February sock is pure February! I've completed the first leg & I'm ready to start the second leg [before I do the heel flaps, etc.] Here are a couple photos [one the flash didn't work & it's too dark; the other is over-flashed.]

So, the true color is something in between!

Photos! We Have Photos!

As previously mentioned, I do not have a digital camera. One would really be handy to enhance posts with current visuals. Last night I remembered that there is an OLD, but digital, camera at work! Early this evening I picked up Sport & Buster [so the mama could study] and took them to my workplace. Not many people around, so I was able to take the boys & the digital camera to my office and get some photos.

Buster - having found the only Tootsie Pop in the entire building:
Sport - sporting his new coat and the cap (2nd ed.) and mittens I knit for him. OTN: Seaman's Cap in variegated blues for Buster [and Sport's cap]:

OTN update and other musings

I did some dishes, 3 loads of laundry, and cleaned the bathroom yesterday. Also worked on a genealogy question.... about possible kin who were among over 300 people returned to their families [after being Indian captives] in 1764. Very interesting reading [I was/am a history major.]

AND...drum roll...I also knit 3 inches on the Seaman's Cap for Buster [in Red Heart variegated blues] AND 4 inches on the first leg of the Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Flathead Cherry. Love the feel of this yarn.

OH... and drove up to Mother's. But didn't stay. Friday evening I went shopping after PT [that was stupid] and shopped for Mother, too. It was 6:30 p.m. by the time I dropped off her groceries. and I was tired, hungry, and my ankle was aching. So, I just took in the bags and said, "Gotta go."

However, while I was zipping along the freeway dreaming of my recliner & an ice pack for my ankle, Mother called wanting to know where her ice cream was. Hmm...I guess in the trunk. So, I drove it [and the two cans of frozen juice] over there this morning. ARGH. Minus 28 degrees F windchill.

I was driving along past the lake and saw a dozen or so fisherpeople out there. On the lake. And I remembered the shock and amazement my nephew expressed the first winter he was here and drove past the lake with his dad. The lake where they'd fished in the summer. Having lived in Oklahoma and Virginia, Nephew had never before seen such a sight. "Dad! There are cars out there ON the lake!!!"

And I thought of how cold it must be out there ON the lake - even in those little huts. And I wondered if those fisherpeople have someone who loves them enough to knit thick, wool socks for them. ...or if they knit their own?

Introducing the Kiefers [2007 Socks #1]

Trekking XXL #90. Done on 1.5 bamboo dpns. Pattern was my tweeked version of "Java Rib Rocks" that I found in Strings 'n Things's free pattern area. But the link there isn't working now.

Really need to get a digital camera. The flash certainly faded out the color of the yarn.

A Really Local LYS?

My excursions to LYSs around the state (and the dearth of any in town) have made me yearn for a nice sized, very well stocked, shop nearby. I live 1-1.5 miles from a major shopping mall area. A LYS in the fringes of the mall would be great. The area pulls in shoppers from as far as 50 miles away. It would be perfect. Why hasn't someone opened one there?

I've been thinking about this for several weeks. But, hadn't mentioned it to anyone - until my DD2 mentioned getting a 39/40 on her Intro to Business assignment this week. She said she created a business plan for a Local Yarn Shop. Eh? How cool! All we need is the money to get it started. Hmmm...think I'll buy a lotto ticket one of these days.

DD1 talks about wanting to have an Independent Bookstore/Coffee Shop. I could see a LYS adjacent [but no food or beverages allowed in the yarn side.] DD3 is a psych major and a knitter. Maybe she could help teach classes. Or design patterns.

OK - enough daydreaming. Time to refill my coffee mug and get knittin'.

Wanting to Lose the Training Wheels

I seem to spend a lot of time each day reading [knitters'] blogs. I'm so amazed at the talented/gifted bloggers...their knitting skills, technology skills, etc. Man, I'm such a newbie. My blog is still in the training-wheels-stage.

I see things on other knitting blogs that I'd like for mine. But...how do I do it? How/where do I get those clever little buttons? Are they like Girl/Boy Scout Badges...earned? There are other features that I'd like to add. But...not sure how. I've been wondering if I should just email several bloggers and ask..."How do you do that?" DD1 has a LiveJournal blog. All three DDs have MySpace pages. Maybe I'll ask them first.

How do people find the TIME to knit so much? I think [as a Continental style] knitter I knit pretty fast...WHEN I knit. My problem is finding time to knit. In the past month my main knitting retreat has been at PT. My crew at Physical Therapy have been, sorta, partners in my 1st pair of 2007 socks [the Trekking XXL #90 Kiefers.] They've been keeping up with the progress and I wore them yesterday. Had PT staff stop by to look at them - and at my February Socks. :-)

Sock of the Month 3

Hey, I've joined a "Sock of the Month Club" Knit Along ...SAM3 KAL. It started today. But...I don't think I can legally claim those Trekking XXLs that I finished this afternoon as my pair for February.

So...I've cast on and have completed 4 rows of my February socks. The yarn is the Mountain Colors Bearfoot in Flathead Cherry. The pattern is one I found online at: Poshyarn. Scroll down the page to see the Slip Up Socks. If you move your cursor over the photo of the socks, you'll see an enlarged image of the stitch pattern.

I worked a couple gauge swatches today while at PT and decided that the size 2 needles that the pattern calls for [and not my size 1.5 US/2.5 mm bamboos] will be best. I've been reading posts on the Socknitters List that discuss pros & cons of wooden [or bamboo] needles. I haven't left a comment, but in My Humble Opinion, my one set of bamboo dpns are the best knitting investment I've made yet!

Better Late Than Never

It took longer than I had hoped, but - yippee! - I finished the Trekking XXL (#90) pair this afternoon. Photo is on the roll I'll drop off at the one hour after work tomorrow. [Gotta get a digital camera!] Will try to post the photo this weekend.

Plan to wear newly finished socks to work tomorrow! My feet will be SO happy!

Home again

Returned late yesterday afternoon from this month's trip to the state capital. The roads were fine and the countryside was white, white, white. We stayed at a swanky hotel. It was beautiful. The suite was about the size of my house. But, I don't think I'd ever stay there again. The noise from outside my door was very annoying. I got back to my suite [about 10 p.m.] after dinner [at a brew pub - where I lived dangerously and ordered Jambalaya -- and survived.] I thought I'd watch TV in the sitting room for awhile & knit to relax. [With my ankle iced, of course.]

But, it sounded like I was next to the [swimming] pool room. The hotel is one of those open atrium types where all the halls look down to the center court yard. There are several corner waterfalls cascading down the levels - what a din! 300 insurance agents [all in black suits] were having drinks in the courtyard below. My room was on the 3rd floor - perhaps if I had been on the 8th floor, it would not have been as loud. Perhaps.

So, I gathered up my knitting and retreated to watch TV in the bedroom. Couldn't hear the insurance agents or the waterfalls back there.

Worked on the same Trekking XXL that I've been on all month. No, I did not get it finished in time to wear at the meeting. But, I will be able to Next Time! :-)

Since October [when I got the knitting bug again and took up sock knitting] I've stopped at LYSs when I've been on-the-road. This time on the drive back I stopped at one in a town a few miles off the interstate. [Extra mileage incurred will not be reported on my expense form.] Oooh, another very small shop with limited range of yarns. Just two brands of sock weight yarn. Regia and Online. None of the Regia spoke to me, but several of the Online balls did.

Being the practical sort, I selected a 100 g. ball of Online Supersocke 100 - Sierra #896. See below. This colorway will go great with my work attire!

LYS vs Crafters' Big Box

I'm not looking forward to my trip to the CBB tomorrow...my 3rd in a week. But, I'm not willing to wait for those short 5s & 7s. Maybe they are all laid out the same, but the yarn dept. at the one nearby is in the farthest corner from the door. My ankle will be ready for the recliner by the time I get home!

Saturday I went to the other CBB in town since I was going to be up that way anyway. Whoa! I've only been in that one a couple times since moving here...and not at all recently. I was amazed at how much larger it is than the one that's a mile from my house. [And my local CBB used to be a Super KMart, so it's a Big building.]

They are Big stores, but the yarn depts. are very small and there's NO sock yarn at either. What??? Lots of super chunky yarns, and feathery, fluffy yarns, but no sock yarn.

Which brings me to the LYS [Local Yarn Shop] issue. There's the small one in the next town. The LYSOwner is a very nice lady. But, the shop is quite small and the array of yarn and knitting supplies are limited. I bet I'm not the only person in this town of over 50,000 people who would like to see [and who would use] a well stocked LYS here.

I could order online, and I suspect I will do that for some yarns. But, buying online [and waiting for a shipment to arrive] is not as fulfilling as driving over to the shop, browsing, touching [squeezing], chatting with the LYSO....

OTN [On the Needles]: 2nd Trekking sock. Didn't get much done yesterday or today. Don't think I'll meet that Wednesday evening goal.
OTN: mitten #1 for Sport - in the same Bernat Camouflage "Mash" yarn as the cap.

First completed 2007 project, 2nd ed.

I finished the second Seaman's cap for Sport He likes it and I'm pleased I took the time to knit a second one - following a real [not imagined] pattern! Sport was very cooperative when I explained to him that I thought the first one was too big & when I finished the new one we would trade. I also explained that I would take the old cap apart & use the yarn to knit mittens for him.

So, it's done. We traded caps and I have started the thumb increase on the first mitten.

And, I cannot believe that I do not have short, straight #5s or #7s. I have a big collection of needles [even after passing some on to my daughters.] I have all the needles I bought BK [before kids], GG's needles and Mother's needles. But no short, straight 5s or 7s.

I have several pairs of longs in those sizes, so that's what I'm using now. But, I keep whacking the arms of my recliner with the ends of the long needles. So...guess that means ANOTHER trip to the Crafters' Big Box after work tomorrow.