Knitterly Shout Out!

Alright folks, RC is looking for people willing to knit up some hats for children in the Ukraine. So if you have a little spare wool/wool blend, etc and want to knit up some hats for kiddos in need of some warm hats made with knitterly love jump on over to RC's site and let her know. This post explains it all but if you have more questions you can email her...her email is located her blogger profile.

There's a contest involved but we all know that's not the important thing. I just want to knit hats and truth be known my kids don't need anymore hats right now. Not to mention we are kinda out of hat wearing weather here.

Been Busy

To the jerk(s) who dumps their garbage in the recycle bins at the recycling center...

It is not funny when you throw your full bags of garbage into the recycling bins. When you do this, those of us who are actually recycling have no where to put our stuff. You can not use the excuse of "I didn't know it wasn't a dumpster!" All bins are well marked and the dumpsters are the humongous bins that you have to climb up the stairs for. So you are either extremely stupid or very lazy. I vote for very lazy with a touch of stupidity. Get off your lazy a** and climb up the stairs. If I can climb up the stairs then you can too!

Now that I've gotten that out of my system I can tell you all "sorry for the lack of blog posts." Things here have been busy and I've managed to come down with a head cold again. So I'm slogging through things here and haven't had much energy to do anything else.

I received these a few days ago.



Mrs. Superwash showed up on my door step with her two non superwash children in tow...Don't ask me how Mr. & Mrs. Superwash had two non superwash children....it boggles the mind. With the loss of Mr. Superwash, Mrs. Superwash was no longer able to support herself and the children so she came to me looking for shelter and support. The family has welcomed them with open arms.

Kaity and I will hopefully dye these three skeins this weekend or next weekend. It's going to depend on how cruddy I'm feeling. I bought her 1 skein of superwash worsted and 2 skeins of bulky Bare yarn.

I also got my 2nd TLE Sock Club shipment. If you want to see it click HERE. I love the yarn, pattern and goodies.

I started a headband for Kaity.



The pattern is The Woven Headband. I'm using Lorna's Laces Lion & Lamb, color Bittersweet. The yarn doesn't have much bounce in the skien but it does when it's knit up in the woven cable.

That's the extent of what I can show you. I ripped out my TLE Swap Pals project. I didn't like the pattern, I didn't like the yarn so it was frogged and I ordered new yarn. The USPS has not seen fit to give me my darn box so I'm still waiting. It should have been here yesterday so hopefully it shows up today.

I didn't finish the Everlasting Bagstopper. The handles are still about a foot shy of being done. I will save you from the boringness of that photo. I need to work on it this morning.

I'm just about done with the first section of the Bee Fields Shawl once again no photo because it doesn't look much different then it did the last time I posted a pic of it. I've knit another inch on Rogue. I'll post a photo of Rogue after the front and back parts have been knit and joined back together.

The IRS deposited our stimulus check. Since I still have a bunch of work that needs to be done on my teeth (and I'm trying to be responsible) there will be no shiny new iMac sitting on my desk, maybe next time *sniff, sniff*. So instead I bought the yarn for Shawn's sweater from WEBS sale. He originally picked out the Charcoal Grey Cascade 220 but there weren't enough skeins so he went with Sapphire (#9332) instead. It looks grey on WEBS site but after lots of searching I think Purlsoho has the best photo (just in case you want to see). I threw in a couple skeins of the Valley Yarns Huntington sock yarn to try. At $4.29 per 50g hank you can beat the price.

I'm not going to be able to show much from my either TLE order I've placed because most of it's for my swap pal. I did throw in a skein of Perchance to Knit Pamper Me sock yarn for myself. I got Gingerbread....yum!

I'm off to throw the dirty clothes down the stairs and finish the dishes. I know, I know, what a glamorous life I live. Everyone wants to be me!

FO Report

As if Nintendo hasn't come up with enough stuff to entice me into buying a Wii....not that I've managed to get one yet. Wii's new game Wii Fit is the clincher for me. They turn exercise into a fun game. Must-Buy-Wii! I'm actually contemplating destashing some yarn to pay for said Wii, that's how bad I want one.

I finished the second Tidepool Rib Sock the other day.



I think they came out pretty good. I love how fast I can knit a pair of socks in the mediumweight Socks That Rock. I have more then enough left to knit a pair for Bree. I may have enough to knit a pair of ankle socks for Kaity. The stripes are matched up fairly well. It only took me ripping the toe out twice before I finally got the sock to behave. If I was smart I would have matched the two skeins of yarn or better yet, knit them both at the same time. They're close enough for me. I think I'll be getting more STR for winter boot socks.

I'm still working on the Everlasting Bagstopper...sorry no pics this time. I hope to have it done before the end of the weekend. The handles didn't work quite the way I had planned so I ripped back to the bag and bound off the stitches. I'm knitting both straps at the same time in garter stitch and will use my sewing match to stitch them onto the bag. I think that sewing the handles on will give them more strength.

We took Bree to the doc and everything checked out. She's not refluxing badly enough for it to show in the tests but the doc said that doesn't mean she isn't refluxing every now and then. The tests also show that there are no blockages so it appears we are in the clear. They did take blood to check her thyroid levels again.

I have my new sock project picked out. I'm going to use the Lorna's Laces sock yarn that I won from Knittech's blog contest to knit the Beaded Swirls Socks from HeartStrings FiberArts. Awhile back I bought some beads to make stitch markers and that didn't work out so I'm going to use the beads on the socks. I'll start those as soon as I've made some more progress on my TLE Swap Pals socks.

No Much Going On

Karen (The Knitting Patch) is running a contest to raise money for RFB&D (Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic...you can read more about RFB&D on Karen's blog. The contest is going to run through the month of April so you still have a chance to jump over there and donate to be entered into the contest. Donate, don't donate, that's up to you. I did because I believe that RFB&D has made a major difference in a lot of peoples lives. I just wanted to help Karen spread the word. I've been wanting to post about this the last few posts and I kept forgetting about it. Bad Blogger No Biscuit!

I've been working on my Rogue for the last few nights.



The front and back have now been split and I'm working on the back of the sweater. It won't be long before I'm starting the front. I can't wait to finish this! I really like the detailed pattern of Rogue. No, I don't need a pattern that will hold my hand but the extra detail in this pattern makes things a lot more clear with less frustration. Thankfully I have a laser printer so I can print 19 pages front & back in nothing flat. I love my Lexmark printer!

Hide and Sheep stitch markers.



I bought these from their new site where you can customize your markers and bracelets. These are Tigers Eye and I decided to have them fit up to a size US9 needle, they're hanging on US 7 Knit Picks Option needle. I bought these for my lace projects. I love these markers!

I have my eye on Eris as my next sweater project but haven't decided on the pullover or the cardigan. I like both so it's a tough decision. Then again I may change my mind between now and then.

Shawn picked out a sweater pattern. He wants Iain by Figheadh Yarnworks. The designer is reworking the pattern to add in bigger sizes which is a good thing because the current pattern wouldn't fit Shawn's 50" chest. That's gonna be a lotta cables! Once I find out the yardage needed I'll order the yarn from WEBS.

I'm going to grab a little quiet knitting time before the monster toddler of the house wakes up.

No Snappy Title

I couldn't come up with a snappy title today. Have you ever been cooking, clean, driving down the road, etc and have a fantastic idea for a blog post? My brain is alway in overdrive. It's a wonder I'm not always crashing into walls. Everything seems to pop into my mind while I'm in the shower. We use to have only one bathroom and I was forever writing stuff on the shower walls with Kaity's Crayola tub crayons. I miss the crayons!

My yarn came in from Dog Lover's Yarn.



Yum! It's soft and the colors are gorgeous! Thanks Susan. This one will be knit very soon. Hop on over and check out Susan's shop and blog. I've been reading her blog for some time now and it's always a joy.

I received a wee giftie from my friend Jen the other day.



She sent me The Little Box of Socks. This box rocks! I love how they did the patterns.



Each one has it's own card. Yes, they are all new patterns. There are 20 different sock patterns in this little box and the sizes for each pattern range from children to mens. All the patterns are sized for womens feet but there are a few that do not have men or children sizes.

I got a treat at Barnes and Noble today.



The Knitter's Book of Yarn...I've been wanting this one since it came out. It has all sorts of good info and there are some patterns that I really want to knit.

I think the next book I'm going to get is Cat Bordhi's New Pathways for Sock Knitters. I really want to see all the fuss is over this book. There are tons of people raving about it. I'm always up for a new sock pattern book.

Rogue is coming along nicely. I'm getting ready to divide for the front and back. Hopefully I'll have a progress pic the next I post. My Everlasting Bagstopper is at about the halfway mark. I managed to put several more rows on it today while we were out shopping.

The only other thing I've been working on are my Secret Knitting projects and for obvious reasons I can't post about them.

I'm off to bath the youngest monkey. I have no idea where this kid picks up her dirt but no sooner do I get her clean then she gets dirty again.

Happy Crafting!

Lotta Yarn, Not Much Knitting!

There hasn't been a whole lot of knitting going on, though there seems to be a lot of stuff coming in. That's shouldn't be shocking to anyone though.

The only knitting I've done since my last post.



I started a bag. The pattern is Everlasting Bagstopper from Summer 07 Knitty. I'm making a few mods. I've change the top of the bag so I can knit the straps instead of sewing on straps and I think I'm going to leave off the cinch strap. I'm using a cone of Peaches & Creme, color Flair.

Now on to the acquisitions! First up is some SWTC Twize that I purchased from WEBS.



It was on sale. I haven't 100% decided on a pattern but most likely it will become a dress for Bree.

Lorna's Lace Shepherd Sock, color Poppy.



I won this from Knittech's blog contest! I think I may have just the pattern for this.

Oh look, cute toddler.



Thought you might need distraction from the yarn. Did it work?

My order from Woolgirl.



I missed out on the Yarntini fingering weight yarn but there was still some sports weight left. The Mimosa was calling my name. The colors remind me of the Popsicles I use to eat when I was a kid. Who am I kidding, I still eat them. As always, Jen include some goodies, a Soak sample and the most yummiest smelling bath salts.

My Knit Picks order came in too.



It's just a few skeins of Comfy to swatch and test. I wanted to see how it knit up, washed, etc. What better way then to knit a bunch of swatches. Fun, fun, fun.

I promise this is all of the yarn torture for awhile. I have to pay for my sock/yarn clubs this month so that kills most of my yarn budget. The only thing I'm ordering this payday is some Cascade 220 for Shawn's sweater and it's going  to be a boring Charcoal Grey. I tried to talk him into pink and purple but he said no way. I am thrilled that he picked a yummy cabley sweater though.

My order from Dog Lover's Yarn is still floating in the mail but I'm not worried since it's coming in from Canada. I know that mail generally takes a little longer when it has to go through customs.

I just got an email from Hide and Sheep stating that they were mailing out my stitch markers. I didn't realize that they had opened up their own website in conjunction with their etsy site until a few days ago. Your items are customizable when you purchase from their website whereas the stuff on etsy is already pre-made so you get what is listed. They don't seem to be listing as much stuff on Etsy. I can't say enough good things about their stuff.

Some Knitting to Show

Before I start my post on knitting I'd love it if you'd lend a second of you're time to ask if you could donate to my friend Sarah's Relay for Life goal. Every little bit helps. Who's life hasn't been touched by a family or friend with cancer? You can read all the details in Sarah's post. Thanks!

I finished my first Tidepool Rib Sock.



Yarn is Socks that Rock Mediumweight, color Tidepool. It's a simple toe up, 2x2 rib pattern with a short row toe and heel and a picot bind off. The pattern was generated with Sock Wizard. It's a 52 stitch CO and my gauge was 7 stitches per inch. I don't see how anyone could get 8 stitches per inch like the ball band calls for and have a sock that is comfortable to wear. I think I'll get more mediumweight so I can make some warm boot socks for next winter.

The faint of heart may need to scroll past this photo.






Can we please have a moment of silence for Mr. Bare Superwash. Mr.
Superwash had an unfortunate accident and has been laid to rest! May
you rest in peace Mr. Superwash! I'm too choked up right now to discuss the accident that took Mr. Superwash from our loving home. All of us in the Luvs2knit household appreciate all your kind words and thoughts. They will help us get through this great tragedy.

Now on to some happier things.



I have a dishcloth on the needles. It's the Tic Tac pattern from the book Yarnplay at Home. I bought the double book Yarnplay/Yarnplay at Home from my book club. I love the two books in one deal....very nice.

Shot of the snow on the right side of the yard.



Shawn had to clear a path for the dogs because they were sinking in the snow. We actually lost Zeus in the snow since he's so small. See what I mean about ugly stuff in my backyard. I was the lucky one to get the yard that has the power, cable, and phone boxes. *le sigh* They are an eyesore. Not mention that the yard is one big downhill slope. All the yards in the new housing areas seem to have hilly yards. It wouldn't have killed them to flatten it out a tiny bit. At least the yard is fenced! Just out of camera sight on the right side is a little tree and the gate into the yard.

Another shot of the snow (left side of the yard).



You can barely see the two small blue flags on the left hand side....these are where the two new trees are going...woot! Off left next to the fence is a nice size storage shed.

Both snow shots were taken this morning when I was outside photographing my sock and dishcloth. Now you all have had a full tour of the house. It's only taken me 6 months to finish it.

I'll leave you with this photo....which cracks me up each time I look at it.



Tell me that isn't pitiful. Zeus will tolerate anything if it means he's getting attention. This is what happens when Kaity is bored and Zeus wants attention. Disclaimer: No animals were harmed in the the taking of this photo!