you'd better not pout!

santa claus is comin' to town... in one week!

or so I kept telling lollipop as I tried to photograph her for this years Christmas card. She was so bored with the whole process after 5 minutes. She tried really hard not to smile because she said "real rock stars don't smile, they just try to look cool."
After 20 minutes of begging, pleading, and bargaining (she gets to choose next years theme, WATCH OUT! she may have us all dress up in KISS gear!) we finally got a "cutesy" one of her to send to the relatives who see her once a year. this isn't it, but she wanted me to post this one instead, cuz it's cooler!

I hope to post a lot of finished knitting projects in the next week but so far I have this:

christmas works in progress invading my desk
an almost finished scarf for my dad
oh!, and some beautiful, squishy, colorful, yarn from pancake and lulu

Ho! Ho! Ho!

It's raining outside and there is nothing more I'd like to do than cuddle up on the couch and get started on some of this sock yarn. Instead I'll be leaving for work in about 20 minutes braving the commute ,which by the way, didn't work so well for me last night. I probably won't get a chance to play with this yarn until months end since I am still trying to get some Christmas presents finished. So I figured if I couldn't knit it, I may as well take a picture of it as a sort of motivational tool to get those Christmas goodies done. Can't you just here it calling - PLAY WITH ME!

Hitting the nail on the head

So here is the most fabulous yarn evah!

I know , I know, I've said it before but its for real this time! Melanie from Lotus Knits nailed it when she dyed up these colors and I love it so much that I might have to marry it.

Me: OMG I love this yarn soooo much!
Lollipop: Then why don't you marry it mommy?

Well divorces are brutal and expensive, and an affair seems easier and cheaper! So I'm just going to walk around fondling this yarn until "the" pattern comes along. My husband shouldn't mind, Lollipop already takes up room in our bed every morning, and the skein promises not to snore. Haha.
Anyway, anyone who hangs with me knows how much I love my Russian Red MAC lipstick, funky black glasses, and the White Stripes. This yarn is a tribute to these and all things red, black and white!
Viva la "Seven Nation Army"!

Sweaters, scones, and a big bad baby blanket

Started the Big Bad Baby Blanket from SNB. The pattern calls for 2 strands of Koigu held together, I opted for one strand of bulky. I started it last Thursday and I'm halfway done. It's a very mind-less, Zen-full project and I hope to have it finished this weekend.
I told myself I can't start another project until I finish the blanket so it has motivated me to get it done, FAST!
Although I am working on these:
Flair and Emerald for me and Drive-Thru for Lollipop. I've found another sweater I want to start. The Lotus Cardigan from Norah Gaughan modeled here by Cirilia from Skrilla Knits. Simple, stylish and looks good with jeans. I need one! I'm having trouble getting the pattern for it seems to be sold out everywhere, which may be for the best since I should finish the other 3 before I cast on another.
The photos in the middle are of fabulous food and friends. We had our Skeins and Scones get together a couple weeks ago. It was kind of like our Wednesday night meet-up of Chicks with Sticks but on the weekend with yummy food, mimosas, and a lot more time to knit! I really loved the fact that I didn't have to leave the house. Cheers to all who came and brought awesome treats. Can't wait for next month!

like mother, like daughter...

we hope you all had a fabulous halloween. we did!
started the day with coffee with a friend, then we got to celebrate in the classroom with all the cutest kids in the cutest costumes. had a fun neighborhood party and lots of trick- or- treating. the funniest part was hearing the group of 10-12 kids yell "trick-or-treat" each time someone opened their door, it seriously startled a couple of people. We stopped when the kids started complaining about their legs hurting and their bags being "too full". one boy said his bag must weight at least a million and two pounds!!! Lollipop was a "cheerless cheerleader" and my make-up was inspired by this cute Lillyionia doll that pink purl turned me on to, she also did my eyes for me. fun was had by all, we hope you had a nice night too!

must be something in the water

Contrary to the activity on this blog, I really have been knitting. I've been in baby knit mode, since it seems in the last month almost everyone I know is pregnant. My friend Jen, seen here wearing Jake's hat because we tried to get him to keep it on long enough for a photo, (which as you can see 3 kids and 1 adult could not get done) just recently got thumbs up that she'll be able to adopt him and then just found out that she's pregnant! Mel is having a little boy after two cute girlie girls and then Carla who I just recently caught up with after 1 1/2 years, is due soon with her third.
I found this cute pattern at Knitique by Mountain Colors and am modifying it just a little for each child. I am also throwing in some mittens, and maybe some booties too!
Here is the first set for baby Jake. He is turning 1 today and I wanted to give him a special welcome to his new family. He's had a difficult 1st year with addictions to several drugs, learning disabilities, and just plain looking for someone to love him. Jen and Damon are awesome people with great big hearts and I know they will make great parents for him and the baby on the way, just as they have for their son Logan. Happy Birthday Jake!

Scrum-dili-o-cious!

I didn't get much knitting done over vacation, but I did receive these scrumptious items in the mail. I'll be using Yarn Chef's Buttercream yarn in Merlot for a shawl for my mom. Lotus Yarns Nirvana in Hopeless Romantic will become socks and matching armwarmers for "lollipop" and Yarn Chef's Bouillabaisse in Circus Tent will be socks for me.

VaCaTioN

Hey all! I'm on vacation. Can you picture it? Sandy beaches, crystal blue water, a cocktail in one hand and a good book in another. Yeah, me either!
Instead I'm at home cleaning and organizing one of the last rooms affected by our April Fools Flood. It kind of sucks that I have to use vacation to "clean house", but it is something that must be done. The holidays are coming, and I love entertaining for Halloween, Thanksgiving and Christmas, ( mostly Halloween though)! I have found some old WIP's during this process and I'm trying do decide if I want to finish 'em or frog 'em. See ya in a couple of days!

Quick Fix

This past week has been hectic! Work, soccer kick-off week, and numerous trips to the chiropractor found me wanting to work on a project that:
A. is mindless
B. is fast
C. uses yarn I already have

Where would I go to find such a thing you ask?
RAVELRY OF COURSE!
I searched their miscellaneous section until something caught my eye, and there it was:
Wellenreiter by Iris Wilde
of Strickmasche
Size 10 needles, 2 random balls of Noro Kureyon from my stash (one was rewound, it was a hat that was too small, and the other ball is leftover from a felted purse), and time. Lord knows I've had time this weekend. I can't really do much else but sit and knit or lay and knit with my icepacks. I started yesterday morning and it's almost done. It goes so fast and like a child I'm amazed at how beautifully each color blends in as I knit along.

happy

Knitting these socks makes me happy!

I'm already planning an outfit for work and I haven't even finished the first one.Why? Because when I work on them in the office everyone has to comment. What are you making? What is that? Why are those sticks so small? Oh, very interesting! Are those for your daughter? Nope! They are for me, Melanie nailed it with this color. A perfect blend of colorful, bold, and girlie.

"The Bag"

Here are the bags that I made for Kristie over at Chickbags. The felted clutch on the bottom was a simple knit and full. I love the way these bags turn out. I've made a quite a few and love how every one turns out, but I'm really fond of this blue/green color combo. The knitted bag, quite a different story. For being such a "simple pattern" this bag gave me a quite a few challenges. As you can see the bag is a combination of knit, purl, cables, and seed stitch, easy enough. HA!
Although the pattern is simple, getting ALL that purling to look even was not! After I finished the knitting there was the sag factor. With suggestion from my knitting group girls, we decided that I needed a liner. GREAT IDEA! Oops, wait I don't know how to sew.
So the lovely Taryn brought her sewing machine and the ever so helpful Laurie brought her sewing skills. Put these two together and what do you get? A liner for the bag!
Laurie gave both Taryn and myself a basic lesson about the machine since neither of us had a clue, though we both own brand new sewing machines that we've had for over a year!
Taryn machine sewed the liner together, and then I hand-sewed the liner in to the knitted bag. The funniest part of the process: the manager at Panera's looking at our knitting circle, wondering why there was a sewing machine on his table, as well as a swift and a ball winder.
The best part: the wonderfully friendly, helpful, and craftastic girls I've met at my Wednesday nite knitting group! You guys R-O-C-K!!!

All Grown Up?...

I'm not sure how this happened, but my baby is entering the 1st grade. I think I was more anxious than she was. She popped out of bed, ate her breakfast, got herself dressed. She even brushed her teeth and did her hair without me asking, and in our house that's a big deal (or usually an ordeal.) Today it was her Dad and I who were running around like chickens with our heads cut off. Where's the backpack? Is her info packet filled out? Is she having hot lunch or should we make her something? I'm sure it had something to do with the ridiculously early time they have to start school that threw us, 7:45 a.m. what the ----!
Anyway she made it on time, she got to see all the friends she missed over summer, and she got right back in to the groove without missing a beat. The smile in this photo is forced because she only wanted me to take a picture of her backpack, but after a little begging and pleading, she decided to turn around.
As for me, I'm sure I'll need a little more time to adjust to the time difference. But when I do I'll actually gain an hour before I have to drive in to work. Perhaps some extra time to enjoy my coffee and get some knitting on.

Today's post brought to you by the letter...

FIBER= Handspun by Yarn Ball Boogie, the most mellow combination of avocado and sky blue, thick and thin
FELTED= Clutch I made for a crafty girl over at Chickbags
FRIEND= A fawn necklace for a best friend from Imogen

FRANK= What can I say, I'm feeling a bit nostalgic

F= Letter from a FedEx sign we drove by after dessert tonight

Busy B

Sorry for the lack of posting, but I have actually been working on lots of different projects! Photos to come the next couple of days. Hope everyone is having a great week. Now I'll go back into my cave and try to get some of these projects done!

Get it while it's Hot!

Get it while you can! Pre-order the Premiere Issue of Mixtape on Etsy. Justine of 62 Cherry and pal Nikkishell, are putting together what looks to be quite a zine. Mixtape is a collision of craft, eco-cool and pop culture kitsch und drang Issue 1 features:
Craft 101, trashy movies, best of Etsy, 5 ways to go green, puzzles, and more. But hurry, looks like the girls only planned on making 100, and it seems as if there are almost double that already ordered. Props to Auntycookie for the cover design, isn't it cute? I just love the sewing machine in the tree, and the bunny in the corner, and the little girl knitting, and okay I'll stop...

The Question Is...

what do I make with this wonderful fiber??
I am having so much fun staring at it, touching it, photographing it. I know,I know - it's starting to get a little creepy, but I love this yarn sooo much and I want to make sure I do it justice by finding the right pattern. I love how bright the pink is, and I love how when wound into a cake it comes out with this argyle-type look. Now I'd love to find a pattern. Any suggestions?

Dead Milkmen

Thanks to the wonderful Lotus Knits for making my month by sending me this fabulous yarn. I squealed when I got it in the mail, and it procured a similar response when I showed it to my best friend Naomi. It's name: Punk Rock Girl just like the Dead Milkmen's song from the late 80's, so I thought I'd photograph it with my Docs from that same time period. Yikes! I can't believe I've had these boots over 20 years. I love the contrast of the pink and black and I can't wait to find a sock pattern that will be worthy of this yarn. Now maybe I can persuade her to make a colorway that consist of red, white, and black for one of my favorite bands, The White Stripes. Perhaps she could name it "Icky thump", or "Jack and Meg". Just maybe...

Sweater swatch

Here it is almost 100 degrees in sunny California and what do I find? A pattern for my Cherry Tree Hill Yarn that I purchased sometime last Fall. These aren't my "normal" everyday colors, but there is something about fall that makes me want to wear browns, plums, deep reds, and dusty grays.
The pattern is Emerald from Knitty, and it looks to be the perfect match for the casual, comfy sweater I've been searching for. It should be a pretty quick knit, but I'm not speeding through it since I won't be able to wear it for a few months. Besides, there is only so much bulky wool one can handle when it's so toasty outside.

Bean's Room

The paint is dry and now it's time to start decorating Bean's room- with guidance and input from the princess of course. The goal is to have her room fully functional for friends and summer sleepovers by her birthday, which is a week and a half away. Her prints arrived from the Black Apple and are ready to frame and hang. I plan on building her nightstand tomorrow, and hopefully daddy will have her hardwood floors done by the end of this week. Bean has been such a trooper through this whole flooded house thing, that I want to make sure she sets up her room her way. She picked the paint color, the prints, and once all the furniture is done, she can set it up how she wants.

Sunday...

These little ingredients, pictured above, ended up making some great pancakes this morning. So much so that I made a second batch after breakfast, and put them in the freezer for whoever gets a craving. G and S liked them and S liked them even more when I cut hers into stars. Now they are "superstar pancakes". Taryn posted the recipe last week and made it sound so simple, which it is, that I had to try it. They're great! Light, fluffy, and flavorful. They don't have that sometimes gritty, chalky, floury taste like my regular stand-by pancake mix, and they were a cinch to make. Thanks Taryn!

I'd also like to give T a big shout out because she gave us quite the spread for International Knitting Day yesterday. We nibbled on fresh fruit, veggies, scrumptious shortbread cookies, warm focaccia and dipping oil. While we indulged in those goodies her boyfriend was preparing linguisa and "nuggets of happiness", which consist of a small chunk of chicken and a slice of jalapeno wrapped in bacon and cooked on the BBQ. They were hot, but so good that even though we couldn't feel our tongue or lips, we were compelled to keep eating them. Thanks for a wonderful afternoon of knitting and knoshing.
I started a lavender skirt for S from Barefoot Knits, the yarn is from a tank knit last summer that no longer fits her, so I figured I'd re-use it.
The finished object is my grandmothers lace poncho. I will be mailing it to her this week since it was a present for her 90th birthday a couple of weeks ago. I love the way it drapes and feels and I can't wait to see it on her!
Last but most definitely not least, I'd like to thank Justine from 62 Cherry for this wonderful package.
She sent me polka dots(see cute bags above), leopard(a bag and some extra material for my own devisings) some dice, and then the coolest club, heart, diamond, and spade buttons! She also made 2 of the most ace Cd's I have ever owned and sent it all with a charming card and chocolate. What more could a girl ask for? Nothing. Thank you Justine!