And I love them so much I washed them last night so that I could wear them again today:
And I was so darn pleased that I restarted this wip from a few months ago:
Even knowing that they would never fit me, or possibly any other human being... So be it. They're a shop sample. I finished them last night, sewed the ends in and everything and they're blocking (kinda) as we speak.
Well, they are less blocking and more drying from the washing that they had because look at the top of the right one:
Bloody coffee stain! How does that happen?!!?!? And I guess it's been in since the beginning, or at least a while, because it was there when I picked it up again yesterday morning and I haven't touched these socks since I went to Melton Mowbray and that was in early January... Anyway, it matters not because I've found a new product! And it's all due to a lovely new customer of mine, Helen. She's getting right back into knitting and she's made a few baby/toddler bits, a bag, and, and this is the pertinent bit, she's made most of a fairisle yoke adult sweater for a friend. The fairisle bit was giving her some jip, I helped where I could but it just wasn't working and she facebooked in a terrible tizz asking if I could finish it for her. I said yes. It's only about 15 rows, I don't make a habit of it, so don't get any ideas... ;) I haven't started it yet but I may get down to it today, or perhaps tomorrow. We'll see. Aaaaaaaanyway, in payment for that (or really, rather as a gift) she's given me some Doctor Bronner's Magic 18 in 1 Uses soap (I have no idea if that's the real name... but that's what's on the bottle... roughly...). You can buy it at the Little London Herbal Store which Helen owns.
Now, I've already got a tiny little bottle of the stuff, Jazz gave it to me after we were talking about how she uses it to wash her hair. I used it to wash my hair and nuh-uh, I don't have enough oils or something. It was a bit of a nightmare, though I read that I should use it with their conditioner so I might try it again. I've been using my little bottle for all sorts of cleaning type stuff though - the bathroom, the windows, my nails after gardening - that kind of stuff and in a pinch I've used it as shower gel - seriously, this stuff really does have 18 uses in one. But, I was running low on hair conditioner last night which is what I usually wash/block knitting with so I gave the big new shiny bottle a go and it works! A teeny, tiny squirt and you're done - loads of bubbles. The coffee stain came out without *any* scrubbing, I didn't even touch it! Blocking happened - the ladders on my socks are reforming into more a acceptable pattern and I'm happy. And it's cheaper than Soak or Eucalan (I can't give you the price though because I got it as a gift because I'm bloody brill!).
BUY BUY BUY!!!!
With that pair finished, I decided to get back to the socks that I was supposed to be knitting Boyf. They are on my to-do list they're just a bit further down than I've got to so I'm kinda cheating but kinda not. Anyway, I think what stopped me stopped me from finishing the first one earlier was that I wasn't sure what to do about the top of the sock. The whole thing's in two by two rib but I kinda had it in my head that I might do something different - like a one by one rib. And then I couldn't work out which cast off I wanted to use and that all depended anyway on what I was doing for the ribbing. This morning I thought, bugger this for a lark, and finished the damn sock. I used a k2tog cast off which I've never seen used before but I'm sure I've not made it up... the p2tog cast off (sometimes called the lace cast off I think) is used in a lot of shawls but I didn't want that ridge-y bit (which is what stopped me using EZ's sewn bind off) so I went with the k2tog cast off and I am happy. The edge looks a little frilly:
But once it's stretched out, as it will be on his legs, there's no frill. And really, what man doesn't want a little frill anyway?
So I started the second sock on the bus, carried on knitting through the super busy morning we had and then by the time the shop had died down enough for me to have a coffee and my lunch (two or so???) I only had a few metres to go before the end of the ball, so I finished what I had, took some photos and came on here. Obviously, I stop blogging when customers are in so it's not that straight forward. Haha. Anyway, this is where I am:
And that's where I'll have to stay because I've run out of yarn on the first ball and I've no idea where the second it. Blurgh. It'll turn up. And it might just mean that I finally sew in the ends and sew up Amy Singer's cardi... Maybe... I kinda just want to knit socks.
And talking of Boyf - he's decided to make me a scarf for his 'crochet thing' and I'm dead excited! I put together some lovely colours - kinda autumnal(ish) and he asks for more colours today. What colours would you like Boyf? Red, white and black. What a colourscheme... But I've kinda been told to be more grateful and encouraging on the facebook page and I am! I promise! And I'll provide the yarn in the colours that he wants but I do also find that he respond well to me being my natural self - which is a moaning,whining harridan most of the time. Seriously. He loves it.
Right, I'm ghosting. I'm gonna get some more coffee and write a blog to post tomorrow and then, along with the one that I've already written to put up whenever I just can't deal with life, I'm only one post away from making this whole eight blogs a month thing up to date! If I have the inspiration I'm a gonna keep going though because if and when we get a heatwave I'm going to need to just sit still in a dark corner and I plan on going on holiday at some point and honestly, sometimes I just feel like being quiet. Imagine! So I'm going to get some blog posts 'in stock' as it were.
Love Eleanor. xxx
Love Eleanor. xxx
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