Saturday, March 31, 2007

I'm Taking the Plunge


I'm all signed up and ready to knit 52 pairs of socks in one year starting April 1st. Nope, this is not a joke and there is a KAL going, check out the "52 Pair Plunge".

Here's a pic of some of my sock stash all ready to go. The real good stuff is on the yellow blanket(STR, Sunshine Yarns, Fleece Artist etc) and I still have a bunch of sock wool from my Aunt in a cupboard which just may head to the hospital for their knitters with assorted acrylic I have for them.




Monkey sock update, spent all this week picking fur out and trying to blow it out the the hair dryer. What a process this has been and I really don't want to frog them, one just needs toes and the other is half the foot.

Still waiting for my SP10's giftees to arrive, I'm on day 10 and one package is coming from BC, the next province over. We will see what arrives first, the 2 packages I ordered 10 days ago or the stuff I ordered yesterday.

Back to the monkeys, and wait till midnight to cast on for a new pair of socks, Woot!

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Knitters Treat Exchange

Knitters Treat Exchange Questionnaire

1. What's your favourite type of yarn?
Soft natural fibers. My to die for yarn is Handpainted Sock Yarns.

2. What's your least favourite type of yarn?
Acrylic

3. What's the first thing you do when you visit a new yarn shop?
Fondle the sock yarn, lol.

4. What other crafts do you do / would like to do?
Besides knitting I also spin and some crochet.

5. What magazines do you currently subscribe to?
Interweave

6. Put this type of magazine in order of preference:
Knitting / Crochet / Food / Home /Other Craft/Garden/ Fashion / Celebrity Gossip

7. What items do you like to knit / crochet?
Socks, Socks and more socks plus mittens. I'd like to try sweaters one day.

8. Are you allergic to anything?
Dust and Pollen

9. What do you like to* smell of?
(*This is not a typo. The question is: What do you like to smell of)
Soft flowery scents(Alfred Sung and Calvin Klein), hubby prefers fresh baked bread, lol.

10. What's your favourite way to relax?
Knitting or playing MMORPG's(World of Warcraft, woot)

11. You're stood in front of a Victorian style sweetshop, an Italian cafe, an old fashioned bakery and a dainty tea room. Where do you go first?
Old fashioned Bakery

12. What do you come out with?
Cinnamon buns

13. Where do you go next?
Victorian Sweet Shop, gotsta have the chocolate

14. Any other words of wisdom for your pal?
You can never have to much sock yarn ;)

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Socks, Socks and More Socks!



Were do I begin, how about Socks. That is all I have been doing the past week and a bit are knitting socks. I got 2 pairs done in that time and one pair was actually knit in less than 3 days for a grand total of 3 pairs of socks this month, Woot. Before I forget, I'd like to thank the ladies who popped by my blog and wished me a Happy Birthday. Thank you!

My Sockret Pal socks are done and sent, this was a big panic cause I was almost finished the original pair when it happened. The disaster I was hoping I would not have to face, I was so careful too. My pal has allergies to dogs, so I made sure that the socks/yarn were in a ziploc bag at all times when I wasn't knitting on them. I also confined my knitting on these socks to the dining room table to ensure no contamination, lol. But on Monday night last week I was feeling a bit cocky and with my freshly washed lap quilt calling my name and a movie in the dvd I thought what the heck, I'll knit on the couch. I made myself comfy and proceeded to knit and it happened. I fell asleep, yarn on the ziploc bag beside me, out in the open and I wake up hours later to find Barky asleep on the socks/yarn and one dpn missing. My Barky is a little miniature black/tan long haired Daxie who is just starting to shed a bit. I screamed, she jumped and as my luck would have it it is covered in fur. I tried picking it out and thought about washing it but being in the time crunch I shelved the monkeys and started a new pair last Tuesday. This pair turned out so pretty, I used STR Watermelon Tourmaline and a basic sock pattern and they were finished Friday night, I should say 4 am Saturday morning. Not to shabby, now it's just cross my fingers and hope they fit ;).


Here's a pic of my Knit Off Socks/Project Spectrum project for March, done in Koigu on US 2 dpns. Wow, was this tough to get done. Saturday was practically no knitting at all, all my plans went to pot when hubby got called in to work and I had groceries and running around to do. I got about 3 inches done on the leg and passed out. Sunday and Monday were both late nights, I finished these babies at 2 am this morning. Not bad, I would have been done sooner but since my books arrived yesterday I ended up spending hours pouring over them. Not a good idea when your in a Knit Off, lol. The do look pretty damn good if I do say so myself.



Here's some mail I received last week and yesterday, first is my books I ordered from Chapters. We have Sensational Knitted Socks and Artic Lace. I also received some of my birthday loot orders. Check out the STR and Sunshine Yarns Collection, gorgeous or what.



Last but not least a Big "Thank You" to my Secret Sister for a wonderful Package once again. Check out the goodies.

Friday, March 16, 2007

The big 36 today!

Happy Birthday to me, woot!

This is the first year over 30 I'm not depressed about my age. 2007 is becoming a very good year. The stash enhancement is coming along wonderfully and in the next week or two my new yarn acquisitions should be arriving. I even placed an order over at Red Bird Knits yesterday. You get 10% off plus free shipping for your birthday order, how could you not place one. I've got some Lorna's Laces and Cherry Tree Hill coming plus some stuff for my Secret Pal.

Speaking of SP10, I received a Birthday e-card from my SP10 spoiler, Thanks so much Secret Knitter Pal!

Hubby has the day off, first time since we have been together he has had my birthday off and remembered it to boot, lol. He has bought a cake and will be grabbing something for supper tonight that is not McDonalds.

Time for coffee and knitting.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Introducing...the new Stash Enhancement



My Rockin Sock Kit arrived yesterday along with some sweet fibery goodness from Dani over at Sunshine Yarns. Check it out, the packages were barely in the door and the Sunshine Yarns envelope didn't have a chance, lol, the box was a different story.

The colors are Standing in the Rain, So Sweet, Something Blue(thicker sportweight in a mega skein 570 yds) and last but not least Flame. They are just amazing colorways and I am now finding myself attracted to oranges these days, who would have thunk it.

I got up bright and early this morning, 9am, boys actually slept in and rushed to the computer to order from Dani again. She's got some new spring colorways up with a new yarn she's trying, it has a tighter twist. How could I resist, I'm all about spoiling myself this year and since my Birthday is on Friday what the heck, Birthday Bling! I ordered Sedona, Wildflowers, Snowmelt(so fitting, we got snow this morning), Chocolate Covered Cherries and The Cure. I kinda went overboard but since this is being shipped to Canada and I have to pay shipping anyway I might as well make it worth my while. Lucky me, hubby agrees with my thinking ;).

Knitting update, my sockret pal's socks are both still being knit, I'm working the foot on both so hopefully they will be off to their recipient on Friday/Saturday. It will be nice to get the monkey of my back, Monkey socks that is.

I checked out my Rockin Sock club kit and wow, toe up. Tried it, got defeated and haven't tried again. Lucky for my sockret pal, I would have switched gears and started on the kit.

Time for coffee and more knitting!

Friday, March 09, 2007

To many projects

To many things on this gal's plate, I just had to add another, lol. Knit Off!-starts March 24 at noon Est and ends March 26 at 8pm Est. What the heck, I do know in crunch time I can get the socks done plus the prize is pretty sweet.

Kids update-took the little guys to the Dr's this morning and they both have bronchitis....again! This winter sure has sucked healthwise in this family, as for myself I'm just getting past this flu bug and crossing the old fingers hoping I don't get what they have or worse.

On the knitting front, my sockret pals socks are 50% done, just turning heels on both those babies and hopefully I will have them ready for Thursday to mail. I can't wait to see what my pal thinks of the socks.

I got an early birthday gift from the in-laws, the sent some cashola so I made a quick stop over at Blue Moon and ordered Little Bunny Foo Foo, Lucy and Downpour.

Time to get supper going.

Thursday, March 08, 2007

Knocked Down and Birthday Wishes

Holy crap, so much for posting the next day. Saturday I got all sidetracked with the new tv being delivered and finishing off the sockies for my Favorite Color Swap 2 pals package for their expected little one. Sunday the little guys and I started to feel a little ill by Monday morning we were knocked flat on our butts by the flu and 4 days later I am finally functional. The little guys are still miserable but seem to be on the road to recovery :). Sheesh, I can get crap done and be fully functional having pneumonia but this flu had us bedridden literally for 2 days.


Before I forget, Happy 38th Birthday Hubby!




Now let us get to some good stuff, first off, big Thanks to my Secret Canadian Sister for the great package I received. She sent a skein of Moda Dea Cache with a charm attached, a set of needles(Justice noticed that they were labeled "for kids" and he asked if I could teach him how to knit, lol), a chocolate bar(didn't make the pictures) and some scrabble stitchmarkers. How did you know I was a big fan of scrabble. Thanks again for the great package
.



I have another Big Thank you to my Favorite Color Swap 2 pal Nicole for the awesome package she sent. Talk about knock your socks off, lucky she sent some STR in Beryl(I've been dyeing to get my hands on that colorway), Fleece Artist Curly Locks in an amazing purple/brown/dark yellows, purple stitchmarkers from "The Bead Hive" a local artist in Edmonton, A red/white heart bag which is perfect for all my stitchmarkers I have hanging abouts my computer area. Nicole also sent a Voluspa vanilla candle which made the package smell ooh so good, some cards for "My Favorite Sock Recipients"-now I just need more recipients, lol. Last but not least one of my favorite treats, Swedish Berries. Thank you so much Nicole for making this a great exchange. The Fleece Artist yarn is going to make a gorgeous Narrow scarf
.

Here's a peek at what I sent my pal, these are the baby socks I whipped up pre-flu and are safely on their way to their recipient in the US



And a little more yarn porn, just for yarn porn, my Kitri sock kit and 2 skeins of Black Jack, couldn't decide which pattern repeat I wanted so I bought both, lol.


Well, I'm beat, time to go plant myself in front of my kick ass 42" grand wega hubby bought for our pretend anniversary/early birthday present for myself. Yes, I asked for a tv, lol, hubby was happy with the 27" flat screen but not me. Looking forward to watching McDreamy on the big screen tonight!

Friday, March 02, 2007

Super Duper quick update

This is just a drive by post, more to come tonight or tomorrow.

Belated thanks to my Secret Canadian sister for the great package I received. I got a skein of yarn, needles, chocolate(thank you for that, I was in the middle of a chocolate craving, lol) and some special stitchmarkers she made just for me :). Pics later.

Also, some super yarn/furniture/tv purchases have been made, details later.

I also sent my package out to my Secret Sister and she loved it, Woot! I will be sending my Favorite Color Swap2 pals package out tomorrow. Just have to grab 2 more things today and wrap that puppy up.

And last but not least, just checked my email and received a letter from my Favorite Color Swap pal!!!!

This year is just going awesome!

More later, happy knitting!