Not Much Accomplished....

Well not much that I can post about anyway. I've been working on test knits mostly. I did finish Bree's toe up socks but that's about it. Between test knits and spring cleaning I've been pretty busy. I've been going through the house room by room eliminating clutter, cleaning windows and vacuuming the screens on the windows. The window screens get crazy dusty considering they are located on the the side of the window in the house. I'd expect the dust outside but not inside. It's slow going because I have to make sure I don't over do it. It can be rather aggravating  because I'd much rather get it all done and over but can't. Well I could but I'd be in so much pain I couldn't move and frankly that's just not an option nor is getting all the work done worth the pain. It's not as if it's going anywhere.

I finished Bree's socks. The sock blockers are mini sock blockers that I received from The Loopy Ewe as part of a promotion they were doing to get pictures in their photo gallery shortly after they opened their virtual doors for business. They don't sell these. 

The pattern is my basic toe up pattern with a short row heel and a k2,p2 ribbing on the cuff. Nothing fancy but I have the pattern memorized and perfected for the girls and I. The yarn is Apple Laine Apple Pie sock yarn. It's yarn I bought from The Loopy Ewe a long time ago. I was going to knit a ruffle at the top but I don't think it would have worked very well since this yarn is a little on the thick side. I'm going to knit the next pair with a thinner yarn and I'll knit the lace pattern on the foot too. I'm not sure what yarn I'll use yet but even with the ruffle I'll need way less then 50 grams of sock yarn. These socks only took about 25 grams.

I placed a small order with Knit Picks.

I wanted to try out their new dish cloth cotton called Dishie. Since I was ordering I tossed in a skein of Chroma fingering weight for a shawlette. I'm planning on using this to make Bakersfield (ravelry). I'm from a small town near Bakersfield, CA and this pattern has been calling me ever since I saw it which is funny because I really don't wear shawlettes or shawls. The dishie is soft and it feels like it's a little bit thinner then Peaches & Creme or Sugar'n Cream. I'm going to cast on a dish cloth for my take a long project. I'm curious to see how well it wears. 

I'm test knitting all the patterns this year for the 2011 Woolgirl Sock Club.

Here's the socks that I knit for Aprils shipment. Since I knit both socks Woolgirl gave them back to me as payment along with the kit because I also knit the shawlette too. Normally I only knit one sock but these left and right socks are different. I absolutely loved knitting these socks. The pattern is awesome and the Stricken Smitten sock yarn was a dream to knit with. Never mind that the color is my all time favorite color!! If you want to see the whole kit Click Here to head over to my Flickr page. I'll definitely be knitting these again!!

I also got the Little Women Kit from Woolgirl. 

Seriously what's not to love about this kit. A pattern from Sivia Harding and 770 yards of MCN from Plucky Knitter not to mention the teas and other little goodies. Yum yum yum! If you want a great beaded shawl pattern go check out Sivia's (ravelry)(non ravelry) patterns. I didn't test knit this one.

April's shipment from Twisted Fiber Art.

This ones named Foxy. I have one more shipment coming this month and sadly the club will be done. I really loved their yarn.

I'll leave you guys with a shot of my demon dog. 

I snapped this shot just as Penny was jumping off the couch. She was playing of game of "Find Daddy". Shawn was hiding under a blanket and Penny was looking for him. When he didn't pop out from under the blanket Penny would jump down and run around the house in a big circle then hop back on the couch at the other end. Zeus was in his supervisory position to make sure that Penny didn't do anything she's not suppose to. For a 7 pound dog he's very bossy. It's a little dog thing.

Happy Crafting!

Back from the Dead

Things haven't been all that exciting around here. I've been dealing with a nasty head/chest cold that I'm finally starting to kick though I still have a nagging cough that is driving me crazy. So needless to say I was sporadically online but just not feeling the love to work on a blog update even though I do have a few things to post about. Amazingly enough I do have some finished knitting projects even though there was a good week or so where I didn't touch my knitting needles....shocking, I know! I'm really looking forward to kicking this cough so I can go back to physical therapy since my back is starting to bother me again. 

Lets see, hmmmmm, what should I start with first. Ah, I know the Butterfly Garden socks (Ravelry)(non Ravelry).

They are a bit snug so I'm trying to decide if I want to frog the leg and reknit without the pattern on the back of the leg and do a simple ribbing or seed stitch to match the front of the sock. I did change the cuff to a basic k2, p2 ribbing. I tried the cuff from the pattern but it was way to small for my foot let alone my leg. The yarn used is JulieSpins M420S (etsy)(artfire) which is a lovely superwash merino sock yarn and the color way is called Golden Glow. I'll definitely make these a again but use a slightly thicker yarn, maybe Dream in Color Smooshy.

I finally finished my latest "on the go" socks.

These are knit using Patons Kroy Stretch sock. The colorway is called sugar and the pattern is a basic toe up sock with a short row heel and k2, p2 ribbing. I do believe I can get this at Michaels so it's cheap and easy to obtain. It's not a bad sock yarn and I think they'll make great summer socks. Not that I stop wearing wool socks in the summer. I don't wear them outside but I do wear them around the house. Certain parts of the floor here in the house are freezing because the designer of this house was a real idiot when they decided where to put the vents for the air conditioner. This of course wasn't the only thing the designer messed up on but I won't go into that since it would probably be a blog post in itself.

I started and finished a scarf using the Mountain Colors Crazyfoot I won in a blog contest. 

The pattern is Rivolo (Ravelry)(non Ravelry) by Knitspot. As you can see this is the progress photo that I took. I haven't blocked the scarf yet so I'll post a finished picture when I get that done. This was a great knit and the pattern repeat was easy to work so I had no difficulties working on it when I was watching tv. It took me less then a week to knit. I haven't decided what I'm going to do with the scarf....keep it, gift it. The yarn is Mountain Colors new sock yarn called Crazyfoot and the color way is called Wild Raspberries. I originally started a pair of socks but the two socks were completely different colors. There was a portion of this skein that was a much darker purpley color and then later lighter parts with bits of green and an almost orangish color (which is very pretty) for the rest of the skein so one of my socks would have had a dark purple foot. So to the frog pond it went and became Rivolo which played much more nicely with the yarn.

Here's the projects I worked on for Woolgirl/Miss Babs for Stitches West.

The top picture is Gust (Ravelry)(non Ravelry) in Miss Babs Yummy Sock in the A Day at Blue Spring Park colorway and the second picture is Hayrick Socks (Ravelry)(non Ravelry) in Miss Babs Yummy Sock in the Vlad's Red colorway. Both patterns are Knitspot patterns. I really need to get my hands on some of the Vlad's Red for myself so I can make my own pair of red Hayrick socks. I love the way these socks came out. 

I did pick up a few goodies along the way. 

An order from The Loopy Ewe.

 I picked up some ShibuiKnits sock yarn to make the Transitions socks, Dragonfly Fibers Djinni sock (merino/cashmere blend), and Needle Foods sock yarn. 

The first shipment for The Loopy Ewe sock club came in.

I'm sure most, if not all people have gotten theirs in now. We got Fiesta Baby Boom sock yarn, a sock pattern by WendyKnits, a shawl pattern, and two wooden shawl pins. I haven't decided which pattern I want to knit yet.

Gave some JulieSpins BFL (etsy)(artfire) roving a new home. The colorway is Peach Melba.

Someone on Ravelry was destashing and I do adore BFL although I haven't used my wheel since I threw out my back several months ago. She's been rather lonely and neglected. I really must give my Precious some attention.

I found some self striping Watermelon sock yarn on etsy from KnitPurlGurl.

The colors are vibrant and the yarn is super soft. I'll probably end up using this one soon for a pair of socks.

And that sums up my blog post for this round. I'm currently working on some test knits so I won't be working on my own knitting much. I was lucky enough to be picked by The Loopy Ewe to be a sample knitter so I'm really excited about that.

Stunning Lack of Progress

Ok, so maybe I have been making progress on some things. Of course those things must remain secret for awhile yet. I finished one test knit for Woolgirl about 2 weeks ago which I've absolutely fell in love with and I'm working on another one right now that is really cool. Sorry I can't show them to you but I can show you the ones I knit up for Woolgirl and Miss Babs for Sock Summit.

The first knit was a sock.

It's a new entrelac sock pattern called Choix Entrelac Sock which should have been available for purchase at Sock Summit in Miss Babs booth. If I remember correctly Woolgirl has announced on her blog that she will be getting this pattern in her shop. I really want to make a pair for myself. It's just enough entrelac to add interest without doing the whole cuff entrelac and making it impossible to get on your foot. I found it easier to work the entrelac portion on my trusty dpns then moved to my circular needle after I finished.

The second knit was a caplet.

The pattern is In the Garden (ravelry)(non ravelry). This is knit in the round from the top down and was a very pleasant knit. I used Miss Babs yummy sock and the color is Merlot.

I have managed to finish a few small things and I have two pair of socks that aren't far from being finished. I really need to kick it in gear and work Shawn's sweater. I'm planning that as one of the projects I work on while he's gone in Sept and Oct for schooling.

Thank You cloth (ravelry)(non ravelry)

This one was the 1 Aug KAL cloth for the Monthly Dishcloth KAL.

"Have no clue what it's name is so there is no link" dishcloth

This was the 16 Aug KAL cloth for the Monthly Dishcloth KAL. I've been trying to knit all the cloths for this year. So far, so good I've stuck with it. If I've made it this far I'll make it to the end.

Rapunzel's Braid Socks (ravelry)

This pattern is actually a top down sock pattern but I'm working it toe up because I prefer working toe up pattern for socks I'm knitting two at a time. I worked a short row heel and I've left the cabled pattern off the back of the leg because it was making the sock too small for my foot and going up a needle size made the cables look sloppy. I'm really enjoying these socks which I could attribute to the cables or the sock yarn which is Zen Yarn Garden's Serenity sock. Deliciously soft squishy sock yarn. It's a merino/cashmere/nylon blend. This colorway is from the Woolgirl sock club. I picked it up from someone who was destashing it.

My "on the go socks" are just about finished.

Just a few more inches on the leg before starting the ribbing. The yarn is Opal Brasil, color 5001. I picked it up cheap from someone destashing it quite some time back. It's been sitting in my stash just waiting to be knit. This colorway is such a happy color. The stripes are so bright and cheery.

The Whispering Pines Shawl (ravelry)(non ravelry) is moving right along.

The color is off since I took this picture indoors. I've been working on my moms shawl and have managed to get part way through section C of the pattern. This is a very enjoyable knit and so far I've managed to remain mistake free (knock on wood) which is rather shocking. Normally by now I've had to rip back several rows because of a mistake. I've knit several patterns from Knitspot and have yet to find one I didn't like. Her patterns are so well written.

I picked up some JulieSpins MCN 560 from a Ravelry destasher.

I can see why people go "gaa gaa" over her yarn. It is very nice and the colors are beautiful. This is 560 yards of light fingering weight yarn in the Iris colorway. I'm not sure if this will be socks or if I'll make a shawl or scarf out of it. I haven't made up my mind yet so it'll just let it marinate in my stash for now.

I received some Zen Yarn Garden Bamboolicious in a Ravelry trade.

Someone was looking for Koigu for a blanket so I swapped some of mine for the bamboolicious. The colorway is Dublin Bay which I'm pretty sure is the colorway ZYG dyed for the shop Dublin Bay Knitting Company.

I have a spinning project on the wheel right now.

This is the start of some very delicious merino silk roving from the August shipment of the Artwalk Fiber Club from Zen Yarn Garden. You can see the roving here. I've been trying to spin for at least 30 minutes every day but there have been a few days where I haven't been able to spin. My goal is to Navajo ply this. I'll be re-upping this club in Nov and if all goes well I'll go for the 8oz option for more fiber.

I finally got my hands on some Pony Bead lacing for my wheel. I've had a heck of a time finding it from a place that has a reasonable shipping charge. This stuff is nowhere to be found here in town. Michaels & JoAnn's both carry the flat lacing which is not what I wanted. Everyone keeps telling me to go to Hobby Lobby. Well my nearest Hobby Lobby is in Billings which is like a 4 hour drive so that's out. I absolutely hate buying a $3 item and then being told I have to pay $6 to ship said item. I picked mine up from this ebay seller. The 5 yard hanks for $2.49 are the tubed lacing with the connectors. They shipped the stuff out first class mail and I had it in a few days. Just thought I'd share this store with anyone who may be having a hard time finding this stuff. No affiliation, just a happy buyer.

I'll leave you all with this shot of Bree enjoying her big birthday gift.

I had to wait till the first of Aug to order it so it's a little late for her b-day but she didn't seem to mind. It's the Naturally Playful Big Folding Slide by Step 2. I picked mine up through Amazon and got free shipping. I could have picked the slide up cheaper at a few other places but once they started tacking on the shipping costs and over sized fee it was crazy and way more then what Amazon wanted. One place wanted like $90 for the slide but then they wanted to charge me another $60 for shipping. It's not that heavy nor was the box that big. All the hassle was worth it to see her go down the slide continuously for like 45 minutes. This will definitely come in handy this winter when it's too cold to go outside to play.

Well that sums up our irregularly scheduled blog post. I'll be back soon, hopefully with some FO's to show you all.

Happy Crafting!

A Few Woolgirl Knits

I think it's safe to post about these now. It's been over a month since the boxes went out so I'm pretty sure most people including those outside the US have received their packages. I test knit the patterns for the June Woolgirl sock club package.

First up is the sock pattern, It's Raining Cats & Dogs Socks (Ravelry).

This is a club exclusive pattern so it's not available right now however I wouldn't be surprised if it's available within the year for sale to everyone. I loved knitting this sock. It has cables, these cute little paw prints, and to top it off it's knit with one of my favorite go to yarns, Dream in Color Smooshy the colorway is called Raining Cats and Dogs.

Then I worked the Raindrops shawl (Ravelry)(non Ravelry).

I do believe the pattern edging was tweaked for the club but you can get the pattern for free from the designers website. It was a great knit and the pattern was easy to work and once again it was knit in Dream in Color Smooshy. One skein will gets you a smaller shawl. If you want a bigger one you'll definitely need a second skein of Smooshy. I managed to eek out 8 pattern repeats before starting the edging but I was cutting it pretty close on running out of yarn.

I have a few more knits but I can't post about them yet since they are hush hush. They are club patterns so I won't post them until after a reasonable amount of time has past after the boxes are sent off.

I'll be back in a few days to post about some of my WIPs, goodies, etc....oh and that blog contest that I want to start. More details in a few days.

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!

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!

Oh the Fun!

I figured that a post is way overdue. Not that it's really a shock that it's be awhile since my last post. I haven't done a green post in quite some time either but never fear not we are still working on becoming more earth friendly. The recycling is still going strong and we try to help out anyway that we can. I have tried the fabric softener and colorsafe beach by 7th Generation and loved them so they've been added to my laundry regimen. I didn't care for the vinegar as a fabric softener. It worked OK but not as well a commercial liquid fabric softener. The 7th Generation fabric softener is much more comparable with other fabric softeners on the market.

We are also working on becoming a more healthier family. We are trying to cut some of the red meat out of our diet and increasing our exercise to become more healthy and to lose weight. We've swapped out ground beef for ground turkey. It tastes great and has less fat in it. We are trying to eat more vegetarian meals too although you'll never see us give up meat we are always willing to try new things. Thanks to Knit-R-Done I have some great Veggie meal ideas to try on my family. We've also discovered some of the veggie products from Morning Star Farm. Their website has some recipes I'd like to try too.

I don't think I mentioned that we finally got a Wii. We also bought Wii Fit and love it. It makes exercise a lot more fun. We normally play a few games together on the weekend as a family. Our favorite is bowling in the Wii Sports game. We rented Mario Cart for this weekend and I can definitely see buying that one soon. We never laughed so much watching Kaity try to drive the cart. She had a case of the giggles the whole time we were playing. So worth the money!

Now on to the knitting since this is after all a knitting blog. It's going to be another long post so if you want to go grab a snack and something to drink go for it. I'll be here when you get back, promise! Alright, are you ready? OK, here we go.

I knit a scarf for the Special Olympics Scarf Project.

Click on the link above and it will take you to the page with all the details. You have to use to specific colors of Red Heart Classic yarn which I will openly admit is not my most favorite yarn on the face of the planet but it's for a great cause so I dealt with it. I have enough yarn to make another scarf so I probably will. The pattern is Meandering Stripes (Ravelry) from the book Knitting New Scarves. I'll most likely make this one again with wooly type yarn. Bet it would be yummy in Malabrigo. Hmmmmmm, must go buy to color coordinating skeins.

I started a new pair of socks for Kaity.

These are in my "to go" knitting bag. I take them when we are going to be in the car or if I have a doc/dentist appointment. I haven't been anywhere so there hasn't been much progress on these
socks. I'm using Knit Picks Essential sock yarn, colorway Fruit Punch. It never fails, if you don't take something with you to a doc/dentist appointment you will inevitably be stuck there with nothing to do for 45 minutes because the doc/dentist is running behind. I made the mistake of not taking my knitting when I went to pick up meds from the pharmacy one day. I figured on running in and getting out in less then 10 minutes. I ended up waiting for almost an hour before someone finally got my prescription filled. It took them an hour to slap a label on a box, print up the info sheet, throw it in the bag and check my ID. Yup, gotta love military pharmacies. Oh well, at least I don't have to pay a copay when I use them.

Moms Errant (Ravelry) socks now have heels.

These have been put aside because I keep casting on other small projects. I hope to have them done and in the mail before the end of the month. A lot of that is going to depend on how much longer it takes me to finish up the current test knit I'm working on.

Kaity's coat is getting close to being done.

Please ignore the rag muffin look. I took the picture right after she got out of the shower and hadn't gotten a chance to brush her hair. I have to attach the hood and work the icord on the body. We've decided that we don't like the pockets and will leave them off since Kaity doesn't use them anyway. She says that she has mittens to keep her hands warm. Guess I'll use the leftover yarn to make her some thrummed mittens. I still need to find some cute buttons too.

A teaser.

This is the current project I'm working on for Madelinetosh. It's Tosh Worsted and that's about all I can tell you guys at the moment. I will post about it when I get the go ahead.

I received some yarny goodness in the mail the other day.

TLE was having a Halloween sale so I picked up a few things. I bought Cassidy by ChicKnits. I haven't decided what yarn I want to use to make this one but I've been thinking about splurging on myself so I may pick up some DIC Classy or Tosh Worsted, maybe some Malabrigo if it isn't to thick. I need to look at the pattern details a little better. I also picked up some Noro Silk Garden Sock and some Araucania Aysen. I only picked up one skein of Aysen since I can't really see this yarn being used for socks. I'm thinking about a pair of mittens or fingerless mitts. I haven't decided which one yet.

Knit some coffee cup cozies.

 

I needed something to replace the cardboard thingies that they use on the to go cups from Starbucks. I'm now totally hooked on the Peppermint Mocha Twists....yummmmmy! Anyways back to the post, I hate the cardboard thingies and wanted something better. The green/brown/white one is yarn from a kit I purchase from Woolgirl (the yarn is dyed by The Unique Sheep)((the kit can be found here)) and the purple ones are made from leftover Cascade 220. The pattern that came with the kit wouldn't work for me because of my gauge. I got 5sts per inch instead of the 4sts the pattern called for so I threw together my own pattern that has a cable on both sides. I'm going to be offering this pattern up as a freebie here on the blog. I hope to have the pattern posted here within the week. I'll post about it when it's up. There is enough yarn left over from my kit to make a second cozy.

Started a dishcloth.

It's the Circle Cloth (Ravelry)(non Ravelry). It's pretty cool and I love how the colors are working together. The only drawback is weaving in all the ends but it's not enough of a drawback to keep me from making it.

Started a cowl for Kaity.

She had her hair cut into a cute bob but now her neck is exposed and I think this is going to work better for her then her scarves. The pattern is Darkside Cowl (Ravelry). I'm using Plymouth Galway Paint which matches her mittens. After this I'll make her a hat to go with the cowl and mittens.

I got my final TLE Sock Club Shipment in today. I really love this one. You can see a picture and description out in my flickr photostream. I don't want to post and spoil it for anyone. I'll post it out in Ravelry some time next week. As much as I loved this club I will not be throwing my name into the lottery next year. I'm taking a break. I have tons of sock yarn and I already signed up for The Lord of the Rings sock club with The Unique Sheep. Plus this leaves one less name for competition so hopefully my slot will go to someone who didn't make it in last year.

OK, I think I got everything in on this post. I'll be back soon to show you a few of the test knits I've done for Woolgirl. It's safe to post about them so post I will. I also have a skein of Malabrigo sock and a pattern coming in. It should have been here today but for some reason it decided to take a trip to Boise, ID first. Hopefully it will be here on Monday since Tuesday is a no mail holiday (Veteran's Day) here in the US.

Happy Crafting!

Fall, Finally!

It appears that Fall has finally made it to this part of Montana. The days are getting cooler and the nights are getting colder. They are forecasting that Friday and Sunday are days we could see some snow....burrrrr! The great news is that the winter woolies will soon be worn again and I'm feeling the urge to block and seam my Rogues sleeves. Yes, it's still in storage, no I haven't finished it yet.

Unfortunately with the return of Fall my tomato plants are not longer producing, so the 5 tomatoes sitting on my counter are the last of the yummy deliciousness until next year. It's almost enough to make me want to cry.

I've finally caught up on CSI Miami and am now watching the current season as it plays on CBS. Of course this means I need a new show to watch. In comes my mom talking about NCIS and a USA marathon of the show to get me hooked. So now my Netflix queue is full of NCIS disks and I now have 6 seasons to keep me busy. Season 7 is currently playing on CBS right now.

I've done a little knitting and have a bit to show you all this week. Some of it's test/sample knits that I can now show you and others are mine. I'll just apologize in advance for all the not so great pictures. Most of them were taken during cloudy, nasty days.

I can show you the big blue test knit that I was working on for Madelinetosh.

It's Tribeca (Rav)(non Rav) knit using Tosh Worsted. Easy pattern with moss stitchy goodness (yes I'm crazy, I like Moss St) and soft, squishy yarn, what more you you ask for? If you want to see a better picture, head over to Amy's blog post for a peak. If you're interested in the pattern or the yarn you can find them at Woolgirl. The yarn is soft and has a nice twist and the colors are beautiful. I'll be getting some of this yarn in the near future.

A pair of Dimpled Socks (Rav)(non Rav) for Madelinetosh.

I knit these using Madelinetosh's sock yarn. The color is Oxblood and it's yummy but a little difficult to take pictures of when it's cloudy out. Follow one of the links above the pic to see what the sock pattern looks like. The pattern has been out for awhile but I worked them with a few tweaks in the pattern.

A sample knit for Woolgirl.

The yarn is Madelinetosh sock and the color is Fig. I do believe that this yarn is the September shipment for the Magnolia Society yarn club. The pattern is Interlocking Leaves (Rav)(non Rav) from Knitty. I really liked this sock pattern and will be making a pair for myself in the near future.

Kaity's A-Line Coat (Rav)(non Rav) in all it's "in pieces" glory.

I've been working on this in between sample knits. When my hands need a break from small needles I pick this coat up to work on. I need to get it finished since it's starting to cool off now. The big piece is the back and then I have one front piece finished and although it doesn't look like it, I'm about halfway through the other front piece. The pattern isn't bad but it could have been a little better written. I'm not big on patterns that leave out details like diagrams to save on space. I'm one of those people who think that diagrams with measurements on it are helpful. Maybe I'm just crazy and am expecting to much. The pattern is one page, front only. Why couldn't they have given just a tad more detail and used a second page?

A pair of socks for Kaity.

I knit these with the leftover Berroco Sox. They are plain jane socks knit toe up, two at a time, magic loop. I think I prefer making Kaity's socks two at a time, toe up. I always end up making one sock smaller then the other when I don't knit them at the same time which drives me crazy everytime I see them! There is still enough yarn left to knit a pair of socks for Bree. Note these socks do not come close to matching. I knit from the inside and outside of the ball so the striping is reversed.

I started another pair of socks for Kaity.

These are being knit with some Regia bamboo sock yarn my mom bought for Kaity quite some time ago. Look Ma, I'm finally knitting those socks.  ;~)

I'm one of those people that lets sock yarn marinate in the stash for awhile before knitting with it. They're the same as the last few I made, two at a time, toe up. Since I'm currently not in any need for new socks (I have like 16 pair) Kaity is the lucky recipient. As if she's sitting there complaining about new handknit socks. She does a happy dance each time I toss a new pair of socks at her. She's even happier now that it's getting cold enough to wear them.

Finally a teaser shot.

This is one of the projects I'm currently working on for Madelinetosh. I'll post more about it when I can.

The girls are all geared up for Halloween. We managed to catch both costumes on sale this year. There are some good things about them putting the stuff up early. It means that they start marking down the stuff earlier too. Shoot I even made out like a bandit buying the candy the other day at ShopKo. I picked up the big bags that are normally around $7 something each for the lovely price of 2 bags for $8. Can't argue with those kind of savings.

The other good news is that we've completed just about all of the Christmas shopping for both of the girls. Most of it's sitting on Layaway at K-Mart. It'll stay there until it has to be picked up in early Dec. We still have a few small things to get but for the most part we're done. Shawn's gift will most likely be a Palm. He really wants a new one.

I'll leave you with a shot of my little monkey.

Happy Crafting Everyone!