Where have all the flowers gone?

I'm not sure just where April went. It was the beginning of April, I blink, and now it's the end of April. So what have I been doing? Good question.

I've been learning Continental knitting. Not my original idea, I confess. Lil' Sis is learning Continental, and my thought process was something along the lines of "Anything you can do I can do better!" So I'm learning. You'd think it'd be easier since I'm actually left-handed, but it's not.

I'll give you a pictorial demonstration:

Socks for Kelly, pattern here, yarn Lion Brand Magic Stripes. Line 1: A few hours of TV. Line 2: Watching The Producers. Line 3: A few hours of TV. Line 4: The time the boss was late to work and I couldn't get in the office. The rest: I don't know, maybe TEN HOURS!!!

Of course, this isn't the only thing I've been working on this month. I also have this:

I swear to God, this yarn hates me. Pattern is a basic cobbled-together sock pattern, yarn is Plymouth Sockotta. Cotton blend. I've never made cotton-blend socks before and I never will again. Sweet zombie Jesus, I have never had such problems with gauge before. First I do a basic stockinette gauge and get 7 sts/in on #2 needles, exactly what the label suggests.

So I think about making Pomatomus socks. I go down a needle size, make another stockinette swatch to get 8 sts/in as the pattern likes. Then I swatch in the pattern stitch. I need 12 sts/in, I get 9.6 sts/in. I go down another needle size, get a little closer to gauge in the pattern stitch, but I'm off in the stockinette swatch. Way off. Like tiny little swatch, like a baby blanket for a flea.

Okay, so maybe Pomatomus aren't the way to go. I cast on for a basic sock, knit for a bit, then think, "Hey, this is a little small." I measure. 8 sts/in, on the same needles as my very first swatch.

My conclusion: This is truly an wicked yarn. If I flick holy water at it, little green clouds of pure evil emanate from its skein. Maybe I shouldn't make Mother's Day socks out of it...

The sound of silence

Katrina's stockings are done, and drying on my fancy-pants sock blockers that I made out of some of Dad's hangers. Me, I don't have any wire hangers. I read "Mommy Dearest" in my formative years, and- well, I don't have any wire hangers. I'd model them on myself, except I am very short and stumpy and the stockings were made for someone who's neither short nor stumpy. When the first one was finished, I tried it on. It flattered neither the stocking nor the wearer. I'll tell Katrina to model them for me. :)

Also, I finally have a picture of Mom's sweater:


Why yes, it is a little washed out. In real life, the sweater and the stockings are just about the same color. I'm hoping to get this done by Mother's day, just in time for summer. Because who wouldn't want to wear a wool sweater in the summertime?