I Hate Spring Break!!!

Now that I'm not a kid and I have two of my own, I can say without a doubt in my mind "I Hate Spring Break." Some of you may ask yourself "Why would she hate spring break." I'll answer in two words "No School". We're coming to the end of spring break and I am very ready for Kaity to go back to school. She's driving me crazy....not that I have to drive far to hit crazy.

The first thing Kaity drove me crazy about,



Her socks! She wanted her new socks finished. So I sped through the second sock the other night so I could wash them for her for the next day. I really like Berroco Sox. It knits up nicely and although it's a tad scratchy while knitting with it, it softens up very nicely after a nice soak in wool wash. The scratchiness isn't any worse then any other basic sock yarn with nylon in it. I'd compare the feel to that of Opal sock yarn. We'll see how well it wears. I knit her a pair of socks back in Nov of 2006 out of some Regia and the socks are still going strong after lots of wear and trips through the washer and dryer. You can see the socks in my Rav Notebook. Regia really does wear like iron.

I knit a dish cloth.



This pattern is from Lily. It's the Doily Style Dishcloth and you need to have a freebie account with Lily to download the pattern. I noticed that the pattern is on the ball band of the Sugar N' Cream too. I think I'll make this one again. It's worked in the round and works very well with variegated yarn.

The Reims Stockings are coming along.



It doesn't look it but I'm about halfway through the foot pattern.

I also finished my sample knit for Woolgirl but I need to keep that one under wraps for now. I should be getting a new sample knit from her soon.

I started another dishcloth but I'm only 6 rows into it so there isn't much to photograph. Same goes for the inch I knit on my sweater.

The Bee Fields Shawl is out of it's time out and the 7 rows I had to rip are now back on the needles again. I was an idiot and didn't run lifelines. The only thing that saved me is that the Malibrigo lace is kinda grabby so I was able to pull back the rows one at a time very slowly until I was back to the mistake. Since the shawl doesn't look any different then it did the last time I posted about it, I didn't bother with another photo. The only difference now is you would see lifelines in the pic.

If all goes well, this payday I'll be ordering the yarn from Knit Picks to make dresses for Kaity and Bree. I'm going to pick up some Shine Sport for Kaity and I think I'm going to try some of their new yarn Comfy for Bree's dress.

It's time to start thinking about summer knitting.

Happy Easter!

Hope everyone had a Happy Easter (if you celebrate).



The girls had tons of fun and enjoyed their Easter goodies.



Bree also picked up really quick on how to hunt for eggs.



We stayed indoors so that Bree could walk easier plus it was kinda yucky out today.

Here's a shot of the eggs they dyed.



Bree took a turn at the egg spinner and dyed a few eggs.



Kaity loved dying eggs this way too.



Today was a fun day but I'm ready for the kiddos to go to bed. I'm exhausted.

Zeus says "Look at me, I can touch my nose with my tongue. I'm so talented!"

More on knitting progress at a later date.

When Good Cables Go Bad

So what do you do when you crossed a cable wrong and you don't catch it until 12 rows later?

You rip the whole thing out and start again.

Well the cable section that is. With 2 bamboo DPNs, 1 crochet hook, a little ingenuity, a lot of bravery, 2 hours of peace and quiet in the wee hours of the morning and a bit more cussing, you get a newly formed cable without having to rip out 2 inches of sweater.



As good as new. I'm darn proud of myself with this one. Shawn had the audacity to ask me if anyone would notice. Well duh, I would. It's my sweater and it would drive me crazy. I had him laughing at my insanity. It was a very noticeable mess up. The cable didn't have the pretzely look it that its suppose to have it looked more like the symbol for B(r)east** cancer awareness.
** I'm trying to avoid unsavory hits if you know what I mean.

Oh yeah, all this talk about cables, I forgot to tell you all.....I've started a sweater for myself. The cable above is the start of my Rogue.

I put the Bee Field Shawl in time out after having to rip out 7 rows because of a very tiny and stupid mistake I made. I'll pick it back up here in the next day or two.

Here's some shots of the samples I knit for Woolgirl. Both socks were knit out of MadelineTosh sock yarn, color Canary.

First up is the Rococo Sock (knitspot pattern)

The Monkey Sock.

I have a new test knit on the needles and will share when I get the green light.

Hope everyone has a Happy Easter.

Not Much to Report

I'd love to say I've done lots and lots of knitting since my last post but I can't. I still haven't cast on the second sock for Kaity or myself but am itching to cast on some new socks for myself. I'm holding out until I finish the other two pairs of socks. I do have some FOs to report.

I finished seaming Bree's Bear the other day.



I swore that I was never going to finish seaming this thing up. I think it turned out pretty cute and Bree loves it, which was the true test. I put two very small plastic easter eggs fill with rice in the center of the bear so he makes sound when she shakes it. I taped the eggs up really good so they won't burst open.

I knit a dishcloth.



Here's the pattern if you're interested. It was a fun knit. A nice change from the tiny needles I've been handling here lately.

I'm getting ready to attempt the Garterlac Dishcloth pattern again. I tried the other day and messed it up. Never try something new that requires attention when a 20 month old is running around the house yelling "ow, mama, ow". "Ow" is Cow in Bree talk. She has the Little People Farm set and it came with a cow. Right now it's one of her favs to tote around the house.

Finally the Piece de resistance...



I finally started my Bee Fields Shawl and I can't put it down. Thus the reason I haven't cast on the mates for the socks. It's a combo of Anne's wonderful pattern and the Malabrigo lace. I don't think I could have picked a better yarn to knit this shawl with.

I do need some lace stitch markers bad!!! I'm using those cheapo plastic markers from Wally World and they're too thick. Most of my markers have stuff that dangles down and I don't like using them for lace. I love Hide and Sheep's needle huggers but they are on vacation and they can't keep them in stock, they are so popular. These are the ones I really want but I'd need to buy two sets for this project and just can't do it right now.

On a non-knitting note, I have been wanting one of Montezumma Mudd's stoneware coffee mugs. One of these days I'm going to buy one. Hi, my name is Trish and I have a coffee mug problem. I will warn you, if you have a weakness for mugs, bowls, and other various handmade stoneware this is a site you may want to avoid. I want some of the soup bowls too. Kinda hard to avoid a site if I keep putting little linkies for you to click.....muuuuahhhhha!

We have another appointment scheduled for my little monkey. Bree's meds aren't working as well as they use to and we want to talk to the doc. The doc said she might need an Upper GI to make sure there isn't more of a problem then we realize. Which could possibly mean a trip to Spokane, WA to see a pediatric specialist. Do these type of doctors not exist in Montana?....sheesh! Or do they exist and not except my insurance? Do they not realize I don't want to make the 6-7 hour drive with two kids in the car? We'll know more after her appointment on Thursday. Guess there's no point in borrowing trouble, I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

A Little Progress

It's been a little busy here. I've made some progress on my projects and made a couple of stash enhancements. I also finished my sample knits for Woolgirl. I'll show you them when I can.

First up, the first purchase from TLE.



I bought this a few days before the Wollmeise sneak up. I didn't really think I'd get any Wollmeise so this was my consolation order. I've been wanting some of the Trekking Hand Art and Heather of All Things Heather is dying yarn again and I couldn't pass up the gorgeous Apricot colorway.

Now the Wollmeise sneak up which was the last one I'm ever going to participate in. They are just too intense and way too crazy. It sold out in a record breaking 5 minutes this time. I have 3 skeins....I'm happy!



I bought Campari Orange (skein in front) and Wilder Mohn (skein in back). Both are extremely gorgeous. I also picked up the Loopy Lace toe up sock pattern. I really like Wendy's patterns and will probably pick up more now that I've figured out how to knit toe up socks. I bought some BRS Bergamot Mint Knitters Hand Soap which smells great, leaves my hands smooth and doesn't dry them out. I have a problem with soap drying my hands out and causing red rashes....very painful! I'll be buying more of this soap soon.

Now on to the knitting. The drool fest is over for now, I promise!

I finished Kaity's toe up sock.



I found a short row heel technique that I like. It's the Next Step Diagonal short row heel from the Sock Wizard program. They' make the software for Macs and PCs. I finished off the sock with a k3, p2 ribbed cuff and did a cute little picot bind off. Now I need to cast on the second sock.

Last night I finished the first Reims Stocking watching Are We Done Yet?...cute and funny movie!



I cut out 10sts and knit the cuff a little shorter. I really like this pattern and will more then likely use this one again.

And for my final knit project, I give you a Bear in many pieces.



I just finished knitting all the pieces for Bree's Bear. I'm planning on seaming and stuffing it this afternoon while she is taking a nap.

Now it's time to put my wee monkey down for a nap and attack laundry mountain. Yup, it's that time again. There's only a few loads today because I scaled part of the mountain yesterday.

Happy Crafting! I think that should encompass everyone, knitters, crocheters, quilters, etc. You all will probably see more then yarn on the blog soon. It's time to dig out the sewing machine. It's been neglected for too long.

I'm going to start working on some pjs for Kaity, plus I have a small quilt to finish and a blankie to make for Bree. This will be the first time making clothing so there might be a bit of cursing. I promise not to throw the scissors....that's dangerous!

Time for a Post

I figured it was about time I posted again if to do nothing more then let you all know that I'm still alive. It's been several days since my last post.

I received shipment #1 of my TLE sock club. Click here if you want to see it. I almost didn't post this out in my Flickr account because I didn't want to be a spoiler but then I got to thinking and realized that if you want something to remain a surprise, Flickr is the last place you should be visiting.

I started another sock for myself. I'm selfish right now in the sock knitting department.

This one is the Reims Stocking pattern and the yarn is Zen Yarn Garden. You can visit their etsy site or their website to purchase the pattern.

This post is going to be short. Bree woke up screaming at 1:30am and didn't go back to sleep until 4:30am so I've been up all night long. I did get to enjoy a little chatting in the Loopy Groupie forum out on Ravelry and managed to score 2 skeins of Wollmeise this morning in the sneak up. The yarn was gone in like 5 minutes....crazy! These two skeins are the last and final bit of Wollmeise for me. The sneak ups are just too intense.

I'm going to go wake up my tired little kiddo and hope she isn't to crabby today. The poor baby has to be tired! I know I am!

I'll leave you with this shot of Bree trying to drag her stuffed lamb around....this thing is bigger then she is.

Hope you all have a great day....Happy Knitting!!!

I've Gone Toe Up...

Well socks that is. I've finally tried toe up socks.



These are for Kaity but I have another sock on the needles that is a sample for Woolgirl that is also being knit toe up. It's not that hard. I thought it would be tough but it turned out it wasn't that bad after all. I'm using Berroco Sox which in my opinion feels a lot like Opal. At about $10-12 for a 100g ball it's a great buy. I'll have to see how it wears but it is a wool/nylon sock yarn so I'd imagine it will wear fine.

Speaking of samples, here's the last one I knit for Woolgirl.



It's Paca Ped H-T, color Carribean Chocolate. I really enjoyed knitting with this yarn. The colors were yummy, it held up to more then one frogging, and it wasn't splitty. The brown and blues are a little more deeper then what they show in my picture. We were lacking in sunshine when I knit this sock. Go check out Jen's post for a more accurate pic. Jen's adding the yarn to her shop this Sunday (9 March).

I received my first Seven Deadly S(p)ins shipment today...woot! Click Here if you want to see it. I love this shipment and will probably cast on really soon.

mmmmmm, Malabrigo!

Watch out, here comes a yarn overloaded post. Thought I'd give a warning for anyone who's trying to resist temptation. Both packages are from Woolgirl with the exception of one skein of Berroco Sox which I bought from an ebay seller.

Package from Woolgirl.



Jen packages everything so prettily.

Here's the goodies:



3 hanks of Malabrigo lace, color Lettuce for the Bee Fields shawl pattern and a hank of Dream in Color Smooshy, color Lunar Zazzle. Jen also added a sample of Soak and a tin of Ginger Peach lip balm. I also ordered a skein of the Madelinetosh sock yarn in Umoja color which will be coming in here in the next week or so.

The Malabrigo lace can be summed up in one word "Yum". This stuff is fabulously soft and am having a hard time holding off on casting on the Bee Fields shawl.

I finished the Rattlesnake Creek socks this morning.

The yarn is Cherry Tree Hill Supersock Potluck. I bought it from an LYS in Idaho when I first started knitting socks. This was one of the first yarns I bought that started my stash.

Here's a more detailed shot.

I really enjoyed knitting these socks but the pattern threw me for a loop at first because the pattern repeat chart is one that is set to read like it's for a flat knit. All you have to do is ignore the numbering on the left hand side of the chart and knit from left to right. The written instructions however are wrong. They're written as if the pattern was knit flat. So if you do not knit from charts you're going to have a problem. I've contacted the designer about these issues.

Oh look, more yarn.

The Knittery Merino/Cashmere sock yarn, color Wonder, Dashing Dachs superwash merino, color Apple Snap, Zen Yarn Garden Merino/Nylon, color Dark Blush, and one skein of Berroco Sox, color #1476. All but the Berroco Sox came from Woolgirl.

I have a new sample knit I'm getting ready to start. As always I'll post pics when I can.

Need Some Sun!

When oh when are we ever going to see some sunshine. I hate cloudy, ugly days. They make for poor picture taking. Guess I'm going to have to break down and make/buy a light tent for photo taking.

I started the Rattlesnake Creek socks the other day. I finished one sock last night and have started the second one.



This is a shot of the first sock I took the other day and it isn't all that great due to lack of natural light. The second sock is almost to this point. I may be cutting it kinda close with these socks. The leftover ball weighs about 8 grams more then the first sock. There isn't going to be much yarn leftover.

Kaity turned 7 yesterday. It's amazing how fast the time flies.



We decided to let her open the gifts we bought her instead of making her wait until her party which isn't until next week.

Yesterday we took Kaity out to spend some of her birthday money. She bought a sidewalk chalk rake and sidewalk super brush & paint by Crayola and I managed to find yarn.



The two skeins of Bernat Softee Baby were bought to make the bear out of this booklet. I'm going to make one for Bree and one for my nephew. The two skeins of Patons Decor are to make some more fingerless mitts for my mom. We also went to Ben Franklin Crafts to check out their yarn selection. It isn't too bad. It is going to be my new place for buying dishcloth cotton. They have a very nice selection of Sugar N Cream to include the stripe yarns and twists. The two skeins of red Bernat Handicrafter are for Kaity. She wants me to make a blanket for her beanie babies. It's the Holiday Sparkle stuff so it has the metallic stripe in it. Guess the beanies need a blankie with some bling.

We bought another play yard to give the girls more room to play and added more plastic balls to the ball house.



As you can see they have lots more play room. Happy kiddos = happy mommy!

And since I haven't post a pic of the goofy mutts in awhile.



I took this one of zeus while I was playing with him. He loves to growl and bark at me. He's so scary for a 7 pound poodle....well he thinks he's scary.

Anyone else have a dog that lays like this?



Shadow loves to sleep with all her paws sticking out. How in the world could that possibly be comfy.

I want to make A Good Stripe Dress from the Spring 08 Interweave Knits mag. It calls for Louet Euroflax Sport...yeah right, don't think so. I'm not willing to spend $95 to make a dress for my daughter. I'm thinking of subbing the Euroflax with Knit Picks Shine Sport making the cost about $37.