2008 Summer of Socks!It's the first day of Summer, and that means the official start of
2008 Summer of Socks! I am so excited to get started.
Wendy generously designed a
pattern for the kickoff; and it is gorgeous, of course. I just went through my stash to find the perfect yarn for her pattern and came up with this luscious
Numma Numma Toasty in the colorway "Strawberry Jam." Mmmmmmm -- delicious!
I love summer knitting as most projects are socks and/or lace -- two of my favorites! Right now, I have
Susan's
Crocus Pocus on the needles.
I am loving knitting with beads! I am still a bit slow at it as my technique involves 1) knitting to a point where a bead is inserted, 2)putting down my knitting, 3) picking up my tiny crochet hook and bowl of beads, 4) piercing a bead with the crochet hook, 5) putting down the bowl of beads and picking up my knitting, 6) hooking next knit stitch and pulling it through the bead, 7) putting down the crochet hook, 8) picking up my knitting, and (finally) 9) knitting the stitch with the bead on it. Phew! Anyone know of an easier/faster way?
Summer finally arrived in Utah last week, and we are going to have a nice, warm day today. I think I'll go sit on my new bench on my front porch and cast on my Summer 2008 Socks.
Monkey Sock Swap QuestionnaireIt has been so long since I posted on my blog, I couldn't remember how to sign in! I'm going to try really hard to be better.
This post, however, is directed to my Monkey Sock Swap 4 pal:
My shoe size: 6 1/2 - 7
Foot length: 9"
Foot circumference: just shy of 8"
(Hint: I have had to go down to a size 1 needle when making monkey socks for myself)
Favorite colors: periwinkle, turquoise, pink, plum, lavender
Color that clashes with wardrobe: orange
Solid or variegated: Both (either)
Favorite brand sock yarn: Lots! Dream in Color, Socks that Rock, Lorna's Laces, Apple Laine
Sock yarn I would like to try: Numma Numma, ShibuiKnits, Shelridge Farm, etc.....
Cookie A patterns I do not have but want: I have all her current ones, but would really like her soon-to-be-released Django.
Allergies: cats (sorry)
My knitting will not be exposed to either animals or smoke
My country: USA
Willing to ship outside USA: of course
That's it!!!!
New Year, New MeThe last few months of 2007 were not the best for me. First of all, on October 27 I broke my arm. I was trying to help my 8 year old granddaughter rollerblade. The idea was that I would walk beside her as she skated and, if she were to slip, I would catch her before she could fall. Well, she slipped and we both went down. After a trip to the ER (this was a Sunday night), I found I had a fracture of the radial head in my elbow. I was told it would heal in 4-6 weeks.
I work as a paralegal in a small lawfirm. Much of my work requires working on the computer. Needless to say, my keyboarding was pretty sad when I could only use one hand. My boss was very disgruntled, to say the least, and hired a temp to come in a couple of hours a day to do my typing for me. Other than just the typing, I continued to do all my other work. To my huge surprise, at 5:00 p.m. on November 30, my boss came to me and told me they were letting me go. After six years! In complete shock, I inquired as to why. His response was that he didn't think my mind had been on work the last month or so. Give me a break!!! What it really boiled down to was that he was mad because I had broken my arm as it had inconvenienced him. Most bosses would have sent their assistant flowers, but I got fired!
Needless to say, this threw me for a loop. I am single and pride myself on being self sufficient. To find myself with no job, and right before Christmas, was stressful (to say the least).
The second week of December, while on my way to the post office, I was side swiped by a UPS truck. Luckily, I had on my seatbelt. However, I received seatbelt related injuries (a cracked sternum and several broken ribs), and my car was totaled. I just purchased my car in July, and I loved my car.
I got through the holidays with no self confidence, hurting physically and emotionally, but with resolve to begin the new year with a new outlook. No more feeling sorry for myself, mourning for a car (it's only a car for Pete's sake), or settling for a nowhere job that leaves me unhappy and unfulfilled. I deserve better! So I am seeking new employment and taking time for me to renew my spirit and rejuvenate my mind.
I am knitting, scrapbooking and making lots of cards. I find that these creative outlets comfort me and bring peace to my life. Every stitch of my knitting, every piecing of paper, and every inked stamp to paper brings me joy and reaffirms my knowledge that the world is a beautiful place full of wonderful things to enjoy. So, I'm smiling again and feeling good about life.
I have completed a scarf that I will be sending to my Ravelry scarf exchange pal, Kate, in London. I hope she will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed knitting it.
Pattern: Trellis Scarf by Evelyn Clark
Yarn: Jaggerspun ZephyrI am currently knitting Cookie A's Flicker socks
and have begun the Melon Scarf found in
Victorian Lace Today. I am loving knitting lace!
I have a lot of projects in my queue and am excited for the new year and the wonderful things I know are in store for me!
Ravelry Exchanges
Since joining
Ravelry, I have made some new cyber friends, found way too many projects I want to knit, and have joined in on two exchanges.
First is a fun exchange called
Monkey Sock Swap 3. Rules for this swap are (1) you knit a pair of
Cookie A's Monkey Socks for your pal; (2) you send to your pal, with her completed socks, another of
Cookie A's sock patterns and enough yarn to knit those socks; and (3) you include three "monkey" items in your package. This is a secret swap, so I'm not telling yet who my pal is, but I have started the socks. (Progress pictures soon.) I've also begun scouting and purchasing "monkey" stuff. I have found the cutest monkey bookmark and a monkey tape measure so far.
The second exchange I have joined is a scarf exchange. Simply, you knit a scarf for your pal. This swap, however, is not a secret swap, so I can talk about it all I want. My downline (the person for whom I am knitting a scarf) is Kate (kaet100 on Ravelry), and she lives in London. Kate has no blog, but she is on Ravelry. She crochets and does not knit, so I am looking forward to knitting for her. I have narrowed down my choices to knit for her to two:
Evelyn Clark's Trellis Scarf in IK Spring 2006, or the Melon Scarf
in
Victorian Lace. Both are gorgeous and would be so enjoyable to knit. I have some
Jaggerspun Zephyr in blue for the Trellis Scarf and some
Kidsilk Haze in blue for the Melon Scarf. (Yes, one of Kate's favorite colors is blue.)
My upline in this swap (the person who is knitting for me) is Marrisa, or JavaMama on Ravelry. Her blog is
Vintage Needle Works. I'm excited to get to know Marrisa while she knits for me.
So, Ravelry is a blast so far. I can hardly wait to see what other gems I can find there!
Calling Geek Squad!!
Help! I am trying to update my template and love this one. However, as you can see, my words are hanging off the edge. Does anyone out there who reads my blog know how to fix it? If so, please leave me a comment. I would greatly appreciate it!!!
Monkey Socks Swap Three
Since everyone in the knitting world is knitting or has knit
monkey socks except me, I thought it was about time I joined in on the fun. I have joined a fun swap I found via
Ravelry called Monkey Sock Swap Three. This swap will go from September 1 to October 15. Signups will continue through August 31. If you are interested in joining in with the fun, visit the
Monkey Sock Swap website and let Rebecca know you want to play, too.
Now, here is my completed Questionnaire:
Monkey Sock Swap THREE QuestionnaireThe basics:
Do you consider yourself a beginning sock knitter, an intermediate, or have you been doing this so long you could probably knit a pair in your sleep?
I have been knitting socks for a very long time. (Nancy Bush taught me to knit socks long before any of her books had been published.)
The measurements:
Shoe Size: 7
Foot circumference: 8”
Foot length: 8 ¾”
Yarn Preferences:
What colors do you love? I like blues, violets, pinks and greens (although not yellow greens). I also like neutral colors.
Do you prefer solids or variegated? Either.
Do you prefer wool, cotton or acrylic yarn? Wool.
What colors would you never wear? Orange, neon green.
What are your favorite brands of yarn? Oh, so very many. Lorna’s Laces Shepherd Sock, Cherry Tree Hill sock yarn, Claudia’s Handpaint are just few of the sock yarns I like.
Are there any new brands you would like to try? I would love to try Apple Laine, Cider Moon, Seacoast Handpainted, or Zen String.
Cookie A. Patterns:
Which of her patterns have you already knit? Pomatomous and Baudelaire.
Which pattern(s) would you like to knit and don’t already own? I really want to knit Mona. I also would like to try one of her knee-high socks. (I think I owns all the patterns, though.)
Other pertinent information:
Would you be willing to have an international Monkey Pal or do you prefer one in the US? Either is fine with me.
Do you have any allergies? Cats.
Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? No.
Are you on Ravelry yet? If you don’t mind having new friends, what is your Ravelry name? Yes, I am on Ravelry. My Ravelry name is kristy (not too original).
So there you go. Come join us for a riot of monkeying around!!!
Mail Day Part I
Is there anything more fun than arriving home from a long day of work to find mail packages on your porch? I don't think so! It's almost like receiving a Christmas gift. I peruse the outside wrappings to see if I can surmise what is inside. The package on the top was easy to figure out as the label gave it away. My order from
Blue Moon Fiber Arts -- yay!! I'll tell you all about it tomorrow.
The package on the bottom looked very intriguing. I did not recognize the name on the return address -- Elise Ferer. Could this be the stamps I had ordered? I didn't think they were coming from New York. Then the lightbulb went off -- this has to be from my
Sockapalooza 4 Pal! I carefully opened the envelope and look what was found!
At the top are gorgeous socks in my most favorite colors. The yarn is
Colinette Jitter Bug in colorway allzarine. I've never used this yarn before, but I'm sure going to have to try it. It is exceptionally soft and squishy, and the color is so vibrant. Okay, next in the package is a yummy bar of chocolate (I know it's yummy 'cuz I already ate it -- tee hee!) And last, a postcard from Brooklyn, New York. How cool is that bridge!
My pal is Elise of
Hoop Skirt. She made all the right choices for my socks. Gorgeous yarn, fantastic fit, and a really cool pattern. Look how great they are on my feet!
And here's a closeup of the pattern.
The pattern is
Snicket Socks from
Mag Knits. This is a great pattern -- one that is definitely going into my
Ravelry queue.
Thank you so much, Elise! I love them!!!
Labels: Socks; sockapalooza
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