Jingle Bell Swap

Finally got some good daylight to do some justice to this lovely yarn I just got from my Knittyboard Jingle Bell Swap.

It came from the states, but my pal has hinted that she isn't..hmmm...wonder who.


Good tiny cookies, I think they taste gingery, and being so small, hehe, you can eat as much as you want! (also supposed to be a hint of where my pal comes from..but call me dense, still no clue) Lovely yarn and the most thoughtful gift is the little cards in the envelopes with little sayings for me to open up over the holidays.


Blue Sky Alpaca Silk in green


So very soft and squishy.


This would feel so good around the neck, going to have to find a cowl pattern for it I think


Did I tell you it's soft and squishy? :)
Thank you Z's Spoiler, whomever you are :)

Finished objects...

Yes, today is a day of finished objects or things, or let me think, um...things that are finished or almost finished. ;) Cryptic enough for ya!


A couple of FO's with DD as my lovely model. (bribery gets you everywhere with her ;)


Better Bucket Hat (this is the free patterns page, I didn't want to link a pdf file.)
Mods from on Ravelry which consist of casting on only 4 more stitches and brim
increases in decreases spaced over 3 rows instead of 2.
Lorna's Laces Shepard Worsted in Black Watch (I love this superwash yarn! Nice to knit with!)
US 7 & 8 circular


I like the colors and how they didn't pool too bad. This hat and scarf is a gift for my Aunt, who needs hats as she's been through chemo and now undergoing radiation therapy. I'm starting another hat for her this evening.

Mods...

Well, as you can see, it basically is the same size as my first one.

The difference is supposed to give a tiny bit more flare, which may be more pronounced after I wash/block. If so, I'll get back to you on that.

Quick ole' Biggy scarf

Yeah, so all my bajillion photos in and out of the house stink big time, so well use your imagination...big yarn, big needles and there you have it soft and squishy scarf. Yes, folks I have knit a scarf back and forth...wanna know why..like I said, big needles!

Lion Brand Thick n' Quick (soft for my Aunt and washable too!) in Navy to match bucket hat (yeah, I'm all about being matchy, matchy)
US 17 straight needles, yeah don't faint, I have a few, very few...
Any Super Bulky Yarn
US 17 needles
C/O 12 sts
1 x 1 rib, slipping the first stitch and the next stitch was a purl stitch
Knit desired length or until yarn runs out.
Mine was 58" long pre blocking, and um not getting blocked anyways!
Squooshy and soft even if it is acrylic!

Oh and the almost finished thing I was talking about

DD yesterday early morning....


DD now sans tinsel and now with plastic. (retainers for 4 months) Gorgeous choppers there huh! Oh yeah, and she's cute too ;)

So...do you really wanna know?

Hubby lives to see another day! ;)

All the socks fit, and just a few are a tiny bit felted at the bottoms. My goal this week is to either get a basket or make a bag to hang in my "craft room" far from his laundry hands!!

In the meantime, you'll be seeing a union...


of these 2 yarns...the one above, ya all know what that is. My bargin at SAFF, $3 per skein people, who could resist it. Besides I knew I needed it eventually and for $3-4 less per skein it had to go home with me so it could be put together to live with...

This Peace Fleece in Father's Gray. With the 2 yarns together I am swatching for 1 particular pattern. However, there are 2 others that will work with it too, so it depends which one I get gauge with...stay tuned ;)

Phew...it was a close one!

You see, hubby has been great and doing the laundry since my last surgery and treatment. So..hey, I don't mind, not like I don't have anything else to do (ha!) I just fold and iron. Works for me, only a few minor mishaps....until today (can you guess where this is going?)

I put my handknit socks in a pile on the floor, to remind myself to wash them today. Bad part was they were near his piles of laundry. Off I went to do grocery shopping and forgot all about them...until I returned home. As I was putting some stuff away..I saw the pile was gone...and in the washer, with a pair of jeans...EEEK!

I got them all out, they were full of soap...hubby needs to learn to use a bit less...I rinsed them 2 times and inspected the damage.

The culprits. See the burgundy pair, yep that's them. See the Seriously, with a titch of burgundy sock to your left (and my camera strap too!) I've only worn them 2 times and still think the dye is wanting to come on out..so it did with the help of the washer.


Yeah..Seriously a bit tinged...oh well, I do have enough leftovers to knit a short pair though.. Any socks with any light/white did get tinged...except for...


My Vesper ones..but they did felt a bit...you know the jeans in the wash..hey, since when do you wash lights and darks...hubby needs another lesson in color separating huh ;)



They are all drying now. All have suffered some felting except for the Wollmeise, my first pair (2nd row, left red, black, white burgundy ;) and the Seriously socks. I won't know if they'll still fit, hopefully they will, but you can believe from now on I am getting a basket and marking it, "hubby don't touch" as suggested by a plurk pal.

It could have been worse though...I could have found them in the dryer!!!!

YPF-The Recycled Lobster Version

Yes folks, this weeks YPF used to be...

Zeebee to your left, plain ole' garter stitch scarf with leftovers from hat to your right. Above, the now twice frogged garter stitch mitts this knit from Weekend Knitting. You see the first knit was Ysolda's but it didn't work, so onto the WK ones. The trick was doubling the dk weight for me. But I really like the thumb area on Ysolda's so I'm going to frog and go back to that pattern with the doubled yarn.

This is what I love about knitting vs. sewing. Most of the time you can frog and repurpose the yarn for a better fit than the first time, or something totally different. In this case, its the fit. In sewing..um..you can take a seam in, but once it's done and finished...um..hard to add fabric to make it bigger.


Me loves Rowan Scottish Tweeds big time!


Sigh..it's so expensive though, no sweater for me anytime soon..lucky me I have good swap peeps..so for now accessories it is.

The chunky Lobster colorway...me loves Lobster in yarn and in shell form ;)

So, stay tuned for a better fitting Zeebee (yes SAFF roomies it will fit better ;), a cowl, and mitts...all garter stitch ahhhh

Busy, busy

Around here!! Will be for the next few weeks too!


A bit of sewing....


Yarn and balls...giggle...more on those later ;)


A new mug from Starbucks....may have to get more of these!


Oh, and I baked...Lemon Poppyseed muffins from the box. Much quicker that way!


Sock yarn square from leftover Wollmeise Rhababer... with this pattern. I love how it turned out, but seriously, shoot me if I ever attempt another one. Enough said about that. It's not the pattern, it's a great one...just me and my knittingslowness

Hope to have an FO before the end of the week....not the one I really want, but a good one!

While we have a bit of orange on the blog...

You know a color you don't see too often here. I present a lovely colored yarn from Finland.


Piiku 100% Finnsheep
Unkown colorway

approx 200 yards of wooool!

Many a picture has been tried to capture the colors. Luckily one day last weekend I got the chance!


I love it and plan on knitting Foliage


Orangey reds and I think a hint of pink. Oh and Cristi I'm watching out for you 'cause I know you love these colors too! ;)

Another Friends YPF version courtesy of a swap with Charlotte! Thanks again! :)

Socktober in November?

Let alone almost 2 years in the making! 2 years meaning I first bought this colorway in October 2006 as part of Socktoberfest. It was at that time a special edition colorway. Fast forward to October 2007 and I thought I'd get them done that month...but as you can see another year later (plus a few days) and finally!!


Plain ole' vanilla toe up socks with afterthought heels also featuring 64 stitches and 2 x 2 ribbed cuff, with sewn off binding...**see below
100% superwash merino nylon
Socktoberfest Colorway and Custom black colorway from Scout's Swag
US 1's Magic looped
Started October 2007
Finished November 2008

As you can see the colorway is variegated, but made it's own striping pattern.

After hearing about using another increase for the toe ups, I tried it. Using k1f&b of stitch makes no holes and I like it a lot better. Of course sock 2 had this toe, not sock 1.


Try at an artsyfartsy shot. I love the afterthought heel! You'll see it again on all my stripy socks.

After I received the colorway, I contacted Scout for the black as I planned on different heels, toes, and cuffs.

I had also planned these to be knee highs! Yeah right, who am I kidding, they took forever on size 1's as it was!!! I split the 500yds in half and still have an entire 250yds I'm thinking...

**Gah! I obviously need more practice. I was sewing off too tight..grrr frogged sock 1's cuff and messed it up so bad had to completely reknit it. Sock 2 did the same thing, but luckily, 2 hrs of a tv show...and unpicked it and resewed it. Must be verrry relaxed to sew off/bind off a cuff I'm thinking ;)

I have another pair of 1's in progress, they are gonna sit for a while, (well at least sock 1 is done!)I need some bigger needle knits and speaking of bigger needles...well stay tuned for that ;)

When weather cooperates

As much as I don't mind the rain usually, that paired with darkness every nite now by the time I get home...and let alone being extremely exhausted to do much of anything coherently this week, I have finally have something to share!

My First "real" handspun. I've done a few practice runs, and even my skein from my lesson at SAFF, but this was the first one where I bought the roving, learned how to divide/prepare for spinning and of course, spin it.

I have to admit after my class I was discouraged. The fiber we were given was not easy to separate and work with. So Shannon told me to go forth and purchase some BFL and we'd prepare and start spinning on Friday nite.

She was patient and showed my how to prepare, etc. and spinning progressed. It went a lot easier than my class.

Dark and mysterious....


Interesting array of twists huh? BTW, I just realized I haven't "set" the twist...going to do that tomorrow before it all twists apart.


See, I can haz my own laceweight! By mistake of course ;)



Sunning itself on some holly leaves...


See what an overachiever! You have lace, DK, worsted and chunky weight all in one!


In all it's finished glory...

And how it started that fateful Friday evening...

Cranberry Bog (It had me at Cranberry! I love Cranberries!)
4 oz. BFL Braid
SAFF 2008
Clover Leaf Farms Booth
Approximately 125 yds

I even have something planned to knit with it, very soon, stay tuned!

Random blog fodder

Stolen from Jo

How many have you tried? If you'd like, feel free to follow the same guidelines:

1) Copy this list into your site, including the instructions!
2) Bold all of the sweets you've eaten
3) Cross out any of them that you'd never ever eat.
4) Consider anything that is not bold or crossed out your "To Do" List.

1. Red Velvet Cake
2. Princess Torte
3. Whoopie Pie--sigh I lost my best recipe with my Mom's writing... :(
4. Apple Pie either topped or baked with sharp cheddar
5. Beignet
6. Baklava
7. Black and white cookie
8. Seven Layer Bar(also known as the Magic Bar or Hello Dolly bars)
9. Fried Fruit pie(sometimes called hand pies)
10. Kringle
11. Just-fried (still hot) doughnut about the only Krispy Kreme ones I like
12. Scone with clotted cream
13. Betty, Grunt, Slump, Buckle or Pandowdy
14. Halvah-- I don't Halvah clue ;)
15. Macaroons
16. Banana pudding with nilla wafers--a dessert staple in the South
17. Bubble tea (with tapioca "pearls)
18. Dixie Cup
19. Rice Krispie treats
20. Alfajores
21. Blondies
22. Croquembouche --I've always wanted to try this!!
23. Girl Scout cookies
24. Moon cake
25. Candy Apple
26. Baked Alaska
27. Brooklyn Egg Cream (This is a drink, right?) (I agree, what is it?)
28. Nanaimo bar
29. Baba au rhum
30. King Cake
31. Sachertorte
32. Pavlova
33. Tres Leches Cake
34. Trifle
35. Shoofly Pie
36. Key Lime Pie (made with real key limes)
37. Panna Cotta
38. New York Cheesecake
39. Napoleon
40. Russian Tea Cake / Mexican Wedding Cake
41. Anzac biscuits
42. Pizzelle
43. Kolache
44. Buckeyes
45. Malasadas --heck a doughnut, I'll eat it! ;)
46. Moon Pie
47. Dutch baby
48. Boston Cream Pie
49. Homemade chocolate chip cookies
50. Pralines
51. Gooey butter cake
52. Rusks --not that I know of
53. Daifuku
54. Green tea cake or cookies
55. Cupcakes from a cupcake shop
56. Crème brûlée--gulp...yum!
57. Some sort of deep fried fair food (twinkie, candy bar, cupcake) Finally had my first Snickers bar...um..tooo sweet for me!
58. Yellow cake with chocolate frosting --Hehe just yesterday for dessert at lunch...baaad girl
59. Jelly Roll
60. Pop Tarts
61. Charlotte Russe --oh but lady fingers, I'd love to try this!
62. An "upside down" dessert (Pineapple upside down cake or Tarte Tatin)
63. Hummingbird Cake
64. Jell-O from a mold
65. Black forest cake
66. Mock Apple Pie (Ritz Cracker Pie)
67. Kulfi
68. Linzer torte
69. Churro
70. Stollen --didn't like this
71. Angel Food Cake
72. Mincemeat pie
73. Concha
74. Opera Cake
75. Sfogliatelle / Lobster tail
76. Pain au chocolat
77. A piece of Gingerbread House
78. Cassata
79. Cannoli
80. Rainbow cookies
81. Religieuse
82. Petits fours
83. Chocolate Souffle
84. Bienenstich (Bee Sting Cake)
85. Rugelach
86. Hamenstachen
87. Homemade marshmallows
88. Rigo Janci
89. Pie or cake made with candy bar flavors (Snickers pie, Reeses pie, etc)
90. Divinity --ask me about the time we let it mix for 40 mins with no results...sigh..love it but need the right weather to make it!
91. Coke or Cola cake
92. Gateau Basque
93. S'mores
94. Figgy Pudding
95. Bananas foster or other flaming dessert
96. Joe Froggers
97. Sables
98. Millionaire's Shortbread
99. Animal crackers
100. Basbousa

Oh..yikes..a lot of bold there! Not much I'd not try again, then again, if I haven't tried it yet, don't know if I like it!