WIP Wednesday

Happy Wednesday :)

I've got some WIPs on the needles and we should discuss them...maybe not at full-length, but we'll discuss them. According to my Self-Imposed Year of Projects, this is what my WIPs list looks like:


WORKS-IN-PROGRESS
1. Little Man's Giraffe: started May 11, 2011
2. Icarus Shawl: started March 15, 2010
3. Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit Socks: started January 23, 2012
4. Hermione's Everyday Socks: started March 6, 2012
5. Sweet Girl's Hippo: started May 10, 2012
6. Mama's Vanilla Socks (round 2): started June 29, 2012
7. Go Pack, Go!: started August 18, 2012  

I'll be honest, I haven't worked on Little Man's Giraffe, Mama's Vanilla Socks (round 2), or my Honey Badger Don't Give a Shit socks since before we moved. So...we've been in Alameda since July 14th and it's now August 22nd...so for almost six weeks, at least. I suppose I should say that they're all in hibernation but that implies that I don't randomly pull them out to work on. I've been known to do that. In fact, that might happen sometime soon. We'll see.

However, I have four projects that I have been actively working on the last few weeks...

I showed you my pseudo-tutorial on stuffing knitted toys on Sunday so I don't really need to show you that again. Since that was published a few days ago, I've finished stuffing the body of Sweet Girl's Hippo with the regular toy stuffing (on top of the poly pellets) and tied up the body. I haven't started working on the head yet for a very good reason........(well, I think it's a good reason)

These are my Hermione's Everyday Socks. Well, this is the first one...and I'm a bit further than this photo indicates. I'm actually almost to the toe decreases on the first sock. 

What does this have to do with putting the Hippo on pause? I used my US #5 needles, that I'm using to make said Hippo, to do my CO for the sock. So, since I'm almost finished with the first sock and I'm going to need those needles to do the CO for the second sock, I'm putting the Hippo on pause until I'm done with the CO for the second sock. 

Makes sense, right?

I tried something new with these socks. Normally, I pick up gusset stitches and do the decreases where I pick up the stitches. With these, I'm doing a Double Gusset Heel. The short explanation is that you do the decreases on the bottom of the heel instead of on the sides. I have a full explanation on my Ravelry project page for the heel on these socks (mostly so I do the second one the same way). I tried to take a photo and it kind of worked...but perhaps once they're finished I'll be able to take a photo while they're on my sock blockers. You'll also notice the Eye of Partridge heel flap...the jury is still out on how I feel about that. I mean, it worked well and all and it looks nice but if it's not durable, it's useless to me. So, I guess I have to wait until these socks are done to find out what the heel is like :)

I haven't worked on my Icarus Shawl any more since last week but that's okay. I think that might be the next thing I'm going to work on knocking off my list (after the socks and the Hippo). Or not.

And then there's the hat. Unfortunately, I cannot show you my Go Pack, Go! hat because it's for a Christmas present. I would love to show you photos but even a teaser would totally give it away. I'll have to remember to photograph things and set up a post for after Christmas. That seems like such a long way off...




In the reality that is my life, things are....well...interesting. I experienced my first bout of Bay Area "rain" on Monday. It was more of a cold mist, to be honest. Little Man and I had to go to the University of California - San Francisco Hospital to meet with his new metabolic doctor. It was cold and misty and it wasn't the most pleasant experience we had. You don't realize that it's icky until you get inside and find out how wet you actually are. 

See this hill? We climbed it...or, rather, I climbed it while pushing Little Man in his stroller. This is the hill to get up to the hospital. Seriously, who puts a hospital at the top of a hill like this?! 

Apparently the University of California. 

It doesn't look like it from the photo, but this hill was approximately a 45° angle.

We found out where the elevator was after our appointment. And we took that down. And I'm never walking up that hill again...

But, before we got to UCSF Hospital, we had our first experience on public transportation in San Francisco. We've been in a cab and we've been on the ferry...but this was on the "light rail," which is something like a cross between a subway and the street cars that make San Francisco famous. They're built like a subway but they go up on the streets on rails like the street cars. 

Mama, I'm on a subway!

Anyway, that's about all I know for right now. I hope you're all having a lovely day. For more WIP Wednesday fun, check out Tami's blog!