A Shapely Tiger Sock and Some Stork Scissors
You might be thinking, right about now, what happened to all the socks?
And, in fact, I've been thinking something along those lines, too. What's up with my current sock project?
Well, over Mother's Day weekend I took my all but Kitchenered Opal Rainforest Tiger sock to be tested out on one or Mom's feet. Surprise of all surprises, math does work the way you expect it to sometimes, and the shapely Tiger sock fit exactly the way it was supposed to fit. So I grafted the toe and brought this sock to completion. I think it's about time I cast on for the second one now, don't you? Especially with a long weekend by a little lake in Michigan coming up.
The second sock I was going to work on was the second sock in a pair for me, the Mermaid socks from Lucy Neatby's Cool Socks, Warm Feet
(which, by the way, was also the inspiration for the Tiger sock as well). I've had one sock complete for almost two years now, and it seemed like high time to get the second one taken care of. I did get it cast on before I left for Maryland, even worked on it on the plane home from Baltimore. Only to discover that I made a mistake in the stitch pattern and need to rip back to the cuff. Lots of tinking in my future with that one. But it may head with me to Michigan as well.
And, apropos of nothing, I just had to put my little Gingher Stork Embroidery Scissors in the picture. I've always wanted a pair of those little Ginghers, and the sale at Joann.com combined with my renewed cross-stitch efforts, was just thing I needed to convince myself that I could have a little treat. I chose these for their exceptionally pointy tips, which I hope will be handy for some of the openwork techniques I want to try. If you think steeking is scary, you should try snipping the threads in a piece of linen fabric that you have pain-stakingly put about a million multicolored stitches into over 5 years. It requires some very fine tipped little scissors to make sure you only snip the threads you're supposed to. Watch out experimental test linen! Here I come!
Hey, I'm knitting the exact same colorway... for my feet, no less.
Heh, the joys of Hardanger... And those are the perfect scissors for it too! My storks were a gift from a cross stitching and Hardanger crazed friend. :) You'll love it! The result is so gorgeous it's well worth the initial angst. :)
Oh, and thanks for the encouragement on Oblivion. I think it is because the combat is in a first person mode that is what is making it more challenging. Coordinating both hands to move the aim to the right place and manage to hit the target who just ran behind me. Gah! :) It would be MUCH easier on a computer! :) But it looks SO good on the big screen TV! :)
Good, sharp snippy scissors are always great for cross stitch!
I used to do a lot of hardanger. I don't remember being nearly as freaked out by it as I am by the idea of steeking - but, then again, I was much younger then!
finished cashmere socks for aunt