Home for the Holidays

The house was rockin' this Christmas Eve. We had eight adults, three cats, three dogs, and an infant all staying here. Then the rest of the local family arrived (four more adults and four children). We started our celebrations with some traditional snacks (like cheese log, apple cider, etc. ) and then began the talent show. Yep, the talent show. My sisters presented a belly dance. The Slaughter Family Singers presented "Must be Santa" (See Ben above). My brother's-in-law performed an original Christmas song. It's been recorded for posterity. Then came the puppet show of "Twas the Night Before Christmas".

Finally we got to eat the infamous Boneless Turkey. This is a recipe my dad makes by de-boning a turkey and stuffing it with a mixture or ground beef, sausage, boiled eggs, and spices. It takes forever to make but makes slicing a breeze.

The kids were anxious to get to the presents. Normally, we only get to open one on Christmas eve and the rest Christmas morning. But since some of the family wouldn't be with us in the morning, we decided to open more gifts that night. Joanna helped her kids into their Christmas PJ's and then started the Sleeping Potion.

Sleeping Potion is a tradition at the Slaughter home for Christmas Eve. It consists of hot chocolate mix, a chocolate bell candy, marshmellows and a candy cane to stir it with. Supposedly it makes the kids go to sleep inspite of the excitement so that Santa can come at Midnight without being spotted.

Make your own for next year. Here is the poem that goes with it:

It's Christmas Eve, time for bed, but not an eye will close. Too much excitement in the air to let you even doze. So make a magic potion to help you fall asleep, then Santa and his helpers can down your chimney creep. Pour this cocoa in a mug and with hot water mix. Then drop in a magic bell and stir with candy stick. Add a few marshmallows and sip it slowly down. Crawl into bed and snuggle in, the magic sleep will soon come around.

It's here, it's really really here.

I got my first gift in the Sockret Pal exchange this week. Look at the beautiful Lorna's Laces yarn! It's called Gold Hill. It reminds me of going to Tehachapi during the fall when I was growing up. My family would go to a certain apple orchard every year to buy apples and apple butter, but also to enjoy the wonderful baked apple treats like pie or crumble with apple cider. We live too far from Tehachapi now, but Apple Hill is not too far from here. While it is quite a bigger operation than the one orchard back home, we can find apple butter, apple pie, and apple cider and revive that old tradition. Thank you pal for bringing back sweet memories and for such a lovely gift!

Looking for Sconcey

My sister plays a game with her son Josiah called "Where's Sconcey." The way this game is played is very simple. Anytime Josiah is fussy, Barb asks "Where's Sconcey?" Immediately Josiah stops fussing, looks around until he spots one of the many sconces hanging throughout my sister's home and breaks into angelic smiles. What does he see? Why a sconce? Who knows, but I've seen it with my own eyes.


My sister will be moving into her new home in a few days and already has decided that she will hang a sconce in Josiah's room. I wonder if the sconce magic will happen there.

I call it magic because it doesn't matter who asks the question, as soon as Josiah hears "sconce" he starts looking. His dad is a doctor and has frequently mentioned that infants don't have anything close to 20/20 vision. Apparently the sconce is visible to his less than perfect eyesight, because Josiah spots it right off and fixes his gaze.

We'll see what happens in a couple of weeks when we all get together for Christmas. Will the sconce here catch Josiah's eye? I hope so.

The Pressure to Blog

How hard is it to write a few words and post a picture or two?

Sometimes I feel like it's too much of an effort to wait for the computer to boot up (do they still do that?) and to log in. I have excellent intentions and I even make it to the office, then I take one look at the computer armoir and turn the other way. I'd rather be knitting. I'd rather be stamping. But the pressure to blog eventually wears me down. Now here I am, over two weeks since my last post.

It's not like nothing has happened. I went to SLC to help my sis pack up her apartment (she's buying a house) and I got to see my nephew (not pictured above, well, not that one anyway). I finished several knit projects (pictures to come) and I've read a couple of great books (Blink by Malcolm Gladwell is one). I'm hooked on a cancelled sci-fi tv series (Farscape) and I had some great tamales that my aunt made. I think all those are blog worthy, I just let the blogpertunity slip by.

So let me tell you about my trip to Salt Lake. The flight from Sac is short, less than an hour and a half. I did have time to finish a hat I'd started earlier in the week and I wore it a few times while I was there. The weather was perfect for just a warm tee or sweatshirt and a hat to keep the heat in. Of course, wool socks helped a lot too. My sister keeps her apartment pretty warm (something about not wanting the baby to be cold) so I had to go around barefoot inside. She is mostly vegetarian, as a result I got to try some things I normally wouldn't. She also loves to cook and finds new recipes constantly. I learned how to make ratatouie and coconut curry. I taught her how to make apple dumplings and veggie filo triangles. We planned a picnic to Big Cottonwood Canyon, but it started to snow and the picnic areas were closed. The drive was nice. We went to visit Lily, who lives walking distance from the apartment (my sis thinks most things are walking distance so I usually lose 5 lbs when I visit her, she forgets we grew up in car-happy California). Lily is almost a hundred and one but you wouldn't think so to look at her. She has trouble with her eyes and last year developed diabetes. She loves to crochet Mile-a-minute afghans (the only patterns she knows by heart, although she recently retaught herself the granny square). There is absolutely nothing wrong with her mind. She is sharp as a tack. She remembers what the weather was like the year her son went to jr high (he's a grandpa now). What an inspiration! I hope I'm that together when I get to 70 and can only dream of reaching 100.

Next time: My nephew Josiah

Swap-O-Rama

I've been participating in quite a few swaps the last six months or so. Here is a sampling of some the projects involved. So from the top, left to right.

1. The first one is a tote I made for Megan in the International Tote Exchange II. This is before felting. It's a Noni Pattern modified. I striped the bag instead of leaving it solid.

2. I received TWO cool bags from Katy in the Mid South. The first is like a Sophie bag in a really Impressionistic colorway. It reminds me of Monet.

3.The second one is a tres chic cabled handbag. I love it!

4.To finish off the one skein swap, I received from Nan in Colorado these very warm Wool of the Andes wristwarmers. I'll be using them this week when I go to Salt Lake.

5.My great Funky Scarf pal Beth in Oregon sent me the most beautiful funky scarf. It's a lace neckwarmer in specially dyed (my favorite colors) sock-weight yarn. The pattern is a really cool wave with little bobbles on the edges.

6.I chose to make a "fingers" scarf for my Funky Scarf pal Miriam in New York. Her favorite art piece is Birth of Venus by Botticelli so I picked colors from that painting to make stockinette strips. I then joined them together to get this. (coming soon, due to blogger picture uploading trouble)

And the winner is...

The Grand Prize winner of the first hopefully annual Castillo/Miranda/Roberts (in alphbetical order) Pumpkin Carving Contest is this spooky specimen. Congrats whoever carved it.

Honorable mention to this devilish creature:

The prize for Most Spirit goes to:

and the AW Award goes to:

Great job, EVERYBODY!

HAPPY HOLLOWEEN!

Ta da!

This is one of the funky things I found that wouldn't post last month. It is a "knitting" bag from Dolce and Gabbana. I think it's like $400. Yeah. It's things like this that make paying $100 for a Jordana Paige bag reasonable.
Jordana Paige Knitter's Satchel in Grape $89.00 Having a stylish bag to keep your knitting in, priceless!

Sock-ret Pal Questionnaire

The basics:
How long have you been knitting? Just over a year and a half.
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’m an intermediate sock knitter moving up quickly.

The measurements:
While your pal may ask for some additional info to ensure a great fit, please provide your shoe size, or any other fitting related info you think is pertinent. I wear size 6 to 6 ½ US.

(fiber related) Favorites:
What colors do you love? I love fall colors and muted tones.
Do you prefer solids or variegated? I like stripe patterns, heathered, marled, or solids.
What fibers do you most love to knit with? I love knitting alpaca, it’s so soft!
Who do you consider your favorite yarn vendors? I like Claudia Handpaint, Lorna’s Laces and Art yarns for socks. I also like Step (the jojoba yarn) and Misti Alpaca.
What projects (other than socks, of course*S*) do you most enjoy knitting? I like to knit hats, scarves, wrist warmers and other accessories.

(fiber related) Dislikes:
What fibers can you not stand to knit with? I don’t care for scratchy Icelandic wool, or squeaky Acrylic. To wear? The same, plus too much fun fur.
What colors would you never wear? Neon anything, lime green, not many oranges, bright Christmas red.

The Tools:
Plastic or Metal? Bamboo or wood? Metal or wood.
Circs or Straights? Straights for scarves and circs for everything else.
DPNs or Magic Loop? Both!
Are there any knitting accessories you don't have in your collection but would like? There is this yarn tension thing that goes on your pinky from cro-knit(?) that I saw in the Patternworks catalog and no where else.

The Extras:
Do you have a wish list? Only in my head. Check back in a few days and I’ll try to have it posted. If so, please share the link!
Do you like sweet, sour or salty? (or all of the above? *S*) Everything in moderation, but I tend toward salty.
Do you have any allergies your pal should know about? (Certain foods, smoke, pet hair, etc) I don’t have allergies, but I prefer no smoking.
Favorite scents? Lavender, spiced fruits, citrus. Scents you can't stand? Musk, powdery florals.
Do you collect anything (other than yarn and knitting toys of course)? I used to collect elephants (not real ones), now I have a small Peter Pan/Tinkerbell collection.
When is your birthday? (month and day is fine!) December 15th
Do you spin? Not yet. Dye your own yarn? Not yet.
Your favorite author/band/vacation spot, anything you think will help your pal know you better...
I don’t have a favorite author, but I really like the Lucia series by E.F. Benson, my favorite band is U2, and my favorite vacation spots are anywhere on the Pacific Ocean coast or France.

No, my computer didn't crash

So much has happened since my last entry. I went to Utah (by car) to see my brand-spankin'-new nephew. The trip was long and as I was driving, no knitting was done except for a few stitches here and there when I stopped to gas up. I really miss my sister and would love to be closer to her, but I'm not sure I want to leave California. I needed a couple of days to recover once I returned, so hardly any knitting and no blogging for me.

Once I did feel like myself again, I became obsessed with finishing a new felted bag. The Striped Tote from One Skein. I made mine from Cascade 220 for the bottom and Noro Kuryon for the stripes. It still needs to be felted but the knitting is done!

I've also been working on a cabled tam, but the pattern was written for flat knitting (I'm trying to do it in the round) and it's not in American English so it's more difficult than I expected and takes lots of concentration. I have three lace shawls in progress...Leaf Lace, Flower Basket, and Meadow Flowers, and two pairs of socks I'm trying to finish.

Meanwhile, I'm organizing an outing for my book club. We will be going to the coast to discuss this months selection Gift from the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindburgh. I like to have a little background on the author and additional related material to move the discussion along so this means research and less time for knitting.

I also like to make cards and attended a workshop for new stamping techniques. Plus a friend invited me to her house to work on our scrapbooking last week. What with all that and wanting to knit as well (not to mention I work full-time) I chose not to blog. So, Courtney, this blogs for you.

Funky Picture

I just about gave up trying to post a picture. The two I originally chose (Oilily combat boots and Dolce and Gabbana leopard knitting bag) wouldn't post. Then I took a photo of this print hanging in my room and it posted after the fourth try. So keeping in mind that this is my third choice of something funky, let me tell you that I like this picture because it uses just a few great colors. The quality here isn't super but you can still see the different shades of red and gold and that little bit of bright pink. There's also some plum shades not showing up too well. I like that the chair is off balance and the poses aren't realistic but then the colors give it symmetry.

How Funky is your Scarf?

By special request from my Funky Scarf pal, here are the answers to my swap questionnaire:

Let’s get the allergy part out of the way. Are you allergic to any fibers? Not that I'm aware of.
Do you prefer any fibers over others? I like almost anything but wouldn't care to wear Icelandic wool or fuzzy eyelash on my neck.
Thinking back to Scout’s post about what funky means to you, post an image of something that you think is funky! (See picture above) I need longer to search for something really funky, but this will do for now. ****Having trouble posting picture of Oilily Boot****
Would you prefer funky yarn or a funky pattern? I prefer funky yarn, but surprise me!
What are your favorite colors? I like muted tones like plum, sage and mauve, earth tones like forest green, taupe, brick, pumpkin and brown, also shades of blue and pink.
What is your favorite piece of art? I don't have one favorite but some of my favorites are Van Eyck's Ince Hall Madonna, Renoir's Grape Pickers at Lunch, any of the dancers by Degas, Rosetti's Prosperine, and a lot of Dali.
What colors would you never have up close to your pretty face? Lime Green or Bright Red
Would you prefer an actual scarf or a cowl? Hmm, a cowl might be nice.
When you wear a scarf do you prefer a wider/shorter scarf or a thin/long scarf? I mostly have shorter scarves because they don't get in the way of what I'm doing, but I do have a couple of scarves that wrap around, knot, and still hang low. But...(see next answer)
What is the climate like where you live? I live in California, just above Sacramento, so it doesn't get very cold here. There are some really hot days, some really cold days and a lot of nice days in between.
Would you prefer a functional scarf (to keep you warm) or one just to funk-up your wardrobe? It's always all about fashion!
What else would you like your partner to know about you? I really like cables and celtic designs.

Josiah (Sorry Barbie)

My sister and her hubby are now proud parents. My new nephew who will be known to me as Josiah (I must apologize to my sister because this is his middle name, but I really like it!) or Joe for short (also not my sister's idea) was born at 1:38 am mst today. I can't wait to meet him. I'll be going to Utah in September to see how the little cutie pie is doing. If the drive isn't too terrible, I might make a habit of it.

Twisted Stitch

Oh No! Not another yarn shop! Yes, it's true. I visited a new shop in West Sacramento called Twisted Stitch. It just opened about a week and half ago and is ab fab. Walking in you feel cozy and welcomed right away. Of course I couldn't leave without some yarn, could I?













The brown is Crystal Palace Kid Merino and the green and purple is Crystal Palace Musique

It's Off!

I've put my FO in the mail for my One Skein Secret Pal. I chose the Triple Cable Muffler in 2nd Time Cotton for the "Finished Object" portion of the swap. If you look really close, you'll see I "pinned" the ends together with a stitch holder and stitch marker. It has really been a pleasure to pick yarns for my pal and to decide which of all the lovely One Skein projects to make for her.

KSKS Bag

This is the wonderful bag my secret pal for the Knit Sock Kit Swap sent me. It came all the way from Canada! I love it because it is the perfect size to hold enough yarn and notions to complete a pair of socks. It has a pocket on either side (under the flap). You'll notice it's not in the previous photo of all the goodies my pal Manon sent me. That's because I pulled it out and put it to use right away. Thanks again, Manon!

Footies and Booties

My sister saw the Cabled Footies I made for myself from One Skein and requested a pair in celery green to match the pajama she plans on wearing to the hospital when she goes into labor. I couldn't find the perfect shade of green, so I made them out of off-white Sirdar Breeze. Then I made a tiny little pair of baby blue booties for my expected nephew. He was due on the 10th but has not yet arrived. I only hope they fit him when the weather cools off enough for him to wear them!

Bertha Socks

Okay, so these socks are really called After Bertha, but it sounds kind of yucky when you say it fast.

They are tube socks so no heel flap, no gusset, no measuring required! They were fairly easy to knit and they fit comfortably. I am planning on making a little kid version for Kaylie and Nathaniel, that way they can wear them as their feet grow. I've got the yarn, now I just need the time.

p.s. As you can tell, I'm posting quite a bit since yesterday. I'm trying to make up for the last two months! Yikes! What will I write about next?

One Skein Footies!

I finished the second project from One Skein. The Cabled footies. I used Cascade Superwash in a great teal color. I know the picture is blurry, but I can't seem to hold the digital camera steady, maybe my hands are shaky from so much knitting, or lack of sleep because I'm knitting. Anyway, I think they are fabulous. So does my sister who requested a pair to wear while she is in hospital having her first child! I'm almost done with hers.

My KSKS!

What a great surprise was waiting for me Saturday. A package all the way from Canada from my KSKS pal, Manon. I love the bag with its outside pockets and drawstring closure. There were lots of goodies inside, too. From great German yarn to kitty treats for Harrison (you can see how happy he was about that).

Oh, I just noticed the bag is missing from the picture. Oops, I love it so much I already have a sock project in it. I'll post an update with the bag soon.

My Constant Companion

Here is my almost finished Constant Companion. I use it just like this, but hope to finish the outside pocket and to line it so it will hold the shape better. I recently lined a felted bag for the first time. It wasn't as hard as I imagined so I should get around to lining my Sophie and this bag soon. I have some great sock monkey print fabric that might look good. You can't really tell from the picture, but my bag is striped brown and green. I made it from Lite-Lopi. This was a knit-a-long at my LYS earlier this year. Some other people in the KAL found it less than exciting to knit, after all it's almost all knit stitch in the round. I found changing color helped break up the monotony and kept me going.

One Skein Muffler

This is the Triple Cable Muffler from One Skein. I made it with Cascade Fixation. I like the way it turned out but you can't really see the cables with the variegated yarn. Oh well, I guess I'll have to make another...

KSKS bag

**Please make-believe this was posted 3 weeks ago. I'm a little behind in my blogging, you see.**

This picture shows what the bag I made for the KSKS swap looks like after felting. Unfortunately, I didn't take a picture of it after I blocked it. It turned out very nice, if I do say so myself. Perhaps my pal Danielle Hui from Canton MA (it's okay to reveal this since I have mailed the kit and she probably has it by now) will take a picture for me? I included a new Fiber Trends sock pattern and Lorna's Laces sock yarn it called for, a row counter, some M&M's, and a chibi for finishing. I hope you like it, Dani!

eeny meeny mynee MOEBIUS

I finished my first moebius from the Treasury of Magical Knitting.

(pretend I posted this is June, because I meant to but didn't get a chance to photograph the moe until today)

I'm very happy with the way it turned out and can't wait to wear it. It is a little cold in my office but not quite cold enough for a sweater and the moe right now. I'm not sure I could carry off just the moe and a t-shirt.

I plan on starting another moebius with some Malabrigo I got during the Yarn Shop Hop in May, but I have quite a few projects in the work just now.

All WRAPped Up

I've been working on several wraps recently. Mostly due to the cold front that moved into my new office space. Those darn industrial air conditioners! Here is a look.

If you're HAPPY and you know it, CLAPOTIS

It is finished! I started the Clapotis from Knitty.com last summer and got about half way through when I found out that I had been twisting my stitches. I just started knitting last year, you see. The thought of frogging the whole project didn't appeal to me so I just put it away. I picked it up again about 3 weeks ago and after changing to a smaller needle size (twisted stitches are smaller and tighter) I decided no frogging would be necessary as no one will notice the second half is different when I'm wearing it. I used Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock in Tuscany and used size 6 needles (size 8 when I was twisting). So now I only have three UFO's (UnFinished Objects) I'm not working on. The homespun pants, which I will have to start over (because I was twisting stitches when I started them), my sister's afghan (she made the granny squares, I just have to hook them together), and a chenille poncho (I just can't find the pattern I was using for this one). The projects I have on needles and am working on are the After Bertha socks, and another pair of socks from the Vintage Socks book, and the Sock Monkey baby blanket from the Happy Hooker. I wasn't able to get a hold of any Bernat Denimstyle Rodeo Tan, so I had to change all the yarn called for in the pattern. I think it will be just fine.

Knit Sock Kit Swap

I'm truly excited about the sock swap I joined. However, the bags I've seen on the blog-- http://www.ksks.scoutj.com/ look way more sophisticated than I imagined they would be. That puts the pressure on me. Anyway, these are my answers to the KSKS questionnaire:

What are your favorite colors? I like denim blues and sage/olive greens, I like muted pinks and buttery yellows, I like browns and off-whites.

Are you a new sock knitter? How long have you been knitting socks? I knit my first sock almost a year ago.

Do you prefer solid or multicolored yarn? I have been buying multicolored yarn for socks lately. What fibers do you prefer in sock yarn? I like superwash wool or cotton blends.

Where do you usually knit socks? Everywhere!

How do you usually carry/store small projects? In drawstring bags.

What are your favorite sock knitting patterns? I just got a book of vintage patterns that I can't wait to try.

What are your favorite sock knitting techniques? I've been doing various lace patterns lately.

What new techniques would you like to try? Just a little bit of fair isle.

Do you prefer circulars or dpns for sock knitting? I do magic loop, and I want to try two circulars, but I think my favorite is still dpns.

What are some of your favorite yarns? I like Artyarns, and Lorna's Laces Shepherd Sock. I also like the yarn that has jojoba and aloe vera, can't remember what it's called.

What yarn do you totally covet? Handpaint sock yarn in shades of pink, forgot the shade name but I have to touch it everytime I go to my LYS.

Any pattern you would love to make if money and time were no object? I saw a leaf lace pattern for socks that I want to try.

Favorite kind of needles (brand, materials, straights or circs, etc)? I like Addi Turbos for magic loop and brittany wood for dpns. I prefer short dpns (5").

If you were a specific kind of yarn, which brand and kind of yarn would you be? I'm feeling a little bit like JO SHARP Rare Kid Mohair today. One of the multicolored skeins. Kind of fuzzy and mellow.

Do you have a favorite candy or mail-able snack? I like Lemon Heads.

What’s your favorite animal? I like Elephants and Monkeys.

Do you have pets? What are their species/names/ages? I have a cat, aged 11, named Harrison.

If you were a color what color would you be? I would be that grey/blue of the Pacific Ocean that is right at the horizon.

Describe your favorite shirt (yours or someone else’s).. I have an old black U2 T-shirt with the cover of the Desire single on it (the picture of Larry drumming). It is so worn and comfortable now.

What is your most inspiring image, flower, or object in nature? I simply L. O. V. E. the ocean.

Tell me the best quote you’ve ever heard or read. This is kind of lame, but I can't think of anything else at the moment. I like the verse in the Bible from Genesis that says Jacob worked seven years for Rachel but it was nothing to him because of the love he had for her.

Do you have a wishlist? A list?, no, I have a book!

Anything else you’d like to share with the group today? I am so excited about making the bag, should I knit it?, sew it?, crochet it? Hmm.

It's a Boy!

Okay, now I can let the cat out of the proverbial bag. What I've really been working on these last few weeks is a quilt for my sister's baby shower.
All the girls in the family embroidered a patch and it was my job to put them together into a quilt. I decided to use a rag edge finish between the squares (that is why some blocks don't look centered in this picture) so that more of the color would show. You must know two things. One, I am not a quilter even though I have made two before. Second, I came to this project late in the game. So please, don't be harsh. The party was today and we had a blast. Raschel did a fabulous job of planning, cooking, decorating, hosting, etc. Barbie enjoyed the whole shebang. Some of the games we played were the dirty diaper game, pin the baby on the mommy, and musical baby bottles. Yay!

Lacey Days

I've been spending every spare minute (plus some that I should be spent on other things) on my Shoalwater Shawl. This is a lace pattern recommended for beginners. However, I found that it's not quite so much for beginning knitters as for beginning lace knitters. After a bit of TINKing (knitting backwards) between rows 27 and 31, I was on my way. My shawl is now knit and waiting to be blocked.

I also started a moebius from The Treasury of Magical Knitting. That's another project that required more than one start. I should finish it before fall.

Some news on the One Skein exchange. I found a great ball of yarn for my secret pal during the Yarn Shop Hop. I sent it to her a couple of weeks ago (it's been that long since my last blog) and she really liked it! I can't wait to see what my pal sends me. In the meantime, I'm working on finding the next great skein to be sent at the beginning of July.

The picture above is The Lacemaker by Vermeer. It looks like bobbin lace she is working on, not knitted lace, but it's lace nevertheless.

Sshh! Secret Pal

I am participating in the One Skein secret pal exchange. Here is the questionnaire I answered and sent to the pal that will be sending me yarn.

1. Which yarn is most like your personality (you can be specific or general with your answer- brand, type, color, fiber, whatever)? Probably one of the heathered Misty Alpaca worsteds, because its soft and even and has lots of subtle coloring. I am mostly mellow and at first glance quite ordinary, but I have my moments.
2. What is your favorite color yarn to knit/crochet with? My friend Violet (owner of Frog Pond) laughs whenever I pick new yarn because it almost always is blue, brown, grey, tan, or black. Yes, I mostly like neutrals, but I do like pink, deep red, and autumn colors. As a matter of fact, I’m knitting a Shoal Water Shawl in a great shade of rose right now.
3. Have you ever used variegated, or magic, yarns? I have used self-striping sock yarn and variegated yarn. 4. Do you tend to favor certain fibers when choosing yarns? Nope, I’m an equal opportunity knitter! 5. Do you prefer to work with center-pull or traditionally wound balls of yarn? I prefer center-pull, but I have a ball-winder so how they come is not important.
6. Have you ever worked with organic yarns or are you interested in trying them? I just bought my first skein ever of organic yarn, I’m anxious to try it out.
7. How many and what projects have you made in the last year? Let me count the knit projects: 1. garter stitch hat and scarf set 2. Gryffindor scarf 3. Bzzz hat from SNB Nation 4. wristwarmers 5. two washcloths 6. mohair shrug 7. Debbie Bliss scarf 8. Three beanies 9. Sophie purse 10. felted bag 11. My Constant Companion 12. mohair ruffled scarflet 13. two Stitch Diva ruffled scarves 14. One Skein Triple-cable Muffler 15. fun-fur garter stitch scarf 16. skirt from Knit Scene 17. three felted flowers 18. three felted clovers 19. Mock Croc socks from Knitpicks 20. Cables and Lace socks 21. Snakes and Ladders socks 22. worsted socks 23. Tiny Treasures baby socks 24. baby booties That’s all I can remember at the moment, so that adds up to 29. I haven’t been crocheting nearly as much (after all, I have been able to crochet forever), probably just a belt, two hats, four ponchos, and some never ending granny squares for an afghan.
8. Will you be knitting any gifts this year? Absolutely. 9. What is your favorite one skein project? Right now it’s the triple-cable muffler, but that could change. I bought some Brown Sheep over the weekend to make the felted clutch.
10. How much yarn do you have in your stash and how do you store it? I have about 50 skeins, most in plastic tubs or hard-wood baskets.
11. Do you have a yarn in your stash that you love so much you can never use it or part with it? No, I just keep looking for a perfect project.
12. Do you knit less or differently in the summer? I just started knitting January 05, so I’ve only gone through one summer. I think it’s too soon to tell.
13. Do you belong to any knitting groups (online or offline)? I belong to Rocklin Chicks with Sticks. We meet on Wednesdays at a desert café or at Frog Pond Knits (our LYS).

Middle Earth

Is it two words? Anyway, a few weekends ago I went to the Middle Earth festival in Vacaville with Nathaniel and Kaylie. We saw lots of Elves, some Dwarfs, some orcs, and a really frightening Ringwraith. Nathaniel was immediately obsessed with the swords ("Auntie M, look at that sword!") and Kaylie couldn't keep her eyes off of the Elves ("She's a princess, Auntie M!). After spending too much money on snacks, a sword for Nathaniel, and a tiara for Kaylie, we headed back home. Ah, Middle Earth. I went, I saw, and I bought the T-shirt!

Mock Crock

Cables and Lace

Tiny Treasures

Whew!

"My dear, it is just busy people who have time for everything." -Lucia (Queen Lucia by E. F. Benson)

I can't believe how much I have packed into the last month: Lots of knitting, a book club meeting, a trip to Middle Earth (more on that later), a couple of visits to my home town, a couple visits to a sick friend, more than a couple visits to see my "punkins", plus my day job! Things have finally slowed down enough for some computer time, hence this post.

Queen Lucia is one of my favorite books. It's the first in a series by E. F. Benson about the incomparable Emmeline Lucas ("Lucia" to her friends). She endeavors to make her life interesting and productive by leading the residents of her town in any number of cultural experiences. She organizes Elizabethan fetes, garden parties to benefit the local hospital, art exhibitions, lectures, classes on yoga, classes on Dante, etc. But her life becomes extremely interesting when she moves to Tilling in book four, Mapp and Lucia. There she encounters Miss Elizabeth Mapp, the perfect foil to all of her plans. You see, Miss Mapp has been used to leading Tilling and does not at all like having a challenger to her throne. I love audio books and I have three of the Lucia books on CD. Part of my time this month was spent listening to them again.

This month I finished quite a few of my knitting projects and started more. Finished this month: Cables and Lace socks for my Frog Pond sock-of-the-month club, Mock Croc socks from Knitpicks, Ruffled Neck Warmer from Knit 1 fall/winter, Tiny Treasures sock, and the Curlicue Ruffle Scarf from Stitch Diva. Started this month: Mrs. Beaton from Knitty.com, Triple Cable Muffler from One Skein, and the Kepler sweater. Still in progress: Homespun pants from Interweave Knits Summer 2004?, Clapotis from Knitty.com, a chenille poncho, and my sister's afghan.

I'm having trouble posting more than one picture per post so I will be posting some picture only posts to show off my projects.

Ta ta!

A Peaceful Afternoon

A cup of tea, a good movie and some yarn. Those are my requirements for today. After a full week of work and chores, I'm ready for some down time. Today I will be watching Jezebel with Bette Davis. I've seen this movie once before a long time ago. Yesterday at the video store, I saw it on the Classics shelf and decided it would be perfect for today. I'll be having peppermint tea (the closest I'll get to a mint julep) in honor of the movie's southern locale and working on one of four sock projects I have going right now.
I just finished a sock for my nephew Benjamin. This one will fit him for at least a month. The booties I knit for him when he was born only fit him the first week. He shall be known as BIG FOOT. I still need to knit the companion sock, but since the other one only took two days, I'm sure they will still fit when I'm done, I hope.
His big sister Kaylie asked for a pair of red socks, but I'm having trouble finding a good shade of red for a three-year old.
Nathaniel, their six-year old brother is easy to please. He wants blue socks, any shade. There's plenty of blue sock yarn out there.
I'm working on a sock-of-the-month project from my local yarn shop Frog Pond Knits. This month we are doing cables. The yarn I picked is gorgeous Claudia Hand Painted in Walk in the Woods. The picture doesn't do it justice. So, now it's time to knit.

Barbie's Tummy

This is a picture of my sister Barbie. She is just soooo happy to be preggers! Congratulations Barb, I hope to see your tummy in person soon.