Summer for a Day

We had summer for a day on Saturday. It was hot. I was off the weekend, so we broke out the Spongebob waterslide the boys got for Easter. The Littlest One did more running through it than sliding. (Although he did kinda drop on his knees and slide on his feet and lower legs. Then in the evening he cried that his ankles hurt. He insisted on using the sprinkler the next time.)

Summer only lasted for a day. The next day was too cool for waterslides and sprinklers. Today was rainy and miserable.

I did finish a FO that isn't a pair of socks, and I got to practice mattress stitch. (Now that I can do it the right way, thanks to Lucy Neatby and the workshop I took with her! Look -- I even used scrap yarn instead of stitch holders like she does! It was easier to put together like that, too.)

Then the completed and modelled shots. It's a little big, but I wanted some oomfph cuz usually when I make him a sweater he outgrows it in a month. I also figured on this being used a lot this summer in the evenings at the campground and stuff, so he'd have other stuff underneath it. (Look! He even has his socks on!)

I wanted a rear view, but he insisted on twirling. I snapped the picture anyways and got what I got!

Pardon the chewed cookie in the mouth, but he wouldn't close his mouth. I think the sweater turned out pretty good. Now I have to make one for The Oldest One, just in a different color.

Bernat Denimstyle in stonewash

Child's Raglan Options from this book

size 6 but the length of size 8

arms in between the size 6 and 8 length

Started Sunday, May 20

Finished Sunday, May 27

Yes, I know it's 100% acrylic, but my boys are hard on stuff, and I can't see me paying a bunch of money on expensive yarn for their stuff. It's a nice acrylic, though (yes, there is nice acrylic out there!), very soft. The only thing is it's really linty. I'm going to have to make sure I wash it separately a few times. I figure if I put it in with anything dark then the dark stuff would come out pretty darned hairy! I followed the pattern as it was written but with a bit of added length (the boys are all torso!). I also seamed it all, then I used a 60cm 4.5mm circular needle to pick up the neck stitches and knit it in the round. I think I ended up with a few less stitches in the neck, too, than the pattern said, but only like four or so. I'm interested in seeing how this yarn wears and holds its shape. I've only ever used it for a scarf for someone else and hot water bottle covers.

I'm thinking about doing these for my Sockapalooza Pal's socks. I may use some Austerman Step, not sure yet. There are a couple of other patterns I may take a closer look at first. Decisions, decisions!

Must go work on some knitting.

Happy knitting!

Tagged

I've been tagged by knit crazy!, so here goes.

Info:

So this is how it works: Each person tagged gives 7 random facts about themselves. Those who are tagged need to write on their own blog those 7 facts as well as the rules of the game. You need to tag seven others and list their names on your blog. You have to leave those you plan on tagging a note in their comments so they know that they have been tagged and to read your blog.

Random stuff about me:

1. I will not ride in a vehicle behind the driver. If I'm not the driver then I have to sit in the middle or on the passenger side.

2. I don't own a passport and have never been on a plane. (Yet -- I dream of being able to travel someday! Lots of places I want to go.)

3. I get motion sick extremely easy, so I can't stomach rides. Even the Merry-Go-Round can make me wanna hurl. Boats are okay as long as I'm moving, once it stops and rocks gently with the waves... I have to take Gravol first, so by the time we stop I'm ready to sleep. When I was a kid we went to my grandparents' every second Sunday, about 45 minutes away. Always had to take a bucket and stop on the roadside cuz I was car sick.

4. I'm scared of heights. It bothers me to go up three steps on the step ladder at the store to get at some of the stored yarn. Even when I was a kid -- if I mustered enough guts to climb a tree it took forever to get back down. (Except when I was in about grade six. There was one girl I used to hang around, and we used to get up on the roof of her two-storey house and yell at people going by on the sidewalk. Used to freak them out cuz it was dark, and they had no idea where we were. How I ever got the courage to go up there I'll never know... I think her mother caught us one time, and we weren't allowed to do it any more.)

5. I love British shows. I watch the new Dr. Who, Coronation Street, Most Haunted, Haunted Homes, Are You Being Served?, Keeping Up Appearance, The Vicar of Dibley, and Fawlty Towers. (There's some others I see once in awhile, too.) I don't watch many current shows, mostly reruns of cancelled stuff. But I also really like court shows. I watch Judge Judy, Judge Mathis, Judge Joe Brown, Judge Maria Lopez, The People's Court, and sometimes Judge Alex. (I also watch Dog the Bounty Hunter and Supernatural on a weekly basis.)

6. I collect hard-covered Star Wars novels. (Big Star Wars fan.) I can pretty much talk along with Episodes 4, 5, and 6 cuz I've seen them so many times.

7. I don't toot my own horn when it comes to cooking or baking since I'm just average at it, but I do make the best chocolate chip cookies. (And it's not just me, I've been told that by several people. I make them for the Oldest One's class when it's my turn to make cookies, and I also take them in to the co-workers once in awhile.)

I'm not going to tag anyone in particular, so if you're reading this and haven't done it yet and would like to, then consider yourself tagged. I know some of my regular reads have done this recently. I don't really have time to check through and make sure that whoever I tag hasn't already done this one recently.

No knitting to show yet. I should have a FO ready tomorrow or Saturday at the latest. I've also been thinking about my Sockapalooza Pal's socks. I think I'm kinda down to two or three patterns, four at the most. I have a yarn in the stash that I thought about using, but it may be too dark. She didn't specify color choice, but she did post pictures of her hand knit socks, and they're all fairly light colored. I'll have to think about it a bit more. I still have a little over a week before I have myself "scheduled" to start knitting them.

The Sweet Sheep blog is having a contest. I have the shop link in my sidebar without the button since I'm technically handicapped when it comes to that sort of thing. (Yes, I don't know how to add link buttons. I know, I work in a computer store owned by a computer programmer. Shame on me. Maybe I'll ask him sometime, but he's always super busy.) Pop on over and check it out. She's giving away yarn!

I'll leave you a picture of two of my tulips I cut today. I don't cut many flowers from my yard since I don't have oodles of them, but I snuck two out of the eight or so today. I left the pink ones since only three of those bloomed. I also nabbed some forget-me-nots and zebra grass. I don't have any problem yanking those. They're everywhere!

And here's why I don't cut many flowers, too, and why I have to put all of my houseplants way up high, out of reach. Three sets of teeth insist on chewing anything and everything plant-like they can get ahold of. No sooner did I set this on the floor to snap a quick pic, and Pumba was all over it. (I know this shot looks fairly innocent, but he was a chewin'!)

Happy knitting!

Yarn Sale

Just a reminder that the yarn sale at the store started today and runs til Saturday, June 9. (Scroll down to the end of that post for details.)

Nothing to show from the knitting world. I'm working on something that isn't a sock and should be finished the end of the week. I may try to post a progress pic tomorrow.

Pop on over and give Heddy some love. Her hubby's gone til Thursday, and she maybe broke her baby toe. (Been there, done that too many times on each side. In a nutshell, I'm a clumsy carp, and they break really easily now since I've done it so much.)

Happy knitting!

Six of Fifty-Two

Broadripples for Me
Regia Cotton Color 5412
pattern follow to the T
(except for shorter cuff since I was using one skein plus leftovers from another pair of socks)

In retro I should have knit them on a smaller needle, 3mm or possible 2.75mm. (See, here's where my lack of swatching hurts. But these are for me, so I can live with it.) This yarn is kinda stretchy and floopy, and since it's a lace pattern there's a lot of ooomfph. I've knit with Regia Cotton Color three times before these socks, but they've just been plain old vanilla socks. I normally knit socks with longer cuffs, but I didn't have enough yarn. Besides, it's going on summer, this is cotton yarn, I don't need long socks. I have two other single skeins of cotton sock yarn that I plan on using to try this pattern, for myself as well. (Don't I sound greedy when it comes to socks?!) These socks have matching cuffs, but the foot isn't matched. I tried to get the toes as close as possible. There's a bit more orange on the toe of the first sock. Didn't know if I had enough yarn to do too much fiddling.

I read about this contest on Heddy's blog. My summer knitting goals are to complete at least half of my planned Christmas knitting. That's not big projects, lots of socks, hats, scarves. I also want to finish a sweater for each of my boys (more if time allows, but I'll settle for one each as a goal). I'd also like to have at least twenty pairs of socks complete for the 52PP. (By the time I finish my Dulaan stuff I should be halfway to twenty, plus some of my Christmas knitting is socks, so that's two goals in one.) I'd also like to complete at least one of the sweaters that I have the yarn for in my stash for myself, plus finish up one I'm making for the store. (I could be getting greedy listing those last two!) Oh, yes, and I want to make a baby blanket, baby socks with my leftovers, and at least one outfit for my niece/nephew who will be born in November. Anyways, this is a fun contest, and it may help me achieve my goals.

As for the WWKIPD at the store on Saturday, June 9, I'd say it will start around 1pm. We're open from 9-4, but I think most places are starting their stuff in the afternoon. I'll try to see if I can wrangle some Timbits and pop. (I can guarantee it won't be fancy!) It's the last day of our yarn sale, too. I want to try to think of something else to offer as a special for that day only. I'll have to think about that one some more. I've got a few ideas, just have to see if I'll be allowed to do what I want to do. I'll post a few days prior with finalized details and if there are any specials for that day.

Happy knitting!

Summer of Socks

I seem to be a joiner lately. Thanks to Pat I am now a member of the Summer of Socks 2007. I figure I knit socks already for two KALs, why not another since I'll be making them anyways. Plus it's a chance to win more stuff! (Not that I ever win a lot, but I have won three blog contests, I think.) Just click on the link if you want to join SOS, too.

I have one little pair of Dulaan socks finished. I will wait til I get the others done and take a group shot since they're only like size two. I decided I didn't really have enough yarn to do anything but small, plain socks. I did write down an idea for a very basic kids sock pattern. I have some stuff kicking around in the stash for the boys, so I will work on those after my Dulaan stuff is done, and if they work out okay I'll post it.

So this won't be a pictureless post I will show you some I snapped the other day when the Littlest One and I went for a walk at the local park. Well, I went for a walk. He said to take the "one-headed stroller" in case he got tired. (Usually half way around he gets whiney and wants to be carried. Getting too heavy to tote.) He ended up pulling the Lazy Boy's stunt and didn't walk at all! Well, except for getting his picture taken by the tree with the white flowers on it cuz it "was pretty". It wasn't an easy walk. He wouldn't let me take the "two-headed stroller", which would have been much easier to push on the rocks since it has bicycle tires. (double jogging stroller translated from Littlest One Gibberish)

This may be of interest to any local knitters. The store is having a sale starting Tuesday, May 22-Saturday, June 9. Here's the breakdown if my memory is correct:

30% off Patons Carmen, Be Mine, Bernat Haven, Black Lites, Disco 50% off Bernat Eyelash, Sirdar Denim Tweed DK, Regia 3ply sock yarn, Patons Allure, Silverlash, Brilliant, Cha Cha, Grace, 15% off cross stitch, crewel, needlepoint, paint and color by number kits, 50% off of some old tapestry wool

Since June 9 is World Wide Knit in Public Day and also my day to work, anyone who wants can bring a lawn chair and join me at the store for some knitting. If it's nice we'll sit outside, if not we'll just sit inside.

Hubby will soon be home after being gone for nearly two weeks, and I have to go to work! (That goes over like a ton of bricks, but c'est la vie!) I only work from 4-8 and tomorrow, too, but Monday is a holiday in Canada, so it's a long weekend.

Happy knitting!

Four and Five of Fifty-Two

Broadripple socks for MIL for Mother's Day

Fortissima Socka of some sort (threw the ball band out already!)

pattern followed to the T

The first picture has the most accurate color, I think. (I so prefer outside pictures!) I had one heck of a time trying to get the second sock to match the first sock! It didn't turn out perfect, but it's way better than it would have been had I just continued straight from the skein. (See the previous looonnnngggg post, near the end, for details.) MIL and I have the same size foot, so I got to model hers. I wouldn't my mother's cuz she wears a 6, I wear an 8, and I didn't want to stretch them.

I also finally finished the Brooklyn Handspun Thomas the Train 3x2 ribbed socks for the Oldest One. These kept taking the back seat to other things. They are just a larger version of the Littlest One's socks. I used 2.25mm needles, 65sts (in retrospect I could have gotten away with no more than 60sts). 3x2 rib, standard heel flap over 30sts, continue the rib on the top of the foot over 35sts, plain stockinette sole over 30sts. I decreased 5sts over the top of the foot before working the standard toe down to 20sts. (Think I picked up 18sts for the gusset and worked standard decreases.)

He says, "Look at the bottoms!"

I kinda like the funky pooling around the ankles. The other sock has a similar pooling.

The assistant manager at the store just got back from California. He brought me this t-shirt. He went there 16 months ago, and I won't tell you what he brought me back last time (considering this should be classed as a "family" blog!). Heddy knows what he brought me...

Next on the needles I have three pairs or so of child socks to be the final additions to my Dulaan box. I want that ready to go right around June 1, so I'd best get moving. I'm sort of experimenting on some patterns, nothing too complicated since I don't have much time, but if they work out I'll post them. (Just in case anyone is interested in child socks for any other charities or personal use.)

Happy knitting!

Neatby!

Yesterday was the Lucy Neatby workshop that Heddy and I and two of her co-workers went to together. Nova Knitter was there as well. It was very fun, she's highly entertaining, wonderful to listen to, great teacher... She's very colorful in person as well as a colorful knitter! We were sorry that we didn't sign up for the afternoon class as well. (Lucky Nova Knitter did the full day thing!)

We had to have a swatch knit for the class. Once we got there she got us to do some stuff to it, like knit 10sts on each end with a different color yarn for six rows of stocking stitch. The we had to put the middle 40sts onto a piece of waste yarn. (She uses waste yarn instead of stitch markers. I normally use stitch markers, but she pointed out how awkward it can get when you have four, five or more of those things, it's easier to use a highly contrasting waste yarn, made sense.) She showed a much easier method of grafting than I normally do. Of course, I had mine done not-quite-right first time. I had the dreaded "11s" happening on one side which would have meant the grafting would have totally come apart as soon as the waste yarn was removed. (Picture of my corrected work below.) This would be highly useful for shoulder seams, provided you're not joining colorwork. As she pointed out, grafting the tops of work is always a 1/2 stitch off. Then she also taught us that grafting is an excellent way to correct mistakes. There was a lady there who was working on a sweater and forgot to do the seed stitch band in smaller needles. Lucy said to reknit the band on the correct needles, knit a few rows of stockinette in contrasting yarn, graft it to the sweater, then cut off the incorrect band. (Also -- she says don't start grafting or seaming at the edge, start in the middle and work out to one side, then do the other. Use short pieces to seam/graft, and don't leave a long tail of yarn and use that to seam/graft with.) She also showed me at the start of the coffee break how to do the toes of socks with this grafting so you don't get those irritating "points". Once you have your toe decreases done knit a few rows of stockinette in waste yarn, making a "chimney". Poke the chimney inside the sock toe, then graft the toe in the method she showed (which, as I said, is easy and a lot faster than I do it now). All you have to do is remove the waste yarn, weave in the ends, presto! Perfect toe!

My swatch looked a fair bit different by the end of the class. It had been grafted, mattress stitched, cabled... Oh, and cables. If I knit something cabled I am always careful to check every little bit to make sure they are going the right way. She showed how to fix miscrossed cables or the cable was crossed on the wrong row, stuff like that. She showed how to count to make sure you did the correct numbers of rows for the cable. I have had to rip down to fix cables that were either crossed on the wrong row or crossed the wrong way. I normally pick the stitches down and pick them up one by one. Her way was so simple and obvious I felt "duh" that I didn't think of it already! She uses short dpns a little smaller than her working needles, ladders down to the spot she needs to be in, slips the stitches onto a needle, crossing the cable the correct way, then knits the ladders back up with another dpn! You just have to remember to "massage" the stitches to make them look the same as the other stitches so they are all happy. (It's all about happy stitches!)

Lucy also taught us how to do duplicate stitch and when it's a good idea to use it. She had one of her dvds there to show us this stuff. (Got to get some of those. Heddy got this one.) Duplicate stitch can be used to fix bad spots in yarn. Don't you hate it when you notice a spot that wasn't spun enough or is too thin or has discoloration? Well, she showed how to duplicate over it. If there are enough stitches (she recommended ten or more), you graft it and cut out the bad spot, since duplicate stitch makes it thicker in the duplicated spot, naturally. She said when she was working on one of her blankets she noticed spots where she messed up a stitch. She takes small safety pins, the ones without the circle thing (technical name not coming to me right now), puts it where the mistake is, and at the end she duplicate stitches over her mistakes.

One thing Lucy really stressed, too, is premature finishing. She says don't weave in ends as you go. Wait until you are totally finished to finish. It makes mattress stitching seams a whole lot easier. It makes hiding ends easier because you can put them in the seams. She said a whole new world opened up to her once she learned about mattress stitching because it has so many possible uses. #1, it's a great seam. #2, it's so easy, almost invisible. #3, finished a top and it's too big? Mattress stitch the sides a bit to make it smaller. (Which is what one of the ladies from the yarn shop had done to her tank -- she showed us.) Also it works the opposite way if something is too small. She showed us one of her vests and how she knit i-cord and mattress stitched it to break up the patterns. Also this one has gussets in the sides that are mattress stitched in place. #4, it hides the "unhappy" end stitches. No end stitch can be "happy", and Lucy is against doing a slip stitch for a neater edge unless the edge will be seen. Seams cannot be mattress stitched correctly if the side stitches have been slipped. That was also her reason for not weaving in ends as you go as you will not be able to mattress stitch seams correctly. (Now that I know how to do that the right way and how just plain easy it is I'm anxious to make something that needs to be seamed! I always hated sewing up, but now I don't think I'll mind so much.)

So all-in-all Lucy's theory is that nothing should ever be a complete loss. Rip only as an absolute last resort. Never rip in haste or else you don't learn from your errors -- set the knitting aside and look at it another time when you can think more clearly. If you knit 3" on a sweater and don't like it don't rip it. Sew it into a circle and turn it into a hat. Ideas like that. Also she says not to rush the finishing process, do a little at a time so it's done correctly and neatly. (Oh, yes, Lucy's a strong believer in The Swatch, something I am highly guilty of rarely doing. I hung my head and looked at Heddy at this point, she's not a swatcher, either.) The organizer of the workshop was going to try and get her to hold another one next spring (she's booked up this fall and taking bookings into 2010!), and if she comes back I am so there!

I snapped a pic of the stuff she brought. All I can say is Lucy's knitting is a total work of art! The colors, the patterns, the detail, the finishing, what can I say? I felt like such an amateur, but Heddy and Nova Knitter both reminded me that she is a professional knitter, designer, teacher, etc. Plus I've only ever knit colorwork stuff a couple of times, never with more than two colors. It would take me years to knit most of these things!

And the babble continues... we went here for lunch. This isn't usually the kind of place I go, I don't do a lot of "different" stuff when it comes to food. Usually the kids are with, and I'd never ever in a million years take them into a place like this. Well, maybe when they're both like twenty. (They're cave animal enough in a fast food joint.) I had an apricot chicken salad wrap. It was served on a nice, large white plate with sliced dried cranberries and flakes of something green sprinkled over it. It looked like something off of a cooking show or out of a recipe book. It was really good, I was impressed. Should have had a piece of cheesecake, though. Isn't their dog a cutie?


After lunch we went to the yarn store. I, unfortunately, didn't get anything, not that I didn't see lots that I wanted. Heddy got some new sock yarn, very reasonably priced at $5.95/skein for self striping, nice colors, too. (I'll post a link if she posts pics on her blog of her goodies.) One of the ladies with us bought some Austerman Step and Trekking XXL along with the needles and cast on for her first sock EVER on the way home! Heddy and I are hoping she's another lost cause...


Heddy pumping gas in her new t-shirt!


Has anyone hung on this long? Almost done, I promise. I have since finished the Broadripples for MIL. The second one, let me tell you, was an adventure. It was the sock from hell. I like the pattern, nothing wrong with the pattern or my knitting. However, the second sock would not match the first one AT ALL without me snipping the yarn and finding where the next pattern match should be like six times! See how the needle has yellowish stitches on it? The first sock was knit straight from the ball, no yellow at all. The second sock started out like the first, see, til this yellow came along. From there on it didn't match up, causing me great grief and annoyance. I left the yellow there, it's only for like one round, then I tried to get the rest of the sock matched as closely as I could. Once I got to the heel I thought all was well in the world, but it wasn't. The yellow occured once again, and I had more fiddling to do on the foot. I'll have finished pictures next post. This was some Fortissima that was given to me. I think it's one of those yarns that isn't meant to match up, like Heddy's Austermans.

And Meegiemoo, should you pop in, I met your friend, Shannon, at the workshop. Very nice pregnant lady -- she needs a blog!

Happy Mother's Day and Happy knitting!

Ready for Neatby

Got my swatch done last night, most stuff assembled that I need to take, and camera batteries on charge. Tomorrow is the Lucy Neatby workshop. Looking forward to it cuz it's not been a good few days. I need some perk-me-up.

I have one Broadripple sock almost complete. I finished the gusset decreases last night, so now it's just the foot, and I find that part normally goes pretty fast. I feel confident that I'll have those done by Monday.

Not hard to tell those commercial-free music channels just play the same schedule over and over again. I've worked the last three mornings, so I put it on the 80s music channel. I've heard exactly the same songs. Not really complaining cuz they've been playing stuff I like. (Duran Duran's The Reflex will be up in a bit, they were my absolute favorite in junior high. Then in high school I got into heavy metal, but not too heavy. Probably more like hard rock. Motely Crue, Aeorosmith, Poison...) Right now Glass Tiger is singing. Got a picture home of me and my mother and the lead singer. We met him in a shopping mall in Halifax way back when. I should scan it cuz it's one of the few pictures of me that I like!

Will try to post Saturday night or Sunday to let everyone know how the workshop went.

Happy knitting!

Three of Fifty-Two

Got pair number three of fifty-two completed for the 52PP. This also counts as my May socks for the SAM3 KAL.

Mother's Day socks for my mother (no chance on spoiling --she doesn't have a computer). Regia Cotton Color #5412, 60sts on 2.25mm needles, standard top-down construction. The stripes match, but see how the orange is orangier in the sock on the left? That's kind of annoying since they're the same dye lot. I would not have been a happy camper had these been Sockapalooza socks or something. Also note the blip of yellow on the toe of the left sock, where it was grafted. Poo. (But the orangier orange thing is the biggest tick off.)

Now I have to see if I can whack off a pair of these by Monday. It's MIL's weekend off, so she won't be in town til Monday. They're started, and I also have to do the swatch for my workshop on Saturday yet. (I know -- bad me! Tomorrow night for sure.)

Finally broke down and got the family some mock crocs. (I'm cheap.) Daddy's away, thus the missing foot. I know, bad me for white store-bought socks! The kids love them, they've even been wearing them inside. I find them quite comfy, but I wouldn't want to wear them anywhere rocky. Kinda pokey on the soles. (Maybe the real thing isn't like that, but I'll live with it.)

Dog's on, gotta go.

Happy knitting!

Coutdown to Neatby

Next Saturday is the Lucy Neatby workshop that I am going to with Heddy and a few others from her work. Looking forward to it. I don't really do anything that isn't a family activity, so it's a nice change. I will make sure to remind my nephew the end of the week -- he is going to watch the boys since hubby is leaving for Edmonton tomorrow. (Yay! Finally a good trip!) I will have to do my "homework" for the course one evening this week. We have to knit a swatch (which we've been given specifications), and I'll have to assemble the other bits and pieces they want us to have. Afterwards we're going somewhere for lunch (we are only doing the morning class), then to the LYS. I plan on looking for two things in particular. #1 -- Sockapalooza yarn, and #2 -- Noro Kureyon. I have enough Noro for one more Booga Bag, but I want to see some more colors, cuz now I need another bag. If there aren't any colors that I think my friend would like then I will make one with SWS. Both bags are going to be surprise gifts for friends.

We went to the annual Firemen's Banquet last night. It's a dressy to-do, and I ain't a dressy person. I wore the only skirt I own (til I got a new one at Frenchy's Saturday but couldn't find a top to go with it) and sweater to match and the only dressy-ish shoes I own. (Basically the same thing I wear every year. Once in awhile it's a different top maybe. Two years ago I wore a pants and jacket set I bought when MIL got remarried.) Since I don't like having my picture taken, and we were running late (I was ready, he wasn't!), I have some shots so you can use your imagination! I was well behaved (mostly cuz this was the first year drinks weren't free, and I'm cheap), but hubby didn't fare so well. He made a couple of trips to the bathroom when we got home, and I couldn't help but laugh. (He didn't like it at the time, but he didn't remember it this morning, either!)

We got our new Austerman Step colors in stock, but they aren't all what we ordered. They were supposed to send two variety bags, each with a ball of colors 1-10 (the first ten colors in the link). Instead we got two of some, four of one, three of another, etc, and we got some of colors 12 and 13, no 10 (one of the ones I wanted). The 07 that came in is definitely not the 07 in the picture or in the link. It's green, and I had to get it cuz another lady took the other ball of it. (It's not any of the colors shown.) She also got 08, as did Heddy, and I liked that one, too. I waited too long, so now I'll have to wait til next order. A lot of the colors that came in are "manly" so I may pick up a couple eventually to knit Christmas socks with.

Here's a pair in progress. I am hoping to have them finished tomorrow. These are going to be for my mother for Mother's Day. They are basic 60sts on 2.25mm needles and made with Regia Cotton Color. I'm trying to make sure the stripes match, and so far it's looking good. I had to restart once. I thought I had it striping right, but it was a little off. Good thing I only had a few rows done.

Left: Regia Mini Ringel for socks for brother/sister kids of friends' of ours for Christmas. Middle: Austerman Step for me. Right: Regia Cotton Color for footies for me.

Seems like Pumba really likes the Littlest One, huh? Well, at least when he's sleeping.
Some people get crop circles, our place gets monster truck circles. (Don't know what it is with both boys -- they always make lines or circles of things.)

Happy knitting!

Matched

The Sockapalooza Match-Ups are done. I have my Pal's info, and that's all I'll say. Don't want to give anything away. I haven't heard from anyone who may have gotten my name yet. I won't panic -- last round I didn't hear anything at all, and I was late (due to extenuating circumstances on her part, which I totally understood) getting my socks. Not too late, just a little late. Better late than never!

Finished another bag. I really like the colors in this one. It's Patons SWS in Natural Plum. Once again, the hairiness had to be scissored off. This one turned out a little longer than the other one. Don't know if that's just the way it felted up or if I miscounted rows in one of them. I seemed to have the same amount of leftovers from each one, so maybe it's down to the felting. It's a little darker in person. This one may be a gift for a friend, not sure yet. If not I'll make another. They're fast and fun, and I really like working with the SWS. Well, except for the knots, especially if the color sequence doesn't match. This happened only once this bag around, so that was nice.

Made a pair of felted slippers, too. This is Patons Classic Wool in Palais. I like making these soooo much better in the CW rather than Briggs & Little. The B&L is just so darned hard to felt. These slippers are intended for a German lady who has a house in town and is here a few weeks or so a couple of times each year. They are ladies' medium.

See, I wear mine! Once the weather warms up I won't be able to. I had them on a few days that we did actually have warm weather, and they were a little warm.

Don't think I'm going to get that sweater finished in time for Saturday night's banquet, considering I haven't even touched it. I'm not going to bother since I need a couple of pairs of socks for Mother's Day on May 13. I think I'll start pair one tonight. I'll finish that sweater up after MD and just take it to the store as planned.

Pop on over to Heddy's and check out the neat t-shirt she's getting.

Alyson at The YoYo Knits is having a contest. Check it out. The grand prize is some of this that she won't need to finish her wedding stockings. (That woman has a stash to die for! And she gives a lot of it away! Or sells it very reasonably.)

Nicole has a blogiversary contest going on til May 6, too. Check it out.

Just pop on over here really quick to see Aija's new yarn. (Look at that second picture! Makes me feel faint -- but I do have one of those!) Her new T is kinda cool, too.

Happy knitting!