YPF-the Fruity Version

Courtesy of Freshisle Fibers! About a year or more ago, I came upon the top cake o'yarn below at Yarn Harlot 's blog. (can't find her post though, oh well!) It peaked my interest and I contacted the dyer about ordering a skein. At that time I was put on a long waiting list and a bit later I had my hands on 2 of these.


Fast forward to this past winter/spring and she's done it again. Hence the two bottom cakes.

What you may not know is that the wool from these yarns is from the sheep on Freshisle's Island. Everyone on the island gets together and shears all their sheep and together they send it all to be processed. Talk about a community effort. Then Freshisle get's hers back and dyes away. I've been following her blog since first finding the watermelon and have learned so much. She does a lot of natural dyeing of her wools with flowers, nuts, etc. from around her house.

The Watermelon self-striping that started it all! You can see it knit up here. Mine will definately be started this winter, yes I know it is more of a spring/summer colorway, but this yarn is warm! Besides, in the dead of winter, think of how cute they'll look!

Kiwi self-striping, I watched her as she experimented with different greens until she found one she liked. You can see it knit up here.

Kiwi Single Ply, Mixed Breed. No pictures, but it's dyed the same way as the one above. I'd like to get all 3 knit up in the near future. Most likely around November time frame.

Here's her blog if you want to follow her adventures in knitting and dyeing Manitoulin Island Suffolk wool. I'm happy to say for her, she doesn't keep waiting lists any longer, and updates the shop with various yarns when she can. She also has free patterns for these yarns.

WIP Wednesday

Happy Hump Day Everyone!

First up is Ribby Shell . Finally on US 6 needles!! Should go much faster now! I still have about 12" to go on the body.


PF Everyday Cardigan It's grown a bit since last viewing. About 2" from armhole decreases...finally!!



What's this...it's a bird...a plane....a Z...huh? This is my current Red Scarf Project scarf. Hmmm..
Looks a bit different than last time you saw it! Well, that one is no more. I kept falling asleep and it was zigging when it should have been zagging...and I really prefer scarves knit lengthwise. I have probably 1-2 rows left before bind off. Should be done today or tomorrow. Finally something accomplished before the deadline to mail LOL! Then I can concentrate on Hats for Alex. I've done a few swaps for yarns I didn't care for any longer, and scored some good yarns for these!

Close to Home You've got to check out today's cartoon! If you read this after 29 August, make sure you choose that date to view it! Too funny! I'd love a shirt in this!

That's it for me...yeah some socks out there, I may do a sock only WIP next week and really embarass myself!

It's about time!!

I think almost everyone has knit one of these! Mason/Dixon Ballband Dishcloths. So it was time for me to knit one.

This past week was rough, I had a complication with my nose surgery, don't want to bore you with details. ;) Let's just say 2 ER visits and bed rest. And meds...yeah, I've been a bit wacky with some comments and posting this week probably!! ;) So I wanted something fairly easy to knit. Well, somewhat fairly easy LOL...after taking this picture I found a designer element...oh well, it was medicated knitting, what's a girl to do!

Still not allowed to do much lifting or other stuff. Today is for sleeping and knitting..oh yeah, and a bit of laundry as both teens are back at school tomorrow.



Sugar n' Cream Rosewood and Warm Brown
Size 7 clover straights..hehe..I used straights.
(oops, little curl on the left)


Just showing off before it was wrapped and on it's way to a certain someone out there. Not sure if she reads my blog though...we'll see! ;)

Zulugrass ! Yes, lucky me scored a few more! I love these colors and now I can mix and match and have primary colors and more muted colors. All go well with my clothes! :)

Thank you to Carrie and Shannon for these!

Well back to the resting (I did work one more day this week, and had to go shopping, so I'm not an invalid by any means...just really get tired easily!!) I've even made more progress on my Everyday Cardigan. Good project for medicated knitting, well, we won't talk about that extra stitch that required frogging 10 rows, yes I already tried to fix it before the frog, but with no luck. I've since replaced the 10 rows and much more! Tune in on Wednesday for an update on that.

P.S. Stacie- A question you posed in the comments from last post regarding the pooling of variegated yarns. If I could cure that chaos that is pooling, I would love it!! My Sockapalooza socks had to be knit on a smaller needle and different stitch count to "cure" the pooling. I guess it differs in every yarn. Sometimes I like the pooling and don't mess with it, other times I don't! Anyone else out there with answers to this??

YPF-The RBSS Edition

The Rut Busting Sock Swap Edition! Over at the Knittyboardstm a bunch of us got together to have a swap where your pal gets you outta your rut. My rut was variegated and striping yarns. So, my pal Delilah2!!!, did just that!! Solid yarn! Yes, one must have solid yarns! There are so many patterns out there that need just that!

My favorite Jelly Belly's, gloves in a bottle (so need that) sock point protectors, and Soak handknitwash.

A close up of the NC dishcloth! She lives in the same state and we are hoping to meet up one day! If I ever get off call that is LOL!
See this, her first stitchmarker! I feel very special to receive that!

Cherry Tree Hill Supersock in Amethyst, my first purple yarn, I mean all purple! Purple is one color I like a lot, I just never seem to buy it...why...no clue



Panda Wool in Teal Lake! The first I've seen IRL of the wool and it is so soft!
Thank you Delilah2 for a great swap package! :)

WIP Wednesday

Here you go a few to show!



Red Scarf Project 2008 I'm only going to have time to knit 1 scarf, as they have to be done and shipped by 15 October. Since I'm going to be sewing like crazy in order to open, I have to be real about deadlines!

However I do have 2 skeins of Woolease in the Red Sprinkles color way and 2 skeins of Cadena, which used to be Sierra in burgundy I would love to donate to anyone or ones that would make scarves and send it on to the RSP. Just let me know by commenting or email me at zknitterATgmailDOTcom. Thanks!



Mystery Sock KAL Almost done with clue 2 and glad clue 3 has been held up a bit! :)



Ribby Shell - almost done the ribbing, then onto size 6 needles. I am making the flat front. Not worried if it's big, it'll look great over a shirt. Now if it is too small..umm..we'll deal with that later (though I doubt it will be too small LOL! Not with my sweater curse!)

A few things....

First of all I want to thank both Pam and Donna for nominating me as a




I'm very flattered and thank you both for this!

It's so hard to choose as um..well lets say I read a lot of blogs. Great for those insomniac nites, when I need a knitting break, or just to relax a bit after work.

So here are a few who I think Rock and haven't been nominated yet!

Shannon has amazing photography on her blog, whether it's yarn, an FO or WIP, or nature, I just love looking at her photos!

Sandra, I've been reading hers for a while and she is just a lot of fun! Whether she's knitting, sewing (her newest passion) she can tell great stories about her life in Croatia.

Carrie for her love of all things BMFA and enthusiam with knitting and life! (she's a great SP too!)

Lastly, my pal Cpurl, who is such a good friend, ear to bend, etc. She has great stories about the tales of her two gangsta kitties and thinks of such cool phototogs/montages (you know, posing her yarn!) or whatever you call it. Sadly, work has made her a tired girl and she barely gets to knit or post...here's hoping things slow down for you soon!

So there you go, ladies, continue on if you choose to!

And, since I don't usually like to post w/out a picture....nope, no FO's, too many irons in the fire so to speak LOL! But soon!

My new purse! I do make most of my purses, but I really wanted something with a section for everything, I'm tired of totes and having to paw through it all to find anything. I've had it for about 2 weeks and I'm loving it.


I've been admiring these bags for a while and one day, decided to take the plunge and get it.
The upper photo shows the outer and the zippered back pocket (great for receipts and my checkbook!)

This is it loaded, to the right you can see my eyeglass case and two front pouch pockets. A big center pocket and a back zippered pocket.


Right here is the hidden pocket (I call it.) it is right behind those 2 front pouch pockets. It holds a sock/small project. Yes it does have velcro, but see what I came up with. I cut a piece of the fuzzy velcro part and place it there when knitting. After I push everything down, remove, drop it on top of the knitting, and close. I like all the colors and how it is different, and a tiny bit girly. It holds all I need. Plus the adjustable (28-54" long) strap allows me to sling it across my body and have both arms free.


14" w x 12" h
So if you are looking for a great purse with a lot of pockets, or a nice small, knitting bag go visit Scout's Swag and you can order your very own!

YPF-The "Dazed and Confused" Edition

Heh, some of you out there have been my SP's so you know I don't particularly enjoy yarns of an artful nature. Give me wool, wool blends, cotton/blends, soy, silk etc. in DK, sport, and above weight (yeah, I'm using fingering and it's ok, I'm still alive LOL!) and I'm a happy camper.

So what possessed me to purchase this??

Glittery, glitzy and definately fine......

(hairy) yarn. So.... not..... me.

But when placed next to this, which, would be something I'd buy anyways.

Yeah, I can see a scarf I'd wear, kinda dress up my LLBeaner barn coat! I mean, it's ok to be girly once in a while huh?

**disclaimer, these yarns were purchased on my trip to Seattle. I was so baffled and confused by a place where yarn is sorted by color, not brand or type. I am not responsible for this purchase (well, I am responsible for the Cash Iroha, but that other one um.. nope)......I was dazed and confused!!

Flower Power

Yesssssssssssssssss! Finally I present to you Pink Petal


aka Flower Baby Blanket . I made the pictures small as I didn't want your eyes searing from the pinkness. Very difficult to photograph as well. I have not knit on anything else for the last few days while recovering. Only 1 petal was done, I still had 5 more. So when I wasn't napping, I knit this. I admit there was some tinking due to sleepiness a few times....

Yes, folks I only knit on 1 project. Hard to believe, but I wanted this done before I started back at work. Besides the baby's Mom is back at work and I wanted to gift it before the kid started kindergarten LOL!

This project started in April when I found the pattern (see link above) in a newsletter. When I found out it called for wool, well my first idea was a cotton due to our weather here. So, onward I looked to find some of the now discontinued colors of Cotton Ease. Pam came to my rescue. (thanks again Pam!) It is a good substitution for someone in a hotter climate or just wants to use cotton. Wool still would be a great idea as you can spit-splice and have no ends to weave in..yeah, that was a bit of a pain. You can also sub with a super chunky yarn and not have to use a doubled yarn (twisting..ick!)


4 skeins Cotton Ease Bubble Gum - Yarn doubled
l skein Cotton Ease Pineapple - Yarn doubled (less than 1)
10.5 Knitpicks and Inox Circs.
Started April 2007-Finished August 2007
I learned how to M1's without holes...well I say that now after about 50 or more M1's ;) (lost count!)

Other deadline projects got in the way. I was going good and just kept pushing it aside. It calls for basically knitting it all in the round after you complete the center, just a lot of M1's! When it got too large for the 40" circular, I used my 60" knitpicks circular. The petal tips are knit separately, so instead of putting the unworked petals on scrap yarn, I used the larger circular to hold the stitches, and knit each petal with another needle. (did that make sense??)
See the colors in another light. I tried an outdoor photo, but no real places to do so.

All folded up and ready to go!
I'm proud of myself that I have not knit anything else but this since Friday. Now I have other projects itching to go, and hoping to have a few more FO's before I go back to work on Monday.

I'm recovering well, thanks for the well wishes. So glad I took the week off to recuperate. I needed it!

Sockapalooza!!

What a wonderful thing to see after waking up from my post op haze. A package from overseas. It turned out to be from the Netherlands, where Bianca designed these socks just for me! I do remember seeing these before, but not sure where, on the knit pligg or SAM3. I liked them then. So when I opened them I thought, where have I seen these?

The yarn is Opal Neumusterung, colorway 33. Love these colors too! Also included is some soft NZ merino, stitchmarkers (one can never have enough ;) and various teas, which I am about to try one of them now.

They fit pretty well, and once it ever gets cold around here (105 degrees today, guess where I stayed???) They will be worn a lot.

Close up of the cable section. Looks like she knit that first then picked up for the upper cuff and foot. I love them and the fact that she designed them for me, makes them extra special. Thank you again Bianca!

This was my first Sockapalooza, I doubt my last, but I have learned a lot. Start your knitting earlier!!!! No matter who your pal is. ;)

Off to drink some tea now, I need it!

YPF-The Rhabarber/Rhubarb Part Deux

Hi folks! I'm doing ok! A bit of a headache as I slept through the last pain med timeframe, so I was up early eating some toast and drinking coffee...with creamer. You know they don't let you have creamer/dairy products the day of surgery,and I so don't drink it without it.

Good thing I have yarn pr0n in the wings! Not up to taking pictures yet.

Wollmeise in the Rhabarber Colorway.

It might look mighty familiar as Shannon posted hers. Hey, maybe we should make sure we knit our up before the end of October ;) huh?



Love the colorway!

But I am partial to Rhubarb anyways. Which due to extreme heat here in NC, we cannot grow it.

I got my Sockapalooza socks yesterday! Pictures when it's lighter outside and I'm up to it, as I want really good pictures, but I am squeeing, she made up the pattern herself! I love them.

Off I go, the pain meds are kicking in and I cannot be responsible for what is said LOL!
bye!

WIP it Thursday

Yeah, a day late, but at least you get one this week! I currently still have most of the WIP's I've shown you in the past. Here are 2 more.


The Socktopia Challenge for August is a Mystery Sock KAL. Since I'm no it the famous MS 3, (which causes no problems as I am not a lace knitter) this is more up my alley.




Clue 1: the upper cuff/ribbing/heck what do you call it, is done on Sock 1, hoping to c/o the one for Sock 2 soon. I'm using Trekking Pro Natura in this colorway which by coincidence, Momma Monkey sent me as part of an SP package. It is ok to knit with so far, not splitty, and I really like the picture of the yarn from Little Knits. More on that in the future.

Now for my plain stockinette socks, you know the ones you carry around to knit while waiting places, the no need for a chart/instructions....well until you get to the heel LOL! Vesper in Neopolitan gifted to me by the lovely Cristi upon our first IRL meeting last fall. This yarn is really soft and squishy. I wasn't expecting that. Sometimes you really can't tell how a yarn feels all skeined up. More on those later as well.



Oh...remember that deviated septum thingy? Well it is going to be fixed this morning, yikes! I'm not sure how I'll be feeling in the next few days, so I may be here, I may be not. Taking next week off for recovery as they can't remove the certain post op bandage thingy (hey don't wanna gross you guys out!) until the 17th. So hoping I'll feel good to get a few certain WIP's done!!

bye!

Socks in Trees??? Now the Answer!!

ETA: The story behind the Socks in Trees title, actually the main reason why....Sheri received her socks today. Yes, my friends, I mean "the" Sheri of Loopy Ewe fame. Yeah, of all pals, I get one with her own LYS! I was a little bit nervous to say the least, not for knitting the socks, but finding just the right yarn. Pressure I put on myself to try to find something different.

She started the Socks in Trees photo shoots for customers to post their FO's of the yarns purchased there. This skein wasn't purchased there, because at the time of my purchase she didn't carry Wollmeise. So you can read the story on how I was a bit freaked out when I found out she was going to start a pair of socks on her vacation with it.

Many thanks to UK pal LM for *cough* enabling me with the Wollmeise, I'm finding it hard not to sell all my yarn and buy more! See, even I get enabled....I just pass it on! ;)

Hey Mikey, I think she likes them :) (remember that Life cereal commercial?)

Ok, WIP it Thursday tomorrow!


-------------------------------------------------------------
The reason for the socks in the trees...well a few, one of them being that it was the only good light I could get this morning!

Sockapalooza 4 Socks are done and are on their way to my pal. She should get them later this week so check back here for the reveal!! I just hope they are not too big! Eeeek!


Wollmeise Sockenwolle in Versuchskaninchen Colorway
(I don't think I told her it means Guinea Pig, hehe, yep she's the first person out of my house I've knit socks for...so it is fitting ;)
Broad Spiral Ribbing pattern from MSKS
US 2 (3.0mm) Knitpicks classic circs.



The inside view, adjusted to see the colors better! They don't match, but are pretty close IMHO!

This yarn is different to knit with, it has tiny plies that sometimes get out of order (not much!)
But let me tell you, the knitted fabric is unbelievably soft and squishy. It was my first time knitting with black yarn, yikes, my eyes!


A close up of the gusset, ribbing pattern. The real true colors!

This was my first garter edge heel flap, thanks RosiG for letting me know I was picking up the stitches for the gusset correctly. I like the pattern, easy to remember, especially if you have to tink a row to see where you are...um..did I do that??? nah!

My pal is lucky they are too big for me...I'd keep them. They are so soft. This was my first swap that I knit socks for. My thoughts on that will be at the reveal. Not bad thoughts...I just can't say anything else ;) don't want to give it away now!!

Off to knit on a few neglected WiP's!!

See ya Wednesday!

YPF-The Friends Edition Part 1

I have to say my online friends are my best friends. We all help each other out, whether it's swapping our unloved yarn, finding treats, yarn, magazines, and whatever else we can't find locally.

Recently my Winter Cheer Pal Carrie send me a gift certificate to BMFA for my birthday. I was trying to wait for the new colors, but I couldn't, I had to get this one.

Fire on the Mountain STR Lightweight
I've seen this colorway on the blogosphere and the pictures don't do it justice IMHO. Not even mine, I love it. It's going to be cuddled for a while longer before it is knit. ;)







So many colors!


Aha! What is this!!! My own Zulugrass! Weezalana offered to look for these at her LYS and she scored these for me! *cough* she did tell me a few went home with her as you can see here! Carrie found a few other colors for me, I'll post a new picture with all of them together. I don't wear a lot of jewelry, but these I will wear, they are comfortable.


Stay tuned for next week, Friends-Part 2!