Another Good Christmas

Well Christmas is over, the presents have been unwrapped, the dinner has been cooked and we're not to far from finishing up another year. Where in the world did this year go? It seems to have gone by so quickly.

We had a great Christmas here in the Luvs2knit family.

The girls loved all their gifts and have been playing with them almost non stop since they were taken out of the package. Shawn is very happy with his Zelda game for the Wii and the dogs are enjoying the toys Santa left for them in their stockings. I'm also enjoying my gifts.

Shawn and the girls got me a Namaste Laguna in Peacock, a skein of Miss Babs Yummy sport weight sock yarn in Denim, 3 new knitting books, a coffee grinder (hubby gets bonus points for this one since it wasn't on my wishlist but I've been wanting a good grinder), and Kaity got me a mom coffee cup and a pretty little angel bell.

I think I even have a pattern picked out for the sock yarn and now that I have a bag big enough for everything I need, I can ditch the diaper bag for something a little more stylish. I've already queued up several patterns from my new books.

I'll be back at the end of next week with an end of the year wrap up. Hope everyone is enjoying their time off and got what they've been wishing for.

Happy Crafting!

Fa La La La La

La La La Laaaaaa! It is the season to be jolly, isn't it? I'd be a lot more jollier if it was a little warmer here. Guess I could go buy me a little Captain Morgan's and Coke to make things a lot more warmer and jollier and I do believe I'd forget all about the cold weather.  ;~)

Oh, wait you guys are in shock aren't you? I just did a post the other day and now I'm posting again. Scary, I know! I'll probably post again in a few more days since Christmas is less then 3 days away.

I was planning on a trip to the Bahamas (in my dreams) to warm up but seeing as the flight and hotel are going to run me around $3,000 (could be a little cheaper but I don't want to stay in the no tell motel so it's gonna cost more) not including food I guess I'll have to stay here and freeze my butt off. So what do you do when it's -8 outside?

Why you buy a Frappuccino from Starbucks! Nothing makes a cold day better then a cold Caramel Frapp from Starbucks. It's funny when people look at you as if you've gone crazy. Specially the ones who give you that look when they are standing there holding an ice cold soda. How is my cold frapp any worse then getting a cold soda on ice? Just in case you guys haven't figured it out, I enjoy being the odd duck in the group.

The lone package from TLE came in.

This poor package was shipped out on the 15th of Dec and came in today 22 Dec.....talk about slow moving mail. I had a first class package from Texas that beat this one by 5 days. Crazy holiday mail! The yarn is going to be used to make a hat for Shawn. He wants a hat with the pirate skull and crossbones on it. I think I have a pattern picked out but need to discuss it with Shawn first since he's the one who will be wearing it.

I have an FO to share with you.

I meant to put this in the last post but forgot about it. In my defense it was a big post full of stuff. I knit a helmet liner for Shawn. He needed something warm to wear while he's out in the cold shoveling snow. I used blue yarn (Valley Yarns Northampton) for this one since he'll only use it at home. He has a black one at work with his cold weather gear that was bought for him to wear when he's in uniform and has to work outside.

I've been chugging right along on my Bee Fields (Ravelry)(non Ravelry) shawl since I finished my Christmas knitting.

I've gotten quite a bit done in the last few days. I have about 30% of the shawl complete. I'm about 28 rows from completing the Bee Swarm section. This poor shawl has been put into time out way to many times. It's time to finish it up. Plus some time after the first of the year I need to get one started for my mom. I haven't figured out what I'm going to do with this one when it's complete. I'm not really a big lace shawl wearer. Maybe a decoration to hang on a wall?

I've also made good progress on my socks.

I only worked on these in the car. I have a few more inches until I'm done with these. I like longer cuffs on my socks. Since these are made out of worsted weight yarn they will most likely become boot socks. When I wear my shearling sheepskin boots I have to wear thick boot socks or they slide around on my feet. My favorite socks are some black cold weather boot socks I bought to wear with my military uniform. They cost me $8 a pair but they've lasted me 10 winters now. These boots are 500 times more comfortable then my snowboots and a lot warmer. The link I gave is to the boots I bought last year (yes I bought mine from Overstock their prices are great).  They have a lug sole so they have good traction. The parking lots around here are slick with snow and ice so shoes with good traction are a must. If you want a comfy pair but don't want to pay out the price for Uggs these are a great buy. Ugg brand boots similar to the Bear Paw boots I bought will run you around $160-$200 for a pair. I don't wear cheapo shoes but I'm also not into spending $$$ on shoes.

I am not into fashion at all. I'm all about the comfort. I'm a Levi's and Hanes T-shirts kind of gal. I have a total of 7 pair of shoes none of them cost me more then $100 and do not own one single suit or anything that someone would consider fashionable. I would probably shock Stacy and Clinton on What Not to Wear. I've only seen the show a few times but refuse to watch anymore because they get down right mean and nasty about what people wear. Insulting people with a smile on your face and a giggle in your voice does not make it any less mean or hurtful. Yes some people want to be on the show and know they are going to be criticized but there are plenty who have no idea they are going to be on the show because they were put in by meddling family who can't accept them for the way they are. On one show a woman was practically in tears after they tore her clothing choices apart. Not watching the show is a person preference for me, everyone is allowed to like what they want to like, so it doesn't bother me one bit if you like the show. To each their own I always say.

Oops, I got sidetracked, now back to knitting. Sometimes I'm so easy distracted.

I've also been working on my moms Errant socks.

I would like to get these finished up soon. Plus if I finish these then I can cast on another pair, maybe for myself. I have several yarns sitting in my "to be knit next" basket.

Kaity's A-line Coat is done.

Well almost done. I need to get some buttons for it. I have my eye on some ladybug buttons from an online website. I was going to see what JoAnns had but Bree was getting tired and fussy so we decided to come home. Plus the weather was cold and nasty. I'll just order from the online store so I can pick up some other buttons for a few projects I have on my list to do. I really want to start a button stash.

I think that just about covers it for now. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Wonderful Kwanzaa, just another damn day, etc and an excellent New Year!

I'll leave you with Shadow.

It's been awhile since she's been in a post. I think she likes the new bed we bought her. I do believe that's what complete and total relaxation looks like.

Happy Crafting!

Still Freezin'

The weather here is still suckish. Since the weather here is hovering around subzero temps (when you factor in the wind chill it goes below zero) I'm contemplating a trip to The Bahamas. Check out their weather. I don't think you can get much better then that! Anyone else want to join me?

Today's post is a goodie post. I've received a few things in the mail since my last knitting post.

I wanted to see for myself what the Noro Kureyon sock is like.

I have some of the Silk Garden Sock and it's pretty nice but I wanted to see what the Noro Sock is like. Since the only way to find out if you are going to like a yarn is to buy some and try it I've been keeping an eye out on the Ravelry Destash board for some. This is colorway S185. It's definitely rougher then any sock yarn I've ever used but I'll give it a try. I can handle scratch specially if it softens up a little bit and is warm. Plus Noro's colors are gorgeous.

I bought the new Socks a la Carte sock book.



I have a half a bazillion bonus points with my book club so I used some to get this book and it cost me less then $10 with shipping. The book actually came in when it was still a pre-order from Amazon and SWTC. Guess the book club decided to get a head start on things.

It's a unique book and I only have two complaints. The first one is that they used a red yarn to knit the sample socks so some of the sock patterns don't show up as well. Hello, everyone knows that red is one of the most difficult colors to photograph. The second is that after you build up the sock the way you want it you have to go to three different pages for the instructions. This can be a little annoying. I generally make a copy of the pattern so I can make notes, changes, etc so it's not a deal breaker for me but I have a scanner/copier/printer so making a copy isn't a problem for me. All in all I think it's a pretty good book and the fact that it helps you customize your sock is awesome.

Two knit coffee mugs.

Shawn picked these up from me today. How can a knitter pass up knit coffee cups? They are fairly lightweight so they don't kill my hands to hold them when they are full of coffee.

Some yummy Twisted Fiber Art Kabam!

I got this from someone who was destashing on Ravelry. The colorway is Saucy. The colors are gorgeous and it's a self striping so I'm happy now. Although I still want to get my hands on some of the Warlock colorway. Kabam! is a merino/bamboo/nylon blend. I really like the merino/bamboo blends. I missed this last update but there's always hope that I'll catch the next one.

A sock project bag.

Don't you just love all the funky fun colors? During this time of year anything bright and cheering is welcomed. I picked this bag up from Annie Purl who was wonderful to deal with. She sent me a message to let me know that she'd dropped the package off at the PO. It's a great project bag and the perfect size to hold my current "to go" sock project. Plus if Santa is kind and brings me my new knitting bag I requested it will fit in there wonderfully.

Some very yummy holiday Madelinetosh sock yarn.

I picked this up when Madelinetosh did her holiday update on etsy. The colorway is Grinch. I love the colors and am looking forward to knitting with it.

Wollmeise, who can pass up Wollmeise!

I swapped with a Ravelry user for this color, Tiefer See which is gorgeous mix of blues and greens. She was looking for the Sultan colorway and I had fell out of love with it so we swapped and everyone's happy!

Christmas Sock Monkey (Ravelry)(non Ravelry).

It's now complete and ready to be loved by Kaity. I'm thinking about making it a hat and scarf. We wouldn't want the poor monkey to get cold now would we. Plus Kaity is going to ask for them anyway. It might get a little cardi too.

Christmas Bucket O' Balls (Ravelry)(non Ravelry).

This one is made for Bree. I was going to make her a monkey but decided she'd have more fun with these toy instead. I used several different colors of Red Heart Classic from my stash. It's not my most favorite yarn to knit with but I wanted something durable.

Now I leave you with cute toddler!

I had a doctors appointment the other day and since the wicked freezing cold weather is still here it calls for warm stuff. I found the hat/mitten set on sale at Kmart....isn't it so cute? It's a tad big but that's OK Bree didn't seem to mind.

Happy Crafting!

Gingerbread Livin'

What do you do when it's -12 and way to cold to play outside? Well too cold unless you want to risk frostbite. Why you make a gingerbread house of course! We've been having freakishly cold weather here. It's about 8am here and it's -22 F, -42 if you factor in the windchill. That's way to cold for any sane person to be outside. Needless to say Shawn took Kaity to school this morning. No way was she standing outside to wait for the bus when it's that cold out.

Kaity and I started the gingerbread house after Bree laid down for her nap but Bree helped finish the house after she got up. I'll just post the pics so you all can see.

Told you it was lots of fun! We bought the gingerbread house kit at Sam's Club a few weeks back for less then $10. This thing is huge and actually smells and tastes like gingerbread. It's much bigger then any of the ones you can buy at Michaels, JoAnns, etc. for around the same price and those are super stale and don't have that lovely gingerbread smell....well at least the few I have bought haven't. The bonus was these came with 6 gingerbread snowman ornaments. Course there are only 5 in the picture because Kaity ate one.

The Wii has been a handy thing too since it's to cold to go outside and it doesn't look like there is any relief in sight. At least with the Wii you get some exercise while you play.

I'll be back in a few days with a knitting related post. I should have some FOs and most likely some goodies too.

Happy Crafting!

Yarn Goodies

** I'm changing the title because the other one keeps attracting tons of Spam.

Dear Great Falls Water Department,

Could you kindly do something about making the tap water taste a little better. It smells and tastes like I have a direct line pumping water from the Missouri River to my house. It tastes so bad that I'm willing to cut into my yarn stash money to fork out money to have more water delivered to my house. When water tastes this bad it makes a person wonder if it's really all that safe to drink. In all the places I've lived so far this has got to be the #1 nastiest tasting water.

Thank you for your time,
The Luvs2knit Household

Seriously the water here tastes nasty. I swear my water is pumped straight from the Missouri River with no filtration at all. We use to use the bottled water for drinking but now we use it for cooking and I've resorted to using it for my coffee. We have our water delivered in the 5 gallon reusable bottles and the company we go through delivers once a month. So all in all I think we are doing pretty good from the environmentally friendly standpoint.

I'm loving the new haircut but I'm definitely going to take it a wee bit shorter when I go in again. I have received some goodies in the mail since my last post.

First up is an order from TLE.

I needed some more knitters hand soap and of course to keep the soap from being lonely I picked up a sock pattern and another skein of Malabrigo Sock....the color is off in the photo. For a more accurate photo you can see it here on my Flickr page. In the month of December if you are a Loopy Groupie and place an order you'll get a 2009 Romney Ridge calendar. I love looking at all the sheepy photos.

Next up is a my very first order from Perfect Day Yarns.

This is the Ode to a Sea Sock which is a merino/seacell yarn. The color is Can't Catch Me! I fell in love with this color combo the minute I saw it.

Lastly is my Twisted Fiber Art Arial and the colorway is Flair.

It's a mutating variegated. I was hoping for one of the self striping but I love the colors and I think I have the perfect pattern picked out. Guess I will have to keep on looking for some self striping. I'd really love to get my hands on a skein of the Warlock color way.....drool. Although Warlock isn't the only colorway I want, check out their colorways....yum! I think the only base yarn I wouldn't care for is their Shiny which is a merino/tencel base. I'm not really big on tencel in sock yarn.

I have one monkey done, well almost done since it still needs to be stuffed and seamed. I've decided not to make a second monkey so this one will be for Kaity. Bree isn't really a big stuffed animal kid. I may make another one later on down the road but not right now. I have a toy picked out for Bree and have already started it. It's the Bucket O' Balls pattern (Ravelry)(non Ravelry). I'm using some girly colored acrylic from my stash.

Shawn has already finished my Christmas shopping and I know he placed one order to Woolgirl and another to Amazon. Of course he's been teasing me with it** since he already got a portion of his Christmas gift. We bought him a new pair of boots from Corral West which is going out of business. We didn't want to pass up the sale plus there is no way I could buy something like that for him without him trying it on. He offered to give me one of my gifts but I resisted the temptation and will wait for Christmas morning. Yup, I'm a fool!

** No he is not being mean to me. It's all in fun.

I think that just about sums it up for now. Hopefully I'll be back again soon with some knitting progress.

Anyone have a nice warm place for me to stay. I'm thinking the The Bahamas are sounding really good bout now. The temps are going to start plummeting tonight and are suppose to hit as low as -29 on Sunday night. Mondays high is suppose to be a balmy -12 degrees. This is friggin' insane. NOAA is stating that we could see 7-10 inches of snow by tomorrow night....Yikes!

****FYI, I'm in the US so all my temps are in Farenheit.

12 Days till Christmas!

Happy Crafting!

New Hair

You guys all remember the other day when I said I was getting my hair cut. Well I went through with it today. I know, I know you're saying come on Trish get on with it, we want to see the pictures. OK, so here we go.

Before Shot (this is how long my hair is, not that you'd ever see me walking around with my hair down.

This is what I would look like if you seen me on the street.

OK, well I'd most likely have a smile on my face but I hate trying to smile for the camera. My smiles tend to look like someone is driving a bamboo shoot under my fingernails and I'm trying not to cry out. You get the picture, my smiles tend to look not so great. I do smile, I swear.

After Shot (keep in mind it's windy today so hair is a little windblown:

I went with a length that's just above my shoulders this time but I think when I go back in Feb I may take it a little shorter. You can't see it but the back is all different lengths so it a lot lighter. Over all I'm pretty happy with the cut and am glad to be rid of my long hair.

I'll be back here in a day or two with a post about my latest acquisitions. The sun is out and I want to see if I can get some better pictures.

Happy Blogiversary To Me

Wow. It's hard to believe that it's been 2 years since I started this blog. I know I've been kind of erratic with my posting lately. Thanks to all of you who have hung on through the blog blahs. I'm not going to do a contest right now but will be holding one after the first of the year.

Today is the anniversary of the Attack on Pearl Harbor. A date in history that is more significant then my blogiversary. Please remember our veteran old and young during this holiday season or better yet year round. Visit a VA hospital, give to the USO, make a scarf, hat, helmet liner, sock, etc. for our troops. Contact your local VA hospital about donating knit or crocheted gifts to patients. There are many in the armed services who are going to be thousands of miles away from their loved ones....even the most tiniest things from home can help. Lets also not forget the veterans in hospitals who may not have family to be with this year. Everyone needs a little cheer. I highly recommend checking out some of the groups on Ravelry that are dedicated to supporting our troops. The America Supports You site is also full of info. Any one else have any good links? Please feel free to leave them in with your comments.

I do have lots to show you guys. I've finished 4 projects since my last post and have finally gotten photos, although not very good ones. We've finally hit winter like weather here which anyone in this area knows that that means colder temps, horrible winds, and lack of sunshine. The lack of sunshine is the worst part.

I finished the baby blanket.



It's ready to go to my cousin M. I really hope she likes it and gets a lot of use out of it. It's on the smaller side but should be big enough to tuck around wee one when he's in his carseat or stroller. The pattern is Baby Cable Blanket (Ravelry) and the yarn is Cascade 220 Superwash. I'd have to say it's my most favorite superwash yarn. Regular Cascade 220 kicks butt too.

I knit a square dishcloth.



The chart was sent to me by KnitTech to see if the instructions worked for me. They did and I now have a square cloth.....very cool. The only thing I'd do differently next time would be to use a provisional cast on so I could graft the stitches together or do a three needle bind off for a smoother finish.

I finished the Circles Cloth (Ravelry)(non Ravelry).



Well actually it was suppose to be another one or two pattern repeats longer but I deemed it long enough and bound off. I was getting tired of working on it and wanted to move on. It's a knitter right to do as she pleases.

I knit a pair of fingerless mitts for my mom.



She requested another pair when we were on the phone the other day and being the good kid I am I started a pair immediately. The pattern used was Irish Hiking Scarf Armwarmers (Ravelry)(non Ravelry). I really like this pattern but I need to make a few adjustments for the next pair. These mitts are knit flat and then seamed which makes it a faster knit for me. I knit these in a few hours. I used some Noro Silk Garden from my stash. I only had one ball so the stripes don't match. Hopefully mom won't mind. I had 1-2 yards leftover from the skein. If you want matchy stripes with this pattern you need to use two skeins.

I'll make mom
another pair after the first of the year. I have 17 days to get my
Christmas knitting finished. I have one Monkey that's just about
finished and one more to go. I'll make it if I work on only those
whenever I can.

I have a great start on my CPY Merino 5 socks.



These are for myself using a generic toe up pattern I generated using Sock Wizard for Mac. I used a turkish cast on, k3, p2 ribbing and will be using a short row heel. The yarn was acquired from a fellow Ravelry user. It's Crystal Palace Yarns Merino 5 Print, colorway Mocha Chai. I really like this yarn. It's making very squishy socks.

Typepad in all it's awesomeness has fixed my commenting issues. My problems all started when my blog was moved to the beta system. I sent them an email letting them know about my problem and they fixed it. So I'm back to normal again....woot!

Tomorrow evening I'm going in to have my hair cut off. I'm sick of the long hair and it's always in a bun so I might as well chop it off. If there's enough I'll be donating my hair to Locks of Love. I'll see about taking before and after pics to post.

I should be back here in the next few days for a post with some goodies in the mail. I finally got my first skein of Twisted Fiber Arts sock yarn. I found some one on Ravelry who was destashing a skein. I've been wanting to try their yarn forever!

Happy Crafting!

Not Perfect But Better!

Dear Typepad,

I'm writing you to inform you of my unhappiness with one of your "improvements". You say that you're making Typepad better for everyone but you've done something that is driving me crazy. You have messed with the way my blog comments are emailed to me and it's driving me insane.

I use to get my comments emailed to me by a no reply Typepad email address. All I had to do was highlight the comment in the email and hit reply and something magical happened, the email address of the person who commented showed up in the To: section of my reply email. Now it no longer does that. Typepad's email shows up in the To: section and I have, on more then one occasion, hit send before changing the email address. If you get tired of getting my emails please feel free to go back to the old way of doing things. I won't mind one bit!

This saddens me deeply. Is there anyway, Mr(s). Typepad, for you to change this back to the way it was? I was so happy before you took that away from me. Please can I have my happiness back?

Thank you,
luvs2knit

Alright so maybe telling Typepad that I'll be forever unhappy in life because they messed with emailing comments is stretching it but it is rather annoying considering that it's work beautifully for me since I signed up for my Typepad blog in April of 2007 (I think it's Apr 07, I'm too lazy to actually look it up) and now whamo it's not working because they are making "improvements". What a pain!

Well now that I've gotten that out of my system I can move on to other things.

Good news, I've added my free knitting patterns to Ravelry and am now linked as a designer. I have no idea if anyone has ever knit these pattern with the exception of me but they are there for anyone who wants them. You can find them here.

I've done a little yarn acquiring. I've been rather good here lately so a little splurge was in order.

Harry Potter Opal sock yarn.



This is the Tonks colorway. I bought this from p2tog which is a UK yarn shop. She has a shop on ebay and a regular website. She has a nice selection of yarn, great communication, and ships quickly. The bonus is she sends a free sock and glove pattern. This isn't my first order from p2tog. It took about 5 days to get here from the UK. I picked this up for a little over $16 which included shipping. Here in the states this same ball of yarn would cost me $23 plus shipping. That's a pretty big savings when you are trying to make your dollars stretch. It's the only colorway I really wanted out of the Harry Potter collection and the price was right.

Some Crystal Palace Yarns Merino 5, colorway: Mocha Chai.



I've been wanting to try this one for awhile and I found someone on Ravelry who was destashing some at a price I couldn't pass up. This is going to become a pair of warm socks for me as soon as I finish up the girls Sock Monkeys and the baby blankie. Right now those two things take priority of my knitting time with the exception of the test knit which is the highest priority. The test knit is almost finished though.

JL Yarn Bamboo Zania (ebay)(etsy).



I picked this up on ebay pretty cheap. It's a 50% Bamboo/50% Wool blend sock yarn. I'm wondering how well it will work and if it has enough spring in it to make nice socks.

This final acquisition was a very generous gift from a friend.



Four very yummy skeins of Tosh Worsted in the Jade colorway. These skeins will soon become warm winter wear for myself. I have plans to make Habitat (Ravelry)(non Ravelry), Evangeline (Ravelry), and Birthday Cowl (Ravelry)(non Ravelry).

I've started the Monkeys for the girls. I'm at the body of the first monkey. I won't be posting pics until they get them for Christmas. Kaity frequently looks over my shoulder when I'm at the computer and the last thing I want her to do is see a picture of them in my iPhoto album or in my Ravelry Notebook. She knows how the Ravelry Notebook works and that most likely anything in it is for her or her sister. She's one sharp cookie!

Shawn is suppose to be getting some excess school money. Since his computer is less then a year old we decided to spend some of it on a LCD HDTV. The TV we have is a temp replacement to the TV that died when we moved up here.....I'm still not convinced the horrid movers didn't do something to kill it. If you'd have seen what they did to some of our stuff you'd most likely agree. We want to splurge a little since we can, so hopefully very soon I will have a 42" TV to watch NCIS and CSI Miami. It doesn't take much to entertain me. A little yarn and a big screen TV to watch my favorite shows on....what more could a girl ask for. :~)

I'd like to thank everyone who left me comments or emailed me after my last post. Most days I can easily ignore the bad things but after awhile it all piles up and it just starts weighing me down. Things are so much easier when you have friends to talk to. Although we haven't met I consider you all friends. (((Big Hugs))) I've taken to recording The Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson so I can watch it in the morning. He's such a crack up and what better way to start the day then to laugh your butt off.

Happy Crafting!

Misery Loves Company....

So someone needs to get out here to keep me company because frankly I'm miserable.

Please forgive me but I need to rant about the extreme _______ that live in this town.....feel free to fill in the blank with your favorite insult, cuss word, etc for the people who annoy the living day lights out of you. I'm trying to keep it clean for polite company but I have some really creative words for the moronic population of this town. I've been through quite a few cities thanks to the military and I've got to say this one is at the top of my list of places I will never live in again.

I'm beginning to believe that they hand out drivers license in this town without individuals having to prove that they can drive. The police force here is pretty much non existent. We go into town frequently and I can count on one hand how many times I've seen a cop in the past year and of those times all but one time were on the main road near the military base. Guess the main priorities of the local cops is to catch the speeding military members. In the past year we have almost been hit 6 times. One of those just happened today too. Some crazy lady in an SUV was in a hurry and tried to get into our lane. If we wouldn't have honked the horn she would have hit our car. She then proceeds to be childish by riding our bumper until another car turns and then went flying past us giving us nasty looks...yup, real mature I know. As if her dirty looks hurt my feelings. I could care less.

The people here are generally rude and nasty. I had one lady practically cuss me out one day because I blocked her from going through the door because I was coming out of the door with Bree in the stroller. She starts telling me that I'm going "out" through the "in" door. Now the store I was at does not have doors marked for entrance and exit. You just go in and out of which ever door you want to.

I can't tell you how many times I've been smacked with carts or cussed at because I was in some ones way. Everyone here seems to be in a hurry. I haven't been in any stores in this town that this hasn't happened. I've been here a little over a year and I'm miserable. The base isn't bad but I hate the town! I hate it here because I'm so uncomfortable with driving in this town that I stay home all the time.

I'm one of those people who thinks that an military assignment is what you make of it. If you think you're going to be miserable you probably will be unless you do something to change things. I hated being stationed in the south because of the weather but I had a great time because of all the friends I made. Not to mention that there isn't anything better then some southern comfort food or better yet Cajun food.....man I miss the food. Idaho wasn't too bad except for the last few years before we left. Things were getting bad for Shawn at work and there were changes on the base that would have made it bad for us if we would have stayed.

What's really sad is that Boise is 5 times bigger then this place and I never had half the problems in the 9 years that I was there that I  have here. We've contemplated moving back to Idaho when Shawn's done with the military aside from the military base we had a good time in Idaho and enjoyed the people there. We have 4 years to go here until Shawn retired because our only other option to get out of here is to put in for a set of orders overseas and that's not an option. We only took this base because there was no way I was living in Las Vegas and we couldn't afford the cost of living in Southern California and who in their right mind goes to Minot AFB, ND. I've tried really hard to be happy here. I've tried to ignore the rudeness and general dislike emanating from the locals. I've put on a good face, smile and say every things alright but it isn't and I don't think there's much I can do to make it better. God knows I've tried. The rudeness is getting to me.

My saving grace is all the friends I've made through this blog and Ravelry. If it wasn't for you guys being here to help me through the hard times and listen to me rant, I don't know what I would do.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being there for me. Super Big Hugs from me to all of you!!!! And I promise the next post will be knitting related and on a happier note.  :)

Just as I Promised

I'd better be careful or people are going to start accusing me of posting to my blog regularly. Actually I'm using a blog editor on my Mac so it's easier to write out the posts in advance. Now to see if it will actually help me post more frequently.

I tried ScribeFire (a FireFox add on) as suggest by Tammy but I don't think it likes the Mac version of FireFox. It won't allow me to edit the preferences and when I have it enabled I can't use FireFox to access my Typepad account. If it wasn't for that I'd be using ScribeFire.

Right now I'm trying to decide which program I want to use. One is free and one is $30 for the software after the trial. I really like the free one but it doesn't have an easy way for me to post using my Flickr photos which helps me keep people from snatching my pics off my blog. The one that costs me money pulls photos from my Flickr account but doesn't allow me to change the fonts in the post. Or at least I haven't found a way to change that yet. I think I'm going to go with the free one but I need to do a few posts to see how well it works. I've already sent them an email to see if they have plans for adding a way to use online photo storage places as an option for putting photos in your blog posts.

Anyway, enough of my yammering and on to the knitting. I have a few updates to show you.

First is the baby blanket I'm working on.



It's a smaller blanket but should be fine since I'm shooting for the perfect size to use in a carseat. This one is measuring out around 20 inches not stretched. I know it will stretch some when washed.

I hated having to lug around heavy blankets when the girls were babies. I always grabbed the smaller ones. The pattern is Baby Cables Blanket (Ravelry) and the yarn is Cascade 220 Superwash. I think this has to be my most favorite superwash yarn. There are several different cables in this blankie. I had each cable marked with stitch markers when I first started but once I had the first 48 rows of the actual cable pattern I didn't need them anymore since the cables were starting to show. I definitely recommend marking the cables when you first start this blanket to avoid confusion.

I also received a box from TLE.



It's some Cascade 220 to make Knit Sock Monkeys (Ravelry)(non Ravelry) for both of the girls. I really wanted to use Noro Kureyon but it was going to cost $25 per monkey plus shipping and I really couldn't justify the cost. I already had some pink and purple Cascade 220 so all I needed was some natural and red. Much cheaper then $55+ for Noro. If the girls really like their Sock Monkeys I'll make some accessories for them.

You all know about the plague head cold that we've been dealing with. For the most part we're over it, but poor Bree has developed a cough. She woke me up in the wee hours of the morning with her coughing. Thankfully she went back to sleep so she's not really tired. I, however, did now fair as well...coffee is my friend. Now if only I could sucker Shawn into going to Starbucks for a Peppermint Mocha Twist. I was really hoping that she wouldn't develop a cough. Shawn never did. I, on the other hand, developed a horrible hacking cough that made me sound like a barking walrus.

I received my November shipment from the 7 Deadly S(p)ins club. If you want to see it you can click here.

I have the updated copy of my test knit pattern in hand so I'm going to kick it up a notch and see if I can't get that finished up quickly. I'm pretty positive it will only take me about a week to get it finished. I'm not sure if I'll be posting on the blog during the next week or so. If anyone wants to chat with me send me an email (email addy is on my "About" page or PM on Ravelry since I'm on Ravelry off and on all day long. My Ravelry ID is: luvs2knit for anyone who wants to add me to their friends list.

Happy Crafting!

Free Pattern Update

Just wanted to post that I've updated the Free Patterns page (see right hand column). I've added the Cabled Cup Cozy pattern and tweaked the other three patterns. They had some minor corrections. I've also added the patterns to Ravelry's database. You can find them under Luvs2knit. I'm in the process of getting my name linked as a designer and then eventually I'll add them as free Ravelry Downloads. One thing at a time though.

If anyone finds an error please email me to let me know. My email address is linked on the Free Patterns page.

Oh the Shock!

It's only been a couple of days since my last post and I'm posting again....scary isn't it! How crazy is it that when I first typed shock in my post title it came out Sock! I can be silly from time to time. Now this is where I digress, please excuse me for one moment.

Dear Charities of the World,

It has come to my attention that you now feel the need to Spam peoples mailboxes. No I'm not talking about email boxes, I'm talking regular postal mailboxes. There hasn't been a day that went by in the last two months (with the exception of Sunday since mail isn't delivered on Sundays) that I haven't received a thick envelope filled with crap and a note begging me to send you money. You will not receive money from me. If I decide to donate my money to a worthy cause (and yes I do frequently) I will most likely pay for it via that charities website or stopping by to pay locally. One of my favorite charities is my local animal shelter so they get a nice chunk of money from me every year. Animals can't help themselves like humans can.
Here's a fabulous tip for you, please listen it might do your non profit organization some good, stop mailing crap out to people. I do not need to be enticed by calendars, mailing labels, Christmas cards, etc. I have 4, repeat 4, 2009 wall calendars and enough mailing labels to last me for the next 85 years, as for all the Christmas cards, well they are now being put to use by my kids. They draw and scribble on them before they are thrown in the recycle bin. These things cost money! Save that money to put towards the people who need it, you know, those people you are asking money to help....what a shock! For all of you who are mailing me pennies and nickles in the envelopes....stop, every damn penny counts so stop throwing money away by putting it in an envelope in the hopes that the person receiving the envelope will donate money to your cause. Uh, Hello, it's a penny, do you really think that's going to entice people to give you $20, 50, or even $5 in this economy? Your organizations need to take a hard look at their marketing plans. Are you getting enough donations to justify the costs? How many people would donate to you every year regardless of if you mailed them junk? I would be happy with a single letter explaining your cause, an envelope for me to mail money back to you (I understand that not everyone has easy or any access to the internet) and a website address, if you don't have a website I highly recommend that you get one.
By you mailing me crap, you have lost an individual who would have most likely give some money to your organization. Maybe it's time to rethink the way you advertise.

Thank you,
Luvs2knit Household

I feel much better. Alright, now back to our kinda sorta regularly scheduled blog post.

I've managed to stay busy even through the head cold, NyQuil haze. One bottle of NyQuil later I am now feeling better. The cold is still lingering but it's been diminished to a minor nuisance. The test knit is on hold awaiting some design changes so I've been working on my own stuff.

Kaity's Cowl is now finished.

The pattern is Darkside Cowl (Ravelry)....sorry, couldn't find a non Ravelry link. The yarn is Plymouth Galway Paint to match the mittens I made a little while back. The only mod I made to the pattern was to cut one pattern repeat out since it was being used to go around Kaity's scrawny neck. She loves it and has requested more. I do believe that this cowl is going to work a lot better for her then any scarf I could ever make. Thanks for the idea Colleen. If you wouldn't have made one for your kiddo, I would have never thought to make one for my own.

Of course we must now make a matching hat to go with the cowl and mittens.

Would you expect anything else. One must accessorize! Kaity's fat head won't fit into the hat I made her last year so it's been passed down to Bree who has been playing with it. She puts it on her head and tells me she's going to work....goofy kid! :) The pattern is doubleknitski (Ravelry) (non Ravelry). I'm using the Plymouth Galway Paint for the outside and the inside is being lined with The Unique Sheep Foot Prints which was also used for Kaity's inner mittens.

I have acquired a few things since my last post. What, me, buy yarn.....never! Ok, so you all know me better then that. Sometimes you just can't help passing up yarn.

I was at my local Michaels a week ago and this flew into my basket.

The Peppermint Mocha Twist made me do it. It's all Shawn's fault! Since he was off for Veteran's Day we decided to head over to B&N for a coffee and books. I can't go to B&N without making a trip into Michaels since it's only a couple of stores down. Plus hubbs like Michaels too....aren't I a lucky gal! Anyway, all the yarn was on sale which was oh so tempting and I found the sock yarn. Yup, Michaels has finally gotten sock yarn....woot! Well at least my Michaels has it. Here they are carrying Patons Kroy and Stretch. I hope they get in Lion Brand and Red Hearts too. I like having easy access to afford hard wearing sock yarns. Since Ben Franklin Crafts here in town is going out of business that leaves only the two very tiny LYSs. Both stores are great but they have a very limited selection of stuff.

Mmmmmmmmmalabrigo sock yarn!

As if you guys could honestly expect me to pass that up. Plus I had a $25 credit at TLE to use. Malabrigo + $25 credit = Luvs2knit getting some sock yarn. Yes it's worth the hype. This stuff is seriously soft!

Yarntini Varigated

My friend Sue was destashing this and I just couldn't pass it up. I test knit this for Woolgirl and fell in love with the pattern and the yarn. It made me sad to know that I wasn't going to keep the sock. Now I get to make a pair of my own. I don't think it will be long before this yarn is on my needles.

Books, must buy books.

I had some credits through my book club that allowed me to buy these for less then $5 each. Can't complain about that. Each book has more then one pattern that I'd like to make so I think it was worth the money.

I do have a baby blanket to show you all. Well, I'm not done with it but I did start it the other day and now have enough progress to show you. Unfortunately today is extremely overcast making it very difficult to get a decent picture. So the baby blanket will be in the next post along with a few other purchases.

You may also notice that my pictures are different. I'm using Flickr to post my pics on the blog now instead of using Typepad's photo uploader for two reasons:

A) Some jerk (this is not what I would call them when not in polite company) has stolen my photos and blog posts to put on their Spam site which incidentally is really hard to fight. What's the point of Copyright laws if we aren't going to enforce them. So I'm trying to make it a little more difficult. I'm not sure if this will deter them or not but it's worth a try.

B) The Typepad photo uploader thing is so slow. Now if only Typepad would put a little button in so I can add my Flickr photos without having to copy and paste each one. Sad part is, copying & pasting the html code is still faster then the upload tool.

Happy Crafting!

Test Knitting

I'm back for that post I promised you all. OK so it's a tad later then I wanted it to be. I was thinking I'd be back for a post within 2-3 days. In my defense, I've been down for the count with nasty cold. I've logged on to Ravelry but that's about as far as my attention span would go. The nasty head cold has past through everyone in the house and is ending with Kaity. Amazingly enough she wasn't the one to start this one....she normally is. Bree started the fun this time.

Guess I should show you those sample/test knit socks I was talking about. I have several of them now.

First up is the Cherry Tree sock.

This was for the October shipment of the Woolgirl sock club. I really loved the color and the pattern. Loved it so much that when my friend Sue decided to destash it I snatched it right up. I should have it some time this week. The yarn is Yarntini.

Next up is the Woodstock sock.

This sample was knit for the Woodstock kit that Woolgirl put together. Doesn't this sock scream Woodstock (from Peanuts). Next to Snoopy, he's one of my favorite Peanuts characters. Jen's kits are definitely worth the money. I'm hoping that I'll be able to partake in a few kits next year. She has had some great ones. The yarn for this sock is from White Oak Studio.

Then there was the Interlocking Leaves sock.

This one was knit for the September shipment of the Magnolia Society yarn club. The yarn is Madelinetosh sock and the pattern is the free Knitty pattern Interlocking Leaves. Great pattern and yummy yarn....doesn't get much better then that.

The last sock is Autumn in Oregon.

This was a sample knit using Miss Babs Yummy sock yarn in one of her new monochrome colorways Hemlock. The pattern is Autumn in Oregon (Ravelry link). Another yummy yarn and great pattern. I think I'm going to have to knit a pair for myself.

That's it on the sample/test knits for now. Sorry it took me so long to get this post out. I have another post forming in my mind right now. I have some FO's to show you and some progress shots of the things I'm not quite finished with. Plus I'm sure there will be some goodies to show since I know I have stuff coming in this week.

Happy Crafting!