What happened to the socks??

Well, I just can't seem to bring myself to finish that roundabout sock #2! I am totally in love with the Malabrigo yarn. After finishing the mitts, I cast on another Amanda hat, and then I had to have a matching scarf! So, the lonely sock sits there.

I looked through all the patterns I have stashed, and found this one: Samuel's Heart Red Scarf.
The stitch definition is not showing up, but that's ok, I love the pattern and the scarf is super soft!

well...

tracking big winter storm, will keep you updated
just have to finish thumb on 2nd mitt (yea)- obviously done with the mitts :)
haven't touched the roundabout sock
sp11 repl package was sent 2 weeks ago, I still don't have it
I hope the post office did not pilfer this one also :(

Mitts!!

Here is the front and back of mitt #1. I LOVE this yarn, it is so soft and warm. The mitt pattern is from "Knitting for Charity", Basic Mittens. I made size 8 and it fits perfectly. I will have to wait to cast on mitt #2, must go back to Roundabout sock #2. I did cast on and finished the ribbing yesterday, so I can jump right into the pattern. I've seen people change up the (ssk, k3, yo, k3) to k3, yo, k3 k2tog, so I think I will try that.

Malabrigo yarn

Look at they yummy Malabrigo yarn, color: Melilla. It just showed up in my mailbox today :) hhhhhmmmm, wonder how it got there?? teehee
Don't tell my Burnin' up the Stash friends.

Dear Secret Pal.....

It seems we are having email issues again; I have not heard from you for a while. Wondering what the status is on the replacement package? Last I recall, it was near your front door, ready to go to the post office. Please leave comment to update me. Thank you :)

I survived :)

Here are the boys getting ready to go skating today. It is so nice that they can do it with dad's help (as he wasn't coming to tie them and I can't tie them tight enough)




And then, how cool is this, son #1 tied MY skates :)
I lasted about 30 minutes and the boys' whipped around everyone. I told them numerous times they had to be careful and watch out for all the little kids.

Afterwards, we went to lunch with my friend, 2 adults & 6 kids (oh brother) and then, get this, SHE TOOK ALL THE KIDS HOME WITH HER!!! I went home and watched this movie. I had read the book and was anxious to see how the movie compared. It was very cute.

Quick update

Ok, I've finally recovered from the awesome package :), here is some knitting news.

I have finished sister's 3rd no purl monkey socks, I did have enough yarn, so she will not receive two-tone socks. They will go off in the mail tomorrow, along with the hot pink Amanda hat (I'm so generous).

I need to cast on another pair of socks, getting in a rut here, was going to go for ANOTHER pair of no purl monkeys, but thought I should branch out to something different (not that there's anything wrong with making lots of monkeys). I found this cool pattern on, guess where?? RAVELRY (love it). I will cast on tonight. It looks quick and easy.

And finally, tomorrow is ice skating day at preschool. I must go on the ice with all the 4 year olds from preschool. Pray I don't fall and get hurt (I have 2 parties to attend this weekend). My boys get to go and they are very excited (they get to show off).

This is a box, a box, a box

This is the box








This is the bag








and these are the goodies!!!

I received this package from Phyllis for the January White Swap. Everything was wrapped in white tissue paper and most of the goodies are white. I will try to list everything; sock pattern, 2 skeins of yarn, candles, white doilies(sp?), wint-o-green candies, some awesome jelly belly candies (hard candy coating over a peppermint patty thing?? I'm not sure, I just know they are DELICIOUS), crystal dish, white stones, ribbon, stickers, hot chocolate, coffee. PHEW, I think that is everything. Thank you so much Phyliss, totally awesome package :)

knitting mojo

....has returned. Here is the 3rd no purl monkey sock for sister. I cast on Saturday noon-ish, and this is where it stands as of bed last night. It is progressing VERY FAST; I chalk up the fast knitting due to my listening to all the old podcasts of Stash and Burn. I swear, I had about 6 on my nano, cruised through them and the sock with no problem!
No knitting today though, my copy of T is for Trespass is due at the library Wednesday, and I'm only 1/2 way through it...must finish tonight or tomorrow.
UPDATE: 5:15pm book finished :), back to knitting

It's been frogged

Amanda hat #2 is no more. I must have been waaaaaay off on guage (me? never HA) with Amanada hat #1, because even when I went down to size 8's, I only had enough yarn to do one round of the pattern, then I started the decrease. It turned out to be this funny beanie shape and I could never give it to anyone. So I frogged the hat and now I have this cute, small little ball of hot pink Malabrigo yarn. What to do with it?? It is soooooo soft and squishy, I may just knit a swatch and keep it around.

So this means I have NOTHING ON THE NEEDLES! Must cast on sister's 3rd monkey sock, so she actually has a pair she can wear!

Where does the time go?

Conversation in the van yesterday after school:

son #1 - mom? what happens next year when I go to middle school?
me - you'll get off the bus and let yourself in with your key and wait for me to come home.
son #2 - oh, do I get a key when I get to middle school?
me - no, your brother will be in high school, he'll get home first and he will let you in.
son #2 - oh, so when he goes to college I'll get my own key to the house?
me (in tears) yes, when he goes to college, you'll get a key :(

My boys are only 8 and 10!!! why are we talking about going to college already??? Just a few short years ago they were in PRESCHOOL!!!!!

Amanda hat Finished!!

Here is the finished hat! So cute, and I should have enough yarn to make another for Sister. This is a bit too long, so I rolled up the brim, still looks good. I think I will use size 8 needles on the next hat.

New project

Well, thanks to TrekCastsOn, I now have a new project to go with my new hot pink Malabrigo yarn :)

Check it out, it's the Amanada hat!!

Happy New Year!

Here is the 2nd pair of fetchings. I cast #1 on 12/31 and finished #2 01/02 :) Very fast and very fun. I am using stash yarn to make them, and the top of them are about the same color as the couch, so you can't see them all that well. But you are able to see the nice cables on the bottom. I modified the pattern a bit for this worsted weight yarn, instead of 45 stitches, I cast on 30.


Here is what is left of the stash; I can use this to make more pairs. Why all this stash knitting?? Well, myself, along with lots of Ravelry friends, have joined the 2008 Burnin up the stash group. No buying any new yarn for projects, until all the stash is gone....wonder how long I will last? I do have quite a bit of yarn; mostly for socks...must find other uses for sock yarn.

Time to clean the slate and start fresh for 2008:

I knit 18 pairs of socks (can you believe it LaurieC???)
I knit 20 misc. other projects
I read 48 books, WOW, that is almost a book a week! (I am currently reading T is for Trespass, so that will be the first finished book of 2008)
I had 152 posts last year!

And, I learned how to do the following:

make socks :)
turn a heel (I LOVE IT)
make a short row heel (not so much love)
how to make cables
long tail cast on (goes with socks)
cable cast on
lace
how to follow a pattern with a diagram
how to modify a pattern
3 needle bind off (or whatever that is that you use on the Fiber Trends clogs)
I am so proud of myself.

super fast

Wow! This is some super fast knitting! I cast on this fetching at 4pm yesterday, and was finished by 10pm! My arm hurts from all that knitting. Or maybe it was the break that I took to play Wii Carnival Games???
UPDATE: Finished the mate for this fetching at 8:30pm tonight, I see many more pairs in my future, super quick and a great stash buster.

Here is son #2 with a belated Christmas gift, a real goalie mask for playing mini sticks in the basement! So help me! They have already broken a clock (must get new one) and put numerous dings and what-not in the walls.

Oh well, such is the life of a hockey mom/family.
Oh yea, son #1 is in a Christmas tournament, we have a game at 3 today, I'll update more later on that.

rush is over

Well, Christmas is over (we are taking down the tree soon) and the presents must be put away. Not much of anything is being accomplished on this vacation, knitting on the branching out scarf has increased to about 75% finished, if ( and that's a big IF) I do any knitting today, I could finish it, but the boys are hounding me to see "Alvin and the Chipmunks". And why all of this non-knitting you ask?? Why, that would be because of the Wii that Santa brought to our house!

UPDATE









Here is the finished (but unblocked) Branching Out scarf.
I was able to finish it, even with the following distractions:

Alvin & The Chipmunks movie
shopping
partial clean up of Christmas items
Wii playing
football watching

Branching out

Here is my branching out lace scarf (courtesy of ravelry and knitty.com). It is a very quick and easy knit (just cast on Saturday night and this is how much is done, about 1/2). I am using Rowan Felted Tweed and it looks gorgeous! I think I will make fetchings from the other skein; gotta love ravelry! Just search for yarn, then search for pattern and you can see what everyone is making.

Snow day yesterday, so kids are back to school today, not very happy about it, but they only have 4 more days of school, then Christmas vacation.

go figure.....they were right

We got LOTS of snow. Hubby and boys were out at 8am shoveling the drive, because, you know we have hockey today! Son #1 game at 10 (just called, they arrived safely) and son #2 practice at 11:15. Hubby says main roads are fine, it's getting there that is the problem; our sub is bad and I shouldn't even attempt to get out with the van (hubby has 4 wheel drive) so I am house-bound this morning.

Son #2 has hockey Christmas party this afternoon and I am in Target-withdrawl....must go shopping! Great day to stay home, do laundry and knit! I have nothing on the needles. I finished the clogs yesterday, they are drying. I had some socks on the needles, but frogged them last night. So, maybe a fancy scarf?? We'll have to see what happens!

weather.com

OH BOY!!! Weather.com says a big snowstorm is coming our way :) 12+ inches of snow?!?! I'll have to wait and see if it is true; I hope so, it would be so nice to have a white Christmas.

still secret, secret pal

Oh bother, here I've been in a tizzy for 2 weeks because my sp11 pal had emailed to say she sent my package and I NEVER EVER received it!! I've been running to the mailbox everyday checking, and nothing ever came for me; she has been waiting for me to post on the blog for 2 1/2 weeks!!

I finally received 5 emails this morning from her; there must have been a glitch with the wowway server, as I check everyday and there are a few emails, but this morning there were about 20, all dated Tues-Friday, where were they on those days?? HHHMMMM. Anyway, there were 4, yes 4, patterns to keep me happy until the replacement package arrives:

Gretel, which is a very cute beret
Malabrigo laofers, which I've seen all over Ravelry, I'll have to make these when I am finished with the Fiber Trends clogs
Beefields shawl, GORGEOUS!!!
XS firestarter socks, cannot wait to make these, they look very interesting.

Thank you so much, I look forward (again) to receiving a package :) how frustrating for both of us.

Oh My Golly!!!

Here is a package I received in the mail today from my GREAT friend BetteM! What could be inside?? Look at that cute knit tree, and her with a busted up hand and everything :)




First, yummy monster-type cookies and ooey-gooey caramel chocolate almond candy! I quickly ran out to the mailbox to offer some to the mailman. He is ever so patient with me and my constant "any packages for me today??" Today, he saw me outside, stopped the mail truck and delivered the package FIRST!! Then went to do all the other mail. What a guy.










Inside the wrapping paper...this great roomy GREEN knitting bag...she had mentioned earlier "don't forget to check ALL the pockets!"







Here is a peak inside the bag...look at all the great stuff hiding inside...








And here, finally, is all the great stuff!!

THANK YOU SO MUCH BETTE!!! This made my day and everything is wonderful.

Finished!

Here is our decorated tree.....










....and here is the finished felted fair isle bag. Should have handles soon.

All the loose ends

Here is the fair isle tote! It has been felt (felted?) and is drying. One wash was not enought, two was too many :( oh well, it is smaller than I would like, but it is gorgeous!! I will need get to the LYS this week to purchase leather handles.



Here is the first felted clog (unfelted; it is HUGE) kids want to know who it is for. Will get the mate made this week. I am using the leftover yarn from the fair isle tote. You can't really see the hot pink/green inner sole, or the orange in the gray cuff, but they are there. This one is really periwinkle in color, the mate will be ORANGE!



And here are my potato latkes!!! YUMMMMMM My friend's husband brought them over tonight, still warm from dinner!! I had one, but am saving the rest for tomorrow, I like them COLD with sour cream!

Home stretch

I am in the home stretch! The felted fair isle tote will be finished SOON!!! I have 1 more row to knit, then bind off, then make the 4 loops, felt it and purchase (NO MORE I-CORD for me) 2 purse handles and it is finished :) yea!!!! Then on to bigger and better things...maybe those felted clogs? as the socks I cast on last week have not progressed at all.

SP11 has been over and done for a week now; yet I am still waiting on a final package. I have gotten all worked up everyday this week, thinking "Today is the day", only to be disappointed everytime the mailman drives off and leaves nothing for me :( only bills and junk mail (a few Christmas cards).

Portable knitting

The felted fair isle tote does not travel well.

I have resolved to finish the tote before starting any other project; I took the tote to tennis yesterday. UUUGGGHHH it is so big and bulky and hard to manage all the colors while sitting in a straight back chair. Today I have 2 hours of hockey practice and cannot deal with that stress & mess!

Oh well, I guess I'll have to cast on for a pair of socks (just to keep my sanity).

monkey 2

Well, I have a finished pair of monkeys!! They don't match, but I am calling them a pair. They were made "no purl"; the sock on the top, size 2 dpn's.. too big and loose, sock on the bottom was made with 2 circs; size 1 PERFECT FIT!! So now, I need to make a 3rd sock so I have an actual pair :) which will not be a problem as I have TONS of yarn left; Tofutsies. Don't know when I'll make it though, I must concentrate and finish the felted fair isle tote. Then off to make more socks, I received some yarn wayyyyyyy back in January, going to make some chevron socks (hopefully).

On the swap front; I have sent my final SP11 package to Jen. She emailed to say she received it, just waiting for pictures on her blog (as I forgot to take any!)

Now, if only I would hear from my sp11 pal........last day of this round is Friday and I haven't heard from her lately............

Christmas tree

Today we went to get our Christmas tree. We've gone the past 3 years with our friends, I love it; I grew up having real trees, my hubby and kids hate it...they love the artificial tree; thankfully, it is safe in the basement for another year :)
If you look really carefully, you can see the 6 boys running and playing.

Here is our 2007 Christmas tree. It is currently "defrosting" in the garage, lots of snow and ice on the other side. It will be welcomed into our home next weekend.

Let the Christmas rush begin.............

Monkey one

Here is the no-purl monkey sock. You cannot see the pattern due to the colors in the yarn (but I LOVE the black and pink combo) No-purls is making the sock rather loose, so I am going to make the mate on size 1's and then probably have to frog this and re-make. I would make them on size 2's...but my order from Knit Picks is taking FOREVER to arrive, where do they ship from? It is quite the joke as to how long I've been waiting; the product was instock.

Felted fair-isle tote is just sitting next to the couch looking lonely...but pre-holiday stress has kicked in and I'm in no mood to knit.

SP11 is wrapping up, I have all the goodies for the last package, just need to get to the post office, get the box and then mail it out. I think this is my last swap for awhile.

Everyone loves the monkeys I received in the swap (I do too), so I keep wearing them and washing them!!

It's a sickness

I finished these monkeys...............








and immediatly cast on another pair!!
These are going to be no-purl monkeys :)




Felted fair isle tote....what felted fair isle tote???

Monkey's received

Here is the great monkey sock swap package I received today!! Contents: Monkey socks in green Koigu (oh boy, they fit like a dream and they are so soft), sock monkey ornament, barrel of monkeys, ink drawing, Cookie A pattern and delicious yellow Louet yarn (I've never knit Louet before, I think I'm in for a treat)!! Thank you so much to Emma A. for being a great pal!




Here is a close-up of the socks ;)

BetteM yarn

Here is the yarn I bought from my friend BetteM. IT IS SO GORGEOUS!!!

Finally a minute

To upload some photos.
This is what I received from my "NEW" sp11 pal :). 2 great knitting books, 1 for socks and 1 for answers to all those questions, good luck stitch markers and a great notepad. Thanks so much!











Here is son #2, Mr. Bling for halloween.










And, here is son #1, some scary zombie skeleton type person.

Busy day today, kids are off, but I still have to work, they are going to a friends house for the afternoon. Then SISTER is coming into town, we are going SCRAPBOOKING this weekend!! Well, tomorrow, from 8am-12 midnight. Hubby wants to know what I will be doing, as I have not taken any pictures :). I will find something to occupy the scrappin time. Must clean house and get everything together for tomorrow and start packing for son #1, he is going to camp Mon-Wed next week.

New place for yarn :)

Ok, my friend BetteM has just opened her very own on-line store! She specializes in handpainted and dyed yarn. Check it out!

I bought the yummy green one (wonder why). So much for not buying any yarn; but I have been really good lately, only knitting from the stash. Ok, so I bought yarn in Holland last weekend, and this today, but that is the first since, I don't know when. We'll blame it on BetteM for having such a great colorway!

Knitting news:
Socktober ends today, and I have not finished my monkey socks. No time to knit lately, but hopefully things will slow down and I can finish. I should be receiving my monkey sock swap socks soon....as that swaps ends tomorrow.
The Fair Isle bag is coming along nicely too; LOVE the KP needles.

Nutshell

Sat. am - flu shots, hop in car, drive 3 hours to Holland
Sat. pm - watch nerve racking game (tied) meet hubby's college roommate and family for late lunch, go to cool yarn store, buy sock yarn, go to very nice (NON SMOKING) bar, drink, back to hotel.
kids swim, parent's party, lights out for kids 9:30, parent's continue to party
Sun am (early) - up and get to the rink for semi finals, win nail biter, have 3 hours downtime until final game.
Sun pm - eat lunch, final game, lose, son #2 gets medal and t-shirt (all is well), drive 3 hours home, laundry awaits etc etc etc.

no knitting to report.
SP11 package received :)

Cruisin' along

No pictures, but the Fair Isle Bag is coming along quite nicely, it is very EASY PEASY LEMON SQUEEZY!! The only thing is keeping all the yarn straight, so I have been cutting the yarn if it is not going to be used within 5 rows; then I have been weaving them in as I go. I finally received my KP order, the needles are very cool! I may have to buy more.

The 2nd monkey sock has been cast on, and will be traveling this weekend to Holland, MI, son #2 is in a hockey tournament, 3 hour car ride, lots of down time between games, then 3 hours back.

I'm also going to take my TOFUtsies and start another pair. OH NO, they are so addicting to knit! Is is bad to have all your hand-knitted socks in the same pattern?? :) They will all be different colors. Hey monkey pal.....how are them socks coming?? :)

Happy Anniversary

Hubby and I have been married 13 wonderful years today :)
Have a great day xo

In other news.........

Here is my monkey sock! It looks so great in this colorway from BetteM!! Off to cast on the mate later today.





Here is what I've accomplished on the fair isle tote. I hope it all works out, the pattern calls for size 9 dpn's to start the project, I only had size 8....but I've stopped for now, as it is time to start the "pattern" and I want that part to be correct (this is just the bottom of the bag); so I'll wait for my needles to arrive in the mail.