WIP: Same Sock

Still working on the Autumn Trellis socks. If you tuned in last week, you can see that progress is slow. I'm not a slow knitter, but this pattern is sure going slow for me!

 

I think that the issue is the type of double decrease used to create the lace pattern: You slip two stitches as if to knit 2 together; then you knit the next stitch; and lastly you slip the two slipped stitches over the knit stitch. It takes me a few seconds to make sure I'm picking up both the slipped stitches. I know I could probably shop for sharper needles, but I simply own too many needles to even want to add another set!

Do you have any experience with this type of double decrease?

I got through the first five days of school with no major bumps! I can see that this is going to be an unusually hectic year. My students have a wide range of academic abilities, so I will be making lots of modifications in curriculum. I have some students with challenging behaviors, but I seem to be establishing good relationships with them, so I'm feeling optimistic!

In the meantime, I am frantically organizing and pricing items for my Crafter's Destash Yard Sale, set for Saturday. Keith put up a notice on Craig's List, so I have to be ready!

WIP: Yes, I Am Finally Back

It is quite rare for me to have a two-week gap in blogging. I think I can genuinely blame my job. Between trainings and getting ready for the new school year, I have been working 12 or more hours a day. I'm hoping all this preparation will pay off when the students show up today. At any rate, I do apologize to my blog friends and I promise to catch up with my blog reading this week!

Though I haven't been blogging, there has been knitting. I've been focusing on this pair of socks because it is going to be a holiday gift. Its an original design, and I do like the way it looks. It feels even better, I discovered when I finished sock No. 1.  I do find that it's a slow lace pattern, so I am determined not too leave it until the last moment.

While it looks like I'm going to have a lot of challenging students this year, I am trying to stay focused on the positives. Right now I am grateful that my own children are doing well. They both started graduate school last week and are happy with their programs. A mom really can't ask for more.

And this afternoon, I stopped at Walgreens to pick up key locks for some students who can't manage combinations. I ran into a student from 5 or 6 years ago. I gotta say that this kid was kind of a mess in 8th grade. However, it turns out that he graduated from high school and has a full-time job with a pest-control company. I would like to think that my work does a little bit of good in the world.

WIP: Autumn Trellis

I know that the last thing I should do is start a sock (way too many WIPs, but more on that later). But I just couldn't wait because this is the first time I've "designed" a pattern:

I am calling it Autumn Trellis. I have the "designed" in quotation marks because this is really just a variation on the basic top-down sock pattern. I don't remember where I found the stitch pattern, but I changed it a little bit so it's kind of original.

I don't envision myself as a knitting designer, but it's kind of fun to do something semi-original.

Don't forget to check out other WIPs with Tami Amis!