We want to win!!!

Sheldon and I really want to get ourselves some tickets to Japan. We decided to stay home last summer because of all the termoil and clean up from the big March event. All of our friends are fine, but we did not want to burden them and consume the resources in Japan, such as electricity. The truth is, Sheldon is a big pansy and can not survive Japan with out AC. Here in the northwest we have a pool to chill-in. I mean, he is a turtle after all.
So Sheldons new plan is to get free plane tickets. Did you see this? Free tickets
Yeah, we want to blog to all our socker fans about the trip we will win. Just think of all the knitting spots still to be discovered.... I would even like to volunteer to take some knit socks to the Tsunami affected areas.
When can we jet our hands on these tickets? Will it be in time for Sapporo snow festival? Or Cherry blossoms in Okinawa or Tokyo? Maybe Sheldon and I will get geothermal sand baths in Kyuushu, or mail you a post card from the top of Mt Fuji.
Hurry up Japan, let me know when I can get those tickets. I really need a good Japanese meal and 足袋（tabi） for my tabi（旅）。

Really don't alarm yourself.

Snow day!

Sheldon had been wishing for a snow day all winter here, in the NW. We finally got one Thursday. For those who slept in, they missed all the snow as it melted off by about 1pm.

While Sheldon and Ari were out in the few hours of snow, I was able to finish off the Skacel's KAL gloves. With the fingers securely knit on, I eventually made my own shady snowman, who sadly fell over as he melted in the joy of sunlight.

With the the record low temperatures the past couple days he is still hanging in there on the lawn. Poor guy!

Here is something a little cheerier. I bagged up more than a baker's dozen of Cookies (i.e. socks) and hauled them over to the LYS for a bit of a taste test before Cookie comes into town. (If you look closely, there is a representative from every Sock Innovation pattern and a few other socks from Sock.Knit.Love.) I hope the shop display stuffs her classes to the brim. But who wouldn't want to monkey around with Cookie? Gosh, what if my socks scare people away from the classes.... (I hope Cookie likes my socks, I hope Cookie likes my socks, I hope...)
I'll show and tell my 2011 socks next time. As I have 5 pairs done this year, with a bunch of singles which will soon become pairs. (Well, that is the plan.... for now....)

Do I dare mention Cookie club? Or Sock Madness? Or ugly yarn knit along? or... just the word hand knit SOCKS!!!!
Stayed tuned my friends, and keep those needles in your hands with new socks on your feet.

Sheldon's Summer Adventure

I am guessing my best of socker fans may have given up on me. BUT Sheldon and I are indeed still HERE. We will try to do better for all of you in every corner of the earth. This past summer Sheldon grew a hard shell and decided to swim across the ocean.

Along the way he met up with some pirates, but we showed them a few yarn tricks to help with their nets. This allowed us to pass by the pirates and keep swimming.

When we got to shore we sipped a delicious green drink to quench our thirst, as it was super hot on this Pacific island.
The further on shore we went, we found many obstacles, such as this crazy monster!
He did inform us where we would find a few knitting friends:

We took in a few sites along the mountain sides.

Is it refreshment time?
Sorry, a little Tokyo congestion before we meet other knitting buddies.

These are real silk worm cocoons. We were able to see how silk was made and there is now a higher level of respect in regards to those silk socks.

As we were "chilling out" and enjoying our healthy greens, along came this guy.

He was very kind to us, Sheldon wanted to voice a concern to the island's chief before we could consider returning home.
Sheldon's complaint was the construction rails. Do you see the issue?

Why the monkeys? Shouldn't the rails be held up with friendly green turtles?

The leader clearly was not happy with the suggestion and got a few of his friends. We bought a round of ice coffee and Coffee jelly,
Soon they understood how turtles should be displayed a little more prominently around their island. They even shook on the agreement, we will see more turtles next visit.
They waved us off and wished us a safe journey back through the warm waters.

As you can see summer was quite busy and fulfilling on the island. After returning home knitting slowed down a bit and we started to dye,

Beautiful kool-aid sage greens made with Blueberry & Orange combination. (I would have never guessed, Orange and blue to make sage.) AND it smells so yummy!
Let's review last year a bit, my apologies for the lack of a jingle Sheldon was too tired to pick the proper track.

Stayed tuned for more socker action and Sheldon adventure!

Quick update

Bummer game

I've be hidden in my cave watching all the World cup Socker games. My team finally got bumped off last week. I've been cheering for the underdog, Black stars.

Yes, that's not very patriotic of me. Since they knocked-off USA in extra time. This week they played Uruguay and it was a great game neck and neck through the extra time periods. Then I had to watch the kick offs... where my team was out scored. Bummer for Africa.

Ghana losing was not the worst part of my day. When I turned away from the TV, there was a giant ant eating my cookies!!!!

OH MY!!!! LOOK at this guy!!! He took a few bite out of the cookie a Mock Socks,

and Milo Cookies.
I think he actually walked off with my specially dyed Rick socks. Don't worry I will shake them out of him soon. Otherwise he will look like this the next time:
So keep watching my gracious fans to what happens to Ali. Don't worry Sheldon is not being replaced, he's will come out of his shell soon.

Socks everywhere!

As you can see Sheldon has been hibernating during our chilly spring. (of course, the warmest spot would be in a pile of freshly knit socks.)

After our last hike of the year, we went to San Diego to get a taste of some warm water swimming.

I was afraid Sheldon would want to stay and make friends in the ocean. Thank goodness Sheldon got cold feet (huh huh huh)and insisted on returning to the Northwest.

Here I knit up a pair of Knotty gloves from the past summer's cool-aid dyed sock yarn. These babies are very cozy.

My mohair sweater finally was stitched together after sitting in the closet for a year. :)

So I had no choice but to start another sweater......yeah, a mohair hoody! But it still needs some sleeves. Now let's talk about socks!!!

Sock Madness is over for me this year. I was knocked out of round 4 due to some beautiful knee-highs... with a 120 stitch cast on! :( I would rater have stitched with 90 stitches from the start. Round 3 socks were the GAMs made with Opal rain forest yarn, snake. It had a weird heel but another interesting way to knit a sock. Round 2 was the Cool Bean socks. Yes, they look very cool, just a bit time consuming with all the stranding. Round 1 was terrible with sideways socks (happy feet yarn). About 160 stitches Kitchenered, couple hundred picked up at toes, heel and ribbing. Not to mention the lack of stretch in the sock length. No plans to make any side-winder like socks in my future.

How about some cookies? Every month I get A., Cookie. From the left is Vilai, Angee, Wanida, Sam, Bex, Cauchy and a mystery on the needles. Cookie A's book is a pretty good read, I recommend it. Next up is to spend time with Rick.

Oh, I have to thank Gherkin hand spun yarns for her gift to our Cookie A knit-a-long. As you can see she drew my name for some beautiful yarn. Perhaps there will be some matching climbing hat in Sheldon and I's future?

Here are a few more sock odds and ends. The random free pattern out on the web.

Let's hope Sheldon stays out of hibernation and does not get attached by any more snakes. I apologize to our fans for Sheldon's homebody mood these past months. I will work harder to keep him out and about .... so stay tuned.