From UFO to FO - Part I - Socks

Did you know that you really can't knit while laying flat on your back ? Well, I can't anyway.

Thursday morning a really nasty pain hit my lower back - I went in to the clinic thinking it was a kidney infection but it turns out that it's 'something' muscular. 'Something' ? what the heck does that tell me ? I either managed to sprain my back while typing (very strenuous typing !) or it is a muscle spasm...if the pain was in my leg well, then it would be a herniated disc. Lots of possibilities will the same treatment, lay still, ice 4x per day and meds for 7 days that put me to sleep - after which I would need physio if it's not gone by then. About an hour after seeing the Dr. it was in my leg and by late afternoon it was all the way below my knees. hmmm, herniated disc ? maybe.

I called the physio clinic where I go for my regular massage treatments and they made me a physio app't for Tuesday - better than waiting a week to see if the pain was still there and THEN calling for an app't ! In the meantime, I've been pretty sleepy from the muscle relaxants. Today is the first day that I have any comfortable movement - not painfree by any means, but less.

I'm able to sit up for a little while at a time and decided I'd better get some things done. 3 of those things being the 2 pairs of socks and the dress each with only a bit left to do to finish.

The socks were first on the list. The Skew socks have been sitting on the coffee table for almost 6 weeks laughing at me. I finally wove in the ends !


My stats -
Supersocke 100, colorway 1214
Purchased at Romni Wools in Toronto, Aug 2009
2.75mm needle
Magic Loop
Judy's magic cast on (my first attempt at this that it actually worked !)
Jeny's surprisingly stretcy bind off (love, love this bind off !)

Pretty pink diagonal stripes...



...and, the heels


2nd pair - SFTTU #4 - Tic-Tac-Toe-UP Socks

I made quite the boo-boo on this pair. I was making the size medium, but when I started increasing for the gusset I forgot to check the number of stitches and kept going till there were enough stitches to make the heel in the large size - there was no way I was undoing these in this dark yarn so I kept going and crossed my fingers. After all, the heel is not 'really' that much too big, the foot is a tad too long, but I can live with it. So far all my socks have tightened up in the wash, I'll just hope these do the same.

My stats -
Patons, Kroy, colorway Gentry Grey
Purchased at Michael's in Saint John, Dec 2008 (my very first sock yarn purchase)
2.75mm needle
Magic Loop
Judy's magic cast on
Jeny's surprisingly stretchy bind off




Part II - the dress...coming soon

Burda 02-2009-124 & Socks - Almost Finished

The past few days were somewhat productive.

The dress is almost done. The dress that I’m calling my PR Weekend Cocktail dress. The dress that in fact came to be when I decided to follow along with Marjie and gMarie with their lace dresses. I couldn’t find any lace (& where would I wear a lace dress, anyway?) and put it out of my mind til I found fabric I really wanted to make it in. This linen was already in the collection and I just love the tone-on-tone embroidery at the bottom. Actually, I just really love orange :-)

When PR Weekend and its Cocktail Dress Contest were coming up, I decided that this would be my entry. Not really a cocktail dress but definitely a summer dress to get lots of wear (I hoped).

You know it didn’t get done !

In its third planned entry to my wardrobe, it is now my dress for my niece’s wedding in September.

The invisible zip is in, and the lining is machine stitched to the zipper tapes. It was a pretty wiggly process. Each of those seams was done twice. One side was too far from the zipper and needed to be restitched closer. The other was REALLY wiggly and needed to be straightened out. The thread matches the linen close enough that I’m too afraid of picking fabric threads instead – so, I didn’t pick out the bad lines of stitching. In any case, they’re between the lining and fabric and no one will ever see them. Plus, I look at it as a bonus as they are giving a back-up line of stitching in case the zip malfunctions ! Yep, that’s my story and I’m sticking to it.

I also stitched up one side seam, both lining & linen. What a job ! Since the armholes were stitched and flipped right side out earlier in the process, it was really difficult to get the stitching of the side seams right up to where the armholes seams ended. It’s not neat and I think I’m going to topstitch about 1/2” or so just at the bottom of the armhole / top of the side seam – just in case.

Only the other side seam (did that last night) and the lining hem to do now. The wedding is the second weekend in September – I should have enough time to get ‘er done. Ya think ? LOL

2 pairs of socks are ‘this’ close to being done – my Skew socks have been waiting for me to weave in the ends for a long time now - for as long as it has taken me to knit another whole pair of socks (6 weeks ?) ! My 4th pair of socks from SFTTU are just about finished – I’m on the cuff and working my way to the end of the yarn – I think I’ve got enough for about another 5-6 rows.

Pics on the way...soon

Oh, a little of this & a little of that

I hope everyone has had/is having a great long weekend. I've been off since Thursday, puttering about. Friday was beautiful day, just right for laundry - Alex kept me company while I was hanging out the clothes...

When it got too hot, she moved to the shade - smart girl. Skippy spent most of the day under the kitchen table - no pics of my little boy.
I did a bit of sewing on my PR Weekend Cocktail Dress (Burda 02-2009-124). Before the weekend, I had the pattern adjusted, the lining basted for fit and the pieces all cut out. Since then all I had done were the darts.

Over the past few days, I sewed the bodice & lining each at the shoulders, sewed the bodice to the lining at the neckline and the armholes and turned it all right side out.
It turned out ok but my understitching leaves much to be desired.
I quite like the V-neck in the back

Since I took the pics, I've also attached the rest of the skirt and skirt lining pieces. It's ready for the invisible zip.

The last of the weekend projects was gardening. I've never been satisfied with the bed outside my front window - there were originally 2 cedars in that bed, one like 8ft tall that tipped over so we took it out to find the roots never grew down - the whole thing had been anchored with a root system no more than about 8" deep ! The other one was a globe cedar right under the living room window. Every year it collapsed under the snow and eventually was growing sideways instead of in an upright manner. It now looks like this.

The bed is partially reworked - the cedar was taking up about a 5' x 5' space. I added a couple bags of much needed new earth and manure to that space, moved (and divided) some of the plants that were on the outside perimeter of the bed and added a couple of new plants just picked up yesterday. You know, I never mind a bed that looks brand new with small plants, next year it will all fill in some more and look just fine.

The outside perimeter now contains 5 hostas that need more space (You can see on the far right where the hostas are smooshed. That what the cedar practically laying on top of them.) and a couple of groundcover plants that are taking over and need to be thinned out. Once that is done the bed will be done and hopefully I'll like it better.