I am a Bad Blogger

Karen said surely I have something I can post, and my daughter says I am a bad blogger since it has been so long. I have been knitting. I had several May deadlines to meet, and I did knit a lot, but some of those I can not post. I do have some knitting to show. I finally finished a pair of socks for the month of May. These are the OnLine Highland socks. 68 stitches on size 1 double points. This yarn feels a little thicker and a little scratchier than Opal, I hope it washes softer. These are pair 8 for the 52 Pair Plunge, May socks for SAM3 and my Yikes! Stripes socks for Socktopia.

I started an afghan for my in-laws for their anniversary. It is in August. Hopefully, I can stay focused and finished on time. The yarn is Bollicini Maxi from Cascade Yarn . I like working with it. I wanted something that was mostly wool, but machine washable. This is 70% Merino and 30% Acrylic. The pattern is from Martingale's "Little Box of Throws". It will match their living room furniture nicely, and keep my father- in -law toasty warm, he is always cold.

I started a little toddler sized sweater. A friend of mine gave me a gift card for Hobby Lobby, I bought a bunch of dish cloth cotton. They had some of their store brand yarn on sale, 40% off, so I bought a ball. I am not too impressed with it. It splits really bad. The label claims it is a bulky wt. yarn, but I am knitting it on size 6 needles and getting a nice fabric. I could easily knit this yarn on 4 or 5's and still have a nice fabric. They definitely need to rethink that wt thing. It is very soft though knit up. This is my own creation. I started the fronts, but have not gotten very far. And I also decided to use up some of my other cotton and make a baby tank. I haven't picked the neckline or the armholes yet to finish it. My nine year old came home from school yesterday and decided to try it on. She is a bean pole. It fits her like her tankini tops. She has claimed it as her own. She doesn't want me to do any of the finishing other than weave in ends. She knows that will make the armholes and the neckline smaller and then it won't fit her. LOL Today was their last day of school. Her teacher has an ice cream party at her house for the kids. It was outside. It was loud, and hot and the bugs were biting like crazy. It didn't seem to bother the kids though. I am so glad to be able to sleep in tomorrow.

Well, I am off to sit on the couch and knit for a while. Happy knitting all!

Yarn, Yarn ...

...and more yarn. Karen told me I had to show my sock yarn. It is not as impressive as it used to be. I have been knitting from my stash so it is dwindling. From the one tub there is this enough for about 42 pair of socks. I have more scattered about the house, but this was all together and easy to locate. Deb is doing daily blogs and this was the topic one day this week. I need to go buy some more sock yarn, this is pitiful. The smaller single skeins are enough for socks for the youngest so I count those too. I have knit 7 pair so far for the 52 Pair Plunge, so I am glad to know I have enough in my stash to knit the required 52 pair. Of course there are about 6 or 7 or maybe (definitely) more in progress too.

OK Karen, the yarn from The Loopy Ewe. From The Knittery in the Grace colorway. A very yummy, Merino / Cashmere blend. I love it! I can't wait until they get more in! It is very soft and the colors are beautiful. I haven't decided on a pattern for this one yet. And the yarn from Stone Barn Fibers in the Lamurple colorway. I love that name. 100% Superwash Merino, they still have a few colors left in this yarn, but not this color... sorry. My two girls are fighting over this. Silly, silly, girls, this is for me, me , me. And, I have never knit with OnLine sock yarn before, so I thought I would give it a try. This is one of the Highlander colorways. I started this one before the others because I was sick all weekend, and didn't have the energy to stand up let alone wind any yarn. I spent Mother's Day/ my Birthday in bed, coughing and aching, and running a fever of 102. I am still coughing and aching but no more fever and chills. The school year can't end soon enough for me, then my kids will stop bringing home every bug that is going around.

I have also knit another baby hat for The Loopy Ewe Quarterly Challenge. It is knit in a 100% merino yarn, nice and soft for a baby head. After I get a few more of these finished I will mail them in. I wish I had a baby head to put it on, it is a pill box style with a flat top. None of DD2 dolls have big enough heads to model it properly. Those AG dolls and bitty babies have small heads.

And, I finally finished the hat and mittens for SWTC. Kat says it is OK to show them and advertise. They are knit in Gianna, in the Falling Rain colorway. These were fun to knit. I just need to finish typing up the pattern, and mail them in. It is taking awhile for them to dry since they are so thick, but this yarn is so soft, esp after it is washed.

Well that is all I have to show today. It is so nice here today, cool and breezy. I am glad to be able to wear my handknit socks. I even got to wear the ones Karen made for me yesterday. Soon it will be way too warm for that. Happy knitting everyone.

Mail Call,.. Again

Two great packages in less than a week. I love it! My sister sent out my B-day package a few days early, but there is no way I can wait until Sunday to open it ...sorry Mandy:) Look at the wonderful package she sent. And she added little notes with each present. The new Favorite Socks book, I love it and will be knitting many of these, some I already have. She knit me a pair of blue socks in Trekking, I am lacking in blue socks and she knew that. I love blue, I just don't seem to buy much blue yarn, go figure? She sent the little bit of extra yarn along and commented that she has never had so little yarn left. I think she is implying I have big feet. A Starbucks gift card, I have to work tonight so I will be having a White Chocolate Mocha Frappicino for the ride up. And chocolate goodies, I do love chocolate. Thank you so much Karen, you are the best sister ever!!!!! And speaking of birthday presents. I ordered myself some yarn from The Loopy Ewe I can't wait to get it. I ordered it early this morning, and by this afternoon they were sold out of the yarn from The Knittery, still had some of the Stone Barn Fibers, hurry and go order before it is all gone. I can't wait to get it.

And I have been knitting, but I can't share it with you. I did knit a baby hat for the quarterly challenge at The Loopy Ewe. I want to knit a few more of these and some fingerless mitts. I don't know what the yarn is, it was donated to me for my charity knitting. I can tell you it is yummy and was wonderful to knit with and oh so soft. Well, that is it for today, hopefully I will have more knitting to share later in the week.

The Mailman Came !!!!!!!

What a great day this is starting out to be. I was laying on the couch taking my usual morning nap ...I am a firm believer in naps, and I hear the doorbell ring. I am expecting a "secret" package, so I get up to answer the door ( I usually don't do this as it interferes with my much needed napping) Well, it is not the Fed Ex man with the other package, but a package from Deb . She emailed me yesterday about the package so I was not expecting it until Friday. What a pleasant surprise , (those are the only surprises I like ...the pleasant ones). And what a happy looking package it was, look at all those wonderful colors. And this is what I found inside. Wow, Wow, Wow what a great prize package. Deb had a contest back in Feb. Name the project. I didn't get them all right, but I guess I got enough of them right because I won this great package of goodness, well worth the wait Deb :) Enclosed was Misti Alpaca Lace wt and Addi Turbo Lace needles ( I have been wanting some of these, and I love, love, love, Misti Alpaca), now I can knit the Swallow Tail shawl too. A sock blocker key chain kit, I have been wanting one of these too, I will have to fight my DD1 for that, but I will win this one. Lovely Frog Tree Alpaca, which Deb dyed, I love Alpaca, just ask my sister The colors are gorgeous and some of my very favorite. Beautiful hand made stitch markers, a cute sheep tape measure, I will have to hide that or I will never be able to find it, as DD2 thinks they are the cutest things ever, and it is even a black one, they usually have a lot of the white ones and no black ones in the shops. A little felted pouch, I will store my small knitting goodies in. Rosemary crackers and Cranberry Chutney. I can't wait to try the chutney, I love cranberries...I won't have to hide that from anyone since they don't share my love of all things cranberry. Thank you, thank you , thank you, Deb!!!! I love it all!
Last week the mailman brought me a small package. I have been wanting to try this yarn. The colors are more green than the yellow I was expecting, you know that whole monitor thing, but it is soft and I have heard good things about it. I think I am going to knit the Cross Hatch Lace pattern from More SKS with this. I have a ton of things to knit before I knit this, but I went ahead and wound it. I knew I would be pressing my luck if I saved a bunch of yarn to take to Karen's for the next visit. I think my winding faerie may be on strike after the last visit.

I finished the little baby dress too. I finished it yesterday morning, the shower was yesterday evening. I was worried about it getting dry before I had to put it in the gift bag. I left it out for the hour drive up and put it in with the rest of the goodies before I went in, finally dry. It was oooed and awed over. I had a hard time letting that one go. It was an easy knit, I have no need for a baby dress, but there is just something so darn cute about all things baby sized. She loved the socks and the baby blanket too. I had a great time. I don't often go out with friends without the rest of the family, and the girls I work with are crazy. Get them all together and away from work, give a few of them a little wine, and it is a riot. I have not laughed so much in a long time.

Well I think that is it for today. I am going to sit and fondle the Alpaca. Happy Knitting!