Time for Cooling Feet and Completing Feats

As a child, summer in the South always meant being outside with friends and running with bare feet in the cool (and sometimes not so cool!) grass. As adults we don't get many opportunities to just kick off the shoes and wiggle our toes in nature's cool outside carpet. Ah, but recently, when I went with my friend Deanna to Dixon Gallery, an art gallery and gardens in Memphis, we did just that ! Because we started out early enough in the morning that the Southern humidity had not yet settled in, we decided to walk through the gardens before going inside to see the exhibits. The grounds are beautiful with lots of foot paths under hugh shade trees, and resting places with fountains. Now that I think back on that morning, the only thing missing was a labyrinth. It would have been one of those perfect mornings. It was definitely a peaceful oasis in the middle of the city, and after a while we couldn't resist freeing our hot feet from our sandals and digging our toes into the cool thick grass. Almost as relaxing as sharing a cup of coffee and knitting with friends!

I was able to get a few nice photos of flowers at Dixon. This one was especially pretty and lacy, and altough it fits right in with my current knitting trend, I did forget to write down it's name.

Since my last post I finished two of the lacy washcloths that I started, and I've been working on and finished the first sock of my pair of Ann Budd lace socks. The pattern for these socks is fairly easy, but it has enough YO's and cables to keep it interesting. I worked the sock on 2.5mm circulars; but I think the next pair, I'll do on 2.75 or 3mm instead. Since this was my first lace sock, I didn't know that the lace would tighten up the stitches quite a bit. I usually CO 60 stitches for my socks (my boring SS socks, that is). So I didn't realize that the 70 stitches would NOT be larger around due to the lace and cable pattern. Since I've never blocked socks like I do my other lace projects, I'm not sure this tightening can be corrected with any thing other than larger needles. Anyone? In addition to my lack of awareness to the tightening tendencies of lace in the round, I got a little impatient to be finished once most of the foot was done (as I always do!) , and I was pretty sure this sock was going to be a little short on my foot. But it isn't! I was so delighted because the length was really a much better fit than any of my other socks. I think it is because I didn't stop in the middle of the Leaf and Cable pattern to start the toe. Anyway, I am ready to CO the second sock. And, I am going to go ahead and use the 2.5mm for this one so the pair will matche. I guess if I have to, I can always give them to someone who has a slimmer ankle and foot than mine.

I wanted to show both the cuff and the top lace pattern here. I know it is not the best picture. Hope to be able to post more on my Ravelry site.

Lastly, I have started another lace shawl, this time using lace weight "Shadow" by Knit Picks. Actually, it is technically a stole, but that seems like such an old fashioned term (LOL!) The first six rows of Eunny Jang's Print O' The Wave Stole are finished. The pattern is free and can be found as a pdf file at www.eunnyjang.com/knit/ . I am hoping to make reasonable progress on it this weekend and possibly finish it by the end of July. I will try to post some pictures soon on Ravelry.

I supposed the silver lining in the cloud of high gas prices, if one is to be found, is that I will be staying home on weekends and doing more knitting. ..maybe.

till next time...

b