So since last writing, I have a new FO:
The Buffalo BoySocks, in all their massive glory. In accordance with the rules of the universe, I have not seen the recipient of Socks in ages, so they have not been gifted yet, nor have they even been tried on for size. I am sincerely hoping that when the Day of Reckoning arrives, they will be a perfect fit and I will not have to rip them all out and try again. Because I have determined that I can only handle a pair of BoySocks roughly every 6 months or so. Patterned or no, that’s a whole lot of sock to knit, and it gets pretty monotonous pretty quickly. So the moral of the story? I like knitting gifts, especially for appreciative boys, but I really need some change and excitement in my life.
To wit:
New socks. I know, I know I said that I would be taking a serious sock-break after finishing the BoySocks, but hear me out. Amongst all the projects I’ve got on the needles right now, socks are the only portable one, and without train and babysitting knitting, I might go nuts, and we can’t have that. It could be dangerous. 🙂 That being said, I have discovered a rather interesting fact about myself. I apparently have to have four projects going at once. That is apparently my threshold for comfort. Any less and I feel bored, any more and I feel overwhelmed. How strange, yah? Any of you guys have a similar tic when it comes to your craft?
In food-related news, The Boy and I put on a fabulous feast for July 4, to which we invited a handful of our friends (and the neighbors came too. Good fun). We had some typical Persian fare, from left to right:
Salad Shirazi, kabob koubideh, and rice (polo) with tadikh, that lovely browned crispy rice along the bottom there (so, so good). We also had some potato salad, grilled corn on the cob, butterhead lettuce salad with pear, pignoli, and drunken goat’s cheese topped with a balsamic mustard vinaigrette, and (of course) Key Lime pie. All in all, a fabulous meal. I decided not to post recipes just because of the space they’d take up in the post, but if any of you are interested in getting some of them, let me know. I’m more than happy to send them your way.
So, there is one other project on the needles at the moment, but it requires a disclaimer. JEAN ANN, STOP READING OR RUN THE RISK OF RUINING YOUR BIRTHDAY PRESENT!
The Peacock, reborn. This is a closeup of Chart #1, on size 2 Addis, with the lovely Jade Sapphire Cashmere in colorway Carribbean Mist. For the Banana’s birthday, if I am indeed able to get it all done by then. Adding to the somewhat urgency of this project is that I actually have to have it done in time for my trip home to Kentucky, which is 5 whole days BEFORE the Banana’s birthday. I put it aside for a a bit because I desperately need a larger needle (I’m on a 20″ right now, and I think the largest Addi I can get is 32″, maybe 40″ if I’m lucky) before this thing becomes entirely unwieldy by the end of this next chart. But hey, time presses. The needle will come when it comes, and for now I’m just bunching things up and trying to keep track of my pattern repeats as best I can so I don’t get totally lost. I’ve been pretty good about fixing my screw-ups so far. It usually takes me a good long time to get the “logic” of lace patterns, but I think the somewhat familiar shapes of the peacock tail helps me see when a decrease is off by a stitch or when there’s a missed yarnover. Nice. 🙂
So that’s life at the moment. It’s finally become July here in the city (93 today), and I’m off to babysitting. I can only hope that camp has been enough outdoor time for the Ji today, and that she’d prefer to sit at home chatting on Gmail with her girlfriend than riding a billion miles up to Teardrop Park (or farther. Oy). In other news, the Boy’s apartment was broken into yesterday, and a considerable amount of his rather pricier electronics were stolen. 🙁 So he is now in need of a replacement iMac and PS3, not to mention the movies and games and the M-Audio Solo interface I got him for his last birthday. Break-ins have apparently been rampant in their neighborhood lately, but it’s small comfort at best. So think good thoughts, that hopefully they’ll see their stuff in a local pawn shop and be able to get it back.
And hey, at least he still has his guitars! 🙂
2 Comments
Mom
Didn’t read further so no spoily birthday! I just wanted to say, I hope you’re gifting yourself with the aqua socks, they are gorgeous! Love, Mom
Stevie (redgaloshes)
Congrats on finishing your boy socks! Do they ever get easier? I’m still working on the first pair for my dad which were supposed to be for Father’s Day…
The aqua socks are spectacular so far! I hope those are for you, too. Much deserved after the feat of endurance of boy socks. (Ouch, bad pun was unintentional)
– Stevie (redgaloshes)