This sock: the Evelyn Clark Lupine sock I was working on seems to have walked off on its own. When last seen, sock #1 was nearly done to the toe, and hanging on to a vintage 2.5 mm Addi Turbo needle (gold-plated with clear cord). The Sundara yarn has joined it to be MIA as well. If seen, please contact me. Reward offered in yarn. Thanks.
At 9:30 pm Thursday night June 3, I grafted the lace edges of Evenstar together and proclaimed her complete. Techknitter's COWYAK provisional cast-on worked like a charm, leaving me the correct number of stitches to pick up as I unlooped the cotton yarn. The graft is not quite invisible, but who will notice it (I am not the best at Kitchener stitch)? I had to go looking for it and I know it's there.
Blocking in progress using the string method, with much help from DH. Some people curve their blocking wires around for circular shawls, but I didn't want to put an arc in my wires. Also I don't think I have enough wire for the circumference, which I estimate will be 188.4" or 15.7 feet. DH was dear enough to locate some nice unused plywood in 4 x 4 ft increments, to create a platform. And he brought up from the basement a spare round table we use when we have a lot of company to dinner. That'll keep my collie, his visiting brother, and occasional wandering bird off the shawl as it blocks. I set up a fan to speed the drying (the humidity hovers around 90% some days here). So that it might dry some time this summer.
Some new yarn found its way home to me. 
First, some Sundara sock yarn in Creme de Menthe, perfect for Evelyn Clark's Twining Lace socks (they need a green yarn, IMO). Next, more Sundara yarn, sport merino in Reaching Out, a deep coral over salmon. I love the entire family of coral/salmon/apricot/shrimp colors; I might just look at this yarn forever. Last, some Yarn Chef Mulligatawny in Bramble Rose, which is more brown than rose. Likely I'll whip up a couple of lacey scarves as gifts for friends out of this.
Now the question is: finish more UFOs or start a new project from my Ravelry queue? Decisions, decisions!!
Seriously, on Friday I discovered that over $1000 was removed from my checking account as an electronic payment to Sprint- and I don't use Sprint. So now I am making like Sherlock Holmes, calling the FBI, my congressperson, and anyone else I can think of (local PD is already starting a report but they may not investigate, being just a small town PD with limited resources). Forget prosecution, I want BLOOD for this (sometimes). Now I'm worried that even though I'm closing my checking account to open a new one, the miscreant can still hack his (Sprint told me the money is going to someone with a male name) way into a new account. Now I'm even more worried that any check I mail might wind up not delivered by USPS by in the hands of such a miscreant, now matter what precautions I take. What a world we live in.
So back to knitting, and now you'll forgive me for not providing a more lovely picture of my lovely lupine socks from the Evelyn Clark pattern. What a fun knit. I really like Sundara Yarn sport merino and hope she finds another source of it soon. I have 1 more skein of it to work, in Shell over Cocoa Butter, yum!, then it's the sock yarn. Speaking of sock yarn, the Fyberspate green BFL yarn came and it is every bit as heavenly as I hoped it would be. Now I have to finish the Baby's Breath socks in Meilenweit for DD#1 before I start another sock. If you want to see the Baby's Breath pattern, visit Jeanie Townsend's blog, Just me Jeanie, link on the left. She has lots of nice sock patterns, some for sale, a lot for free.
And I took lace knitting up again, yes I did, to continue to work on the Hugs and Kisses scarf for DD#2. Who will be playing with the NYC Opera once again later this month, at Lincoln Center. The program will be "Tosca." The week before, she'll be in the pit orchestra of her local HS for their performances of "Caberet." I believe she'll be playing several instruments and trying not to blush when the emcee says "Even zee orchestra is beautiful."
This toe-up sock pattern uses a little bit of a few techniques. The foot is done on 2 straights, then the leg and cuff are done in the round (I used the Magic Loop on 1 circular needle). Finally, the 2 side seams are crocheted closed using a slip stitch. I made up this pattern while mastering Magic Loop for making socks. At least I wasn't faced with turning heels yet while mastering my unruly Addi Turbo needles! The short row shaping is easy to do and fast (no wrapping). No grafting required, no Kitchener stitching, and if crocheted slip stitch isn't for you, you can always take a tapestry needles to sew up the seams.
The pattern uses 1 skein of Patons Classic Wool plus some Cebelia size 30 crochet cotton for reinforcement at toe and heel on size 4 needles to fit my size 7M foot, my daughter's 5.5M foot, other daughter's 6M foot, and my husband's 8M foot. The modification for the man's size is in parentheses. You'll also need a size G crochet hook. Gauge is 6 sts/in in St st unblocked.
Mock Cable Pattern - Flat
(over even no of sts divisible by 4 and 4 rows)
Row 1: P2, *k2, p2, repeat from *
Rows 2 & 4: Knit as sts face you
Row 3: P2, *skip 1st leaving it on L needle, k 2nd st, k 1st st, p2, repeat from *
Mock Cable Pattern - Round
Rounds 1, 2, & 4: P2, *k2, p2, repeat from *
Round 3: P2, *skip 1st leaving it on L needle, k 2nd st, k 1st st, p2, repeat from *
Using waste yarn in a contrasting color, cast on 22 (24) stitches needed and knit a couple of rows. Then switch to sock yarn plus Cebelia and purl 1 row. Start short row shaping for the toe:
1) sl 1, k20 (22), turn
2) sl 1, p19 (21), turn
3) sl1, k18 (20), turn
4) sl1, p17 (19), turn
5) Cont until you get to the sl1, p7 (9) row, turn. Now you'll increase as follows:
6) sl1, k7 (9), pick up a st from the gap and place it on L needle, ssk (one of these will be the st just picked up), turn
7) sl1, p8 (10), pick up a st from the gap and place on L needle, p2 tog (one of these will be the st just picked up), turn
8) Cont this way until you are back at 22 (24) sts; you now have the toe completed. Recover the live sts from the cast-on by removing the waste yarn and place on 1 long straight needle. Place markers to mark the instep and sole portions. Make sure that both right sides face in the same direction. Cut Cebelia leaving a tail to weave in.
9) The sole portion will be done in St st; the instep portion will be done in Mock Cable Pattern - Flat, starting with Row 1 as follows" k to marker, k2, *p2, k2, repeat from * to end.
10) Next row: P2, *k2, p2, repeat from * to marker, purl to end.
11) Cont in patt as set until sock is 2" shorter than desired length (sock can be placed on toes to check length). At this point, place instep sts on a holder and start short row heel shaping.
12) Short row heel shaping is done exactly as for the toe. Join Cebelia again at this point and begin: sl 1, k20 (22), turn
13) sl 1, p19 (21), turn
14) sl1, k18 (20), turn
15) sl1, p17 (19), turn
16) Cont until you get to the sl1, p7 (9) row, turn. Now you'll increase as follows:
17) sl1, k7 (9), pick up a st from the gap and place it on L needle, ssk (one of these will be the st just picked up), turn
18) sl1, p8 (10), pick up a st from the gap and place on L needle, p2 tog (one of these will be the st just picked up), turn
19) Cont this way until you are back at 22 (24) sts; you now have the heel completed. Cut Cebelia leaving a tail to weave in.
20) Place sts from holder and from needle onto long circular needle for magic loop. Pinch and pull out cable between instep and heel stitches, then place sts in Home position and begin magic loop. As this is the cuff, all sts will be in Mock Cable Pattern - Round.
21) Knit cuff until desired length (5 1/2" to 6 1/2"). If you like a 1x1 ribbing for the top of your socks, you can do that for the last 1 1/2" or 2".
22) Stretchy BO for cuff: P2 tog, place bound-off st on left needle and p2 tog; repeat this seq until all sts are bound off. Or use your favorite stretchy bind off.
23) Using the size G crochet hook, slip stitch too open seams closed from the right side. Weave in ends.
24) Make second sock to match first and enjoy!
