Sockapaloooza Test Knit

I cannot believe it has been so long between posts! Truthfully, I haven't done nearly as much knitting as I usually do. Keeping the house immaculate for realtors and clients is sucking up way too much good knitting time.

Since I last posted:
1. My Mom had her 81st birthday
2. My son-in-law hit a hole-in-one on the golf course
3. I have finished a pair of socks.

Let's go directly to the socks, shall we? They are the embossed leaves socks from Interweave Knits Winter 2005, knit in Paton's Kroy sock yarn in grass green. I had hoped to have them done in time for St. Patrick's Day, but that didn't happen!

It was a good pattern, and it was a test knit for my Sockapalooza Pal. Her socks will be an earth tone, as she likes to wear those colors. I'll have to search the stash tonight for something appropriate.

I've also been working on the second sock for the New England socks. It is going a bit faster than the first, as I have memorized most of the chart and don't have to consult it too often. Here is a progress picture.

I've done about 2 plus diamonds and it takes 4 diamonds to complete the leg. The Knit-a-long for this sock ends on 3/31, so I should get cracking here.

Although poor Beadwork spends most of the time languishing in the project basket, I have got the right front knit through about half the decrease rows for the neck shaping. No picture. I'll wait until I finish the right front.

Work has been crazy, and I'm on my lunch hour, so back to the grindstone!

I knew I was going to hate this

Warning: this is not about knitting. I haven't done any. Well, I have, but keep making mistakes and I knit an inch, rip an inch, knit an inch, rip an inch. 'Tis indicative of my state of mind.

Having said that, the house goes on the market today. It is a historical landmark, built in 1923, with beautiful oak millwork, Tudor architecture, hardwood floors, woodburning fireplaces and details found in houses of that era. It has been well maintained, but it is an old house. Because it is a landmark, there has been some initial interest when it got out on the realtor grapevine that is was going on the market. I agreed to allow two agents (in the same office as my realtor) to bring clients through for a sneak preview. Those showing were Wednesday and last evening.

I swore to myself that I was not going to take any remarks made by people viewing the house personally, because tastes differ. And the house will not be right for everyone who looks at it anyway. Well that did not last very long. I just got off the phone with the realtor's assistant. The people who looked at it last night are interested enough to ask to see the disclosure statement, which is ok, I would expect that. I was told that the people who looked at it Wednesday liked the first floor, but the second floor "fell apart for them" because it was "frumpy". I assume they meant the decor, which I will admit is what I would describe as basic.

I just had all the wallpaper on the second floor stripped and all the walls, woodwork and ceilings repainted in neutral white and off white shades. And it was not cheap to do so. I don't know, it isn't like my frumpy furniture, curtains etc. aren't moving out with me. The carpeting will stay, but they could pull it up because the floors are all oak hardwood floors. Then they could move in their tasteful furniture, hang their tasteful window treatments and artwork and live with them. Oh well, I am sure they will find the perfectly decorated house of their dreams. And I don't want them to have mine anyway, so there!!!

The Return of the Blogger

Here I am! It's been a while since I blogged. First I spent a week visiting my Mom and Dad at their Winter home in Brownsville, Texas. I had a great time and it was very relaxing. I did all the fun things I was looking forward to including walking on the beach on South Padre Island, shopping in Mexico, eating Texas barbequed ribs (yum), and drinking Margaritas. After Mass on Sunday Mom, Dad and I went to a fabulous champagne brunch. Mom and I went out to lunch a couple of days too. It was super to just sit and relax on the patio, or talk with Mom and Dad. I miss them, and look forward to their return to Cleveland this Spring.

The other project that has been taking up all my non-working time is getting my house ready to sell. It's going on the market Friday March 10. The house has been Spring cleaned from top to bottom. I washed and ironed all the curtains and bedspreads. All the carpets were professionally cleaned. The third floor teen suite, all the bathrooms, and all the bedrooms had the wallpaper stripped and the walls and woodwork painted in white and neutral colors. I "de-cluttered" the entire house. I makes me tired just to write about all this work! So now we'll see if the house sells. The real estate market here is very slow. I'm not going to buy until I sell, so at least I don't have to worry about two mortgages! If it doesn't sell by May 31, I'll take it off the market and enjoy the home improvements.

Now, on the knitting front. Not much. I bought the yarn I needed to finish the New England socks, but haven't done anything with it. I am within 6 rows of finishing the right front of Beadwork so I have done a bit with that project. I did start a new project, the Embossed Leaves sock pattern from Interweave Knits Winter 2005. I'm using Kroy sock yarn in Grass Green and US size 2 double points. One sock is finished and I've started the second. Here's a pic.

It's a fun pattern and easy to memorize. I knit the first sock in Brownsville, but the house cleaning has pretty much stalled this project. I miss my knitting. And I do not like house work!

Tootles for now.