Mossy Cottage Knits

Wow!! What a fun birthday weekend :-D

Isn't it amazing when we figure out some cool knitting technique and it *works*? The fold line is way cool! My first "spiral tube socks" is almost done. It has been most entertaining, and has gotten my sock appetite whetted once again. So, of course, I bought more Lorna's Laces for two pair...like I didn't have any sock yarn already...ahem! Prepared for my sweetie to say "But Lisa, what about the 17 skeins of sock yarn you already OWN?" But, true to form, she oohheed and ahhhd appropriately over my color choices and beamed at me. Am I lucky or what?

Happy Monday Ryan! L

And let's not forget, that not only did Ryan fold and unfold the cuff of the sock many times...I, apparently, was the "test folder" and also folded and unfolded the cuff many times. However, it is a very cool little feature. The best part? I witnessed no tinking or frogging (which, btw, drives me nuts because I hate doing things over, and can't understand how R can sometimes knit and unknit and reknit the same spot over and over again)!

TMK

The fact that TMK even knows what "tinking" and "frogging" are is a direct result of the Life Partner Vocabulary Exchange Program or LPVEP. She gave me "rabbet" and "dado;" I gave her "tink" and "frog."

Lisa, your secret is out: You don't really want to knit socks; you just want to own every color of Lorna's Laces there is! Has Em figured this out yet?

i am delighted to make the 'e'quaintance of angie- and to know that both of us have such good taste in our blog-reading-

oh, the plants are gorgeous- we are in the middle of a major yard makeover (think frogging an entire yard and going with all-new design) and i am filled with plant lust-

dd1 who lives in seattle says she had lived there for several months before she realized it wasn't brothel, wa and has felt somewhat slighted ever since she discovered its real name-i think she finally discovered her error when she told someone at work she was 'going to dinner in brothel'- we love her anyway!

by all means keep feeding us new sock patterns- my 'dublin bay' ones are looking really good in a solid color- it shows the pattern beautifully-

the baby socks are neat- i've never tried just winging a pair- although i've made a lot of socks, i am a pattern lemming and still don't quite have a feel for the things-

stay happy-

TMK, see Barb's phrase "frogging a yard." Pure writing genius, I say!

Barb, I'm so glad your Dublin Bay is working out! Based on your experience and Stephanie's, I'm toying with adding a phrase to the pattern encouraging people to use whatever LL they want and not just use the variegated because that's what the picture shows.

The fact that you're a "pattern lemming" tells me that you extra-understand why the baby socks were such a big deal. Don't get me wrong; I did refer to a pattern for some of the basics but, for the most part, I just used whatever yarn I wanted with whatever dpns I wanted, and blithely made a foldover cuff even though I've never used a fold-over cuff pattern before, and made the heel a little shorter because it looked better and just, in general, did whatever the heck I wanted.

Barb in TX, you CAN actually have dinner in a brothel, right here in Seattle. OK, the brothel is no longer in service, but it has history and the place *does* have awesome pizza. I wish I could remember the name...I think it's over in Ballard.

I'm in serious envy of TMK's nursery haul. That's some lovely stuff right there. Wow. Also, why did no one tell me that spending nine out of 24 hours weeding/working in the garden the first time out is not a good idea? I think my aches have aches. :D

Have a fab day Ryan! It's all your fault I'm going to have to find something to sub for an apple fritter in the next 15 min or so. Vanilla cookies from TJ's just isn't doing it. ;)

Perclexed: You have to work up to the nine-hour gardening marathon. ;-) I'm guessing everything from feet and knees to glutes and arms, plus everything in between is pretty ouchy right now. (Can you tell I've been where you are? Every spring.) I highly recommend finding a swimming pool and paddling around for an hour. It will make those muscles feel soooo much better!

TMK

Thanks for the Monday morning giggles and great blog, Ryan. I am seriously envious of TMK's garden--I spent a great deal of time (and, alas money) at Swansons last week and did the 9-hour marathon of gardening on Saturday and part of Sunday (yes, I AM sore), and our yard doesn't look nearly as wonderful. Our coreopsis (and other perennials) don't seem to be nearly as tall--what are you feeding these babies?

Ryan, as for "winging" socks--once you start, be forewarned, you won't be able to stop. I knew about the "fold line" thing, but to switch the knits and purls so they nestle in so neatly--way cool!!!! I'll have to try that soon.

And, thanks (she says sarcastically) for the goods on the Hill Crest bakery--fortunately for us inner city dwellers, Bothell (or brothel) is so far into the hinterlands and out of my regular stompting grounds (for me, Ballard is too far), we almost never go there!

Mary

Oohhhhh... the garden looks SO beautiful. Great job you guys! :-)

Somehow my plants never seem to (1) go together that well or (2) fill in that much space. I think I've gotta start planting them closer together.

Fran and Perclexed: Don't despair! The garden fills in over time. When I first planted the front yard, it looked like a neat little dirt farm. Lots of brown with specks of green spaced evenly apart. A year from now, you'll wonder where you're going to put all those plants you bought on impulse. I also cheated with the tree in the front yard and bought one that was already 18 feet tall and had it "installed" (not planted). ;-)

I've pretty much run out of room for plants in the front yard. So I ripped up half of the backyard and am slowly starting to fill that in.

TMK

To the gardeners: TMK's last comment, very important. You are looking at pictures of a garden that has been worked on every sunny (and sometimes not so sunny) moment possible for *seven years.* Her plants have had lots of time to mature and get broader and wider. Two other things to remember: (1) Gardening is TMK's obsession/passion so she spends every free moment either weeding, planting, mulching, roto-tilling, or making new beds to weed, plant, mulch and rototill (and is not distracted by knitting, like Some of Us), and (2) she works at home so unlike us office-bound types, if she has a few free minutes here and there, she can just willy-nilly be outside weeding or planting. It makes a difference.

Truly, I am TMK's garden's #1 fan. It's amazing! And if you could just see the flat, green squares she started with, both in front and in back! I'm toying with the idea of doing a blog photo "tour" of her garden, when more of the plants are in bloom. It has to be seen to be believed! (Actually, I think Dear Reader Fran is the one person out there who can claim that she HAS seen TMK's yard. She came over last year to learn about the best methods for getting rid of grass and making new beds. Hi, Fran!)

Ryan - I know EXACTLY what you mean about rolling around in the yarn.

Exactly...

And since TMK got two days of plant shopping, does this mean you get another day at your island LYS? ;)

"...yet we had acquired not one of the items on The List." It was at this point that I burst into loud guffaws and startled the cat... I do recognize that part of the garden-shopping experience! The garden looks great, and your blog makes me really really miss the Pac.NW.

Ooooooo, Robbyn; I LIKE the way you think! The only problem is taking the ferry to Bainbridge Island where Churchmouse is is so fricken-fracken expensive, that you're already something like $14 in the hole before you've even picked up one skein of yarn, whereas the nurseries are just a quick tootle up the highway. Still, I'm likin' this idea.

KarenK, I hope making you miss the Pacific NW is a GOOD thing, on some level. I don't much like the idea of bummin' ya' out. ;-) If you really want to stay in touch with the sights and sounds of Seattle, visit Fran's blog at www.northwestnotes.net. Fran writes really beautifully about our area and posts great photos. I have lived here for many, many years but her writing and especially her photos always make me see the area in a fresh, new way.

First off, a big ol' Howdy! to Barb from a fellow Texan. It's a pleasure. :o)

as for being a wannabe *giggle* I DO know how to knit.....my hubby has a beautiful basketweave scarf (yes it's not socks, but I was a beginner, I didn't know any better)that I whipped out over 2 years of work 4 rows, scream in frustration over it hurting my hands and throw it back in the closet. Find it a couple of months later and begin said process over. Repeat until finished. *sigh* I hate the fact that it bothered my hands, but I love the finish of knitting oooh so much more so than crochet.

TMK, I just LOVE the flora/fauna you bought over the weekend. From one April baby to another(mine was yesterday the 18th), "ya done good."

The company I work for has a location in Bothell.....all the more reason I need to go for a visit. One should always visit other company locations, right? And apple fritters...why that's all the reason I need to relocate. Wonder if hubby likes rain....well, Happy Monday all!!

Oh and Ryan, if it makes you feel any better, I literally sat here for 10 minutes staring at the fold line. Enthralled. I love it.

Ryan and Perclexed and others:

This is serious, y'all. The best bakery in Seattle is clearly in Ballard. I challenge you to go unto the Cafe Besalu on 24th Ave. NW (west side of the street, between 59th and 60th). Eat the strawberry danish. Or eat the pear galette. Or eat the ham and swiss pastry. Eat the divine quiche Lorraine if you eat nothing else. And if you're still an infidel, try the pain au chocolat. You, too, will become a regular worshiper at the Church of the Holy Pastry.

And please believe it's a sign of my love and respect that I'm telling you about this jewel of buttery goodness.

Perclexed: Madame K's pizza bordello is the former brothel. And they do make mighty fine pizza. It's on Ballard Ave.

Beautiful, beautiful plant and garden pictures.

Yours in baked goods,
Melinda

Oy. I have completely lost control of this blog. It used to be about knitting, knitting, and more knitting and now it's about gardening, bakeries, and brothels. Such a world of silliness, and I'm loving every minute of it!!! You rock, Dear Readers! :-)

Cafe Besalu, you say, Melinda? We may just have to give it a try! In return, I expect you to hightail it up to Bothell, 'kay?

I want to make something with a fold! Right NOW! I know if I don't, in six months I'll want a fold, and I'll sit on my couch with my mouth open, staring at the stain on the ceiling.... WHERE did I read how to make a fold? Oh, WHERE? Remind me then, kay?

As always, reading your blog is pure joy! Whew -those plants you got in the back of the pickup looked really beautiful, as does your garden. I have sadly neglected mine since learning how to knit (tho strangely, the roses are doing better - huh?).
And TMK: A brochure from the famous Berkeley Mills arrived at the office today. And they have a woman craftsperson who is their (if I remember the title correctly) senior project manager. They produce wood furniture (which I drool over at prices I can't afford, alas,). Check out www.berkeleymills.com.

I immediately printed out Alhambra and Dublin Bay and despite the size of my current stash of sock yarn, I'm now determined to get some Lorna's Laces and make both. They're gorgeous sock patterns. I love giving away the socks I make, the soap I make, the lotion I make... Giving stuff away just makes me feel rich and generous. Thanks for giving away your sock patterns.

I have had strange experiences with color pooling with Lorna's Laces too. Here is a photo where you can see, on the left, a pair of socks knit with two hanks of 'Sockknitter's Rainbow' from the same dye lot. Go figure.
http://f1.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/fotyc/detail?.dir=/Knitting&.dnm=Little+Things+from+2002.jpg

Sylvia, I just sent an email to you directly. Lemme know if you have any questions.

Caroline, all these pictures of the "pooling" colors makes me start to think the striping I got was the rare exception, although my colors did pool around the ankle because of digressing to make the heel. Thanks for sharing the photo!

Rachael, my left hand is up, my right hand is on my heart and I am solemnly swearing to help you find information on the sock fold six months from now.

Yvette, thanks for the link to Berkely Mills. Such beyoooootiful stuff!

Melinda, next time I'm over in Ballard, I'll definitely stop in there, though I'm not sure if it'll be before or after a visit to Sam's Sushi. You can never know the location of too many good bakeries! And yes! Madame K's! Lovely pizza.

After playing around in my p-patch, I appreciate the amount of loving care that MUST go into creating a garden like TMK's or any othe rwell tended growing spot. This year will be all about veggies, but if it goes well this year, I may look into getting a full season, no till plot. It's exhausting, but fun!

I do feel a bit guilty about continually talking about non-knitting matters, so I'll mention that I'm working on one of the 'reverse bloom' face cloths from _Weekend Knitting_ for my sister. Good project for lunchtime at work!

Knowing that you have that beautiful garden to comfort you eases my guilty conscience about trashing the Dublin Bay socks. I'm going to cast them on again in a colour that suits it better, it really was a lovely pattern. Once again I reiterate, any urg that I may have had to take my life with a tape measure is completely unrelated to the glories of your pattern writing. Look for a "redo" on the blog when the entrelac interloper drives me to drink. (Tip: Entrelac sucks, this may be soon)

Stephanie, not to fret. "Watching" you knit the Dublin Bay was actually quite enlightening. I had no idea the variegated Lorna's Laces could be so cantankerous and unpredictable. Thanks to your experience (and Caroline's photo), now I'm urging anyone who wants to knit the pattern to ignore the yarn I used and knit it in whatever the heck Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock they wanna. Truly, I used the Child's Play because, from my position on the couch, when I reached out my hand and felt around for a skein of yarn, that's what it landed on. I have a sneaking suspicion that this pattern was always meant to be knit in a solid color in the first place.

Will keep an eye out for your further adventures. Loved your posting on your entrelac experience so far. V. funny. I wish you good entreluck!

I'm sorry that Stephanie's attempt at the Dublin Bay pattern was a bust, although it's been worth a good chuckle (sorry, Stephanie), but I'll have you know that I finally pulled out some luscious Twinkletoes (from Joclyn's Fiber Farm) that I've been saving for "just the right pattern" & cast on for it last night. It's a lovely pattern & I'm really struggling to not drop my work & just work on that dang sock! I hope I don't end up with Stephanie Syndrome, too!

Thanks for sharing it. I'm eagerly looking forward to your other offerings.

Thank you, Samina! Keep me posted on how it goes!