Rain, Rain go away....

....at least until we get the new roof on please. Torrential downpours are not a good thing when the roof really, really needs to be re shingled. It also means no Parks and Rec for the youngest, which makes for a very sad young lady. She is keeping herself busy with practicing her clarinet. Summer band began last week and she is really doing well with it... hardly any squeaking at all.

I have knitting to share. I have been busy with socks. I am on a yarn diet and I have lasted 2 whole weeks with no new yarn purchases. I am starting to get a little twitchy though so, we will see how long I last. I have been going through the stash to see if there are any long forgotten sock yarns hiding out that I absolutely need to knit and I think I really do have enough to keep me busy for awhile. However, I didn't knit with any of the yarn that has been in hibernation. Instead, I knit with some of my most recent purchases.

I finished a pair of socks knit in the Monica's Sunset from Sheepaints. The design is Malu. The design kind of gets lost in the contrasting colors of the yarn, but I like how it plays with the yarn. I knit them again in the Claudia Hand Painted in the Shells on the Beach color. And I have found a short row heel I really like. It is the boomerang heel. It is fast and easy and most important, no holes. I may have even convinced Karen to give it a try. I am also really beginning to like the Magic Loop method for knitting socks. I tried to knit with dpns the other day and I find I really didn't care for it anymore. I can't believe I just wrote that as I have always been a die hard dpn gal. I guess I will have to purchase more long cable circular needles as I don't have near enough of those to keep up with my start(itis)

Also finished, the Tempted Glam Grrl in the Bruisenberry colorway that I raved about in my last post. I loved knitting with it as much as I thought I would. It has a wonderful tight twist and knits beautifully. This design is called Katrin. Both of these designs are available in my Ravelry shop and will be at The Loopy Ewe soon. The box of pattern s shipped today.








And last night I started a new pair with a design I had been working on some time ago. I had originally started these in some CTH Sockitome, but I think that yarn may be a tad too fluffy for the design. It kind of flattens out rather than defining the stitches as I would like them to be. I will probably still finish it in the Sockittome, but wanted to try it in the yarn Karen gave me for Christmas. Araucania Ranco Semi Solid. I don't know the color number right off the top of my head but it is heathered grays and blues. I had the design already typed up, but I making a few changes to it as I re knit these. The back of the sock is a twisted baby cable.

Look at this precious little ball of fur. My sister's dog had puppies and one of my other sisters was able to bring one home to join their family. Her name is Sadie and she is just as sweet as she can be. She will be even sweeter once she is potty trained. The driving daughter is so happy that she is going to be puppy sitting for her when her aunt needs to go to the office to work. I heard plenty of whining the last few days about how much they would like to have the last available one, but the allergies and the asthma make it impossible. Sorry kids!!! And no I won't give in even if you keep nagging nonstop.

I think that is about it. I need to straighten out a few things and then get myself ready for a date with my dear husband. Today is our 20th wedding anniversary. I don't know where the years have gone, but I feel so blessed to be married to a man I love more today than I did 20 years ago.

Have a good week all!!

Ahhhchooo.......

Does anyone else seem to be having worse than usual Spring allergies. We are having a sneeze fest here. I was hoping when the trees were finished budding and blooming it would improve, but the sneezing continues. Maybe I should buy stock in the company that makes Claritin.

Oh, and so much for trying to blog every week. It would seem I don't have much to share every week. I haven't been knitting as much for some reason. Maybe once the kids are out of school I will have more knitting time and less taxi time..... wishful thinking, right!

I got some yarn goodies. I was stalking the mail box today. We must have a temp. mailman because he was unusually late. But better late than tomorrow. On the left is Lorna's Laces Sock in Maple Grove and on the right is Claudia Hand Painted Yarns in Shells on the Beach. Both from Sonny and Shear That Claudia is so soft, and I love it, but I wish it had just a tad more yardage.



Last week I bought my first Tempted Good Girl in Bruisenberry, and as soon as I finish a pair of socks, this is getting wound and knit. I think I am in love with this yarn. The colors are so rich and saturated and the yarn feels nice a soft and has a good twist. I am sure it is going to be a wonderful knitting experience.




On the needles: A pair of socks I started about 2 years ago... yes, that is right, I said 2 years ago. This is not one of my favorite yarns to knit with however, I like the finished product. If it just weren't so splitty. These will be finished today and as soon as they are the Bruisenberry is taking their place on the needles.



And I frogged the Sheepaints Magic Potion from this post and it is becoming this. I had hoped that this would be my first Christmas project of the year, maybe for one of my nieces, but the Driving Daughter has laid claim to them. They are a much deeper purple in real life. Sorry A or E as one of you two would have been the recipients of these come Christmas. I fear I will have to do all my Christmas knitting on the sly or the Driving Daughter will lay claim to everything.
WARNING!!!
Now if you are a Loopy Ewe Sock Club member, and you haven't received your May sock club and don't want a spoiler, read no further. OK.... are you leaving, there are going to be pictures.... I warned you.
























I designed the May Sock Club pattern. The yarn is Dye Dreams Luster Sox in Shades of Ireland. The design is named Kinvara. At first I was sent a mini skein, which was enough to design the sock, but not enough for a pair. So I designed the sock with the mini skein and have since frogged it and re knit with a full skein, you know, so the socks would match. The mini skein will no doubt become a pair of fingerless mitts. The yarn was a challenge to design with due to the dark color, and the fact I was trying to design it when my father in law was ill, making it even more of a challenge to knit, let alone design. All said I am quite pleased with the results. If you are a club member I hope you enjoy knitting them.

Sorry this has been so lengthy. I hope you all have a wonderful and safe Holiday weekend. Hopefully I will be back next week..... but no promises.

What happened to Spring?????

It seems like we only have 2 seasons any more.... Summer and a chillier than usual Fall. After a pretty mild winter, temperature wise anyway, (we had plenty of freezing rain and ice here) we seem to have skipped Spring and jumped right into Summer. Temps yesterday topped in the high 80's ... ugh!!! It is much too early for that kind of weather. I would like some nice cool weather to be able to go out and work in the flower beds. Not 80+ degree and high humidity weather in April. It just isn't right. And of course the few days we have had in the 60's have been rainy

OK, enough complaining about the weather and onto some knitting related material. I won a contest on Ravelry from the SHEEPAINTS group. Submit a picture of something with your favorite colors or a picture with colors you would like to see in a yarn, other members in the group vote for their favorite photo, and that person gets a skein of yarn inspired by the photo. Woo Hoo!!! Driving daughter took this picture from our front porch and I loved the colors in it, so I submitted it. Now, I had to order a few more skeins to go along with it, I mean it is a long trip across the ocean and I didn't want the prize skein to get lonely. This came in the mail Friday

The colorways are Tulip, Monica's Sunset and Splash. Didn't Sabine do a great job with the colors of the sunset. I can't wait to knit it up.... but which to wind first.

I am so in love with Malabrigo Sock Yarn. I have finished my first pair of socks with this wonderful yarn, and it will definitely not be my last pair. This pair was knit in the Solis colorway. I think the next color I will get will be the Archangel. If you haven't already knit with it, I highly recommend it. I have named this design Aislinn (according to the Gaelic translation, Aislinn means dream, and this yarn is a dream to work with) The pattern is available in my ravelry shop at the link above and will be at The Loopy Ewe soon. I just sent some patterns yesterday.

I frogged the Sheepaints sock I had started earlier. I think it needs a few modifications made to it. Due to the tight cables there was not enough give as I was knitting it. So, to the frog pond it went and will be re knit at another time. I have, however, started another design with the same yarn and will share that when I get a little more done on it.

I think that is it for today. I am going to go find a cooler place to sit, enjoy some iced tea, and knit for a while. I hope you have all had a wonderful weekend and have an even better week to come!!

Happy Easter!!!....

....And many thanks to all of you for your wonderful comments and prayers the last few weeks. They are all greatly appreciated. My Father in law will be missed deeply by all who knew him.

While sitting in the hospital room I managed to do some mindless knitting. I knit a pair of socks for my sister in law. My brother said that she really liked the pair I made for him and hinted that she would love a pair too. He knew her shoe size, but when I asked if she had skinny ankles, wide or narrow feet etc. he was no help ... "you know... they are normal". Here is the obligatory picture of them on her feet, they fit perfect ... H, your wife has skinny ankles. She says she will wear them a lot more often than my brother to which he replied , "he is afraid he will wear them out, and who knows when he will get another pair" I guess five years in between pairs is a bit long to wait.

I also started a pair of plain socks for the driving daughter. She picked this Cascade Sassy Stripes out 4 years ago and I think it is done marinating. Not one of my favorite yarns to knit with, but she likes it. I have knit 2 other pair of socks for her with this yarn and they have worn well, so I can't complain too much, esp since the yarn is inexpensive.The second sock is started and half the leg if finished.

I finished the first sock in the Shalimar Zoe Sock yarn. There is an error in my knitting, I was silly enough to think I could stay focused enough to knit on this after days of no sleep and sitting at my FIL's bedside. I noticed it several pattern repeats later and will leave it there.

Also on the needles, some Sheepaints yarn from The Loopy Ewe (I have start"itis" really bad right now). The colorway is Magic Potion. Lots of lovely shades of purple, and I am lacking in purple in the sock collection, so I needed it.... right!. I think I may need the Lederhosen colorway too, even though it is not purple.

We also had a little Christmas in April here, (well in Ohio). Yesterday was my niece's 19th birthday. We had not had the opportunity to have Christmas with them yet, so we celebrated a late Christmas along with her birthday. I love this T shirt Karen got me. I was actually tempted to buy it for myself when I was in the yarn shop getting things for her... So glad I didn't. She also gave me a skein of Araucania in color 107. Lovely shades of gray and blues. Hmmm ...what to make with this...I did buy another size 1 circular needle while I was there, so I have empty needles. I got a Ped Egg too, I have really been wanting one of those. Thanks Karen for all the goodies!!!

More Prayers Please:

A wonderful online friend of mine, Helen is in need of prayers. Her husband has been fighting cancer and lost the battle. Please keep her and her family (esp their son) in your prayers as they mourn his passing. And thank you again for keeping my family in your prayers.

Prayers Please

Just a quick post. My FIL passed away on Thursday evening. He was a wonderful husband to my MIL, a loving and caring father and FIL, and the best grandfather,( he was the only grandfather my children knew as my dad passed away when I was 19). He never knew a stranger and was loved by all who knew him. Please pray for comfort, peace and healing as we morn his death.
Thanks so much .

No Knitting Content Today

Just a quick post asking for good thoughts and lots of prayers for my FIL. He has been on a ventilator since Monday. I have spent most of my time at the hospital, so only very mindless knitting has taken place.

Your prayers are very much appreciated.
Hopefully we will have good news soon.

Spring Break and...

...unfortunately, we didn't go anywhere. Unless you count a short trip to Bloomington. The kids are beginning to get on each others' nerves, which in turn drives me a bit crazy. When we went to Bloomington the other day, I was really wishing I had taken along some knitting, but since I was driving, ( I can't convince the driving daughter to drive the van) I didn't think I would need any.... and then we sat at a stand still for nearly 45 minutes for a traffic accident. I need to remember to put the van knitting back in the van, where it belongs. We did visit a new to me yarn shop while we were there, In A Yarn Basket. It is a small shop, with mostly Cascade, Brown Sheep and Plymouth. But they also carried Tilli Tomas (I think you can go broke just looking at that yarn) and Blue Sky Alpacas. The sock yarn selection was limited, but I did see the Cascade Heritage Handpaints I have been looking at online and decided there were a few colors I am going to buy next time. I wanted to feel it first. The weather has been beautiful this week, except last night when we had some pretty nasty thunderstorms, but it is nice again today, a bit cooler than it has been at the beginning of the week, but still, very nice for this time of the year.

I have done a little more knitting on the Zoe sock. I have been busy on another project so this one has been a bit neglected. It will see more knitting time soon. As I said before, I really like this yarn.

Also on the needles is a sock I am knitting in CTH Sockittome in I think the Indian Summer colorway. I hope to finish these both soon, and maybe have a chance to wear them before it gets to warm.

Well the girls have a doctors appointment this afternoon, so I must scoot. It is just a check up. They are not happy about it, but I need to get a medical release form signed for the youngest for her school trip, so they are both going. The boy child went last week. Their regular doctor is on vacation, so they are seeing his partner, which neither of them are thrilled about. I am sure they will survive.

Oh, does anyone have any hints for deterring chipmunks or moles or what ever critter ate all my bulbs. I have a few lonely tulips poking through, and that is it. No crocus, no daffodils, just holes where they used to be. I am so disappointed. Any tips on this would be appreciated.

Have a great weekend!!!!