We interrupt this regularly scheduled broadcast....

For Ravelympics 2012!!1
This is my first year participating and I am excited to actually begin something on-time.  The team I am on is Team Tribute after The Hunger Games. WooHoo!!!
The project I am trying is my first pair of socks.

I have had to reknit the cuff several times. First, I measured the widest part of my foot like the book advises. Then I multiplied it my 5 stitches per inch.  Multipling 8.5 *5 gave me 48 stitches. The opening ceremonies were starting and I wanted to get started so I cast-on these and worked for about 5 rows.

After the Internet was available again, I looked up the gauge of the yarn I was knitting.  It turns out the yarn I was knitting is 4.5 stitches to the inch.  This gave me 39 stitches which was easily divisible by the 3 needles used to knit the socks.  I had 13 stitches per needle. Following the directions, the ribbing was worked in knit 3 purl 1 for about 2 inches.

It didn't match up.  It was always ending up with a knit 2 section before starting again. After feeling disgruntled, I read the instructions.  It said that these socks would be knit using a double ribbing, knit 2 purl 2, for the cuffs. 
Yikes, I had to restart again.  This time, cast on the 40 stitches to make the pattern work out. It turn out that 40 stitches was what the pattern suggested I cast on in the first place!! 
Sometimes you have to do things wrong 4 times to get it right once.

Back to the Beginning

Well, I have frogged the sweater.  I was trying something new: cables.  The cables did not seem to work out. That tends to happen when you don't know what you are doing.:-)
I am going to start again.  I don't think that I am going to cast on as many stitches as before.  When I was frogging, the sweater just seemed to be WAY to large ( and for me that is saying something).  On to the knovel.

In these next two chapters we find out that Martha is Helen's cousin from Wyoming.  Helen stayed with Martha for a while when she was younger.Helen had gotten preganant in high school.  She then went to Wyoming to have the child and give it up for adoption. They two became very close during that time.

Martha was also suffered from some domestic abuse and that is why she came to Fort Conner. Helen helped her and got her a lawyer, Mr. Chambers to help settle things. Her husband died in January and they are looking to see if Martha is going to inherit anything. 

On the lighter side, Steve helps Kelly with her dog.  He brings over some old golf balls to keep Carl occupied.  Some of the golfers try to say that Carl is a danger and needs to leave the golf balls alone.  However, Steve offers to give some free golf lessons an that appeases them.  Steve must be a great player because they are all excited.

Training for the Ravelompics

Well, I have decided to try and participate in the Ravelompics 2012. 

The pattern I am going to do is the Basic Socks in the book Getting Started Knitting Socks.

Team Tribute is the group I am going to be knitting for.  Since I love the Hunger Games, I thought it would be great.

Because I am doing these socks as a present and using some old yarn, this projects can be counted under:

• Synchronized Stash Busting
• Holiday Hurdles
• Sock Put

According to the rules, I can't cast on for the project until the Opening Ceremonies of the Games.  However, I can knit a gauge to make sure the yarn and needles are the right size.

I am using the Bernat Cot'n Corn in Avocado and the current gauge is

4 knit and 41/2 purl stitches to the inch on size 7 needles.  There are approximately 6 knit and 7 purl rows to the inch as well.

Sign of summer

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see.

Chapters 5 & 6- She learns to knit!

In these two chapters Kelly starts to learn to knit.  They, predictably, have her knit a scarf for her first project.  While she is learning, Steve comes by to talk to Mimi about some cabinets. Of course he flirts with her and convinces her to play on the softball team with Lisa.

Kelly talks to her boss who allows here to work for a couple of months in Colorado.  She needs to find someone to sublet her apartment but she thinks she knows someone at work who will.

She also begins to share her doubts Helen’s death with Burt, the retired detective who spins. Burt however, keeps referring her back to lead detective, which he should. However; when she mentions the $20000 he does get more interested.

Helen also had a cousin named Martha (great name) that we find out about.  She appears to be very devotedly religious. They plan on her being at church on Sunday so Mimi can point her out to Kelly.

Because the pattern is a simple stockinette stitch, I am going to try and "spice" it up a bit.  I have started to try and do a cable on the front.  So far, it isn't looking too good. There are holes when I switched stitches for the pattern.  ALso, because the yarn is so "shiny" that I am afraid the cables will get lost in the yarn.

Focusing- Chapter 3

Do the right thing(ish)

It seems that when you do things they way they are designed, life goes so much better. Tonight, while sitting on the porch, I turned on the podcast that I listen to and actually knitted while listening.  The Cast-On podcast is designed to be listened to while you knit. It lasts approximately 1 hour. When I actually did this, I couldn't believe the progress I made. 

By having a set time to knit, instead of just knitting "when I can" I got much more done. I doubled the size of my knitting.  I had 2 inches of ribbing and added 2 inches of stockinette stitch.

WooHoo!  If I keep this up the sweater will hopefully be finished in no time.

 

As for the book, however..

Chapter3 begins with all the friends going to Aunt  house to help clean it up and straighten out things for Kelly. Jennifer takes the loan papers while the others vacuum and clean windows. They notice that Helen's family quilt is missing and can't find it anywhere.

After meeting with the detectivie in charge of the case, Kelly also finds out that a knitting needle is broken and purple yarn is missing.  Why would a vagrant take a quilt and knitting? The two off-duty dectectives found him on the golf course that borders Helen's property but, as it is pointed out, the golf course goes all the way to Old Town and the river.

Kelly also learns the bad news that they loan has some pretty strict rules and penalties. The house can't be sold or refinancesd for 2 years from the acceptance of the loan.  If she decides to sell the house, with all the penalities involved, Kelly will wind up having to pay about $30,000 instead of the original $20,000. Yikes!

We also meet, Steve, who comes over to get some balls that Carl took off the golf course. He knows Mimi and helps with repairs to the shop. I think this is going to be the "love interest" for Kelly.

Chapter Two-Ribbing

Well, as soon as I started the sweater, I decided to change the pattern and do a 2 inch ribbing at the bottom.  I just like the look of the ribbing. While I was working on the ribbing, I was listening to my favorite podcast Cast-On.  It was one of the first episodes and she was discussing how she forgot to change to lower size needles to do the ribbing on a sweater on time. 

Yikes! I realized I was doing the same thing. I immediately frogged all that hard work and switched to lower size needles.  The needles I was working on were size 15. The needles that I had available were size 11.  I am not sure how it will work but we will see.

Right size ribbing

Chapter Two- Knit One, Kill Two

This is the chapter where Kelly goes to the yarn shop that used to be her aunt's house.  It has been named "House of Lambspun" and she loves it. Being an accountant, she isn't used to all the bright colors and wonderful textures.

The other characters at the shop are introduced at a potluck they are having at the yarn shop.
          Jennifer- the waitress from the coffee shop who is also a real estate agent.
          Lisa- physical therapist.
          Megan- consultant
          Mimi- the older owner of the shop known as Mother Mimi
          Burt- retired police investigator who spins for the store

We also learn that the man arrested didn't have any money on him but Aunt Helen's purse was in the bushes. The ladies also volunteer to come over to Aunt Helen's house in the morning to help with straightening the house and papers.

Finally

{this moment} - A Friday ritual. A single photo - no words - capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you're inspired to do the same, leave a link to your 'moment' in the comments for all to find and see