Fresh out

I had a bunch of snazzy blog post titles running around my head today, but it seems that I'm spent, because I'm fresh out of ideas at present.

In my defense, today was a long day. It started before the crack of dawn with my daughter getting up at around 5:45 AM to head to the bathroom, hacking and coughing all the way (she's getting over a cold at the moment). For reasons I still don't fully comprehend, Phil decided it would be a good idea to have her come into our bed for the remaining 30 minutes of the night (his alarm goes off at 6:15 - ugh). Let me ask you something: could you sleep with someone whose morning coughing takes on Tuberculosis-like qualities lying on YOUR pillow and gently running her fingers all over your face? Yeah, didn't think so. Especially when she knows that we can get out of bed when the clock says 6:00, so she watches it like a hawk and comments on Every. Single. Minute. "Maman !!! C'est cinq cinq huit !". Yes, thank you honey.

Despite the early morning coughies, Émilie was really feeling quite chipper this morning, so off to daycare she went after two days at home. Maxime and I had our Cardio-Poussette class (which I briefly debated skipping in favour of some couch-potato time), then went straight back home for lunch and a nap, followed by a trip to the grocery store before we picked up Émilie. I know. How can I keep up with this fast-paced lifestyle? :)

In one of my recent posts, I mentioned that I'd bought a bunch of books at Chapters recently. Some arrived on Monday, so I've got plenty of reading material. I've been reading through Mason Dixon Knitting over the past 2 days. I've wanted that book for a while, but always felt it was too expensive (go figure), so I was really glad to use a gift certificate to buy it. I really like Ann and Kay's style. I used to read their blog, but felt it was a bit too technical for my tastes. Now I'm thinking of giving them another chance (I know, I'm a giver).

I've been focusing on 2 projects lately: Cluaranach and Phil's Spring Cable Socks. I'm also looking forward to casting on the Cardigan for Merry. I'm waiting for Kate-the-Enabler to receive her yarn from KnitPicks (that's right - perennially frugal Kate-the-Enabler made her first EVER online yarn purchase. Give her a great big hand!!!!) so we can work on it together during our weekly SnBs.

That's it for tonight, folks! I'm off to knit and sleep (not necessarily in that order).

Random Tidbits

I wound up picking up Maxime's Jumperoo at Toys 'R Us yesterday, because I remembered I had a five dollar gift certificate from our last visit. That was all the pretense I needed! He's not quite tall enough for his feet to fully touch the ground at the lowest setting, but he seemed to enjoy himself nonetheless. I also picked up an inflatable activity ring that I'd always wanted when my daughter was a baby, because even though she sat upright, she had this nasty habit of flinging herself backwards, and I was always afraid she was going to crack her skull. Maxime seemed to like it (though Philippe wasn't too thrilled at yet another baby toy cluttering our teensy living room).

I also received The Ultimate Sock Book yesterday. The introductory section is a little bit redundant for someone who has already knit a few pairs of socks, but the chapter on sock design is quite interesting. Who knows, I may just up and design my own pattern! Watch out, Cookie A! :) There are also a few patterns I'll want to try (some day, the queue is quite long). I'm really looking forward to Ravelry being ready (I've decided to be patient rather than put myself on the waiting list to be a beta tester), because apparently you can view all the patterns in new books prior to purchase (Knitpicks does give you a sneak peek though).

I've almost finished the flower section of the back of Emilie's sweater. I think I'll concentrate on that today (assuming Maxime lets me knit at all! He already woke up half an hour early from his morning nap!). If I can get the colourwork finished, maybe I can finish the back this weekend. I'm a little concerned about the tightening/rippling of the fabric (I guess my gauge tightens up when doing Fair Isle), but I'm hoping it'll even out when it's blocked.

New Pathways Indeed

I've been knitting socks for about a year now, and though that may be too short a time to know everything there is to know about socks, I thought I knew a thing or two. Over the past twelve months, I've knit socks toe-up and top-down, I've knit them using dpn's and on two circular needles (a technique that even had my LYS owner perplexed). Like I said, I'm by no means an expert, but I though I'd at least learned enough to be considered an intermediate sock knitter.

Then, after reading the review for Cat Bordhi's new book on Knitter's Review, I decided to order the book. I mean, it seems like everyone who's "in the know" about sock knitting (pause to snicker about that last statement - OK, I'm back) is raving about this book, how it's going to turn the world of sock knitting on it's head. Huh? We are talking about knitting socks, right? Foot coverings? This, I thought, I've got to see.

So I ordered the book from the Needle Arts Book Shop (a wonderful resource for all you Canadian readers), and it arrived yesterday. And Dudes, there are no words.

My first sock was knit from a pattern in Sensational Knitted Socks, a book I thought was pretty complex my first time around. But after reading the introductory chapter, I understood how the book was designed, and I got the hang of it pretty quickly. Bordhi's book, however, despite being superbly written and the author being a born teacher, left me feeling "like a blundering novice". See, this book isn't like any other pattern book. You can't just say "My, what a pretty sock, I think I'll knit that" (at least, not at first glance, anyway). As the great Yoda once said "You must relearn what you have learned". Increases are now La-Link's and La-Rink's (left-leaning increase and right-leaning increase), stitch legs now have winners and losers, and you must constantly keep the designs' "sockitecture" in mind. What???

The patterns really are beautiful, though, and I know that once I have the time to devote myself exclusively to sock-knitting (when Mystery stole is finally done), I'll feel like a reasonably intelligent knitter once again.

P.S.: The subtitle of New Pathways for Sock Knitters? Book One. Aaack.