Hard to Believe.....

That it has been over a month since my last post. Where did the month go? The month of December has mainly spent working tons of overtime. In a three week peroid I worked over 60 hours of overtime. During that time, I did manage to a) complete my Christmas shopping and with a lot of help from DD wrap all the presents b.) finish one sock for my bosses Christmas present c.) gain weight d.) sleep e.) not pay my bills f.) mail out my swap pals packages. It was pretty sad that they were done and just hanging around for over a month before they got mailed out. Both pals have received their parcels (sigh of relief).

Yep, Definitely Me!

Your Brain is Red

Of all the brain types, yours is the most impulsive.If you think it, you do it. And you can get the bug to pursue almost any passion.Your thoughts are big and bold. Your mind has no inhibitions. You tend to spend a lot of time thinking about love, your dreams, and distant places.

What'>http://www.blogthings.com/whatcolorisyourbrainquiz/">What Color Is Your Brain?

Warning! Picture Heavy Post

Warning! Warning! Very heavy picture post! Up first is Interweave's Montego Bay Scarf. I chose Handmaiden's Sea Silk in the Sangria Colorway. This was a very fast knit. Very quick and easy. I have knitted this for my International Scarf Exchange 5 Pal. She has been a wonderful swap partner. I have been chatting with her on a regular basis.

Next is Knitty's Clapotis. This is still a WIP. It also is a quick and easy knit. I am using a spreadsheet to keep track of where I am in the pattern. I am using Koigu KPPPM in the P406 Colorway. My goal is have it done by December 1st. I am knitting this for my Christmas Around the World Knitter's Swap Pal. Shhh--the location is a secret. She has been a wonderful pal. I have been in constant contact with her and have gotten to know her. I can't wait for the final review so I can tell her who I am.

Below is pair of Monkey's that I knitted for my Monkey Swap 3 pal. I used Colinette Jitterbuy in the Florentino colorway. This was the second pair of Monkeys that I knitted. The other picture of the loot of goodies that I sent my pal.

Below is the swap package that I received from my wonderful Hogwarts Sock Swap pal Jill. She sent me a pair of socks in the Moc Croc Pattern from Knit Picks. The socks fit like a dream. I'm using the stitch markers in my current project. The Lisa Sousa yarn is absolutely yummy! Thanks Jill for being such a wonderful pal.

Sock It To Me Twice Questionnaire

How long have you been knitting? Do you consider yourself beginner, intermediate, advanced? I consider myself an intermediate knitter. I've been knitting non-stop for over a year but actually have been knitting for about 2 years.

How long have you been knitting socks? I've been knitting socks for about a half a year now. I tried to learn toe-up but had problems with starting with a few stitches. Now, I knit socks all the time.

What are your favorite fibers to work with? I love working with wool and bamboo

What is your favorite color? I absolutely love orange. I also like the fall colors with it. Burgandy, browns and purples. I don't like too much green mixed with the fall colors.

What are your current WIPs (works in progress)? Clapotis, Sven Sweater

Name your favorite yarns, (brand, fibers, colors, etc.). Lorna's Laces, Koigu, Socks that Rock, Cherry Tree Hill,

What are some yarns/fibers that you stay away from. Acrylic

What is your family situation? (Married, kids, pets?) I'm married, have 2 kids, one is 20 and just recently moved out. The other is 15 years old.

Name some of your hobbies. At the moment, knitting

Name some of your favorite movies? Lion King, Top Gun, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, I love romantic movies.

Do you like to read? I love to read. But lately, my love of knitting is taking that over.

Do you collect anything? Knitting books and sock yarn

Do you own an iPod or mp3 player? I have an iPod

What are your favorite type of knitting needles? I like Brittany's for socks. I love the Knit Picks the new Harmony Options set.

What knitting notion could you not live without? Stitchmarkers, my crochet hook,

Who are some of your favorite designers? Cookie A, Amy Singer, don't really have any.

Do you subscribe to any magazines? (Knitting or otherwise.) Just signed up for Creative Knitting. I would love to get a subscription to Interweave Knits. That's on my wish list.

When is your birthday? February 11th

Do you have a "wishlist", (on Ravelry, Froogle, or Amazon)? No

Do you have a Ravelry ID? wizgirl

If you had a sheep, what would you name it? Can't think of a name for that poor sheep right now.

Contact me at my email...... ana2_11@yahoo.com

Don't Know What The Title Should Be

I finally got the address from my Monkey Pal, all I need to do now is enclose a note in her package and send it on it's way. Victoria's package has been sitting on my diningroom table also in need of addressing and a final trip to the post office. They'll be put in the post sometime tomorrow morning after my Weight Watchers meeting.

I casted on for my ISE5 pal's scarf on Sunday. I had to frog it numerous times. I started with size 8 needles like the pattern stated, didn't get gauge. I went down to a size 6 needle, didn't get gauge. Casted on with a size 4 needles, got a close enough gauge. I'm knitting the Montego Bay scarf in Handmaiden's Seasilk Sangria. It is absolutely gorgeous. I did have to frog it a couple more times because I kept forgetting a yarn-over. The next time I knit something else, I am going to be doing yarnovers without even thinking! I believe I have about 48 inches knitted. I keep measuring the scarf by holding it up to see about how much more I have to go before it's bigger than me. Nope not yet. By the way, i'm only 5 feet tall. The pattern says that the scarf should be 80 inches after you do all the pre-cutting for the fringe. Well, I keep looking at the remaining yarn and keep thinking I am not going to get an 80 inch scarf. I do know though that when I finish with this hank of yarn, I am done. I casted on with 43 stitches, I now have 41 stitches. Somewhere along the way, I lost two stitches. By the way, if you find them could you please tell them to contact me. I am absolutely loving this pattern and can not believe what a quick knit it is. It is hard to believe how much I have knitted in less than a week's time.

DH and I got a surprise invitation over the weekend. DS called and asked if we would mind having Thanksgiving at their house. I'm not going to pass this one up. Since Mom moved into a smaller place there is no way that we would be able to have it over at her place.

Monday, I got a Halloween costume to wear at my Sunday Weight Watcher meeting. I'm going to be a buccaneer, is that the same thing as a pirate minus the eye patch? Hopefully BD will wear her costume to the Sunday meeting. BD is going to be Marilyn Monroe.

Have you checked on the Winter Preview for Intervweave Knits yet? There are three patterns there that I would eventually like to knit. I like the Henley Perfected, Sweater Girl Pullover and the Tilting Cable Socks. Who knows if I will ever get around to knitting them. I'm not sure if I would add them to my Ravelry queue or not. I am just using the queue for what I absolutely want to knit. Yesterday, in the mail I got my Zelda Bag from Offhand Designs which I ordered through StitchDiva.com. I would absolutely order through them again. The bag came real fast and directly from Offhand Designs. I ordered the Zelda bag, it was a bit smaller than I had anticipated but it will work great for carrying around my sock projects. Eventually, I may order the next size up Zelda bag. Check here for a comparison of the bags. I didn't order the Zelda Grand because I didn't like the handles on it. So I may end up ordering the Zelda Tote. The bags are simply gorgeous and hold up very well.

I didn't do as well as I would have like in bowling this week. My first game, I was way off. I bowled a 94, 137 and 133. If I calculated out everything right, I dropped my average by 1 pin this week. My average is about 127. Saturday night, DH and I are joining a couples league. It'll be our first night bowling. I wonder how well I'll bowl then. I am waiting for my average to be higher on that league. I did decide though, that when leagues are done with for the season that I am going to get a new and non-plastic bowling ball and learn how to throw a hook.

Tonight, I have a date with DH. I think I surprised him when I asked him "out". I'm cooking Shrimp Scampi, putting candles on the table and using the good china. Yep, you heard right the good china (that's if I don't kill myself getting it down from the high cabinets.) We borrowed a movie from our son to watch (Ghost Rider). I'm getting dressed up and I told him that he needs to shave and do the same.

No pictures yet but an Update

Update on the Monkey situation, it's getting a little hairy. I've got the toe left and I am running out of yarn. I don't think that I am going to have enough to make it. I want to try to finish the sock tonight. I am debating about getting out of work early to go up to Whitefish Bay to get the yarn. I've got 17 rows left and the bind off. With the amount of yarn that I see, I really don't think that I am going to make it. Now the I wish I would have's come into play. I wish I would have done one less pattern repeat, then I would have had more than enough yarn to complete the sock. Oh well. If I have to go get another hank of yarn to finish the sock, my monkey pal is going to get the leftover yarn. Last night GJ a friend from work went to our LYS. GJ was looking for some yarn to do a vest and matching socks for her granddaughter. She picked out some Shepard Sport Weight Lorna's Laces in Bittersweet. It is going to be an awesome vest. I picked out some Malabrigo for the Amelia hat for KD and also the knitting book YNot. KD absolutely loved the color that I picked out. When I was at the LYS, I fell in love with another Tonya bag in the Hip To Be Square Mocha colorway. But I all ready have one in the Spring Stripes colorway. I also don't want to spend that much money for another Tonya bag. So I did some investigating and decided that I want to order a Zelda bag in the Hip To Be Square Mocha colorway. Well I am getting off of work an hour early and heading up to Whitefish Bay to get the yarn. I just hope traffic isn't going to be too bad. I am bound and determined to get this sock finished tonight. While I'm there I'm going to look for some sock yarn for a pair of socks for my boss.

What to Call This Post?

I am finding my posts few and far in between and of course without photos. I'll have to take care of that soon. Knitting Daughter and I wanted to get some Mommy and me photos done. I had stopped at Sears on Friday while I was wasting some time before I had to meet my Dad for dinner. I stopped in at the Photo Studio and made arrangements for a sitting on Saturday. When I looked at the price, I decided to add a few more people into the photo shoot. My DS was available and DH was told to show up. Yep, it was family picture time. This was actually the first family professional photo that we have had taken since DS was 1. We never got one done with KD. We had a lot of fun. The pictures that turned out the best were the ones were we were not in the traditional poses. We got pictures of DH and KD, DH and DS, the two kids together, myself and DS and myself and KD. I can't wait to get them back. Sunday, DH, KD and myself went bowling to try out my new bowling ball. Wouldn't you know, I bowl my highest game ever and it wasn't during league night. I bowl on a league every Tuesday. DH and I were talking about maybe doing a couples league together. I mentioned that to one of the girls on my team on Tuesday and guess what? Yep, we're going to bowl every other Saturday on the same league as her and her husband. I'm pretty excited. Should be interesting to see if DH can improve his bowling from what he bowled on Sunday. So far, I am better than he is. Monday was an interesting morning here at work, I walked into my cubicle and almost walked back out. My first thought was this isn't my desk it's too clean. My next thought was "oh yeah that's right I cleaned up on Friday before I left. I have kept it pretty well straightened up and am getting used to it. I used to joke around and say that my desk barfed up all over itself. Last night was strange, I got done with work on time for once and didn't have my Wednesday meeting to do for Weight Watchers. I am going to miss that meeting. Also, I haven't been very good on plan. I've been sneaking a lot of extra sweets. It'll be a miracle if I don't gain weight this week. I am also debating about giving up the position of location coordinator at the center. I don't know what's stopping me. I'll have a lot more time on the weekends and not having to worry about making sure things are done in time. Guess I'll have to send that email out. Homecoming is this weekend for KD. She has a hair appointment on Saturday and is pretty excited about it. After homecoming, the Moms and kids are going to IHOP afterwards (I am thinking not good for watching my weight). I'll have to post a picture of her in her dress and new hairdo. I signed up for yet another swap. This one is Sock It To Me Twice. She's only accepting 50 and if you were in the first one you have priority. I figure the deadline is in March so I should have more than enough time to get a pair of socks knitted along with the other things I have planned. Speaking of socks, I finished the first Monkey on the morning of the 12th. Casted on the second Monkey on the 14th and I am now on the gusset. I am hoping to finish this sock over the weekend get it on the blockers and send off sometime next week! I absolutely can't wait to cast on for the Montego Bay Scarf that I am knitting for my ISE5 pal.

Hodge Podge

Wow, it's been 10 days since my last post. Sit back-relax and let's get caught up! I've decided to cut back a bit on my activities with Weight Watchers. I work as a leader, receptionist and location coordinator for two different locations. My full-time job was starting to interfere with one of my meetings and in the future I could see it getting only worse. I called my boss and told here that I needed to give up my Wednesday night meeting and also the location coordinator position for that location. I'm not sure if the members know or not. I'm still working on the Monkey socks for the Monkey Swap 3 exchange. I just finished the first pair this morning. It took me about 11 days to get one pair knitted. I really didn't do a whole lot of knitting over the weekends. I have all the extra goodies to go with the socks so now it's just a matter of finishing them. Lately, I've been using my Weight Watchers scale to measure the knitted sock and the leftover yarn to see if I have enough to do the second sock. This morning when I weighed them, they both were so close. This is going to be interesting. I just hope that my gauge doesn't change. In Hogwarts Sock Swap news, i'm waiting for Victoria to give me her address so that I may send her package off to her. The socks have been done for weeks now. I finally also decided what else I am going to include in her package. I'm not saying a word because I know she reads the blog and I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise. Stay tuned for pics later though. I am anxious to finish the Monkey socks so that I can start on my ISE5 scarf. I don't know if I mentioned or not but I decided to do the Montego Bay Scarf from the Interweave Knits Summer 2007 magazine. I have picked Handmaiden's Sea Silk in the Sangria colorway. Last Saturday, knitting daughter, her friend, DH and myself trekked up to Milwaukee to visit Ruhama's. Well DH came along for the ride. Knitting Daughter and her friend went into the shop with me. I was very much lighter in the pocketbook. My main reason for going there was to score some yarn for the Christmas Around the World Knitter's Swap. I had finally decided on the pattern, which I am going to knit the Clapotis. I looked at all the projects on Ravelry to determine what yarn I wanted to use. I had narrowed it down to two- Colinette Jitterbug, or Koigu KPPM. Once we were in Ruhama's I had a hard time deciding which colorway to use. The girls decided for me. They chose something in Koigu KPPM. I'll post pictures a bit later. I purchased 4 skeins but am debating about making a return trip for the 5th skein. I figure that both scarves should be a quick knit and I should be able to make the beginning of December deadline for sending them off. By the way, both pals are overseas and in the same country no less! While we were at Ruhama's knitting daughter found some yarn that she liked and asked if I would get it for her. She decided that she wants to make a scarf. The only stitch she knows is the knit stitch. I casted on 25 stitches for her. She is finished with one skein and is working on the second one. I'll have to get a picture of the scarf and maybe her knitting it! She is doing much better this time than the last attempt. I've only had to fix it one time, and so far there are no holes!

On to the Monkeys!

I should have posted this a few days ago. Over the weekend, I finished Victoria's socks. They are washed and blocked. But most important of all they are dry! I just need to gather a few more items and also get her muggle address so the owl can deliver the parcel. I absolutely love these socks and everyone else that has seen them. Once Victoria has received her parcel stay tuned for the pics of her socks. I casted on a yesterday for the Monkey Swap 3. I just finished the cuff during lunch and am now on the leg. I am knitting these in Colinette Jitterbug in the Florentino colorway. Click the link to see the color. I also have been in constant contact with my pals for the ISE5 and Christmas Around the World Knitter's Swap. Both pals seem wonderful. For my ISE5 pal, I've decided to knit the Montego Bay Scarf in Handmaiden's Sea Silk, Sangria colorway. And for my Christmas Around the World Pal, I'm going to do the Clapotis or another Montego Bay scarf in Sea Silk as well but I haven't decided on the colorway.

Recipe - Egg Salad Sandwich

-3 egg whites cooked -1 hard boiled egg - 1 Tbsp. Kraft Miracle Whip Non-Fat Salad Dressing -1 Tbsp Yellow Mustard -1 Tsp sweet pickle relish -1 oz romaine lettuce Instructions: 1. Chop up 1 whole egg. Then discard the yolks from the 3 other eggs and chop up the egg whites. 2. In a small mixing bowl, combine chopped eggs, Miracle Whip, mustard and pickle relish. 3. Toast whole grain bread and place on a small plate. Top with lettuce leaf and egg salad. Serve and Enjoy. Makes 1 serving with a points value of 4. This is very yummy and very filling.

ALOHA TO DISNEYLAND!

That is name of the challenge that my two Weight Watcher Groups are doing. Both groups in the two meetings I lead decided that they needed a challenge. My Wednesday group completed Challenge number 1. The name of that was Trekking to Napa Valley. Sadly we only made it to the outskirts of Cheyenne, Wyoming. One of the meeting topics was moving more. I talked about Trekking to Napa Valley that my Wednesday group did and the Sunday group decided that they wanted a challenge also so Aloha to Disneyland was born. This Sunday will be the first week that the steps are turned in and I am anxious to see who will be participating and turning in their steps. The rules are very simple. Those that want to participate will wear a pedometer every day and record the number of steps taken. I will then convert those steps to miles based on my pedometer. I am including my steps in the challenge for both groups but just to help them out with getting to their destinations. We have until December to walk to Disneyland but once we reach Disneyland we are going to go to Hawaii. I have a list of stops a long the way. At one of the meetings I am going to announce the winners and we are going to have a celebration Weight Watcher style of course! I mentioned to my Wednesday group that my Sunday group was doing the challenge and they wanted to join in. They are actually challenging my Sunday group. It is going to be fun to watch the competitiveness between the two groups. I am still working out on how I am going to do the prizes now that there are two groups involved. It surprised me that the Wednesday group wanted to do the challenge. I did find out that the Trekking to Napa Valley challenge actually inspired them to move more and that they actually wanted another challenge! Keep reading each week and I'll post how the two groups are doing. From the first challenge out of approximately averaging 18-22 members per week, 10 people turned in their weekly steps every single week. Not bad for the first challenge.

Did Someone Place A Charm On My Sock?

I swear someone must have placed a charm on Victoria's sock. I had to frog it once because I had messed up big time. Then I messed up again but I swore I wasn't going to frog it again. I was more than 4 inches into the leg. Then it happened again. I had to rip back again, but this time it was 6 rows instead of 2. I am still trying to figure out how in the world I got the pattern to work out with 2 stitches missing. If someone could explain that one to me I would be forever grateful. Victoria, you're second sock is misbehaving but I am hoping that that it will behave now. Just this morning, I finally turned the heel. Now to shape the gusset and onward to the foot and toe. Sign-ups are now complete for the International Scarf Exchange 5. Dorothy says that there is enough people signed up from around the world that we should all have an international pal. That should be pretty cool. I am anxious to get my pal's information so I can purchase the yarn and put it in queue to be knitted up after the Monkey Socks. The hostess for the Christmas Around the World Knitter's Swap is going through and doing the matches also so I should have that information also. That one is going to be a little bit tougher to decide what to knit. There are really no guidelines that say you must knit a scarf or a sock. I guess I'll just have to wait and see what I come up with. Either that or I will post a question on the blog and ask what everyone is thinking about knitting up for their pal. My Sock It To Me Pal has been patiently waiting for her socks. They have been completed, washed and blocked and are now ready to be put in the post. I got the box but want to add one more goodie to the box which I am thinking about doing tomorrow and will hopefully get it in the post tomorrow. Saturday, I had my first foray into dyeing. I took a class to do some Kool-Aid dyeing at Fiddlehead Yarns in town. I had a great time and Nan is such a wonderful teacher. I am going back to Fiddleheads tonight because Nan is going to be there and has offered to help me fix my Sven Sveater. The collar is a bit wonky and doesn't look right. I tried this morning to find my container of yarn that contains the leftover from the project but DH decided to bury it in the back of a closet amongst millions of boxes (ok, not millions) so that I would have to go through everything just to get to my yarn stash. I am hoping what we frog will be enough to fix the sweater without having to get any more yarn. I figure I might have time though to go on an excavation to get at those boxes by the time I finish the sweater. Tonight, I DD's first high school dance. She is so excited. Her best friend is coming over to the house to get ready for the dance. I'm excited for her also. She doesn't it know it yet, but I'm going to be taking pictures of this momentus occasion. I still haven't started on the socks for my monkey pal. I want to finish Victoria's socks first. I find that I do better when I work on only one project at a time. At least then I can remember where I left off.

Another Frog Story

Ok, I admit it, I was about due. I casted on for Victoria's socks. Cruised along through the cuff and got about an inch into the leg and OH OH, not one section but two different sections, I didn't have enough stitches left on the needle to complete the pattern repeat. So I tinked back and re-did it. Still not enough stitches. Ok, somehow I got the first one to work out but the second one major probem. I ended up trying to ladder down but that didn't work. Now mind you, I'm working with Increases and Decreases. Well I really don't know how to fix those. So next mind you, I figured that I would rip out to the cuff. Once I got to the cuff, I thought I'm not going to mess with getting this back onto the needles. So I did what any normal person in the not so right frame of mind would do, I rip it all out. Yep, I took a trip to the frog pond today.

Red Letter Day!

I got my Sock It To Me Swap package from Camille today! Thanks Camille! When I first opened the package I thought that she had sent me a box of Godiva chocolates but inside the box were a yummy pair of socks and 2 skeins of Sweet Georgia's yarns in the Berry colorway. They both are absolutely gorgeous. Camille has been a wonderful swap pal.

I was in yarn heaven today! My order of Socks That Rock came in and of course I ahd to add the 2 skeins of Sweet Georgia in the photo. Aren't these socks simply gorgeous! They fit well also. Once again thank you Camille for a wonderful Sock It To Me package!

Chugging Along & New Swap News

I received the second skein of CTH from The Loopy Ewe so I am ready for when I run out of yarn which should be soon. I am now working on shaping the gusset. I am almost in the homestretch. I can't wait to finish these socks and get them blocked so I can get them sent off to my pal. Then it will be on to finish Victoria's socks. I signed up to be a co-hostess for the International Scarf Exchange 5. The exchange is going to be limited to the first 200 swappers to sign up. If you want to join the swap send an email to isehostesses@gmail.com to get your spot. Rules for the swap can be found on the blog. I hope that you'll join in the fun.

Christmas Around the World Knitter's Exchange Questionnarie

1. Are you religious? No 2. How long have you been knitting? Would you consider yourself a Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced? Intermediate 3. Do you have any other hobbies besides knitting? At the moment, knitting is my only hobby. It 's more of an obsession. 4. Favorite color(s)? I absolutely love orange. I also like the fall colors but more of the burgandy, oranges, yellows and browns. 5. Do you collect anything? knitting books, sock yarn and knitting bags 6. Are you allergic to any fibers or animals? Not that I know of 7. Do you have any pets? Does a husband and 2 kids count? 8. Coffee, Tea, or Hot Chocolate? Hot Chocolate 9. Cookies or Sweets? Both, I have a terrible sweet tooth 10. Do you knit socks? Yes, I love to knit socks 11. If not socks then what? (tell us about your favorite knits) I just love to knit anything, scarves, socks, sweaters, hats. 12. Do you put up a Christmas tree? If not then what do you do? We have an fake tree that we put up every year. This year we are going to a 4ft tree. 13. Favorite holiday treats? Christmas cookies, anything with chocolate 14. Favorite holiday smells? My all time favorite is by Yankee Candle called Christmas Eve. It reminds me of my grandparents house when we were there sleeping over on Christmas Eve. 15. Do you celebrate Christmas in a traditional or unconventional way? Please elaborate. Traditional 16. What are your favorite holiday traditions? Locking myself in the bedroom and wrapping presents with a movie. Daughter and I going to Christmas lane on Christmas Eve to look at all the lights. Christmas shopping with my husband and daughter but not the two of them together. Flour fights when making Christmas cookies. 17. Finish the sentence: “For me Christmas is all about....” being with family and taking time to enjoy the season. 18. If you were a Christmas ornament you would be…….? Shiny with silver glitter 19.What was your favorite gift you've ever received? Or given? I really don't remember a favorite gift 20. When do you start your Christmas? The tree goes up the day after Thanksgiving. So that's the official start for me. Christmas shopping starts then also. 21. Do you send Christmas cards? Do you make them or buy them? Sometimes I send them. I buy them. 22. What is your favorite Christmas dish? My grandmother's dressing. 23. Carolers are at your door. What do you do? Listen to them sing. Offer something to drink and a donation. 24. When do you open presents? Christmas eve or Christmas morning? Christmas morning 25. Do you celebrate with family or friends or both? With family. We don't have a lot of friends.

Houston We Have A Problem

I decided that I was going to use my Weight Watchers scale to measure if I would have enough yarn to knit up a second sock with no problems. First up was my Sock It To Me Sock Swap Sock.

I didn't take a picture but tonight was return of the blob. I decided to rewind the leftover Cherry Tree Hill and encountered the blob. The yarn had a totally different idea. I weighed the finished sock and found out that I would have had just enough yarn to complete the second sock. Only the Cherry Tree Hill had a totally different idea. As you can tell there is not one but two balls of yarn. That is what is leftover after the visit of the blob. The yarn now is not enough to make a second sock. Don't worry, I ordered a second skein from The Loopy Ewe last night. That also is the first completed sock. Next up was the yarn and sock for the Hogwarts Sock Swap. I am happy to report that I am going to have more than enough yarn to complete that sock. Also, the yarn decided to behave as I rewound it into a new ball. Tomorrow, I cast on for the second sock. Tonight's football game was a bit of a disappointment. The girls did a few cheers and then were told that since it wasn't a game but a scrimmage that they couldn't cheer. At least we got to see them in action for a little while.

Success Finally Yes!

The Uptown Boot Socks well the first one is almost done. All I have left to do is kitchener the toe and then I can call them finished. They are absolutely gorgeous! I am much happier with my choice of yarn and color. I am using Cherry Tree Hill's Cherry colorway. Pictures to come later. After work tonight I am going to a JV football game. I am so excited, it's the very first game that DD is cheering for as a high school student. It's so hard to believe that my little girl, my baby is now in high school. What's even more amazing is the wonderful relationship that the two of us have.

Flashing My Stash

I'm In

I forgot to post. I'm in Ravelry! My name's Wizgirl. I can see how so much time can be sucked up by it. Over the weekend I took pictures of my sock yarn stash. Check out my next post to see the stash.

What do You Think?

Is she trying to tell me that she wants some knitted socks? I never know what I am going to find on my camera if I leave it out. I did get a message from DD this morning to check my camera. And this is what I found. Hey Victoria, you might have some competition for your socks. She absolutely fell in love with them. She later told me that she did this at 12:30am. There is never a dull moment with DD around.

Thursday Update

DD has been leaving me little notes in my knitting bag. She knows that I will see them first thing in the morning. She's been telling me about how much she likes what I'm working on. Well this morning not only did she leave me a note but took a couple of pictures on my camera. I'll post those photos when I get home tonight. They are priceless. Get this, she even gave me permission to put them on my blog! I did a Ravelry check this afternoon and got a very nice surprise. There are 89 people ahead of me and 17,803 behind me. I figure that I should be getting my invite either sometime tonight or definitely tomorrow. So....that means that I am going to be checking my email inbox quite frequently. I've been working on my Sock It To Me Sock Swap socks. I got the ribbing done all 2 and a half inches of it. Now it's time to start working on the leg. I haven't decided yet if it's going to go fast or not. My knitting bag is getting quite full. I think that I am going to need to clean it out. I absolutely love my knitting bag. It's from Offhand Designs. If you click on the link you'll see the style of bag that I have. It's called a Tonya bag in the Spring Stripes. The bag is a bit pricey but it's nice and roomy. I am very pleased with the bag. I would love to get some of the other accessories that they have. I want to find a something nice to hold my DPNs. I am getting quite a collection of them.

Beginning of a New Sock

I casted on for my Sock It To Me Pal's sock. I should really figure out how many times I have casted on for this sock. I decided to go with a solid color in the hopes that the pattern would show up better. For better or worse, I am going to continue on with this sock. I just hope my pal will like it.

Arrival of Yarn

I received my yarn order from The Loopy Ewe today. One is the yarn that I am going to send my pal for the Monkey Swap 3 and the other will become a pair of Monkeys. I know which one will become the Monkey's can you guess? I haven't heard from my pal. I sent an email out to her about 5 days ago and nothing in return.

Hello Wednesday!

I finished one of Victoria's socks this morning and it is simply gorgeous. DD even loves it especially the color. So that's one half of my Hogwarts Sock Swap 2 assignment done. The pattern that I picked for her sock is a very easy knit. I memorized the pattern and so that is why I think it went so quickly. I did do some modifications on the heel, gusset and toe. I will explain it all once Victoria gets her socks. Victoria you are going to fall in love with these socks. I am not sure if I am going to want to part with them. I am going to take a break from knitting the second sock to start on my SITM socks which are due a month before the Hogwarts Sock Swap. I wound the yarn up for that sock last night. I ended up having a little bit of fun with the yarn while I was winding it up. Yep, you guessed it. It was starting to get all tangled up. I did triumph and tame the yarn it is all nicely wound up and ready to go. I plan on casting on for that sock during my lunch break. I sent out an email to my Monkey Swap pal over the weekend but haven't heard from her yet. I do hope that I hear from her soon. I am going to send her another email in a day or two but I figured that I would give her time to respond. Have you checked out the new colorways for Socks That Rock? I absolutely love Sugarplums and Gingerbread Dude. There's also a different colorway that I love called Amber. I found some socks knitted up in this color on Tienne's blog. I seem to be moving slowly through the Ravelry queue now. Either that or it just seems so slow since I'm so close to getting my invitation. There are 318 ahead of me as of this morning when I checked. I feel like a kid again waiting for Christmas morning to arrive, wondering what surprises await for me once I get there. Last night Sheri at The Loopy Ewe posted another Sneak Up. I was able to check it out but none of it interested me. Usually, I end up looking for one of the indie dyers that I haven't gotten a skein of yarn from to try (eventually). None of the colors appealed to me. I should be getting my order today for my Monkey Sock Swap pal. I am so excited to see what the Navajo Silver looks like. I had ordered some Fiesta Boomerange before and it was very squishy. Fiesta's colorways appeal to me because I like the Southwest colors. Have you checked out this new blog Lime N Violet's Daily Chum. It is so cool and a lot of useful information. They feature different infomation daily.

Blah, blah ,blah, blah......

I'm still moving through the Ravelry queue. There are 386 people ahead of me. I can't wait to get my invite. For those of you that are on Ravelry, how much of your time has been sucked up? What's your names on there? I'll need some friends to possibly look up. I just found out today that Ravelry has it's own blog, where they talk about their progress. Yarn Pirate announced her new colorways on her blog today. There is only one color that I absolutely like and that 's Malamute. I'm working on the foot of Victoria's sock. I'm hoping to get the first sock finished tonight. Check out Victoria's progress on my sock. She's calling it secret sock number 1. I laughed when I read the post. Now to think of a clever way to disguise her sock. Tonight, I 've got plans to finish Victoria's first sock and then wind up the yarn that I got for my SITM sock. I also am going to stop at Fiddleheads on my way home and pick up some more needles (Brittany's).

I Have A New Love

Needles that is. I ended up busting my Size 1's Crystal Palace Needles in half on Saturday morning. So I had DH run me out to Fiddlehead Yarns to pick up a new set. The sock that I am currently working on is on 4 DPNs. So I bought the Crystal Palace DPNs but decided to buy a set a Brittany's also. The Brittany's are an inch shorter but I am liking them a lot better than the Crystal Palace. The Crystal Palace needes just seemed a bit more flimsier than the Brittany's, I ended up with a nice wicked curve in my needle. That's how I ended up busting my Crystal Palace needle. I also like the shortness of the the Brittany's. So now of course I am going to have to go and get some Size 0's, 2's and 3's so that I have some around for when I start knitting more socks. I'm still going to check out the Knit Picks DPNs and give those a try.

Deadlines

I thought that I would have a posting where I put all my knitting deadlines down. I have a tendency to forget what is due when. October 5th Sock It To Me Sock Swap October 31st Hogwarts Sock Swap 2 November 1st Monkey Swap 3 December 22nd Christmas Around the World Knitter's Swap

Two Moons, This I have to See.

Two moons on 27th August 2007* Planet Mars will be the brightest in the night sky starting August. It will look as large as the full moon to the naked eye. This will cultivate on Aug. 27 when Mars comes within 34.65 Million miles of earth. Be sure to watch the sky on Aug. 27 12:30 am. It will look like the earth has 2 moons. The next time Mars may come this close is in 2287. Share this with your friends as NO ONE ALIVE TODAY will ever see it again

A Bit of an Update

I am very surprised at how fast I have been moving through the Ravelry queue. I am 495 away from getting my invite. My thoughts are I should have it by the middle of the week. I can't wait to see what everyone is raving about. I've made good progress over the weekend on Victoria's socks. I am very pleased with how they are turning out. Sorry no pictures but I don't want Victoria to see her socks until she opens her package. I am working on the heel flap for her sock. I've changed the type of heel that I am doing on the sock. Hopefully it will work out. I have never changed part of a pattern before so this will be a new experience. By the way, I can mention Victoria's name because the Hogwarts swap is not an anoymous swap. I know that Victoria is knitting for me and I for her. The secrecy part comes in play that she doesn't know what else I am including in her package, what her stitch marker looks like, nor the socks that I am knitting. I placed an order for my pal's socks from the Monkey Swap 3 exchange. I found the perfect color and a yarn from my favorite shop The Loopy Ewe that she wants to try for the yarn that I need to include in her package. The yarn that I picked for her socks is Fiesta Boomerang in the Navjo Silver colorway. Since I have to knit a pair of Monkeys for this swap the socks are going to be called Navajo Monkey going forward. I also got the Monkey gifties to go in her package also. It was fun trying to find monkey themed stuff. So now all I need is the yarn and pattern and I am ready to start knitting and have everything else to go with the package. I think that I may have all ready mentioned the yarn stash that I received on Friday from The Loopy Ewe well at least part of it. I received the sock yarn for my Sock It To Me Swap. I like the color but it's not one color that I would knit for myself. I am going to cast on for that sock right after I finish the first sock for my Hogwarts Sock Swap. Also in the mail this week came my Booty Club from the Yarn Pirate. The color this month is called Calmity. It is a white, lime green and purple. Also in the box were a couple pieces of candy and a sticker. The yarn is a BFL so it seems to be a bit thicker. Yesterday, we made a trip to Barnes and Noble. I came home with quite a haul of books. They were all knitting related. I found Getting Started Knitting With Socks by Ann Budd. I liked this book because it gave some ideas for knitting patterns for socks but it also talked about the construction of the sock in more detail. I figure maybe it can let me expand on my sock knitting a bit. Next up is Knit Together by Debbie Macomber. I love Debbie Macomber any books by her need I say any more. Next is Knitting Under the Influence by Claire LaZebnik, I read the synopis of the book and it sounds like it would be a very good read and of course the back drop is knitting. I bought a three book series from Maggie Sefton: Knit One, Kill Two; Needled to Death; Deadly Yarn. I wanted to read a mystery and what a better one to involve knitting.

OTN

I still have pretty much the same things on my needles. Except The Uptown Boot Socks went to the Frog Pond. I ordered some more yarn from The Loopy Ewe which should be arriving any day. I casted on for my Hogwart Sock Swap 2 but I'm not saying what's the pattern it's going to be a surprise. I'm trying to think of ways to cleverly disguise the sock so my pal Victoria will not know what I am knitting. I will say that I am liking what I am seeing so far. I love the yarn and am anxious to start seeing more of the pattern emerge as I continue on with the sock. I have completed the cuff and have only knitted a few rows of the leg. Mom's hat is pretty much at a stand still. As for the Lady Eleanor, well let's say she hasn't visited the frog pond yet. So my question to all of you is...WHAT's on your needles?

Ravelry Update

Well I have been moving through the que with lightning speed. There are 922 people ahead of me. I've moved up 2,753 since July 20th. Not too bad. I figure that I should have my invite with the next couple of days. I am so excited!

Monkey Swap Three Questionnaire

Monkey Sock Swap THREE Questionnaire The 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 consider my self an intermediate knitter. The measurements: Shoe Size: 6 1/2 or 7 Foot circumference: 8 1/2 inches Foot length: 9 1/2 inches Yarn Preferences: What colors do you love? Orange, Fall Colors but not a lot of green in them some is ok. Do you prefer solids or variegated? variegated Do you prefer wool, cotton or acrylic yarn? wool or cotton What colors would you never wear? don't really have a color that I would never wear What are your favorite brands of yarn? Socks that Rock, Scout's Swag, and Yarn Pirate Are there any new brands you would like to try? Sock Pixie, Wollmeise, Posh, Sundara, Sunshine yarns. I have Wollmeise and Posh in my stash. I'll get around to knitting them someday. I've been reading up on Sock Pixie yarns. They sound wonderful. Someone on the Knitter Review's Forum thought that her yarn base might be Louet Gems. Cookie A. Patterns: Which of her patterns have you already knit? Only Monkey Which pattern(s) would you like to knit and don’t already own? Gothic Spire, Mona Sock, and Thelonius Other pertinent information: Would you be willing to have an international Monkey Pal or do you prefer one in the US? Doesn't matter Do you have any allergies? No known allergies Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? Nope Are you on Ravelry yet? If you don’t mind having new friends, what is your Ravelry name? Not on Ravelry yet but should be within the next couple of days. I will post my Ravelry name on my blog once I get my invite. Once I get my name on Ravelry I will update it here. SIGN UPS FOR THE MONKEY SWAP THREE ARE STILL GOING ON UNTIL AUGUST 31ST. COME JOIN THE FUN!

Hogwarts Business

Victoria here's your yarn for your sock.

Sock It to Me

I should have posted this awhile ago. But look what my Sock It To Me Pal sent me.

A Mama Llama project bag, hand made soap, some sample of Soak and some Jolly Ranchers.

I did it again

What did I do again? I frogged these socks. I am knitting the Uptown Boot Socks but the pattern isn't showing up with all the detail in the pattern. I am going to order some more yarn from The Loopy Ewe in hopes that it will show up. If it doesn't than I was not meant to knit that sock. The yarn is Claudias Handpainted in the Peppermint Mocha colorway. The sock no longers exists, it had a visit to the frog pond this afternoon. I wasn't sure if I was going to have enough yarn to finish the sock.

Sockapalooza Pics!

Above is the wonderful package that my Sockapalooza pal Lori from Massachussets sent me! It was like Christmas when I opened the package. She decorated the side of the package with these stickers and wrote Socakapalooza on the side of the box. The contents of the box: one pair of yummy Jaywalkers, extra yarn for repairs, shower gel and handlotion from Bath and Body Works in my favorite scent, some chocolate from her area, some tasty blueberry spread from her some state of Maine, some gorgeous stitch markers, a couple of postcards showing where she's from and a gorgeous pen which is not pictured that she made just for me. I absolutely love how the pen writes. I do apologize for not having it in the photo.

The socks are Jaywalkers. Aren't they simply gorgeous. I had requested orange socks. The socks are made of Schaefer Anne. The funny thing is I remember seeing these posted on her blog but didn't think anything of it. The stitchmarkers you can't tell the gorgeous purple of the dark beads but they are so pretty. I oohed and aahhed them when I opened the container that they were in.

She was and is such a wonderful pal! Thanks a lot Lori.

Frogged Yet Again!

The Uptown Boot Socks are going to the Frog Pond again tonight. Don't get me wrong I love the color but the pattern is just not working with the color that I had chosen. I was going to use Claudia's Hanpainted in the Peppermint Mocha colorway but it's just not working. I even took a photo of the sock just to see if the pattern would show up in the photo. Nope it didn't show a thing. So it's back to the drawing board. I am going to try to locate some yarn in a semi-solid color. I should have been almost finised with the second sock by now. Since I can't work on The Uptown Book Socks, I figured that I would start on Victoria's socks from The Hogwarts Sock Swap Two. I received the gorgeous Slytherin yarn and just have to get it wound up into it's neat little pancake balls. I've all ready picked out the pattern. I am going to try to keep that a secret since Victoria is probaby reading this blog. (Hi Victoria!). I'm eagerly waiting to find out who my pals are for the Monkey Swap 3 and the Christmas Around the World Swaps. The Monkey Swap is open until August 31st but I'm not quite sure about the Christmas Swap. I think that I am done signing up for swaps for now. Although there is going to be an ISE5 swap that I have been throwing around the idea of participating in. I know I need to start getting photos on my blog. That's coming. I need to post the photos of the wonderful socks my pal Lori sent me from the Sockapalooza sock swap they are simply gorgeous. More about that in another post.

Hogwarts Business

I ordered the yarn for Victoria's socks. I'm just waiting for it to arrive so I can start knitting her socks. I have also decided on the pattern. Hopefully I remembered where I saw the pattern. I think that I have managed to save it on my computer. Hogwarts fun starts on the 1st and I can't wait. I finished book 7 and I am ready to go!

Frogged Again

The Uptown Boot Socks visited the Frog Pond tonight. I wasn't too happy with the way the cables weren't showing up. Only one of the set of cables was dominate. I also made the sock about 2 inches longer than it should have been. I also wasn't sure if I would have enough yarn to complete a pair of socks. I'm also not sure if my pal is going to figure out who I am. So mum's the word about what pattern and the yarn that I have decided to use for her socks. I went through my stash and I am hoping that I found the perfect yarn for her.

OTN Friday (but a day late)

Pretty much nothing has changed since last week. Although I did mail out a package to my Sockittome Pal and the socks and goodies to my Sockapalooza pal. I did not take a photo of the second pair of socks. I am hoping that my pal will post a pic of her goodies and then I'll use a link so you can visit her blog. How cool is that? The reason for no knitting, of course Harry Potter. I finished the book and I also read Debbie Macombers Return to Blossom Street. Debbie is my all time favorite author.

Ravelry Update

You signed up on June 18, 2007 You are #9868 on the list. 3379 people are ahead of you in line. 9940 people are behind you in line. 32% of the list has been invited so far I'm moving up on the list. Isn't this wonderful that you can track your progress on your Ravelry invite!

Weekend Update

Friday was spent taking the old furniture from the basement and putting the livingroom furniture in the basement. We had an old sleeper sofa (a nice olive green throw back from the 70's) that was really heavy that took DS, DH and myself to heave out of the basement. DS and myself heaved while DH ho'ed. Later on DD and I went to Barnes and Noble to pick up my copy of the new Harry Potter book. We didn't get home until almost 2am. My cash register receipt says 1:01am that I purchased my book. Saturday, we moved Mom into our house. We finished at about noon. Later in the afternoon we went to a party for DS's girlfriend. She is so sweet. We stayed there pretty late. Sunday, I had my meeting then later in the evening Mom, bro and his boyfriend and DS and I all went to see the latest Harry Potter movie. No actual knitting was done this weekend. Although, on Saturday I did receive my order from The Loopy Ewe. I am still waiting for my package from the Yarn Pirate from her Booty Club. I was so looking forward to receiving the package and having it be a total surprise. I have seen a couple of posts regarding the package. The yarn looks absolutely yummy. Guess I'll have to wait a bit more.

Ravelry Update

You signed up on June 18, 2007 You are #9868 on the list. 3675 people are ahead of you in line. 9006 people are behind you in line. 32% of the list has been invited so far I moved up 51 spots. Hmm let's see at this rate it would take me 52.45 days to get to my invitation. Stay tuned for more Ravelry updates.

OTN Friday (Without the Pictures)

I decided that I am going to attempt (notice the word attempt) posting about what is on my needles every Friday. Even though I have WIPs listed on the sidebar I can at least talk about them. First up, the Uptown Boot Socks that I am working on for my Sock It To Me Pal. I am on the foot of the first sock but I am beginning to worry if I will have enough yarn to finish the second sock. I am knitting these in Scout's Swag colorway of Secret. The pattern is very easy but it is interesting to see how one cable is more pronounced than the other. The pattern is looking more like a swirl that is going around the leg. I think that it looks pretty cool. Second, is the Easy Hat from Fiber Trends. I haven't touched this hat since we got back from our racing weekend. I did show it to Mom and she says that she likes the color and she did try it on. It does fit. I am knitting that in Louet Gems in the Hibiscus colorway. I am to the point on the hat where I am going to start decreasing. That is pretty much what I have on my needles. I have others but I am probably just going to send them to the Frog Pond. After my knitting has been sitting idle for way too long, I lose my place and so I may just as well send them to the Frog Pond and return the wool to the stash. Upon looking at my WIP list the only thing destined for the Frog Pond is the Lady Eleanor Stole. The Moebius Cowl just needs to have the ends buried. I am going to attempt to finish the Knitting Pure & Simple Henley Tshirt for Women. I am just too far a long on that to frog it. I should also say that I am going to see if I can manage to figure out where I'm at and will I be able to continue on. On a different note: I joined the Hogwarts Sock Swap 2 this week. I was pretty excited about it. The pal that I am knitting for is in Louisiana and we are to use our Hogwarts names only and not our muggle name. I would like to introduce you to Lavender Kedavra (that's me). Lavender is a first year in the Ravenclaw House. As a first year, we are supposed to knit a pair of socks in our pal's house colors. Victoria's house is the Slytherin house. We are to send our pal stitch markers in their colors and also some needles (not necessarily in house colors.) I've all ready ordered the yarn and stitch markers. Since Victoria has all ready possibly visited my blog and will be making more visits (Hi Victoria) I will have to find ways to post pictures in a most interesting manner.

Waiting Patiently for Ravelry

Found you! You signed up on June 18, 2007 You are #9868 on the list. 3726 people are ahead of you in line. 8737 people are behind you in line. 32% of the list has been invited so far I was reading another blog and she was in the 17,000. I thought that maybe she would be ahead of me but this was a pleasant surprise. I wonder how long it will take to go through the 3726 people ahead of me. I am anxious to start checking this out.

Welcome to the Frog Pond

I finally decided on a new name for my blog.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

I am so excited to be a part of the swap. I'm considered a first year, since is the first time that I am participating. 1. What Hogwarts house have you been sorted into? Ravenclaw 2. Shoe size? US size 7 3. Foot Length? 9 1/2 inches 4. Foot Circumference? 8 1/2 inches 5. List your three favorite double-point needle brands, including size and length. a. Crystal Palace size 2 length 2.75mm b. I only have one favorite brand that I knit with. c Sorry no other choices. Definitely am in love with the Crystal Palace DPNs. 6. Would you like to try a new brand needle? Yes If so, which brand? Knit Picks came out with some new dpns that I wouldn't mind trying Size? 2 Length? 6 inch 7. If you are a RAVENCLAW, do you prefer the colors in the film or the book? Prefer the colors from the film, love the silver and blue combination. Do you have a strong preference? Definitely more attracted to the film color combinations. 8. Allergies? Do you have any? No allergies Will your knitting be exposed to smoke or animals? NO Are you an international participant (outside US)? No Are you willing to have an international Hogwarts Sock Pal? Yes

Sock It To Me Contest

The Sock It To Me Swap that I joined is having a contest, the prize a skein of Socks that Rock in a colorway of my choice. All I have to do is write about is why and how I started knitting. Let's first address the why I started knitting. I've always been fascinated by knitting, I all ready knew how to do crochet, cross stitch, ceramics and quilting but not knitting. I am not quite sure what had drawn me to knitting but I was just drawn it was a force that I can't explain. How I started knitting, I bought some how-to books and thought that I could teach myself knitting. I had a difficult time learning the knitting stitch but had an Eureka moment in the place where I always get them, the shower. I finally was able to visualize myself doing the stitch. So as soon as I got out, dried off and dressed, I grabbed my needles and started knitting. I quickly found online resources for knitting and slowly progressed. My stash grew unfortunately with acrylic red heart yarn (you'll have to excuse me on that one, my town did not have a LYS). That was quickly remedied when I made a trip to Milwaukee to visit one. I really didn't get the true knitting bug until about a year ago. I have learned so much in the past year. I didn't really get bitten by the sock bug until about a couple of months ago. You should see my sock yarn stash!

Sock It To Me Questionnaire - Answered

What are your foot measurements? (Please give shoe size, length and circumference.) Shoe size - American 7 Length 9 1/2 inches, Circumference 8 1/2 inches How long have you been knitting? How would you rate your experience? (Beginner, Intermediate or Advanced.) About 2 years. I'm an intermediate knitter but a beginning sock knitter. What is your favorite color? Orange Your least favorite color? Olive green Do you have a favorite fiber? No What type? Prefer natural fibers Do you have any allergies to certain fibers? None Do you have an Amazon, or other type of, wishlist? No, I all ready own a lot of knitting books. (If so, provide the link.) What techniques, if any, would you like to learn? Felting, still have a booga bag that needs to go for a bath. Do you have a sweet tooth? Yes, but have to curb it. What are your favorite snacks? 100 calorie snack packs, weight watcher snacks What is your family situation? (Children, Husband, Pets...etc.) 1 son 19, 1 daughter 14, hubby and no pets. Do you prefer straight or circular needles? Circulars except double points for knitting socks Metal, plastic or wood? Addi Turbos, Knit Picks Options sets and bamboos for my double points. Besides socks, what are your favorite items to knit? Sweaters Is there a pattern, (sock or otherwise), that you are dying to try? Central Park Hoodie Do you like to read? Yes What are you reading currently? Too busy knitting to read. My favorite author is Debbie Macomber. Do you collect music? (On an iPod or MP3 player.) Yes, I own an Ipod. What kind of music do you listen to? Country, rock, top 40 Is there anything you collect? Magnets of places that I have visited. What are your hobbies, aside from knitting? Quilting, cross stitching, crocheting. Are you participating in any other swaps or knit alongs? Just got done with the International Scarf Exchange 4, am currently participating in the Sockapalooza 4 and Mysterystole 3. Do you have a favorite scent? From Bath and Body Works Moonlight Path. The only scent that I wear. When is your birthday? Feb 11th, I'm an Aquarius. (You don't have to add the year if you don't want to, LOL.)

I Want to Change...

I want to change the name of my blog but to what I don't have a clue. I also know that I need to start posting more. I also joined the yahoo group mystery stole 3. On Friday, we received our first clue. I haven't even started knitting it. I am going to knit it using some laceweight Malabrigo in a natural color. I am also going to add some seed beads to it. The first clue contains 99 rows of knititng. Guess I better get started. Next I joined another exchange called Sock It To Me. It starts in a couple of days. This is one where I will knit a pair of socks but send other goodies along also. Should be real fun. It would be even funnier if I would happen to get the same sockpal that I have now. On the Sockapalooza front, I am now on the foot (the homestretch) of the second sock of the fixation pair for my pal. I think she is going to pleasantly surprised to get not one pair of socks but two.

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Mingle² - Online Dating

Monkeying Around Update & Other Non-Knitting Stuff

First all a Monkey Update! The Monkeys are done! The Monkeys are done! Pictures in another post along with a posting to the Knit Pligg. The Monkeys actually have been done for well over a week. Look how bad I am. In that time frame I also have completed the sock that I have been working on using Cascade's Fixation yarn. Photo to come of that also. I have casted on for another sock but using a different color of the Fixations. I am almost to the point where I am ready to start decreasing for the toe. I just started this sock over the weekend. I really need to start keeping a notebook and keeping track when I start a project and finish it. I have joined Mystery Stole 3. Sign ups close on Friday as to that's when the first clue comes out. I have my yarn picked out and bought my needles. I want to stop at hobby lobby and see if I can find some beads that might work with the stole. My Mom is in the process of selling her house. So I have been over there helping her go through 43 years worth of stuff. She is going to temporarily move in with DH, DD and I. DH has been wonderful about this. I'll go more into detail about the troubles we are having with the offer we received on the house. DS recently informed us that he is slowly moving out. He has been MIA for quite some time. He's been living with his girlfriend and her dad. His girlfriend asked her Dad if DS could move in with them and her dad replied, I all ready thought he had. I'm not quite sure how I feel because with Mom moving in things are definitely in a state of flux at the moment. On a brighter note, I did hear from my pal in the UK that I had knitted a scarf for. She received the package and became the envy of her office. She had me ship the parcel to her office. I need to post the photos on the ISE4 blog. Either that or send Dawn the photos and she can post them. That might be a better plan.

Look Where I've Been

create your own personalized map of the USA or check out ourCalifornia travel guide

One Monkey Down, One to Go!

Here's the first Monkey in all of it's glory! I am very pleased with how it turned out. Here's a closer view of the foot. I like how it is striping. I immediately cast on for the second Monkey! Although I am sad to report that second Monkey decided to go to the frog pond! I had knitted almost two complete repeats before I made a mistake that I couldn't fix. The mistake got worse and worse. So it was destined for the frog pond. This is actually the third Monkey that I cast on for. This is a very easy pattern to knit and I am becoming more and more addicted to knitting socks as each day goes on! Now, for the big question? Could this be your sock??

Monkey Update!

I spent the past week in Washington DC with my daughter's eigth grade class. I thought that I would have all this knitting time since we were travelling by bus. I didn't do any knitting on the bus but knitting daughter did a bit. I ended up talking with the kids and had a lot of fun. I did get some knitting done and that was one night between 3am and 5am when I had to watch the floor to make sure nothing happened to any of the girls. The knitting kept me awake. The Monkey is coming along quite nicely. I'm not quite sure of how it is going to fit my pal though but I am going to keep knitting. I have turned the heel and am working on the gusset for the first sock. Take a peek!