Bad Knitting Karma and a Belated Birthday Wish

So, I have a knitting dilemma.  I have finished one lace sock, and it looks good...except that it is rather big.  I knitted a swatch, I got gauge, I measured my foot, and chose the size that would give me a bit more than an inch negative ease, and, well, it's a bit big.

It fits, it just doesn't fit as snugly as you might wish a sock to fit.  I'm afraid it's going to bunch up in odd ways when I wear it with shoes.  And I ended up shortening both the foot and the toe from the recommended length, or it would have been even bigger!  And yes, I double checked on the stockinette sole, and I was at the right gauge.

So what do I do?  Do I knit the second sock the same, and have two socks too big?  Do I knit the second sock smaller (maybe go down a needle size, or knit the next size down in the pattern), and risk having something that's too small, and then also have to tear out and re-knit the first sock?
I'll admit to being a bit stumped on what to do next.  Suggestions?

In happier news, it was Elizabeth Zimmermann's birthday on Sunday.  For the non-knitters out there, Elizabeth Zimmermann was an extremely creative designer of knitting patterns.  Not just pretty stitches, but some pretty amazingly innovative ways to construct garments.  Exhibit A of her creativity is the Baby Surprise Jacket.

Yes, it's an amorphous blob.  I've heard this referred to as "the obligatory amoeba shot".

This is for my nephew, and no, on this one I did not knit a swatch and therefore this came out somewhat larger than planned, which I suppose for a baby beats it being smaller, eh?

(Why is it that when I check gauge, it comes out too big, and when I don't check gauge, it also comes out too big?  Something's wrong with this picture.)


But, you say, it doesn't look like a baby sweater!  And what's the "surprise" part of the title?

Ta dah!  Fold it right, and sew up the shoulder seams, and surprise!  It's a jacket!  (I have yet to actually sew it up and still need to get buttons, but I'm still charmed.)

Knitting this was actually really, really fun.  It's a bit of a scary pattern - it assumes some amount of knitting knowledge (not much, really), and you have to have a LOT of faith in Elizabeth, because, while you're knitting it?  It looks like the amorphous blob.  She actually says in her original instructions, "Work will start to look very odd indeed, but trust me and press on."

Indeed, if you follow the directions (I did watch portions of the available DVD just to clarify a couple of sections), and just trust her, you get a very charming little jacket.  Well worth the effort, and truly, I found it very fun to knit.  I would highly recommend it.

So, a success at Baby Surprise, and mixed on the lace socks.  What do you think, same again, smaller, ???  Help me out!

So Much for Quiet

Really, it was getting a little TOO quiet with Rachel and William gone.  Don't know what I'm going to do when they're all off to college.

We picked them up from camp on Saturday.  Sunburned, sandy, and very happy.  Happy to have been at camp, and happy to be heading home.  They appear to both have had fun (except for the sunburns).  We've been prying out stories gradually, indulging them with junk food and soda (both were not fans of camp food), and allowing semi-unlimited video game play.

But tomorrow, ah, tomorrow it's back to a rudimentary routine.  School is 6 weeks away, and time is flying by.  There's still fun to be had, but it's time to inject a hint of discipline in our days.

Just a hint.  It is still summer.

Lace!

My first lace attempt.  Just finished the leg - waiting to start the heel until tomorrow.  I fixed the color as best I could (John took the picture with his cell phone), but, sadly, I really am about that pale.

The bobbin is just the excess from the long tail cast on (I either make my tail WAY too long, or just a bit too short), I just haven't cut it yet.  I'm hoping I have enough yarn.  I have two 50g balls of KnitPicks Essential in Grasshopper Kettle Hand-Dyed, and it seems like I'm cranking through the first ball really fast.

Pattern: Lace Rib Socks from The Little Box of Socks by Charlene Schurch and Beth Parrott.  More pictures when more progress.

Letters from Camp 2010

We've gotten a couple letters from Rachel and William at camp.  Actually, we've gotten a couple of letters from Rachel.  She's mentioned a new friend and some funny incidents at dinner, and that she hasn't liked the food much (no surprise there).

We have gotten one (1) letter from William.  It says, in its entirety:

"To mom, hi.  blah blah blah blah blah. from will"

Apparently John told him he should write at least a 10 word letter.  So he did.

Library Love

We don't use our library as much as I mean to (and yes, I do chronically incur fines for not returning things on time, but a friend described overdue fines as a donation to the library.  Guess I'm doing my part).

But I do love the library, and I loved this article I came across.  Libraries as the next big trend?  Sweet!

Free As a Bird

As I was walking back to the common area to give Rachel and William their almost-forgotten water bottles, I passed a mother dancing (yes, dancing) towards the parking lot.  As I passed her, she practically sang, "I'm free for a month!  Free for a month!"

You know?  Much as I love my kids, I'm a bit jealous.

Flown the Coop

Two of my little chicks have flown the coop.  We dropped off Rachel and William for 2 weeks of camp today.

Two WEEKS.

I can't believe my youngest is going to be gone for two weeks.  It's one thing to have JC gone for a couple of weeks - no offense, but he's 15.  I missed him, but I didn't particularly worry about him.  I had faith that he has some basic common sense, nightmares were not an issue, he'd remember to brush his teeth and maintain basic hygiene (well, he's a teenage boy.  Mostly basic hygiene.).  William?  I am sure the counselors will have him brushing his teeth and at least walking through the shower periodically, they tend to do those things as a cabin.  But his common sense is still developing, and not even a week ago he showed up in our room in the middle of the night after a nightmare.  And William is still cuddly with Mom.  JC, not so much.

But he was very much, "bye, see you later" when we left.  No weeping with that one. 

Even Rachel, who's entered the moody and sometimes oddly clingy pre-teen years, gave me an "aren't you gone yet?" when I went back to give her the water bottle she'd left in the car.

I'm quite sure William will be fine, it's just weird that he's older than I think he is.  Hazard of the youngest child, I guess.