Leyburn Sock Stitch Pattern for ML

The STR (Socks That Rawk) group on Ravelry is hosting a KAL with the Leyburn Socks. Well,.... it's a toe-up pattern. One construction that I haven't perfected to accomodate my very high instep. Someone had posted the pattern revision for top-down, but I knit both socks at the same time on magic loop. I tweaked that pattern a bit so it would work with magic loop. Here it is --
Leyburn Socks – stitch pattern for magic loop
Row 1: * wyif, sl 5, wyib, K1. Repeat from * around.
Row 2: Knit.
Row 3: K2, *lift loop with tip of left needle and k tog w/next st, K5. Repeat from * ending K3.
Row 4: K to last 3 sts, wyif, sl3.
Row 5: Continue wyif, sl2,* wyib K1, wyif, sl 5. Repeat from * ending K4.
Row 6: Knit to last st, lift loop and ktog with last st.
Row 7: *K5, lift loop and ktog with next st. Repeat from * ending K6.
Row 8: Knit.
I'm on my third repeat and I believe it is correct. Any problems or questions let me know. Will try to take a pic of the sock legs tomorrow. (edited - Here's the pic. The stitch pattern above is OK.)I had some "white-knuckle" driving today. This past week has been horrible here in northern Iowa. Monday was a blizzard - no school! Tuesday was a two-hour late start school day. Wednesday and Thursday were days off due to extreme cold temps -27F and -29F with wind-chills in the -40F. Friday, then, was another two-hour late start. I didn't see my first period class at all during the entire week! At the high school, we only have a 30 minute class with one of the three morning classes. On Tuesday, we began with 2nd period and Friday with 3rd --- first period had their time earlier when the weather was bad. I had cabin fever!!! I almost had my fill of knitting with so much time away from school. My AC adapter to charge my laptop died this week, so after trying to purchase one in town, I headed about 55 miles east. We still have about 8 inches of light, fluffy snow that blows around whenever the wind is up ....... today, again, the wind was blowing 20 to 35 mph. It was blowing low to the ground, so visibility wasn't too bad on the way over . After purchasing the adapter at Best Buy, I made a stop at a couple of stores, and then met my SIL and her DGD for lunch. Then ...., the drive home. I had noticed that wisps of snow were beginning to come out on the highway from the north on the way over, but they were a lot of them now. Most of the time, I could just move over the center line, but a couple of time I did have to break through the small drift. There were places, most right before and after the towns that the visibility wasn't too good and travel slowed to 25 mph. It took about 20 minutes more than usually, but I was home safe. I don't think that I am as brave at almost 60 years old as I was in my 20s to 40s. Just want to stay home and knit tonight.

Socks for DH Just About Finished!

The socks that I started in November for DH's Christmas stocking are going to be finished. I'm using Trekking XXL with the Shadow Rib Socks pattern from The Little Box of Socks by Schurch and Parrott. This are also my December socks for SAM 2008. I haven't missed a month this time. When we were at dd's home last week-end, I mentioned that I might have to make the toe a different color since I didn't think I'd have enough. Well...... dd checked her "destash" bag and came up with another skein. We had both purchased the same yarn in a wedding/yarn crawl in St. Paul / Minneapolis a couple of years ago. Sorry the picture isn't updated, but I'm within an inch of starting the toes (both on ml) and the first ball is about finished. Hopefully, I'll finish them before going to bed tomorrow night.

The weather in northern Iowa has been miserable the past three days ..... it all started with snow and wind Thursday evening into Friday. The last day of school before Christmas break was cancelled. We received about eight inches ...... then on late Friday started another snow ... this time about four more inches but with winds from 25 to 45 mph that caused no travel warnings since there was zero visibility sometimes. That still continues ..... temp this morning started at -12 below with windchill at -43 degrees! Most churches in town cancelled Saturday evening and early Sunday services. It was good to get out of the house for church. The wind is to continue throughout the night with below zero temps on Monday. Then a little warm-up that will bring a "little" snow on Tuesday. Wednesday through Friday right now are predicted to be snow-free..... I hope! At least now one here can complain that we don't have a white Christmas.

Blessings and safe travel to you and yours this holiday season. TLGB

Jacobean Socks Started!

I started the Jacobean socks for the Sock Knitters Pentathlon with the “Queen Kahuna Aloha” cast on. It’s really an easy cast on ….. I’ve tried others and will definitely be using this one again. I did increase the sts to 70 from 62 mostly to get them over my high instep. I'm using Knit in Color's Smooshy in the Ruby River colorway. I already have both toes done. Tonight it will be beginning the pattern. A lot of knitters have already finished this pair and most have said that they were "quick knits."

Weather ..... snow, again! In fact, we have a two-hour late start today because of it. I pray that all the young people make it safely to school .... it's still snowing at almost 9:30 and the visibility didn't look the best as I turned toward the high school. Time to get busy .... TLGB

SOTS Hint #6 Completed

After a break from SOTS 2 this week-end when I was knitting on the RSC Serendipity socks from their Jan. club offering, I got back to the stole last night, this morning (a two-hour late start due to snow .....again!), and after school ..... Hint #6 is completed. I just pinned the stole to our drapery .... didn't feel like taking an hour or so to do it on a board as I've done previously. Now .... on to Hints #7, #8, and #9. Others who have already completed the stole said that these go fast. Well, I had done so well keeping up through Hint #5 in late March. For some reason, I just didn't feel like working on it, so worked on some smaller projects. Now, I'm ready .... well, the stole is to be completed this week. Don't believe I'll make that ..... maybe by next Monday since we have a long week-end break from school.

I've completed the Serendipity socks through the gussets .... want dd to try them on since the ones that she knitted were a bit loose for her. We'll trade .... I already have the ones that she knitted, but won't wear them until I finish hers. I'm also just starting the gussets for the River Rapids Socks that are for someone special that I just met a while back. Well, back to knitting! TLGB

Sunshine Is Back!

After 12 days of "non-sun" the last couple of days have been bliss - sunny, that is! Of course, the overcast sky of the past week was usually dropping rain on us. I can be happy, though, that it wasn't snow! We'd be buried in drifts of the white stuff.

The DH took his Brittany down to the farm to "practice" finding pheasants --- pheasant season here opens next week-end, the 27th. The little one, my miniature poodle, was laying around all the time. Then, when they returned, she went wild to get outside to see Cozi ..... you'd think she'd been gone a month. Well,.... then the two of them were lying side-by-side for the next hour or so. Should have taken a pic, but alas, didn't.

The Bubble Wrap socks are coming along nicely. I've finished the heels and am working on the gussets. Maybe I'll get those finished today. I usually am walking around the study hall I monitor with my knitting ... the students are always checking to see the progress. I love the project bag that my SP 11 sent me ... it really works well. Maybe the students' vigilance in checking will help me finish all three pairs I have going.
TLGB

Central Air to the Frog Pond

We purchased a new central air-conditioner a couple of weeks ago, and the weather this week is going to put it to work .... 95% yesterday and 97% today with a lot of humidity.

I have been working on Ravelry, a new knitting/crocheting community where you can "scrapbook" your knitting projects, display your stash or knitting library, and make wishes for future projects. There are many groups that you can join and communicate with fellow knitters from everywhere! I've really enjoy it, but had to wait about a month after my daughter, Alcariel, told me about it and I put my name on the list. Well, I'm glad it's summer and school isn't in session because I have been spending entirely too much time on Ravelry. Now, I think I've located all of my "dozing" projects and stash containers that I want to publicly claim .... sorry, but I'm not going to stash cheap acrylic yarn.

My daughter and I have been sending afghan squares to the Rebuilding Greensburg, KS, project, so worked on those the past week to send another dozen (4 dozen so far). Each afghan takes 56, so we hope to do eight more before Aug. 1. At first, only 20 afghans were to be made, but we've (all the knitters who participate) surprised Laura and she has raised it to 40 and maybe more by now. It has really been "mindless" knitting, but very gratifying.

One project that I had forgotten about was the RSC 2006 Central Air Sock. Here's what it looked like when I found it and took a pic by a new coreopsis named Creme Brulee ...what a appropriate perenniel for a caffeine addict like me.Anyway, I decided that tonight I was going to grab it to work on .... in Trekking XXl (colorway 100). Well, I noticed a mistake about 4 rows down, started to just frog to that point. Then I remembered what a joy it was when I knitted the Summer Solstice on magic loop, so I frogged the 4 inches and CO with magic loop. No need for second sock syndrome.

I'm also somewhat startled by the amount of sock yarn I had accumulated one or two hanks at a time. Well, .... I decided that the less expensive KnitPick yarns don't thrill me as much now, so I'm offering them for sale. I just show them in two containers, but plan to take individual pics tomorrow perhaps and put those on Ravelry. Check it out.

Better get started on the Central Air. TLGB

Grasshopper Instep Fits!

Just finished the heel of the first grasshopper sock, as written,... it fits my high instep. Bravo! I started the toe on #2 LM ebony but changed to KP #1 (actually 1.5) for the foot. It fits my size 10, high instep and all. I plan on making the short socks, so should be finished in a couple of days with the first one ... just can't plan on any more "snow days" from teaching when all I do is knit.

The warmer weather, mid 70's today but lower 90's the past two days, has been nice. The perenniels are coming up as is the grass seed that we put on some bare spots in the yard. Even the warmer weather, however, never stops my knitting ... it must be in my blood. Better get back to the grasshopper. TLGB

One Raspberry Latte!

With crazy weather here in northern Iowa, school was cancelled ... being a teacher, I have promised myself that "snow days" will be knitting days. I was able to finish the first sock in KP self-patterning plum colorway that my daughter has already named raspberry latte ... the socks are for her. When I began the second sock, however, the ball was wrapped the opposite of the first so I frogged the ribbing I had almost completed and rewound the ball correctly since I want to make the socks match as closely as possible.
Since I'm still recovering from the "bug" making the rounds at school, I decided a nap would be nice ... well the two dogs (a Brittany spaniel and a miniature poodle) as always jumped up to cuddle. Much to my amazement, when I awakened 90 minutes later, they were still cuddled in tight ... must have something to do with the cold weather in April.
Alcariel, our daughter, is out in Virginia visiting a college roommate ... she plans to do some yarn shopping out there .... she did bring me some delightful handpainted yarn from Boston where she was at a medical conference last week ... it will probably become a hat and some mittens or a very long scarf. Maybe she can find some sock yarn to bring back to Mom ... after all, I have completed a couple pairs of socks lately.
Must get upstairs to set the needles in motion again.
TLGB

Possessed Yarn???
Is the STR yarn possessed???? I'm beginning to think so .... I sure have frogged it enough .... even after switching from the Inside Out to the Crooked Cable Sock from Sock Bug. The cables on the latter are all back cables ... I must have front cables in my mind because I have frogged a total of four times just because of that. Instead of a nice cable, you have a "wiggly worm" cable ... not very attractive. Now I'm really concentrating so that I can get a sock done that is wearable on my foot (size 10 with high instep). The yarn shows no sign, however, of the repeated frogging.
As for north Iowa weather ... it is beautiful ... a lot better than a couple of weeks ago ... the ice, snow storm to beat all. Today is only in the upper 30's, lower 40's ... but the sun is shining and there is very little wind. The two dogs even enjoy being outside.
Suppose I'd better head back to the knitting ...
TLGB