How did I get so lucky?

A little over a week ago I was getting ready for a trip to Vegas (business for J) and I received a package in the mail. My first thought? I must be sleep-buying because I don’t have any memory of what this could be. Inside I found a beautifully handknit pair of socks, a thing called a Furochic (a reusable cloth gift wrap inspired by Furoshiki, a traditional Japanese wrapping cloth) and a sock washing bag for a washing machine. Next thought? What sock swap did I forget that I was signed up for? And then I opened the note inside. It was from my Sockapalooza 4 sockpal… Sockergirl! Can you believe that completely out of the blue and out of the kindness of her heart she sent me a pair of socks! What a PAL!

I apologize for the worn look of the socks…I put them on the day we left and haven’t had a chance to wash them yet.

In other news, I have been knitting…just not photographing or blogging.  Ugh!  Here are some of the things I have finished:

Cardigan for Baby Boy

pattern: Tulips by Lindsay Pekny with modifications
yarn: Jeanne by Plymouth
mods: ribbing all the way around (to make it more “masculine” and 4 buttons instead of 5).
I hope to get pics from the mom (hint, hint) soon.

Matching Booties

pattern: Christine’s Stay-On Baby Booties by Christine Bourquin
yarn: Jeanne by Plymouth
no mods

And I finished Bellatrix

Pattern: Bellatrix by Monkeytoes (free download on Ravelry)
yarn: Lang Jawoll Cotton

Monica for my niece

pattern: Monica by Christine Schwender
yarn: Cascade Sierra
no mods

Wonderful Wallaby for niece’s 2nd birthday

pattern: Wonderful Wallaby by Carol A. Anderson
yarn: Cascade Sierra
mods: used seed stitch around hood and pocket

Pictures of WIPs to come.

Observant knitter

Today I was shopping with my sister-in-law at the very large mall, King of Prussia.  We had a very helpful associate at Bare Essentials helping us pick out some new, fun eye makeup.  We were paying for our purchases when she looked down at my feet and complimented my socks and ASKED IF I MADE THEM!!!  After I recovered from the shock of the question I replied that they were a gift (my Sockapalooza socks by Sockergirl) but that I do knit socks.  She says, and I love this, they must have really loved you!  Isn’t that sweet?  I just smiled.  I didn’t feel it was necessary to explain the whole sock exchange.  I do feel loved.  Anyhoo, turns out she is a knitter.  So, ladies and gents, keep those eyes peeled and keep looking down at the feet of those passing by.  The weather is getting cooler, so be on the lookout for handknit socks as well as other handknit items.  Don’t be afraid to ask!  You might just get written about in a blog, too!

Look what followed me home!

I have an extremely slow connection today so it will be interesting to see if any of this loads and works.  Before the weather even hit us last night the power went out in our area for about 5 hours.  It came back on right before we got a little thunderstorm. 

 ANYWAY…

WHAT THA? 

Where did that come from?

I innocently went into my LYS to help with a demonstration day and this followed me home with some gorgeous roving (which I didn’t take a picture of pre-spun). But here is a picture of what I had spun as of 6pm.

I’ve more than doubled that now. I think I’m a little taken with this.  While I have played at this a couple of times, this is my first real attempt at spinning.

Ultimately, I want to knit my own sock yarn, but I don’t think this first ”yarn” will be used for anything like that. Maybe a hat or mittens.

In other new…

I promised Sockergirl that I would take a picture of the socks she knitted me with my red clogs…

I wore them during the very brief period of time last week that we had sensible weather.  Gorgeous and very comfortable!

I did get my August Socks That Rock kit last week. I love it. Quite possibly my fav colorway/pattern combo yet. Even though most have gotten their kits, I am going to refrain from showing any pictures a little longer.

Finally, another brush with nature. I was innocently knitting in my fav chair which sits with its back to my backyard. I noticed Marmalade staring intently but figured it was a bunny or bird. I turned around to see this standing only 5-ish feet from the house (originally.  It moved by the time I found the camera)…

Actually, there where 2 of them…both young bucks. Very startling.

Bound & Determined!

I have been working on my Solstice Slip socks from the Socks that Rock Club exclusively for the last couple of days.  Finally, FINALLY I finish them!

time frame: 7/9/07-8/21/07 

pattern:  The Solstice Slip Sock by JC Briar from the Bluemoon Fiber Arts Socks That Rock Club

yarn: Socks That Rock lightweight colorway: Firebird

needle: 2.5mm Inox Express 40″

size: medium (I wear a 9.5 US shoe)

modification: not many, really.  I did do the provisional cast on but used one that I think Cat Bordhi does where you provisionally cast on over the cable of your needle (Magic Loop).  I put my standard ribbing on the bottom.  I guess that is it.

I really like the way these came out, although I lost interest in them after awhile.  Great fit!  Proud to add them to my handknit sock collection!

I finished them just in time.  I saw a post today on the Socks That Rock blog that says that the East Coast August kits are in the mail!!  Woohoo!

IN OTHER NEWS…

My downstream sockpal sent me pictures to prove what she said:

They do look like they fit well. And they have found a nice, new home. *sniff* I’ll miss them so.

As if I knitted them myself!!

Really!  She even put the ribbing on the sole of the foot like I like.  How thoughtful!  But I’m getting ahead of myself!  Let me start at the beginning:

I knew my socks were coming today because my pal was kind enough to email and tell me my tracking number.  I also knew what else was arriving today.

We have a few (read: lots of) trees that need to be trimmed and/or taken down.  Because we are (he is) such DIYers, we decided to just rent the “cherry-picker” and do it ourselves.  He was like a kid with a new Tonka toy!  This was one of the first trees that had to go since it threatened to wipe out the next car that drove by:

It went from that to this:

And left this behind:

Horrors!!  How would the UPS man get my package to me!?!  Well, I just stood down near the road and pretended to be busily picking up sticks until the brown truck drove by.  Success!  I then decided that I needed a break from all this backbreaking work and went inside.

Cute card, huh? 

Original artwork by Sockergirl  with my sailboat and Marmalade on the stern! 

Venturing into the box I discovered:

There was a small toy that looks like a mermaid, a really nifty post-it holder from Lanternmoon, a SOAK mini, and a heart-shaped tin that unzips. Inside the tin (which would be perfect for notions!) was:

A sheep tape measure (one I haven’t seen yet!) and my SOCKS!

Pattern: Mashed-up Madness from the Sock Madness KAL
Yarn: Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock in colorway: Glenwood (105)
my thoughts: GORGEOUS! The yarn is a beautiful varigation (color is true on my screen, at least). The pattern is so interesting. If you weren’t involved in Sock Madness (I wasn’t) it is the neatest combo of lace and cable. The fit is PERFECT! Like I said, it was as if I knitted them for me or she knitted them with me around to try them on, but I’m pretty sure that didn’t happen since we live on opposite coasts! And, Sock Pal Gal, I will get a picture of me wearing them with my clogs on (she said she picked the colorway to go with my cool clogs! Sweet!

I didn’t try them on right away for all the above reasons…trees, hot, humid, yuck! But we did take a break this afternoon and I was able to shower and try them on:

and I wanted to get a shot with some of the detail:

I think you can see the lacy panel (with a few cables) in the back of the leg and the cables with some lace running down the front of the leg and along the instep.

Another successful sock swap!  When do we sign up for 5?

Whew!

Got this is the inbox today:

Thank you, thank you, thank you!  I love them!  They fit perfectly and are so beautiful and fun!  I love the colors!  I can’t wait to wear them! 

And, I love the keychain!  Not sure if I mentioned this, but I moved in to a new place in February, and ever since then I’ve been keeping my eyes open for a new keychain.  Now I have one!  I’m very excited about it.  It’s already in use.

Thanks for all the other goodies too!  I was so excited when I came home from work and saw the box outside my apartment.  It was like being in college again and getting a care package!

I really enjoyed the HP book.  Immediately after I finished it, I gave it to my 14-year old neice.  I hope to get it back soon because I’d really like to read the last 200 or so pages over again.

Thanks again for everything!  I’ll be sure to check out your blog now that I know who you are!  Have you gotten you socks yet?

Michelle

Yay!  She liked them!  She really liked them!

To answer her last question, no, I’ve not gotten mine.  I did get an email from Sock Pal Gal saying they are on their way and, according to UPS, they will be here tomorrow.  I can’t wait!!

Progress continues on the Hogwarts II socks…just waiting to hear a reply to a question from Holly.  But I think I know the answer.

No pictures right now but I promis that when my Sockapalooza socks arrive I will take a picture of everything else I am up to (and there is so much!).

Hello, again, Dirk!

The Postmaster has seen me more in the last few days than in the last few months! 

On Wednesday I sent off my niece’s birthday dress.

Again, maybe a little longer than I wanted but I’ll let her mother decide if it needs to be shortened.  In general, I am very pleased at how it came out.

This is an upclose of the button I crochet using the tutorial on Crochet Me.

Then this morning I dropped this in the mail:

My Sockapalooza 4 Pal’s socks with a few goodies: Knitpick’s Memories in Cape Cod, a sock blocker keychain with tiny sock made with same yarn as her socks, SOAK minis, and notebook.  I hope she enjoys and, most importantly, the socks fit!  (These also qualified for Summer of Socks 07)

Tuesday I took a class and made this:

Please pardon the area around the step. I would love to say that we are in the middle of a remodeling, but, in fact, we just pulled up the railing that seperated the den from the diningroom and are now just in a holding pattern. Who knows when we will get the time to continue.  Anyway, I just love my new stair step basket!!  Even though you are looking at the only 2 steps in my house I just had to have this basket!

This is what it looked like until about 10 seconds after I got home:
 
Now it is filled with my knitting magazines and some yarn. Surprise!!

I continue to work on my VLC and several pairs of socks.  I hope to have update pictures soon!

Hope everyone has a great weekend!

Dear Sock Pal-Gal,

So good to hear from you!  You have me totally intrigued with the hints you’ve dropped about my socks-in-the-making!!

Don’t sweat it if you can’t get the socks off by the Aug 7th deadline.  I’m not concerned at all, knowing that they are on their way!!!

Thanks for the update!

T 

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.

How long is too long?

OK, I might need some help here.  When I was trying to figure out which size pattern to knit for my niece, I asked my mother-in-law.  She does a lot of sewing for the kids and keeps up with that sort of thing.  The size 2 had a chest measurement of 21.5″ and a length of 19.5″.  The size 4 was 24″ in the chest and 22″ long.  My MIL said that the 21.5″ was better but the length should be closer to 23/24″ to fall just below the knee from the natural neckline.  OH!  Now that I read that email again I think I’m ok.  The finished dress (well, nearly finished) is 24″ around (which I think is better for longer wear, I think) and 27.5″ long from the shoulder.  It seemed so long.  What do you think?  I just don’t even want to think about having to take length out of this dress!!

Well, here’s a picture:

I was thinking that instead of a single button under the right (or left) arm, I might do 2 to help it stay closed better…about 2 inches apart.  Still thinking about that one.  All I have left is to pick up and knit 4 rows around the neck.  And her birthday is still 3 weeks away!! 

I was thinking I might do a hat like the one I did for Vi.

After all this I feel I might have to do more for the twins.  Maybe I will do those bloomer things for K and then I need to come up with something else for L2…pants?  I don’t know.

In other news, check out the Wild Kingdom in my front yard:

There were 4 of them.  The other 3 were younger (I assume, since their antlers weren’t as big).

OK, maybe I can get some work done on my Sockapalooza’s socks, since I don’t think Marmalade is going to let me get back to L1′s dress right away.

What is it with them and knitted items?