wicked wicked socks!

The socks are evil....they possess powers....they make the wearer do things she's knows she shouldn't do....they made me lose my mind (but I love them anyway).

The day after I finished the socks... I had big plans....I was going to run out to Starbucks, grab a chai tea and come home and paint my bedroom and bathroom. As soon as I put those socks on, the phone rang...my friend is inviting me to meet her for coffee.... despite the afore mentioned good intentions... I say "SURE! I'll meet ya for coffee!"....but hey, maybe an hour of painting time lost right? And that would be true if I hadn't made a detour to the Auto Mall on my way home...so .... 7 hours later.... I own this:



What's the problem you ask??? What got painted???? NOTHING!! Did I actually sell my old car first? NO. Did I trade it in? NO. Did I do careful research and comparison shopping like I normally would...NO...well some but not nearly enough!!!!
(Ok, I have been thinking about it...looking a little) But I had no intention of doing what I did this weekend!
And worst of all... my poor sister was waiting for me to help with her socks... instead we drove this baby to lunch and over yummy pasta on the patio we stared at this thing until we'd convinced me that it was pretty enough to buy. Not to mention how nice it drives and.... oh my lots of room for hauling yarn around in!

Which brings me back to the beginning.... it was the crazy chocolate socks that made me do it!

ta da....chocolate socks!

So, today I was supposed to get a lot done around the house.... I didn't really do that...but I did get a lot done on that second sock!!!

Thanks again Susan for the chocolate yarn....these socks are just yummy!

I ordered the ChaCha sock yarn by Susie that is advertised on the secretpal9 blog it's it's beautiful, can't wait til it gets here!

Next.....

I actually took this picture a couple of days ago.

Must not succumb to the second sock syndrome!!!!

Indiana U!

I received a postcard today from my Secret Pal!!! Yahoo! It is of a very cool painting and came from an art museum at Indiana University. My Pal...(you go girl) is touring grad schools!!! Wow! YOU GO!

Thanks so much, I love the card!

Rats!

I kept looking at the sock...and the directions...and thinking, huh, something doesn't seem right with the gusset decreases.....Well....Duh!!!! Now that I'm almost finished with the dang thing it hits me.... I decreased every round instead of every other round! Wellllll I do believe I'll leave it and call it character! hehehe And then I'll try to get it right on the second sock unless it looks too weird then I'll do that one wrong too! :)

must pay closer attention to detail! hehehe

from the leg....

we move to the heel flap...

and the heel turn....

And....on to the foot.... and almost done!!!!!

sock update

Well, after knitting the cuff, and the leg and a few rows of the heel flap, I decided to check size to see if this baby would fit...baggy at the ankle!!! Dang. So I ripped....I ripped all five inches of that thing. And after about 10 attempts at casting on (because by then I was just tired and being picky), I finally was happy with it and continued.... tonight I have almost finished the heel flap...and, I'm happy with the fit so far.... (I decreased my cast on from 64 to 60 and I think I'm knitting a little tighter). Here's what it looks like:

I love the colorway...
and the yarn!

Today, my sister cast on her very first pair of socks... it was sock lesson day! Well, it was shop for pals day too...and so, we did... SOOO much fun!!!!

What do ya think she's thinking here?

I think she's had just about enough of the knitting/blogging .... "Please mother, please get me a snack"

Happy weekend!

I liiiiike it!!!!

This: is my newly cast on sock....with my yummy chocolate colored yarn which my very nice chocolate swap pal Susan, sent me. I absolutely love it already!




Yes, you see it right, five double points....I'm used to using two circulars for my socks, in size 5. these are like size 2 1/2 us....yikes! But... I love it! I might switch and work it on 4 dbl pts...but...we'll see how long it takes to get used to all these sharp pointy things. My cat, obviously elderly .... came dangerously close to losing an eye last night when she jumped onto my lap!!!! double yikes!!!



This is a dilemma for me....I love this stitch, I love this yarn (manos del uruguay, my so-called scarf on US 11.) But for the life of me I can't happily bind off... I mean, I'm happy to bind off...but I haven't been happy with my bind off...not any of the 5 or 6 times I've bound off....only to undo my bind off. Does anybody out there have any ideas? I know it's best to bind off in the pattern stitch....but I'm not sure how to make that work...so I tried to bind off in knit then I tried to bind off in purl...and visa versa and versa visa and it just looks like doo doo.
Any ideas? Please?


So, that's what I'm working on.

Ok,I'm also working on this: A Christmas present




And this: Another Christmas present


And I finished this....


and....after taking half of these pictures, I got tangled in my sock yarn and jammed about 3 of the pointy little things into my foot....ouch.... ok, not clear into it... but it still smarted...
so take my advice....know where those pointy sticks are at all times!!!!

happy knitting.

patty's contest

My Favorite:

Actor - oooh I guess it depends on if we're judging on acting talent or just raw attraction....at
any rate I think Denzel fits the bill for both pretty well. But I like the Doctor on
Lost (Michael Fox)...and Michael Scofield's brother on Prison Break too hehehe (I'm not
that picky any of the three will do), oooh Gerard Butler, Phantom
Actress - hmmmm toughy... Meg Ryan, Shirley Maclaine, Joan Allen, Diane Keaton
Animal - I have a cool cat, and a cool dog and even a pretty cool goldfish...don't make me
choose.
Band - hmmmm jeez don't make me choose....I like Bob Seger, Bruce Springsteen, etc...etc..
Tim McGraw, etc...etc... no rap, no hiphop.
Beverage - hot: Starbucks non-fat Chai Latte with one extra shot of Chai
cold: Diet Cherry Coke (for now)
Book - Yarn Harlot: The Secret Life of a Knitter
Bubble Bath - citrus scent in the hot tub under a starry sky! Not a big bubble bath person.
Candy - Do I have to choose? Can't I just love them all?
Color - Blue or Purple or Burgandy, or Green, or....are ya starting to see a them here?
Flower - for scent Gardenia, hehehe "Don't you think daisies are the friendliest flower?" - Meg
Ryan, You've Got Mail.
Food - Do people really play favorites here??? hmmm my grandmother's lasagna or anything
she ever cooked for that matter.
Lip Balm - Burts Bees cherry flavor is nice.
Lotion - mmmm Citrus scents from Bath and Body
Movie - Something's Gotta Give, Family Stone, As Good As it Gets, Terms of Endearment,
Phantom of the Opera
Song - Cheryl Crow's version of Sweet Child of Mine (Is that the name of the song or just the
chorus, I'm not sure.)
TV Show - right now....Lost, Prison Break, Without a Trace, Law and Order
Vacation Spot - I'm still searching for it.

Ok....I admit I hate to choose.....I've have a 20 year career which requires me to make a lot of big decisions...and I have no problem with that...but don't make me choose a restaurant, or a favorite color...etc. I don't know why. :)

sp9sp9s9sp9sp9

I heard from my pal yesterday.....ha ha....ha ha....and, I got my pals info too. That makes it official! It's almost started hehe. I'm so excited...and I don't get excited!!!! Yay!!

My spoiler wants to know if I want hints about who she is.....I'm going to try...so...hard... not to go looking and trying to figure it out!! I did so good last time, I didn't try to find out...honest, but ...I figured it out by accident just before the end of sp8. (sorry Rachel hehehe)

Must. Not. Blog. Snoop!

heatherly's contest, jody's questions, tali's birthday...yay

1. Where is your favorite knitting spot?
I curl up on my oversized chair or loveseat! But... I'll knit anywhere, anytime.
2. If you suddenly could never knit again (shudder) - what would you do instead?
First, I'd probably cry a little .... then I would probably start reading more, and getting a little
more exercise!! hehe
3. If you could travel anywhere in the world - where would you go and why?
I think Italy.... or any and all of the mediterranean countries... I don't know why, I'd just
really love to go there. I love the architechtural style.
4. When you were little - What did you want to do "when you grew up?" Are you doing it?
I always thought of some sort of medicine, either human or animal. I thought I'd be a nurse
or a vet. I'm a PA so I guess I am.
5. What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?
mmmm I like the maple nuts, or butter crunch....and rocky road. Yummy! (oops that's more
than one isn't it)

Block!?!

I think I'm having a blogger's block....keep thinking I need to post...but don't quite know what to say.... those who know me will be dumbfounded with this. I don't usually have a problem with speechlessness :-).

Anyhoo.... I'm still here....knitting a bit but .... having a bit of a block here too I think... another first.

I am looking forward to receiving my pal's info for sp9 though....hopefully soon. I've been shopping....now I just need to know who my pal is and what she likes hee hee.

SP9 Questionnaire

1. What is/are your favorite yarn/s to knit with? What fibers do you absolutely *not* like?
I do believe I like the "natural fibers" the best....but it depends on what I'm doing I guess. I'm not into the strictly acrylic or eyelash types. I like Manos Del Uruguay ALOT, also Cascade. I'd love yarn that's local to my pals area, I love the hand-dyed/homespuns etc.

2. What do you use to store your needles/hooks in? My SP8 pal made me two cute fabric needle rolls, my long needles are in a cute vase.

3. How long have you been knitting & how did you learn? Would you consider your skill level to be beginner, intermediate or advanced? I learned briefly as a child, picked it up again last January, self taught via Knitting for Dummies and a lot of help from my knitting friends and lass's. Maybe an intermediate beginner.

4. Do you have an Amazon or other online wish list? I recently started an Amazon wish list but haven't added much to it.

5. What's your favorite scent? (for candles, bath products, etc.) I love the pumpkin spice/cinnamon type scents for this time of year for candles. Orange/mandarin bath products are nice, lavender anything that's not overpowering and not baby powder scented.

6. Do you have a sweet tooth? Favorite candy? hammy with the exception of licorice I never met a candy I didn't like! I do prefer milk chocolate over dark....However I've recently tried some very nice dark chocolate.

7. What other crafts or Do-It-Yourself things do you like to do? Do you spin? It seems that knitting has taken over my spare time...I sew a little (mostly little knitting related items) and I don't spin yet....But I do want to learn to spin!

8. What kind of music do you like? Can your computer/stereo play MPH? (if your buddy wants to make you a CD) I like anything but rap or hard rock, and yes it can play MPH.

9. What's your favorite color(s)? Any colors you just can't stand? I don't wear a lot of the bright reds or bright orange, Burgundy is ok and most other colors are fine too. Nothing that I really hate, but I'm not all that into the nouns. My house is in green/purples and neutral shades.

10. What is your family situation? Do you have any pets? I'm a single mom to a grown son. I have an elderly Siamese cat who recently moved indoors because she's not handling the weather very well anymore. Oh and I have a goldfish that the cat has her eye on.

11. Do you wear scarves, hats, mittens or pinches? Scarves....Gloves (not mittens), not a hat person but I like to knit them for others, and uh...yeah not a poncho person.

12. What is/are your favorite item/s to knit? So far, I seem to like it all! I've knitted felted bags/purses, a couple of sweaters, a few washrags, a lot of scarves, and 4 or 5 pairs of socks. And hats...hats are fun to knit!

13. What are you knitting right now? finishing up an enterlac scarf, the "my so called scarf" (herringbone stitch), an afghan, a sweater, the UFO mentioned below, and I always have a sock in progress!

14. Do you like to receive handmade gifts? Oh yes....yes I do. Handmade is best!

15. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Bamboo, aluminum, plastic? I'm learning that I like the Addi turbos, and I like bamboo and I like both, straights and circulars depending on what I'm knitting. I really like a pointy end on my needles though.

16. Do you own a yarn winder and/or swift? Oh I wish. I really am starting to need a winder.

17. How old is your oldest UFO? maybe a couple of months...it's a sweater tank that is a little smaller than I'd like it to be...so I haven't finished the last crocheted row at the bottom.

18. What is your favorite holiday? I like them all I think. But Christmas is the one my family usually gets together for... so I probably like it the best. And, I love making/buying gifts!

19. Is there anything that you collect? Yarn....needles

20. Any books, yarns, needles or patterns out there you are dying to get your hands on? What knitting magazine subscriptions do you have?

21. Are there any new techniques you'd like to learn? Fair Isle.

22. Are you a sock knitter? What are your foot measurements? Oh yes!

23. When is your birthday? (mm/dd) Feb. 7th.

Glorious Chocolate!

Just look at what my Chocolate-Swap pal sent:
this box looks different now.

That's a skein of 100% Merino sock yarn from Fleece Artist (if you click on that link expect to be mesmerized by the beauty of the fiber there) and absolutely scrumptiously elegant chocolates from Ethel's Chocolate Lounge in Chicago....(road trip ... road trip!!!) In addition to what's in the box, she sent a bar of Rasberry Creme in Dark Chocolate.... oh my...:) I'm thinking...hot tub on cool autumn night (as much autumn as it gets in Sept in Calif.) glass of red wine and ....smooth dark chocolate....yikes!!!!

I think I'll be forever ruined by my pals....Rachel from sp8 sent some cute little bars of very fancy bavarian dark chocolate... I have never .... ever .... tasted such smooth yummy chocolate! Holy Crap!!! Like I said, I'm ruined. And then..... I opened this box from Susan....equally smooth....equally fancy and yummy .... Ruined...just Ruined! (Thanks ladies!!!!)

I was thinking about lunch but I think I'll just eat chocolate!!!!
THANK YOU SUSAN!!!! You Rock!

Life Before the K-Word

Does anyone remember what I used to do online B.K. (before knitting)? I vaguely remember a time when I had other things to look at online...but I can't remember what they would have been. Medical sites ok...yeah...e-mail...yeah... but what else? Seems like pretty much all I look at now are my blog, my friends blogs my sister's blog, yarnharlots blog...hmmm sp9 & chocolate swap blogs. Yeah that's about it. yikes.

I'm sitting here waiting for the guy to get here to replace the springs above my garage door. A word of advice my friends....when the first spring breaks (don't ask me how this happens those are dang big springs)....replace it....replace it when you notice that your door opener is complaining, (and it will). Don't wait for years....making it open with just one spring...because eventually...that spring will break too. OH and don't think that when that happens...you'll just open it the old fashioned way....you can only do that when both springs are intact. Just trust me on that. (Unless you have the incredible hulk or some other hulk with superhuman strength lurking nearby)

Yes here I am at the computer.... when I should be crossing things off this list (only after they're completed of course):
1. clean off back patio
2. buy a new wheel barrow
3. use the new wheel barrow to haul dirt from side of house to front planter
4. plant new plants in front planter before they too die like the many others that have been
purchased before them.
or
5. do the many projects you have lined up to do inside the house....like
5a. paint the bathroom
5b. paint the bedroom
5c. paint the spare room
5d. finish painting the kitchen ceiling after replacing kitchen light fixtures
5e. replace the kitchen light fixtures....

or better yet....knit or sew! Now see that's how my lists stay so long.

Life is short.....work hard, play hard! Have a great weekend!

The Happy Box!!!!

Yay....The Happy Box arrived today from Rachel (sp8). I love it, love it, love it!!!! Look:

It was packed full of Sugar 'n Cream cotton yarn in 9 colors...yep NINE yikes Rachel!!!! :) And... A pattern for soap sacks and doily shaped washrags for the stork yarn she already sent me...and she already sent me the ballband dishcloth pattern to use for this yarn!!!!

In the can on the left...I is all the fixins for a plant...I love it! In the two little boxes next to it... mmmmmmchocolate!!! There's a tube of lotion and a little bar of soap in the same flavor....and just behind the boxes of chocolate...a very cute little mirror with a pic of a girl standing in front of a big flower... so cute!!!!

And the bumper stickers... Bella's gentlman's club ahahaha.) I'm pretty positive she picked up on her trek across country with her husband, baby son and their puppy dog!!!! (Very brave woman!) Check out her blog for all the details of that trip!

Thanks Rachel!!!! You've been a great pal... I AM SPOILED!!!!

Also....GOOD NEWS ..... I heard from DS tonight.... he's been on a strike team on the fire in Ventura County....sounds like he will probably be on his way home tomorrow..... all in one piece...so far so good!!! YAY!

My friend Julie came over tonight to finish up her soon to be born first grandchild's little hat. She did a great job, it's so cute.....Julie you need to post a picture of that on your blog! And she started some cute little booties that look like ugs.

I've been working on a few scarves...and a few Christmas presents....I'll try to post a few pics this weekend...

One more thing....Check out the Yarn Harlot's blog....she's got a link to a great little cartoon/video...it's pretty cute!

Have a great weekend everybody!

What a weekend!!!!

It was a working weekend around this place and I'm pooped!!!! I spent most of the day Saturday doing yardwork....mowing, trimming, weeding....drained the hot tub .... walked my son's dog....knitted all evening with my sis and niece Lindsay. Then I got up this morning and started in the house...yikes... where does the dust come from??? Does anybody know? I cleaned all day....you'd think it was spring or something. Then I had to finish with the hot tub, clean it, fill it... Then, I invited my brother over for dinner, so we barbecued moose and tri-tip cabobs, fresh pineapple yummmm. And did I mention the laundry?! I'm thinking all this cleaning should grant me a fair amount of knitting time this week!!! Yay!!!

Hope you all had a more relaxing weekend! ta ta.

Chocolate Swap....yummmm

Ok, so first of all the Chocolate Swap has started....yay!!!! My pal is Susan! Susan is from Chicago! Hi Susan!!

So my plan was to go shopping tomorrow for .... chocolate and all things chocolate...but it turns out I will be working tomorrow instead....but Wednesday....Wednesday is wide open.... woohoo!!

The questions

Do you like to eat chocolate cookies and what kind do you like?
I like chocolate chip cookies or white chocolate/macadamia nut cookies....oh yum!!! (But I'm not all that fond of cookies made from a chocolate dough)
What kind of chocolate do you like?
hmmm I like milk chocolate the most...and then white and I don't care much for dark chocolate (but if it's the only chocolate around...oh I'll eat it!)
Milk, white, dark.What are your favorite brands of chocolate?
I don't think I'm a brand snob when it comes to chocolate...except for the cheap stuff that leaves a waxy coating in your mouth...that just takes all the fun out of chocolate ya know?
Do you enjoy chocolate covered candies, pretzels, fruits, coffee beans, cream filled, caramel, nuts etc? I think I like most things covered in chocolate!!! I love those chocolate covered dried fruits and I'm a nuts and chews kinda girl.
Do you like fudge with nuts or without? With please :)
Do you like solid chocolate bars with or without nuts? With but again.....not that picky.
Do you like hot coco mixes? Yes uh huh....I sure do.
Is their any particular chocolate treat that you would love to try? Hmmmmm is there some secret kinda chocolate out there that I haven't tried???? Cause if there is...well then hand if over!!!!
Do you have any food allergies that your pal should be aware of? No....not a problem
What kind of yarn do you prefer?cotton, wool, mohair etc.? Yes... I like all of those... not all that fond of Acrylic...but I have to say I've seen some very nice acrylic blends...those are fine.
Do you have any fiber allergies that your pal must be aware of? Uh...Nope don't think so.
What small knitted items do you prefer to knit?Socks, scarves, hats, mittens etc. I haven't tried mittens or gloves yet but plan to soon....I do knit socks (love it) and scarves and hats!!!

On another note....I'm feeling much better now.... I'm sure Susan will be happy to know that I'm over my cold before I shop for her chocolate!!! hahaha I'm over it I promise!!!

Ok gotta go...prison break is on soon.... I love that show!!!

Just a heads up....

Look out my friends...take your vitamins, get your rest, try some Airborne, and WASH YOUR HANDS!!! There's a cold going around and it's a doozy! I've been home for two days, have to go back to work in the morning and am not looking forward to that! Snot, Fevers, Aches...just plain yuck! I haven't even felt that much like knitting...hard to believe I know! But I have "forced" myself to knit a little. I've been working on the Enterlac Danika Scarf, see:


I like it...it's cool, but I'm ready to move on...or... I'm just ready to feel like movin on again :).
I spent part of my morning watching online clips of the Stuart skits from mad tv. See, I've lost my mind!

Wash your hands and hope you don't get it! Gotta go...fever breaking...sweating...gross!!!!!

In the Light of Day

Funny how some things just look better in daylight. Yesterday the lovely Heatherly taught me how to do the Enterlac Danika scarf. I'm using some silk garden that I had (though I am a skein short I think) and after working on it awhile last night, I just wasn't all that excited about it. I love the pattern, and of course with Heather's instruction it's working up nicely, but I just wanted to see more in the way of color change (aka: instant gratification). However....in the daylight.... I really like what I see:


Of course after it's blocked it will lay a little flatter, and the edges will be straight....I hope :) It is a fun pattern! Pattern: Enterlac Danika Scarf
Needles: size 7 Addi circulars (worked like straights)
Yarn: Noro Silk Garden (should take about 2 1/2 skeins without fringe)

off to finish yardwork so I can watch movies and knit later!!!! Happy Sunday!