A few wishes

I wish that I could say I have been jet setting around the world or at least the continent to explain my lack of blog activity but alas I do not have that exciting of an excuse.

I wish that I could say that I have some fabulous story to tell you for my blogiversary - which I forgot all about - it was March 10.

I wish that I had some great finished objects to show off but I don't.

I am at the heel of the Entrelac socks. The slow progress has to do with lack of knitting time rather than the pattern. That is another wish - more time to knit.
I was worried the pattern might not be suitable for those stolen moments to knit but it actually is working good for that. Once you get the entrelac pattern down (not hard), you just continue on, knitting each square of 72 total stitches. Priscilla asked about knitting backwards - I guess tinking could be considered knitting backwards but what I was referring to was instead of knitting moving the stitches from your left needle to your right, move the stitches from your right needle to your left. I like the tutorial here, if you want photos.

One thing that I have finished though is my 300 km challenge that I set for myself as part of Runagogo (I haven't updated my total there in March). I knew February was going to be the toughest month because of the weather but walking Keeper forced me out twice a day (okay some of those days were really short and I didn't count walking around the pet stores). With this warm weather (it hit 22C today and suppose to be similar tomorrow) it makes it nicer to walk. Although this afternoon would have been better if we didn't have to walk through the pouring rain on the return half (my shirt was wet since my rain coat had soaked through). I am not going to sign up for the next 100 mile challenge since I know I will be able to accomplish it.

I think I need to set some knitting goals and see what I can get done in the next few months. Feel free to leave your suggestions in the comments. I may add them to my list. I have a few ideas of upcoming projects.

"I'm ready for a walk ..but
if I am not sleeping I always am ready!"

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Some thoughts on entrelac

As some of you guessed (it wasn't that difficult) I am making Eunny Jang's Entrelac socks from the spring issue of IK. I am using a navy colour as the contrast and a light variegated blue for the MC. I have done the first two rows of blocks twice now. The first time I knew the set up triangles were ugly but wanted to get a feel for how the blocks went and to work on other problems. I then ripped and have redone the blocks and am much happier with the results.
A couple of comments so far:

• In the sock pattern as opposed to the tutorial you have to SSK on the set up triangles. This at first puzzled me but I now realize it is to decrease from the 72 sts for the toe (knit in St St) to the stitches needed for entrelac.
• Knitting backwards is slow but faster than turning the work all the time. I have also improved on this technique between the first set of triangles to the second set of triangles
• I like to twist my picked up stitches before knitting them. In the case of the navy blocks, I need to do this on a "purl" row, I haven't been able to accomplish knitting backward to give this twist so I twist the stitches individually before knitting them moving them back and forth between the needles. I was turning the work and purling them, however I think it is simplier to twist the stitches. Before these socks are done I might be able to do the knit backward and twist technique.
• I wish I had shorter dpns. I normally don't mind the Susan Bates that I have for length but there is just too much needle hanging around. Maybe it will get better.

Jenni is curious how the pattern will feel on the bottom of the foot. I am interested as well. If your bottom of the foot is sensitive this is probably not the best pattern for you as you will be walking on texture. I have been thinking of ways to give a plain foot. I have no idea how well these would work.

• Knit the entrelac on the cuff only.
  
• Knit the top of the foot in entrelac using a flat technique (with side triangles), then go back and knit the bottom of the foot in stockinette and seam the two pieces together (or maybe join as you go.
  
• I was trying to think of a way to do it in the round- knit the blocks (you would need side triangles still and then do short the instep but you would maybe need maybe 12 rows of sole for every row of blocks completed and since you don't get to the sides except when a row of blocks is done then you would have to do back and forth on the bottom but just in sections and this seems like a pain in the ass so you might as well use method 2 above.

Maybe when I get to the heel I will try the foot on and walk around and see if it bugs me. If it does then I will try something like method two above. I have a fairly high tolerance to these sorts of thing though - if I didn't I wouldn't try this pattern - so I may not be the best judge of this problem.

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I am still alive

Yes, I have been neglecting this blog. Part of the problem was I was bored with some of my current knitting and part my camera has given up (it has been a long slow death). I have started a new project which you will just have to imagine the splendor. I'll give you some hints

1. I am making it out of the three skeins of Koigu.
2. It was designed by the new editor of the magazine the pattern is in.
3. It is involving a new technique for me.
4. The finished project is something that I make a lot of.
5. I am sure that you don't need another hint

More details later.