On catching up

First and foremost, Dory would like to extend her sincere apologies on missing her regular post last Tuesday. In my absence, she wasn't able to turn the computer on, so no kitteh kolumn. She'll be around tomorrow with her usual helpful advice, so don't worry!

Last week I was busy being very business-like in Costa Rica:

This is the view from the balcony outside our meeting room--pretty nice! What isn't evident in this photo is that it rained about 80% of the time we were there. Since we were supposed to be doing work, the rain didn't matter too much, but it was a bit depressing.

Also, I'm sick of beans and rice.

Well, kinda.

I really do love gallo pinto.


Before we left for CR, we participated in the Baltimore Take Steps, Be Heard walk for Crohn's and Colitis awareness:

Team Mary Kate ultimately raised $1,170, and you guys were a big chunk of that, so THANK YOU!


And I didn't get a chance to brag that I actually did finish the Stage 1 Tour de Sock socks on time--in fact, 2 days early!

I'm finding the lacy toe a little airy for my taste, but loving the color of the yarn.

Sadly, I'm so far behind on the Stage 2 sock, they'll be starting Stage 3 before I even get to the heel. Not only was my knitting time limited with the meeting, colorwork just . . . isn't my thing. I like the way it looks, but I don't like doing it. So it's slow.

I think I might have to count myself out of the race.

Especially since Thursday is MOVING DAY!

So much to do, so little time.

On Tour de Sock, Stage 1

The Tour-de Sock madness has started!

The pattern was released on June 1 at 11:30am (EDT), and the certifiably insane sock knitters immediately got to work, some finishing the pair within 24 hours.

Let me repeat that.

A PAIR of socks.

IN TWENTY. FOUR. HOURS.

I am clearly not cut out for this level of competition.

But I stumble along anyway.

The pattern is Saint Michel Socks by Debbie O'Neill, which is exclusive to the TdS now, but will be available for purchase sometime later this year (or so I'm lead to believe).

And I certainly didn't knit a pair in 24 hours, but I did finish the first sock in 48 hours, which I think is still an accomplishment/sign of a mental disorder:

I'm using some Wool Therapy Tranquil BFL that I picked up at Fibre Space. The sock definitely needs some blocking, but the yarn has been lovely to work with. It's on the thinner side, and not as soft as some sock yarns (cough, Skinny Bugga!, cough), but sturdy, like Tosh Sock.

Also, I love dark green.

Just saying.

The second sock, predictably, is going sloooooower, because I JUST KNIT the exact same thing and don't want to do it again. I am seriously considering trying to learn 2-at-a-time socks before the next stage.

Stage 2 starts on Saturday morning, and I leave for Costa Rica on Monday, so how I will fare is anyone's guess. Since CP heads to Costa Rica the day before me, I'm traveling alone (boo!) and planning to bring lots of plane knitting. I always get nervous about losing my needles in security (even though I haven't lost a pair yet, knock on wood), so I just ordered some Knit Picks bamboo DPNs, just to be on the safe side--non-metal seems a lot more likely to make it through security, and DPNs might look like nothing more than a pencil on the Xrays.

Or so I'm telling myself.