exchange, books, and wip

My first exchange! Tonight I signed yup to take part in the “Gimme Some Needles” exchange. I am so excited. At first I felt really interested, but was kind of nervous because it is my first exchange, but haven’t been bloging long, (but knitting for about a year and a half). But DH encouraged me to sign up and try it out, as it was something I was interested in. Catherine was so kind and warm, that I am now UBER excited about this. I could see how this could get addicting quickly.

Now I just need to get the never up to tackle a knit along… tee hee hee

I have started DH’s toe up sock, (I think I said that before, but now I have pictures to prove it). So far I’m loving the ease of them, and have been trying them on almost every second row. They are so comfortable; we may have to have a fight over them. Shared custody maybe? Every second weekend? We’ll see when they are done. I have a couple pair of brightly colored wool socks. I am just in love cause these are different. But I do share well. Really. After 3 ½ years of marriage, I almost have it figured out.

Has anyone read this? I read the first one and fell in love, and have now gotten A Good Yarn out of the library. It really is just like sitting down with a cup of coffee and an old friend. I would highly recommend it to anybody with a love for knitting/ reading/ and a sometimes gushy side.

awuga, awuga (siren noise)

Wow! It has been a busy week. I have not one, but two finished objects.
I finished my ankle high Regia socks, that I have dubbed the “rainbow sherbet socks.” I can’t wait to wear them. On my many shopping travels this weekend, I bought a pair of crocs. I think they will go marvelously together for the fall season, and both a really comfy. Now I start Christmas present’s for my family, and may or may not update as I go (depending who they are for), or I may just update on the 26th of December… The first is toe up sock for the hubby, made with Wendy’s pattern, and I’m making it out of Briggs and Little Tuffy, because he asked for a warm, thick, wooly pair. He will probably just get them a ‘just because’, and not for Christmas, as I’m a bit nervous, and may need to try them on his foot several times. (I try to keep repeating, just trust the pattern, it helps a little, but still nervous…)

My friend came to town Friday morning for a long weekend from Regina, and I get to keep her until Monday night, so we are having a blast, (no I’m not being a bad hostess, she is taking a shower.) Friday we declared it “girly weekend” and have since been doing all things that could be considered girly. That includes manicures, cheesecake, shopping for clothes, Frappuccino , shopping for house stuff , building bears , watching movies- that- will- make- you- cry, drinking girl drinks, and of course knitting!

When I was in Regina at the beginning of the summer, what was one of the first things I noticed but the lys. I made my fried take me, but by the time we got there they were closed, and I was leaving the next day. She said ever since I told her I knit and we went, she has wanted to learn. So slowly, bit by bit all weekend, we have been plugging away at it. I bought her this book to take with her home, so she can practice with pictures when I am not around to help. We may have another addict…

And of course when I was in the knitting section, I had to pick this up for myself…

Presents AND a finished object...

I have a finished object! I guess when you have as much going at a time as I do; you are bound to finish something. Well I did it and I am in love! I finished my blue and brown fuzzy steering wheel cover! (sorry again about the picture, it would be better if I could have taken it in the car, but my camera is still refusing to leave the computer...) I love it, I made it with fun yarn, and so soft! I want to go cruise the neighborhood and just be in my car. The patter was from s and b nations, and it was easy to follow and a lot of fun. Maybe I will give the dice a try!

Total, complete excitement today! How many pairs of socks do you think it is ok to have going at once? I always have tried to keep it to one of anything at a time (socks, scarves, dish clothes, ect.) but my sock of the month arrived to day, and it is so beautiful, I want to start now!!! I thought I would like either the yarn or the pattern, but maybe it is a good month, but I love both.

busy (but fun) weekend...

Busy weekend garage selling. The down side is I got burned it was so hot. The up side is we made about $250 and I got through a sock and half, between people. the best news is, we don’t have to do it again, for at least 10 months (man those things are A LOT of work…)

Watched Mr. and Mrs. Smith today. Haven’t laughed so hard in an action movie, maybe ever. If you haven’t seen it do, I enjoyed it as much as DH.

I find I have been spoiling myself a little lately. First the mint and chocolate stripe sock yarn. Then the subscription (membership?) to the sock of the month club. Now it’s books. I have gone out a bought two new books… Ponchos and Wraps and Last Minute Knitted Gifts. Do you think I could be hunting and gathering trying to get ready for winter? And why is winter already on my mind (especially when it has been just under30 degree (Celsius) the past two days… is it habit? Throw back to child hood? Back to school = fall? I’m starting to realize that is not far off… where did summer go? And why don’t I feel rested?

Frogging...

Grump, well, my sigma tank is done, done, done! I am frogging it. Why? The only reason I can come up wit h is my own inexperience. You see, it is MILES too big. I finally got to try the thing on… (how do you try something on when the length of the needles are shorter then your circumference? Obviously a knitting trick I haven’t clued into yet…) so when I finally started to bind off and had few enough stitches that I could try it on, well, lets just say the arm holes came down to my hips,. Trying to tell my self this is ok though, it is a learning experience and it frees up my time to work on something else… and at least I hadn't invested hundreds of dollars in to this, is was Canadiana I think, and old stash stuff. I do have to say, I’m not ready to frog it yet though… it’s going to patiently wait till I need the yarn down the road, then it’s frogging to create and not just frogging from frustration. Maybe I’ll work on my socks (Although I was saving those to work on during down periods of the garage sale this weekend, but I guess that is why we make 2 socks…), and then dive into something that I have been waiting to sink my teeth in to. I leave you with the warm happy colours and the progress from said sock…

new (to me) yarn store

Well I went to the yarn store on Friday. It was a bit of a drive but well worth the trip. It is tucked I a corner, and apparently a popular hang out spot. There would three ladies there hanging out and knitting. Very friendly with a good selection. We got into a sock conversation, and it was very interesting. I have always been a die hard top down sock maker. Why? Because that is how I learned, that is the patter I learned on and have mostly memorized, and that is the one I know well enough to modify to whatever whim I have that day. Now though, I am very tempted to try the toe up. And I have never turned down a challenge, have I? it is appealing to think I could still do it on 4 needles (not five) still do the same style of heal ( I don’t know what it is called, but it has a square with a flap), and never have to worry about running out of yarn… hmmm, must give this more thought…

This is what I walked out with… 2 balls of phildar auteuil yarn in iris, 2 balls of koigu kersti yarn (in painters palette?) (I can’t get enough of shades of pink this summer, I feel like such a girly girl, and love it), and 2 sets of bamboo needles, which I have discovered I love btw, although I am a little afraid of breaking them.



When my hubby got home he brought me a package. He had stopped at the post office box and come home with this (sorry, my camera won’t make the green as mint as it should be, but here it is)…



I have never understood why people describe yarn as yummy. I always thought, what? Yarn is soft, shiny, pretty, colorful, fine, but yummy? Well, now I get it… just let me say YUMMY, YUMMY, and YUMMY!!! (I told DH this was defiantly freezer yarn) It is Lorna’s Laces shepherd sock yarn and the color is mint chocolate stripe (my favorite). So now I need to figure out if it really going to be socks, or something else. I had originally intended it for socks, but then when it got here and I actually hand it in my hands… I think I have decided that socks just aren’t good enough for it. You only wear socks like, once a week, and this deserves something more special and would use more often. Might need to simmer in my stash for a while until it decided what it needs to be…

This weekend I also found this. One pair of socks every month, what could be better? And if I don't love the pattern, or don't have time that month, it can just sit in my stash until I do. I love socks, and cant’ get enough yarn or patterns, so I think this was designed for me. I’m really excited, but I’ll tell you how it goes when I have my first package, and try it out. And the best part is opal yarn! Yea!

I have finished the back of my Sigma tank top, now just need to finish decrease and straps in front. I’m having this niggling worry that it will be too big (I have lost some weight since I started it.) we’ll see, if it doesn’t work for me, I have a friend I think it would work for, and I think she would really appreciate it.

Dpns debate

Notice the new addition to the blog. His name is Cooper. I thought I better include him, because he is usually helping (read: making life difficult) but sitting in my lap as I write. He better appreciate all the effort I went to, just to get his picture loaded. This blogging stuff isn’t easy, and I don’t’ think I would have gone to THAT much effort for the cats…

I’m having a large dpns internal debate. You see, DH and I were in the car in a rainstorm the other night, heading for the in-laws for dinner. SIL and her fiancé were in town. I had brought along one pair of particularly addictive socks that I just couldn’t put down. Out of nowhere, one of these random thoughts that sometimes hit you in life flashed into my brain. If he were to crash this car, one of my Grammy’s 50 year old, foot long dpns would hit my abdomen and I would die. So not it is in my head that it is much safer to knit with something shorter and preferably not metal. So here is the debate, do I give bamboo a try, although I have heard they don’t necessarily slid too well? Or do I bit the bullet and go get some other the ones that are milk bases? (Casein Timbergrain Double Points) Do they even make plastic any more? I think I might just have to venture out to the LYS and check it out, and what ever else jump into my bag would be a bonus. Or do I just stick to the good old tried and true and stick to the couch? (Probably not going to happen, as it is way more fun to go and buy things…)

Which gives me not a bad excuse to check out a new LYS, which is 20 minutes from here. I heard about it from a friend a while ago, but haven’t been out that way since. (Three quarters of the journey would require a trip down Glenmore, and these days that is a scary though, but for yarn that would be worth it) I think this is the perfect excuse for a special trip, and don’t I deserve to be spoiled? Stash enhancement never bad. ;) Of course my new theory is that is my stash wasn’t so enhanced, I would get to go to the yarn store more often.

I feel bad if I don’t post a picture, because I know that I would rather read blogs with pictures then without, so here is my progress on my steering wheel cover.

Cooper

introduction

It’s Calgary. It’s August. I’m wearing wool socks. Enough said.

Last night was fabulous. I got to meet and get the new book from the yarn harlot. Stephanie was great. She was kind, funny and really made me think. DH accompanied me (as I am to chicken to go places by myself). When we got there, I ran in to Gina, an old friend through work that I haven’t seen for a couple of years. So we joined her and new friend Morgan. (Why is it that all other people we meet are acquaintances, yet fellow knitters are friends?) It was a lovely evening, and I don’t remember the last time I laughed that hard. My stomach hurt all night from the “bacon powder” story. Even DH laughed, and I wasn't sure it was his thing, and he is usually a pretty quiet guy.

As I couldn’t sleep last night, over excitement over what I would knit next, I thought about why I knit. The best reason I could come up with, is it’s a creativity outlet. Yes it is fun, and it is Zen and it keeps my hands busy. But I like the creative. I don’t think I have (since I got a grasp on knitting) knit anything according to the pattern. Sometimes it’s a different yarn. It’s always a different color. Sometimes I want two cables instead of one. Or lace instead of bobbles. You know what I mean. I like to play within the pattern. Sometimes it works. Or sometimes not. But the creative is fun.

I guess because this is supposed to be a knitting blog, I should actually put some knitting on. I’ll just name the couple of projects I'm working on most seriously right now, or we'll be here for days.
I’m making a Sigma Tank by Mark Waldron in blue cheap yarn. Just a starter, experiment project. I have learned short rows (although still having some problems with holes). And it’s easy and mindless, because it is garter going around and around. I’m on the straps at the back.
I’m working on a steering wheel cover from Stitch‘n Bitch Nation by Debbie Stoller. (although the pattern isn't by her, but I'm too lazy to go track it down right now, so you'll just have to go buy the book to find out :-P) I had some fun yarn kicking around,in a blue/ brown color that is working perfectly. I haven’t decided if I’m making the dice yet or not.

Then I have a pair of socks on the go with Regia self-patterning yarn. I normally wouldn’t choose these colors, but they felt fun and summery. If nothing else I can wear them around the house as slippers in the winter,for a bit of cheer. (sorry about the pic, but my camera has decided it will no longer work if it is not attached to the computer.)
Finally, I am about two squares off a blanket that I started in a class the city put on in the spring. I decided I wanted it twice the size, and yet it has taken 4 times the time. Go figure. It’s in two shade of green to match my couch, with cream highlights, and done in Patons Chunky. Very fun as every square is a different pattern, no time to get board, which was my fear with something that big. I’m a little nervous about putting it together, but can’t wait to see it done.

Right now I am reading, The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. I just finished Crispin: The Cross of Lead. by Avi and Eleven on Top by Janet Evanovich.