Project Updates

I've been knitting away on the Elegance sock, but on Monday, realized that it was huge!! When calculating the increased size, I added twice the stitches that I meant to, not thinking about the fact that when you add 9 stitches to the top of the foot, it adds 9 stitches to the bottom, as well!! They looked big enough for a small elephant. So...rrrriiiipppp! I spent 15 minutes of lunch time on Monday ripping it out and rewinding the yarn into a center pull ball. Then, I spent the last 30 minutes of my lunch finishing the toe. Fortunately, I'm using the "Magic Cast On," which does not require a length of waste yarn. When I started over, I began knitting the pattern as written. It is coming along nicely and I almost have the length back to what it looked like when last I posted!
For this sock, I've been using the Magic Loop method, rather than my standard dpns. I have 2 friends that I've been meeting to knit with on Saturday afternoons that are asking to learn how to knit socks. Neither wants to tackle the "using tiny dpns" thing, so I offered to show them the Magic Loop method. So that I will be ready to teach the method, I thought I ought to practice it. In other knitting group news, we have a new person joining us this Saturday. She has never learned to knit and is going to pick up needles for the first time this weekend! I love teaching, and am looking forward to it.
Lastly, I've added one more WIP to the long, long list. I started knitting a hat for a gift that will be a ski mask, like the helmet liners that knitters are knitting for the troops. I had a special request for it. I started it last night and have it about 1/3 done. I've been having such a great time checking names off the list. When I have finished an item, I wash it, block it, fold some tissue paper into and wrap the gift. I finish by using a sticky note with the receiver's name on it and placing it in storage. This way, I'll only have to pull out the wrapped gifts and add a ribbon and a card! I am hoping to be ultra prepared this year so that I won't have to spend long hours wrapping, etc. Only time will tell whether or not I can keep this up, but I really hope so!