Watch Out For the Yarny Goodness

Yesterday I had a chance to hit the LYS and get a little bit done on the Charlotte's Web. I also caked the skein of Yarn Pirate yarn that Katie got me and it looks even prettier in the cake:

Imagine my suprise when I came home and there was a package. Of course, I knew it was coming, I just didn't know when because it was backordered and had to be dyed. I'd been waiting almost two weeks for this:

It's Socks That Rock in Pink Granite and I think it looks even better in person than on the webiste. They forgot to send both my orders together so I should be getting another skein in the mail today or tomorrow. You'll have to wait and see what I ordered.

Over the Fourth of July we hung out at home and BBQ'd. Dalton wasn't too happy though because we couldn't let him out due to the fireworks. My mom tortured him almost all night:

Doesn't look too happy does he?

Scout had a chance to wear her new pink and white striped jumper, (I think this is by far my most favorite outfit so far):

I've also opened up my new Etsy, (I know, who hasn't). I am lucky to have a number of bead stores in the area and decided that I'd like to make stitch markers. Afterall, I'm creative and I have a following out here in Canyon Country, (I'm pop-ular! LOL). Anywhoo, check it out! Here's one set of my pearl stitch markers:

Check out Ewe Bitch Creations. That's the name of our "company". I will be adding some really cute cards soon, (good thing my mom works for a printer huh?) and postcards. There is a chance I will add some scrapbook albums, but that will be a bit further into the future. And if you are one of my regular blog readers I will offer you a special discount on a set of stitch markers!

My Hogwarts socks are almost done. I turned the heel and just need to finish the leg. I'm almost there! (I'm not including the weaving, because that's the part I dread the most.) I started Wicked last night, but only got through about 3 or 4 rows. And there are two pair of socks waiting in the wings. Maybe three because I really want to get a pair of Cookie's socks done. She rocks!

And for my questionnaire for my Sock it to Me Sock Swap:

1. What are your foot measurements? US 9 1/2 shoe, 9 1/2 circumference, 9" long

2.How long have you been knitting? How would you rate your experience? I've been knitting for about 7 years and would say I'm intermediate/advanced. I still have a lot to learn.

3. What is your favorite color? Your least favorite color? Blues, Yellow and Chocolatey Browns. I don't care for purple.

4.Do you have a favorite fiber? What type? I love Rowan Wool/Cotton, it's probably my favorite tried and true yarn. I also like Blue Sky Alpacas Wool/Silk, Socks that Rock, (lightweight), Debbie Bliss Cashmerino, Koigu...I could go on and on.

5. Do you have any allergies to certain fibers? No allergies.

6. Do you have an Amazon, or other type of, wishlist? I have an Amazon wishlist, but I don't think there's anything on it right now.

7. What techniques, if any, would you like to learn? Entrelac

8. Do you have a sweet tooth? What are your favorite snacks? Oh yes I do. I love chocolate. And I love Werther's Candies. YumO.

9. What is your family situation? (Children, Husband, Pets...etc.) My fiancee, Shawn, and I live together in Canyon Country, California with my son, Jem (9), and our daughter, Scout (6 months). We have two cats, a Siamese named Dalton and a black/white kitten named Pepper.

10. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Metal, plastic or wood? I use both straight and circulars. I usually use the straight needles for baby items and circulars for sweaters, lace or big afghans. I prefer bamboo needles.

11. Besides socks, what are your favorite items to knit? I ♥ baby items because they finish so quickly. And I like making sweaters, (as long as they don't take years).

12. Is there a pattern, (sock or otherwise), that you are dying to try? I'd love to try Cookie's Rhiannon Socks.

13. Do you like to read? What are you reading currently? I ♥ to read. Right now I'm reading the autobiography of King Henry the 8th.

14. Do you collect music? (On an iPod or MP3 player.) Yes I do. I have an iPod.

15. What kind of music do you listen to? My favorites are Linkin Park, Breaking Benjamin, Bob Marley, Sublime, T.I., Christina Aguliera and a bunch of other stuff. I pretty much listen to everything.

16. Is there anything you collect? Besides yarn? I used to collect Tigger stuff. I don't collect too many things anymore. (We've moved a lot and I hate packing, ergo I don't want to pack even more stuff.) Right now I'm into beading. So I'd say I collected beads.

17. What are your hobbies, aside from knitting? Reading, going to the beach, drawing, swimming, a little bit of crochet, watching movies, cooking/baking

18. Are you participating in any other swaps or knit alongs? I was in the Secret Pal 9 and 10 swap and will be in the 11th and I'm in the Hogwarts Sock Swap; I am in a few KAL's: Rusted Root, Knitting Nature, Cable Along, Knitting Lingerie Style, and probably a few more that I can't think of at the moment.

19. Do you have a favorite scent? Warm Vanilla Sugar from Bath and Body Works

20. When is your birthday? (You don't have to add the year if you don't want to, LOL.) November 27th, 1980

Happy Thursday!

So last night, Shawn bought a car. A big car. A boat. It's a 1989/1990, (I forgot the year), Lincoln Towncar. A silverish one. A boat! A car nevertheless. So my sanity is slowly seeping back into my bloodstream, (though the neverending, "I'm bored", coming from Jem could be quieted and then I'd really be happy).

I was even happier to get a very lovely package from my very lovely secret pal. Katie has spoiled me beyond anything I could have ever imagined. I have to say that I was very lucky to have her as a pal. She understood me! And she was even having contractions, (every 8 minutes apart she said), when she wrote me a quick note. Talk about dedicated!

So here's the package:

No, Pepper wasn't mailed back to me. She thoroughly enjoyed sitting in the box and popping out to attack your ankles. (Thanks Katie!)

And here are the contents of the package:

Included is: a box of See's Candies, (YUM-O), a Knitted Puffy, Cupcakes! book, (all about baking and decorating cupcakes), a little pink and orange purse that has Bath and Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Shower Gel and Body Butter, AND a skein of Yarn Pirate's yummarific yarn.

In Village, (which was only available at the shop that Katie went to, told you I was spoiled):

So, Katie: THANK YOU!!! I am so excited to start using the YP yarn. The candy will be gone tonight, I assure you! ;)

In other news, I started my neighbors Charlotte's Web this afternoon. I even went to the LYS and had a chance to knit for two hours! TWO hours! So nice, so nice. So I think I'm on row 31. But the deadline is July 18th and I don't know if I can do it. It's awfully pretty though, don't you think?

Then I had a chance to check out the new KnitScene and I want to knit the Ingenue Blouse:

Sorry for the small picture, but it's all they had on the website. Anyway, it's made from Classic Elite Bamboo, and since I've never worked with bamboo, I think I'll have to pick up a skein and swatch first.

After the Rusted Root, which needs about 3"-4" of body and then the ribbing. I'm 1/4 way done with my second sock for the Hogwarts Socks. I guess I'm procrastinating because I dread the ends. Oh the ends. No more striped socks for me. Unless it's self striping yarn. Oh, and the Wicked. I started a swatch for that too.

Boy, I have a lot of knitting ahead of me. One good thing, I finished the neck on the Rowan Flood, I just need to take some pictures of me in it. Next post.

BTW, there's a few open spots left in the Sock It To Me Sock Swap, so come join us if you wanna have fun!

In With The New?

I'm on a sock kick. After finishing the Dalton socks, I started the Stormy socks for Shawn. Guess what? He wanted the same pattern for his socks like the ones I did for the Dalton socks. Guess what? I got the same gauge with the lightweight STR. Guess what? I am making the exact same socks for him, only a little bit longer for the foot. (I wear a 9 1/2 and he wears a 10 1/2.) So these are coming along quite quickly since I already know the pattern and have the notes for a size 9 1/2. The only thing I will have to change is a few more rows for length. Plus, he wants his to be regular socks. Not ankle socks. The only thing I'm not too sure of is the pooling and striping:

The yarn is doing this on it's own, which I wasn't anticipating. I think it looks sort of neat, but I would have preferred to have more variations like with the other socks. But as long as Shawn likes them, (which he does so far), that's all that really matters, right?

Yesterday, I bought these:

I am going to paint and decorate them this weekend and have Shawn drill holes in the back so I can hang them over the crib.

And this came in the mail yesterday too and I was quite delighted!

It's the Little Bunny Foo Foo and I am quite happy that the pink is subdued, because as you know colors vary from monitor to monitor and the STR website shows a much darker pink. I like it as it is.

Have a great Easter weekend for those of you who celebrate. We will be going on a trip to the LA Zoo tomorrow. Later I'll be hitting the yarn shop and Shawn is going to check out the R/C races. Don't know if I'll have an update this weekend, so just in case: HAPPY EASTER!

Jumping on the Bandwagon

I got a big surprise in the mail yesterday! (Totally unexpected too!) My pal, Ronnie, from the Favorite Color Swap sent me a wonderful package! There are 10 skeins of gorgeous yellow cotton and a skein of Rowan Magpie. There's enough cotton to make a tank top too! There was also a delish smelling bag of coffee, (which Shawn is ready to dive into), a bag of Werther's Originals, (all mine!), a bar of yummy chocolate, (which I had to swipe from Shawn when he was looking at it...I don't trust him), a pair of baby booties for Scout, a set of needles and a little Dennis the Menace grab bag for Jem, (that didn't get photographed because he immediately broke it open and was playing with the boomerang that was in it). I've been spoiled rotten! Thanks so much Ronnie!

I don't know about you, but here in Southern California we've had ridiculously warm weather. As in yesterday it was about 88 degrees here in Canyon Country. Like I said, ridiculous! So I took Jem to the pool, which was ridiculously cold. But he enjoyed splashing around for a half hour. And while there I worked on my Provisional Cast On technique for the Dalton socks.

It took a little practice, but I finally got it right. (Part of the reason it took a few tries was because I didn't have any smaller sized crochet hooks that matched with the size 2 needles I was using.) Anywhoo...I was doing great, until I started messing up on the reverse short row shaping. Those double wraps had me a bit confused. So I started over and this is where I am so far:

I only did the first short row shapings for the toe, I haven't gotten to the reverse shapings yet. (That will be later on tonight.)

I did a little drive by to JoAnn's to pick up some thread and buttons for Scout's Lacy Dress. I think I did good on the color match:

Saturday afternoon I picked up a copy of Jan Eaton's "200 Ripple Stitch Patterns: Exciting Patterns to Knit and Crochet for Afghans, Blankets and Throws". There are a number of patterns I would like to use from this book. But for now I'll only be doing one for the Ripple Along KAL. (I also got two smaller sized crochet hooks, just in case I need them for other projects.)

And this was the yarn I decided to go with:

It's Red Heart Soft Yarn. I had originally wanted to do the Ripple Blanket in browns and teals, but I could not, for the life of me, find the color combination I was looking for. And since, like other fiber addicts out there in the world, I was impatient to start N.O.W. Anyway, the red/black/white combination is very pretty and I have to say that this is the softest acrylic yarn I have ever felt. For $2.99 a skein (and over 200 yards a skein), I'd say it's a great deal.


Can you guess what this is?

It's Scout's new outfit I got at Target this morning. I had been looking for some shorts for her and these were just too cute. (Can you believe that this is a 12 month size though?) Two weeks ago, Shawn and I had been stocking up on onesies and jammies because she's getting too big for her 0-3 month clothes. Well, we got plenty of onesies but the jammies don't seem to be working for this hot weather. So I bought a couple pairs of shorts and a striped shirt to match both pairs.

Cute, huh?

She's contemplating.

And as always, there are more pictures here. (Including a picture of Scarlett giving Scout some loving!)

Oh Happy Day!

Yesterday was a good day. Shawn came home early. Jem behaved, (it was his day off). Scout was smiling. And I got to knit for two hours uninterrupted. (That just doesn't happen around the house too often.) I took a little ride to Simply Knitting for their Sit and Stitch night and finished these:

I can now say that I have knit myself a pair of socks! A pair of comfy socks! (I cheated, I admit it. I did a three needle bind off for the toes, because I just wasn't getting the whole grafting process. I think I'm going to make a swatch and practice on that.)

But I'm just so dang proud of myself. And you should be too! This is where I got stuck with my first attempts at sock knitting:

But no more! They are very comfortable. I knit the Koigu KPPM on US 3's, about 7 1/2 sts=1". I started to swatch the STR Lucy last night on US 2's. There is a noticable difference even though they are the same weight. Oh, and I've decided that I'm changing "Lucy" to "Dalton". Though I'm not 100%, I believe that they named the colorway after Wendy's pretty ragdoll, I believe that Dalton is the epitomy of Siamese and that was the reason I bought the yarn. I dub the next pair of socks Dalton.

After the Sit and Stitch, I stopped by Cold Stones and got this:

If you've never had Peanut Butter Cup Perfection, find your nearest CS and pick it up. It's so delicious!

Now some of you may have seen this new Ripple Along that Alicia pretty much started. Well, I had kept track of her progress. I must say that she amazes me and inspires me. I've decided to jump on the bandwagon and do a little rippling myself. And if you don't think I can crochet, I have proof!

(I apologize that it's so small.) I crocheted this blanket from a Leisure Arts baby afghan book, (that I got from Michael's), for my friend Christy. She was having a baby and I wanted to make something that would last. I decided to try my hand at crochet. One of the women at the LYS that I used to frequent was an amazing crocheter and she helped me a great deal, (especially because the pattern in the book is wrong). Anyway, there's my proof. And I already decided the colors of the yarn. I *think* that I'm going to do a ripple afghan in dark and light teal, dark brown and oatmeal. I think that it would make a lovely afghan. (Sorry, but I don't see myself going through my odds and ends in my stash and just coming up with something. I like an organized sense of color.)

Jem and Scout are doing well. Jem is still a pistol. That won't change. And Scout, well she's smiling a lot now. It's hard to capture on the camera though, but I got a few good ones. (I'm updating Flickr if you want to see the others.

She's such a happy girl!

And that makes me happy.

She seems so amazed.

In other news, I ordered yarn. More yarn. But you, my dear friends, must wait until I get pictures. Hint: I ordered yarn for the Ribs and Lace Tank. (BTW, Bekka, you asked me about the cheap Debbie Bliss. Check out Jannette's Store out. She's always got great deals on DB and Rowan!) I also ordered some RYC cheap from Jimmy Beans. Check it out, they are like $6.32 a ball for the RYC Cashsoft 4ply. 198 yards!.

Oh, one more thing, I had my interview at Home Depot this morning and got the job. I start the orientation in like two weeks assuming my background check and blood test comes back clean. No problemo.

Yay!

I Don't Know About You, But...

I ♥ Sock Yarn. And I ♥'d Sock Yarn before I even started to knit socks. But now that I am knitting socks, I ♥ Sock Yarn even more!

From Left to Right: Snowbunny by Scouts Swag, Lucy by Socks That Rock, and Verdarancio by LuLu's Etsy. This is what has arrived in the mail in the past week or so. Ain't they beautiful? Mind you, this isn't the only Sock Yarn I have. I still have the Cha Cha that I got from one of the Secret Pal 9 girls. I also have two skeins of Koigu in a pretty buttery yellow. And some Lorna's Laces in Denim. Oh, and the Koigu that I'm using for the River Socks. (I had to swing by the LYS and grab the last skein in that colorway because...well let's just say I have a few questions about making socks.)

And look what arrived in the mailbox today:

I purchased some stitch markers from Zero's Etsy the other day and they arrived today! I don't remember who posted a blog post about her, (I think it was on Cookie's blog), but either way I stumbled upon her Etsy shop and took a gander. Glad I did! I bought two sets, (of seven), pearl stitch markers. The purple/silver set is for my Secret Pal Angel that I'm late getting a package out to. I hope she likes them! The blue/white set is for me! Look at how gorgeous they are! Jealous much?! Oh yeah! She also included two markers in different colors attached to her business cards. How's that for good business!

Life has been good. In some ways at least. We are still having car problems. Shawn took the car in to have the head gaskets checked. (Apparently they have some kind of exhaust test to check and see what's going on.) It turns out that the head gaskets are the problem. $500-$800, no prob right? Well, yes. It is. Because they said if we have the gaskets replaced we'd end up having problems with the pistons as well, because of the pressure build up. So really, it's more like a $3,000 problem because we need an entire new engine. I don't know what will happen, we really can't afford a car payment. Not with a new baby and Shawn's job giving the guys bad job sites. I'm hoping the car will last a couple more weeks. Keep your fingers crossed. (On the flip side, I have a friend who is selling his Lincoln Towncar. The original price was $2,700 but he is offering me the car at $1,900, and since he's known me since I was a wee child, he will probably take payments. Again keep your fingers crossed.)

But this is really what keeps me going, regardless of the stress,

"Hey, mom! Look at me!" She's getting so big. And smiling. Oh, she is smiling! And what a beautiful smile it is. (Now if I had the camera right by when she did! Soon.) If you want to see more pictures of the beautiful girl, go here.

You thought I was going to post my River Socks didn't you?! Didn't you?! Well you should all be very proud because I'm 75% done with the first sock. I've knit the leg, the heel flap, turned the heel, picked up the stitches...and now I'm just working on the foot. So this is what brings me to the questions that I need answers to. (If you don't want to post in the comment box, you can email me at blueyedpenny(at)yahoo(dot)com. Much appreciated!)

1. When you are knitting from the leg down, how do you know how much yarn you will need? (I kept eyeballing the yarn and guessing that it would be enough for the foot, but now I'm not so sure. Thus, grabbing the last skein today.)
2. How do you know how much yarn you need for a certain length sock? (What if I want knee highs or anklets?)
3. If you have one big skein of yarn (say 400 yards), how do you split it for two socks? (Does this mean I need a swift and scale?)
4. And is it really easier to knit socks from the toe up so you know how much yarn you have to work with? (I'm nowhere doing any advanced patterns so I have no idea if I will be able to work the pattern backwards.)

So that's it. For now. I'll post pictures of the River Sock, (recognize that it's singular for now), tomorrow! Happy Knittin'!

I See You, I Hear You and I Feel You

I see you.

I hear you.

I feel you.

Yesterday my Socks that Rock yarn came in the mail. It's a perfect match with Dalton. And he approves. The minute he sniffed it, he hugged it and almost wouldn't let me have it back.

I started the swatch on Thursday, (I think):

And started the ribbing yesterday.

I think the colors are beautiful. They remind me of a river. All the stones and mud and the water. Since my last pair were a bit big, I cast on 64 stitches this time. They actually fit better. I decided to do a simple two row pattern in garter rib: K2, P2 around for one row and then Knit around for the next.

And today, I got my Etsy buy. The colors are very vibrant. I'm glad that I grabbed a skein. They will make very cute and fun socks. :) I'm on a roll me thinks!

Running

Today I had a library run. And a Michael's run. And a little bit of a yarn run. They were good.

I was itching to use my Michaels 40% off coupon this week. I also had a gift card. They were burning holes in my pocket. So I bought this:

I already have Nursery Knits. Both feature a lot of color knitting, but are totally worth it! This book has an adorable sundress, (though it's knit in red and white and looks like one of those barber shop poles), hats with matching scarves and mittens, and a very cute cabled jacket that I tried once and didn't like, (which I believe is due to the crappy yarn I had been knitting it with). Anyway, with my 40% off coupon and gift certificate I only had to pay $3.39 for the book. I think that's a steal, so I ran with it.

At the library I picked up a copy of How to be a Domestic Goddess by Nigella Lawson. If you love to bake, then you are going to LOVE this book. Oh my friggin' God! There is a recipe for a chocolate cake that...well, I'll show pix on Saturday when I make it! YummO! (Like Rachael Ray would say!) I also got a copy of Cute Crochet, "The Great Gatsby", (I saw it on cable the other night and felt like re-reading F. Scott Fitzgerald), and Knitting Under the Influence. Needless to say I have a little bit of reading material that will keep me busy. For a few days at least.

I should say that I don't expect to become a Domestic Goddess. More like a Domestic Princess. I can cook. I can bake. I'm only just trying to better those skills. However, I do not want to be the next June Cleaver. Just trying to clarify.

I also came across this at Scouts Swag. It's called Snowbunny.

So I bought a skein of the sport weight and hope to make some Dalton like socks soon. Run out and buy some!

I haven't done much in the actual knitting department, though I did start a swatch of the greens/browns/gray KPPM Koigu for a new pair of socks. I'll post pictures tomorrow.

Unraveled

What's this, you ask?

This is what my Orchids socks started as.

This is what my Orchids socks now are.

Shawn and I had a doctors appointment for Jem last night. I decided to bring my Orchids socks with me because I needed something to do. I decided then and there that I wouldn't continue to work on these socks. Why? Because they ended up being way too long, due to the "Knitty Gritty" taping. (If I was allowed to have a pattern on hand, I probably wouldn't of kept on knitting straight.) So I had Shawn take out the needles and start the frogging process. It was hard. But, (yes there's a but), now that I know I can turn the heel and pick up stitches, I'm ok with reknitting them.

What's this, you ask?

This is called Triple Scoop. You can find it at Sereknity's Boutique.

Yesterday turned out to be a fairly ok day. I didn't make my Dr. appointments because the car didn't get done until around 1. So I rescheduled, (with the hope that these spark plugs stay in place this time!)

But, today hasn't necessarily been all the great. Dalton got sick! On my couch. On my MICROFIBER couch. *sigh* He's sleeping on the loveseat. He seems to be better. I think I'm just getting sick of cleaning throw up. Who wouldn't?

But then I see her and it makes everything all better!

She's trying so hard to hold her neck up. As much as I love her and as much as she makes me happy, she also makes me very sad. I know it's silly to say. But I remember when Jem was born how I wished for him to grow up. To talk. To walk. To do something. I didn't enjoy the first year with him. I was 17. I was impatient. I didn't know what I was doing. But now I look at Scout and I wish I could stop time and live in a bubble for a little while. I don't want her to grow up. I don't want her to talk. I don't want her to walk. I want her to stay little. I'm 26. I'm still impatient, but not quite in a rush anymore. And now, I know what I'm doing, (somewhat).

How can I look at her and want her to grow up?

*sigh* Ah, she's my heart. And while I don't get much knitting done, (but I know you all think I do, my secret is that most of my recent posts are only about buying yarn, not knitting it, *sinister laugh*), I'm ok with staying busy doing Scout stuff.

I am Quite impressed!

Fawn. Cream. Brown. Blue.

Those are the colors of the Cat.

Quite coincidental that I just happened to email Cindy and asked if she could combine the colors of the Cat and make me some sock yarn.

However, while these are, (almost), the colors of the Cat. They seem to be, (conveniently), the colors of her cat.

The colorway is the name of her cat.

Lucky duck.

I should say, Lucky cat.

If you are looking for the same yarn because you have a cat that inspires you to knit socks, (yup, you heard me right folks, socks), then you should check this place out, because I just might buy every ounce they make of these colors. They are pretty much my favorites. Maybe that's why I like Siamese cats so much.

And while this impresses me, it doesn't impress me quite as much as my nifty little sidebars and the 3 hours it took for me to figure out how to post those buttons that made me want to switch over to Typepad. (The fact that I realized I didn't want to pay $5 a month for a blog that I could get for free settled in too. I mean $5 x 12 months= $60 yarn. Nuff said!) Figure it out I did. And so for anyone who can't figure out this new version of blogger, shoot me a line. I might be able to help you out. Might is the operative word.

I've also joined another KAL. Actually, one KAL and two swaps. I know I should swap less, but I really wanted to give the Secret Pal 10 round a chance. Maybe the person I spoil won't be such an ass. Yup, I said it. I'm sorry but it really ruffles my feathers that I spent the time, effort and money, (I had an International pal), and didn't get a thank you for nearly two months and only got one because the host had to email her, (after a number of my emails went unanswered). It's a shame. And I know it happens to a lot of people. All the same, I really hope that the next round goes a bit smoother.

I also joined the Sock of the Month 3 KAL because I'm hoping to get some incentive in actually knitting the sock yarn that I've been slowly adding to my stash. And lastly, I joined the Favorite Color Swap 2. I suppose in retrospect I am joining these swaps/KAL's/groups because while I love being a stay at home mom now, I need new friends. Ever since moving from the Valley and being in a relationship with Shawn, I've really learned who my friends are. (They aren't the ones who sat on their butts when Shawn and I, being 6 months pregnant, moved a one bedroom apartment in a small pickup truck, 50 miles roundtrip at least 7 times.) And I haven't met many women, (or men), who knit in this area. Needless to say I'm a bit lonely. (Shawn tries to understand my obsessiveness, but he really doesn't get it. Hell, I don't really get it some days either.)

So I'm jumping on the band wagon and hope to have a little fun. Maybe in the midst I'll get some knitting done too! In the meantime I'm gonna order some of that yummy stuff up above and some of this down below:

It's called Black Forest Fudge. Fudge. Yum.