FAMILY GIFTS

     Having a large family is always a challenge.  Everything from remembering birthdays, anniversaries, addresses, phone numbers, and of course... shoe sizes.  Why shoe sizes you may ask...well, recall my blog about my back surgery?  During recovery I was determined to conquer knitting and finishing my sock project.  So I did.  I made the longest pair of socks that I'd ever owned (will post a picture once I find them again, whoops) and realized that socks can be modified.  Half calf height, knee socks, ankle socks, and sport socks.  Experimenting with socks is always fun, but knowing what STYLE sock is comfortable for family members is always tricky.  See, in October of 2011,  I contacted my sisters and asked what foot sizes do my nieces, nephews, brother in law, and herself have, along with my father, mothers, and brothers or sisters.  She replied.."What did you get lucky to find a shoe store going out of business?" No.  I planned (key operative word here...'planned) to make each and every one a pair of home made socks for holiday gifts.  FAIL!  I had the best intentions and ran out of steam.  My list of foot sizes are up to 13 people and growing since we just added a great-niece in the mix!  So I did get to make socks for my children and one niece for Christmas.  I finally finished my M-I-L's for Mothers Day and my husbands pair for St. Patricks Day (not that we celebrate it, but it just so happened to be completed on that day..LUCKY HIM!!!  hee-hee-hee)

     Regardless of my good intentions, I am determined to furnish every member of my family with a comfy, homemade pair of socks for some time in their lives.  ~ Or at least in my lifetime!
Enjoy some of the pictures:

Knitting Salvation

Many times when I began to become "serious" about finishing my half started projects, I would almost always run into a snag while at the end of the work.  Modern technology has truly helped me learn to overcome these road blocks and overcome my patterns of procrastination to complete the one pattern that I initially took the time to pick and begin.  When I recovered from back surgery a year ago, it was highly recommended that I sit upright through out the day and take occasional walks around the house with my walker (yuck).  I did just that, but easily became bored of watching the same old DVD episodes and found my laptop and knitting were going to be my companions for the 6 weeks of stillness.  I would never have thought to combine technology with the age old craft of knitting, but I was desperate!  I had to get over the hump of "turning a heel" for a sock, so I searched and found this following website:http://verypink.com/

My worries were just about over and I finally finished those socks!

My first Frogged experience...

I attend a knitting group on Monday nights in Dennis, MA.  On the first night, not knowing anyone,  I learned about fellow knitters who love to create knitted objects like myself.  A lesson that I thought was funny was being taught to one of the younger members of our group about how and when you take apart a garment that has been knit.  The teacher was pulling out the yarn in a quick fashion and asking the student "What am I doing?"   The student replied "Ripping it out."  The teacher then said, "Now, what animal can you think of that makes the sound of ripping over and over again?"  The student said with a giggle in her voice,  "A FROG!"
Well readers, I have now had my first experience frogging my object last night.  As painful as it was, I couldn't for the life of me, fix an important mistake in my knitting work...and had to tear it out to start again.  Mixed feelings stirred in me as I felt so accomplished with my first shoulder wrap garment, (complete with gorgeous pleats) that every pull of the yarn was like playing an old video tape backwards and remembering  what I had done so far to create such a beautiful object, but yet giggling when I realized I am Frogging this and going to have to start again.   I guess the beauty of knitting is that there is no gluing or painting involved that would leave a permanent mark in my work.  No one would ever know that I had to tear out the entire first 7 inches of my wrap, and try again once it is a finished garment.  - That is, unless they read this blog (giggle-giggle).