A Bit of This and That

 So, it seems I've gone from two posts a week to two posts a month; hopefully I can get back to at least one a week! I'll blame football, which has been keeping me busy (even though the fields aren't open until this week), but at least I have still been knitting, even if I haven't been blogging.

Here is the sock I have been working on for the past week and a half. It is to be a pair of socks for my husband's birthday.

It's not very far along, is it?

Well, it has been much further along twice now. First, it was coming out too small. I started, thinking that I'd check the gauge in awhile, then forgot to do that until I was nearly at the heel.

I started over. This time, too big. I didn't get so far along this time before checking, but although gauge was fine, they still seemed too big. I gave up on the secret part of secret project, and just tried them on my husband. Too big indeed. At least now I can work on them in the evenings too, and they should at least come out the right size this time!

And here's a nearly finished project, a knit poodle, just awaiting more stuffing so I can sew on the legs.

I've decided to use that fleece I was given as a source of stuffing rather than for eventual theoretical spinning attempts, and so am cutting away the nasty bits that just wouldn't come clean the first four times, washing again, and then carding (to greater success than last time, which I will attribute to thinking as though I was brushing hair while doing so).




Here's a bowl of some of the resulting fluff, which was enough for the body. I'll card some more for the legs this week.










And, last but not least, here is my mom, modelling her birthday present, a split-leg potter's apron. This present was finished very late, so it's very good that my mom didn't mind. The idea is that the split-leg sections drape nicely over your clothes while working at your pottery-wheel, so your clothes are well-protected as a result. My mother does lovely work in pottery, so I'll be sure to update here when there will be an opportunity for readers to go and see her work!