Halfway Down the Stairs

I am finding it difficult to work on this:


When the view outside my window looks like this:
We've got a little bit of football goin' on this afternoon and then I've got a three hour ride to the cabin tonight, so I might get a little bit more of bruised sock finished. I'll be working on my Leaf Cardigan as well - I am nearing the end of the endless stockinette. Oh my achin' hands.

I did resist the Loopy Ewe update yesterday. I have to admit I had a full cart, but I closed the window before I got the Paypal involved (phew). Especially since I got a box full of this:
from ebay earlier last week. The photo is kind of hard to see, but this is some very soft Jojoland Alpaca/wool in a reddish chocolate color. See you all on the other side of the long weekend!

Better late than never, right?

Well, it took me all day, but as promised, I give you yarn pron and an FO. The Loopy Ewe sent me a little package today: Seacoast Handpainted in Russet. Soft, soft, soft...
And some Knittery Merino Cashmere Sock - Oh. So. Soft. This color is Moonlight.
I am comforting myself in this last week before school starts with the softest of soft yarns.

My FO - this is the July sock from Sockamania. I never got around to it in July, but I really liked the pattern.


I call this photo "3 Boys by the Firepit" - do you seen the Teenager? He's peering over the edge of the hammock. What is it with boys and fires? This coming up weekend will be our last at the cabin for a while. Weekend football starts on the 8th. Puck sprained his ankle last weekend on the trampoline and he has been limping through practices. We're doing as much as we can to get him back to 100%, but it's tough. (His FB coach is a doc, and his teammate's dad is a Chiropractor and they all have really good suggestions for him.)

Now I have to go finish watching The Closer.

Progress

All right, so I didn't cast on Nagini yet, but I did finish a S-s-s-s-serpentine Sock.



This is Spritely Goods Sylph and I was very pleasantly surprised at the finished item. She sure does nice work, ey?

I knit a random inch on the Slightly Bruised Mary sock, but that's pretty casual. We leave for the cabin tomorrow evening, I feel like I've become a tad repetitive. I haven't had any new sock yarn to show off for a while, though now that I think about it, there are a couple little skeins of Apple Laine I could show you.See? The Loopy never lets me down when I am in need of soft and squooshy.

Did I mention Football has started? The sports, they never end.

8/26/07 ETA: The yarn colorway is "Hey Baby".

The sock pattern is Serpentine from the Sockamania Club Knitalong.

The sock blockers were from ebay - but Scout carries the same blockers (same company).

Most of my "cabin" knitting is done in the car on the way there and home.

Tomorrow I promise you yarn pron and an FO!

This would be the "Hassock of Little Progress"

My Leaf Cardigan from Stefanie Japel at Knitty, my Bloody Mary Socks in Cherry Blossom Fibers "Raspberry Truffle" (I'm calling them my Slightly Bruised Mary Socks), and my Serpentine Socks from Anni in Spritely Goods Sylph in Evening Storm.

This is a better shot of my Serpentine socks, right before I ripped them back to the first repeat because I kept knitting the cables the wrong way! I did manage to get back to three inches last night while I watched Saving Grace and The Closer. That Evening Storm colorway is pretty appropriate to the weather we are having this week here in Minnesota.

Now, on to enabling:

Well, I have a $25 credit at the Loopy Ewe this week and I am trynig to decide whether or not I should wait for the "Sneak Up".... In the meantime, Ruby Sapphire is having a huge sale. 25% off and free shipping if you are on her mailing list - go sign up! I have been eyeing up the Mykaela for weeks - bet you can't beat me to it!

There are some new free scarf patterns and new Koigu colors up at Purlsoho.com - not to mention their sale yarn section.

Also, Carodan Farms is offering 10% off is you use this code: AUG7002 - I received the newsletter on 8/19 and it said the code was good for five days. They also offer free shipping on orders over $50. I've not ordered from them before, but I've heard good things.

True Colors?


It is hard to capture the true richness of these colors - think eye of the peacock feather colors and you are closer than this photo. Easy pattern - very stretch socks.
Pattern: Anni's Spiralling Socks from Sockamania
Yarn: Wollmeise - In the Cold Polar Zone (from my friend Yvonne in Amsterdam)
Started: August 8, 2007
Finished: August 16, 2007

Now I'm going to start July's socks since I never did start them, and then I think Nagini.

Update: I got my full refund for the hockey camp and the mailbox scandal is still in full roar. Imagine the most you would pay for a roadside mailbox, and then add some and you can conclude what kind of fracas I am talking about here. Oh, and 6th grade Football has started. We are running away to the cabin again today, so I'll see you guys on Monday.

Normally...

I'd say someone who hadn't posted for a week was being a tad lazy. But, you see, I have this condition....I can't stand to watch something being done when I just know I could do a better job of it. Ummm, like be the Treasurer for an Athletic Association? Yea, I know, I'm mad, just bonkers, but I really am doing a better job of it, especially considering we had NO ONE doing it for eight months. Just, well, our year end is September 30 and I have been tinkering with Quicken like a crazy person to get those Cash Flow sheets to look right, filing bank statements in notebooks with little plastic pockets for all the expense receipts. Did I mention that I volunteer? Well, no wonder that the knitting progress looks like this:Is that shot a little blurry? It is a little late, maybe it's just my eyes...I really should go to bed. That's my lovely sock needle case from the Loopy Ewe, my pair and half of Spiralling Socks and my Leaf Cardigan which is progressing nicely and will be car knitting again this weekend. My iPod video which has been showing me all the past seasons of The Closer. Yay! I love finding shows I love that have several seasons available to watch all in a bunch!

I was going to steal Annie's idea and do a bullet Wednesday, but then it went and turned into Thursday. I suppose I could make it kind of original and do a bullet Thursday? How about a semi-bullet Thursday? An SBT? How about an Enabling SBT?

• I got my invoice for the Woolgirl's sock club, first shipment is going out September 10! Yay, another reason I can't wait for school to start....(don't ask).

• Of course, you know the Loopy had an update on Monday night (again, don't ask, I have a $25 gift certificate waiting for me now).

• Diva Knitting sent me an email about 60% closeout prices - her stuff usually goes pretty fast though.

• Pick Up Sticks got in some lovely Dream in Color this week.

• My Neighborhood Association is having a huge fracas over new mailboxes. Seriously.

• How can I resist the Elsebeth Lavold on clearance at WEBS?

• KPixie has the new Blue Sky Alpacas patterns in.

• I had to get a refund this week from a hockey clinic because the guy who runs it told Puck's buddy "You're the worst defensive player I've ever seen, you're never going to make it PeeWee hockey - not even at the C level" Seriously. He fought off tears all the way home in the back seat of my car, and then, melted into tears as soon as he got into the house. Both boys refused to go back to the clinic. To make matters even worse, when the mom brought him back to the clinic to demand an apology, not only did he refuse to apologize, he called Puck's friend a liar. Grrr. I will tell you the name of the clinic privately if you wish to avoid it.

Guess the dearth of knitting time is not so surprising. Really, I should go to bed.

Spiralling Socks #1

My little gifted skein of Wollmeise - yummy!


I will be working on its mate this weekend - at the cabin!

I Promised You Sock Yarn and Custumer Service...

First, sock yarn:


Some Yarn Love and Gypsy Knits from The Loopy Ewe. Looks like I am heading into a storm of socks! Speaking of socks; I joined Sockapamania in July, but never even cast on the Serpentine socks. So here is my first pair of Sockapamania socks - the Spiralling Sock. Recognize the Wollmeise?

Customer Service:


I read a review of the Sox Stix over at Knitter's Review and they had a contact name from Customer Service. Back in April, I purchased two sets of these needles - I love the size - but while we were in New Mexico - three of these needles snapped in half! Well yesterday I got a box from Lantern Moon with a whole new set! Let's hope I can manage a few pairs of socks with these needles before I snap 'em in half! I do love good Customer Service!

Well, I'm off to Ravelry to add some sock patterns to my queue.

Lazy. That's me.

I have been lax in reporting the little trinkets and goodies that have dropped into my mailbox in the last few weeks.

I participated in an International Notions Bag Exchange and I won a little contest and the Hostess sent me these adorable little trinkets - a photo bookmark and a little fridge magnet frame. Very cute - thanks Patty!

I also won a drawing for Best Pal from the SP10 Swap and my hostess sent me two sock patterns and some adorable stitchmarkers from her shop. Graphicdesignchick.etsy.com

Aren't these great? So tiny and perfect! Thank you again Robyn!! LOVE the coconut earrings, LOVE!

My swap partner from SP9 - Yvonne - had me do a little US shopping for her earlier this year and she sent me a little goodie bag with most coveted of all - Wollmeise!! This color is called "In the Cold Polar Zone"! It's already a yarncake and cast on for Spiralling Socks for Sockamania.



Remember last week when the LE updated and I sighed about my lack of willpower? Well, look what it brought to me? I have no idea what to make, but it is so silky and squooshy....

Yea, there was some sock yarn involved too, but we'll talk about that later.
This is my current purple project. The Cardigan with Leaf Ties from Knitty. Wow. What a pleasure this Rowan Calmer is to knit with. I have an inkling it will get a halo pretty quickly though. Mostly because I can't quit petting it.


Coming tomorrow: Sock yarn and excellent customer service!!

Now I have to go take Puck to hockey camp and pick up paint supplies from Menard's!

FO's seemed a little frivolous yesterday.

However, today, I am heading out of town and I didn't want to leave an non-updated blog behind.
(Puck's 11th birthday party this weekend, five 11 year olds, three adults and the teenager at the cabin.)

Banff from Knitty. 10 Skeins of Knitpicks Wool of the Andes in Cranberry. This is going to be my favorite Winter sweater for weekend laying about. (So, seriously, at the current price $20 for this sweater). I like the yarn, we'll have to see how it wears. In the meantime, I will be ordering quite a bit more.

I started this last September, made a brave effort in January to finish, but finally just pulled out the sleeves and gutted it out this last month.

So now? We pull out the purple for the next Project Spectrum projects!

35W Bridge Collapse

Roll call. Me and mine are home safe tonight. Luckier than many others. I spent some time tonight with my head bowed, and will again. Won't you join me?

Eyelet Cardi!


I love this FO! The pieces were very easy to knit, but I really hate seaming. I skipped the buttons and buttonholes and used a pretty little retro pin to close it at the top.

ETA: The yarn I used is Elizabeth Austen Andes Wool and the colorway is Bubblegum-Sunshine I found it online here on ebay. Seeing as I only used three and 1/4 skeins, it was relatively cheap. I would definitely stash some more of this yarn.

At this rate I will have another FO tomorrow! Am I rockin' or not? I'm all done seaming the Banff, now I just need to pick up and knit the neck. Now, if only I can avoid the mad remodeller who is painting Puck's bedroom and bathroom.

I also am on page 227 in the HP7 book, so far, so good: if I can just keep the local 10 year olds from spoiling the book for me, sheesh!