caution: Herrschners

Okay - normally I have no issue with Herrschners - in fact I LOVE them ... hubby says I'm "addicted" to them ....

but for the second time I have had to call them to straighten out some over-charges ...

they have "Free Shipping" codes which come via email or on the front of their mailing catalog - I love free shipping ... only hook is you have to order $35 of merchandise ... love that - I can come up with that no problem, getting to 50 can be an issue ....

BUT --

they have a glitch in their system ....

if they are out of stock on items you order and your total falls below the $35 mark, they don't tell you ahead of time so you can bring the total back up .... AND they will charge you for the shipping because the computer doesn't read that you qualify.

This is the second time I have had to call them to explain that the offer says ORDER $35 in merchandise ... not recieve $35 in mercnandise.

I could totally see it IF they contacted me when it was found that the 7 skeins of Bernat Silk yarn was out of stock (even though I had two - 2 - confirmations of it being In Stock) and given me the chance to bring the total back up ....

had they done this and I then declined, then yes I can see them saying "we will charge shipping" ...

but they didn't .... they just shipped it 'as is' and charged ...

I suppose they figure that not many people will double check their invoice -- and I confess that until a few years ago I wouldn't have either ...

If you use those Free Shipping codes -- make sure you check every invoice to make sure you are getting it ... $10/shipment or more will add up quick

Just need to rant a bit

okay - just need to let off a bit of steam ... but first let me kiss butt here and say I really like my cable, and this isn't an issue with the company.

Last time I had issues with my cable, the operator suggested using the Live Help online so that I wouldn't have to wait so long for an answer to my issue ... so tonight when things didn't work right I took the advise...

and instead of having to wait 20 minutes for the operator, I wound up waiting over that - well over that (was able to watch an entire episode of Cool Tools while waiting and its an 1/2 hour program)....

then when I did get the 'tech' I was asked for my acct. number -- who has that when reporting a problem? they already had my address and the rest of that info ... we worked around it.

so then the 'tech' wanted me to lift my cable box and give her the serial number --- WHAT???? Lift my box? What if I was some 80 yr old great-grandma? I couldn't believe it. We have a stacked system, no way was I going to unstack it all to get a bleeping serial number.

She said she needed to reset the box and that she needed to get the correct one since we had two ... I told her how to distinguish between them without my having to lift that boat-anchor ...

which is why I keep putting 'tech' in quote marks .... I'm sure she has a set procedure that she needs to follow, but it was just ridiculous. I got the feeling really fast that they may be putting people on the line who aren't really techs ... but you never know.

But the thing that has really miffed me? when the box acted up, it gave me an error code ... a specific error code ... all I could get from the operator is that it wasn't a code that belonged on that system.

Okay - so what exactly does it mean I asked, out of curiosity and sometimes I can connect the dots as to why these things happen ... and was told the code has no meaning ... WHAT??

So why give an error number then? Why not just say "there's been an error call your operator" ... that is the thing that got to me ... its like standing in line at the DMV because you got a letter in the mail saying to see them to find out it was really nothing after all.

Oh the issue -- static build up that was solved buy cutting power to the box for a while ...

its the first thing I think of when the internet network system acts up but not the cable box.

Hopefully lesson learned.

and next time - I'm phoning it in.

Morning Laugh

okay had to share this one -- we had a livestock truck over turn this morning and PIGS were everywhere. As a child born in the 60's I found it rather ironic that the POLICE got called to help round them up ... and no, I've never called a cop a 'pig' in my life.

well, okay ... just once ... but I was like 6 yrs old and heard it in 1st grade and my folks set me straight right away.

I've never done it since then.

Now that the sun has come up they have switched over to the color feed and you can see the full extent of the mess out there ... the red circle is the corral they have set up to hold the pigs, the bigger trucks are new livestock trucks that have come to help haul the little squealers away.

and yes that is the little bit of snow we have so far this year - sad isn't it? you know if we had our regular snow fall of 8" on the ground by now -- this pig round-up would be one to get video of!! That would just be funny.

Best Laid Plans

Well ... hubby called tonight to say that he wasn't going to come home on the day planned. Things aren't going the way they are supposed to.



The computers that he is trying to set up are having a hard time accepting all the changes that need to be made to integrate the system from one state to the other. They are older computers and replacing them was just out of the budget, so he has to work with what he's got -- they aren't bad computers, its just that there is so much that needs to be done.

Seems like everytime they fix one problem another few will pop up ... usually memory stuff. he said one which should have taken maybe 2 hours to get done took over 10 hours to update.

Well, he knew that it might be a tough time getting it all done -- so he wasn't surprised by the problems ... he was shocked at how long it is taking.

he has been putting in 18 hour days trying to get it done -- he and his assistant from up here ... so that's 36 hours a day total .... just too bad hubby doesn't get overtime (he's salaried) but oh well that's life.

It does throw a monkey wrench into my exchanges though.

I am in both the Hogwarts Sock Swap and the ACX:Samhain exchange ... ACX is due to go out, well it was supposed to be tomorrow ... and the HSS4 was supposed to be in the mail by Thursday. Now it looks like the soonest either one can go out would be Saturday .... unless things change again.

I'm so not happy about it ... but what can one do? I will live with it .... know its not anyones fault ... and move on. I just feel bad for my partners who will now have to wait a bit longer for their packages.

Well I will take the time to do more for my partners, I guess. Might as well make a good thing out of a bad situation.

Gremlins

I am being beset upon by gremlins, I swear. And they aren't the cute kind either!

First my yarn went missing .... then I couldn't find my yarn bobbins for winding off enough yarn for the toe part of my socks so I would be sure to have plenty.

Then it was pointed out by my daughter that - gee won't that make the foot too small for your partner? ... yes it will ... thank goodness I didn't pull all the stay-stop threads out, it will make it easier to fix the pattern (it just won't go up her leg as far as I had thought, she won't be able to roll them down now)

Then last night was the last night of my daughter's school's fundraiser -- we always order last so I know how much I need to spend to get her to her goal ... or should I say I need to know how much to over spend? anyhow -- made up a list so that when we added things up I would know what stuff I wanted.

I should have did it last night -- figured I had my list, I knew right where my checkbook was, and it isn't a big deal adding it all together .... until the gremlins showed up.

I started at 6am trying to crunch the numbers -- then I couldn't find the blooming list I made -- so I went thru and made a new list ... no biggie right? wrong. I know I had MORE on my second list than my first. okay so I found that I would be kicking her up into the next prize catagory from where she wanted to be (I've got plans for one of those prizes though, she just doesn't know it yet).

Then the checkbook went missing -- I knew right where it was last night, in my backpack where I keep it so I won't over spend by keeping it in my Scout To Go bag -- not there. So I went to grab hubby's, he always keeps it in the same spot -- accept for this morning when I needed it. It was in the van - stupid place to keep it.

So then I figured out how much to make our check for -- we convert all cash to our check so that if it goes missing its easy to cancel and write a new one -- and messed it up TWICE. First time I got the amount right, the wording so wrong .... the second time I got the amount wrong but the wording right. Third check's the charm.

Mean while here's my 9yr old "mom today's the last day to turn it in!" ... "I've got to catch my bus" .... thanks for the pressure kid .... so I sent her off to school - I'll have to drop it off later.

so I'm filling out the form and for the total amount for the orders I put in my check amount - wrong - its EVERYONEs orders they want the total of .... argh! Easy to fix.

Until I started doing the calc to make sure I had enough money to cover the order -- $12 too much. WHAT???? how the heck did that happen? So I had to run the numbers a few more times. (by now all the kids are gone to school, even missed the second bus). Found my error.

So now I have to go back and fill out the form again and update the TOTAL ... I accidentally counted something twice ....

Okay, take total $$ of purchased material and subtract $$ from checks ... should come out even, right? That $12 reared its ugly head again. What the f----? suddenly it dawned on me ... another voided check. the error was in the check I wrote. damn.

4 checks later .... I finally got the form done correctly and everything is adding up proper -- now I just have to seal the envelope so the checks don't get lost and get it to school.

they don't put lick-em glue on the envelopes any more .... and the gremlins hid all the glue sticks .... no problem, I'm a scrapbooker - I'll use some of my adhesive ... which ... the gremlins hid also! Every bit of sticky stuff was gone from its spot! not even the containers they were in are there.

Damn gremlins.

fine I'll use tabs from my label gun the do it then and just "tape" it down .... haa haa haa, they hadn't thought of that .... but just to add insult to injury, they knocked the package out of my hand -- labels rolled on the floor ... and they pushed the roll out of my hand while I held the end so that I would have to curl it all up.

Now I just have to wait for hubby to get done splitting wood (he took the day off to boot) ... and have him run it down on the way to the bank. Then I have to have him pick up a new towel paper holder springy thing ... the gremlins lost that from the guest bathroom, too. I'm sure somewhere they are having a blast playing with the giant spring.

Damn gremlins. See if I feed you after midnight any more!

Squeeeeeeee!!!!

I am so happy! I was in tears yesterday--literally! Hubby couldn't believe that I was bawling like a baby over a sock.

The first sock I did from the top down so the only thing I had to do was a three needle bind off at the end....love the 3 needle bind off....but I have the small tag of yarn at the top of the sock to take care of yet.

The second sock I decided to do it from toe up....I hadn't done a toe-up before so I wanted a challenge--WHY???? Actually I like the toe up sock a lot---since the biggest down fall for me are cuffs (to much messing with keeping the cast on straight and then trying to work those spider-legs without much to keep them stable)....so the toe up sock gives the needles enough stability to make doing the cuffs much more statisfying--love them, the toe ups!

But when I got all the way to the end---my cast off was way too tight! I couldn't even get it over my heel (my partner and I have simular sized feet) so I know there was no way it would fit her...the other sock went on fine.

Boy did the tears of fustration fly! Funny part (?) is that while I was doing the bindoff I thought "watch it won't be stretchy enough"...pshhh....should have kept the negativity out of it....it is actually a good thing I tried it on--I was going to just wash them up and send them out since I was so excited about getting them done and I am so far behind schedule.

Oh my poor partner! I hope she likes the things I have put together for her package....I still haven't opened the one she sent me--won't do it until after I get her's into the mail---it only seems fair.

Yes they are done! Now I just have to do one more thing to the top---but its a surprise and I know it will have the elasticity to make it work...heeeheeeheee.

I must remember to send extra yarn with the socks in case she needs to do any darning months from now.

I love these socks though--it will be hard to give them up!

stupid stupid stupid

I am such an idiot. I worked all day yesterday on that sock waiting for hubby to call and then about 11pm last night I looked at the heel and thought I had made a major mistake--I had nearly twice as many stitches as I thought I should have...

So I ripped it back to the stop-line...thank goodness I've learned to put that bit of string thru to make going back so much easier-it even makes it easy to....well I'll get to that.

so then I had to figure out how many stitches needed to got back onto the heel flap needle and how many were to go back onto the circ to hold for the top of the foot. Well I picked up the stitches---count them out and discovered that I was missing three stitches, this is wear that stop-thread comes in real handy.

When you drop a stitch it will not let it run all the way down--did I mention this before? This means that you can easily find a loop with the crochet hook to re-trellis it up. And it just so happens that the frequent color changes of this yarn worked to my advantage too....it was very easy to find when I had missed picking up a stitch.

So I have to admit that was fine....and I was able to figure out which stitches needed to go back onto the circ needle--yeah!!

So I got stitching again...about 1am I looked at it and realized that I screwed up on the heel somehow and had to pull out the stitches on more time. UGH! Atleast it wasn't so bad...only about 13 rows...but while undoing it....I discovered...

I didn't have to frog it the first time!!! (this first time, not the very first time)...I was so mad at myself. I forgot that I was trying it on without finishing that portion of the sock completely yet...in fact I was only 4 rows into that section--that's why I still had so many stitches==what an IDIOT.

Well I finally caught up to myself this morning at 3:30-4am...so I started taking what hubby calls Mini-Vacations...15 minute naps...somewhere along the way it got to be a bit longer than a 15 minute nap...I woke up about 5am with what amounted to about 1/2hr of good sleep and I have to say that I wish I could take a couple of those rows back, I didn't do the best job of picking up stitches but then I never claimed to be an expert stitcher.

In fact I'm pretty sure I was only a beginner. I will have to play with tugging some of the stitches a little.

Well that sentence doesn't make any sense---I'm just so tired.

I have got to finish this sock so I have time to wash/dry/block them to get them into the mail.

Twinkle Toes update

well I have inc the number of sts needed for my partners foot....actually I'm not doing the Twinkle Toes pattern, just using it as a guideline....but I should have probably inc the number of cast ons to 12 (total) and worked 2 inc rows before moving onto the inc row/k row combination.

Also I waited until I had 32 sts on the two needles before splitting the stitches onto the 4 needles....I found this gave a better base to the sock and helped to prevent the needles from twisting backward--I actually got stitching and found that one of the needles had twisted around making a very ugly pucker...had I been working a cable st it would have been different, but it would have been very uncomfortable on the bottom of the foot....or on the top of the foot for that matter.

These are going to be some very interesting socks--not only am I using different tachniques for each of them....I did decide to use different needle sizes. This means that one sock will be just that much bulkier than the other...but hopefully not so much as to cause a real problem...I really like the concept.

The only thing the socks will have in common is the yarn, but even it will be slightly different due to pooling effects. I loved the way it ringed around the toe area! I wish it would do the same all the way up, but it has already gone to the single row of a single color...although it does change a little sooner than before so I'm hoping it will start to swirl around.

Now to prevent having to over frog I have inserted a peice of emb floss thru the stitches/loops of the last reg row for the toe---just incase I go on and find that I do not have enough stitches I will be able to stop the unraveling and easily find the stitches to simply pick them up and replace them onto the needles.

If I do not need to frog then I can simply pull the floss out later without having to pick it out--just so long as I did not split the floss at any point without realizing it.

I will more than likely do this every few rounds just to save myself some work--by doing a little more work now---should a problem arise like a dropped needle, a dropped stitch, a picked up stitch, etc.

This technique will come especially handy when I get to the heel flap/gusset.

Because I have never done a toe-up sock before I am anticipating a lot of issues with the "wrap, turns" on the short rows. I will check out knittinghelp.com as well for a video of the procedure but I want a stand by just in case as well.

If I run into too many troubles I can always contact one of these sock groups on Yahoo groups that I belong to:

T_Socks_KAL:Townsend Current Knit A Long
TownsendSocksKnitAlong:T-Knit A Long (I love the current group photo!!)

If you aren't familiar with Jeannie Townsend, that's okay...I didn't know about her until I started looking for sock groups either...if you decide to join check out the groups files---she offers tons of free patterns there, all of her own design! Some of the members have posted their own patterns up there as well. She is very talented, I don't know why she hasn't sold any of her patterns...although she did say once that the purposes of the group was to build internet buddies not make money....so its probably because she just has a really big heart!!

If you are interested she also has a blog:

Just Jeannie

To Blog or Not to Blog

So one of my kids caught me passionately writing on my computer the other day and asked what I was doing....'posting to my blog' I said....'what's a blog?' he asked. I had to stop and think....well its kind of an online diary--no that's not quite it either---its like being able to think outloud but having other people listen in to you---but that's not quite it either.

'why do you write a blog?' he asked next....another stumper. Why? Because I'm a stay at home mom who has a lot to say and no one to say it too....don't get me wrong....I can talk to hubby and usually do to the point of his ignoring half of what I say or he gets annoyed because he missed a funny line on his tv show....and I have had philosophical & political chats with my kids ever since they turned 3 and could talk back {my kids have very firm veiws--you should hear what my 10 yr old has to say about the Maine schools handing out birth control}, but with them I have to be super guarded....try my best to let them make up their own minds, teach them to find the facts and draw their own conclusions instead of running with the pack.

This became relavent this summer when my daughter had to do a video tape for her government summer course....the teacher assigned her to make a campaign commercial for Hillary Clinton--my daughter doesn't like Hillary, but he figured that since she was one of the few girls in class he'd like to see her take on things---when I asked her who some of her other choices were, since she was complaining about getting Hillary, she started naming off all the democrat delegates--I asked her who on the republican side she could have chosen if she had wanted, the answer was Guilliani, he was the only one. That's it--the teacher had decided to bias the class and lean them towards the democratic party. She did the assignment, btw, she did it "man-on-the-street" style....with family. Probably not a good thing since, well I'm more right leaning independent...her dad is more left leaning independent...and while her grandparents are democrats neither of them really like Hillary either....and big brother is a staunch Republican. She did okay, got a good mark for meeting the standards but she felt her grade wasn't as high as it should have/could have been had she been more in line with the teacher's veiws.

Oh wow, I'm off subject again, huh? I was talking about why to blog....or rather why I blog.

Because I have a voice that I don't see being met out there.....I have a common sense that seems to be lacking in this world....an old fashion value system in a new lifestyle....I'm a right leaning pagan/heathen and I'm telling you we are rare!

Well off to do more knitting--I just needed a break before I rip it out again for the fifth time--new pattern and I forgot to stop increasing every row about 5 rows back and I'm dreading pulling it out again. My poor partner....her yarn is going to be worn out before she even gets her socks.

Banging my Head against the Wall now

UUUUUGGGGHHHH!!!!!! I'm so frustrated....can you tell?

I didn't get a chance to go to the coffee shop with the other Scout Mom's this weekend as I had hoped because it was cancelled due to lack of interest. If hubby hadn't answered the phone I would have pretended that everything was honky doory and talked the oldest daughter, gimpy and all, to come with me and we could have spent the entire time knitting and talking and sipping coffee and tea--she says they have tea, it would have only been my second time there and the first time I got away without ordering anything---but no, hubby answered and I didn't think fast enough on my toes.....so I didn't get any knitting done yesterday.

Instead I spent the afternoon cleaning the kitchen....especially the stovetop. This is the first summer that my oldest has been on his own while we went out of town--his favorite thing to do was use the deep fryer (and leave me the mess)....because I hate the dripping of the oil I have it on a sheet pan that's lined with foil for easy cleanup.

As it turned out 18 yr olds have no sense of oil life---I thought he had changed the oil at least once over the summer--he hadn't. Oil in a fryer, I'm told, needs to be changed at least every 3 months depending what you've cook in it...if you've done any sort of meat it needs to be changed sooner. Anyways, I never really thought much of the stove--I don't usually use it....I either use the oven (they are seperate units) or the microwave, the stove is mostly used when I want popcorn or fried eggs.....mostly its just the place I put the cookie sheets or roaster when they come out of the oven.

So I had been keeping the top of the burner cleaned up okay....but when I pulled out the burner trays to clean---OMGs---he must have spilled the fryer or something and wiped it up without thinking of cleaning under the spill-pan. I had sticky "dried" oil all underneath the dials, under the dial plate and the rubber gasket that holds the plate in place. He had switched the burner grate with the one from the other side knowing that I tend to put the big tea kettle & the Splatter Blue camper coffee pot there so you can't see it.....gaaaawwwwwkkkkkk. And only one single--just one--S.O.S. pad left to do it.....it died after I finished both drip pans, the dials, the dial plate, the gasket, the stove top, one grate....but it didn't make it thru the really ucky one.

I could have killed him, but you know he's a kid (at least to me) so I turned on the football game in the kitchen and started cleaning it up---everytime our team made a TD he'd say "did you see that?" or "Look at that, that's amazing" and I'd answer with "I didn't see anything, I'm too busy cleaning someone else's mess" or "no I was busy scrubbing this ____".....I think he got the point though because one time when our team made a TD he used it as an excuse to give me a great big hug....he NEVER hugs--"I love you" gets answered with "yup" or "huh?".

So I will have to wait until the next time I can talk hubby into taking me to the regular store to get some more and really pound it....MIL says she used to put them in a black plastic bag with a bottles worth of amonia, tie it shut and then put the whole thing out on the front lawn in the bright sun and it would just eat off the grease. It might be worth the try--except I have a hard enough time not getting sick from the smell of Moth balls, I can't imagine what the smell of amonia would do to me.

Anyhow, back to my knitting.

As it turns out not knitting yesterday would probably have been a good thing---because I got done with the first part of the second socks ribbing and found that --shit!--the guage is off again! I measured really carefully too--but the sock was WAY too big....I hadn't noticed it while knitting because I tend to keep the stitches bunched so quick work, but damn!

So now I've had to frog and now its back to the drawing board....so I like the simplicity of the pattern but the colorworks is driving me nuts....it is not working out the way I thought it would. One row one color, one row the next....no pooling!

{sigh} well I've got to get back to the needles---I have to get these to my partner by Halloween and hubby is taking three days off this week so I don't think there will be much knitthing going on then. He seems to get jealous of it....what he doesn't realize is that there are days that my crafting is the only thing that keeps me from-=-=-=-sending him back to work!!!

Wondering if I should begin to worry

Okay so I wrote my partner over a week ago asking about a particular measurement and haven't heard "jack" back from her...my understanding is that I'm her partner and she's mine (they changed it from the first swap). I have tried posting to her blog site too thinking maybe she checks in there but there wasn't and reply there either.

I'm a tad worried that I won't be able to make her socks the right size if I don't get the measurement...it sounds like she has rather thick ankles with the measurement she gave me, but I need to know for sure...otherwise the ankles could end up as much as 2" too small around her ankles and no one would want to wear those.

And considering that this is the most expensive yarn I've ever bought I want them so totally wearable! I've decided to go with just a simple knit/purl pattern so that I don't lose the imagaes in the color change...the colorways of the yarn just will not work the way I'd like...I was hoping that they would have a few rounds of solid color before changing, but so far they are working up one row per color then it switches.

I'm still working on the cuff so I'm hoping that she writes back soon....I'm hoping she checks in on my blog the way I check on hers....maybe she'll see this post and write.

Wait, who am I kidding....I will blog on top of it and it will be buried.

%$@#&)(^%

Okay so I finally got some time to actually work on my sock....its at an easy part now where I can start the color change and just book it!

Of course that would be if I hadn't had the needles get stuck on the yarn and come out of some of the ^%%^$## stitches. So I hurried and grabbed my 0 needles and started grabbingt stitches anyway I could just so I wouldn't lose any of them...I was happy I got them all, not the prettiest but I wasn't going to unravel either....I can fix them as I knit around (they are stitches from the ends of needles 3&4 and I was ready to move onto needle 1).

At least until I came to a stitch that was a splitted stitch and had caught and twisted yarn from two rows...this means I need a crochet hook because I have to let it ladder a bit until I can get a good loop to hook up with--sounds easy right? I'm a crocheter...I have more hooks & steel needles than you can spit at, right?

SO DO YOU THINK I CAN FIND ONE OF THEM RIGHT NOW????? Of course not....oh I can find the big FAT ones like the K, N, and P but not one of my thinner ones! Not a single one.

I know I had them by my chair....I even had a steel crochet needle in my jar for just such a reason and its not there either!!!!

I smell a kid involved in this somehow....or a husband who was using it to reset a device!

AAAAHHHHHHGGGGGGGGG!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Wheew!!

I will have to remember that! If you ever need to delete a posting, go to "Dashboard" click the posts button for the blog in question then simply tell it to delete the entry!

I can not believe I accidentally "blog this"ed to the Swap group....how embarrassing. I'm just glad that I am anal-retentive enough to have wanted to see how it looked to use the Blog This button.

Couldn't find it on this blog but sure as stinky-stuff there it was on the group blog big as life spouting my political views for EVERYONE to see.

Well I think next time I save the BlogThis button for when I only have ONE of the blogs opened--sure wish there had been something on the BlogThis pop-up though that would have told me which blog it was being sent to!

Kids and Knitting do NOT mix

I love my kids, I really do.

I was in the bedroom (where the HD tv is) and I was working on my current sock...see previous photos...when the phone rang and I put down my work. I had just gotten to the heel flap so had switched from my size 2 dpn's to my size 1 circs, figured I would make life easy on myself and if I put the work down for a long period of time I could slip the stitches down onto the cable. Good Idea, right?

I'm not used to working with circs....I only got them because I was going to try making socks using the Magic Loop system but couldn't figure it out...so there they were laying on the bed.....next to my 11 yr old son....who was watching television with me....apparently he is not the fan of the news because as soon as I got into the quick conversation on the phone he decided to get off the bed....the call lasted all of 50 seconds....literally, if even that long.

Son and I passed each other thru the door...when there on the floor lay...you guessed it---the circs....no sock....just the circs!

I had cataract surgery about 4 years ago, at age 38, so my eyesight is not the best but even I could see I had a BIG problem on my hands.

So I popped on my magnifying glasses over my regular glasses (it makes my entire lens the same prescrib as my bi-focals) and proceded to slip as many of the loops back onto the circ without loosing them....this is not easy for anyone, but try to do it while fighting the urge to find the kid that did it (I know it was my fault for not sliding down those stitches)

{sighs} so I get all the stitches on, give it a gentle tug just to make sure...a run is easy to fix at this point, but {wiping sweat from brow} luckily I didn't have any runs--all the stitches were saved. Right??

WRONG! I started to do the next knit row. It was great the first half of the heel flap==not a problem EVERY single stitch was twisted correctly and right where it belonged, but once I passed the marker that's when the problems began.

1. most of the stitches are actually the ones from the previous row, or a mix of the previous row stitch and the present row stitch.
2.still hadn't dropped any rows, no runs...well that's good news at least...but I have stitches where I caught PART of them...which means I have split the yarn...which weakens it. On the heel this is not a good thing, in fact its a very, very bad thing.
3. hubby came home and now I haven't had time to straighten out the mess....only reason I'm writing this blog now is because I'm waiting for my stroganoff to meld together (keyboards are easier to clean than knitting while its on the needles).

So now I am sitting here dreading having to get out the crochet hook and redoing 15 stitches so that I am catching all the yarn fibers that should be there----and seperate the previous row from the current one.

You know the devil on my shoulder is saying "just stitch it the way it is, no one will notice the heel"....but I just can't do that....{sigh}

On the bright side I told my daughter, they are her socks, what had happened and that I would have to fix her heel and she said "on my leg or on the sock?" Maybe she knew I could have used that good chuckle about then.

Still Waiting....

Okay so I am really trying to keep myself busy waiting for a "yea" or "nay" from the sock swap....I've given hair cuts to son and hubby....I've fed the gargoyles....I even worked on my sock yesterday (some concerns here)...but this is really testing my will power not to send off yet ANOTHER plea to be let in.....how UNslytherin of me, if I give in I would suspect the others will really trounse me!

About my sock...

Well I noticed after I put up the photos of it that I was getting some pretty funky pooling of color suddenly. I rechecked my gauge, nope it was still the same....8sts/inch, 9rows/inch....so the color should have been the same. Then it dawned on me that what it could be is the dying sequence had changed....hmmm, why would they do that?

Because that was were/when they expected me to be at the HEEL...instead of the decrease of the calf! So now I had this really nice wide striping going on with a big muck of muddiness...but really that's not my issue with it...it doesn't look the best but I can live with it (so can my daughter for that matter)....by issue is:
what if there isn't enough to finish the foot!!!

I mean think of it....I could be most of the way done with the foot and suddenly run out! That would be disastrous because I only have 2 skeins of this yarn....the last two herrschner's had...and buying a new skein risks mismatching dye lots (even though bernat is usually really good about it, I ain't pushing it). I even thought of using a second yarn for the heel and toe decrease, but then I thought....well if there IS enough yarn I would have a bit left over from each ball and then I have to worry about matching the striping and working in ends on the other sock. yada, yada, yada.

That is the one thing I do NOT like about the Arachne sock calculator....it doesn't give you approximate yardage needed. I don't know why it couldn't....I mean its a simple mathematical equation...

(#of sts needed to complete) X (# of yds needed to make gauge swatch of specific portions)=yds needed

OR

(#of rows) X (yardage in 10 rows)=approximate yardage needed

since the calculator asks you to enter in your gauge anyways, all it would need to know is the international size of the yarn to give the best estimate of yardage (1-5, based on thickness).

I suppose I could figure it out on my own too, but it would be easier if I had one of those cool tools that you just pull the yarn thru and it tell you the yardage you have....that would really be SWEET for something like this.

Just think all I would have to do is make swatches for every size of yarn with all my different needles and then measure it out...viola! Instant yardage chart! But that seems like just too much work for this time of the morning.

Besides, it won't help with the problem I have now....although the number of yardage/sts. would be the best way to handle the decreases and increases....AHHHHGGG! Now that will be stuck in my head and rattling around all day.

But then.....it might be better than obsessing over the Sock Swap!