Now for the rest…

First, WOW!!!  The weather was gorgeous today and there would be no better way to spend it than to be on the golf course.  And, guess what!!!  I got my first PAR!!!  But I won’t go into what my total score was….

OK, first package…the October Socks That Rock Kit.  Love it!  Unfortunately I did not think to take a picture when I uploaded the others and I am being lazy right now.  The kit is pictured all over the knitting blogopshere so if you haven’t see it…what planet have you been on?  It really is just gorgeous and the pattern (by the Yarn Harlot, herself) is going to be so great to knit up.  They truely outdid themselves.   And I, for one, am glad I signed up for 2008.  In so many ways, I have been happy with every kit received.  Some colors or patterns may not have grabbed me from the very beginning but I had promised that I would do them as written and with the yarn sent.  I have made 3 of the 5 socks so far and I have loved each.  I promise I will do the others (Summer of Love and Lenore) after the Christmas knitting madness is over and I am sure I will love them as well.

Ok, package #2:

Hogwarts Sock Swap 2 Ravenclaw socks from Holly Heathertoes
Wonderful, totally amazingly fitted socks…did you send a house elf  to measure my feet while I slept or something???
Beautiful Koigu yarn
Twisted Flower Sock Pattern from Cookie A (can’t wait to try that and I know exactly what yarn I’ll use!)
Dumbledore bookmark
Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans in a cute little collector bag

THANK YOU SO MUCH, HOLLY!!!
(Yours is on the way…soon, but you know that, right?)

Finally, I have been meaning to share this with those of you concerned about the proper footwear to have to show off your hand knit socks.  Little did I know I owned said footwear until I attended Stitches East.  I got stopped more for my shoes than for my gorgeous (if I do say so myself) socks.  I thought I would share…

They are made by MUDD (can’t remember the model name) and I bought them at DSW. I wear them so much that I think I’m going to get another pair for when these wear out.  Won’t these look amazing with Lenore?!?

Well, this was exhausting…posting twice and 6 hours of golf in one day!!!

Nado en una charca de la rana.

translation (I hope): I’m swimming in the frog pond

UGH!!  Why didn’t I pay more attention to to the finished size before I cast on.  31.5″ is just too big for a 2 yo, even, not to mention 18 month.  What is up with Debbie Bliss sizing?!? 
So, this is what I am making…
For L2

Shawl-collared Jacket by Debbie Bliss
Jeanne by Plymouth
US9 to get gauge

For K

Lily in the Pink by Sublime
Baby Bamboo by Sirdar (80% bamboo, 20% wool, 100% lovely!!!)
US6

FINISHED
For E

Football in Itty-Bitty Hats by Susan Anderson
Gems Merino Opal (sport weight) in Navy and Yellow (can’t remember the real name)
US7

For T

Piggle by Rebecca Dovi
Gems Merino Opal in Navy and Yellow
US2

I have a few more things to tell you about (some packages arrived!!!) but I am off to play a round of golf now!!

Incommunicado

Sorry about the brief silence.  I know, not like me at all!!  I think sometimes when you take a break and get out of the habit of reporting in you just find it hard to get it all going again.  Well, I’m back now.

What was I doing while away?  I picked up HP7 on Saturday morning with every intention to begin reading it right away at my hair appointment. 

I have issues with reading when there is a lot of noise around me, though, so I could forget about being able to concentrate there!  I gave it up for a bad job (cute little British saying I picked up from the books) and continued listening to the end of Book 6.  We went out on the boat Saturday night and then I hung out at the LYS Sunday before a round of golf (got my first bogie!!!  NOT the British term you think and, yes, I am proud of making a bogie!).  Sooooooo, I spent ALL day reading Monday.  I wouldn’t let myself on the computer for fear of spoilers and we all know I am addicted to my PC.  I finished around 4pm and was so emotionally drained that I just vegged the rest of the night.

Knitting resumed on Tuesday and I have been working on my Pomatomus Socks which I finished Tuesday night!  Woohoo!

LOVE EM!  Definitely one of my favs that I have knitted!

Pomatomus by Cookie A

Lana Grossa Meilenweit Cotton Spirit #3008

mods:  I think the only thing I did differently than the pattern was to cast on using the method from Embossed Leaves Socks by Mona Schmidt (Favorite Socks).

I am also happy to announce that I have finished, washed and blocked my Sockapalooza 4 Pal’s socks!! 

***Which also qualify for Summer of Socks 07***

Yes, that’s right, they are Monkeys!

J-Knits yarn in Louisiana (1 skein…I know they look sort of different but it is just one skein!  Weird, huh?)

mods:  I think the only thing was the heel…I did partridge eye.  I love it cause it looks like fairisle.

Finally, I have been working away on my Embossed Leaves and should have them done before the end of the month.  That will be 3 pairs of socks for the month of July for SAM3.  Amd I’ve signed up for SAM4, too!  (surprise!)

Don’t worry, I’ve not forgotten about my niece’s dress.  I plan to work on the neckband tonight and get it washed and dried so that I can get it off in the mail no later than Wednesday.

I apologize if you are sick of seeing this:

but I live with him and I’m not.  I looked up from my afternoon of knitting and thought this looked like the definition of happiness.

Progress, People, Progress!!

I do have progress to report.  While I didn’t work on my Sockapalooza’s socks at all, I did get approx 4.5″ of the Wrap Dress done!!!  WooHoo!  And, believe me, I felt all 4.5″!!  This dress is 186 stitches wide!!  Thank goodness it is 28 rows to 4″ (worsted weight).

All this and I managed to get some projects up on Ravelry.  Oh, did I mention I got my invite?  Just in time to be a complete distraction?!?  Well, if it hadn’t been that then it would have been something else.  If you are on there, be my friend?  I’m bonitapita, of course.  If you aren’t, be patient.  I probably waited 2 or 3 months for my invitation.   It is cool, but it is a BLACKHOLE!!

Off to my golf lesson now!

Irish memories

Here are the promised photos and a bit more detail on our trip to Ireland.

We spent the beginning of the week just south of City Center, Dublin.  Mr J had a conference.  Since this is not the first time we spent time in Dublin, I didn’t really take any pictures.  I did go into town a few times and I toured Dublinia, which I found interesting.

Once the conference was over we rented a car and headed out to County Clare.  We had reservations to stay in Doolin.  This is between The Cliffs of Moher and The Burren.  There is a ferry that runs to the Aran Islands but we didn’t have the time to go out there.  I think we will return to this area and hope to do that another time.

This was the view of the cliffs from the breakfast room of our B&B, Doolinview run by the Danahers.  It was a new B&B, I think only open a couple of years at most.  The room was nice and very clean.  The breakfast was average.  Gosh, I would love to give it 5 out of 5 but I just can’t.  My mother always taught me that if you can’t say something nice….  But if one of you were to stay there on my review…well, it was ok.  The warmth just wasn’t there.  Other than that, just as a place to sleep, it was ok.  The town seemed very nice but we really didn’t spend a lot of time there (off playing golf).  We did eat at two really nice restaurants: The Roadford House and I can’t find the name of the second.  I’ll change that if I find it.

To the left of Doonagore Castle  and just above the end of the wall, you can see the tiny dot of yellow that was our B&B.  It was really an excellent location.

Church ruins just a short walk from our B&B.

Kilmacduagh Monastery ruins near Gort, Co Galway.  We saw these on the way to and from Gort Golf Club.  I wish we had had more time to explore them.

Teeing up at, I believe, the 7th hole on the Castle Course at Lahinch Golf Club.  He played beautifully but I was so tired….  I’m trying to not let that color my memories of that day.

Well, that’s it.  Good times.

DOH!

How long can you blame jet-lag for really stupid things you do?!?  I replied to my downstream Sockapalooza Pal today with not only my name but something that would be on my blog.  If she surfs then she will know who I am.  I guess I won’t be posting anything about her socks on here!!!  *hand hits forehead*

Well, it might not be too bad because I found yarn yesterday that I haven’t mentioned before that I want to use for her socks.  AND I think I have changed my mind on the pattern, too.  So THERE!

Jet-lag, you ask?  Yes, I got back from 9 days in Ireland on Monday.  Great time.  Lots to share.

World Wide Knit In Public Day, June 9th

I at least got the “world wide” part by being in Ireland.  I did do a little knitting in the B&B that morning while waiting for breakfast, but other than that…WAIT!  Does this count?

Please pardon the hair, etc.  We had just walked 18 holes and it was 85 degrees that day.  Don’t you just love the sheep project bag!!

This is Knit, Blackrock, Co Dublin

This is such a nice little knit shop.  It was recommended to me by Isobel.  The 2 ladies I met, Lisa and Jacqui, just made me feel so at home.  I think what is so great about them and their shop is that they are so excited about knitting and owning a knit shop.  I don’t know about you, but I’ve been into shops that not only is the shop tired but so are the people.  It helped that they are sock knitters, too, so we had a lot to chat about–all the techniques and tips.  I now read on their website that they are mother and daughter.  NO WAY!  They looked like sisters.  Does this mean that knitting keeps you young?  One can only hope!

Anyway, I picked up some Hipknits 100% Cashmere sock yarn in, I think, either the colorway Surf or Seaweed.  Hard to tell.  Question:  What sock pattern do you think I should use for 100% cashmere (750 yards)?

Golf

Yep, Mr J and I played lots o’golf (when he forwards pictures then I will share!).  4 rounds in 5 days.  Needless to say, I didn’t do so well on the last 2 rounds.  And I got a really bad sunburn on Saturday.  Should anyone be interested, these are the courses we played: Elm Park Golf Club, Foxrock Golf Club, Gort Golf Club, and Lahinch Golf Club (the Castle Course).  Enjoyed each and everyone for different reasons.

Home, Sweet Home

Not going to lie…I am so glad to be home!  I missed my kitties something awful and I know, at least, Marmalade missed me.  Bonita missed J.  I can’t sit down without Marm in my lap within minutes.  Its almost like he thinks that if he sits on me I won’t leave again.

I feel I am being so blase about this trip, but I really did enjoy it.  I think I just need time to process it all.  Does that happen to anyone else?  I just wanted to get this post out because it has been so long since my last. 

Golf and knitting…

Introducing Fanny, otherwise known as my new golf socks!!

pattern: Get off Your Fanny…oops, that’s Move your Fanny.  Freudian slip?

yarn: Tofutsies color #723

mods:  A few.  I followed the heel as written, although I couldn’t get it to work exactly as written for me.  I’m sure there is nothing wrong with the pattern.  I chalk it up to operator error.  But I got it to work in general and I like the way it looks.  I kept the 1×1 rib going all the way down to where the toe began and then I used a regular wedge toe.

I really like em and plan to start some for a friend soon. 

*ETA:  I used a little less than 50g to make these socks and I have big feet!  You could definitely get 2 pair of these socks out of a ball of Tofutsies.  At $16 a ball, what a bargain!

Played my first round of golf (12 holes with Mr J) and had a great time.  No, I didn’t take my knitting in my golf bag, but it did cross my mind!!  Lesson four is next week…we’ll see how much he’ll have to reteach me, huh?