WIP Wednesday: Ralph Askew 2

We were traveling last week, and I didn't get to knit as much as normal. Despite having a squirmy toddler in my lap most of the time, I'm happy with the progress that I made on Ralph Askew.

Check that out! It is a finished sock!

Every row of the second sock has had me wondering if the black spot would return. This has been the most anticipated pooling of my knitting existence, and ladies and gentlemen, sock 2 did not disappoint. In fact, it has far exceeded my hopes. Warning, if you found my zebra eye a stretch before, you might as well give up on me now. Today I present:

HIDDEN MICKEY!!!

WIP Wednesday: Ralph Askew

A girlfriend of mine is making a big move from Arkansas to Indiana. I don't expect her to have too many winters like the ones that I grew up with in Wisconsin, but I'm hoping she will enjoy a winter that is truly cold and snowy rather than wet and dreary. (I confess... I like snow.) During her last visit we packed the time with yarn shopping and tips on how to winterize your home and keep warm in January. While at my LYS Knitty City we found some really fun yarn: Meow Yarn. It is a lovely fingering weight yarn with colorways inspired by cats and part of the proceeds go to benefit stray and abandoned cats. Everything came together when she found a black and white skein matching her lovely tuxedo cat Ralph.

(Isn't he a cutie?)

(So is that skein)

I knew instantly that she needs her first set of hand knit socks for her first snowy winter. When I unwrapped this skein at home, I got even more excited about the project. It is gorgeous all twisted up, but it is intriguing laid out. It is half black and half white to the length of the skein. I've worked with variegated yarns in a variety of color options. some with just one or two stitches in each color and others with long striping color changes. I haven't however worked with any two color yarn or anything so meticulous in the short repeats. Since these will be socks I'm very excited about seeing how they work up. The potential for one row stripes is making me nearly giddy.

(See? Half and half! and surrounded in toys)

(Look at that beautiful cake!)

My friend and I have also picked an exciting pattern: Skew. The unique construction of this pattern means that I can't predict at all what is going to happen. Even if I do figure it out, something new is going to throw me off all over again. Case in point, I've gotten the first toe done. I am seeing the cool striping that I expected and I love them. They are turning out much more zebra* than kitty though. The only spot of pooling so far is clearly a zebra eye.

(I like that the curled up edge makes a little ear too. Squint a bit if you can't see it, or just love me for my crazy.)

What really has me curious about this pooling spot is that there is no corresponding white pool, or any other pool the opposite side is all stripes.  Ralph Askew is my new subway project and since I am so fascinated  with this yarn, these are going to work up super quick. I'm still riding on the high of my first finished Christmas present, and I'm starting to wonder if I should make her wait for these. It would be torture for both of us, but then I'd have 2 Christmas presents done! That could be enough to inspire a hand made Christmas.


*Random lesson for the day: Zebras are black with white stripes. I learned this on Kilimanjaro Safaris at Disney's Animal Kingdom so it must be true. According to our safari guide, we know they are black because their nose is black. There are some other more scientific explanations supporting the black animal with white stripes claim, but I like this one so I'm sticking with it. The more you know.

FO Friday: Christmas Cowl

You read that right! I finished my first Christmas present! and I am not scheduled to finish another one for... the rest of the year. I have spent years believing that socks were my favorite traveling project, but I might be changing my preference to cowls.

A few weeks ago I headed to San Francisco for a work trip. I had packed some sock yarn and DPNs. What I didn't do was empty the project bag first and it still had my spare ball of yarn  and needles from my Follow Your Arrow shawl. I sat down on the plane and found myself casting on that bright Christmas red. I knit right through the flight. It was a busy trip full of conference sessions and sightseeing so I didn't knit much while I was away, but as my plane landed back home, I had 7 stitches left to cast off. In the cab, I finished those up, sewed in my ends and had a FO before I got home.

It was a delightful project. Simple that didn't need the pattern after the first repeat and complicated enough that it kept me away when jet lag should have knocked me out. I Now I'll pack this away with a few Christmas presents that I've already bought and wait for December to return. (Honestly, don't think I'm so organized that I have started Christmas shopping already. These are presents that arrived too late or were discovered to be duplicates with other friends' gifts.)

Migrated

My flock is finally finished. Weaving in all of the ends was a daunting task

While I tackled those, Hubby sewed them onto the branches and arranged the birds. It took both of us the better part of an afternoon, but it was a lovely result.




Here is a baby's eye view!




I love it! Hubby was having trouble letting it go. He had it hanging in our living room right up until I packed it up to ship out. Eventually they migrated south (a bit late but all in one piece) to our friends and their new baby. I hope he enjoys those adorable tummy stripes as much as I do.

WIP: Growing Flock

My flock hasn't gotten much attention lately but my time table has been pushed way up. Fortunately these birds are quick little knits. I only have two more before I start the branches and leaves. I've found the best way to get work done on these is to carry all of my supplies for the project around in one bag. It really is more than I need for any bit of knitting, but these work up so quickly that it is only a bit of knitting before I am changing colors or sewing up a new piece. I feel like I'm carrying around an ridiculous amount, but I am not getting stuck with nothing to do after 10 minutes of knitting. No hangups means progress continues. Now on to the next one, with a green tail, and maybe yellow stripes.

Queued: Boyfriend Sock

From Slipped Stitch

Hubby is not a big fan of socks. He loves his pair of hand-knit socks, but they don't make up for his general dislike of socks. You'd think this would be great. If he doesn't want socks that means more socks for me right? Well, it turns out if you don't want to knit full sweaters and your man doesn't want socks, you have drastically reduced the types of things you can make him that he needs multiples of. He's got a hat and a scarf and says he doesn't need another. He has a couple pair of gloves that he doesn't wear. (Which is for the best because the velcro in his jacket is awful to them.)  Since his outer gear is set, I keep turning back to socks as something to knit for him. These Boyfriend Socks by Alice Bell would be a great pair. The cables look like they would be just enough for keeping my attention and combating the effects of whatever 'manly' color my yarn will inevitably be, and they look great on the finished sock. If Hubby is not in love with them, I'm sure Dad or Grandpa would appreciate another pair.

Billy - Class of 2011

From Billy's introduction letter:


Hello,


My twin brother Willy and I decided to sign up for the internship program because we were inspired by the Abbott and Costello programs we saw during class. We saw how funny they were and then thought how much more wonderful it would be if they would have been twins like us! I am looking forward to getting to observe your family and learn all of the great things that I can from you, hopefully faster than my brother does from his host family!






Favorite Joke:


What did the right eye say to the left eye?
Between us, something smells.




Jessica's pattern is written completely flat. Even the adorable tail is done back and forth and seamed up so for Billy I decided to do everything in the round. I used Susan's Elefante feet and then just converted Jessica's purls to knits and rows to rounds.

Willy - Class of 2011

From Willy's introduction letter:

Hello,


My twin brother Billy and I decided to sign up for the internship program because we were inspired by the Abbott and Costello programs we saw during class. We saw how funny they were and then thought how much more wonderful it would be if they would have been twins like us! I am looking forward to getting to observe your family and learn all of the great things that I can from you, hopefully faster than my brother does from his host family!








Favorite Joke:


How do you catch a squirrel?
Climb a tree and act like a nut.





These brothers are a great little lesson in gauge. Billy was knit on a set of needles one size smaller than Willy. You can look at the class photo for a great comparison of their size difference. I think I like the tighter gauge better for toys. I can stuff them a little tighter and now worry about the innards showing through the stitches.

Marcy - Class of 2011

From Marcy's introduction letter:


Hello,


My name is Marcy. My grandmother says I’m shy, but I’m just quiet. Either way I think this internship is really going to help. Grandma thinks it will bring me out of my shell, but I am just hoping to work on my comedic timing. I am looking forward to getting to know you.










Favorite Joke:


What did the fish say when it hit the concrete wall?
Dam!



This is Maddy's cousin. They lived a couple towns over from each other but ended up at the same university  and in the same program. Marcy doesn't talk much, but Maddy chattered enough for the both of them. At her internship she has 6 very qualified mentors to help her find her voice. I'm pretty jealous of her current opportunity.

Gus - Class of 2011

From Gus's Introduction Letter:

Hello,


My name is Octavius, but please call me Gus. I started school to be a lawyer, but I had to change my major. No one in corporate law appreciated my riddles or impersonations. Making the switch was the best decision I’ve ever made. It has been all giggles since I’ve started studying energy obtainment. I look forward to learning from you and in return, I’ll do my best to assist with any legalese we encounter along the way.








Favorite Joke:


What do giraffes have that no other animal has?
Baby giraffes!




Look at that happy grin. I think I am starting to get better at the embroidered faces on my toys. I had a lot of fun with this project trying to develop personalities for each of them with the little details that I added. Gus has a grumpy source, but he's a bit more cheerful.

Chibit - Class of 2011

From Chibit's Introduction Letter:

Hi,


My friends all call me Chibit. I love puns and peanut butter! I am looking forward to learning from you, but I’m really excited about the food. I have a whole list of things I want to try: Key Lime Pie, Popcorn, Clam Chowder and Lasagna. Those are just the top few. I really hope you’ll share some of your favorite foods too!






Favorite Joke:


When a clock is hungry it goes back four seconds.





I am almost afraid to post pictures of Chibit. It seems that once she arrived at her new home, she's decided that her antenna are now tentacles. Not that I blame her; I'd want to show off my versatility to my new family too.

Jimmy - Class of 2011

From Jimmy's Introduction Letter:

Hi,


You can call me Jimmy. My family has been in energy obtainment for generations. I grew up learning all of my father’s best scare tactics, so I am counting on this internship to help me catch up. I want to be as good of a comedian as I am a scarer. My hero used to be Axe Cop, but lately I’ve been trying to pay more attention to Jughead. Thank you for this opportunity. With your help, I’ll make my dad proud.




Favorite Joke:


What is the difference between roast beef and pea soup?
Anyone can roast beef.




I am really proud of Jimmy's mohawk. Not only did I find a use for some left over fun fur, but it looks fantastic! I was so caught up in making that I didn't even think about the jog in my stripes. If I was smart I would have put the mohawk over the the new round repeat, but I was too worried about making it work to make it perfect. Next time I'll do better. The one regret I do have about Jimmy is his plastic eye. I tried to make sure that every one in the cohort that was going to live with a young child would be resilient and safe for rough housing. The plastic eyes are not child safe (they can pop out and be swallowed by the very determined) and I just found out in the past month that the family he is going to live with is expecting a new arrival.

Maddy - Class of 2011

From Maddy's Introduction letter:
Hi!


Thank you so much for this opportunity. I am very excited about getting to spend some time observing your world. I am a huge fan of music and movies. I also love to go shopping with my friends. I know that we are going to have a lot of fun together and I’m confident that I am going to learn a lot from you.






Favorite Joke:


Knock, Knock
Who’s there?
A cow goes...
A cow goes who?
No! A cow goes moo!

Maddy was the start of this entire project. I wanted to do something special for a girlfriend. She is almost as big of a Monsters, Inc. fan as I am (though she makes up for it with her undying love of other Disney creations.) I had tried to make her a Hug, but mine just looked creepy. I decided to go through my queue and find something huggable. Penelope was perfect.

I wrote up the internship letter from Roz. As each monster finished they hung out in my apartment and Hubby and I started coming up with tidbits about them to include in their introduction letter. Right before sending them out I decided to include their favorite jokes in the introduction letter. I think it gives the host families a good sense of where their humor levels are at.

The Class of 2011

Ladies and gentlemen, it is with great pleasure that I present to you the Monster's Incorporated graduating class of 2011!

Class of 2011

This cohort has completed all of the classes and training that Monster's Incorporated can offer. Now they are leaving for their internships to perfect their comedy styles.  They would like to give a special thank you to their commencement speaker Fred Rickert and their instructors: Kat Lewinski, Angela Tennant, Rebecca Danger, Jessica Zoz, and Heather Rupe.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I started this project in October and I have loved every moment of it since. A couple of weeks ago, several of my friends received this letter:

Class of 2011

Over the last week they have been receiving their interns. I've already been getting pictures of them in their new homes and promises of Flat Stanley style updates! I'm loving it. Over the next week I'll post about each of them individually and tell you knitterly things as well, but before I go any further I want to give a big thanks to Hubby for helping me create these creatures (in every aspect other than knitting), for keeping my secret, for helping me not ruin the surprise, and for being the official class photographer.

Class of 2011