Still Life With Sock and Dog Toy

This is my racing sock - as in, I knit it during Formula 1 practice, qualifying, racing.  It's a simple sock that I don't have to look at while I knit it, but it gives my hands something to fidget with as I watch Kimi Antonelli wreck his car at the end of Practice 3, less than three hours from Qualifying. (So as not to leave you on a cliff hanger, I will tell you that he was fine, and they not only got his car put back together for Qualifying, but he qualified in P2, and went on to finish the race in second place!) 

The sock pattern is Broken Rope from the Hello Sailor Sock set by Summer Lee.  I worked a slight variation of the Gym Sock Stripe pattern - mainly, I added a third stripe and I only changed colors on odd numbered rounds so that there wouldn't be purl bumps showing.  The yarn is Potions and Purls Luna sock in Keeper of My Heart.  The accent color was included with the skein for cuffs/heels/toes/whatever.  I have used it for the stripes, and will probably also use it for the toe.

The dog toy is one of Obi's favorites - it's a Holee Roller.  Our house is covered in them in various sizes.  The smallest size is a great ball for fetch because he can breathe through it when he's running around like a lunatic, and the largest size is great for tug of war, general chewing, and sometimes it serves as a dog pillow.  Our first Holee Roller lasted nine months, with much of that being through his puppy teeth/furry land shark stage, and we were so impressed we've just kept ordering them for him.  The oldest one we currently have is over two years old.  No affiliation with the company, but just a very happy dog mom.

Progress!

Now that I've gotten my Mystery MusiKAL shawl finished (pictures to follow when I get the ends woven in), I'm focusing on my Austin Hoodie again.  I have finished knitting the lower body section and divided the front stitches from the back stitches.  I've completed the woven section on the back and I'm about to start the ribbing section.  I had played with the idea of using different stitch patterns, but I eventually decided that I really did like the stitch patterns used in the original pattern, with a couple slight changes.  I did not double strand the woven section because I'm using sportweight yarn instead of fingering weight, and I am going to reverse the ribbed section at the top by knitting where I'm supposed to purl and purling where I am supposed to knit.  This should give me a slightly more subtle ribbing and still match at the shoulders.

I'm hoping to really make some progress on this and be finished with the body before the end of the month.  I have to have the whole sweater finished by the end of March and I will have two sleeves, a hood, and front bands to do after the body, so I've got to get moving!

In other news, Mickael got me a robot vacuum (and it mops!) for Valentine's Day!  It's seriously amazing!  I was just sitting here this morning, drinking my tea, and writing to you while it went to vacuum and mop the master bathroom.  Obi barks at it occasionally,  but he really doesn't seem too troubled about it, he tends to follow it a little bit, but the barking seems to be more on general principal than because he senses any threat.  It did knock one of his squeaky balls out from under the sofa yesterday, and he was thrilled to get that back!

Something Pink!

Knitting continues here at Chez Pink Lemon.  Often with dog hair, and sometimes with a bit of dog spit too!  I've mostly been working on my Go Go Dynamo Mystery Shawl, which is supposed to be kept behind spoilers until the end of the month.  I'm still "behind" on it, but slow progress is still progress.  We're supposed to avoid spoilers for that design until the end of the month, which means the thing that I'm actually spending most of my knitting time on isn't really good for feeding the blog.

I do have some recent photos of my Keera Pullover though!  I finished the body and in this front view you can see the pockets.  I don't really use knitted pockets - they're too stretchy for any real usefulness - but I feel strongly that everything should have pockets, so I included them anyway.  It occurs to me as I type this that I could sew in some fabric linings and they would be slightly useful.  Hmmm....

Here's a shot of the back (love it!) and of course, you can also see that I'm working on my first sleeve.  I love hand dyed yarns, but it's so nice not to have to alternate skeins sometimes.  This is such a pretty, soft pink, it just makes me happy!

And since I mentioned the dog hair and the dog spit, here's a picture of little Obi dog!  This was right after our walk this morning.  We've figured out that it's easier to bring him and his water outside after a walk so the kitchen doesn't get turned into a swimming pool.  It's less offensive to Mr. Noodle this way too.

Back-ing Away, But Not Backing Off!

I'm working away on the back of my Sous Sous pullover.   It's moving along nicely and the other day I sat down with the pattern and counted the rest of it out.  First I figured out how many more rows in total the pattern called for, then after comparing to the total number of rows in the front, I figured out how many rows I actually needed to do and I made more notes.  I will be adding all of my notes to my project page on Ravelry, as well as here when I finish knitting this (and have confirmed that the changes I've made do work), but I'm only mathing out the first size for this.  I have no idea what changes the other two sizes will need.  

What I find extremely confusing are the projects that specifically say they knit this exactly as the pattern calls for and had no problems.  How did that work?  I love the look of the finished sweater, which is why I've kept going.  I've checked for errata and/or updates, and I have no clue how this is knit-able per the pattern.  I literally just had a thought while I was typing this and there is a Loop London group on Ravelry and they did a Sous Sous KAL.  There are just under 900 posts in the thread, but maybe the answers are somewhere in there.  I guess I know what I'll be doing this week!  

Right now I've got to go because Little Obi Dog is licking the wall.  (Why????!!?)  I'll throw in a recent picture of him just for fun before I go!

ETA:  I've figured out what's going on and the pattern is correct as far as row counts.  I'll explain later with another post and update my Ravelry project page when I've finished the project, but wanted to leave a note here to disregard my rambling in case someone is thinking about knitting this pattern and stumbled across this post.

A Finished Sweater and A Birthday!

I have finally finished my Sammensat T.  I started this back in December and it really should have been done much more quickly.  The knitting itself is very easy, and once you're through the short row neck shaping and the yoke, it's just straight knitting.  This is a perfect project for complex, hand dyed yarn (I'm seriously considering some hand spun for a second one of these), and it's also good for times when life gets more complex and all you can do is stockinette (which is why it took me so long to get it finished).  This is definitely something that I will do again, whether in hand spun or commercial yarn.  

The pattern photos show this as a short sleeved top, but the pattern includes directions for a long sleeved top as well.  Obviously, I chose the long sleeves, hoping for a post-holiday pullover to wear in January and February before it got very warm.  Naturally, this year we hit 80 degrees in February and I still wasn't finished with it.  Fortunately, I'll wear pink year round.

One of the things that I liked about the pattern was the minimal edgings.  You start with a Chinese Waitress Cast On (above), and at the end of each section, you do a Chinese Waitress Bind Off (below).  I didn't even know that Chinese Waitress Bind Off was a thing, but I really like how it looks (and I adore the cast on).  I was a little concerned about my edges rolling, but I went down a couple of needle sizes for the last inch or so of knitting, and after steam blocking, everything is lying nicely.  Different yarns, different fiber content, and different levels of twist could mean more issues with rolling at the edge.  If I had had rolling issues, I had planned to work an i-cord bind off.  It would have meant a more substantial edge, but it would have given a similar look.  I used Malabrigo Arroyo in Rosalinda for this project.

In other big news, Obi had his first birthday late last week!  He's now a dog!  I don't know for sure how big he is now, but when he saw the vet at 11 months (ear infection, yeah early spring!), he was 80 pounds.  When he went in January for a booster shot, he weighed 76 pounds, so while we've slowed down quite a bit (thank heavens!), he's still growing.  At this point he probably has the majority of his full size, he'll just do some filling out over the next year.  He stands taller than Logan did (Logan was 80-85 pounds) and conveniently (for Obi), he can easily rest his chin on our kitchen table.  He's doing pretty well learning all the weird human things we've been teaching him, and Mr. Noodle has decided that he's old enough to be disciplined.  When he was younger, Mr. Noodle would just walk away when he got fed up with Obi's puppy shenanigans.  Now Mr. Noodle employs the paw of justice, and to really get the pup to pay attention, he bites.  We're not sure if the kitty has actually made contact with his teeth, but seeing those teeth coming at him, Obi backs up quickly and shows Mr. Noodle some respect. 

Faded Socks

I finished my Slouchy Fade Socks.  These were the perfect, brainless socks where the yarn did all the work.  In fact, I'm debating whether or not to knit another pair or two through the end of the year, or to try something more involved (I've been looking at stranded sock patterns).  I'm basically at the time of year where everything gets crazy until next year, so letting the yarn do all the work is probably a good idea.

The yarn is Shirley Brian Yarns Deconstructed Fade Sock in Here's to Us, Long May They Sneer.  I ended up having more yarn left than I'd hoped for so whenever I knit these (in this particular yarn) again, I'll be adding more rounds to the leg.

I'm still trying to break free of the gravity of the knitting black hole on my pullover, but I'm going to try it on today and see how it's doing anyway.  Maybe hanging on a body, vertically will help it? 

I'm not going to blog next week because Caleb is coming home for Thanksgiving and we're hosting Thanksgiving.  Also, Obi is turning eight months old.  He's gotten leggy again, which means he'll have to grow into those silly stilts, which means he's still getting bigger.  We haven't tried weighing him since he was about five and a half months old and he weighed 64 pounds.  He hasn't had to go to the vet and trying to weigh him at home is kind of a circus now.  His breeder told us to expect somewhere between 80-100 pounds, and he seems to be right on track!

For reference: Bear, our first Golden, a red American style Golden, who was pre-blog, was 80 pounds;  Finn who was 75% Golden/25% Labrador was 60 pounds;  Logan who was an English style Golden was 90 pounds.  Little Obi Dog may end up bigger than them all!

Obi Makes A Friend

When Little Obi Dog came to our family, my spinning time sharply decreased.  There were potty training and puppy activities to do, and I didn't want the spinning wheel to become a puppy activity.  He's seen the spinning wheel, but Mickael was holding him so he hasn't gotten to touch it.  Now that he's 7-1/2 months old, he's doing really well with most of his commands (most of the time), so I decided to spin in front of him.

Obi really likes the spinning wheel!  I got it set up and started spinning and then Obi and Mickael came into the room.  Naturally, Obi was very curious and wanted to sniff the whole thing.  He managed to quickly bonk himself with the flyer (I wasn't spinning very quickly, but a gentle bonking can help a dog learn which parts of the spinning wheel to stay away from), and then he got a little close to the drive wheel and learned not to touch that while I was spinning.  Next, he barked at the spinning wheel (a sensible reaction, to let the wheel know he wasn't intimidated).  Finally, he inspected the entire thing, watching how each part was interconnected, and how the spinning wheel worked. (Are there possibly some engineering skills in Little Obi Dog?)  He also gave kisses to as much of it as he could safely reach, including my toes, as I treadled.  

When I stopped spinning to change hooks on the flyer, he really got into the workings of it.  I can honestly say that this wheel has never had so much detailed doggy attention given to it.  Logan checked it out periodically, but since I didn't spin bacon, he quickly lost interest.  I don't know how long it will take Obi to lose interest, but I was surprised by the way he paid attention to every part of it and how it worked.  The one thing he really wanted to check out was the fiber (This is Malabrigo Cloud Fiber in Anniversario), but I didn't think that was a good idea. We'll have to be 100% on Drop It and Leave It first!

Another Pair of Socks

While I put the finishing touches on my Sagittarii pullover, I will distract you with another pair of socks and some big puppy!

These are the Paper Wings socks which are the fourth design from THSS, Season 5.  I knit them in Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love Sock in Coastal (which I think is discontinued).  Another great design, quick to knit with lots of easy, relaxing knitting.  Good for puppy knitting.

Speaking of the puppy, here is little Obi dog in all his glory.  I call this his Sears catalog pose, as he looks fabulous while staring off into the distance.  He has gotten interested in my knitting, but is being very polite about it.  When he sees me working on something, he comes over to look, and when I hold it down for him to see he mostly doesn't try to put it in his mouth!  Leave It, Drop It, and No Bite have about a 75% success rate around here, so we're getting there.

Have a great weekend!  Obi will be watching his first football game with me this weekend as the Aggies have their first game Saturday evening!  Whoop!

If You Guessed It Was Another Sock...

...you'd be correct.

Yes, I started the fourth sock for the Handmade Sock Society 5 - Paper Wings.  I'm knitting it in Sweet Georgia Yarns Tough Love Sock in Coastal.  This is such a relaxing design to knit, and it's been ages since I knit an Eye Of Partridge heel flap.  I love them and I'm not sure why I haven't done one in a while.

In puppy news, little Obi dog continues with the teething.  We're very excited though because his gums are swollen underneath his baby canines (AKA the needles of death).  Hopefully the big dog canines will push through soon and we can leave those pointy, sharp puppy teeth behind.  He still has some baby molars, so we're not done when we get the big canines, but we're making progress.  Also, he has chased his tail so much that the tassel (that's what I call the little tuft of hair that swirls around the tip of his tail) is looking a little sad and ratty!

Not A Sock

I found something else I can knit with Obi - the Musselburgh hat!  I knit a couple of these last summer, and once you get past the first few rows, it's very easy to pick up and put down.  By the time you get past the increases and switch to a circular needle you're home free.  Perfect puppy knitting!

This is knit in Blue Barn Fiber Arts on the I Knead This base in the Black Magic colorway.  At first glance it looks like a black hat, but when you look at it in the light, you can see the colors under the black.  I'm knitting this for myself, for winter dog walking, but I'm prepared to give it up if Caleb sees it and wants it. 

Earlier this week I made some cookies for Obi.  They were these Peanut Butter Pumpkin ones and they were super fast.  Obi likes them and Mickael and I tried one too (for science) - they taste like a bland peanut butter cookie.  The smallest cookie cutter I have is a 1 inch heart, but they're probably still a little big for Obi right now.  Once he's full sized, I think they'll be the right size.  For now he'll just have to break them up a bit and clean up his crumbs.  He doesn't seem to mind.

Have a great weekend!

More Socks

Yes, the socks are still a thing around here.  These are the Feather Vane Socks, the second pattern in The Handmade Sock Society.  I'm knitting them in Malabrigo Ultimate Sock in Rosalinda.  As you can see in the photo, the socks are only patterned on the front.  The back of the leg (and foot) are stockinette.  It's a nice mix of patterning that I have to pay attention to and auto pilot knitting.

Little Obi dog continues to grow.  He's three months old now and he's learned a lot.  There's still a lot more to learn, but we're all getting there together.  The heat this week is crazy and that's affected how much time he can spend outside.  (I know, it's Texas, it's summer, but this kind of heat doesn't happen in June, it's more common in August.)  I made him some doggy popsicles last night to go into one of his toys.  We also keep at least one of his Kong toys in the freezer to help him cool down.  Of course he's also teething right now so I'm sure the cold feels good on his teeth and gums.

Mr. Noodle still refuses to lay down the law.  He's too sweet for his own good.  We've been teaching Obi to sit when he sees the kitty, but it's a work in progress.  He gets excited when he sees The Noodle and Sit is the last thing on his mind!

More Puppy Pictures!

Little Obi has been settling in nicely here.  We've gotten a strong start to the potty training (knock on wood).  He's learned how the backdoor works - you have to stand on the right side of it, not in front of the window part of it in the middle.  We've gotten a start with Sit, Wait*, and Settle; and we're working on crate training. He's gone on some very tiny walks and seen some of the neighborhood as well.  

Of course we're also working on being nice to our kitty!  Noodle and Obi continue to work on their relationship.  Noodle is coming closer and closer, allowing himself to be touched by Obi, and they've sniffed noses many times - with Noodle reaching forward with his nose to meet Obi halfway.  Unfortunately, Obi tends to find this all just a bit overwhelming and then gets pushy or crazy, so Noodle leaves.  I realized last night that this might be Noodle's way of training Obi - if he isn't calm, he doesn't get the kitty time!  Noodle hasn't used the Paw of Justice yet, and he hasn't hissed or growled.  I think he realizes that Obi is friendly, just over enthusiastic.

*We're using Wait as a loose, informal Stay.  I use it when we come inside from a potty session so I can lock the door and take off my shoes, we use it when we put down his food bowl, and when we're loading the dishwasher.  It basically means to give us a little space and a minute while we do human stuff.  I don't care if he stands, sits, or lies down as long as he gives us a bit of space and doesn't wander off.  Since we're not teaching a proper Stay yet, I don't want to use that word because we'll just have to retrain for it.

We Interrupt This Regularly Scheduled Fiber Blog With...

...Puppy breath!!!

Yes, it's finally time for Pink Lemon Twist to have a new puppy!  This is Shinobi, who is being called Obi.  He's a nine week old Silver Labrador Retriever.  We've never had a Lab here, only Goldens, but years ago my brother in law had a wonderful Black Lab so it wasn't a hard choice to make.

Mr. Noodle isn't sure about this whole idea, but yesterday he got his butt sniffed and somehow survived.  He doesn't seem to realize that height is is friend here and he can just jump up to avoid this silly little brother.  We're being very careful how we allow Obi to interact with Noodle - especially since when he's full grown he'll be 80-100 pounds.  Things that work just fine at 13 pounds aren't safe when you're big. Of course, Mr. Noodle could take a swing with those claws and explain how things will be too.  So far he hasn't laid down the law with little Obi.  Noodle is slowly starting to relax, so I think things will be okay soon around here

The knitting and spinning and crochet will slow way down around here.  There are important things like training - potty and everything else - that we'll be focusing on for a bit.  I did get the colorwork yoke section of my Sagittarii finished before we picked up Obi, and once I get some short rows done, it should just be knitting in circles for a while.  I should be able to work on this in the little bits of time while he naps.  There are also socks!

I'll pop in periodically with fur baby photos and any fiber things I happen to make progress on when I have a chance.  Have a great weekend!