How Does this Happen?

Saucey says I can't do any more blogging or knitting until I take care of this. . .
Anyone got a shovel I can borrow?

(Have a nice weekend!)

Honey, I Shrunk the Cat Beds!

With our crazy cold May and the occasional warm day we’ve been getting, the cats don’t know whether to shed or grow more fur… so we’ve had quite the loosing battle keeping up with the cat hair at chez Nana. Today I decided I couldn’t stand looking at the fur lining the cat beds ANYmore and thought it might be a good idea to wash the covers…oopsie! The covers shrunk and didn't want to fit back over the foam "shell." Now the are just lumpy and mis-shapen!
It seemed like such a good idea at the time...well...at least they are fur free (for the time being)… Zelda doesn’t seem to mind a bit (hee, hee).

I have been knitting, too….
Here are the last two dishcloths in the “set” of four I’ve been making (Peaches and cream solid in Cornflower and stripe in Country Stripes) :
Wedding Band DishCloth by Kathleen Brundige (with Eyelet Points edging from Knitting On the Edge by Nicky Epstein:

Summertime Spa Cloth by Kathy Wesley (Creative Knitting July 08):

The Mismatched socks are done thru the pattern rows:

Aquaphobia is nearing a toe:

And I cast on for a baby gift!

Grads, Grands and a Few Things In-between

I hope your Memorial Day is going well.
We had a busy weekend, full of travel and family and friends. Youngest SD graduated from HS on Friday, so Thursday, we traveled to AL via Atlanta.
There was a lot of family (mostly related to DH’s Ex) around and we tried to spend as much time with the kids as their schedules allowed. I was a good girl and left the knitting in the car (or at the hotel) when we were visiting.
Here’s the proud Grad and Dad:

In addition to the graduation, we were able to see the MI grandkids and I got a chance for a knit meet up with an internet friend while in the GA/AL area.
Boys in a box…
‘Papa’ and granddaughter Alanta (see how much she’s grown!)
One of the nice aspects of the internet knitting community is the removal of that feeling of being a “lone knitter” – a few mouse clicks and a little googling and all of a sudden you can find yourself in the midst of many like-minded knitters. I discovered an even nicer aspect to this connection during this trip. I read a knit-blog by a fellow sock-knitter; Becca who as it turns out is the wife of a soldier stationed at Fort Benning, GA (soon to be Fort Bliss, TX). Normally when we travel DH lets me seek out a LYS in the area we are traveling in to get a little calm-me-down time and to reward me for being a good sport if his ex-laws are involved. The town we visited in AL is basically in Fort Benning’s back yard. From reading Becca’s blog, I knew that the closest yarn shop was probably back in Atlanta (100 or so miles), and we would not have time in the short span of time after we landed or before we went back to the airport to visit a yarn shop. So, in lieu of a yarn shop visit, I got to do the next best or maybe an even better thing. Mini-meet-up! I touched base with Becca to see if she would be available when we were in town and we worked out the details for a little knitting over coffee/diet coke. (L-R, Becca and Me)How fun to meet your internet friends in real life. We had an amiable chat and knit a little. I admired the Fair Isle sock Becca was working on for her son, and she checked out my Aquaphobia. Becca shared her secrets for doing a nice heel flap on a toe-up sock (it's also on her blog) and I probably talked way too much about the “old days” when I was still in the Army. Something about seeing all those uniforms just brings back all the memories! Any way, it was a nice diversion for me during the trip and guaranteed knitting time. To paraphrase something Becca said, this was the first time I deliberately met someone I knew from online. And I can add that it turned out to be fun!

As for knitting, practicality and Airline considerations dictated that I pack light, so after sorting through several possible travel projects; I ended up just bringing two OTN projects and one ready to start (just-in-case). I brought the Aquaphobia socks which I started after finishing up the Monkeys and the Branching Out #2 as an alternate project. I packed yarn and needles for baby projects as my just-in-case option. I got one sock knit thru the foot while traveling and added about 10 repeats to the scarf. Not bad for the amount of time I spent not knitting on this trip.
The Aquaphobia checking out the Kudzu on the road between Atlanta and AL.

So that’s a peek at how I spent my weekend. I hope yours was safe.
On a serious note… Take a moment today to please think about what this country would be like if we didn’t have real life heroes. If you know a service member give them a hug or say thank-you today. If you don’t please say a prayer for all of our men and women in uniform past and present. Having had the privilege to serve with and for these men and women, I can honestly say that they are all heroes in my heart.

Can You Ever Pack Enough Knitting?

We're going to spend the weekend traveling for graduations and family gatherings as I imagine many others are also doing this holiday weekend. I'm busy here trying to get ready, but I did squeeze in a little knitting time.

The Monkey Socks are done!
Pattern: Monkey by Cookie A
Yarn: Brown Sheep Wildfoote Sock in “Rock-N-Roll”
Needles size 1
Magic Loop 2-at-a-time

Now I’m off to go and figure out how many knitting projects I can fit in my knitting bag. It’s a short trip… by air... Hmm …do you think 17 will be enough?

Weekend Knitting

I got the class sock to the point of being ready to start the toe (but apparantly forgot to take a picture, oops). After last night's session, my students are now successfully on their way to becoming proficient (and likely prolific) sock knitters!

I knitted a couple of dishcloths.
(Sugar-n-cream solid in cornflower and stripes in Country Stripes) Patterns various. Worked on size 5 needles.

I worked on the monkeys – didn’t get as far with these as I had hoped, but heck it was nice out and a girl can’t stay in and knit all the time!

Not much else knitting related or even remotely interesting has happened so far this week.

Gearing up for the holiday and a slew of graduations... how about you?

About the Buttons

I was busy most of today, so just a short post. First of all, thanks for all the nice comments about my vest! I meant to say more about the buttons, but I've been pretty ditzy the last few days. The way the buttons match is absolutely amazing considering I bought the buttons in July at the Folk and Fiber Fest and the Yarn (kit) for the vest at Stitches in August and never mentally put the two together. The turquoise looks like the same dye was used on both the button and the yarn in the vest! I tend to be an impulse button buyer and had long admired similar buttons at a LYS in MN, but couldn't match enough to be useful for a project, so when I saw the selection at the festival market, I snapped up these five. I acutally had different buttons in mind for the vest, but only had 2 and couldn't find 3 more that were complimentary in size and color. So I went digging around in my button box, only to find the tagua nut buttons and realize that they would be a good fit. Hubby voted for them and they got all around approval from my friends at knitting group as well. So that 's all I have today. Have a great weekend and happy knitting!

Knitting Frenzy

I’ve been in a knitting frenzy the last few days. Projects I currently have on the needles:
1. Monkey Socks
2. Socks to Match my Vest *
3. Dishcloth (May KAL)
4. 2nd Branching Out Scarf
5. Purple sock (repair)
6. Shop Socks (only worked on at work)
But I think… maybe … I’m coming down with a bit of staritis … here’s a list of potential projects that are clamoring to be cast on:
1. Aquaphobia socks
2. Sweater for DD#1
3. Summery T-shirt in bamboo
4. Lacy Tank
5. Baby gifts for 2 babies due in June
I just keep thinking of new things I want to do and start and then I want to work on that and not what I’m already doing. And dang, every new magazine and pattern book I see lately has at least three things I want to make, hrmpf… so many lovely patterns, only so many sets of needles…
There is good news in all of this though; I finished the Diagonal Delight Vest “Cool Shadows” project. Well… except for blocking and sewing on buttons. So here’s a peek:
*I was so happy about finishing the vest that I immediately cast on for matching socks with the leftover yarn. It’s a sport weight merino so they should be a quick knit. They will each have 3 of the seven colors and both will have the seventh. I’m going to knit both at the same time on magic loop. It’s kind of a fun project so I just couldn’t wait to start.
In the meantime, I had this pair of purple socks that I love but they were like the first or second pair I knit and a tad on the large side, so I decided to rip out the toes and knit them a little shorter… a quick fix, but time away from knitting on my other projects. I knit most of it last night and will finish these before I go to work today. Heck, I might just wear them!

Happy Dance

I cast on the 289 stitches for the front band of my vest this morning!

The Monkey socks are also coming right along:

And last but not least, the Yarn Harlot book signing event reschedule date has been announced! Yippee! (June 20! a Friday)

Furry Friday

Need a little kitty love?

How about a…. Zelda “croissant”
with a side “dish” of Saucey!

(I'm easily amused... hope you are too!)

Class Sock and a Great Bunch of Knitters

Last night our meet up group the Lake County Ktog Knitters met at the shop where I work. It was a fun and relaxing evening and unlike the Panera’s where we usually meet, there were no dirty looks from the manager or other patrons. Well, really there were no other patrons because we met after shop hours, but that’s just a technicality because the fantastic Linda didn’t mind ringing up purchases made by our members. I took the vest because I was close enough to reaching the neck and armhole shaping that I figured it would be a good meet up project. It was. I might be able to finish it this weekend! (Knitter’s optimism kicking in of course) Here’s a few of the pictures I took:


That's Vanessa's project the Anenemoi mitten (by Eunny Jang)... isn't it pretty? (Vanessa is in the first picture on the left... the one sort of cut off, oops!)

Lots of yarny goodness and knitterly fun was had by all.

If you’re ever up in Lake County on meet up night, please come join us!

Oh, and in case you were wondering… here’s the sock I’m working on for class.

Uh, Just… Tuesday

So, I’m not too creatively inspired today. I taught back-to-back classes last night which were both fun, but my brain is somewhat mushy right now.

Saucey and I just got back from her annual trip to the vet (vet says she's a-ok), she isn't too happy about the shot she recieved, so she’s off pouting somewhere and I’m goofing off on the computer.

Now here's something sure to thrill you.... Over the weekend I rearranged my sock drawer since I just washed most of my hand knit socks. Here’s the hand knit section minus a couple of pairs… At some point there will only be room for hand knit socks in my drawer… (insert “evil I-have-a-plan” laugh) Or is it that there won't be any more room in the drawer because of all the hand knit socks?

Knitting progresses... I’m still alternating work on the same three projects; but nothing too exciting to show off. Yet, somehow, I still have the desire to cast on for two more…. Yipes!

Our meet-up tonight is at the shop I work at, so maybe I’ll take my camera so there’s something more interesting to post tomorrow. I’ll at least take a picture of the class sock!

That's about it here... happy Tuesday!

A Reason To Procrastinate

Another rainy Friday, but before I can knit I have to pay bills. (My justification for being on the computer, ha, ha!) But before I do that, I thought I’d do a quick post.
I managed to get the Earl Grey socks done in time to post to SAM5 and get credit for an April pair.

Pattern: Earl Grey Socks by Stephanie Pearl McPhee (Yarn Harlot)
Yarn: KnitPicks Essential, Flint
Needles: Size 1 dpn
Mens Medium

I need to remember to take the camera to work on Monday to show off the pretty socks I’m knitting there.

Next, I got 6 repeats done on Branching Out #2 (probably won’t post any pics because it’s exactly the same as the other) and started the right front on the vest so I did have a pretty good round of knitting.

Oh yeah, and to reduce panic later this month, I started these:
Monkey; two-two-at-a-time, Magic Loop, Wildfoote Rock-n-Roll… not much to look at yet, but I’m not taking any chances on May sneaking off and turning into June before I’m done knitting my KAL socks.

Oh, and remember that sassy yarn at the LYS where I work…pretty sure that I mentioned it before? It followed me home yesterday….
Sooo pretty… and yes! It is sock yarn. I rationalized this after reading some of the comments on the Knitting Daily informal stash survey…. Even DH agreed that if I kept it under 160 pairs worth I was being conservative!

(Besides how else was I going to keep it from tripping me the next time I walked past?)

(Claudia Handpaints - Thistle...It's really purple in person... for some reason, the camera doesn't like this color)