The Beat Goes On

As promised, I'm back this afternoon for yet another post. I'm still at home, though this morning I'll certainly admit that I wasn't that sure I'd make it past the early afternoon without summoning my hubby home. A three-hour nap did wonders, and while I'm still contracting away, it looks like we'll make it through afternoon and early evening -- at least. Who knows what tonight or this weekend will bring. Works out well because the doctor on call today is not one I particularly care for (though it's not Dr. Serious). Dr. Wonderful is on call on Sunday, so we'll see.



I got a little more knitting done this afternoon. One wee Conwy sock. Another will be started tonight after dinner.






I should point out that the colors are just not showing up well in these photos. This is (oddly enough) "Peter Pan" by the Wendy brand, and is a soft synthetic blend (which I normally don't like) filled with pale blues, yellows and greens. The band on the Conwy hat was done in some leftover Baby Ull that I had from earlier in the year when I knit Courtney's Basil blanket. I didn't think I had enough for another full hat (even baby size) so I sought out a complementary yarn. The owner of my LYS gifted me the yarn for the babe ... so L'il I can wear a little bit of Cloverhill and Ms. Chris on his first day out in public (the hat and socks are designed to coordinate with his coming home outfit).

Contest?

Let me say first that I've never reallyl done a blog contest. I've seen them, and even participated here and there, but I've never done one. So I apologize sincerely if this one is lame.

You see, I need a pattern for this yarn:





This is Nature's Palette sock yarn in the "Lilacs" pattern. Lilacs have a special meaning for me -- they were my grandmother's favorite flower and I some of my fondest memories of her revolve around this flower. She had gorgeous lilac bushes that would explode each spring with blossoms and we could fill our arms and baskets and vases and still leave the bushes full, it seemed. She also had a lovely carnival glass vase that we would stuff full and put on her dining room table under her chandelier. This yarn is absolutely gorgeous and the subtle varigation really does look like a lilac bush in full bloom.

So ... I need to do something spectacular with it. There are two skeins, and almost 400 yards. I'm a petite girl (5' 2"), so I don't do large wraps. I don't think it would do this sock justice to make it into socks.

Here's the plan. Today is August 10. From now until August 30 (so we all have plenty of time to plot and scheme and do things like give birth, LOL), I will be looking for ideas on what to do with this yarn and this is part of the contest. But you gotta comment to enter.

Some guidelines:

• Leave your suggestion for the Lilac yarn in a comment. All suggestions earn commenters an entry in a drawing that will be made at random in early September.
• The person who submits the design I choose also wins a prize.
• Other prizes may be awarded as suggestions reveal themselves.
• Additional comments (one per post, please), earn extra entries in the drawing -- 1 per comment.

It's that simple. Probably a lame contest, but I hope to get some good ideas for the yarn, meet some new knitters and maybe grab a few new readers along the way. I also hope to have the yarn knitted up in time for October 22 -- the 12-year anniversary of my grandmother's passing (and also the 12-year anniversary of the year that the lilacs bloomed in October).

Winners get sock yarn -- I have two lovely skeins of Mountain Colors Bearfoot and some other yummy yarns to share.

Start your engines.

Well, well, well...

Joyce Grenfell wrote: "Progress everywhere today does seem to come so very heavily disguised as chaos." This is how I'm feeling these days.


Today is the day that L'il I turns 35 weeks ... one week past the point where labor won't be stopped, and five official ones until they would officially declare that he's done cooking. I'm still at home on the sofa, working on work and knitting in my free moments.

I've made a slew of knitting progress.

Allow me to present a finished pair of Unst socks, courtesy of "Knitting on the Road" by Nancy Bush. These are the first socks I've completed from the book (had a few false starts last year), and they are by far the FASTEST socks I've ever knit. I literally started them on Friday and finished them on Saturday. A sock a day. Good lord. It was a whirlwind. The yarn is STR: Obsidian in mediumweight and these were done on #1.5 needles (dpns).

I also finished up a washcloth that has been languishing.

And a burp cloth.



And the Lacy Scallop scarf that I started a year and a half ago. The pattern comes from Wendy's book.



I should point out that I'm halfway through the first leg of the next sock -- Conwy by Nancy Bush -- and, believe it or not, my STR in Downpour is doing GREAT with this pattern. This yarn has been the bane of my existence since I first tried it months ago, and it's been sitting in a bag, all wound up and waiting for a pattern. It gives me great pleasure to say it has found a soulmate and is chugging along nicely. If this goes as quickly as the Unst socks once I get moving, I will be one happy woman. I will show a picture once I'm past the heel.

And on other progress (besides knitting and baby), our massive houseclean is going well. It would go much faster if I were able to get off my butt and help my hubby, but he's doing great solo.

Back to work....