OMG, where the heck have I been

Well, first off I've been working on patterns like a mad woman. I've got 3 written out, 2 test knitted using my own hand dyed yarns. I am so loving them, the 2 ply is just amazing to work with. My test knitter Deb in BC has been test knitting the pattern that will be used for Robyn's Nest sock club next month, which is almost here, ack! She's using the Guys and Dolls colorway, only one was dyed and looks amazing. Right now I am just finishing up the formatting of the patterns and will be posting my Hogwarts Sock swap pal's pattern I made on my blog. That should be up in the next week, fingers crossed.

I've also been playing around with some custom orders too, and just received my order of beads for my stitchmarkers I include with purchases. I've just gotten tired of buying from Michael's Craft store and ending up with half of them busted in the package. I found an online store called the Beading Room and hooked myself up with over a thousand beads, lol. Might as well make it worth my while and the assortment is amazing. It took a little longer than I had hoped to receive the beads but well worth the wait. I ordered Hematite(I so love), gorgeous glass beads, shells etc, etc. I'll have to spend a weekend just making a bunch of stitchmarkers again.

On the home front, hubby's dad took a terrible fall and wound up in the hospital a few days later with cracked ribs and bruised lungs. He will be making a full recovery but needs some rest. This all from sitting on a chair and leaning to far back, falling off and hitting the table on the way down, ouch.

I've also been at the school helping out with skating, no I'm not on skates and haven't been since I was 16, lol. With Collin learning it is best not to have me on my ass as much as he is, lol. I also suffered a major allergy flare up, I switched masks for dyeing and heck if I new the new ones had latex in them. Crap, My eyes were swollen and red with a bad rash on my cheeks. I looked like hell. My allergy meds were no help either, just had to ride it out. I'm back to my old ones, sans latex and everything is going well.

On the knitting front, I've finished the socks for pics for the sock club kit. I was hoping for a chinook here in Lethbridge, but no luck, we just got another dump of snow last night and I'm freezing my butt off. I've also almost finished the bag for the HSKS4 swap, just need about another 1/4 and I can cast off. I also have my pals yarn dyed in a Harry Potter inspired colorway but no hints as to who I'm knitting for or what House she's in ;). I've also casted on for my Sock it to me Twice pals socks using her favorite colors, purple and bright(I mean bright) green that I dyed up for her. I just joined the Hogwarts Sock Swap 3, I was in the previous rounds and had a blast so what the heck why not. One can never have to many pairs of Slytherin socks, hehe. I'm hoping for a Hufflepuff this round, that is the only one I have not knit for, hint, hint. I also received a great e-card from my Sock it to me Twice pal, thanks so much! The card is absolutely adorable and was a great pick me up on such a blah day.

On the yarn front, I've been stalking, I mean reading the Ravelry ISO trade, swap and in search of and made some great swaps/sales. I sold my Knit Picks dye your own I was originally going to use for my store but wound up practicing on and donating to the local Blankets for Canada Society to be used for blankets, sweaters, mittens etc. I just received one of my packages today and it is 2 gorgeous skeins, 1 is Zen String's Serendipity Sport in the Bloom colorway and the other is Urban Gypz's Limited Edition "Mod Olive Cocktail" sport weight. I just love them. I've also got some Briggs and Little coming soon, I'm sure it is sitting at customs, lol along with some STR I picked up on Ravelry too. My Bluemoon Fiber Arts sock club is paid for and I'm patiently awaiting the first shipment, woot! I also received Scout's Sock club kit for December a few weeks ago, very pretty yarn and some cardstock with a yarn stamp. Hmmm, do I really want to take up scrapbooking/cardmaking, kinda but with the dyeing and designing/knitting I don't think I have time. I did play with a few just for funsies.

Well, back to reskeining so I can get a mini update done tomorrow. It won't be as much as I wanted but it's something to keep the Harry Potter fans happy.

Sorry no pics, blogger is acting up so I'll try again later.

Belated Happy New Year!

Well I welcomed in the New Year with packages galore and they just keep coming. First off I received my yarn I ordered at the beginning of December to dye up for my etsy store. I was so hoping to have a Boxing Day sale but instead I'm having a Happy New Year sale. All sock yarns have been reduced by $4.00 and I just updated with a bunch of new colorways including my little tribute to the Harry Potter books.




I have a huge Thank You going out to Carolynn, my Harvest Sock Swap pal who sent me the absolute best package to welcome in the New Year. Carolynn put alot of time into this package and instead of a Harvest themed package she went with my all time favorite author Diana Gabaldon's series the Outlander. She included 6 gifts based on the 6 books, first off is the Outlander, signed by Diana to me! Unfreaken believable, I almost fell over when I opened the cover to see the bookmark. Hubby thought that was so cool too. 2nd-for the Dragonfly in Amber book I received dragonfly stitchmarkers. 3rd-Voyager, an Asian inspired DPN roll, already housing my favorite dpns, US 1's. 4th-Drums of Autumn, a small beaded pouch in rememberance of Nayawenne. 5th-Fiery Cross, Firestarter socks in STR Metamorphic(woot and the sock fits perfectly). 6th-Breath of Snow and Ashes, White, Grey and silver yarn which will become my winter hat, something I've been wanting and needing to make for myself for some time now. It also goes great with my new winter coat :) and some delicious shortbread and Starbucks coffee. Thanks again Carolynn!




I have another (belated) Thank You to my Monkey Swap pal Jen who sent a pair of beautiful Monkey socks in a gorgeous neopolitan colorway. I also received some adorable monkey giftees, lotion(always needed) and a cute Monkey notebook. "Hank" the monkey is starting to grow and my little one Collin is just loving it, he is a huge monkey fanatic. Jen also ordered some yarn from DK knits which I received today in the Plums and Pears colorway with some body butter. The yarn is beautiful and I've been wanting to try her yarn for some time now. Thanks so much Jen for the wonderful package.

Also in the news, I am designing and dyeing the yarn for Robyn over at Robyn's Nest for her February sock club. I am very excited and the colors are awesome.

Family update: Justice got sick Christmas Eve and is finally getting over the flu, Collin managed to get thru Christmas unscathed but welcomed in the New Year sick as a dog. Myself and Hubby we welcomed in the New Year playing WoW and I was dyeing yarn at the same time, lol. Talk about multi tasking. Now if I can only work in blogging regularly for 2008 I will be truly amazed.

As for Christmas I made out like a bandit, I received a new Sony camcorder, the one with the hard drive so no messing around with tapes and such. My daxie stitcharkers hubby ordered arrived yesterday as well as some Yarn Pirate yarn from my son. I also received the new Harry Potter movie from the little guys which attributed to the inspiration for my new colorways.

Time for a little knitting before bed. Happy New Year!