Goodies

First up is the remains of food goodies. Yummy! We used to have a Dixie Lee in town when I was a kid. I love this stuff! The nearest place now to get it is in Sussex, NB. Hubby stopped on his way through on Friday for his birthday chicken. This says 9 pcs, but I think it was 15 or 20. I used to love the box when I was a kid. The door is perforated so it opens. I was a tomboy, so I used to use it for my dinky cars. The boys still have this one. (I also kept the little styrofoam containers that had my coleslaw and macaroni salads. Don't know when I'll get it again!)


Here are also some remains of food goodies. These are an Oreo-type cookie. Well, they WERE an Oreo-type cookie. The Littlest One got the can out the other day and ate all the cream out of them and kindly left all the cookies. (Which were composted, btw.)

Next are my goodies and gift goodies. Four bags from Japanese Handmade. (Etsy shop) The green and orange ones are mine, all mine! The silky taupe one is for my mother, and the geometric shapes one is for SIL, both Christmas gifts. Unless I have to break down and give my mother hers on her birthday in September.

These are gorgeous little bags and are so well made! Each zipper has a Japanese knot for a zipper pull. My green bag is lined with solid bright green material. The orange one is lined with solid orange material. You can kinda see it on the inside of the handles. The green one is currently housing my stitch markers, some buttons, and a few other odds 'n ends that were just floating around my knitting basket.

I love the silky one I got for my mother. It's lined with solid lavender/lilac material, and the geometric shapes one is lined with solid purple like the purple on the outside of the bag. I highly recommend Satomi's shop! She's great to work with and will do custom orders as well.

There really aren't any goodies here, but the bbq was good! At my BIL's place on Sunday. They got a new pool, so the kids had to go in! (That's BIL, btw.)

The Oldest One in the pool. The water isn't over his head, but he likes the floaty-ring. I think I'll put them in swimming lessons at the local resort this fall. Neither one knows how to really swim. He'd sink like a rock without the floaty-ring.

The Littlest One can't really touch bottom. Well, I think if he stood on his tip toes and held his head up he could. With the water wings he isn't going anywheres anyways. (He's like me -- I can't swim well and prefer to be able to touch bottom and still have my head above the water.) He stayed close to the ladder, but near the end he was letting go and treading water. I think he'll catch on to swimming much quicker than the Oldest One.

My Patons SWS Booga Bag, waiting to be felted. You can't see the numbers on the measuring tape, but it's about 15 inches. I am almost finished my Paprika Classic Wool diagonal bag, and I will wait and felt them together.

Lastly, I did some winding today. I have two more skeins out, but I didn't get a chance to wind them. I really need a swift! My chairs are not straight-backed, and it makes it difficult. These are both hand-dyeds off eBay. I must have gotten them a year or more ago. The orangey one is hand wash. I want to make Tropicana socks with that. The other one I can't remember if it's hand wash or superwash. It looks and feels like superwash. I think I'll knit a swatch when I'm done my Pillars of Atlantis Socks to machine wash and see what happens.

Anyhoo, it's getting late. I have to work in the morning, so I should get going to finish up doing what I have to do.

Look for the new Magknits tomorrow, and also the SAM4 KAL officially starts tomorrow.

Happy knitting!

Birth of the Sockapalooza Socks

Started July 1, finished July 26.




Sockapalooza socks, Belle Maman in Austermann Step #09 (whiskey). I used 2.5mm needles, and the only thing I did differently was the heel turn. The knit rows had a K2tog, and I did SSK cuz I like the look of it better.



Then (1972):




Now (2007, well technically last summer - no current pics):

Happy 35th, old fart! Now you've caught up with me!

Happy knitting!

Pinkie

Here is the pink felted bag for one of my best friend's girls. I'm making a blue one, too, so they'll have to decide between them who gets what. I didn't want that kind of button, but we didn't have much to chose from in the size I needed. The blue one gets the same button. (There were two on the card.) It took one ball of Patons Classic Wool, and that's the leftover.

One of the boys' dinky cars just to try and give an idea of the finished size. (First picture is closer to the real color.) I'm going to make one for myself, and it will be good if I just want something for my phone, keys, and throw in some money or bank card.


The second Sockapalooza Belle Maman sock. I would have had it finished last night probably, but I had to rip back about half or nearly of the gusset decrease rounds. There was a mis-crossed K2tog, and I couldn't live with it. I was knitting it in the big truck today, and I had missed a K2tog. I should have checked it the second time around but forgot. I must have crossed it like an SSK, and it stood out like a sore thumb to me. It had to be fixed. I have maybe nine or so three-row pattern repeats, then the toe, then they are DONE! (Most likely tonight, hopefully, but I need to try to mow the lawn tonight, too. And I work today.)


I'll leave you with this cute little kitty looking in through my screen door. I never saw him in the yard before today. He was super friendly and really cute. The boys loved him. Two girls came up the road and took him after awhile. There are some new people down the road, and I think he may belong to them.

Happy knitting!

Poppin

Just a poppin, going to the campground for the night. I hope to be back tomorrow night with some pictures. (Definitely back tomorrow night, I have to work Wednesday.) I've been home from work for an hour, all ready to go to the camper, and no sign of anyone. The nephew is watching the boys, and I have no idea where they went. Hope he remembers he has to go to his real job in an hour-and-a-half.

I finally cast on for the second Sockapalooza sock. I just did that late yesterday morning, and I only have 18 rows left to do before I start the heel. It's going camping, too, and will hopefully at least have a heel before bedtime tonight.

I made one of the little felted purses that I was talking about in this post. It turned out kinda cute. The blue one is knit but needs to be seamed and have the i-cord knit yet. That's going camping, too. The cute little buttons I had picked out won't work. They are too small. I didn't really get what I wanted. I ended up with some wooden buttons that are the correct size, but the other ones would have been so much nicer. I may take a stroll into the sewing store in town and see what she has before I attach the buttons.

Sign ups are open for the Sock a Month 4 KAL. I joined, of course. Been in them all so far and don't want to miss out on anything! I'll be knitting socks anyways, so why miss out on a chance to win stuff to boot? There are new hostesses. Chrissy kindly let it continue on, choosing to be a participant instead of hostess this time. I can't blame her -- she's a busy beaver, that's for sure! Two small kids, designing, on-line store, chickens, plus all of the other stuff she's got going on.... Now she can sit back and just have some fun with it!

Heddy found some more links to contests, too.

Happy knitting!

Is It Friday the 13th Again?

I've pretty much decided that life pretty much doesn't like us. Phone rings this morning at like 6:45. I kinda heard it, missed it, caller id said it was hubby. I knew something must be wrong. Truck died on the side of the road outside of Halifax. Called the Cat engine place that rebuilt the motor -- computer didn't show any error codes, so it would have to be towed to the shop, it's mechanical. Long story short, one of the fuel injector tips broke off, and it bounced off a piston a few times, denting the top of the piston, and then flew off through the turbo, tearing the fins out. Of course, none of it's warranty work. When the other people had the engine rebuilt they didn't do the injector tips, so they weren't covered. So this will put us in the five-digit range for repairs on the danged thing in the last month, including the all new tires she's getting tomorrow. Sometimes I wonder why we even bother. (He called a few minutes ago -- almost $4 thou, would have been more than double if there'd been piston damage.) Oh, yeah. And my keyboard kicked the bucket. It was fine this morning, went to work, no one was home, after work, it didn't work. Had to run to the store and buy another one. Of course the cheapy ones were all gone, so I had to get one that was like $10 more than I wanted to pay. Guess if I want to post I have to pay the price.

We were supposed to be leaving for Alberta on Tuesday. The load got pushed back a week. Hopefully it won't get pushed back again, it will cut too close to the start of school. I've already started a list of simple knitting to take with me. I'll probably forget half of the necessities, but at least I'll have lots to knit. I thought that I was going to end up mailing my Sockapalooza socks on Monday if I could get them finished. Or take them with me and mail them from Alberta. Or send her an e-mail and tell her I'll mail them when I get back. Decisions, decisions. Now I have some more time, so I hope to have them finished and maybe just send them a bit early. I also have two small felted bags to make for my friend's two little girls, but they should be quick knits. They have to be finished before I go!

Speaking of felted bags, I finished this one, made with Noro Kureyon (can't remember the color #) for my friend that I'm going to see in Alberta. I love it, almost wish I'd had picked this color for mine. (I re-felted mine, btw. It stretched out quite a bit, especially the handle, so now it's smaller and thicker feeling. I like it a lot better.)

I also knocked off some dishcloths. They are made with Bernat Handicrafter in Hot Purple, Playtime, and the pastel one might be Pretty Pastels (lost the band, had it awhile). I picked up a skein in red and a bright blue, too, cuz I found this pattern to make for the boys. I also got another hot purple, bright pink, and a sage green today. I don't make dishcloths a lot, but when I do I make several, kinda like Dave. (They're quick and easy, and you can't just make one! Like trying to take one bite of a chocolate bar or one potato chip.)

Does this look comfortable? Of all the comfy places he can lay he choses to lay in a box of dinky cars.

Happy knitting!

Payday

Our yarn order arrived today. We restocked our Patons SWS and also got in three new colors of Classic Wool -- That's Pink, That's Blue, and Paprika. There was also some Shetland Chunky and Shetland Chunky Tweeds restocked, and a bunch of Canadiana that was ordered by someone making many, many Christmas stockings (like 70, but I'm not sure what they're for). I think the boss had it planned to arrive on payday...

I just found it in the yard, I swear! I think it followed me home or something...

Anyhoo, I worked on Saturday, and one of our summer residents came in and asked if she brought her pattern in if I could help her with it. She said she was making a felted bag, and it had an i-cord around it, but she couldn't tell if she knit it then sewed it on after or what. She came in today, and it's an attached i-cord. (I had to look it up cuz in my little sheltered world I've never knit an attached i-cord.) So I figured it out, and she lent me the pattern so I can try it. It really is a cute bag. I tried to explain it to Heddy in an e-mail, but I'm sure I confused the heck out of her. I'll just wait and try to get one done sooner rather than later so I can show you. I'm not good at explaining stuff. They're only small and look like a quick knit, the hardest part probably the i-cord, and even that isn't hard. The Paprika yarn is going to be a bag for me, and the pink and blue are going to be for my best friend's two little girls. (The ones we are visiting next month.) So I will have one to show very soon. (Oh, yeah... The SWS is for another bag for me, a "summer" version and my Noro will be my "winter" version.)

When I got home from work I went outside with the Littlest One. This is what my Sockapalooza sock looked like then:

Before we came in the house:

As of half an hour ago (sorry about the blurry pic, but the camera batteries were just about dead -- better picture to follow):

The toe is more square than I normally make, but I followed the directions and did it down to 36sts. Mainly why I did this is because I was right at where I needed to start sock #2, and I don't want to run out of yarn, plus it has to match up or I'll not be a happy knitter. I've had enough trouble with this sock as it is -- nothing wrong with the pattern, just me not turning a decent heel. Or liking my gusset pick up. Let's just say it involved several rippings and much muttered foulness. A couple of times I just *had* to put it away.

The Oldest One and I went to see Transformers Sunday night. When I was a kid I was a tomboy, and I loved Transformers, so I had to see it. I also love movies with lots of special effects like that. It was good, lots of action, great special effects. (Can't be too bad if Stephen Spielberg is involved, right?) I didn't think about it too much, just went and watched it to have fun. (Some movies I try not to think too hard about them or it just ruins it. Sometimes ya gotta go with the flo and just enjoy it. Or watch Mythbusters pick it all apart.)

Well, I must go fix my living room blinds. Three of them need some fixing. Friday the 13th seems to be lingering on me. Today at work I went to toss some of the new yarn up on the top shelf. It decided to fall back down, hooking a rack of Mill Hill beads and spilling them all onto the floor. Tiny little packets everywhere. (You know what I'll be doing tomorrow at work!) Then today the Littlest One drove his bike along the side of the truck -- literally, and made two or three big scratches in it. There's a guy in town who does excellent body work at very reasonable prices, so I'll have to see him about touching it up. Too deep to buff out. GRRR! (He's learning to drive with training wheels, so I think he wobbled into the truck two or three or ten times.)

Happy knitting!

Friday the 13th

And is it ever! First thing my sitter doesn't show. (Overslept -- he got there eventually.) Hubby was home, but he had to wash firetrucks today, so I went to work a few minutes late. No one else was there yet, and there was a courier waiting to drop something off.

Our film developing machine had new valves replaced cuz all the old ones were seized up, and we broke two of them trying to drain old chemicals to mix new. So I start to fill the stabilizer. Forgot that the waste tanks underneath to catch the overflow were out. First thing I hear water running. No big deal. Wiped it up, put in the second tank. Then I look for the part that goes on top of the first tank. The guy who put on the new valves had it stogged in on top of the hoses and crap to keep it out of his way. Of course, when I was gently trying to get it out of there, off pops the bleach hose, dark green bleach running everywhere, splashing on my bare foot and moc-croc. Had to run to my little "chemical room" sink to wash my shoe and leg. The bleach was from the replenisher tank which was luckily almost empty, so it all stayed in the bottom of the machine (instead of running all over the floor) where I had to use a turkey baster to get it out til there was only enough left to sop up into paper towel. (I couldn't just stick the hose back on when it came off cuz it's up underneath the tanks, and it's dark so you can't see where it goes without a flashlight. Plus who wants to stick their head in there with bleach running everywhere.)

After all of that I got all of the chemicals mixed. I had to leave before our test film came out, but I called, and all is well in the world of film processing once again.

Also, the guy who does the framing took apart a frame to replace broken glass this morning. It had four clips in the back. He took them out and laid them together on his framing counter. When he went to put them back in there were only three. We looked everywhere, never did find it. He ended up having to make something that worked the same. Just kinda weird since he didn't move from that spot. We basically looked around the entire room in case it had gotten airborn or something, nothing.

Then I went to pick up our new 10-4 cell phones (changing providers), and they didn't arrive. So no new phone til Monday or Tuesday, hopefully before hubby goes off to work again.

Plus did I mention the kids are annoying the heck out of me today? And it's really hot? And my house gets like an oven?

The Tooth Fairy will come tonight, hope she has change. The Oldest One lost a tooth just before supper.


It was kinda funny. Last night the Oldest One and I went to see the new Harry Potter movie (which was really good, btw). I'm sitting there and hear someone say, "knitting" behind me. I whip around, and who's there but Heddy and her T! I didn't take any knitting with me, figured I'd be too wrapped up in the movie to bother.

After work tomorrow we'll be off camping til Monday, so I'll see everyone then. I promise to have pictures then -- I hate posting with nothing to show.

Happy knitting!

HP

Not much to report. My ability to post a title has mysteriously returned!

I've been plunking away a little bit on the Sockapalooza socks. I won't start any other socks til they are done. The only other thing I will allow myself to work a bit on are the two Boogas I need to finish for gifts.

All in all there hasn't been much knitting going on here the past few days. A little bit. Tonight I'm taking the Oldest One to see the new Harry Potter movie. I can't believe our theatre got it already. (We never get movies the first day of release. We just had Pirates a few weekends ago.) They showed it last night, but it was hubby's first night home, so we didn't go. It's too long for the Littlest One to watch in a theatre, and hubby isn't interested in them. So it's just the two of us, like when we went to see the Spongebob movie.

Pop on over here to give Schleprock some love! She needs it. Also keep your eye out here on Friday for a contest.

Happy knitting!

Well, I don't get it, but I still can't post a title. How annoying.

I will call this -- July Socks and Pair Twelve of Fifty-Two.

I finally finished Dad's Father's Day socks, albeit late. The first picture was taken outside and is color accurate. I should have taken them all outside, but I didn't. These are made with Patons Kroy in Glencheck. 2x2 ribbed cuff changing to 4x2 rib.

Booga Bag started for my best friend, who I am getting to see next month for the first time in five years! Noro Kureyon #92. Picture taken this morning, and I finished it after work. I started the i-cord, but I think I'll wait a bit to felt it. I have something else to knit in a similar color that needs felting, so I should wait to save on power and water.

I want to knit another one for someone else, but I need it soon, like less than two weeks. We don't carry Noro, and we don't have much left for Patons SWS. The boss lady did, however, place an order yesterday and has a bunch of it ordered in, so hopefully it will arrive the end of next week. I can knock one off in two days, one day if I'm not working and can push it. Apparently a lady that bought the yarn to make two bags (plus got me to make her one) showed it to her friends. She arrived Friday night and bought $100 worth of SWS because her friends all want to knit them! She lives about 45 minutes away, so they picked their colors, and she came to get it. That stuff didn't move hardly at all til I made a bag out of it, now it's one of the best sellers! (There's also talk of another mixed bag of Austerman in the second set of colors, too.)

Got my sock yarn in the mail today. Kinda sucked that the seller sent it so I had to pay $11 duty. I so much prefer it when it's sent as a sample or gift. (As soon as it's marked as a purchase valued at $20 or more the post office imposes duties. A lot of US sellers are really good and send stuff so we don't have to pay it. This is only the second time I've been winged for duty, both times on eBay. At least our exchange rate is almost par now.) I don't have pictures of the yarn, but it's gorgeous! I can't wait to make my socks with the mostly solid orangey one. The other one looks way better in person than it did on the listing, too.

Well, must go do the dishes.

Happy knitting!

For some reason Blogger won't let me add a title to this post. For now I'll be title-less but will try later. First time that's ever happened.

The Oldest One got his grading present from Grampy today. Apparently it took him quite awhile to make up his mind on which one to get, but he decided on the dirtbike-style one here. Its got shocks and six gears, so he's all set. He'll have to get used to the hand brakes. I keep reminding him to use the hand that he writes with first, then the other one if needed or else he's gonna pitch-pole if he's going any speed.

So the Littlest One got his old bike with training wheels. He was just as happy as if it was brand new.

This is as much as I've gotten done so far on the Sockapalooza socks. It's Belle Maman in Austerman Step color #09. I'm trying to finish Dad's socks, and I'm on the foot of the second one now. I am hoping to finish it tonight, but it will depend on the weather. We're supposed to have our fireworks tonight, but it was raining earlier. It stopped, but the forecast is still rain into this evening. Unless it's actually raining they'll do it anyways. I've been there before when its been foggy, misty, etc, and they still do it. Sucks when they do that, though, cuz the dampness makes them go out very quickly.

I've mentioned to the boss lady about ordering more Austerman Step. We are really low on color selection now. I put a basket with five of them in it on the counter near Till One. So far we've sold at least five or six skeins of it from people coming in for other stuff, seeing it there, and impulse-buying it. (Hey -- whatever works! The more we sell the better chance I have of getting her to order more of it in.) It still may be awhile, but I hope not too long. I know of a couple of people who are kinda waiting for more colors to come in.

Yesterday was a long day with little knitting. I took the boys to the parade at 11, then we went right to the rides. We stayed til five and stopped at one of the food booths to get some supper. Didn't take long to rifle through the money! Two bracelets for rides were $36, then two cotton candy, candy apple for me, popcorn, four cans of pop, three jumbo hot dogs, and two large kettle popcorns chewed up almost $70! Glad that stuff comes to town only once a year. We stayed home in the evening, so after everyone was settling down for the night I got the gusset decreases done on Dad's sock and a bit on the foot while watching my four old British comdies. Hubby got stuck in Ontario for the weekend in 35C+ weather. He ended up renting a hotel room (attached to the truck stop) for $49/night times two. That was cheaper than running the truck all day and night for the air conditioner. He minds the heat really bad, and can you imagine being inside one of those things -- especially a black one? It would be like being inside of a tin can.

Must go scavenge something for supper. I vow to have a FO for next post! Hopefully that won't mean it takes me two weeks!

Happy knitting!

My July 1 Knitting

As per Heddy's contest, here's my July 1 knitting -- a started Sockapalooza sock while I had the camper to myself. I watched the concert that Prince William and Harry organized for their mother. I have about three inches done on this sock. I've set it aside for the moment to try and finish Dad's socks. I did get one done at the campground and have about thirty or more rows done on the second sock.
This is Belle Maman from A Stitch in Time. It's a nice pattern, easy to remember. It's the first time I've done a picot edge on a sock (knitted in as I went). It kinda flops over, but I think it will flatten out with blocking. It sorta looks like most sock patterns with this kind of cuff sorta have the floppy thing happening to some extent. Hope my Pal likes them!

This butterfly was on my doorstep when we were taking the stuff for camping out to the truck.

July 1, the boys with the tattoos that Heddy gave them, plus you can see one going on Daddy's arm. We were getting ready to go see the fireworks.

Our camper. My batteries were almost dead, so I couldn't get a really good picture. I have more lights to put out, but so far it's just old netlights around a tree in front of the truck, old icicle lights you can't see on the railing of the deck, and those big old multicolored lights on the deck railing. I have more of those to put up and some white patio lanterns.

That's about it to report. Not a whole bunch of knitting going on lately, but there's been some. I need a FO. Gettin' the itch! Looks like there will be more baby knitting in the future -- one of hubby's step-brothers and his girlfriend are expecting. It's the third for him, the first for her.

Today is the first day of Privateer Days, and it's windy and raining. Tomorrow doesn't look much better. Hope Saturday clears off some so the boys can get on some rides. By the looks of it there isn't much there anyways.

Happy knitting!

Happy Canada Day!

Happy Canada Day everyone! We are going to the campground in a bit and will be back on Tuesday. Tonight we'll go to see the fireworks at the town about a five minute drive from the campground. Next weekend is Privateer Days in our town, and we have fireworks on Sunday night. (Kinda sad that we never do anything on Canada Day itself. I used to work at the local hotel, and so many tourists would complain that our town had no Canada Day celebrations. The local Legion has a garden party today, and I think there may be a few other small local things going on, but the big things always happen at PD after CD. But this way the kids get to see fireworks twice.)

Here's my entry to the contest going on at Lotus Knits, which I was directed to by Heddy and her contest links post. Since I started knitting when I was about ten, I have no idea what my first FO was and have nothing from those early days. The skein of Austerman Step in this picture is my next project that has not been cast on yet. I am taking it with me today to the campground and will finally start my Sockapalooza Pal's socks.

Speaking of Heddy, I was at her place last night and saw in person her contest stuff. Make sure you go enter it! I would have tried to smuggle it out or some of her other yarn, but I thought I'd better not. May not be allowed back again. I had my knitting with me (we had gone up to one of her neighbor's, but as soon as I saw she was home I scooted out) but didn't get any done. Her two dogs seemed quite enamoured with me, so I had a lot of petting to do.

Well, off to finish getting stuff ready. I have been working on that sweater for the store that I started last fall and have the back done. I have concluded that I won't get it finished for next weekend, though. Still have the sleeves and finishing. But I should have it finished in a couple of weeks.

Happy knitting!