10,000 Hits!

Just before noon today EDT, my blog received its 10,000th hit! 

That is WAY cool!.

Last year on this date I had 1543. I've only had this blog counter on since February of 2009 after the counter on Blogger had frozen for several months. I have lots of fun finding things that are blogworthy and taking photos and thinking of what to write. When I started this blog in May of 2007,  it was mostly to have a pictorial journal of my comings and goings as I made my transition from full-time high school teaching (music and math) to full-time retirement. As I had become quite addicted to knitting in October of 2006, a blog with lots of knitting content certainly seemed in order.


I am quite amazed that knitting has held my attention continuously for almost 4 years. I'm the sort of person that gets interested in something and throw myself into it and I try to learn everything about it that would be of use to me. Once the thrill has worn off, I then move on to something else. However knitting has opened a whole world of creativity and learning to me that I find quite exciting. With Ravelry as an amazing resource, several knitting groups where I've made new friendships, many knitting outings, and the opportunities I've had to do some teaching, it has been a very good 'fit' for me. And now, I'm quite obsessed with knitting. My husband is quite taken with golfing so he certainly understands my mania and is quite supportive.

Yesterday I started the Polka Dot Socks with the green Ultra Alpaca Fine yarn and the Nova sock yarn. It didn't look good at all. So I frogged it and went hunting some more in my stash. I actually found a 100g skein of black Arequipa yarn and a single 50g ball of Patons Kroy Socks Stripes yarn in the Burnished Sierra Stripes colourway and the two yarns looked great together. Now that I've got a few inches done on the cuff, they're looking very Hallowe'en-ish, so I guess they're going to be my Hallowe'en socks.

I cast on 72 sts for the cuff and increased 5 sts in the last round before starting the dot pattern. I added an extra repeat of dots (11sts) to make sure the two-colour socks would go over my heel. They are going to be quite toasty on my feet.

I'm also working on my design for the Nordic mitten I'm going to teach on October 30 and November 13 at Myrtle Station Wool. I'm graphing several options for cuff and palm designs for my students to pick from. I've got to get cracking on knitting up a prototype!