mama knits!

Mr. Crabby

2007-09-06T19:55:00.000-05:00

Has escaped!!

How did he get out??

I went to feed him a little bit ago, and when I looked, he was gone. I really don't know how he got out, but I found him snuggled into a ball of roving that was sitting on the counter waiting to be dyed. Who would have thought hermit crabs liked wool!

So now he lives in a taller container. It's a little smaller around, but it's taller so he can't run away again.

He doesn't seem to care, but I'd rather not get up to pee in the middle of the night and hear his shell scratching along the bathroom floor in the dark....

We're Back!

2007-09-04T15:50:00.000-05:00

We just got back from Calebs first trip to the shore. It was really sunny out the whole time, so most of the pictures didn't turn out very good.

Of course he was terrified of the ocean!

Before we left, I had decided to use cloth diapers on the new baby. So, of course that gave me the perfect reason to stop at a yarn store on the way! I didn't get anything really interesting, just some plain old worsted weight wool to knit some soakers with.

The ladies at the yarn store seemed to think I had no clue what I was doing though! I kept getting comments about how the yarns I had chosen were different weights, and how they needed to be handwashed, etc. Ummm, I was also buying a cute felted baby bonnet pattern, I think that should have shown them I know what happens when you throw wool in the washing machine! Then when I told them what I was planning to use the yarn for..... they really thought I was nuts! Oh well, at least I came out with some pretty yarn!

Caleb got his first pet, a hermit crab. He couldn't care less about it, but of course I had to be a Good Mama and stop at a pet store and spend way too much money buying stuff for it!

When we got home, I even had two packages waiting for me!

The first was a Knitty SP package with some pretty sock yarn. I already have some pattern ideas for it, but think I may just put it aside for now because I think it would also make an adorable baby hat if this little one pops out and is a girl. She also sent chocolate, cat treats (which came in very handy-- our cats always get mad at us when we go away!) and and a lovely vintage apron with the cutest little pocket on it!

Then I opened a package from the Knitty sock swap (and of course I forgot to get pictures of the two pairs of socks I knit for others!).

I was really excited for this package, because even though I've participated in several sock swaps, this was the first time I actually received any socks!

She used Regia silk and the "Love Me Knot" pattern. Also included were some cute sheepy things, a row counter and some pretty stitch markers she made from origami stars!

Thank you Donna and SP, those were nice to come home to after a 3+ hour car ride!

Oh, and if anyone gets a chance to eat at a Fractured Prune, do it!! I wish there was one in my town.....

Party!

2007-08-26T20:46:00.000-05:00

We had Caleb's birthday party today.

He loves yogurt so much, he'll sometimes carry around/ play with empty (clean!) containers...

What are these for?

Ready to mail

2007-08-15T06:52:00.000-05:00

They're a week late, but I'm finally mailing my Sockapalooza socks! They would have been done long ago, but then I didn't get much knitting done last month...

I hope they fit! It's my first time kntting for someone with larger feet and ankles, and then after I finished, I remembered that the SKS books don't figure negative ease into the patterns! I chose a stretchy pattern, so I hope they aren't to big...

SP 11 Questionnaire

2007-08-06T06:51:00.000-05:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?

I've been knitting a lot of socks lately. I like most soft wool/ wool blend yarns, but nothing that sheds a lot. I wear contacts and shedding fibers always manage to find their way to my eyes!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?

I have two needle rolls for my straight needles, but my DPNs and circular needles are just thrown in a box.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?

I've been knitting about 6 years.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

5. What's your favorite scent?

I like most plainish floral scents and food smells (fruity or baked goods type)

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?

I love maple sugar candy, but chocolate is always good!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?

I have a spindle, but haven't had enough practice yet

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)

I like pretty much all types of music. The husband has decided we should do the ipod thing for the car and home, so right now we're putting everything on the computers. I have about 600 Cds, and he has even more..... we like all kinds of stuff!

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?

I love reds/ pinks/ oranges, but also adore greens and some blues. I'd say I love most colors!

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?

Right now we have a 23 month old son, but baby #2 will be here in the beginning of November. We also have two cats.

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

I'm the snow shoveler in the house, so hats and scarves get use. I've never actually worn mittens...

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?

Right now socks and hats. Pretty much anything small I can carry around.

13. What are you knitting right now?

A couple of pairs of socks for swaps, some baby stuff.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?

Of course!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?

I like short straight needles, so it something has too many stitches to fit them, I'll use a circular needle. But if choosing between circulars and DPNs, I'll choose the DPNs.

I've been preferring aluminum needles lately, but bamboo/ wood is good for slippery yarns or larger DPNs.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?

Yes to both.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?

There's a half finished baby blanket that's a few years old around here somewhere...

18. What is your favorite holiday?

I guess Christmas. I love to give people gifts and bake cookies.

19. Is there anything that you collect?

I seem to collect vintage aprons and tablecloths and erotica books. I just recently noticed that I also seem to be collecting cute tea tins.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?

I'm hoping to try fair isle soon, probably as a hat for my son.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?

Yes, I love knitting socks. I wear a US womans size 8 1/2 shoe and my measurements are:

length 9 1/2 inches
ball 8 3/4 inches
ankle 9 inches

23. When is your birthday?

March 8th

24. Are you on Ravelry? If so, what's your ID?

mamaknits!

Is it over?

2007-07-29T14:28:00.000-05:00

Little Guy went to sleep last night with minimal crying. He laid down all by himself after a few minutes, and even though he laid there like that for about an hour before falling asleep, he was quiet the whole time.

Then just a little bit ago, I was sitting on the floor and I realized he was really quiet. I turned around and saw this.

He had just climbed up on the couch and went to sleep all by himself (and yes, that's a cat toy he's holding. I have no idea why.) I can't remember the last time he took a nap.

So I actually have a bit of time to myself right now!

I hope his sleeping troubles are over. Neither one of us have had hardly any sleep the past two weeks. And every time I could get him to fall asleep for a bit, the baby would wake up and start kicking really hard so I couldn't get any sleep myself.

Oh well, I guess it's just practice for when baby #2 gets here...

A little goodness in a crappy week

2007-07-20T09:23:00.000-05:00

Little Guy won't sleep. He cries and cries when I put him to bed and won't even lay down. He's almost two, but he still won't talk, so I have no idea what's going on. I don't know if he's having bad dreams and scared to go to sleep, just being scared of the dark, being extra needy because I'm pregnant or what. Or maybe he's teething. He has had a few rashes this week and they only happen when he's teething. I don't know.

So of course I've done absolutely no knitting this week.

But there was a little goodness too!

Yesterday the mailman brought me three packages.

Something for my Knitty SP, so I'm not showing a picture!

A birthday present for DH.

It says "I love you more than zombies love brains". Of course it's from etsy!

and something from my upstream Knitty SP.

I have already used the tea and mug, because in addition to no sleep this week I also ran out of coffee and tea (well, there's plenty of flavored teas, but in the morning I prefer coffee or plain tea). I've also been planning a vacation, and I think the cute little row counter will be perfect for car knitting! Plus, since we're planning a shore vacation I already had seafood on the brain, so the lobster mug and gummies were perfect.

Should I be embarassed to admit that I knew what the maple sugar candy was before I unwrapped it? I could tell just by feeling it through the tissue paper....

Then, to top it all off I checked my email and found my Ravelrey invite. I guess I better start taking stash pictures!

More baby knitting

2007-07-12T17:50:00.000-05:00

I started a blanket this week.

I'm using Makalu Lambgora, which I normally wouldn't use for baby things, but I had gotten a bunch of it cheap through a coop last year and didn't know what to use it for. So one skein will become a baby blanket. A super soft, expensive baby blanket that will probably get ruined the first time it's used.

Oh well, if I'm going to be knitting an endless project like a blanket, I might as well be using a great yarn.

I love etsy

2007-07-01T10:45:00.000-05:00

Two recent purchases.

"Sgt. Floyd Pepper" self striping from Yarning Yenta. I love these colors and think I'll have to order more from her Muppets collection.

"Strange Brew" from H.L. Miller.

So many lovely sock yarns.... I wish I didn't need to sleep....

Sockapalooza socks, finally!

2007-06-24T15:50:00.000-05:00

I have finally figured out the yarn and pattern to use for my pals socks.

I'm using Double Lace Ribbing from More Sensational Knitted Socks with Seacoast Handpainted Yarns Panda in the "Seaside" color.

I hope she likes them!

We saw the baby!

2007-06-15T20:05:00.000-05:00

Today we finally had our ultrasound, and it was so much nicer than the one we had with Little Guy. His was done at the hospital, I didn't get to watch and DH couldn't come in until the very end.

But now there's a huge Drs office 20 minutes away, so the Drs around here send their patients there now.

It was soooo much nicer there! DH got to come in for the whole thing and there was a big TV on the wall so we could see the whole thing. I'll try to figure out how to use the scanner on my printer and post a picture later.

Oh, they said they think it's another boy, which wouldn't surprise me since most people I know with small children all have boys and they seem to come in pairs. But at the same time, I'll just have to wait until he/she comes out. I know too many people that have been told it's a boy only to pop out a girl.

Shetland Triangle and a Monkey

2007-05-30T11:14:00.000-05:00

Well, a partial Monkey anyway! I'm still trying to decide if I want to stop the leg here, or try one more repeat. I'm using STR lightweight in Henpecked.

So, after I had the book for over a year, I'm finally starting a Shetland Triangle. I just couldn't decide on a yarn, but finally I ordered some Cashmere/Silk from Colourmart. I think it was a cobweb weight, but I had them wind it as 6 plys.

So far everythings going fine and it took a day to get this much done. I know that will change as the rows get longer, but that's ok. I just want to finish it before the baby comes. Lace knitting doesn't seem like it would be a good idea with a newborn.

What Day is Today?

2007-05-13T17:23:00.000-05:00

Today is Mothers Day...

No pictures of him with me, but he had lots of fun with DH's mom at the park behind her house. He even got to go down the covered slide by himself for the first time.

(sorry! I watch a lot of Nick at Night, and every time I think of Mothers Day, that darn song the little boys on Full House sing gets stuck in my head...)

mmmmm.....Sea Silk...

2007-05-10T08:00:00.000-05:00

I've been wanting to try this for a while now, but somehow managed some self control (where's that self control when sock yarn is involved??). But all the shops have been having the larger 150g skeins, so I finally gave in. Now to figure out what to knit.... I want to make a Shetland Triangle first, so I have a while to think about it.

This week I also received a box from my SP10 pal.

Yummy Royal Bamboo (this stuff feels soooo much softer than the SWTC bamboo!) and a pretty bag filled with bath stuff.

I love the fruity scents in the summer! And I think the bag will be put to good use holding socks or other small things in my knitting bag.

Knitty Goodies

2007-05-04T11:52:00.000-05:00

My final Knitty SP package arrived this week, and this time it was all blue!

I think the Supermerino will become something for the baby... a hat or socks, not sure yet.

And inside the little bag were the tiniest stitch markers! Now I really need to find a sock pattern that needs markers so I can use them.

Thank you SP!

It's Here!!

2007-04-18T15:54:00.000-05:00

What's that in that big box?

Sock Yarn!

10 lbs. of sock yarn! Yes, I know I said there would be 20 lbs, but the rest was backordered.

You're probably wondering what's in the blue bag...

5 lbs. of merino! I originally got this to dye also, but after petting it and smelling that wonderful sheepy smell, I think I may have to practice a bit on the spindle and keep it all for myself!

I did get a chance to play around dying last week, but no pictures yet. As soon as we get some sun around here, I'll take some.

New Toy!!

2007-04-10T15:12:00.000-05:00

Today has been a great day for mail!

First this came...

A package from my Sockret Pal! This is the first time I have seen the Rowan Tapestry and I can understand why everyone seems to love it. I think the Black Purl Shepherd Worsted will make lovely baby things! This is the first time I have used it (or any superwash worsted weight for that matter!)

Then, just as I was getting ready to take a picture of the above goodies, THIS came...

Oh my.... isn't she pretty? I feel like I should give her a name or something!

Sometime soon a big box of yarn to dye should be here (over 20 lbs!!!!), and some more colors of dye also. I hope it gets here in time for me to do some playing while the husband is away!

Maple-y Goodness

2007-04-07T11:00:00.000-05:00

Most people that know me know that maple is one of my favorite flavors. So why did I never hear of this wondrous product until now?

I picked this up while visiting relatives this week, and I absolutely love it. On a slice of buttered toast, it tastes like you're eating french toast-- without the work!

When I got home, my mom dropped off a package that had come from my Knitty SP. She's good at keeping her identity secret. None of her packges or the card she sent have had a postmark on them, so I have no idea at all who she is!

This time she sent a great package of purpley goodness.

Sorry there's no modeled shot of the hat, I just got my hair cut yesterday and I'm still in the couple of days wait for it to look good. I had been thinking about making one of these, but couldn't decide if I wanted to use beads or not. Now I don't have to worry about it!

What the Hell are You????

2007-03-31T18:21:00.000-05:00

Needless to say, we weren't able to do pictures with the Easter Bunny this year (just like Santa). I think next year will be good for pictures, Little Guy should be big enough to not be scared, and the new baby will be too small to be scared!

SP 10 Questions

2007-03-18T15:34:00.000-05:00

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I love Lambs Pride and Socks That Rock.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have two needle rolls for straights, but dpns and circulars are just in a box.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
About 5 years. I taught myself from a Lion Brand kit. I would say intermediate. I have no problems figuring out new techniques, but there are still lots of things I haven't tried.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

5. What's your favorite scent?
Right now I would have to say coconut. I have other scents I like listed on my other questionnaires, but at this time of year when the weather starts getting nice, I really like more "tropical" type fragrances.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I love maple sugar candy. Just about any type of candy or chocolate would be good though.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I have a spindle.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like just about any type of music, and I can play MP3s

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love color! Pinks, reds, oranges, greens.... Not so much "earthy" colors, although a nice gray or olive green can be good. Most yellows don't look good on me.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
Husband, 19 month old son and baby on the way. Two cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves and hats are good. I've never worn mittens, but I'm the one that gets to do the snow shoveling, so mittens might be good too.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Socks and hats. I've been doing a lot of baby things lately (seems like everyone is pregnant!)

13. What are you knitting right now?
Socks, baby sweater and blanket.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Yes.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
They all have their uses. I don't use plastic very often and lately have been using aluminum more.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
yes.

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
A baby blanket I started about 3 years ago.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I love decorating for Halloween and Christmas, but any holiday that gives me an excuse to do some baking is good.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
I love vintage aprons and tablecloths.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
I'm hoping to try out fair isle soon.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
I love to knit socks. I'm a US 8 1/2. If you need more numbers, let me know.

23. When is your birthday?
March 8th

Where did Spring go?

2007-03-15T15:33:00.000-05:00

The past few days have just been lovely. Temps in the upper 60's/ low 70's and lots of sun.

Then there was today. It started out great, 65 degrees at 5:30 am, but it was supposed to drop at least 30 degrees by the afternoon. And SNOW tomorrow! I knew I was in for a dreary day!

Then on top of that, Little Guy had his 18 month checkup this morning. At 8 am...

Some of you already know that I'm pregnant with baby #2. For those of you that don't know, I'm just over 6 weeks, right at the time when I just want to sleep all day. Normally I'm up around 5am, and Little Guy soon after. Now I still get up at that time, but I have to stick him in the pack and play for an hour or two watching Sprout while I lie on the couch. I don't really get any more sleep (not with him jumping around and yelling at the TV!!), but just having my eyes closed helps a lot.

Today I didn't get to do that, so even though it's the middle of the afternoon, I still don't feel "awake" yet. Then with the crappy weather, it's just a bad day.

But then my wonderful mailman stopped by with three packages just for me!

There was my SP9 package that came all the way from Germany with some wonderful sock yarn and needles. (There was also a little bear, but Little Guy already snatched it!)

I had looked at this very color of Opal on line before, but had never gotten around to trying it. I'll have to make sure I find a pattern that shows off all of the colors.

Thank you so much Heike! I loved getting packages from Germany!

Then I opened my Favorite Colorswap 2 box from Lianne. Lots of pink goodies!

Yarn, needles, stitch markers, earrings. The little notepad is so cute! I had mentioned that I had recently purchased a cool book of embroidery patterns, and she sent me some supplies and kitty patterns (which are perfect because they go along with my book!).

I think this baby is going to have lots of embroidered onsies....

Oh, the 3rd package was a niddy noddy, but I was too tired to get a picture (plus what's exciting about a niddy noddy?)

Favorite Knitting Gear

2007-03-10T15:36:00.000-05:00

Hmmmm... I really had to think about this. I have two cute Lexie Barnes knitting bags, and lots of neat little gadgets, but I guess my favorite would be my Vui bag.

It's small enough that I can have it sitting out, and the top is open so I can see the pretty yarn inside. I have one of the larger Lantern Moon baskets, but it's too large to have just sitting out on a table (I used to have it sitting on the floor, but that had to end once Little Guy became mobile), and although I love to look at my knitting bags, you can't see what's inside.

I mostly keep sock yarn in it. I have a huge collection of sock yarn in another spot, but the ones I would like to use sooner go in the Vui bag. On top is usually a few socks-in-progress.

My Secret Pals are the Best!!

2007-02-25T15:20:00.000-05:00

They always seam to be psychic when they're shopping for me!

This lovely package arrived yesterday

Now, I'm pretty sure I haven't mentioned that Claudia is one of the yarns I was wanting to try, but my SP somehow knew. And while I am usually drawn to brighter colors when I shop for myself, for the past week I have been looking at yarns in pretty much the same colors as she sent!

So pretty...

I can't wait to try it out but I think I'll wait until my new sock book arrives, even though Amazon tells me it won't be here until April... and the website says it's in stock...

Favorite Color Swap Questionnaire

2007-02-08T11:41:00.000-05:00

1. What are your top three favorite colors?

I love reds, pinks, and greens. I also love oranges and aqua-y blues. I know that's more than three, but I love most colors!

2. What crafts do you really enjoy?

I love to knit. I just bought a book of really cool embroidery patterns, so I'm hoping to get around to some of that at some point.

3. What products do you really covet?

Sock yarn. And needles for knitting socks.

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things?

Spending time with my son, watching movies and baking. I love to read also, but there are so many things I want to knit, I haven't had much time to read any books lately!

5. Is there anything you collect?

Sock yarn! I love vintage aprons and have quite a library of erotica.

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol?

I am 100% Pisces.

7.What are your favorite…

…scents/smells? I love food type scents, and also love simple floral scents (like jasmine, lilac, rose etc.)

…types of music and/or bands? I love just about any music, especially female singers/ girl groups. I've been listening to a lot of the Pogues lately. And of course 80's stuff!

…authors? I love Stephen King and Anne Rice. And all those "girly" type books (like Bridget Jones' Diary)

…animals? Cats. And pigs.

…places to shop? I do most of my shopping on line, but when I go to a store it's most likely a yarn shop, a place like Bath and Body Works or The Body Shop or Target.

…season? Summer

…yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies? Sock yarn. I love to try cool new things though, so things that may be made locally to you or you just think maybe I haven't tried yet are great.

…candies or goodies? I love Maple Sugar candy, but, again, I love to try new things.

8. Do you have any wish lists?

9. Are you allergic to anything? None!

10. Do you have any pets? What are they? I have two cats.

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy.

I have a 17 month old son and just started trying for baby #2, so any cute baby patterns or yarns or cute crafty ideas for little ones are welcome!!

Some knitting

2007-02-04T08:18:00.000-05:00

Celtic Cap in Patons Classic Merino.

I'll be making more of these! I think I'll even make a little version of it for Caleb to wear next year.
I used Patons Classic Merino because my husband doesn't take care of anything, so I didn't want to spend a lot. It was a little scratchy to knit with, but I was really surprised at how soft it is after washing. It feels like a totally different yarn.

Sorry no modeled shot. Little Guy is the only one here and it covers his whole head so I don't think he'd leave in on long enough for me to get a picture!

This hat put me in a cable-y mood, so in addition to the pattern I picked out for myself and one for my sister, I also made this hat.

Cabled Baby Hat in Debbie Bliss Cashmerino Aran.

I have a few pregnant SP's, a pregnant friend, and we just started trying for baby #2, so I don't know who this hat is for yet. But it was very quick to make and the yarn is so soft that I think I'll be making more anyway!

Finally!!!

2007-01-28T20:17:00.000-05:00

He's walking!

And he only waited until he turned 17 months to do it!

I really don't know what took him so long. At 11 months he was walking along furniture and by the end of September he would walk along side someone and just hold lightly onto a finger. He just didn't realize that the big person wasn't doing anything.

Then last night he was standing at the coffee table eating a cracker and he just started wandering around like he had been doing it for months. Today he even chased after one of the cats!

Yeah.... that's a nail file in his hand. He already thinks he can snatch things and I won't be able to catch him...

STR Really does Rock!

2007-01-17T14:08:00.000-05:00

Lately this has been my favorite sock yarn to knit with, it just feels so good going through your fingers...

I had been trying to place an order with Blue Moon Fiber Arts for about three weeks, but they were switching their website and having some problems. For some reason, I had no problem emailing back and forth about placing an order, but they weren't getting my emails saying what I actually wanted to order. They finally got my order on the 8th.... and my yarn was dyed, dry and in the mail to be on the 11th! I was expecting the 10-14 days they told me.

I didn't get any pictures yet of what I bought for me, but one is balled and ready to start the socks for my Sockret pal.

Socks That Rock lightweight in "Romancing the Stone"

Isn't it gorgeous?!? If it knits up half as nice as it looks now, I think I may have to get some for myself.

I was looking for almost three months to find the perfect yarn for my pals socks, and I'm sure this is the one I was meant to purchase. I saw it online and thought it might be the one, then not even 10 minutes later I was looking at the program guide on the TV, and "Romancing The Stone" was on two seperate channels. I took it as a sign to buy that color, and I am sooooo glad I did.

Mr. Herman and the Hat

2007-01-15T14:00:00.000-05:00

He decided he needed to take a suntan while I was trying to get a picture.

This is the progress I've made so far on the Celtic Cap for my DH. I'm using Patons Classic wool, and the fabric it much softer than I expected from feeling the ball.

Hopefully by the end of February I can get through a bunch of the small things I want to knit and start my Lady Eleanor. I wish I didn't need to sleep!

First FO of 2007

2007-01-08T13:52:00.000-05:00

Well, it's a sock, so it's only really half of a FO! The second sock will have to go on hold for a bit. A relative just had a baby two weeks earlier than expected, so I have some baby knitting to get done.

This is my first time using Koigu, so I had no idea what to expect. I enjoyed knitting with it (even though I almost ran out of yarn), but wasn't sure I would like the finished product because it felt "crispy" to me. Does that make sense? I gave it a nice wash so I could be sure I wanted to knit the second sock, and I'm happy to say it's now super soft!

It was over 70 degrees this weekend! I'm loving that it's still so nice, but I'm also scared that when it does get cold out, it will get reeeaaalllly cold...

Yarn!!

2006-12-31T21:53:00.000-05:00

I have a new LYS! Well, it's half an hour away, but it's the first one I've been in since the one I shopped at closed this summer. Plus we go shopping 5 minutes away from it all the time, so it's not really out of the way.

They don't carry some things I bought at the other shop, but they carry brands the other didn't. So, of course I had to spend some money!

I now own my very first skeins of Koigu and CTH sock yarns. I've always heard great things about them, now I get to see for myself!

Christmas is Scary

2006-12-26T09:43:00.000-05:00

....to a 16 month old.

We had three days straight of visiting and opening presents, and I wish I could say it all looked like this...

But as soon as the gifts came out, it quicky turned to clinging to me or daddy,

and within a few minutes this

He was terrified of all his new toys, but I know next year he'll be old enough to have fun.

Mustang Sally

2006-12-20T16:39:00.000-05:00

That's the name of the final Rockin' Sock Club selection of the year.

The one on the right is the bonus skein they sent us. It's called "Rare Gems". It's a one of a kind color, so everyones is different. (the Rare Gems colors are the skeins with "mistakes", or colors that just didn't work out, which they then overdye to make them extra special.)

The pattern is pretty, but I'm not really into beaded socks, so I think I'll make something different.

My package took a few extra days to arrive, so I made some baby socks with the left over Pink Granite (and there's still a tiny bit left!).

Socks That Rock!

2006-12-16T13:10:00.000-05:00

I absolutely love Socks That Rock sock yarn!

This is the Marble Arches pattern with STR mediumweight sock yarn in Pink Granite. The pattern and yarn were form the last sock club shipment. This is the first time I've used the medium weight, and I'm not sure if that was the reason, but these socks were a very fast knit (for me at least!).

I had set thes aside for a few weeks to get some other things done (plus all of the cookies I have been making everyday since Thanksgiving), but in the middle of this week I figured I should quick finish them before the next kit arrived. There's a pretty good chance it will arrive today, so I finished just in time!

Where did my little shaggy guy go?

2006-12-06T19:28:00.000-05:00

I miss that wild hair so much!

Little Guy had his first haircut! I wasn't able to do it myself (he wouldn't sit still and just needed to know what I was doing behind him), so I had it done when I got mine cut. I had a lot of touching up to do when we got home, but then I guess there's no way anyone can give a perfect haircut to a one year old. I do miss my little wild man though...

Here he is modeling his new hat right before his haircut. I love making him hats-- they're so fast to make.

I also received a great package from my Sockret Pal! My camera feels like giving me problems (the little thing you have to turn to turn the camera on doesn't want to turn right), but I did get pictures of the yarn she sent.

Cascade 220 to make the felted Ball Cap pattern she sent (I had been wanting to get that pattern!), a skein of Pastaza (one of my favorite yarns) and some Mango Moon Capelli. I haven't used the Capelli before, but it feels really soft (and the little sweater hanging from it is cute!).

She also sent me some What-a-melon Lisa Souza sock yarn. My pals a pretty good mind reader, because I recently purchased the Cant-Elope color, which very similar.

There was a bunch of things I didn't get pictures of: magnets, notecards, Nerds candy, Knit Clips (another thing I had been wanting to try!), knitting counter, point protectors shaped like socks amd the IK holiday issue. Oh, and cookies, can't forget about them!

Thank you secret pal! You did a great job finding things that I was wanting to try!

I also want to thank my lovely SP9 hostess for the Knit Lite needles she sent me as a contest prize. They were just the right size for the earflaps on the black hat I getting ready to start (a lot of my knitting is done at night by the light of the TV, and that's not so much fun when using black yarn!).

Mystery Socks

2006-12-01T17:47:00.000-05:00

I just noticed I never posted pictures of the socks I knit for the Mystery Sock KAL (I posted over there last week, but forgot to post here).

I thought the whole idea was pretty neat (knitting socks from a pattern that doesn't have a picture, so you don't really know what you'll get), and I'm pretty happy with the pattern I chose.

I used the Shell Sock pattern with Vesper sock yarn in the Strange Little Mama color. I didn't really change much. I made the cuff shorter and changed the heel a little. I also used Knit Picks size #1 DPNs, which are actually a US #1.5 instead of the #1 called for. I really love these needles. I love using my short Brittany DPNs, but with some patterns you just need nice sharp points on your needles (plus I really didn't have a good feeling about trying to purl 3 together on anything that wasn't some type of metal. I haven't snapped a needle yet, but I'm not in any hurry to...).

Thank you Mr. Mailman!

2006-11-22T15:20:00.000-05:00

I've been a little irritated at my post office the past two weeks (things are taking forever to get to me... one package arrived there at 2:26 AM last friday. It still hasn't been delivered to me yet.), but today they made me very happy!

My first SP9 package arrived today (it came from overseas, so I can't tell if they've been holding it hostage or not), filled with lots of goodies.

I had been thinking about buying this calendar, now I can use that money for more yarn! Everything smelled wonderful from being in the box with the candles. The hand cream went directly in my new knitting bag (that was also delivered today!). Just last night when I was knitting I realised that my hands were getting really dry.

My cousin lived in Germany for a few years, and would always bring home lots of candy, so the chocolate was a nice treat.

The yarns are great too. I've often seen mention of the Baby Ull, but haven't tried it yet. And the pink is so soft and squishy!

Thank you SP! It's always nice to get packages on bad days (that's the way it always seems to happen too.... maybe that's why they take so long to deliver things. They're just waiting for me to have a bad day.)

Stupid Ebay!!!!

2006-11-22T11:42:00.000-05:00

I'm about 99.999999% sure that they don't read the emails you send them.

I'm a little irritated right now, so I'll try to keep the facts short...

1. On July 25, I won and paid for a set of three pairs of knitting needles.

2. I was patient and waited. 21 days after I paid, I emailed the seller asking if they had ever shipped. They replied that they would look into it and send a replacement out ASAP. This was the last email they responded to.

3. Again I waited. Again I contacted them. They never responded. After trying to contact them and getting no response for a while, I filed an Item Not Received dispute with Ebay (this was within the 60 period you have to do so).

4. After a few weeks of hearing nothing about it, on October 11, I emailed Ebay asking what was happening. They don't read my email, they write back that since it's over 60 days from purchase, I won't be able to file a dispute. Ok, wasn't my question about a dispute that was already filed?!?!

5. After going back and forth with them for a few weeks trying to get them to actually read my email (and not just look at the email topic and the date of the purchase), they finally told me they couldn't help me, but I could do a live chat thing with someone that could.

6. I sat here for 45 minutes waiting for my turn, and that was a bunch of crap too!! I was told that a seller can wait as long as they want to reply to a claim that they never sent an item that was paid for. And a claim is automatically closed after 90 days. I asked what happens if the seller never responds... does it just dispute just go away like it never happened? The only response I was given was "The seller is being investigated"

7. So, I figure the seller won't respond, so I'll just have to wait the 90 days to see what happens.

8. Today I check on the dispute, and am told the claim was closed on October 24th, because claims can only be open for 90 days. Ok, but the claim was only open for a month!!

9. I sent ebay a long, nasty email today and guess what... they didn't read it!! They just sent me the reply they've been sending all along...

My purchase was very small ($1.25 + $3.75 shipping), so I really don't care about that. What pisses me off is that Ebay doesn't care! The seller has a great rating, so I don't think they screwed me on purpose (I even think I remember them having the same item listed again, so they probably just accidentally sold my needles to someone else). Although it is odd that they wouldn't respond to me or even comment to ebay about the dispute. (How hard would it have been for them to say they were sorry and offer to refund the $5?)

It just makes me mad that even if you file a claim saying you never received what you paid for, nothing ever happens. There are no consequences. What if the seller did do it on purpose?

Spring is here!

2006-11-21T06:33:00.000-05:00

Well, not exactly... but I did get a lovely "Spring Cheer" package in the mail! It's been in the 60's here lately, but of course not sunny and spring-like, so this was a nice surprise.

And inside...

I'm pretty sure I'll need to buy lots of the Bartlett yarn (it's such a pretty color I have to think all their colors must be nice). She even sent along some she spun herself!

I'm either starting to get faster at knitting socks, or the last two patterns I've tried have been super easy. I haven't gotten any more done on my Marble Arches. I didn't knit at all for two days. Then some STR came that I had swapped with Stariel for, and of course I had to start something! The colors aren't really me, but are very pretty (that's why I swapped with her, I'm going through a little phase of wanting to try things that I think are pretty, but not what I'd usually pick)

I started them Saturday evening and I have just finished the second heel (after doing the Marble Arches two at a time, I decided it makes it feel quicker). That's pretty quick for me. Especially since I had to redo one of the heels. (I always screw something up on the second short row heel. I know this, so I always pay really close attention. But then I'll get to the point when I need to start decreasing and all of the sudden I notice something I messed up all the way back at the beginning of the heel...)

Has it really been two weeks?!?

2006-11-14T15:03:00.000-05:00

It sure doesn't seem that long since I posted... but then the crappy, rainy weather we've been having has kinda blurred a bunch of days together. We did have some beautiful weather in the 70's last week, but I was having a bad week so I didn't really get to enjoy them.

But the mailman did bring me some lovely things!

The first was a second package from my Spooky Sp KnitMongrel. Lots of cool stuff including a vintage Hershey recipe book, an apron, another Pumpkin hat (we have a few of these, but they're all different sizes. So I could have a baby at any time of the year and have a pumpkin hat to fit them in the fall!)

She also sent some Scheafer Elaine in the Clara Barton color. My husband bought me some of this in Tink for Christmas and I had no clue what to do with it. But now that's solved! I love red and pink together, so I think I'll make some kind of stripey scarf.

Then I received two surprise packages from Caroline, my downstream from the knitty summer Mellow SP round. She sent me pretty yarn and some treats that she thought I probably hadn't tried before. I haven't gotten a chance to try the Marmite yet, but everything else was yummy. (I did try to get the husband to try a spoonful of the Marmite, but too smart to fall for that.)

The Lush bath bomb is for Little Guy, but I think he's gonna have to share with me! I used to order from Lush in Canada all the time, but for some reason I haven't since they've put some stores in the US. I think I just might have to do a little post-holiday Lush mailorder shopping for me....

I'm finally almost done my Mystery Socks! I kept putting them off, but they're supposed to be done by the end of November, so I finally got around to working on them. I finished one (and was sidetracked in the middle of it to knit this green sock too!), and am past the heel on the second.

But then I got my STR sock club yarn and pattern and had to start that too! I kept fighting it, wanting to finish the Mystery Socks first, but after my crappy week, I gave in and started them Thursday. They seem to be going really quick. I usually don't knit both socks at once, but there was a knot in the yarn. I didn't want to have the patterning change halfway through a sock, so I'm knitting the socks from both ends of the larger ball, then when I run out of yarn I'll just start the smaller one. That way both socks will have any weird changes.

I usually choose brighter colors, especially for socks, but I'm really liking this yarn.

Boo!

2006-11-01T15:09:00.000-05:00

He's still a little too small to care about dressing up and getting candy, but he still had fun visiting people... and he scored a little candy for me. Hey, somebody had to eat it!

SP Contest

2006-10-22T19:34:00.000-05:00

I was supposed to think of something to say about myself that other people might not know, and I was having a hell of a time! I had no clue what to say.

I can pick up things with my toes, but is that really all that interesting?

Sometimes (well, ok, most of the time) when we go to the movies, I look forward to getting to have popcorn with (extra) "golden flavoring" more than the movie itself. But my SP is from another country, so she probably has no clue what that is.

I kept thinking of stupid little things, but none of them seemed good enough.

But then I was sitting here knitting in the dark last night watching TVLand, and the new Mr. T show, I Pity The Fool, came on. Now, of course I know who Mr. T is. Everybody knows Mr. T! I never really cared about Mr. T, but after seeing this show, I love Mr. T! I want a hug from Mr.T! He seems like such a sweet, cuddly, teddy bear of a guy!

This morning I told my husband that I wanted a Mr. T hug, and he looked at me and said " I think I've finally found something I don't really care for about you" (we've been together 14 years- since I was 17- so that's not so bad). He should have fun tomorrow at work because I sent him some Mr. T emails for saying that.

I'll know I'll never get a hug from Mr. T, but maybe I'll just have to get myself a tshirt... or one of those talking keychain things. I think my husband would really like that...

Pumpkins!!

2006-10-18T15:36:00.000-05:00

We took Little Guy to see some pumpkins. He really didn't care. We wanted to find an actual pumpkin patch, but the ones we found wanted you to pay to take a wagon ride to get there. We weren't going to actually buy a pumpkin that day, and Little Guy had had a rough night, so we didn't bother. I was hoping to take lots of pictures, but it was so sunny out that didn't happen.

Then we went to my moms and she had bought him a tiny rocking chair. It was so cute! He immediately knew exactly what to do as soon as he sat on it. I think I'll have to go to Michaels and get him one for home.

When we got home I had packages waiting for me from my Sock-ret Pal.

I swear, I think my SPs are psychic! Just last week I was looking at the pattern for the pumpkin hat, but didn't order it because by the time it came and I ordered yarn and waited for it and finally got to knit the hat, it would be after halloween.

She also sent a package from Prairieland Herbs. This stuff smells so good!! I had been planning on ordering things for my downstream pal from there, and now I get to try it first (and order more for me when I order for her!).

Thank you so much SP! I really needed the lavender after the beginning of my weekend... After the kid hiding in my basement, Little Guy bit his tongue (I think, it's so hard to tell when they're that age... but he never had pain like this when teething). Now, in the afternoon, if he's really tired, he can (if he wants to) fall asleep by himself. But at night, he needs to nurse.

But his mouth hurt, so he couldn't.

So from 8pm until 2am I had to deal with a very sleepy boy with a very sore mouth that wanted nothing more than to just snuggle up with a boobie and go to sleep. It was so sad. He kept trying and trying but he couldn't. I gave him tylenol and he ate a few ice pops, but nothing worked. I think by 2am he was just so tired and worn out from crying that he didn't care anymore if it hurt and finally got to sleep.

I really needed that lavender bath milk!

How I spent my Friday the 13th...

2006-10-16T09:11:00.000-05:00

Well, my day started out just like many other Fridays. The husband came home around lunchtime so we could run to the bank, the dropped me and Little Guy off back at home. We played for a bit, then I started trying to get him in the mood to take a nap.

Around 3pm or so, I was in the kitchen doing dishes and heard a police car go around back in the alley. Now, that is a pretty normal thing to hear at that time of day (we don't live in a bad area, but we do live 1 1/2 blocks from the middle school, and the high school is right behind that, and the kids often need the cops chasing after them to get them to go home and not just congregate in a huge mob in the street), but for some reason, I peaked out back.

I saw a kid walking between my garage and fence. And way back behind the garage I saw a bunch of cops looking for someone. The kid walked towards my house, then he was out of my view, but I heard a noise at my cellar doors.

There were cops and newspaper reporters everywhere out front of my house too, so I put some clothes on Caleb to go out and let them know what I saw.

The cops brought a huge dog to sniff around and I saw some giant guns.

The boy wasn't in my basement any longer, but he had left his sweatshirt there and there was an open jug of bleach sitting on the stairs. I wonder what that was for... maybe he was going to use it as a weapon if someone tried to come in. Or maybe he poured it on his hands to try to remove residue from shooting a gun. I don't know...

I didn't get to find out until the next mornings paper what had happened, but apparently that kid wasn't too smart.

The week before he had hit a 12 year old girl (he's 17) with a gun (as in smacked- not shot). Friday after school, he actually fired shots at the girls dad. So he runs home to his house and puts the gun in his basement. He then goes back outside of his house, and of course the cops are there because they know who he is. So he runs and hides in my basement. He leaves his sweatshirt there and manages to get back out before the cops get to him. And where do you think he went then??? Back to his house!! And he even quick changed his shirt again before the cops arrested him. How stupid is this kid that he thinks they won't recognize him if he has a different shirt on?

It was a very exciting day! Plus when the mailman finally got to deliver the mail, he had a box for me..... and it was from my Spooky SP. How fitting is that for Friday the 13th??

My pal sent me a cute pumpkin bag with Halloween goodies in it. There was more candy.... but we needed chocolate!

Blogger is actually letting me put posts through, so I get to show some of what I have been knitting the past few weeks.

I made a few hats.

Halley's Comet and Nippertails. For some reason I got ladders from the DPNs... that never happened before, I guess I'll have to start being careful.

A cabled hat and wristwarmer set in Cascade Pastaza (one of my favorites!).

Socks for Little Guy.

Washcloths. These are fun!

I still have to get pictures of my Bloom and the things I'm working on now.

Scarf Swaps

2006-10-12T12:58:00.000-05:00

This week I received two beautiful scarves in the mail!

The first was sent from Stephanie for the October Knitted Thing Swap. I've been looking at patterns like this for a while, but have never gotten around to trying one. It's so pretty though that I think I'll be making one the next time I need to make a scarf to give as a gift. She also sent along a box of Buckeyes. They're just about gone though..... they were veerry good!

Then today the mailman brought me this scarf that Jennifer made me for the Funky Scarf Swap. I love the color of the Kidsilk Haze she chose! I have a ball that I've been saving, waiting for the perfect pattern. I think maybe I'll use it for some armwarmers to go with the scarf...

A close up of the yarn she used.

She also sent me notecards, stitchmarkers, a sock bag and some Yarn Pirate sock yarn! I haven't tried that yarn yet, but the colors are so "fall" looking, I'll probably be using it soon!

SP9 Questions

2006-10-12T12:57:00.000-05:00

Here you go SP!!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I use a lot of single ply worsted weight wool/ wool blends (like Lambs Pride, Manos and Cascade Pastaza), but I also love sock yarns. I don't care for scratchy acrylic yarns (although some acrylic can be nice, especially for baby clothes) or "fun fur" types. Plus my cats will try to eat them!

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in?
I have two needle rolls that I have a lot of my straight needles in, but the circulars and DPNs are just in a box.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced?
I guess I learned about 5 years ago from a Lion Brand learn-to-knit scarf kit. I think the booklet only showed how to hold the yarn in the right hand, but somehow I ended up teaching myself continental...

Intermediate? There are things I haven't tried yet, but anything I do want to do I'm able to figure out myself (I don't have any knitting friends to help me out).

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list?

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.)
I like a lot! I love single note florals like jasmine and lilac, food-type fragrances (fruity or baked-goods types), tropical scents, lavender, patchouli....

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
Yes. I love maple sugar candy. And of course chocolate is always good!

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin?
I have a spindle, but so far haven't had the time to really teach myself. Hopefully sometime soon I'd like to try out scrapbooking.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MP3s? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD)
I like pretty much anything!! Yes, I can play MP3s.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand?
I love color! Nice clear, bright shades of most colors. My favorites are reds, pinks, oranges, greens, aqua-y blues. But there's nothing wrong with a nice charcoal gray, chocolate brown or olive green every once in a while. Most shades of yellow don't look good on me.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
It's me, my husband, my 13 month old son and two cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Yes!

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit?
Lately I've been knitting socks and lots of "quick" things (like hats, wrist warmers, dishcloths)

13. What are you knitting right now?
I'm finally working on my Mystery socks and want to start a sweater for my son.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
Of course!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic?
I use both circulars and straights. I don't care for the long straights, so I'll use circs in their place. I used to prefer bamboo, but lately I've been using mostly aluminum. Don't use much plastic...

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift?
Yes to both. Don't see how I could go without with a 13 month old!

17. How old is your oldest UFO?
A baby blanket from a few years ago. I have absolutely no desire to finish it.

18. What is your favorite holiday?
I love to bake cookies, so all holidays are good! Christmas is good because I love to give people gifts.

19. Is there anything that you collect?
I collect vintage aprons and tablecloths, erotica and vintage knitting needles.

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I subscribe to a lot of knitting mags. I would love a copy of the Flower Basket shawl that was in IK. It was available for free on their site, but when I when I was finally able to print it out, it was no longer there! ( and that issue is out of print).

I've never seen a Rowan pattern book in person, so that might be nice.

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn?
This winter I would like to try some type of fair isle hat for my son.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Yes. I wear a US size 8 1/2. If you need more specific measurements, let me know!

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd)
March 8th

The Haunted Table

2006-09-26T15:38:00.001-05:00

Well, maybe it's not reeeally haunted, but somethin's up...

This table is one of Little Guy's favorite toys. Even if he's just in one of his moods where all he does is stand up, then sit down, then stand up, then sit down for half an hour or so, he loves to be at his table.

Last week the batteries died, so I replaced them (with brand new batteries).... now the table is playing music for no reason. I asked Caleb if he was doing it (yeah, he was on the other side of the room, but you never know....), but, of course, he's only a year old. He's not going to look at me and say "Why yes Mama, I just looked at the table and made it turn on."

So now we keep it turned off unless he's playing at it. But other than that weirdness, it's a really great toy if you need to buy a gift for a little one. My husband told someone (after he had been drinking) "That is the best toy since the invention of kids".

Colorswap Packages

I recently received some wonderful "color" themed packages. These swaps were so much fun! I had a good time looking for things of a certain color to send to my pals.

The first one is from Anne. I know she just started a blog, but I think I accidentaly deleted the info when I was clearing out my email (I hadn't been online for a while, so there was a huge mess in there!). So, Anne, if you're reading this, please give me you're info again so I can come take a look!

She sent me a package filled with reds and pinks. She sent lots of cool things, and everything smelled wonderful because of the Fooberry incense. How did she know that I had been looking at this sock yarn online? And now I have a sock bag to use when I make socks with it!

Karla sent this "neutral" package. I have been feeling rather cable-y lately, and that Primo seems to be telling me it wants to become cabled wristwarmers...

See that little angel in the front? It's made from a tampon!! Really! I had never seen one of these before... I think I'm going to have to try to make sure I get out to all the little holiday bazaars coming up. Who knows what kinds of fun stuff I'll find to send to my SPs...

This pretty pink and red package came from Lu. I had never touched the SWTC Optimum before... it's soooo soft!! I think it needs to be something that goes around my neck...

The yarn in the front was dyed by her. Check out her shop and get some for yourself.

I wish I had started participating in these swaps/ Secret Pal things sooner!! I love sending people gifts, and of course it's always a good day when you get a surprise in the mail yourself. Plus, it's giving me new ideas for things to make...it's nice to just let the yarn tell me what it wants to be!

Sock-ret Pal questionaire

2006-09-26T15:38:00.000-05:00

The basics:
How long have you been knitting? 5 years

Do you consider yourself a beginning sock knitter, an intermediate, or have you been doing this so long you could probably knit a pair in your sleep? I've only been knitting socks a few months, so I'm not super-fast yet, but I don't think I'd have a problem just making up a pattern as I go.

The measurements:
While your pal may ask for some additional info to ensure a great fit, please provide your shoe size, or any other fitting related info you think is pertinent. I wear about a US size 81/2.

(fiber related) Favorites:
What colors do you love? Pinks, reds, greens. There's probably a lot more info about colors I like throughout the blog...

Do you prefer solids or variegated? Both! I think for socks, I would get bored with a solid color, but it's fine for anything else.

What fibers do you most love to knit with? Alpaca is good. I love single ply wools.

Who do you consider your favorite yarn vendors? I use a lot of Brown Sheep and Cascade yarns. I like Rowan too.

What projects (other than socks, of course*S*) do you most enjoy knitting? Hats, wristwarmers, scarves. The past few weeks I've been making a lot of "quick" things.

(fiber related) Dislikes:
What fibers can you not stand to knit with? To wear? Scratchy acrylic (some acrylic yarn is pretty nice, especially for baby things. But if you can tell it's scratchy just by looking at it, that's not good.)

What colors would you never wear? Most shades of yellow or tan.

The Tools:
Plastic or Metal? Bamboo or wood? For a while I used only bamboo, but in the past few months, I've started to really like metal. And I love my 5" Brittany birch DPNs!

Circs or Straights? Both!

DPNs or Magic Loop? DPNs. I've never tried Magic Loop or the two circular method. I have used a 12" circular though.

Are there any knitting accessories you don't have in your collection but would like? Fun accessories are always welcome!

The Extras:
Do you have a wish list? If so, please share the link!

Do you like sweet, sour or salty? (or all of the above? *S*) All of the above... and if I eat one of them, it will most likely make me want one of the others!

Do you have any allergies your pal should know about? (Certain foods, smoke, pet hair, etc) No allergies.

Favorite scents? Scents you can't stand? I like simple floral scents (jasmine, lilac, gardenia), tropical type scents, food scents (fruity or baked goods types) and patchouli.

Do you collect anything (other than yarn and knitting toys of course)? Vintage aprons and tablecloths.

When is your birthday? (month and day is fine!) March 8th

Do you spin? Dye your own yarn? I have a spindle, haven't had much time to really figure it out yet... I just started dying.

Your favorite author/band/vacation spot, anything you think will help your pal know you better... Back when I used to have time to read, I read a lot of Anne Rice and Stephen King. I love 80's music and female singers/ girl groups. We love to vacation in Baltimore and New Orleans, with the occasional trip to the shore.

Happy Birthday Little Guy!!!

2006-09-26T15:33:00.000-05:00

It's hard to believe it's actually been a whole year. I still have moments when I just look at him and think "I actually made him..." (yeah, I know my husband had a part in it, but I grew him...)

I'm Back!!

2006-09-26T15:28:00.000-05:00

Now I guess I have to try to catch up on posting thank yous to some SP's, pictures of Little Guy eating (I think he actually ate some...) his birthday cake and pictures of all the knitting I had time to get done the past few weeks.

I guess I'll start with some thank you's....

These are from the first stitchmarker swap. I'm doing another right now, so soon there will be more pictures. Looking at all these beautiful stitchmarkers makes me want to start enough new projects so they can all be used right now!

Trillian42 sent me these pretty pink and green markers.

These two sets are from Kristy and Merry.

Paula and Stacy sent these.

Then we have these two lovely sets from Purrl and PrincessRach84.

And I received two sets from Jenny because she was also my Mellow SP from Knitty! Here are some pictures of everything else she sent me.

This is my first set of rosewood DPNs. They seem pretty pointy, which is a good thing in a DPN (or any needle!). I absolutely love my short Brittany DPNs for knitting socks, but they're not pointy at all, so I only get to use them if it's a really plain sock.

I love Nerds, but I have never seen this flavor before (and yes, they are long gone!) They were Peach and Wildberry. Now I'm wondering what other flavors are out there.... Are there different flavors available in different countries (they came from Canada)? Or can you buy different kinds in different parts of the US?

I haven't written about it, but I have been buying cotton to make dishrags/washcloths, so it's always nice to get more from an SP! Especially when one's a color that I haven't seen before and another is my favorite at the moment...

He Deserves It...

2006-08-20T11:27:00.000-05:00

I really should be finishing up my posts that are waiting for pictures (swaps and FO's) , but my poor Little Guy deserves to have one just for him! After the "Being Covered Head to Toe In Poop at 10PM" incident (I couldn't remember where the camera was, so, sorry, no pictures!) and him having to get blood taken, he needs people to see him having fun.

Why Doesn't Pennsylvania Have An Ocean?

2006-08-14T13:29:00.000-05:00

This is what the lady sitting behind me in the breakfast room of our hotel asked her friend. I'm glad Little Guy is still little, because in another year or two I know he would have loudly asked me what I was laughing about...

We didn't go very far for our vacation this year (we usually go to Baltimore and then maybe the shore), but even though we were less than an hour away from home, we stayed two nights in a hotel. That made it seem more like a "real" vacation!

We decided to go to Dutch Wonderland because it's designed for kids under 12, and even though Little Guy isn't quite one, there would be at least some things he could do (and one of his favorite things to do is looking at other kids).

I took lots of pictures, but they all pretty much look the same. Either him in his stroller, or being held by daddy on a ride (so my hands were free to take a picture).

All the rest look pretty much the same!

We did have lots of good food though. Of course we had to get some Shoo Fly Pies (they ship too!), and while we were there, we ate around back at Jakey's Amish Barbeque. Who would've thought I'd be eating barbeque while on vacation in Lancaster County? We did have a funnel cake for desert, so I guess that evens it out.

Oh, and I did buy myself these socks...

Funky Scarf Swap Info

2006-08-14T13:28:00.000-05:00

Let’s get the allergy part out of the way. Are you allergic to any fibers? No allergies.

Do you prefer any fibers over others? Not really. I like alpaca and wool.... I guess pretty much anything soft and squishy!

Thinking back to Scout’s post about what funky means to you, post an image of something that you think is funky! I'll find some pics and post later.

Would you prefer funky yarn or a funky pattern? Either is good. Or both if you're super funky!

What are your favorite colors? I like bright clear colors (but not so much neon colors). Reds, pinks, oranges, grassy greens, turquoise/aqua blues.

What is your favorite piece of art?

What colors would you never have up close to your pretty face? I guess most shades of yellow and tan.

Would you prefer an actual scarf or a cowl? Either one is good.

When you wear a scarf do you prefer a wider/shorter scarf or a thin/long scarf? Wide and long. I have a rather large chest (bigger than you're probably imagining right now!), so anything too short or skinny in a scarf would probably look odd.

What is the climate like where you live? I'm pretty warm blooded, but it can get pretty cold here in PA.

Would you prefer a functional scarf (to keep you warm) or one just to funk-up your wardrobe?
I'm fine either way.... as long as it isn't so funky I can't figure out how to use it!

What else would you like your partner to know about you? I have a soon-to-be one year old son, so if you decide to use a cool handspun yarn, it probably wouldn't be wise to use one with extra "things" on it. It would probably take all of an hour for him to pick them off! I'll post a link to what I'm talking about later.

Ants- The Other Red Meat

2006-07-29T07:22:00.000-05:00

Ok, I also received my Candyswap package last week. Francie was great- she even sent a second package when the first one never arrived!

There wasn't much chocolate in the box, but that little bit was enough to get a wonderful smell when I opened it! One of the chocolate items is chocolate covered ants! I haven't had a chance to try them yet, but I will. I'll try anything once... plus, how much flavor can an ant have?

She sent a bunch of fruity candies (including strawberry gummies that I couldn't wait to eat).

The Little Guy immediately grabbed the armadillo. He seems to think the tail is perfect to hold on to while he's hitting us with it.

Thank you Francie!

Here's my finished French Market Bag, filled with sock yarn. Pretty crappy picture, but for some reason I just can't get a decent picture of this! I'll try to get a better on if the weather ever get's better here. You can at least see how much it shrank in the wash. I put the yarn in there for scale (each of the skeins makes one pair of socks).

Favorite Colorswap Questionnaire

2006-07-29T07:17:00.000-05:00

1. What are your top three favorite colors? Red, pink and orange. I also like grassy greens and turquoise/ aqua blues. Pretty much any clear bright color.

2. What crafts do you really enjoy? Knitting and jewelry making. I bought a nice scrapbook, but so far haven’t gotten a chance to do anything with it.

3. What products do you really covet? I’ve been on a knitting needle kick lately buying vintage needles on ebay from the UK and Australia. So any cool needles would be much loved. Also cool knitting notions.

4. What other activities do you enjoy besides your favorite crafty things? I do like to read, although I don’t get much time for that these days! (other than to my son, although he would rather be eating the book than listening to me!)

5. Is there anything you collect? Vintage kitchen items and linens, especially aprons.

6. What is your zodiac sign and/or Chinese zodiac symbol? I’m 100% Pisces.

7.What are your favorite…

…scents/smells? I like food scents and jasmine, gardenia or any tropical smelling scent during the warmer months.

…types of music and/or bands? I’ll always love the 80’s…I pretty much like most, especially female singers and groups

…authors? Stephen King and Anne Rice

…animals? cats

…places to shop? My LYS!! And I love Target and the Body Shop and Bath and Body Works.

…season? Summer I think. I’m pretty hot- blooded, so I’m warm all year. For some reason the extra heat in the summer doesn’t bother me, but I get to keep the air on all the time without others complaining about being cold!

…yarn/fabric/paper/other craft supplies? I’ve been into sock yarn lately, especially handpainted or self-striping (the ones with just color stripes, don’t really care for the ones that show designs in the stripes). Any neat crafty thing I could have fun with is good!

…candies or goodies? I love chocolate, not too good to ship this time of year though…. I also love Maple Sugar candy or any candy or snacks from your area that I might not find here.

8. Do you have any wish lists? I think I have an Amazon list, but wouldn’t suggest anyone looking at it…. it’s probably a mess from just putting books on there for a few years and never updating it. One day I’ll fix it.

9. Are you allergic to anything? No

10. Do you have any pets? What are they? Two cats.

11. Please include anything else you would like your secret pal to know about you- anything that would be helpful in finding you little gifts that you will really enjoy.

I have an 11 month old son, so I don’t get too much time for myself. So, anything you send will be a great addition to my selection of “middle-of-the-night-mommy-time” stuff. (he doesn’t care much for napping, so the middle of the night is my time. I’m glad I don’t need much sleep!)

Knit and Crochet Show Haul

2006-07-26T11:20:00.000-05:00

I know a lot of people were unhappy with the location of the show this year, but it made me very happy! I never get to go to anything like this, and Valley Forge is only 20 minutes away from me, so I thought it was great. Anyway..... of course I had to make sure I had some spending money with me...

I had two SP's that had said they would like to try birch needles, so I picked up a set of Brittany's for each of them, and of course I had to get myself some needles too! I decided to try the Lantern Moon ebony circulars (although I wish I had gotten a shorter length) and some Swallow cassein DPN's. I also got a #1 12" circular because I had tried a sock on one of these and liked it.

I bought some pretty "Wildflowers" merino from Woolbearers and 2 skeins of cotton chenille
to make myself some soft washcloths.

More needles, this time short DPN's and cable needles. A green Chibi, so now I have one to keep at home.

The yarn on the left is also from Woolbearers and will be a SP gift. I think it is sooo pretty, but just not good colors on me.

On the right is some handdyed merino from Maple Creek Farm that will become a sweater for Little Guy.

I really wanted to buy a knitting bag, but settled for the Lexie Barnes pouch instead. I'm too nervous to buy a knitting bag... I've seen so many I like, it would be hard to choose!

I did buy a "Knitting Nest" though, I had seen them in catalogs and thought they were cute.

I had been noticing this yarn at my LYS for a while, but had always somehow managed not to buy any. I stopped by their booth and it was the show special-- buy one, get one free. So of course I had to get a few!

There's a pretty new needle roll and a spindle.
I bought a spindle a few months ago to see if I could figure it out, but this one is sooo much nicer, maybe I'll actually be able to do something with it!

Catching Up

2006-07-26T11:06:00.000-05:00

Well, it's the end of July and as I realized that I haven't gotten to show pictures of the SP packages I received back at the beginning of the month!! Even though they are "Secret" Pals, they still deserve credit for sending such yummy gifts!

This is from my One Skein SP. It's so soft and plummy! She also sent along some other yarn so I can make a cupcake from the book.... I think that will be my car project when we go away.

This gift is from my Mellow SP from Knitty. She sent me some pretty alpaca yarn, notecards, bath confetti and a cute bath toy for my son. I think I may need to get a large quantity of this yarn and make a cardigan (I love alpaca, but I'm too hot blooded to wear a regular sweater made out of it!). She also sent a pretty postcard. Everyone has cute postcards to send me, I wish I had some to send to my pals. I'll just have to stock up when we go away..... they won't be from the town I live in, but it's less than an hour away.

My second lovely gift from my SP8 Pal. A Noni bag pattern (one vendor at Valley Forge said this one sells out fast), a lightbulb diffuser with Cappuccino oil and a book that I will have to make time to read. It's been a while since I had a chance to read. Now that I think about it, I don't think I'm taking any knitting when we go away. I have a huge stack of magazines I haven't gotten to yet... either that or I'll use the bobble part of the pattern and make a whole lot of them. For what I'm not sure.... I'll figure that out later.... maybe a felted bobble-y pillow? I think Little Guy would get a kick out of that!

Finished French Market Bag

2006-07-09T16:32:00.000-05:00

I finished my French Market Bag for the Knitting World Cup just in time. Well, it's actually still felting, but the knitting was finished just in time! I wanted to get a pre-felting picture with the Little Guy sitting inside of it, but he's been crabby all day trying to get a tooth to come through ao that didn't happen... The picture's not that good, it's kinda cloudy out.... but it's better than I could get with the crappy lighting inside today. I'll post a post- felting picture tomorrow.

Knitting World Cup and SP goodies!

2006-06-23T13:46:00.000-05:00

So I finally get a chance to post, and for once everything is cooperating! For the longest time it seemed like whenever I tried to, either blogger was doing some kind of "maintenance" , or the cable internet service was acting screwey.

I decided to participate in the Knitting World Cup. Since I'll be making several smallish things in the near future to send to the SP's I have, I figured I should choose something pretty simple for the World Cup. That way I'll be able to actually get it finished!

I'm making the French Market bag (from Knitty) using Handpainted Yarns Bulky Handspun in "Melilla". I'm making it a little larger than in the pattern, and if it ends up a good size, I think I'll line it with lots of pockets and use it as my knitting bag for car trips.

This is the package I received from my SP8 pal. Is she psychic? I think she must be. How else would she know that exactly one week before my package arrived, I was shopping in the new Pier 1 in town. Since it was new, the selection wasn't as good as the other Pier 1's. But I did stop to smell the reed diffusers. And the first one I smelled was the biscotti. She must have been spying on me!

I think the alpaca silk will be made into a hat. I'll have to look around for a cute lacey pattern...

She also sent some wonderful maple cookies. Most of which have already been eaten. For breakfast. They are even more wonderful dunked in coffee!

Thank you so much! I was so happy to find your package on my porch!

Teething drool sure is fun!

My little guy is back!

2006-05-11T15:38:00.000-05:00

I missed this guy soooo much during the past week and a half.

No, he wasn't away from me. He was teething. His first tooth came through on April 26, two days before he was 8 months old. About two weeks before that, his teething symptoms had just disappeared, so I was a little surprised when it happened.

But the next day, everything changed. The tooth next to it was getting close to the surface, so I guess that combined with his already sore gums and him realising that he can't chew on his hands the same way anymore when his mouth hurts was just too much for him.

So for almost two weeks mama got nothing done. No laundry, no cleaning and yes, no knitting. Just loving my poor little guy.

But now he's back and loving playing with his teeth. And back to being naughty (grandmother was trying to look at his teeth and he grabbed the straw of the milkshake she was holding and was drinking it before she could stop him. He won't drink from a bottle or a sippy cup, but he'll suck a thick milkshake through a straw.... I'm in trouble when he gets bigger.)

Now maybe I can get some knitting done!

SP8 Questions

2006-05-03T10:54:00.000-05:00

I'm posting these questions to help my SP get to know me a little. If anything seems unclear, or you want more detail or have more questions, just let me know!

1. What is/are your favorite yarn(s) to knit with? What fibers to you *not* like?
I have always preferred worsted to slightly bulky wool or wool blends and alpaca.Now I'm starting try out finer yarns and cottons etc. Acrylic is fine if it is soft, blended with wool and doesn't have that scratchy cheap-acrylic look and feel.

2. What do you use to store your needles/ hooks?
Most of my straights are in a roll up thingy. The circulars and dpns are in 2 big ziplock baggies.

3. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner,
intermediate or advanced?
I've been knitting about 4 years. I guess intermediate... I'm willing to try anything, but there are a bunch of things I haven't tried yet (steeks, fair isle, complicated lace).

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wishlist?
I believe I do, but I haven't edited it in a loooong time.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath prods. etc.)
For these types of items, I tend to like foody smells (both fruity and baked goods). During the warmer months, I also really like tropical scents, simple florals (lilac, jasmine, gardenia), vanilla and patchouli.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy?
I do have a sweet tooth, and I guess my favorite would have to be Maple sugar candy. It's always good to try new things, so if you live in another country, or just have some type of candy or snack that is local to you....

7. What other crafts or DIY things do yo like to do? Do you spin?
I recently bought a spindle, but so far haven't had the time to get the hang of it.

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/ stereo play MP3s?
I like pretty much all music (and yes, can play MP3s). A lot of 80's stuff, girl groups/ female singers, Nina Simone, Etta James, Tori Amos... I'll add more if I think of any!

9. What is your favorite color? Or do you have a color family/ season/ palette you prefer? Any
colors you can't stand?
This one may be a little hard. I guesss my absolute favorites would be in the red/orange/pink family. I also like greens and aqua type blues. Not really tans or dark colors (chocolatey brown is good though...) I'm not sure how much this helps!

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets?
I'm married with an 8 month old son. We have two cats.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or ponchos?
Scarves and hats. My fingers don't like mittens....(at least they didn't years ago when I last tried to wear them) and ponchos don't look so good on me (big boobs....added bulk up top makes me look like a big rectangle with no waist!)

12. What is/ are your favorite items to knit?
I just tried socks, and they seem pretty fun. Seems like I make a lot of hats.

13. What are you knitting right now?
Right now I'm working on my first socks, Bloom from Knitty, a stuffed pig and I've swatched for Orangina.

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts?
I do, as long as there is thought put in to them.

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum or plastic?
Depends on the size of the project I'm working on. I like shorter straight needles for smaller projects. If it's to big to fit on the short straight needled, then I use a circular..... can't stand the long straights! I prefer bamboo or addis, although I do use balenes or bryspun when doing lace or using particularly splitty yarn.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/ or swift?
Yes to both.

17. How did you learn to knit?
I bought one of the Lion Brand kits (came with yarn and needles to make a scarf and hat)

18. How old is your oldest UFO?
Really? This is bad, but I started the baby blanket from stitch n bitch about 2 years ago. The person I was going to make it for wanted acrylic, and while it is soft, I just wasn't enjoying working with double stranded acrylic. That person got another gift instead.

19. What is your favorite holiday?
Christmas? I don't know, but I looove to make cookies, and that's a great time of the year for giving cookies!

20. Is there anything that you collect?
I have mexicana type pottery and artwork in my kitchen (and other brightly colored ethnic type items). I also have quite large collections of both erotica and cookbooks. I also collect vintage aprons (started collecting table cloths too, but my cats get mad if I try to actually use one and try to rip it off the table!)

21. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns that you are dying to get your hands on? What
knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?
I'm always open to trying new things. My LYS has always been out of the Noni carpetbag pattern. I've always wanted to check out a Rowan magazine, and I saw some Phildar mags (with english translation!) on ebay that seemed to have some cute patterns. I just tried socks, so sock stuff is good. I have an 8 month old son, and plan on having more soon, so cute baby patterns etc. are always welcome.

I have a bunch of subscriptions.... IK, Vogue, knit.1, knit simple.... I think theres another, but I didn't care much for the patterns in it, so I may have blocked it out...

22. Are there any new techniques you would like to learn?
I would like to try dying yarn, easier fair isle (like a hat for my son... nothing big yet!) I learned socks on DPNs, so maybe try using either 2 circulars or magic loop...

23. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements?
Halfway through my first pair. Lots of fun, I plan on making many more! I wear a woman's size 8 1/2 shoe and my foot measures 9 inches both around and long (this was my first time measuring my foot and I wasn't sure what measurements you need, so if you need more than that, let me know!)

24. When is your birthday?
March 8th

Yarn Porn

2006-05-02T12:59:00.000-05:00

Well, I figured out how to add the linky button things, so I guess it's time to try adding pictures. And what better way than showing you what my mailman left me yesterday.

Sorry my yarnography skills aren't all that great, but I have more yarn than I care to admit on backorder at various places so I'll have plenty of chances to practice.

Anyway, this is wonderful Makalu Lambgora (80% lambswool, 10% cashmere, 10% angora; 250 g/ 759 yds; 22 sts-24 rows on US6). I have no idea what to do with this yet. But I can't stop squeezing it, so I know it needs to be something right next to my skin because it feels soooo good!

He also brought me this:

All Things Heather sock yarn in "Nile" and "Tequila Sunrise"

Hopefully I can get these pictures to post. Next time they'll be better and I'll try messing around with placement and size. I guess this isn't as hard as I thought..... I should have done it a long time ago!

I have a blog!

2006-04-29T11:28:00.000-05:00

Now I just have to figure out how it works......