What I would rather be doing instead of watching a movie.

Sitting on the beach in Hawai'i.
(or Half Moon Bay, Costa Rica, Cozumel, you pick)
Watching the sunset.
or knitting.......................socks

Do you have a Life?

It’s been alleged that if you’ve seen over 85 movies you have no life. Mark the ones you’ve seen. There are 239 films on this list. Copy this list, go to your own blog, paste it in and put x’s by the ones that you have seen. Add them up, figure out whether you’ve got a life or not, and post it.

(X) Rocky Horror Picture Show
(X) Grease
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean
(X) Pirates of the Caribbean 2: Dead Man’s Chest (some of it)
( ) Boondock Saints
( ) Fight Club
( ) Starsky and Hutch
( ) Neverending Story
( ) Blazing Saddles
(X) Airplane
( ) The Princess Bride
(X) AnchorMan
( ) Napoleon Dynamite
( ) Labyrinth
( ) Saw
( ) Saw II
( ) White Noise
( ) White Oleander
( ) Anger Management
(X) 50 First Dates
(X) The Princess Diaries
(X) The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement
( ) Scream
( ) Scream 2
( ) Scream 3
( ) Scary Movie
( ) Scary Movie 2
( ) Scary Movie 3
( ) Scary Movie 4
( ) American Pie
( ) American Pie 2
( ) American Wedding
( ) American Pie Band Camp
(X) Harry Potter 1
(X) Harry Potter 2
(X) Harry Potter 3
(X) Harry Potter 4
( ) Resident Evil 1
( ) Resident Evil 2
(X) The Wedding Singer
( ) Little Black Book
( ) The Village
( ) Lilo & Stitch
(X) Finding Nemo
(X) Finding Neverland
( ) Signs
( ) The Grinch
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre
( ) Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning
( ) White Chicks
( ) Butterfly Effect
(X) 13 Going on 30
( ) I, Robot
(X) Robots
( ) Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story
( ) Universal Soldier
( ) Lemony Snicket: A Series Of Unfortunate Events
(X) Along Came Polly
( ) Deep Impact
(X) KingPin
(X) Never Been Kissed
(X) Meet The Parents
(X) Meet the Fockers
( ) Eight Crazy Nights
( ) Joe Dirt
( ) King Kong (the original)
( ) A Cinderella Story
(X) The Terminal
( ) The Lizzie McGuire Movie
( ) Passport to Paris
(X) Dumb & Dumber
( ) Dumber & Dumberer
( ) Final Destination
( ) Final Destination 2
( ) Final Destination 3
( ) Halloween
( ) The Ring
( ) The Ring 2
( ) Surviving Christmas
(X) Flubber (the original)
( ) Harold & Kumar Go To White Castle (no, just Harold and Maude)
(X) Practical Magic
(X) Chicago
( ) Ghost Ship
( ) From Hell
( ) Hellboy
( ) Secret Window
( ) I Am Sam
( ) The Whole Nine Yards
( ) The Whole Ten Yards
( ) The Day After Tomorrow
( ) Child’s Play
( ) Seed of Chucky
( ) Bride of Chucky
( ) Ten Things I Hate About You
( ) Just Married
( ) Gothika
( ) Nightmare on Elm Street
(X) Sixteen Candles
( ) Remember the Titans
( ) Coach Carter
( ) The Grudge
( ) The Grudge 2
( ) The Mask
( ) Son Of The Mask
( ) Bad Boys
( ) Bad Boys 2
( ) Joy Ride
( ) Lucky Number Sleven
(X) Ocean’s Eleven
( ) Ocean’s Twelve
( ) Bourne Identity
( ) Bourne Supremecy
( ) Lone Star
( ) Bedazzled
( ) Predator I
( ) Predator II
( ) The Fog
( ) Ice Age
( ) Ice Age 2: The Meltdown
( ) Curious George
( ) Independence Day
( ) Cujo
( ) A Bronx Tale
( ) Darkness Falls
( ) Christine
( ) E.T.
( ) Children of the Corn
( ) My Bosses Daughter
( ) Maid in Manhattan
( ) War of the Worlds (THE ORIGINAL)
( ) Rush Hour
( ) Rush Hour 2
( ) Best Bet
(X) How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days
( ) She’s All That
( ) Calendar Girls
(X) Sideways
( ) Mars Attacks
( ) Event Horizon
(X) Ever After
(X) Wizard of Oz (countless times)
(X) Forrest Gump
( ) Big Trouble in Little China
( ) The Terminator
( ) The Terminator 2
( ) The Terminator 3
( ) X-Men
( ) X-2
( ) X3
( ) Spider-Man
( ) Spider-Man 2
( ) Sky High
( ) Jeepers Creepers
( ) Jeepers Creepers 2
(X) Catch Me If You Can (twice)
(X) The Little Mermaid
(X) Freaky Friday (The original)
( ) Reign of Fire
( ) The Skulls
( ) Cruel Intentions
( ) Cruel Intentions 2
( ) The Hot Chick
(X) Shrek
( ) Shrek 2
( ) Swimfan
(X) Miracle on 34th street
(X) Old School (it was BAAAD)
( ) The Notebook
( ) K-Pax
( ) Krippendorf’s Tribe
( ) A Walk to Remember
( ) Ice Castles
( ) Boogeyman
( ) The 40-year-old Virgin
(X) Lord of the Rings: Fellowship of the Ring
(X) Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers
(X) Lord of the Rings: Return Of the King
(X) Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark
(X) Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom
(X) Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
( ) Base-ketball
( ) Hostel
( ) Waiting for Guffman
( ) House of 1000 Corpses
( ) Devils Rejects
(X) Elf
( ) Highlander
( ) Mothman Prophecies
( ) American History X
( ) Three
( ) The Jacket
( ) Kung Fu Hustle
( ) Shaolin Soccer
( ) Night Watch
( ) Monsters Inc.
(X) Titanic
(X) Monty Python and the Holy Grail
( ) Shaun Of the Dead
( ) Willard
( ) High Tension
( ) Club Dread
( ) Hulk
( ) Dawn Of the Dead
(X) Hook
(X) Chronicles of Narnia: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
( ) 28 days later
( ) Orgazmo
( ) Phantasm
( ) Waterworld
( ) Kill Bill Vol. 1
( ) Kill Bill Vol. 2
( ) Mortal Kombat
( ) Wolf Creek
(X) Kingdom of Heaven
( ) the Hills Have Eyes
( ) I Spit on Your Grave
( ) The Last House on the Left
( ) Re-Animator
( ) Army of Darkness
( ) Star Wars Ep. I The Phantom Menace
( ) Star Wars Ep. II Attack of the Clones
( ) Star Wars Ep. III Revenge of the Sith
(X) Star Wars Ep. IV A New Hope
(X) Star Wars Ep. V The Empire Strikes Back
(X) Star Wars Ep. VI Return of the Jedi
( ) Ewoks: Caravan Of Courage
( ) Ewoks: The Battle For Endor
( ) The Matrix
( ) The Matrix: Reloaded
( ) The Matrix: Revolutions
( ) Animatrix
( ) Evil Dead
( ) Evil Dead 2
( ) Team America: World Police
( ) Red Dragon
( ) Silence of the Lambs
( ) Hannibal

Total: 56 movies out of 239. I guess I must have a life after all. However, this list is not composed of many movies I would actually waste my time watching, let alone spend money to see. Thrillers & horror movies are not in my vocabulary. I prefer the classics: romantic comedies, Astaire, Hepburn (both of them), Cary Grant, Agatha Christie, biographical and historical epics, fantasy and some science fiction. I must also be the only person in the free world who's never seen E.T. I have an excuse: I was the mother of a new baby at the time ET first came out.

Rockin Sock Club

It's here! The first shipment of the new year. I was just reading about the trials and tribulations of Kaci and crew and I heard a thud at my door. The mailman had dropped off my package of sock yarn. Hurrah Hurray Kalooh Kaleigh!

It's a beautiful spring day here but I am suffering from acacia allergies so I'm home from work. I also got a new DVD from Netflix, based on Rosamund Pilcher's book Coming Home. I've been a little dissatisfied with the first two parts of the mini series. This disc is called Nancherrow and may redeem my disaffection. Something to watch while winding my new yarn!

UPDATE: Nancherrow was pretty good. Invented out of whole cloth, except for one bit, unless she wrote another book called Nancherrow, which I doubt. I have to finish another sock (I'm halfway down the foot!) before I can switch needles to start knitting the STR sock. I tried Magic Loop but the points on my long needle are too long, and I just can't get behind double points for too long. I did the short row toe on the double points, but now I want to fly!

Basic Sock Pattern on 12" Circular Needle

Sized to fit Women's Medium (size 8 feet) Men's Medium or Women's Large in ( )

Gauge: 8.5 sts and 9 rows to the inch in stockinette.

SUPPLIES NEEDED:

Size 2.5 MM Addi Turbo(r) Circular needle (U.S. size 1.5)

Size 2.5 mm or 2.25 mm (1 U.S.) double point needles, which you will need for the heel and the toes, set of 5.

I prefer using a 12" ADDI turbo circular to knit my sock, so that's how this pattern is written. It can certainly be knit using any method you prefer. See my post about using markers instead of needles to avoid ladders and convert any pattern to your preferred method of knitting.

100 grams of Regia Ringel or Mini Ringel or other fingering weight (sock) yarn such as Opal, Meilenweit, Lang Jawoll or Austermann Step.

Add one 50 gram skein for larger size or a longer length. This can be a contrast solid color, used for heels and toes. The stripe pattern will get wider on the heel and some people prefer the solid color heel and toe for this reason.

NOTE: I've recently rediscovered a great band heel which eliminates the long stripes at this great site. I knit my last two pair using this heel and it is very nice. I still use the EOP slip stitch, which means I have to add a few rows to the heel flap before decreasing. Then I have a few decrease rounds after picking up the gusset stitches. Thanks to Nan for this great pattern and tutorial, and to Nancy Bush for the band heel.

2 small circular markers, in different colors. I like red and green: red for stop decreasing; green for start decreasing.

CO 64 (72) sts. Join, being careful not to twist, and K2, P2 for 2"

Place a marker at join. The striping pattern of the yarn should look nice for both sizes at this gauge. Knit around until sock tube measures 7 (8) inches long.

Remove marker until heel is finished. Change to double pointed needles, keeping the instep stitches on the circular needle. Change to solid color yarn if you are using it. Knit the heel on double points over the first 32 (36) sts.

Heel: Eye of Partridge with slipped st edge

Row 1: *slip 1 KW*, k1,* repeat between *'s to end

Row 2: slip 1, p to end

Row 3: slip 1 KW, *k2, slip 1,* repeat between *'s to last 2 sts, end k2 (Don’t end with a slipped stitch.)

Row 4: repeat Row 2.

Knit this pattern until heel flap is 2 1/4 - 2 1/2 (2 3/4 - 3) inches long. This is a matter of personal preference. Measure the bare foot of the intended recipient from floor to top of ankle bone to determine the correct measurement.

Heel turn: (round heel) Thanks to David Mackay's "heels by number" which was the inspiration for these.

(Note: SSK = slip a st PW* to right needle, slip a second st KW to right needle, then knit those two together)

Row 1: slip 1, knit 16 (18), ssk, k 1, turn

Row 2: slip 1, purl 5, p2tog, p1, turn

Row 3: slip 1, knit 6, ssk, k1, turn

Row 4: slip 1, purl 7, p2tog, p 1, turn.

Continue on, adding one st knitted or purled at the center of the row until all sts have been worked. You should be ending with a knit row. If not, knit across the heel in Eye of Partridge pattern until you reach the pick up edge.

Change back to variegated yarn at this point, if you are using it. Using a new double point needle, pick up & knit one st from each slipped st along the edge of the heel flap (about 20). Place first marker here. Knit across the instep stitches which were not part of the heel, place second marker. Pick up & knit stitches on opposite side of heel flap, knit across heel flap to three stitches from first marker. You should have about 96-104 stitches on the needle at this point.

Decrease Round:

Three stitches from first marker, k 2 tog, k 1. Knit across instep to second marker, slip it, k 1, SSK, knit around to the first marker. Around this point you will want to change back to using the circular needle. Knit one round without decreasing (or two, if you like a slower rate of decrease for a higher instep), and repeat decrease round. Repeat decrease and plain knit rounds until 64 (72) sts remain on the needle. Knit plain until the foot is about 7.25" (8") long (2 to 2 1/2 inches less than desired length). Change to double pointed needles again, and solid color yarn if you are using it.

Wedge toe:

Round 1: Knit to last 3 sts before first marker, k2 tog, k1, slip marker, K1, SSK, knit to last 3 sts before second marker, K2 TOG, K1, slip marker, K1, SSK.

Round 2: Knit around in stockinette stitch.

Repeat these two rounds until 16 (18) sts rem. Divide the 16 (18) sts between 2 needles at markers and Kitchener stitch (graft) them tog or do a 3-needle bind off.

Now knit the second sock!

*KW=knit wise

Copyright 2001 Margie D

All rights reserved.

25 things about my knitting life

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like? My favorites are soft yarns and natural fibers. I have trouble with mohair and scratchy wools like Shetland and Lopi. I like cotton and wool blends for socks, merino wool, silk, angora, cashmere, baby alpaca.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? I have a nice ceramic vase on my desk for the long 14" straights that I don't use very much. I didn't buy any of these long needles, except for one pair of Brittany's in black walnut with carved ends. I inherited some from my mom and others somehow arrived at my door.
I use toothbrush holders for my double points, which I store in a plastic school supplies box. I have a fabric roll for my 10" straights and a pouch with plastic bags for my circs, which have size labels on the cables. I have all of my 16" circs in a zippered pencil case to go in a 3 ring binder. I store my crochet hooks in a wooden pencil case that slides open, which was my mom's when she started school in 1930. I've been using this case since I learned to crochet in 1971 and inherited my great grandmother's steel crochet hooks.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? I've been knitting for about 8 years this go round. I learned the first time (if you don't count the time my mom tried to teach me when I was 8) in college when I knit a top down sweater on circs for my mom from Bernat Berella. I stopped knitting for about ten years, and started again when Kaffe Fasset's first book came out. I paused for quiltmaking after a few years until 1999 when a quilting friend dragged me to Stitches West. This time it seems to have stuck, and I now have a SABLE (stash acquired beyond life expectancy) just of sock yarn, not to mention the other stuff.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? Not really, just a save for later cart at Knit picks and Amazon.

5. What's your favorite scent? I'm allergic to most perfume, and I can't smell because of the allergies. I wish I could smell chocolate!

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Chocolate, chocolate chocolate. Home made cookies.Favorite candy? See's almond truffles

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Mostly knitting and quilting. I can crochet, used to do cross stitch and macrame.

8. What kind of music do you like? Eclectic, a wide range. Jimmy Buffett, the Beatles, Carly Simon, George Winston, Celtic harp, Dixie Chicks, vintage rock, Elvis, Broadway shows, Billie Holiday, Joan Baez

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Blues, teals, some purples, rose Any colors you just can't stand? Orange, beige, tan, puce, blah.

10. What is your family situation? Married 1 kid who's grown up but still at home Do you have any pets? a dwarf bunny named Handsome Benjamin

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos? hats, scarves, mitts, sometimes ponchos

12. What are your favorite item/s to knit? Hard to say. Socks, felted bags and slippers seem to be most popular, with hats, scarves and now fingerless mitts bringing up the rear.

13. What are you knitting right now? socks, felted bags, stranded vest

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Doesn't everybody?

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? I usually knit on circulars or dpns. I don't like long straights at all. Bamboo, aluminum, or plastic? wonderful Wood, steel Addi's, good bamboo, vintage nylon circs, vintage Balenes.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? The swift is broken (too much use?) but I have two ball winders

17. How old is your oldest UFO? 1973, a turqouise cotton crocheted pineapple tablecloth which I may make into a shawl.

18. What is your favorite holiday? Christmas

19. Is there anything that you collect? yarn, fabric, books, stamps

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to
get your hands on? Of course. Sea silk and wool sock yarn is the latest obsession. Ebony and rosewood double points & circulars, ebony anything! I want the Koigu book and more Koigu yarn to go with it.

21. What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have? Knitter's, Creative Knitting, INKnitters, Interweave Knits, Knit Simple

22. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I just learned entrelac, and need more practice with cables. Intarsia is intriguing, too. I love Kaffe Fassett's work.

23. Are you a sock knitter? Yes
What are your foot measurements? 9.75" length 10" around ball 11" ankle

24. When is your birthday? May 3

25. What is your preferred sock knitting method? I like to use one 12" long ADDI turbo for the body of the sock, and I use douible points to knit the heel and the toe decreases. I also use the three needle bind off to finish the toe.

Stitches West/ I succumbed

I had 4 days of classes at Stitches West, met someone for lunch on Saturday (no shopping that day until after class at 5:00), and yet I still managed to buy yarn. It was a good thing I brought a bag lunch on Friday because I spent my whole lunch break (2 hours) at the Woolstock booth looking for another bag of some Louisa Harding Aran weight cashmere blend. Everything at the Woolstock booth was 1/2 off but you had to buy the whole bag. I also got some Noro Kochoran for $10.00 a skein there.

Sock yarn purchases:
Sock Candy from STR (stretchy cotton, hand dyed) plus the Fairisling on Blue Moon book.
Shelridge Farms Ultra in heathered purple (never mind that I already got some in another color two Stitches ago and haven't knit it up yet). I am almost finished working on another pair in rust heather and it is wonderful.
Fleece Artist in parrot, which has blues, greens and roses, plus lilac
Sol Joy in a dark blue/multicolor
STR light in Hen House (rainbow)
I also tried to buy two skeins of STR that I already owned but haven't knit yet. Luckily they could tell me at the check out table that I did own it, so I saved some money there.

I resisted buying anything at Webs and was glad I had ordered some sock yarn from Astrid in Holland the week before so I wasn't tempted by the bamboo blends. I almost bought more Hand Jive Nature's Palette in a pinky grey burgundy odd duck dye lot but there was only one skein. Next time. That was at Carolina Homespun and they are a somewhat LYS. That's not all the yarn I purchased: more next time.

I also got Lily Chin to sign my French Madeline book. She was dressed as Madeline at the student banquet Saturday. She thought that was a hoot and said I made her day on Sunday afternoon, after a long four days. She even signed en francais.

New Sock Projects

I started a new sock last night after finishing my Socks that Rock Pink Granite Marble Arches design. I got some Tofutsies yarn and the Swirly Girl pattern by the Knitiot. I am not using the the Tofutsies yarn, though. I had some Nature's Palette naturally dyed yarn from Full Thread Ahead in my stash, screaming to be knitted up. It is a pale sea green with dots of dark navy and bronze. The texture of the yarn is a lot like the Fleece Artist or Cherry Tree Hill super sock yarn. It feels so wonderful and is easy to knit with. The only problem (and it's minor) is that the yarn leaves my fingers blue from the indigo residue.

The pattern is so easy to knit, looks great and is perfect with the yarn. What more can I ask? The Tofutsies yarn will be next on my list. It is WONDERFUL too! I need a different pattern for the yarn colors I have, though. I have been browsing my sock pattern notebook for the perfect stitch pattern. The colorways I got are too dark to show off the Swirly Girl design. I'm getting ready to go to Stitches West on Thursday. I have a little bit of homework to do for Lily Chin 's class on reversible cables. No homework for my other classes.