Off the Clock

After searching through every store in the mall, every store online, Ebay, and every other thing that came to mind, I finally found a replacement for Old Faithful. Now, bear in mind I've been looking for a replacement for these shoes since at least June because I wanted to get a pair in black. And I've found nothing; I mean NOTHING. Even when I'd find something not quite right but at least in the ballpark they didn't have my size. Since when did size 10's become so popular? I thought I was the only sasquatch out there! Anyway, here they are. Yes, the colour could be a little lighter and the heel could be a little higher. Yes, they're Doc Marten's. Yes, they're made by exploited little children in China. Yes, they're HUGELY overpriced. {sigh} And yes, I feel enormously guilty about buying them. Therefore I went ahead and bought two pairs; black and brown. Besides, I got the original shoes back from the shoemender's today and they...

DS had his championship game last night... in the middle of a blizzard! It was a great game; both teams played hard and gave it their all despite the weather. This pic shows where I renamed him "The Snowplough"; he plays offensive tackle, and here he not only took down his own target but managed to push him and the whole crowd of players with DS's teammate with the ball over enough yards to make their first down. It was priceless to watch; he just dug in his heels and away they all went! It really was an exciting game. DS's team got the ball first and made a touchdown on their first play about 30 seconds into the game, then went on to win the championship game 27-7. Go Green Griffins! Woohoo!

I've worn these shoes for about 2 years. I have a hard time finding just the right thing when it comes to shoes, and these were perfect. They weren't expensive, just basic brown leather lace-up shoes with a 2" platform sole and stitching around the toes. I live in these shoes! Sure, I have other shoes I wear for special outfits or stuff like that, but these were my "real life" shoes. I polish them faithfully (just bought a new tin of polish for them), and they look great with my jeans; not too casual like running shoes and yet not too dressy. What's happened is they've split across the sole. I'm taking them to the shoe-repair guy but I have to face the fact that I'm going to need a replacement pair. I've been looking for a pair just like them in black, but they're no longer on the market. I can't believe how upset I am over this! Of course this comes on the heels (hehehe) of me losing my prescription glasses at the Harry Potter movie ...

What Kind of Knitting Needles Are You? You are "turbo" charged. Fast moving and classy, you get things done with power and grace. Your expensive tastes can be deceiving, since what you really value is quality and efficiency. As you're careening around those corners in life, finishing a dozen knitted objects each month, stop and smell the roses. Don't miss the beauty of process! What kind of knitting needles are you? brought to you by Quizilla _____________________ Also I gave my girlfriend her birthday present, Winecozy with a nice bottle of wine in it. I think she really liked it! (the Winecozy too, not just the wine) I also made some headway on my first Christmas gift last night. Can't show you any pics yet, will have to wait until after they've opened them.

I finished this last night! I'm really pleased with the fit. Of course that's because I frogged the Alpha version (when I was a good 6 or 7 inches into it) when I miscalculated the gauge for this sweater. Do you think I'll ever knit something that I don't have to rip apart halfway through it because I can't measure my gauge swatch properly?! Although in all fairness I wasn't sure how much to stretch the gauge swatch because of the ribbing. I'm still not sure about that ribbon, that just might change yet. Anyway I was knitting up a storm all week to get this done to wear to a function tonight. Now I can get moving on the Christmas knitting I'm SUPPOSED to be doing. {looking guiltily at the little progress bar on the side} But I did add some more past fo's to the Gallery. That erases a little of the guilt.

Named for the yummy moss coloured Sirdar Salsa yarn I just got in last week. It's going to be based on Knitty's "Tempting" . I'm not sure I like that big bow thing though, I might come up with something different there; we'll see. The yarn's more brown than it shows on their site, but it will still go great with my green leather pants. It's knitting up pretty quick, I just hope I ordered enough yarn (7-50g balls). I want to get this book to help me figure out future projects. I like to make my own patterns and/or make yarn substitutions, but never know how much to buy!

NOTE: I HAVE ALTERED THE HEEL IN THIS PATTERN SINCE FIRST POSTING IT! Here's the finished socks. Have I said how much I love this Briggs and Little wool yarn? It's nice and warm without being too thick, and it's so soft and squishy in my shoes! lol Anyway, I promised to post the pattern. The reason I had to come up with my own pattern is that this yarn is "Sport" weight, which is slightly thicker than sock yarn. I wanted a lace and cable design that would work with the number of stitches I was using. I use a toe-up design using the figure 8 cast-on, and a short-rowed heel. So without further ado... THE LACEY SOCK PATTERN NOTE: This pattern is sized for my foot which measures 8 1/2" diameter around the ball of the foot. The finished sock measures 7 3/8" diameter. For a smaller/larger foot adjust needle size accordingly. Materials: 1 skein Briggs & Little Sport weight yarn 2.75mm dpns or long circ if using magic loop method Gauge: 7 sts and 11 r...