Process of progress

Here are some of the things I've worked on so far this year. Pink clutch from Yarnplay book I got from hubby for Christmas. I still need to put in a liner and sew on the buttons, but you get the idea.
The beginnings of Jaywalker socks in Yarntini's Gimlet, go ahead chuckle a little and then start placing your bets, you must know I have a little case of Second Sock Syndrome. But the pattern interest me enough that I may actually finish the second one! I'm not making any promises.
Next is SNB's Kittyville Hat, I 'm almost done but I can't get my i-cord tight enough. Any suggestions? Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?.
I'm also working on some cabled gloves, some mittens for S, and I'm going to be purchashing some Malabrigo for a kids hoodie pattern I just purchased by Wendy from Knit and Tonic. I haven't even purchased the yarn and S wants to know when it will be done!

Seeing Red

1.Ruffle bag for a swap pal. 2. My fave "One Night Stand " self striping hat, named so because it takes only one night to complete. 3. A preview of my Alexander Henry tote that I'm waiting to get in the mail from Novelty Creations , on a tip from Knitdevil. 4. My missing Clara Barton cabled scarf that I've had for about 2 months and is now missing! I love this scarf and I can't find it anywhere. If you see it aimlessly roaming the cold, hard streets please tell her I miss her and want her to come home. My neck is really cold! Brrrrr.

Punk Rock Girl Strikes Again!

My Punk Rock Secret Pal struck again and this time she revealed her identity.
It is GothKnits!The package absolutely ROCKED! Not only was there stuff for me, but she also included goodies for the family. She individually wrapped everything so we got to have Christmas twice this year! The package was magnificent!!

This is what we found once we opened the packages: pink and black skully washcloths(given to husband & child), skull & bat jingle bells, bat sponge, 2 velvet coloring posters(one is done and hanging in her closet), B&W photo magazine(beautiful), classic cocktails book(yummy!), felted bag(sweet!), felted purple & black striped needle holder with handmade DPN's inside (very F@*#ing awesome!), handmade stitch markers in black, red and silver( i love them!), a miniature collie, and some dark chocolate with caramel(eaten!). I am so lucky to have such a great pal. This was such a treat and such a fun swap!Thanks again GothKnits. Love Ya!

Clean Slate

In the spirit of the New Year, I've given myself this.

Coffee and Yarn

Thanks to my Coffee and Yarn swap buddy The Knitstress for this very lovely package. There was some black licorice enclosed but S and I have just about finished it off. The coffee is from Raven's Brew Coffee and it is a special holiday blend called Santa Caws. I'm thinking of making something for S out of the pink, since she snatched it out of the box and screamed "mine!" before I could even check it out. The hank of black, pink, red, and grey is for me as these are my most fave colors together in one. What should I make with it?

Rockin' the Yarn Tour

I think I'm covered until 2007. This past Saturday 4 very highly caffeinated yarn fiends when searching for... YARN of course! At 9:00 a.m. we met at our local neighborhood caffeine dealer, grabbed a hot pastry and headed to 5 local yarn shops. Here are the results, I have all the yarn needed to finish my holiday projects as well as some stuff for my secret pal exchanges. The blues are for gloves and a hat, the Malabrigo for moi, the cotton candy pink turned into a scarf that night, and some wonderful Yarntini in Gimlet which I will work with after the holiday gifts are complete. I guess Yarntini is a hot commodity, because I had 2 girls chasing me all around the store until I purchased it. The owner of the shop pulled 2 hanks out of her special stash and said they were the last 2 she had. The pressure of these stalkers following me around made me give one back, and as soon as I set it on the counter to give back to the owner it was swooped up by one of the "yarn stalkers" and she promptly pulled out her credit card, paid for it and left. I hope she enjoys it, she worked for it! But no one told her it had way less yardage than mine and wasn't really enough to make a pair of adult socks. Oh well, maybe she has really teeny feet!

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock...

It's not enough that I put pressure on myself to make holiday presents, I now have a child who reminds me daily how many days there are left until Christmas. She made a "countdown thingie" at school and now every morning before breakfast she tells me how many days I have left. I have been knitting more than usual, but I'm not sure if it is enough. Tomorrow some of the girls from my knitting group and I are going on a yarn shop tour and afterwards coming back to the house to knit and fondle our finds. Fingers crossed after tomorrow I'll be a little closer to completing the holiday items.
Photos are: the beginning of my dad's cabled scarf. I like that it has 2 cables on one side and 3 on the opposite side, but it is taking much longer than I hoped, my completed Tote Exchange tote made from Noro and Cascade, and some super groovy chocolate cherry sock yarn that I will treat myself to when I complete my holiday stuff. Hey, it's always good to give yourself some incentive. tick-tock...

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY...

After waking to every news station covering the "purchasing frenzy" that is the day after Thanksgiving, I've decided to stay home and work on my own presents.
My 5 year old was watching with me asking "Mommy, why are all those people pushing each other to go shopping when they could be sleeping?". Ahhh, good question my child. But instead of going into a rant about why some people choose to wake up at the butt crack of dawn so they can fight there way to that "special item" that the store has only 50 of and then go sell it on E-Bay for 3 times as much to someone who can't really afford it. But wants to make sure their child isn't the kid who returns from winter break without the "super-hip-does everything-must have-electronic wonder" that will be out of style in 3 months when the next "Big Thing" is launched. I just told her some people think braving the crowds the day after is "fun". She just shook her head and said "weird".
Anyhow, after reading Worsted Witch's latest blog entry, today we have decided to stay away from the malls and stores and put together lists of what we'd like to MAKE for friends and family. This year we will try and regulate "the Hype" of Christmas as much as possible without shattering the dreams of our 5 year old. I mean I wouldn't want to make her sad by telling her that if everyone continues to (over)consume at the current rate, not only are we losing the fish, polar bears, and migratory birds. But we may be losing "ourselves".

Miss Priss

Shown as a work in progress, Miss Priss is now finished. The pattern is from Kpixie's Midnight Knitter. I've worn this scarf a few times and have received many compliments on the texture and the color. The pattern is simple but looks as if you've spent lots of time on it. The yarn is Schaefer Yarns Miss Priss and the color is Clara Barton.
Now kids here's todays history lesson about Clara Barton: Known as the Angel of the Battlefield for her to devotion to the soldiers during the American Civil War, Clara Barton then compiled the records which identified thousands of the dead and missing on the battlefield and at Andersonville prison. In 1881 she organized the American Red Cross and remained at its head until 1904. She wrote several books on the Red Cross and was instrumental in emphasizing its work in catastrophies other than war. Class dismissed...

Knit Mitt Kit Swap Answers

ARE YOU ALLERGIC TO ANY FIBERS?

No.

WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE COLORS?

Red, black, pink, purple.

ARE YOU A NEW MITT KNITTER? HOW LONG HAVE YOU BEEN KNITTING MITTENS?
Semi-new. On/off for a year.

DO YOU PREFER SOLID OR MULTI-COLORED YARN?

No preference.

WHAT FIBERS DO YOU PREFER IN MITTEN YARN?
Something soft and not too thin.
WHERE DO YOU USUALLY KNIT MITTENS?
I don't have a special place, just wherever I get a chance to knit.
HOW DO YOU USUALLY CARRY YOUR SMALL PROJECTS?
In a small pink silk bag.
WHAT ARE YOU FAVORITE MITTEN PATTERNS?
Haven't done enough to have a fave.
WHAT ARE YOUR FAVORITE MITTEN KNITTING TECHNIQUES?
See answer to previous question.
WHAT NEW TECHNIQUES WOULD YOU LIKE TO TRY?
Intarsia-Fair Isle, some type of color work.
WHAT ARE YOU FAVORITE NEEDLES FOR KNITTING MITTENS?
So far double-points.
WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE YARNS?
Malabrigo, DB Cashmerino, Schaefer, anything soft.
WHAT YARN DO YOU TOTALLY COVET?
Anything with cashmere in it, I love the softness it produces.
ANY PATTERN YOU WOULD LOVE TO MAKE IF MONEY AND TIME WERE NO OBJECT?
There are a few Rowan Patterns I would love to make, with their yarn.
FAVORITE KIND OF NEEDLES?
Depends on the pattern and yarn. I usually use bamboo or addi's.
IF YOU WERE A SPECIFIC KIND OF YARN, WHICH BRAND AND KIND OF YARN WOULD YOU BE?
A worsted/bulky handspun, multicolored with red, pink, and black, super soft yarn like malabrigo, and I'd call myself "Cherry Bomb". Is that specific enough?
DO YOU HAVE A FAVORITE CANDY OR MAIL-ABLE SNACK?
Licorice (preferably black and in a rope, although I like red too).
WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE ANIMAL?
It's a toss up between ring-tail lemurs and monkeys.
WOULD YOU PREFER SUPER WARM MITTENS OR FINGERLESS MITTS?
I wear both.
IF YOU WERE A COLOR WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE?
Red/Black.
WHAT IS YOUR MOST INSPIRING IMAGE, FLOWER, OR OBJECT IN NATURE?
The Sky.
DO YOU HAVE A WISHLIST?
Yes. On Amazon
ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO SHARE WITH THE GROUP TODAY?
Let's Swap.

pUnK RoCk PrESeNTs

I would like to send out a huge thanks to my PRGE Pal! I recieved this package a couple of weeks ago but didn't post the photo because it was missing a magnet she sent, (which is on my fridge). I was going to reshoot the contents, but now its dark when I wake up and when I get home from work (damn daylight savings!). Included in the package were a skull and crossbone washcloth, (which my daughter keeps trying to hijack), a glass jar full of dark chocolate kisses, a green leaf bar of soap, numerous packages of "knit girl" notecards, a really cool magnet( which i will photograph later), and a very cool handmade notecard. I don't know who you are, but you rock and I thank you for all the great stuff.

Coming Soon!

I apologize for the lack of posting, a little pre-occupied. I recently recieved two wonderful packages in the mail, and have started some new projects. I'll try to photograph and post them by the end of this weekend.

Funky Scarf is on its way!

Well I finished my scarf and put it in the post yesterday. The pattern is Edgar from Knitty and I really enjoyed making it. I used Lorna's Laces Shepherds Worsted in Black Pearl and really liked working with this yarn. I hope she likes it! Props to my girl Naomi for modeling for me at our Wednesday Chicks with Sticks group!

WHAT'S THAT SMELL?

Ahhh, the smell of pigs, horses, turkeys, and cows in 85 degree weather.
I got to spend the day with my daughter and 15 other kindergartners at the local pumpkin patch for their first fieldtrip- it was pretty fun minus the smells. I was going to photograph and post today, but maybe tomorrow. Aunt Flow decided to pay me a visit this afternoon, so instead I am going to take a couple of Advil, grab a heating pad, and hit the sack. See ya manana.

Speak up, I can't hear you!

Spent last nite with this man and now I'm temporarily deaf. It was an evening of flames, fireworks and free cocktails. Sully and the rest of Godsmack put on a great show and I was pleasantly surprised by his percussion abilities. Rob Zombie opened for them and his show was almost the same as I witnessed 18 years ago, you know go-go girls, monsters, vampires, manson, etc. , and lots of fire! Violet, M, and I had a fun time and didn't feel as old as we expected to(this may be due to the fact we were mixing drinks in the parking lot, like teenagers, before the show). We were surprised at how many people were as old or older than us, and I'm thinking it's because you need to have full-time job/double income to afford a concert ticket these days. I mean come on, $60.00 could buy me a decent amount of yarn.

Shout out to my "Chicks with Sticks" girls!

These are the wonderful scarves that girls from my Wednesday night knitting group donated to the Think Pink Challenge. If you're fast, there is still time to make one and donate. They have extended the deadline until mid-October. So here's to the girls-Claire, Theresa, M, Lisamarie, Naomi, Heather & Stefanie. Thanks for donating your time and for your thoughtfulness, I know they will be appreciated.

Shake it, don't break it! - Cocktail of the Month

I know I haven't posted a drink in a while, but this one is worth the wait!

Chocolate Martini

full shaker of ice, 4 shots vodka, 2 shots Godiva chocolate liquer, 2 shots white creme de cacao, splash of Baileys
shake, pour, enjoy!

What the F@&#!

From what I've heard dressing up at Walmart is making sure you wear your good slippers and a clean wife-beater.

Wanted: Two more hands!

Here are the latest knitting projects: A luxurious hank of Black Pearl from Lorna's Laces, which is being used for my Funky Scarf Swap. One almost finished Lace-Up Armwarmer from Alterknits (which I started last September on a trip to Disneyland! I know how lame is that?) A scarf that only needs the ends woven for my honey to wear to our daughters soccer games, (I think I found the perfect matching blue, don't you?) I also started my bag for the International Tote Exchange, a beanie for my daughters soccer coaches, and am halfway through a blanket for a baby shower that is at the end of this month. Oh yeah, and I just started these cool sleeves too! I guess I'll be waiting until the beginning of October to start my holiday knitting. .

Gone Fishin'

Be back Sunday. Have a nice weekend!