Ana's Frog Pond

I'm moving

2009-02-21T15:12:00.001-06:00

I'm moving over to typepad. Visit me at http://www.knitana.typepad.com Basically same webadress instead of blogger it's now typepad.

What have I been up to?

2009-02-16T08:23:00.005-06:00

First up is the lovely Clapotis. It is made out of one skein of Wollmeise 100% sock yarn. Campari Orange is the colorway. This was the very first project I casted on for the New Year. I casted on Jan 1. It is also the first project that I finished this year.

Next up is Japanese Vines. This I had casted on in December but took a break to knit the Clapotis. The Japanese Vines is made out of Sundara sock yarn in the Mossy colorway. The scarf is absolutely stunning once it was blocked.

Next up is the Chickadee Cowl. This is out of Misti Alpaca Vegan colorway. I completed this cowl in basically one day. It was an extremely quick knit.

Next up is Rivolo made out of Handmaiden Casbah in the Flirt colorway. The yarn was a dream to work with. This is becoming my favorite yarn to work with.

Last but not least, a lone sock. This is the Roll Top Sock. It is made out of Handmaiden Casbah in the Flirt colorway. I do have to order another skein. After I finished the Rivolo, I had just enough to knit one sock. This sock fits like a glove and feels like a dream. Yes, the sock is small but that is only because I have small feet. So that is what I have been up to so far this year. All the projects pictured above have been completed in 2009.

Happy February

2009-02-10T16:03:00.003-06:00

I have finished three projects so far in 2009. I finished the Clapotis, Chickadee Cowl and Japanese Vines. I am in the process of knitting Rivolo right now. Rivolo is by Anne Hanson from Knitspot. I am using Handmaiden's Casbah. It is a very soft yarn. The pattern is very easy but I keep forgetting to do a K2tog or do too many. I don't know how many times I have had to frog back a row or two from not having enough stitches or way too many.

Like usual, I have been hanging around Ravelry. I've enjoyed all the people that I have met over there. I am so excited because in April, I get to go The Loopy Ewe for Spring Fling. DH and DD are coming along with. They have all ready been informed that they are going their way and I am going mine. It's a knitting weekend and I can't wait to meet all my fellow Ravelers.

The Japanese Vines scarf is for my ISE7 pal along with the Chickadee Cowl. Both were very quick knits. I knitted the Chickadee is just over a 24 hour period.

Last night, I blocked the Japanese Vines Scarf using blocking wires. That was the first time I had ever used those. Blocking really opened up the pattern.

I've been bowling again this season. My average is higher than last. I also just bought a new bowling ball so I can learn how to throw a hook. I am hoping to increase my average. I did miss a 200 game by 2 pins this season (heartbreaking)

The pictures of my projects are on my Ravelry page. I'm wizgirl over there. I will post pictures on here in a couple of days.

5 Things Quiz

2009-01-12T10:00:00.002-06:00

In reading Wendy's blog she did the 5 things quiz so I thought that would be kind of fun.

5 things in my Bag-

wallet
checkbook
calculator
Nail files
lotion

5 things in my room

my namaste laguna bag
television
the book that I am currently reading
the things that I have to send out for two of the swaps that I am in
shoes under my bed

5 things I've always wanted to do

Visit my friend in Trinidad
Go to Europe to see all the wonderful art galleries historical places
Get back to my goal weight
Get myself out of debt to where I am not almost living paycheck to paycheck
Write more in my blog (ok, that's more of a wish)

5 Things that I'm Currently Into

Maggie Sefton Mysteries (I'm on the last one Fleece Navidad)
Knitting
Collecting Knitting Books
Reading posts on Ravelry
Collecting yarn.

So there you have it. 5 things about me.

I didn't know I had died

2008-11-15T10:21:00.001-06:00

Here's an email that I received today. Hmmm, I think I'll just let them leave me dead. What do you think?

DEAR BENEFICARY

We receive an email that you are dead and you ask one MR.KADEEJIA IRVIN MOORE to come and claim your funds been the fund to related to your lottery funds $2 Million United State Dollars that has been with us since two weeks now and he has also agreed to pay for the delivery charges $550 Usd.So I am writing you to know if you are DEAD OR ALIVE, if you do not reply back before 72hrs we will have no other alternative that to believe that are truly dead according to MR.KADEEJIA IRVIN MOORE . And if you are still alive you can get back to me as fast as you can or you can call me on my phone take note that every thing has been paid for it is just for the cost of transfer that this MR.KADEEJIA IRVIN MOORE has agreed to pay for if you refuse to get back to us am afraid we shall give the fund transfer to him and collect the money from him that means that he is right that you are dead and you ask him to come and claim the funds on your behalf.WE HAVE WITH US A SCAN COPY of the SECRET PHOTO SHOT WE SNAPPED HIM and his FRIEND THE DAY HE CAME TO OUR OFFICE TO TABLE TO OUR OFFICE THAT YOU ARE DEAD,IF YOU NEED IT, WE SCAN IT FOR YOUR VERIFICATION PURPOSES.Please take note that you have been given just 72hrs to get back to us so that we can know if you are alive, and fill the Information Below. Name: Fax , House Address: Phone Number: We await your swift response in regard of this email we have received from MR.KADEEJIA IRVIN MOORE .Truly Yours.Mr. Williams CrossPhone: +234-708-283-0661

Happy Thursday

2008-11-06T11:35:00.002-06:00

Studying is not going well this week at all. I have done very little in the way of reviewing for my exam which is on the 24th. I need to get through the last chapter of the book then I can start my final review process. My thoughts are this exam might be ugly. I am not going to be prepared much less have any chance of passing. I am still waiting the results from the third section that I took last month. So far I have failed two sections of the exam.

On the knitting front things are going well. I am almost finished with my third sock. Yes, you heard me right. Third sock. I am current knitting Monica Jines pattern Mini Pretzel Twists using Wollmeise. When I finished knitting the second sock it was completely different than the first. I wasn't too happy with the fit of the first sock. It was a bit more loose in the foot than I normaly like. I like a snug sock and since these socks are for me. The striping is way different between the two socks. So, after I finished the second sock I got out my Weight Watchers scale and weighed both completed socks individually and then the leftover yarn. I determined that I have more than enough yarn to knit a third sock. So that's what I proceeded to do. The third sock is similar to the second sock in striping and fit. So I am a happy camper. I am on the foot of the third sock. It doesn't take me long at all to knit up a sock. I can normally do a pair in about two weeks time. So one sock takes me a week.

I signed up for another swap. This one is the Loopy Swap 3. I got my partner in email the other day. Last night I figured out what I am going to knit for her and ordered the yarn. By the time the yarn gets here I should have the sock finished and ready to start the mystery project. I am always excited to start a new project. I still have Lady Eleanor on the needles. One of these years she will be an FO. I was surprised that I was able to figure out where I left off in the pattern. I have come a long way in my knitting experience. I bought a Namaste bag, my very first one. I got a Laguna in peacock. Now I just need to transfer everything to my new bag. I am trying to decide if I want to see my Offhand Designs bag or not.

Help Wanted

2008-10-30T09:54:00.001-05:00

A friend that I work with sent an email to me regarding her granddaughter please see her request: This is from Shirley My granddaughter is in a photo contest where she could win a portrait package worth hundreds of dollars. Can you go to the website below and vote for Braeyah. She is the first one on the list. The voting ends on Friday. Any help with forwarding to other contacts would really help. Thanks http://www.specialmemoriesbymarnie.blogspot.com/ She's neck and neck with another tot. Any help that she can get would be greatly appreciated. Leave me a comment if you voted and what do you think of Braeyah. She's a cutie!

I'm A Hockey Mom

2008-10-29T15:34:00.002-05:00

My son just started playing ice hockey this past year. His position of choice? Goalie. I've seen him play in two games so far. He has a lot to learn but I give him credit for following his dreams. He always wants his dad and I at the games. I get an email from him every week thanking me for going to this game and then letting me know when the next one is. By the way, he's going to be 21 in December and has been out of the house now for over a year. So Mom and Dad are not supporting this venture into hockey.

The first picture is him waiting for a puck to come his way.

After the game, Mom and Chris

Brother and Sister, Chris and Sammi. She just adores her big brother.

Blame it on Ravelry

2008-09-29T10:45:00.001-05:00

Yep you heard that right, blame my absence from this blog on Ravelry. I have been spending my time over there as wizgirl. I'm on it on a daily basis. I'll try to post more on a regular basis and add photos too. Did you guys miss me?

It's been awhile...

2008-04-25T11:32:00.002-05:00

Since I last posted, wow well over a month. Time flies and certainly gets away from a person. So what have I been up to?

I finished the monkey Socks for my Monkey Pal 4. I've just been waiting for some of the goodies to come in the mail so I can put them in the post. They should be going out sometime either this weekend or next.

I also finished the scarf for my ISE6 pal. That has been in the upstairs bedroom drying. I have also just about finished gathering everything for that package to be sent out.

I am working on a secret project for my Loopy Swap 2 pal. She knows who I am so I have been keeping that project a secret. I am almost finished and have been gathering goodies for that package as well. That should be going out in the next week or two.

So what am going to knit next? Well, with Mother's Day only a couple of weeks away, I was thinking about knitting my Mom the pair of socks that I had promised her. She had picked the pattern Go With The Flow from the Favorite Socks book. I have some yummy Panda Cotton yarn that I can use for them.

I've also been attending a Becker CPA review class. I finished the Financial section a couple of weeks ago and am now working on the Auditing section. I finally got my creditentials back from the Illinois State Board. I squeeked by with 151 credits, 150 was what I had needed. So now I need to send in the application fee and pay the required amounts for each section. With the rate that I am going, I'll be done with all the review classes before I even sit for one section of the exam.

Monkeying Around

2008-03-23T11:56:00.004-05:00

I'm still waiting for the yarn to arrive so I can start my ISE6 project. The UPS website hasn't updated as to when my yarn will be delivered.

So I started my Monkey Pal Swap Four socks. I decided to do four repeats instead of the six so it will be more of an ankle sock. I am liking the Tofutsies yarn that I have chosen to knit the sock with. Here's a picture of my progress so far.

Here's the socks that I finished on March 20th. These are Triple Twist by Monica Jines. The yarn is from vanCalCar Acres in the Something for Slytherin. These are made for my Hogwarts Sock Swap 3 pal. I absolutely love the heels on these socks.

Snow, Snow, Snow and More Snow

2008-03-21T17:19:00.002-05:00

It's Snowing yet again. The news is reporting that this is the second snowiest winter ever. Wasn't spring yesterday? Today we are getting more than 10 inches of snow. It took me an hour and a half to get home from work (construction season all ready)

I went on a sock hunt this afternoon for the perfect yarn for my Monkey Swap Four Pal. Since it is spring, I had decided that I wanted to use a lighter weight yarn. The yarn that came to mind was Tofutsies colorway 740 which is part of the Limited Edition Collection. Ravelry is an excellent place to see how the yarn looks. I checked out the three colorways I had in mind and that's how I decided on 740 along with DD's help.

Last night, I finished the Triple Twist Socks for my HSS3 partner. I have almost everything together for the package but I need to check the blog to see the detail that needs to be sent with the package.

I can't believe that I signed up to do Monkey Swap Four, ISE6 and The Loopy Swap 2 while studying for the CPA exam, am I nuts or what? Yep, I agree I'm totally nuts. I figure for The Loopy Swap 2 I will knit the Dreamswatch. Should be a nice and easy quick knit.

For ISE6, my daughter helped me to decide to do Grumperina's Shifting Sands Scarf. I had ordered some Malabrigo Silky Merino in the Viena colorway. She also helped me pick the color. That's what happens when one can't decide between two patterns.

For Monkey Swap Four, I am knitting of course Cookie A's infamous Monkeys using Tofutsies colorway 740 which is part of the Limited Edition Collection.

Monkey Swap Four Questionnaire

2008-03-20T14:54:00.005-05:00

The Measurements Shoe size: 6 1/2 or 7 US Foot length in inches: 9 1/2 inches Circumference: 8 1/2 Inches

Yarn Preferences What are your favorite colors? Jewel Tones What color clashes with your wardrobe? None Do you prefer solids or variegated yarns? Variegated What are your favorite brand sock yarns? Scoks That Rock, Wollmeise, Yarn Pirate, Is there a new sock yarn you really would like to try? Sock Pixie, Sunshine Yarns

Cookie A. Patterns List the patterns you do not have but would like to receive: Red Thread Sock, Mona

Allergies Do you have any allergies that your pal needs to know about? (animals, fiber, sensitivity to smoke etc.) None Will you knitting be exposed to animals? No, Will you knitting be exposed to cigarette smoke? No

Shipping What country do you live in? United States Are you willing to ship outside your country? Not at this time.

I'm Still Alive...Barely

2008-03-07T14:07:00.002-06:00

It's been a busy week. Saturday, I started the Becker Review classes to sit for the CPA exam. I am still waiting to hear from the Illinois board if I have enough credentials to sit for the exam. I've been spending anywhere from 2 to 3 hours a night studying. I have four more classes left for this section. I've been done with school for two years so this is serving as a nice review.

On the knitting front, I've been knitting away on my Triple Twist Socks for my HSS3 pal. I did manage to finish the first sock before class started and have been working on the second one. I knit a few rows in the morning before I go to work and knit during my lunch hour. I am almost to the heel flap.

I am anxious to get started on my Cardigan for Arwen. I have the yarn sitting on my diningroom table (I'm surprised hubby hasn't complained about that yet) waiting to be wound up. One of these days I am going to have to find the time to get them wound up.

Tomorrow night DD and I are going to go see the Student edition of rent at the high school. She got mad at me because we didn't go last weekend. She really enjoys mother/daughter time together and complains when we don't spend enough time together (I hope that doesn't change.)

Embossed Leaves

2008-02-27T22:11:00.003-06:00

Embossed Leaves finished for my SITM2 pal. These will be mailed off to her on Friday. These were knitted with Schaefer Anne.

Tired of Winter

2008-02-20T07:38:00.002-06:00

Another day of bitter cold temperatures are called for today. I will be so happy when warmer temperatures come our way. Sunday it rained and along with the rain came some flooding. I now have a mini lake at the end of my drive way. At the moment it's a skating pond, it's not very suitable for skating, need to get the Zamboni out.

On my needles now, is the start of the Triple Twist Socks pattern is from Monica Jines of Monica Knits... A Lot! The pattern is only available from the Loopy Ewe. Monica has been so very helpful. I didn't know how to do a 2TR and she explained it to me and has also offered assistance if I should require any more. I'm working on the leg and the pattern is very simple. My thoughts are that these socks should be a quick knit. Lately for me it seems that I can knit up a pair of socks in about two weeks time.

I'm in the process right now of getting together my sock swap packages for HSKS4 and Sock It To Me Twice. I should be able to put those in the mail this weekend. The only swap that I have left is the HSS3 and ISE6 should be coming up very shortly.

Sock It To Me Twice Contest

2008-02-14T11:04:00.001-06:00

Contest Number 1- Simple enough post - You will post, on your blog, about a memorable Valentine's day you've had. Could be from when you were a child or now. I really don't have any memorable Valentine's Days that I could post about. My birthday is so close to Valentine's Day that everything gets lumped together. My husband is not a very romantic guy, so about the most I get is a card.

Contest Number 2- Spring Knitting Plans- I signed up for Hogwarts Sock Swap 3, so I'll be knitting a pair of socks for that. Probably more socks will be on the needles. Eventually I need to knit my Central Park Hoodie. I try not to plan too many projects ahead of time. Although my ravelry queue has 11 projects, so I'll start knocking them off one by one.

Contest Number 3- My ten favorite yarns: Yarn Pirate KPPMKoigu Socks That Rock Lightweight Lorna's Laces Cherry Tree Hill Wollmeise Handmaiden Sea Silk Fiesta Baby Boomerang Duet Sock Yarns ShiBuiKnits

I'm Ernie

2008-02-06T12:10:00.000-06:00

You Are Ernie

Playful and childlike, you are everyone's favorite friend - even if your goofy antics get annoying at times. You are usually feeling: Amused - you are very easily entertained You are famous for: Always making people smile. From your silly songs to your wild pranks, you keep things fun. How you life your life: With ease. Life is only difficult when your friends won't play with you!

The'>http://www.blogthings.com/thesesamestreetpersonalityquiz/">The Sesame Street Personality Quiz

Monkeys Have Landed!

2008-02-01T13:48:00.001-06:00

It's been an interesting week, first this package came from AnaMarie. The package contained an adoreable stuffed monkey, some stitch keepers, a monkey bag, some monkey fabric, a Cookie A pattern and two skeins of Apple Laine yarn. Also this adoreable handmade card.

Then this gorgeous ball of hand-dyed yarn from Jane arrived. Jane dyed this yarn especially for me. She dyed some Jaggerspun sport weight yarn. Now to find the perfect sock pattern for this awesome yarn. Any ideas? Thanks Jane very much. Jane was assigned my angel since we hadn't heard anything from my pal in a long time. She's been an awesome angel.

Then another package came and they contained the most comfortable awesome pair of Monkeys ever. The socks fit like a dream and came at the most perfect time. I have worn them two of three times all ready and I just got them. Also in the package was some Mike & Ike candy, a cute sock bag, a monkey key chain and another Cookie A pattern. I don't know who this angel is quite yet because I also found out that she is Sock It To Me Twice pal. She is an awesome angel. I wonder what her thoughts were when she found out that she was to be my Monkey Pal angel also? Thank you Secret Pal for a gorgeous pair of socks and the awesome package that you put together.

State Champs & -15 Degrees

2008-01-20T20:41:00.001-06:00

IMG_4414 Originally uploaded by wizgirl

They won! They are The 2008 State Champions in the non-stunting divison. They did a wonderful job. The compettion was in Stevens Point, Wisconsin which featured morning temperatures of minus 15 degrees.

Samantha's Killer Moc Crocs

2008-01-20T20:36:00.001-06:00

IMG_4431 Originally uploaded by wizgirl

Yarn: Yarn Pirate Killer Bees Merino. Pattern: Knit Picks Moc Crocs Needles: Size 0 Brittany's Took about two weeks to knit up. Very easy pattern to memorize. These are super comfy. I made these for my daughter. I finished these on our trip to Steven's Point for State Cheerleading Competition.

Brrrr It's Cold Outside

2008-01-18T10:47:00.001-06:00

We're in the middle of a cold snap and heading north. DD has State Competition for cheerleading this weekend. They compete in the morning. We have decided to spend the weekend, kind of a nice relaxing weekend away from home.

My knitting bag is packed and ready to go. I'm almost finished with DD's socks that I am working on. I am using Yarn Pirate's Killer Bees it is from the sock club. The pattern is Knit Pick's Moc Crocs. It is a very simple pattern to knit up and easy to memorize.

Next up on the needles is Interweave's Embossed Leaves. I am using Schaeffer Anne in shades of green. I am anxious to see how these are going to knit up. I figure that I should be able to start these sometimes this weekend. We'll be back on Sunday and I should have pictures from the competition. Stay warm.

Recipe for Ana

2008-01-12T23:02:00.001-06:00

The Recipe For Ana

3 parts Drive2 parts Energy1 part Enchantment Splash of Whimsy Sip slowly on the beach

What's" the Recipe for Your Personality?

Samantha's Killer Moc Crocs

2008-01-10T21:16:00.000-06:00

Don't these look totally awesome! The pattern is from Knit Picks called Moc Crocs. I am using Yarn Pirate's Superwash Merino in the Killer Bees colorway. I absolutely love the way these look. I am knitting these for Knitting Daughter.

Happy Birthday Knitting Daughter!

2008-01-10T21:13:00.000-06:00

I'm a few days late but Sunday was Knitting Daughter's 15th Birthday. We celebrated by going bowling and having family over for cake.

5 Things I Hope to Accomplish In 2008!

2008-01-08T15:18:00.001-06:00

1.) Get back to my goal weight and excercising on a more regular basis.

2.) Study for and pass the CPA exam.

3.) Post in my blog more frequently.

4.) Get more organized at work & stay organized.

5.) Clean the disaster in my bedroom closet (organize it).

What's on My Needles?

2008-01-01T14:49:00.002-06:00

So What's on my needles? The mate to Girl's Best Friends Anklets. The pattern is from Knitpicks and I am knitting them in Koigu KPPM colorway P305 on size 1 needles. Isn't the cuff gorgeous? I managed to finish one sock in time to give it to my boss in time for our Christmas party but I am not going to have the second done by tomorrow when she returns back to work. She absolutely loved the color and the detail on the cuff.

ISE5

2008-01-01T14:43:00.003-06:00

Thank you Gill for a beautiful swap package. She sent me a gorgeous My So-Called Scarf. The colors are absolutely stunning. I have been wearing it everyday. It is the perfect length and the pom-poms at the end of the scarf are fun. She also included a magazine from England which I was unable to locate for the photo shoot. Some teas, candles, chocolate and soap. I am sure there were some others but I just didn't find them.

Thanks Gill for your thoughtfulness.

The scarf blends in very well with my bedspread doesn't it?

Christmas Around the World Knitter's Swap

2008-01-01T14:15:00.001-06:00

Cheryl from MA. sent me this wonderful swap package. I received 2 lovely soft light blue washclothes, a soap wrapped in the same soft yarn. Some candles in an elf cookie scent. A new notepad just in time because I am about to run out of my current one. A lovely snowflake mug with some delicious hot cocoa mix. A pretty silver ornament and 3 skeins of Pattons SWS. Thank you Cheryl for a lovely package. The package arrived yesterday just in time for New Years.

Hard to Believe.....

2007-12-27T11:58:00.000-06:00

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!

2007-11-26T15:44:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-22T09:20:00.000-06:00

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

2007-11-18T08:15:00.000-06:00

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

2007-10-24T09:17:00.001-05:00

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

2007-10-19T08:54:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-10-18T10:58:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-12T12:11:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-10-02T14:48:00.000-05:00

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

2007-09-25T08:09:00.001-05:00

-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!

2007-09-21T10:28:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-09-21T07:40:00.001-05:00

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

2007-09-14T12:56:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-09-13T21:31:00.001-05:00

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

2007-09-06T21:08:00.001-05:00

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

2007-09-02T19:51:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-30T21:28:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-08-30T14:51:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-27T21:08:00.001-05:00

I'm In

2007-08-27T21:07:00.000-05:00

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?

2007-08-23T20:48:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-23T13:07:00.002-05:00

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

2007-08-22T21:27:00.001-05:00

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

2007-08-22T21:23:00.001-05:00

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!

2007-08-22T07:29:00.000-05:00

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......

2007-08-21T14:43:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-20T11:00:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-20T10:19:00.000-05:00

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.

2007-08-20T10:15:00.001-05:00

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

2007-08-20T09:26:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-16T10:06:00.001-05:00

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

2007-08-16T08:38:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-14T07:27:00.000-05:00

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

2007-08-13T20:58:00.001-05:00

Victoria here's your yarn for your sock.

Sock It to Me

2007-08-13T20:54:00.001-05:00

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

2007-08-13T20:45:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-08-13T20:32:00.001-05:00

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!

2007-08-13T07:07:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-30T21:40:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-30T21:21:00.000-05:00

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)

2007-07-28T19:23:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-23T15:22:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-23T14:43:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-20T11:22:00.000-05:00

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)

2007-07-20T11:03:00.001-05:00

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

2007-07-19T12:21:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-17T13:32:00.001-05:00

I finally decided on a new name for my blog.

Hogwarts Sock Swap Questionnaire

2007-07-17T07:28:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-15T09:43:00.000-05:00

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

2007-07-05T22:01:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-07-01T21:47:00.000-05:00

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.

Check out my blog rating

2007-07-01T21:44:00.000-05:00

Mingle² - Online Dating

Monkeying Around Update & Other Non-Knitting Stuff

2007-06-18T09:10:00.001-05:00

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

2007-06-16T22:29:00.000-05:00

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

One Monkey Down, One to Go!

2007-06-07T20:47:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-05-30T21:20:00.000-05:00

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!

Monkey Frogged!

2007-05-16T12:31:00.000-05:00

I was happily knitting away but what to my dismay? An extra stitch on one of the needles. How did that happen? I don't know, but I do know that I was unable to fix it. I had completed one complete pattern repeat plus a bit more at this point. I decided to frog the whole thing. Do I hear gasps out there? Don't worry, I honestly believe it was the yarn telling me that, the sock was going to be too small for my pal. I am going to go up a needle size and start all over. I am also going to rewind the skein so I don't have all the kinks in it. Sorry no pics to go along with the post. I should have taken a photo before frogging. I actually have my camera with me at work (long story). The frogging took place at my desk.

I have a question??? Can anyone Help?

2007-05-08T15:46:00.000-05:00

I have a question. I have the yarn, I have the pattern, now I have the needles that I am going to attempt to start with. Here is the question...when you first start knitting your socks, what do you do for your swatch? The pattern I am planning on doing is Knitty's Monkey Socks. 32 sts/48 rows = 4 inches in stockinette stitch and Lace Pattern = gauge instructions from the pattern. HELP! I want to start knitting but I want to make sure that I am doing this right.

Yarn Check! Pattern Check! Pal Check!

2007-05-06T09:33:00.000-05:00

Well it looks like i'm ready to start knitting. I picked the Monkey pattern from Cookie A that appears in Knitty Winter 2006. The yarn in from Lorna's Laces in the River colorway. My pal likes blues so I thought this would be a gorgeous colorway all knitted up. I find my yarn first and then decide on the pattern. The pattern was actually chosen upon my pal's sock size. I have only knit one pair of socks so this will be an adventure in knitting. I am unsure how to change the pattern to make it fit. It wasn't too hard to find a pattern that would fit her. Her sock size is definitely bigger than mine. Take a look at these gorgeous pictures of the yarn that I got for the Monkey socks.

I can't wait to see how these will turn out. Stay tuned!

Recipe Friday - Chili

2007-05-04T08:32:00.000-05:00

This is a very simple chili recipe 43 oz Campbell's Tomato soup 28 oz Contadina Crushed Tomatoes In Tomato Puree 6 1/2 oz canned mushrooms 16 oz Bush's Light Red Kidney Beans 1 pound 95% lean/5% fat raw ground beef Chili Powder Brown hamburger in a frying pan. Add cooked hamburger add all other ingredients to a crockpot. Cook for a couple of hours on low heat. I don't measure the chili powder, use as much as you like. Makes 12 1 cup servings. 2 points per serving. Without the meat it's one point per serving. Enjoy!

100th Post

2007-05-01T13:26:00.000-05:00

Ok, couldn't resist just had to remark. IT'S MY 100TH POST.

To My Sockapalooza Pal!

2007-05-01T13:17:00.000-05:00

I know your out there stalking my blog. So I thought that I might give you a clue or two. I'm not quite sure of your knitting abilities but heres some hints as to some of my likes for socks.. Jaywalkers, Monkey and a lot of the socks from the Favorite Socks book. Or you can be bold and design something from this or this. Need yarn help? Stay tuned that's coming next. Just thought I would be helpful. By the way it was too much fun putting this together for you.

Forgot To Mention

2007-05-01T08:23:00.000-05:00

I forgot to mention when I ordered the yarn for my Sockapalooza pal, I ordered an extra skein for me. Do you think Darling Daughter may comment that I am adding to my yarn stash again? I also forgot to mention that I got another order in from the Loopy Ewe. I'll take pictures tonight and post them. I am absolutely in love with the colors that I received.

You're Not Going To Believe This

2007-05-01T08:13:00.000-05:00

I was showing one of my co-workers my progress on my ISE4 scarf and commenting about how I am almost done. Guess what I saw? I had forgotten to cross a cable about 3 cables back. Guess what that means? I get to play frogger. I need to rip back to just past the cables and start all over. At least I was consist and forgot to cross two cables in the same row. So after spying that, I examined the rest of the scarf to make sure that there were no more uncrossed cables and there aren't. I breathed a sigh of relief on that one. I figure I have about 2 or 3 more hours of knitting time before the scarf if finished. I am starting to gather the goodies that I am including in my box to my pal. So now, when do I start playing frogger, during lunch or wait until I get home? I'll let you know what I did, hopefully at a later date. I got my pal's information yesterday for Sockapalooza 4. I promptly ordered the yarn and I can't decide between one of two patterns. I am just trying to figure which one would go best with the yarn that I ordered.

Darling Daughter...

2007-04-23T12:24:00.000-05:00

Is still commenting on my yarn stash. Yesterday, she asked me if I had any more yarn coming and then proceeded to tell me that I have enough and that I should not get any more. I had to laugh at that one. Hmmm...I am thinking about getting more yarn just to get her goat! I did get some lace weight Malabrigo this weekend in a Forest colorway. I don't think I mentioned that yarn purchase to her. I also bought some addi lace needles and the book A Gathering of Lace. I was quite impressed with this book, and found several projects that I am going to get on the needles eventually. I've been doing some thinking, how many projects do I bring with me on my trip to DC? I am going to bring the hat that I promised my Mom that I am going to make her. How many skeins of sock yarn do I bring for Socks? I signed up to do Sockaplooza 4, so those are definitely coming with me. I am planning on taking some pictures of the sock in progress as we travel across country. So that makes two. It is just so hard to know how many to bring with. I am hoping to have a lot of quality knitting time on the bus. Who knows how much time I will actually have to knit while we are there. I'll have to talk more about the knitting class that I took on Saturday morning.

Recipe Friday - Tuna Apple Salad

2007-04-20T16:23:00.000-05:00

This is an awesome recipe and very filling. You would not think that it is very tasty but it is. If you try this, let me know how you like it. The recipe comes from Eating for Life by Bill Phillips. I put it in etools at www.weightwatchers.com . So if you're following weight watchers the points value is included. It is a very easy recipe to make. You can also refrigerate the tuna mixture to have at another time. I have brought this into work keeping the tomatoes, lettuce and tuna mixture separated. Enjoy! Apple Tuna Salad Serves 2 Points Value 4 1 tsp Grey Poupon Mustard 2 Tbps Kraft Fat Free Mayonaise Dressing 4 cups lettuce 1 medium apple 1/2 medium onion 2 medium tomatoes 1 Tbsp relish 6 oz. Bumble Bee Solid White Albacore in water Instructions: 1. In a medium mixing bowl, combine tuna, onion, relish, mustard , mayonnaise, and apple. Mix well 2. Divide lettuce and tomato wedges between two separate plates. Top with half of the tuna mixture serve and enjoy!

FO Picture SOCKS!

2007-04-19T14:43:00.000-05:00

Here it is the picture of DD's basic socks in their unblocked state.

I knitted these using a Size 3 dpn. I went up in needle size due to the fact that I am a tight knitter.

The yarn is Claudia's Handpainted in the Fresia colorway. DD absolutely loves them!

On DD's feet. I have yet to see her wear them around the house. They don't fit like a glove but when I had them on, they were very comfy!

What a 100 Calorie Pack Snack a Day Can Do To You

2007-04-19T08:15:00.000-05:00

We all have had them, those 100 Calorie Packs that are every where. More and more are popping up all over the place. Are they good for you? Yes, if you use them in moderation and don't over indulge. I follow Weight Watchers so yes they have to be counted. They can be anywhere from 1 to 3 points per package. So what can that one 100 Calorie Pack do to you? Let's say you're on Weight Watchers and you have counted them in your points allowance. That one 100 calorie pack a day over 365 days in one year will amount to 36,500 calories in one year. Now translate that into pounds, it takes 3,500 calories to make up 1 pound. So that one pack a day habit could translate into almost a 10.5 pounds a year weight gain. For me I would need to walk on a treadmill for over 20 minutes at a moderate level to just burn off one of those 100 calorie packs. I forgot to mention this in my last nights meeting, so thought that I would add it in here.

Post Office Update

2007-04-18T19:36:00.000-05:00

I went to the post office yesterday with that paper in hand, only to be told that they had nothing for me. That they sometimes leave that paper when they leave a package at the house. I just thought that it was strange since I have been receiving my orders on a regular basis and that was the first time that they had left a notice. On a brighter front, I did receive two more packages in the mail. One was from Scout J with two skeins of yarn and a go knit pouch in my favorite color of course (orange) and the other was the package that I received from Tonni from the contest that I won on her blog. Thank you so much Tonni for the lovely package! Thanks to all who left comments, it's nice knowing that someone out there is reading!

Hodge Podge

2007-04-17T09:29:00.000-05:00

Today's is going to be a little bit about everything. I couldn't decided what I wanted to talk about. I received an email this morning from statcounter with the stats from the people visiting my blog. It showed 0. Well I know that can't be true because Tonni left me a comment just the other day about winning on her blog. So what gives? If you're out there and reading this, please leave me a comment, just so I know someone's out there. Yesterday, it felt a bit like Christmas when I got home from work. I got not one but two packages in the mail. The first one contained two skeins of Socks That Rock in the Watermelon Tourmaline and Henpecked colorways. Both socks are simply gorgeous. The second was a box from Woolgirl that contained one skein of Yarn Pirates Koi colorway. Jen also threw in a handwritten card thanking me for my purchase and a lovely sheep stitchmarker. I wish I would have remembered to have grabbed my camera to take a picture of the packaging before I tore into everything. That was an extremely pleasant and unexpected surprise. I'll definitely order from them again. The shipping was awesome also. I ordered the yarn on Friday and received it on Monday! In the mail, I also received my Weight Watchers magazine and a notice that something is waiting for me at the post office. Interesting the notice does not say if it is a letter or package and where it is from. I am hoping to go to the post office tonight after work to see if they have the package/letter there. My DD just happened to have seen the package, asked what it was, when she was told yarn, she then proceeded to tell me that I needed to quit buying yarn. I guess according to her I have enough sock yarn and need to go on a yarn diet. But didn't I read somewhere, oh yeah, at The Loopy Ewe that Sock Yarn Doesn't Count As Stash. I guess I'll have to pull up that button and show it to her. I did present DD with her pair of socks. We got photos which I have to upload to my computer and post later on. (Seems like I am always saying that.) On the knitting front I am just having a hard time deciding which project to work on. I'm working on Nina's Scarf and Knitting Pure & Simple's Ladies T Shirt Henley. I want to get as far as I can for my class at Fiddlehead's on Saturday. I am almost to the point where I am getting ready to join the sweater so I can start knitting in the round. That should make the knitting go much faster. At the moment, I am knitting one row and the having to purl back. Purling does take so much more time. My scarf is coming along quite nicely. I have gotten about 10 repeats done. Once I am able to work on it more often it should grow by leaps and bounds. Yesterday, was the first time in quite a few weeks that I was able to make it to the gym for a work out. I can tell that I am getting further out of shape. I walked 20 minutes on the treadmill and did 10 minutes on the machine that resembles an escalator. Maybe I'm not so bad. The big question is Will I be ready to handle all that walking in Washington DC next month? Tonight is the third meeting out of four for covering all we need to know about DC for the eigth grade field trip. I am trying so desparately not to do a search for yarn shops around the DC area. By the time I get any free time the yarn shops will be closed. I could always warn the teacher chaperone that I will be with, if we see a yarn shop I have to stop, I need a souvenir skein from the trip. I am still trying to figure what I am going to take with me on the trip. I'll make a list a bit later.

ISE4 & Top-Down

2007-04-16T12:30:00.000-05:00

Saturday's knitting class at Fiddlehead's went very well. I got my sweater started and have a lot of knitting to do before Saturday's class. I got the impression that my knitting skills were a little bit above most others in the class. I really like this group in the class. I seem to hit it off with them a lot more than the other classes I have taken. In other words, I am talking more. I am absolutely loving the yarn that I am using for my top-down sweater. Let's see if I feel the same way after I have completed my sweater. I still need to go out and purchase buttons for my sweater. Next week, we are supposed to have a swatch done so we can do button holes. I purchased dpns and smaller circulars so I can complete the sweater. I brought my ISE4 scarf in to show Mindy how I am progressing and the dilema that I am facing. Once I got the Malabrigo wound up, there was such a difference in the Violetas that there is no way that I could continue that scarf and send it off to my pal. So it was back to the drawing board. I did have a pattern in mind. I had found a post that someone had did for a previous post for Nina's scarf. What I did not like originally about the scarf was that it had a keyhole, where you can put the end of the scarf through it. So I decided that I was going to do the scarf without the keyholes. Now, I was on a mission to find the perfect yarn once again for my pals scarf. I got lucky, I found some Malabrigo in the absolute perfect colorway for my pal. I bought two skeins which I am figuring should be enough. I had Mindy wind up both hanks at the shop and instantly fell in love with the colors. Definitely the right yarn. I had such a hard time this weekend deciding exactly what I was going to knit. I want to get as far as I can on the sweater by Saturday, but I wanted to cast-on for the scarf. Last night, I finally did it. I cast on for the scarf. I followed the patterns directions and didn't like how wide it was. So I decreased the pattern by 20 stitches, using size 7 needles and it is simply gorgeous. I am not going to post any pictures until after my pal receives her scarf. I wouldn't want to ruin the surprise for her, just in case she happened to have figured out who I am . The pattern is very easy to memorize so, it should be a very quick knit. I also should have enough Malabrigo to complete the project. I am thinking that I may just knit until I run out of yarn. So this is the third attempt at my pals scarf. Do you think that maybe everything was all wrong and something was steering me towards this scarf and wool? What I am going to do with the other two scarves that are WIPs, well frog them of course! I am going to re-skein all the wool. I may just send some of the wool to my pal! Hope she doesn't mind the slightly used wool. I might just take pictures of all three scarves and post a picture and that says, which one is going to my pal? Would be interesting to see which one everyone guesses.