Travel Plans

First things first: I finished the Fawkes socks. I know I don't have a picture up yet, but that's because we've packed the camera for our trip. The FO eye candy will have to wait until we return.

Secondly, I have a vacation plan! I started the Nagini socks today using the Scout's Indie Swag Glampyre yarn. I think the snakeskin cable pattern might be hard to see in the variegated yarn, but it just seemed to be the right choice. Here is the rest of what I'm packing for tonight's departure:

• Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in the Red Rover colorway. These are to do the Sailor's Ribbing Socks from More Sensational Socks for the DCA.
• Cherry Tree Hill yarn in the Sugar Maple colorway. This skein is to make a pair of Welt Fantastic socks from Sensational Socks for the Moose.
• Seacoast yarn in the Bubblegum colorway. This skein is for the Roo's Seeded Ribbing socks from More Sensational Socks.
• The June Rockin' Sock Club pattern and yarn.
• The Chevron Scarf for Mom.

This should be more than enough to keep me busy, but I did tell the DCA that I could always make an emergency yarn acquisition at the LYS near his parents' home. I hope it doesn't come to that, because I have no idea where new yarn would fit in the suitcase!

Lastly, the next post will be from the road! Mouse House, here we come!

Flying Along

I've finished Fawkes #1, and I'm about to go cast on for #2. I can't wait to finish this pair so I can start Nagini. Then my set of Harry Potter socks will be complete!

In other knitting news, this blog will be a little more quiet starting on Friday. We're about to head out on "obligation" (a vacation to visit family), and I don't know how often I'll be able to check in to update my knitting progress. I hope to get lots of sock knitting done on all the planes, trains, and automobiles while we're gone.

I have started thinking about what to pack for the trip. The DCA says I'm not allowed to take an extra suitcase to hold the ongoing projects and yarn (he knows me so well!), so I need to plan well for things to fit in my suitcase alone. I will probably just be taking sock projects because they're small, lightweight, and perfect for the expected heat and humidity. Tomorrow, I'll be winding up the yarn from the Loopy Ewe shipment so I can take it along on the trip. I figure one pair of socks for each of us will probably provide enough entertainment. I may also pack the chevron scarf, just in case I need something extra to do.

I'll post the detailed plan once it's more concrete. Now, back to Fawkes!

Crash and Burn

I made great progress on Fawkes yesterday during the wedding. I put it down last night while I read the new book (it's a great read, but I still have a few unresolved questions). I worked on it some more this morning, and then I tried it on after church. It was too small. Sigh. I frogged it all, and gave up on it until I finished the book this afternoon. I've started it over on US size 2 needles instead of size 1. I hope it helps!

I've also decided to shorten the ribbed cuff to 12 rows instead of 14 and to work it in twisted rib (k1 tbl, p1) instead. I also inserted a plain row of knit stitches before starting the pattern. It just looks neater somehow with the phoenix stitch.

I took photos of several of my most recent socks. I've downloaded them from the camera, and I will probably post them tomorrow after they've been edited. Keep an eye out for them!

Fawkes Is Flying!

(Edited on July 22, 2007 to add the picture of the finished socks.)

I finished Bellatrix yesterday during the children's piano lessons. Because I need to keep busy while I wait for the mail carrier to deliver my copy of HP7 this afternoon (my book was delivered to my P.O. yesterday afternoon), I immediately cast on for Fawkes using my Scout's Indie Swag Kung Hei Fat Choi as soon as I kitchenered Bellatrix's last toe. It also helped to pass the time while I was hosting a wedding rehearsal at church last night. (Among my many other activities, I act as liaison between the wedding party and the church for any wedding which takes place on our campus. This afternoon, I get to hang at the church and keep working on Fawkes!)

So far I have only made a few changes to the pattern. Instead of doing "sl 1, k2 tog, psso" in row 5 of the chart, I'm using "sl 1, ssk, psso" because it bettter mirrors the k3 tog in row 11. I'm all about symmetry--it's that math teacher thing. So far it looks like four pattern repeats is going to give me a fairly short sock, so I'm thinking about doing five repeats instead. Six would be ideal, but that may be too many for the amount of yarn I have. I'm also going to center the offset column of purl stitches from where each round begins and ends over the heel before I begin the flap. I am considering doing an eye of partridge flap instead of the one in the pattern to keep with the whole bird theme. I may play with it when I get there to see how it looks.

I received my first shipment of the Harry Potter Sock Yarn Club on Thursday. It's called "Another Weasley" and is a great mix of autumnal colors that call to mind Molly, Arthur, the twins, Ronald, and Ginny. I can't wait to try it out even if it's not a regular colorway I would pick.

It's time to get off the computer now, so I can avoid any spoilers for the book ending. I'm also avoiding the TV news by watching movies I've saved on the DVR. I may drop in tomorrow to update the Fawkes progress, but it's probably not likely since I'll be deeply immersed in the wizarding world later.

Hogwarts, Hogwarts, Hoggy Warty Hogwarts...

If you haven't received your acceptance letter from Professor McGonagall yet, you need to stop by the Hogwarts Sock Swap blog and notify the Deputy Headmistress that you would like to be included. Specific instructions for second year students and for first years like me can be found here. Signups began on July 14th, so you need to hurry before the swap begins on August 1st!

Here is my homework set by the Deputy Headmistress. I'm sorry that it's not on parchment, but I didn't have a piece quite long enough.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into?
In the words of the Sorting Hat: "Or yet in wise old Ravenclaw, if you've a ready mind, where those of wit and learning, will always find their kind," I am a Ravenclaw.

2. Shoe size?
U.S. Ladies 9

3. Foot Length?
My foot is 10 3/8" (26.4 cm) long from my heel to my big toe.

4. Foot Circumference?
The circumference around the ball of my foot is 9" (22.9 cm). The circumference around the middle of my calf is 11 3/8" (28.9 cm).

5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length.
I don’t know my needle brands because I received them from a friend of mine who was sorting her mother’s things before an estate sale. My favorites are mostly aluminum and really old, so they might be Susan Bates or something similar.
a. U.S. size 1, 6”
b. U.S. size 2, 6”
c. U.S. size 3, 6”

6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? If so, which brand? Size? Length?
I would love to try some of the Knit Picks DPNs. I usually knit with U.S. size 1 (2.25mm) needles. I could REALLY use a set of U.S. size 0, though, because I don't have any. I prefer 6” needles.

7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Do you have a strong preference?
Go Ravenclaw! I prefer the film colors of blue and silver, but that’s only because they match my wizarding robes better than blue and bronze. A purist, however, would stick with the book colors, so surprise me!

8. Allergies? Do you have any? Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals?
I am allergic to tobacco, so until Madam Pomfrey finds a cure, I would prefer a smoke-free pal. I have two cats here in my Ravenclaw tower dormitory room, so my pal’s socks will be near the two felines but not in close personal contact with them.

9. Are you an international participant (outside US)? Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal?
I am a resident of the continental U.S., but I’m willing to have an international pal. According to Professor Dumbledore, it’s all about International Magical Cooperation!

(The DCA thinks I'm a total geek for writing in character. It must be why the hat sorted me to Ravenclaw.)

Bellatrix Is Not Lestrange!

I love Bellatrix--it's so easy to do! I finished my Grasshoppers last night and cast on immediately for the Bellatrix pattern using my Scout's Indie Swag Punk Pink. They are turning out so well in the leg!

(Edited on July 22, 2007 to add the picture of the finished socks.)

I have fought and fought with this skein of yarn trying to find exactly the right pattern to use with it. It pooled terribly, it made fat spirals, and it made beautiful stipes and then pooled later in the gusset. Nothing has worked until now.

The yarn overs in the pattern are breaking up the pooling by allowing the tiniest of stripes to cross each pool, and the loosened stitches are providing the perfect contrast on their own. I hope it continues to be this wonderful as I approach the heel and move into the gusset later today.

I have changed the pattern just a smidge though. It does not affect the pattern at all, just the way I'm choosing to work it. Instead of placing yarnovers between stitches, which meant I had a lot of adjustments to make to them later, I wrapped the yarn extra times around the needle when making a single stitch. Here's what I mean: instead of "yo, k1, yo 2 times, k1, etc." I did "k1 wrapping the needle twice, k1 wrapping the needle three times, etc." It just works better for me in the long run, and it creates exactly the same effect intended in the pattern.

I think this pattern must have been designed just for this yarn. I adore my new evil socks!

Sock Ideas!

I am completely obsessed with knitting socks. They are my "go everywhere" project because they are so portable. Due to my complete and utter addiction to all things sock, I started listening to DharmaFey's Socks in the City podcast. It's full of lots of great sock patterns and sources for indie dyers.

In one of her most recent episodes, she mentioned the Harry Potter patterns available at Socktopia, and I couldn't resist downloading all three. Bellatrix, Fawkes, and Nagini are all designed to keep us busy while waiting for Book 7 to arrive. I think I'll be knitting Bellatrix in the Punk Pink yarn from the first round of Scout's Indie Swag, and Fawkes will be in the Kung Hei Fat Choi yarn from the same club. I'm still musing over Nagini, but the Indie Swag Glampyre colorway is definitely in the running. If you love Harry and socks, you should check out the site. You just might be Dobby the house-elf in disguise!

In fact, I'm so entranced by Harry and sock knitting, that I have signed up to join the Harry Potter Sock Swap. I'll be a first year, so I'll have to watch out for those prefects patrolling the corridors. Just in case you didn't know, I, Morgana Bagman (my groovy Hogwarts name), have been sorted!


I'm a Ravenclaw!

I'm really not surprised--I get sorted here all the time!

It's time to go finish up my last Grasshopper, because I can't wait to start working on some great Harry socks!

Confidential to My SockPal

In case you drop by, I have a message just for you! You said you were rushing to finish up my socks, and I want to let you know you can take your time!

We are headed out soon on our family vacation, and we will actually be gone during the "mailing week" for Sockapalooza. We will be back home on the 15th after our bi-annual trip to the right coast, if you would like to hold off on mailing it until we're back. I would rather that you hang on to it for an extra couple of days (and have oodles of extra time!) than to have it sit in the P.O. with all our held mail.

Just thought you should know! I can't wait to see it!

Sockapalooza Sigh...

I thought I planned it all perfectly.

I bought a skein of Socks That Rock Titania and the Titania's Revenge pattern by Cookie A. It seemed like the perfect combination for a Shakespeare professor who loves A Midsummer Night's Dream. I tried the pattern--I did! I knit one sock, and I was happy with it. I wasn't so happy later when it became obvious I was going to run out of yarn halfway through the foot of the second sock. I got gauge, so I'm confused as to why I was running short on yarn. I ripped it back and re-started them in a few different designs before settling on Carolina, Queen of Naples.

I finished the pair today, and the first one is blocking as I write this. I don't normally block socks, but I feel it's kind of necessary for the exchange. It's going to take a couple of days since I only have one sock blocker, but it will be worth it in the end.

(Edited on July 22, 2007 to add the picture of the finished socks.)

I know I must have chosen the right color for my pal. I checked her blog yesterday to see what she's been up to, and guess what she bought? Yep, that's right! She has bought her very own skein of STR Titania in the last 2 weeks or so. Sigh. I really hope she doesn't mind having two pairs from the same yarn! She is considering Monkey, so I might be safe as long as Carolina is out of the running.

Maybe she won't cast on at all, I'll send her the Titania pattern, and she can knit it herself! Wouldn't that just be perfect??? She knits much more than I do, so I just know she can get it to all work out!

Where to Begin?

Yes, I'm still here (thanks for asking, Sock Pal!), and I'm still knitting away.

I can't believe it's been 2 months since I posted. The end of May was insane because school was winding down. The first half of June was also intense because I took my class on a three-day trip to camp on Catalina Island right before the last week of school when grades, awards, and end-of-year office items were due.

After all the craziness was over, I just wanted to knit. I was even ignoring my daily blog reading in favor of my sticks and string. It's taken me this long to actually want to blog again.

It's easier to write bullets for this update, so here's what I've been doing.

(Edited and corrected on July 22, 2007 to include sock pictures and other FOs.)

Finished items:

1. Clapotis - it's my second one, and it was knit from Briar Rose Fibers Wistful in a pretty rose and olive colorway.
2. A matching Dream Swatch Head Wrap designed by Wendy.
3. Lisa Souza Mardi Gras socks in the Child's First Sock pattern from Knitting Vintage Socks. I ripped the first sock I had done with this yarn because of gauge issues with the second sock.

4. The Rockin' Sock Club Inside Out Monsoon socks.

5. Black Bunny Fibers Fairy Wings socks in the omnipresent Monkey pattern.

6. Black Bunny Fibers Senior Citizen socks in plain old stockinette for the DCA.

7. And, last but not least, my Sockapalooza 4 socks.

On the needles now:

1. Maude (again) in Koigu. this time it's turning out beautifully. It helps to use the correct needles!
2. Chevron Scarf from Last-Minute Knitted Gifts. This one is done in Socks That Rock Mudslide and In the Navy, and it's for my mom. I told her she should try knitting it, but she said purling affects her blood pressure, so I'm doing it myself to save her the trouble.
3. Rockin' Sock Club Kneehigh to a Grasshopper socks in the Silkie Socks That Rock Walkin' on the Wild Tide. One down, one to go with this pair. I took a break from these to work on my SockPal's pair.

In the immediate queue:

1. A sweater for me using my pretty purple alpaca in my stash. I'm considering Notre Dame de Grace from the most recent IK. I have a couple of other ideas in case it doesn't work out.
2. Hanami Stole from Pink Lemon Twist with the Black Bunny Fibers Laceweight I bought especially for this project.
3. Rockin' Sock Club Firebird Socks - I'm absolutely itching to do this pair!

Extremely extravagant purchases:

1. Harry Potter Sock Club from Sunshine Yarns.
2. Enough Cherry Tree Hill, Claudia Hand Painted, Lorna's Laces, and Seacoast from The Loopy Ewe for 6 more pairs of socks. (This isn't as bad as it seems because I was spending the gift certificate to buy yarn for the patterns in Favorite Socks--both of which were birthday presents. The DCA rocks!)
3. The Yarn Harlot's latest and More Sensational Knitted Socks--I picked these up yesterday because I don't want to wait until Christmas to get them.

That's all the latest. I'll try to be a bit better about updates, but with an upcoming vacation, I make no promises!

Birthday MeMe

I stole another meme from Heather’s blog. I just couldn’t resist.

Here's what to do if you want to play along. Go to Wikipedia and type in your birth date (omitting the year). Then share (at least) 3 events, two births, and one holiday that share your special day.

Here are my favorite June 5th observances. It was too hard to stick to the minimums.

Events:

1851 - Harriet Beecher Stowe's anti-slavery serial, Uncle Tom's Cabin or, Life Among the Lowly starts a ten-month run in the National Era abolitionist newspaper.

1968 - U.S. presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy is shot at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles, California by Palestinian Sirhan Sirhan. Kennedy dies the next day.

1977 - The Apple II, the first practical personal computer, goes on sale.

1989 - The Unknown Rebel halts the progress of a column of advancing tanks for over half an hour after the Tiananmen Square protests of 1989.

Births:

1646 - Elena Lucrezia Cornaro Piscopia, Italian mathematician and first woman to receive a Ph.D. (d. 1684). I’m a math teacher—go figure.

1718 - Thomas Chippendale, English furniture maker (d. 1779)

1878 - Pancho Villa, Mexican revolutionary (d. 1923)

1895 - William Boyd, American actor (d. 1972). This guy is better known as Hopalong Cassidy.

1971 - Mark Wahlberg, American singer and actor. Yep—Marky Mark and I are exactly the same age.

1977 - Liza Weil, American actress. I’m a huge Gilmore Girls fan, and so much of her Paris character reminds me of my high school self.

1979 - Pete Wentz, American musician (Fall Out Boy). This one is for my students who adore him. I have no idea who he is.

Holiday:

Constitution Day in Denmark. My father was once offered an assignment in Denmark when I was younger, and I always thought we should have taken it so I could celebrate my birthday as a national holiday. I was a little self-centered then (and still am on occasion).

Another Knitting MeMe

I saw this over at Knitting in Pink, so here's mine. I added my own comments in blue when appropriate.

Mark with bold the things you have knit, with italics the ones you plan to do sometime, and leave the rest.

Afghan (lap blanket in progress for the DCA)
American/English knitting
Baby items
Bobbles
Buttonholes
Cable stitch patterns (incl. Aran)
Cardigan (only for babies so far)
Charity knitting (for Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society)
Continental knitting
Cuffs/fingerless mitts/armwarmers (hasn't everyone done Fetching?)
Darning
Designing knitted garments (only some socks)
Domino knitting (=modular knitting)
Drop stitch patterns
Dying with plant colors
Dying yarn
Entrelac (I tried it once just to see if I could)
Fair Isle knitting
Freeform knitting
Fulling/felting
Garter stitch
Gloves
Graffiti knitting
Hair accessories
Hat
Holiday related knitting
Household items (dishcloths, washcloths, tea cosies…)
I-cord
Intarsia
Jewelry
Kitchener stitch
Knitting a gift
Knitting a pattern from an online knitting magazine
Knitting and purling backwards
Knitting art
Knitting for a living (don't I wish!)
Knitting for pets
Knitting for preemies
Knitting in public (almost every day!)
Knitting items for a wedding
Knitting on a loom (so I could show the Roo)
Knitting smocking
Knitting socks (or other small tubular items) on one or two circulars
Knitting to make money (donated items to craft sale for missions at church)
Knitting two socks on two circulars simultaneously (don't like it)
Knitting with alpaca (only in a blend)
Knitting with bamboo yarn (sock yarn in the stash)
Knitting with banana fiber yarn
Knitting with beads (Hanami pattern in the queue)
Knitting with camel yarn
Knitting with cashmere (only in a blend)
Knitting with circular needles
Knitting with cotton
Knitting with dog/cat hair (every time the cat is in my lap)
Knitting with dpns
Knitting with linen (Mason-Dixon dish towels!)
Knitting with metal wire
Knitting with recycled/secondhand yarn
Knitting with self patterning/self striping/variegated yarn
Knitting with silk (only in a blend)
Knitting with soy yarn
Knitting with someone else’s handspun yarn
Knitting with synthetic yarn (Hey! I was a kid then!)
Knitting with wool
Knitting with your own handspun yarn
Lace patterns (but not true lace with patterning on both sides)
Long Tail CO
Machine knitting
Mittens: Cuff-up
Mittens: Tip-down
Moebius band knitting
Norwegian knitting
Participating in a KAL
Pillows
Publishing a knitting book
Purses/bags
Rug (Mason-Dixon strikes again!)
Scarf
Shawl
Short rows
Shrug/bolero/poncho
Slip stitch patterns

Slippers

Socks: top-down

Socks: toe-up

Steeks

Stockinette stitch

Stuffed toys (bear in progress)
Swatching
Sweater
Teaching a child to knit (both Roo and Moose and two kids from school)
Teaching a male how to knit (the Moose)
Textured knitting
Thrummed knitting
Toy/doll clothing (Cabbage Patch Kid sweater and a Phrygian cap for an American Girl doll)
Tubular CO
Twisted stitch patterns
Two end knitting
Writing a pattern

What have you learned to do that has marked a definite change in your knitting life?
I loved learning to knit socks. They make a great project that I can take anywhere, and they are also a great conversation starter.

I had no idea I knew how to do so many knitting techniques. One of my friends said I needed to try the Master Knitters program and now I think she's right!

And Now We Wait

...for the baby to arrive! I finished the Kenyan Baby Sweater last week, and I blocked it this morning before I went to school. As soon as I install the snaps, I will try to find the camera to take a picture before it's gifted.

The sweater is intended for the baby to be named later of two missionaries in Kenya our school helps to support. T&L have been home on furlough for almost 8 months now, and they are returning to Kenya next month. Before they go back, the school is hosting a baby shower for them after our weekly chapel, and the sweater will make its grand entrance then. I made it large enough for a 12-18 month old because I want them to have things for when the baby is older and for next winter. I know they will have plenty of newborn things from Grandma, the Moose's teacher.

My inspiration for the sweater was Staci's Letterman-Style Hooded Baby Cardi. I only changed a couple of things: I knit it with stripes instead of the "varsity jacket" sleeves, and I used a crocheted cast-on so I could pick up live stitches to knit a different style hood. My hood has an i-cord pull string so it can be snugged up under the baby's chin when needed. Everything else is just the same, and I think it's a great pattern! Go check it out!

I also finished my Nodding Violets socks this week. I wore them to school on Tuesday, and they are some of the most comfy socks I own. I do love STR! I used the Rainy Day pattern over at MagKnits, but I changed the needle size so I could have a much smaller gauge. They're beautiful no matter what size!

(Edited on July 22, 2007 to add picture of the finished socks.)

I have started working on my second Rockin' Sock Club Upside Down and Inside Out Monsoon sock. I actually had knit the entire leg down to where I needed to start the heel when I realized my picot hem had too many stitches in it. Of course, I had to pull it all out and start over, because it would have bothered me intensely to know one sock had a larger hem. (I really do admire knitters who can tolerate such unique differences between socks--they just make me insane.) I'm past the first cable crossover and I intend to finish the leg tonight if I can.

The main reason I'm determined to finish the Inside Out sock is because my new Sock Club kit arrived today! After being one of the last few in the last round, I was thrilled to see my kit arrive so quickly this time. I'm posting no details for at least another week because I refuse to be a spoiler. You'll love it when you see it though! I can't wait to get started on the new pattern with my new oh-so-squishy yarn.

My other project in queue is Hanami by Melanie over at Pink Lemon Twist. I had seen it a few days ago and really wanted to try it out, and then when Kay over at Mason-Dixon Knitting picked it as a project, I just knew it had to be a good one. I picked up some Alpaca Silk laceweight from BBF, and I knew it's deep pink tones would forever remind me of the centers of cherry blossoms. It's kind of fitting since I did manage to survive this year's trip to Washington, DC. I can't wait to get started on it!

Pictures are forthcoming!

I'll Fly Away!

My Icarus is done! It really does look like wings when it's all blocked out. I finished it up last Wednesday, and I blocked it on our bed on Thursday. I finally got around to taking pictures today. Let's recap, shall we?

Here is my first attempt at Icarus. It was knit on a US size 4 circular needle, and I was running out of yarn way too soon.

On New Year's Eve, Scout challenged everyone to "Just Froggit!" if there was a project that just wasn't turning out right. Remember these before and after shots?

On Valentine's Day, the new swift and ballwinder turned the above ball of yarn into a yarn cake.

During the last week of March, I found my US size 3 circular and started off. Icarus and I spent the next week wandering around Virginia and Washington, DC. After a few days spent recovering, I went back to work and finally finished off this beauty.

Isn't she lovely? I tried to get the Moose to take a picture of me with it, but his photographic skills require more development (ha ha!). Instead, I snapped this shot of Icarus with our favorite Platypus in his natural habitat. I have plans to wear Icarus very soon when the right weather presents itself here in SoCal. Here is what is left of my wonderful Black Bunny laceweight. Even though I was on 3's, I came right down to the wire! I don't think I've ever been so nervous about a project before.

I'm sure you're wondering about the Platypus by now. This particular Platypus (Platy, for short) joined our family when the Moose was just a few days old. He lay untouched in the crib for nearly five months until the fateful day when the Moose grabbed him on his way out of the crib after an afternoon nap. They have been nearly inseparable ever since. Some kids have blankies; we have a Platypus. We actually have several Platypuses (Platypi?) roaming about our home now, and they represent all colors of the spectrum and all sizes imaginable. Who knew there could be such Platypus love? The Moose has informed us that he's going to be a zoologist specializing in monotremes and that he's moving to Australia to take care of the Platypuses in their zoos. I'll keep you posted if his plans change.

When I downloaded the Icarus shots, I also downloaded the DC shots. If I have any good ones, I'll be sure to share so you can see all the places Icarus, the sock, and I got to visit, even if there are no pictures of us there!

Here I Am!

So, I've been busy. The DCA let you know some of my recent activities--like the middle school trip to Washington, DC. I've also been obsessed with finishing Icarus, and that alone is enough to keep me from my blog!

My knitting did, in fact, accompany me to our nation's capital. Unfortunately, I failed to take any sock or Icarus pictures to document their visit. I have lots of photos of major landmarks, and as far as I know, I, myself, only appear in two of them. Try to follow along as I recap the trip.

March 29: We departed SoCal for DC on the red-eye to Dulles. The almost-non-reclining seats, the noise, general discomfort, and screaming child kept most of us from resting.

March 30: We arrived way too early for our personal liking at Dulles, and my mother-in-law surprised me by meeting our group in baggage claim just to say "hi" because she was volunteering at the USO that morning. After we collected the bags, we hopped on our tour bus and headed south to Colonial Williamsburg. My parents met me there, and I spent the afternoon with them while the kids, staff, and chaperones took the nickel tour of the town. We all collapsed into bed at terribly early hours realizing that the red-eye is a cure for any jet lag we might have experienced otherwise.

March 31: We spent the morning in Jamestown and the afternoon in Yorktown. I was still enjoying my parents' company until we headed west on the bus to Richmond for dinner and on to Charlottesville for the night. My parents headed east to Virginia Beach for the rest of their weekend.

April 1: We visited Monticello in the morning after our tour guide sweet-talked our way into an earlier tour than scheduled. We spent a couple more hours on the bus afterwards and drove up to Luray Caverns. After we saw the underground wonders of God's creation, we headed north to Manassas for dinner and our new hotel.

April 2: We visited the Capitol in the morning and were subjected to only minor brainwashing by the congressional staff assigned to our tour during our hour-long wait in the security line. Thankfully, it didn't take. From there, we hit the mall, and my small group and I made our way over to the National Museum of the American Indian. I wish we had more time there, because there is so much more I want to see. It is definitely top on my list of things to visit when we go back to visit again. From the mall, we went over to Arlington National Cemetery and saw the changing of the guard and a wreath-laying ceremony at the Tomb of the Unknowns. We also stopped by the Kennedy grave site. After dinner, our group headed south to Potomac Mills shopping mall, and the moms in our group were able to get a shopping fix.

April 3: We drove out to Mount Vernon in the morning, went to the National Museum of Natural History and to the National Archives in the afternoon (no, the movie wasn't filmed there), and had dinner at Union Station. After our late dinner, we visited the National World War II Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the Korean War Veterans Memorial, and the Thomas Jefferson Memorial. It was well after midnight by the time we went to bed that night!

April 4: We visited Ford's Theatre in the morning to hear about the assassination of Abraham Lincoln, stopped by the Supreme Court, drove up Embassy Row on Massachusetts Avenue, and then stopped by the Washington National Cathedral. On our way out of town we made a brief stop to grab a quick lunch at the Wisconsin Ave. location of Booeymonger (a personal favorite from my college days) and headed out to Dulles. We made the plane right on time and arrived safely back in SoCal that night.

The trip was exhilarating while we were there, but I was completely exhausted when we returned home. I spent last Thursday trying not to break down in tears from the sheer tiredness.

The sock in progress (a twisted rib in STR Nodding Violets lightweight) made only a brief appearance in Jamestown. Throughout the rest of the trip, I worked almost exclusively on Icarus during all our rides on the bus and times standing in lines. When we got home, I only had to do one more repeat of the main body pattern and the decorative edge charts.

I've been nearly silent the past few days because I'm anxiously knitting away and waiting to see if I have enough yarn to finish or if I'm going to have to rip back to where I was when we got home from DC last week. I have three rows left in chart 4 and the four rows of the edging to do. I get more and more nervous every time I look at what remains of my yarn cake.

Stay tuned to see if I actually finish Icarus or if I have to break down and send it on a temporary visit to the frog pond!

No, I Haven't Hidden The Body

For the readers out there, have no fear... HoyaGirl has not come to any harm nor permanently checked off the net. After surviving her trip with 6-8 graders to Washington D.C. (knitting in hand of course), she will be back soon with new updates and tales from the stash. Maybe even some pictures!

DCA

The Lord is risen! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Lord is risen indeed! Alleluia! Alleluia!

(I don't miss the current state of politics in the Episcopal Church, but I sure do miss some of the fancy words and rituals of my youth.)

This morning we went to the Sunrise Service and celebrated His resurrection. I love getting up early to welcome Jesus every Easter. (Hush, DCA, I was just grouchy earlier because I wanted my turtleneck and needed some coffee.) It just puts me in the right frame of mind for hearing the Easter story.

Nothing amazes me more than the knowledge that Jesus died a horrible death for you and for me and returned to life three days later to prove He was the Son of God and had conquered death and the grave forever. What an awesome miracle!

The Resurrection

After the Sabbath, at dawn on the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to look at the tomb.

There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothes were white as snow. The guards were so afraid of him that they shook and became like dead men.

The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid, for I know that you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He is not here; he has risen, just as he said. Come and see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples: 'He has risen from the dead and is going ahead of you into Galilee. There you will see him.' Now I have told you."

So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. Suddenly Jesus met them. "Greetings," he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, "Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

Matthew 28:1-10 (NIV)

Take some time today to think about the wonderful gift of salvation we've been given, and say thank you to the One who made it possible.

Happy Easter, everyone!

Inside Out and Upside Down

After many fits and starts with the Monsoon yarn from the Rockin' Sock Club, I finally have sock #1 knitted up through its heel.

I started the Inside and Out pattern, and I just couldn't get by the shape of the toe. Apparently, I'm not the only one because Stephanie had similar objections. From there, I tried 4 or 5 different patterns starting them multiple times before I finally decided I liked the Inside and Out pattern, but that I would rather work it from the top down. It's my anti-toe-up bias again!

Here's what I've done so far:

1. I used the crochet cast on for 60 stitches because I wanted a picot lace cuff instead of ribbing at the top. I knit 7 rows, the picot row, and 7 more rows before knitting the stitches from the waste yarn and the stitches from the needle together. I used US size 1 needles for the hem.
2. I switched to US size 2 needles and worked the pattern rows of the leg for two and a half repeats.
3. I switched back to US size 1 needles to work the garter stitch short-row heel and 10 rows of the foot.
4. I switched to US size 0 needles to work the remainder of the foot, and I'm now heading for the toe.
5. I plan to do the garter stitch short-row toe with the size 0 needles and kitchener stitch the remaining stitches together at the end.

After all the time I have spent on this sock so far, I can't wait to see it all finished up even though I know it's going to take me a few more days.

The DCA found the camera for me the other day, but as I'm sure you've noticed, I haven't picked it up yet. Maybe I should sweet-talk him into being my photographer!

Monkey Socks? Check!

I have finished the Monkey socks! I know I should post pictures, but I have no idea where the camera is and no desire to go look for it. Knitting and report cards are my life this week.

(Edited July 22, 2007 to add picture of finished sock.)

I am convinced I am the only person in the universe who doesn't have their Rockin' Sock Club kit yet. Sigh. I was so frustrated by the delayed arrival yesterday that I grabbed a skein of Nodding Violets STR lightweight from the meager stash and started some new socks. Today, when the kit still hadn't arrived, I felt particularly smart for making this move.

The new socks are Rainy Day which I found over at MagKnits. All this means I'm still ignoring the over 400 stitches I have left to bind off on the scarf, and I am still balking at starting Mardi Gras sock #2.

I'm ignoring my gradekeeping program too--I am going to go soothe my Club angst with my new socks now.

A Stolen MeMe!

I saw this over at Karen's, so I stole it. She stole it from MissyJoon! I don't get tagged for a lot of MeMes, so I decided to try this one out. I found I've read a lot more books than I expected, found some I want to read, found more I've never heard of, and found the ones I'm still trying to avoid. Check it out, you'll learn a lot about your literary preferences!

Look at the list of books below:
* Bold the ones you’ve read,
* Italicize the ones you want to read
* Leave plain the ones that you aren’t interested in.

1. The DaVinci Code (Dan Brown)
2. Pride and Prejudice (Jane Austen)
3. To Kill A Mockingbird (Harper Lee)
4. Gone With The Wind (Margaret Mitchell) One of my all-time favorites!
5. The Lord of the Rings: Return of the King (Tolkien)
6. The Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring (Tolkien)
7. The Lord of the Rings: Two Towers (Tolkien)
8. Anne of Green Gables (L.M. Montgomery)
9. Outlander (Diana Gabaldon)
10. A Fine Balance (Rohinton Mistry)
11. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Rowling)
12. Angels and Demons (Dan Brown)
13. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Rowling)
14. A Prayer for Owen Meany (John Irving)
15. Memoirs of a Geisha (Arthur Golden)
16. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone (Rowling)
17. Fall on Your Knees (Ann-Marie MacDonald)
18. The Stand (Stephen King)
19. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Rowling)
20. Jane Eyre (Charlotte Bronte)
21. The Hobbit (Tolkien)
22. The Catcher in the Rye (J.D. Salinger)
23. Little Women (Louisa May Alcott)
24. The Lovely Bones (Alice Sebold)
25. Life of Pi (Yann Martel)
26. The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy (Douglas Adams)
27. Wuthering Heights (Emily Bronte)
28. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (C. S. Lewis)
29. East of Eden (John Steinbeck)
30. Tuesdays with Morrie (Mitch Albom)
31. Dune (Frank Herbert)
32. The Notebook (Nicholas Sparks)
33. Atlas Shrugged (Ayn Rand)
34. 1984 (Orwell)
35. The Mists of Avalon (Marion Zimmer Bradley)
36. The Pillars of the Earth (Ken Follett)
37. The Power of One (Bryce Courtenay)
38. I Know This Much is True (Wally Lamb)
39. The Red Tent (Anita Diamant)
40. The Alchemist (Paulo Coelho)
41. The Clan of the Cave Bear (Jean M. Auel) - I own the whole series, and I'm waiting to see if she writes a sequel.
42. The Kite Runner (Khaled Hosseini) - The DCA read this one, so I guess I should check it out.
43. Confessions of a Shopaholic (Sophie Kinsella)
44. The Five People You Meet In Heaven (Mitch Albom)
45. The Bible (God) - I've read almost all of it except some of the minor propets.
46. Anna Karenina (Tolstoy) - I've started this one about 9 times, but I keep getting stuck on all the Russion patronyms.
47. The Count of Monte Cristo (Alexandre Dumas)
48. Angela’s Ashes (Frank McCourt)
49. The Grapes of Wrath (John Steinbeck)
50. She’s Come Undone (Wally Lamb)
51. The Poisonwood Bible (Barbara Kingsolver)
52. A Tale of Two Cities (Dickens)
53. Ender’s Game (Orson Scott Card)
54. Great Expectations (Dickens)
55. The Great Gatsby (Fitzgerald)
56. The Stone Angel (Margaret Laurence)
57. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Rowling)
58. The Thorn Birds (Colleen McCullough)
59. The Handmaid’s Tale (Margaret Atwood)
60. The Time Traveller’s Wife (Audrew Niffenegger)
61. Crime and Punishment (Fyodor Dostoyevsky)
62. The Fountainhead (Ayn Rand)
63. War and Peace (Tolstoy) - I've started this one about 9 times too, and I have the same problem as with Anna Karenina.
64. Interview With The Vampire (Anne Rice)
65. Fifth Business (Robertson Davis)
66. One Hundred Years Of Solitude (Gabriel Garcia Marquez)
67. The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (Ann Brashares)
68. Catch-22 (Joseph Heller)
69. Les Miserables (Hugo) - I cheated and read the abridged version without all the French history and politics.
70. The Little Prince (Antoine de Saint-Exupery)
71. Bridget Jones’ Diary (Fielding)
72. Love in the Time of Cholera (Marquez) - Only because it's in the movie Serendipity.
73. Shogun (James Clavell) - I tried this one before I understood enough Japanese history, so I might try it again.
74. The English Patient (Michael Ondaatje)
75. The Secret Garden (Frances Hodgson Burnett)
76. The Summer Tree (Guy Gavriel Kay)
77. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn (Betty Smith)
78. The World According to Garp (John Irving)
79. The Diviners (Margaret Laurence)
80. Charlotte's Web (E.B. White)
81. Not Wanted On The Voyage (Timothy Findley)
82. Of Mice And Men (Steinbeck)
83. Rebecca (Daphne DuMaurier)
84. Wizard’s First Rule (Terry Goodkind)
85. Emma (Jane Austen)
86. Watership Down(Richard Adams)
87. Brave New World (Aldous Huxley)
88. The Stone Diaries (Carol Shields)
89. Blindness (Jose Saramago)
90. Kane and Abel (Jeffrey Archer)
91. In The Skin Of A Lion (Ondaatje)
92. Lord of the Flies (Golding)
93. The Good Earth (Pearl S. Buck)
94. The Secret Life of Bees (Sue Monk Kidd)
95. The Bourne Identity (Robert Ludlum)
96. The Outsiders (S.E. Hinton)
97. White Oleander (Janet Fitch)
98. A Woman of Substance (Barbara Taylor Bradford)
99. The Celestine Prophecy (James Redfield)
100. Ulysses (James Joyce)