Next year, I'll just leave town

CornFest is still going strong. And by strong I mean obnoxious. And by obnoxious I mean the shitty cover-band stage is half a block from my apartment.

This afternoon the downtown area of DeKalb was subjected to a medly of --and I use the term loosely-- song including "Baba O'Reilly" (Teenage Wasteland) by The Who, "Bohemian Rhapsody" by Queen, and "Walking on Sunshine" by Katrina and The Waves. In one big cacaphonous blob.

Ugh.

Yesterday we had plans to celebrate birthdays with my family at 5:30pm, and we would have been at my parents' house at like noon if Nick hadn't had to work until 2:30. All morning I cleaned and did crazy amounts of chores just to keep my mind off the hell that was the "music" coming from CornFest. I couldn't even knit, because the awful noise just sinks into my bones when I sit still. Closing the windows doesn't help, either.

To counteract the deep and abiding hatred I have for CornFest (they moved the craft market far far away from downtown this year, and are charging a $1 admission to even enter! Bastards! The one thing that sort of kind of has a wee bit of redeeming value!), I am posting knitting progress pictures.


I have started the back for the Wee Baby Maggie cardigan (link to pattern in sidebar). I'm making a few changes, particularly in the area of color. The 5-row garter stitch border/hem is in Jelly Belly and the body is in Grape Berry (colors here). I'm not a fan of one-color baby clothes, and I'll do all the borders/hems and button bands in the multi. I was thinking of adding a 4-row stripe, but I think I'll put in a purl stitch heart or something on the back between the shoulders and on the front somewhere. We'll see. I am definitely loving the boring stockinette, as I can work on it while hanging out with friends or while drinking the beer...


It's the only thing keeping me from attacking the music stage with a pickaxe right now. My absolute favorite beer is in the center, Fiddler's Elbow from the Wychwood Brewery, and it is amazing. Go try it.

I've also been working on the Twisted Sock (see sidebar for pattern). I was working the whole thing on US 1 dpns, but then it was too small. I ripped it, and started working the whole thing on US 2 dpns, but then it was too big. Ripping #2. Then I worked the 2x2 rib cuff in US 1 and the body (the twists) in US 2, and then it was juuuuust right.


Although it's pooling something shocking.

I don't care. I'm enjoying this half-mindless, half-challenging project, and I'm certainly not ripping it out at this point. I wonder how the second one is going to turn out.

A close-up of the wee cables:

This one is the most accurate, color-wise, of the three pictures. On my monitor, at least. I am in love with these colors, and am desolate that KnitPicks discontinued them. Luckily, I got enough yarn for 2 pairs of socks before that happened. [smug grin]

In other news, I've changed my mind about the scarf for Laura, and the shawl for Margaret. Laura will now be getting the Penobscot Silk Scarf from the Sweet Somethings (.pdf!) article in Summer 06 Interweave Knits, because I think that pattern will suit the medium-weight Socks That Rock better than Branching Out would. And Margaret will be getting a warm alpaca scarf, design yet to be determined, and possibly a matching hat.

Oh good lord, Survivor is at CornFest. And they're playing Eye of the Tiger.

Send liquor.