End of the month already?

I just realized it is August 30th. I believe that means it is pay day. Yippy! Not only that it means doing bills and posting my August sock on the sock-a-month KAL. While I have started many pairs I am lagging a bit behind. Work has kept me busy and more than frustrated me lately. Why do supervisors give projects for you to work you tail off and then throw in that last minute surprise that puts all of your time and efforts to waste AND basically makes you look like a fool. Just yesterday all the pieces were getting worked out and my project was a go, so I show my co-workers and they were very impressed with my findings. Then I get a call after I am home from work to find out my project may not even be used even though I was told to share it with my surrounding team members and add them as support. WHAT!! I swear someday soon I am going to suddenly quit and totally blind side them. Yes, I hate my employer. Ok sorry for the explosion. Let's talk about something happier.

I finally found a good deal on some yarn to make the sweater. It is the hoody I can't stop talking about from Rebecca No 32 magazine. The cost of this yarn was about $15 plus Washington's 10% sales tax. I was debating about olive or this color. What do you think?

The sad news about this... I won't be able to throw it on the needles until my mohair sweater is knit and then my next giant work project begins. Sad... But to make up for that and the bargain yarn I was able to buy a happy colored yarn from Opal feelings collection. :) I thought about buying a second skien to make knee highs for soccer... but then I calulated the amount of time I am going to be able to knit in the month of September and common sense won out. :(


well... I am going to escape to go meet my knit buddies tonight. :)

Citrus fun

As you know the day started with just this:


But then my "partner in crime/yarn enabler" knit-wise cracker invited me over to dye yarn. She bribed me with green Kool-aid. That caused me to grab my ball winder, always ready knit kit and fresh knit pick skien to make into a citrus medley.

After I got to her house I found I was bribed without there actually being green Kool-aid. oohh.. not so kool!

So we jumped into my socker-mobile and ran to the store to find green lemon lime kool-aid. What is wrong with stores carrying only tropical punch red kool-aid? Don't they know there are desperate yarn dyers in the world? FOUR stores later I had my green kool-aid, some blues, purples and you get the picture. We now had so many colors it was hard to pick our "yarn-to-be" colors.

Knit-wise went first and made a beautiful green blue skien. Check her blog to see "Emerald City." Rasberry Ice and Blueberry with Lemon Lime and Lemon. We followed Knitty.com rules of 4 packets per 100 grams. In the end we decided if you want a better defined color use more packets. A nice washed out tint of color is the 4 packet rule. Just depends on what look you want. Sure her yarn did smell as good as it looks!

Then it was my turn to have a try. I washed my yarn. Then selected orange, lemon and 3 lemon lime Kool-aids to make "Citrus Medley". Those were my three colors to get multiple shades. If I had more Martha Stuart cooking bowls I would have made more colors. Here are just a few colors I worked into the yarn.


I was able to make multiple shades of greens, olive and then some interesting orange orange-yellow browns. What fun!!! If I had more yarn and Kool-aid, knit-wise would have sicked her dog on me around 10pm. Here is what ended up boiling.


And here is what I was sent home with to dry. What do you think? "Citrus Medley"

Never enough time

I forgot to show a few pictures of the lake I camped at last week. This is my brother taking his little gal swimming in Wallowa Lake. It was so hot there I could not knit on the mohair sweater I keep swearing I am going to finish before September.. :(



Was there wild life at the camp? Do the three year olds count? ok, just kidding. I am more curious why the deer is in the horse pasture?



oh no... he is coming after my yarn... watch out! Nah, I think he went for the loaves of bread at the neighbors site and cantaloupe. I saw him unzip the duffle bag the food was in... wow, smart deer. Last year we had to tie up the cooler because these deer can pop a cooler open with their nose and mouth.

So after the camp adventure I snuck into mom and dad's house and painted both bathrooms, first time in about 27 years! It was a job. I did not might doing the work, just it kind of took away my my knitting and soccer time. :( I'll recover. i am thinking that mom and dad might have given up something for me at some point in time.

In between paint and hardware runs, I was able to sniff out a yarn shop. And the results? oh just look!



No, I really did not need three skeins of yarn BUT This was on sale half off and I don't usually knit with solid colors. I have been noticing have much nicer some patterns are with a solid color. This is sport weight and each skien is only 230yards. I was told to find a lacy pattern. not sure what they will be come. I'll just tuck them away for a rainy day. (Wait I live in Seattle. Q rainy day just might be tomorrow.!.)

The yarn diet has gone out the window, again! I also ordered from knitpicks. I need yarn to make the Irish Hiking scarf for my book worm friend. I like the serious look to this scarf. Not to mention it seems warm enough for a good cold winter. Let's hope for a cold winter so Book Worm can wear my scarf. here is the scarf to be...


The bad news about my Knit Picks order: I ordered before vacation and had the package sent to MOm and dad's house because I was planning do a little painting. the yarn stuff came and I knew the Ann Budd book would be a little later. Guess what, it came the day after I leave. :( now I have to either wait a month or so until I get back to mom and dad's, OR... I sneak into a friend's house and swipe is for a little over night reading. Hmmmm.... maybe a bribe would be better...

On the way home from grandmother's house (Grandma sounds better than mom and dad, right?) I stopped by IKEA along I-5. I bought a placement. Then this morning after reading a knitter's blog and doing some research I believe I successfully made a sock blocker. WOW! just looky here. oh, the place mat was only in one color and it fortunately was... GREEN and silver!



Now look and see how it really shows off my lovely broadripple. (I finished this sock since the photo was taken.) I am loving this sock. Good pattern, only a 2 row pattern. I still hate the stretchy Fixation yarn,but the colors are turning out great! (Also, trying to burn the stash a little.)


Well next time I hope to have a pair of socks done, and then I will reveal a growning problem.

A little variety

I am back from the lake and the weather was great. Well, a little hot for two of the days. Now I am home watching paint dry. I just painted two bathrooms. This evening I will put up some of the fixtures and take the tape off the edges. Kind of sounds like work, so I will sit here and knit and internet a little longer. More fun, eh?

I finished my test socks. I really liked the Pagewood yarn. It will be interesting to see how it knits up. Awesome color. The pattern is quick going. If I was to make another pair of socks in this pattern I would put my favorite flap heel in instead of the short rowing. These socks feel good on. :)


Last week at the lake I whipped up this sock, the flaming wave sock from Favorite Socks book. Pattern was frustrating for me since I can't really see the pattern very well. bummer... like the color but I am wasting effort on an invisible pattern. Maybe I will change my mind when i do the second sock. hmmm....



I got a little ambitious this morning and started another sock in addition to the others on the needles... I started the Broadripple. It is coming along rather quickly. quicker than the flame. I am following the pattern 56 st size 3 needles


I started two socks in one. I mean inside the other. It is kind of cool but a little slow. So I don't suspect a quick pair with these socks. The trick is to keep one thread in the front and one in the back. I am thinking it woul dhave been quicker if I knit the outside sock inside-out. This way i would not be flipping the tread forward all the time just purl a st knit a st...



Let's see if I am doing it, right? Can I pull the two pieces away from each other?

YIPPY good so far.

Let's see how many other projects I can get started to fill the knitting bag I carry around.

How could I forget?

I totally forgot to share that my super cool Sock Pal (the one I made socks for) got her socks. Fortunately she did not "fall" the tree on the UPS man. you should check out Her blog, Cool sock friend She is also on Ravelry, (Like all the cool kids,) see what sock patterns she has queued there. :) oh, she is under bonitapita. (did you see what wisecracker taught me this weekend, its a new trick!)

No time for knitting today, but I did go shoe shopping. I wanted the Gwen Estafani "harajuku" shoes. I thought they would be fun, and they are in a converse chuck style. I don't usually spend $65 on a pair of shoes, but my thinking is.... I tend to keep things for a long time. Like the shirts from middle school, Esprit shoes from HS, my old worn out GAP jeans that the sales clerk laughed at me when I asked if they still sold that style. (yeah, they actually are designed to stay on your waist.) I think you get the picture. I am not so much up to date on latest fashion and I tend to do my own thing. This could explain why Chico's did not call me back when I applied for a job there recently. Or was I over qualified? Sorry I got side tracked my real story is what the girl said to me. I tried on the 11s, but they were a little long, then the 10s... but they were kind of tight. She said, "well I am sure you will be wearing a thinner sock, so they will fit." Does she know who she is talking to??? Sock-ergirl... only hand knits here! I just kindly pointed out I woul dbe wearing hand knit socks. I don't think the sales girl understood the great artistry of hand knit there socks.

Well, I am off to knit up a storm in my special spot of hybernation. Let's hope my Mountain bike does not distract from my knitting.

Eleanor and some creepy crawlies

One more pair done. A pair of Panda Eleanor just barely squeaked out of two balls of cotton Panda. These socks have a great feel to them. While I was not a huge fan of the splitting yarn as I knit the stretchy feel on the foot is fabulous. This is a better fit than fixation and easier on the hands.

Below are the creepy crawlies. I just got two skiens of opal yarn. Bumble Bee on the left and Snake on the left. I intend to try the Snicket sock for the Bees and the Snake pattern from Six Socks KAL. hmm... have been knitting as fast as I have been buying yarn? Oh I hope so...



Next up... finish test socks. (Heel is turned) then finish Mohair sweater so I can buy hoody sweater yarn, knit Sheldon, as for next socks... uhm.. Jay walkers? Broadripples? two at once? Or, maybe I will just surprise you!

I also need to go get some SOS photos for the contest.

A single and a single equal....

Single sock syndrome? Nah... not yet, right?

I completed the Test sock in Pagewood's green color. It is way better than the pooling socks that rock I tried last week. The pattern is nice and I learned a new way to turn a heel, short rows with YOs. The pattern was made on #2 needles following the recommended gauge of 8 st per inch.



The other single is Eleanor from panda cotton. It is very snuggly. I thought I was going to run out of yarn, but I squeezed out the toe. On to the next one, already have the ribbing in. :) Good mindless pattern of a sort, but you have to remember what line you are on.



I had to go downtown to take care of some office work and along the way I had time to stop in at a yarn shop. hee hee... I was able to preview Ann Budd's new book. I think Ann is becoming my new hero. Move over Nakata, Pele, Beckham.... :) Her book has good sensible layout and visuals. There are also a few patterns toward the back. I think it could make a great coffee table book next to Favorite socks, and the Sensational Sock series.

Surprise!!! It's super cool!

I opened my front door and I almost tripped over this....



My sockapalooza socks! My pal was working hard on this package for months. :) Oh, I am SO happy with my magic box of goodies. Way better than imaginable. My Pal Gena rocks!!! I hope she has a blog so I can see what other cool things she does. But let's look at the goodies. The Awesome socks, TWO chocolate bars - healthy ones :) (I will TRY to share with a friend, it always makes the chocolate taste better.) two natural flavored lip shine (Vanilla Cola & Orange Cream) and what I thought to be green altoid chewing gum. Oh, pal you tricked me, really.



With the careful wrapping and decorated box, the nice postcard from MSU, the organic items for ME. How did she know I try to hide my inner "hippy" from my blog? But the package got better when I opened the green altoid box it had GREEN knitting markers and the super bonus... ONE soccer ball marker. Nope not loaning these babies to anyone. :)



Then the coolest part of the gift. The socks! (of course) Look how snuggly these socks fit! WOW!!! She really got the whole package right. I have been wanting to do this pattern, Ann Budd's Diagonal Cross Rib Socks. The color choice - Perfect! it's Pine Tree green, soft wool. Brown Sheep Wildfoote Luxury Sock yarn to be exact. Looks like I will have to make this pattern for a friend. I hope that my pal's feet are about the same size and she did not have too work too hard on the size 11 socks. I am sure that she has a pretty box of socks in the mail to her too. She deserves it! Thanks pal, you made my week!



Now about my knitting....After the depressing start on the test sock, I set the Socks That Rocks aside and wound the Pagewood GREEN yarn. hee hee. :) I got a pretty good start I am already to the heel turn and it looks pretty good. See


Here is today's added bonus to all the knitting time and surprise giftS. I went to my knitting guild Picnic potluck and someone was destashing .... cotton sock yarn in mint. I am very happy to take this yarn off their hands. Now I need to find the perfect knee high sock pattern. :) Any ideas?

Monkey offf my back, come over Eleanor

I shipped out my Sockapalooza socks to my pal. I hope she likes them. I sent a little care package of a sort, the items included - black sheep tape measure, Hello Kitty Mermaid cell phone charm from Japan, yarn sticky note pad and of course the lovely Lorna lace Mashed-up madness socks. I shipped it UPS to make sure it gets there and so I can track it. I can't wait to hear how she likes the goodies!

While everyone is doing monkeys, all the cool gals I am hanging with are making Eleanors. Sockfanatic is on her third pair!!! wow... will I end up like her? check out the pattern. I started it yesterday adn I am about half way throught the first sock. I should have a pair by weekend. uhm,... the test pattern has got me a little behind on my socks-a-week pace... hmm.. Is it time to give up? I know Sheldon is still calling to me, as well as the mohair sweater & all those sock patterns on Ravelry.

Below you will see the test socks in their current state. The pattern is working out fine, but the yarn??? Not so well... it is pooling pretty bad. The Thursday night gals voted to rip it out and try Jaywalkers with this yarn and pick something else for the test pattern. :( Yarn is SOcks that Rock G-rock. So sad...