This is the sock that I work on when we are in the car or I'm waiting somewhere. Nice,no? I need to get cracking on it 'cause I love the yarn and would like to wear the socks. Of course this is still the first one.
Ignore the feet although the toenails are pretty. heehee.
Still working on the hat order...I'm on the 4th one. It's a shark from www.knittingninja.com and is a little tricky at first but pretty fun. Then one more and I can get back to socks.
Happy Labor Day to all!

This is one of the hats that I've knitted this week. I have gotten an order for 5 "funky/crazy" hats and I figured that this is definately that. It wasn't finished when I took the photo but since has been done.

This is another hat. A good stashbusting project as the "pigtails" are made with all kinds of yarn. As is the hat. A bulky weight, very fast knit.
Feeling almost completely well now,except the lingering,annoying cough and nose-blowing. Spent enough time on the couch, not even knitting or watching tv, just sleeping. Yuck. At least it went fast.

Been sick with some kind of nasty "grunge" this weekend. Spent Friday on the couch just sleeping and piled up under 3 blankets and my winter "woobie" (robe). Much better now...just have to go and sleep....nshskufogjajfp ansdfgjaljds zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz.

Oooohhh....new. Pretty. It was found "lurking'' in the aisles of Hobby Lobby and just decided to come home with me. I very gladly gave it a home.

Finished my Olympic knitting and just have to crochet the edging around. Pictures and more to follow!

Aren't they pretty? I love the yarn. Berrocco Ultra Alpaca in the color Blueberry. Not the best picture but you get the general idea.

Been busy knitting on my medallion shawl (Vogue Knitting winter 2007/2008) by Norah Gaughan for our knitting Olympics. After much tearing out and gnashing of teeth I FINALLY have gotten my "groove" on and have gotten 7 of the 15 medallions made.

I also just got an order for 5 hand-knit hats. As funky and funny as I want. Found some great patterns on Ravelry so as soon as the shawl is finished I am going to work on the hats.

Sis still hasn't gotten her car back as of today (ooops!) but supposedly tomorrow, so we'll see. Okay, I have made a pot of tea that is just fabulous. It's a splurge that I got at Williams-Sonoma and haven't had any in years. It's Mariage Freres and mmmmmm. The type is Marco Polo and just the most fragrant, flavorful,smooth tea you have ever tasted.http://www.mariagefreges.com. Go there and enjoy!

And while you are having a cuppa, go to this site and drool over some YARN!www.yarnsprout.com. Tell her I sent you.

Well, I've been a very bad girl this week. Why I just don't believe it, you say. It's true. I've broken my sister's pretty car. ---->

See, I moved her car to a different part of the driveway on Wednesday and then went to move it back later and couldn't get the key out of the ignition!! So I called sis to come out and take a look,( 'cause obviously I don't know how to take out a key). Turns out that it was stuck but the car didn't turn off completely because you could still move it out of gear.

She calls the dealership where she bought it (of course, some other dealer has taken it over) and they say to bring it on over. And it should take about an hour or less. 2 1/2 hours later she is starting to get a little irritated and just before she gets up to find someone the service manager comes over to her and says (very solemnly)"Can you come with us?" Ummmm, she gets a bit concerned and puts away her laptop...they offer free wifi so she took advantage... and she sees.....Her poor car with the antenna ripped off and the whole hood scraped and scratched up. After they fixed the steering column and installed a new airbag they ran it through the car wash where the spring on the carwash door broke and landed, yes, you guessed it, on the car. So she has a rental car and is still waiting to hear about how long for her car.

They called the car rental place before they even came out to get her so the rental would be there when she saw the car. Oops. At least she wasn't out somewhere when the ignition column malfunctioned.

On the upside, I started my Olympic knitting and let's just say that I have already ripped it out twice. I've not knit something using a chart before and it's somewhat confusing. I don't know why because I can cross-stitch and that uses charts. But I have persevered and we shall see. I think it will be a good learning piece as well as a just pretty.

This is the wierdest looking caterpillar that I've ever seen. You can't really tell from the picture but it has black spikes all down the back....he's a mean thing! I guess it would deter me from trying to eat him if I was a caterpillar-eating type of creature. It is soooooooooo HOT here...supposed to be 94* tomorrow and lots of humidity. Just don't want to do anything. And since the Olympics start on Friday(ugh) I bought some movies and tv shows dvd's on sale today. I have never been into watching the Olympics so I'm glad to have something else to watch. Especially since we are getting ready to start the knitting. I have everything all together for mine except the needles. I don't have a pair of size 7's 16" except for the cheapie interchangable set I have so I will be using those. I can't believe I don't have a pair that size. I want to get some more KnitPicks options cables but I don't think they come in a 16". I should check the catalog and make sure.

OOOHHHH, a big bag of sock yarn. I just love opening the door and having a box of yarn "staring" back at me. There are 10 skeins of Palette fingering weight which will make 5 pairs of bee-u-ti-ful socks. The colors are so scrumptious...Salsa Heather, Blue Note Heather, Fawn, Wood and a purple heather of which I cannot recall the name. So many choices.

Here is the Guilty Pleasure sock all finished. I "loves" them. So soft and the pattern is fun and fast. I think I will make this pattern again.

And I have enough yarn left over for a short pair of some sort. Which is always nice.

Here is the Guilty Pleasure sock. I actually have finished one and am about 3/4ths done with the second one. I really like this yarn. It's Bernat Softee Baby and just is nice and soft and easy to work with. And the color is pretty although it is hard to tell in the photo. But it's a pretty blue/white marl and knits up quite nicely.

I know that this is a knitting blog but doesn't it make you want to lick the screen?

Making you hungry yet?? This is a cookie tray that Amanda made for a client. She makes the BEST pastries and cakes and is very,very generous as well.

This is my first sock in sport-weight. It's not a great picture but it's a lovely light blue/white tweed. I am knitting a pattern from "100 Designer One-Skein Knits" called Guilty Pleasure. Very easy and fun to knit.

I have to get the socks all finished since we are having a mini summer knitting Olympics. I will be able to finish my project faster if not distracted by all the soft, little socks.

Here's what I did at 3:30 -5:30 am this morning. Why, what were you doing awake at that time,you ask? Well, it goes a little something like this....Huge storm with wicked amounts of crazy lightning and then the electric went out. *blink,blink* Okay, so I got dressed and trotted downstairs (well, carefully since it was pitch dark) and lit a bunch of candles. Then I sat at the kitchen table and just looked around. Hmmm. Bored. Went in and grabbed my worsted weight socks that I had just cast on and went to work. I got to the heel by the time the electric came back. Not too bad for a "old-fashioned" knitting time.

Nothing better than opening the front door to the mail-lady and having her give you the KnitPicks box!! I didn't think it was coming today because we had already had mail delivery but we had another. Needless to say I was very pleased. I usually get really fast service from KnitPicks because their warehouse is in Ohio. Yah for me!

I have very gingerly approached the "New Pathways for Sock Knitters" by Cat Borhdi. There are some super patterns that I can't wait to knit but they look a little intimidating. I will have to really read through the book carefully one word at a time. Unfortunately for me there is a decent amount of math (not my best thing) but I think with VERY careful calculating (and Sheri) I will be able to muddle through.

Yuck, just HOT and humid these past few days. We are under a heat/smog alert and it's just gross to walk out in air that you can practically swim through. I just want to lie on the concrete basement floor on my back in front of a fan.

That didn't stop us from taking a drive to Fiberge (www.fiberge.com) and picking up some sock yarn. I must stock up for the winter, like a squirrel you know. I could barely stand to look at the yarn when we first walked in...just so hot. But then the yarn worked it's fiber-y spell on me and it was all good. I think the Online yarn is interesting. It's not usually a colorway that I would pick but thought that I would try and pick something different since I always tend to pick autumn colors. It's good to be flexible.

Ta-dah! Here is the first finished sock on the small circumference needles. I think I like them alot but still am partial to my dpn's. But it's nice to have some other way to make socks.

Even though it's so hot I am having a wonderful cuppa. It's Shanna's Carrot Cake tea and I really enjoy it. And it smells so good when I open the bag. I'm surprised that I haven't "smelled" all the flavor (Flava flav!!) out of it.

Here is Tigger having a good time down at Cruise-In. Unfortunately he didn't get anything to eat but we had some good food. I had a veggie wrap in a spinach tortilla that was very tasty. Jill and A had wraps also that looked pretty good. Their iced tea is very good with plenty of free refills (wooohooo! 'cause I can drink my weight) and my knitting increased a few inches. I notice that I am knitting slower with the small circumference needles...which isn't necessarily a bad thing since some people tend to think I whiz through yarn like mad. (heehee).

Very hot and humid and just generally cruddy out today. The weatherman said it is air that you can wear. Yup, he sure is right about that. Didn't really want to go out today but ran to the library to pick up a few dvd's and some books I had on hold. I want to make the chain scarf from Nicki Epsteins new scarf book. It does remind me of those Christmas chains we used to make when we were young. And I decided to reread Bill Bryson's "A Walk in the Woods". If you've never read it I highly recommend it. Or listen to it on cd. Very,very funny as well as informative. I also checked out "Marjorie Morningstar" by Herman Wouk. It's one of those books that people tell you that you will really enjoy but I was much never able to get into it. At least when I was in high school. So I thought I'd try it again. It's kind of fun, in a poignant sort of way to reread old favorites from years ago. One of my all time favorites is "Gone with the Wind" (I know, I know..GWTW was a book???) and Les Miserables. And of course the Tolkien books. Yes, I was/am a geek. Not as much as A. (in a good way) but still.

Okay. Off to have a cup of blueberry green tea (I get my carrot cake tea on Monday...happy dancing!!) and work on a sock for a present.

Just had some crazy weather here last night. Whew! Trees and limbs everywhere. But pretty much in a 1/2 mile area. Praise Jesus we had no damage but watched the neighbors' tree take a huge hit. What a mess.

I was planning on getting online last night but the lightning was just wicked so I nixed that and worked on some socks. Here's the newest pair for Amanda. I especially like the color.

Hope everyone had a fun time on the 4th. We don't really do much but if you open our front door and stand in the air conditioned comfort of the front hall you get to see one of the largest 4th of July fireworks displays in the city. So that's what we did. Can't beat that.

Got my maple tea from Shanna...mmmmm. Thanks much it is so delicious. Had some this morning with some homemade vegan blueberry cornmeal pancakes that I made. Very good.

Finally getting some nice weather tomorrow and we are going to go to the old car "cruise-in" that my little town has. There's a coffee shop with a lovely deck that is now open in the evenings and thought we would go and have some iced tea and something to eat and knit. Sounds like a fun evening.

I got a new "toy" at the yarn shop last Sunday. It's a pair of circular needles-size 3 9" circumference to make socks. Very different to knit but once I got going they are a nice alternative to dpn's. Plus the yarn is tres,tres nice. Very nice and soft.

Here is my other new sock yarn. It's hard to see the exact color but it's very autum-like and I loves it. 'Cause you can never have too much sock yarn I say.

I must say...I didn't really care if we got broadband or not. I figured that if I hadn't gotten to see videos and hear podcasts, well, I hadn't gotten it before so it wouldn't kill me if I didn't get them now. But now that I have it...wow. I really enjoy it. Especially podcasts. Here is one that I enjoy--The Manic Purl Podcast. Go and listen.

Raining off and on today. Just had quite a downpour but no lightening which is always nice. Too bad the 4th is probably going to be rainy; hopefully it will dry out when it's time for fireworks.

At least the lawn is mostly mowed except the far back. Oh well, it will still be there next time.

New yarn. Come here and see. Went to Lambikins on Sunday and here's what came home with me. The colors are more brown but it is nifty,no?

Had a good time at art night/fight club tonight. We all ordered some tea from Shanna...mmmmm. I ordered the maple but just came home and had some of the country carrot cake and think that I just might have to have some of that as well. Quite tasty. And smells fabulous as well. Which to me is as important as the taste. It's all part of having a "cuppa".

On another upside. The cicadias seem to almost all be gone. Woohoo! Makes being outside so much more enjoyable.

Here's a cake that Amanda just made for a client this weekend.Very cool don't you think?

Hot and humid. Not my favorite combination. Just have been lying low and trying to stay cool. It cracks me up when people talk about the southwest and say "well, it's hot but it's a dry heat". Hello....so is an oven. Like that makes it any less hot.

On the upside the knitting has been moving right along. Here is my first completed butterfly sock...I made the toe in another color because I did one extra repeat and then just knew that I wouldn't have enough yarn to finish. But I figure it will be fine because I'm doing the second sock with it as well. I like the two colors together which is good because I wasn't sure about them.

This is a pair that was originally meant for me but ended up making them for Amanda. :( The pattern is called "Broken Rib" from the book Knit Socks and is quite stretchy. It's knit with Lion Brand CottonEase and the color is Terracotta. It looks red in the picture but is a lovely color. I enjoyed the yarn and would like to have a pair for myself. I just managed to get a pair out of one skein except I had to knit the last 12 rows with another color. Luckily sis doesn't really care and they did look cute anyway.

Just had some maple tea from Shanna that was FABULOUS! Thanks Shanna, I really enjoyed it.

I think that the cicadas are winding down the slightest bit...was able to have the windows down in the car and didn't have to roll them up in terror of swarms once. Woohoo!

Okay. Off to work on my "butterfly" socks. I'll post a picture next time.

I really have meant to post but just haven't gotten online since Monday night. I would think about it but was really into knitting and the playoffs were on :( so sorry Lakers...and just never got around to it.

Here's Tigger having some fries at art night on Monday. He also got a lovely cranial massage thanks to Jill...heehee. The sock is one that I started on Monday but I've been working on it throughout the week. It's a pattern of "butterflies" down the leg and it's a little tricky but I'm enjoying it. The yarn is Panda cotton/bamboo and is very soft but rather "splitty" to work with. The color is Nasturtiums and you can't tell but is very vibrant.

Haven't gone alot of places this week because the evil cicadas have been swarming ALOT and it's very hot and is very annoying when we have to roll up the windows to avoid getting them in the car (that's a whole 'nother story) because we don't have air conditioning and whew! hot in the car. And as an ode to the nasty little beasts here is a poem.

Cicadas a-flyin'

I wish they were dyin'.

Aaaack! one of the creeps just hit my nose.

Hahaha-a thousand I've mowed.

Ooops-better run...get me they're tryin'.

Okay so I'm no Shakespeare but it was a fast attempt.

Had a good time Monday night and got a wonderful surprise from one of the women there. She is starting to sell teas and pastries at some local farmers markets and gave us each 3 different kinds of teas to try. I haven't tried mine yet but am getting ready to brew up some. They smell especially fabulous so I'm sure they will taste as good as they smell.

I would've made some earlier but the kitchen was a mess because sis came over to paint the kitchen cabinets. They are lovely and she does great painting work. They were originally dark brown and then mom wanted them stippled in dark pink, light pink and cream. I wasn't particularly fond of them but whatever. And after years I didn't even notice them anymore. But now they are this great color called "dark toast" and they are the color of a yummy looking mocha coffee. MMMMmmmmm.

Okay, off to knit. I started a pair of socks in CottonEase for myself but by the time I turned the heel I realised that they will fit sis instead so she has a new pair. They are knit in a broken rib pattern from 101 Designer one-skein knits and is a fun, easy pattern. I'll post a picture next time.

Yes, I'm still around. Just a quick post since the thunderstorms are starting to roll through the area. Yikes!

Here's the knitting content for today. The top sock is done with Hobby Lobby's "I Love This Yarn" worsted weight and the pattern is a mock-smock.Very nice and soft and they are finished. The second is Galway Prints in a pretty pastel and the pattern is a fancy chevron lace. These are about 80% finished and I am planning on finishing them tonight. I finished the first one last night during the very sad Lakers/Celtics game. Boo Celtics!

Okay....thundering, so I will be back tomorrow.Have a great KIP day tomorrow everyone!

EEEEEWWWWWW!! The cicadas are grosssssssssssssss! We hates thems.I had to brave the 90* weather and the hoards and swarms of the nasty things to mow the lawn. After all the violent weather we had,both the lawn and the cicadas are thriving. (Everyone shudder together!)

Yesterday morning about 7:45 am we were without electricity. I was awakened by 3 explosions interspersed with the lights going off and on and then nothing. And of course it was in the 90*s and humid. Turns out that a transformer blew a fuse. Which wouldn't have been a big deal except alot of people all over the city where without electricity due to the violent storms from the previous 2 days. The electric company told us that it probably wouldn't be back on until this morning but Praise Jesus! it went on last night about 7:20pm. Almost 12 hours to the minute. It was a very long day. But I worked on the feather and fan sock for Amanda so at least the day wasn't a total waste.

Well, I've cooled down from my shower and now I think I shall make myself a cuppa tea. I think I shall have a cup of vanilla apple white tea.

Yes,yes I'm still here. Riding out some nasty,severe weather and the broadband connection has been out (gee,what a surprise...the weather knocked out the cable in our area) but I have a "window" between storms so I thought I'd check in here for a minute.

Here's what I made yesterday for a customer of mine who is having her first baby. I've never made booties before but cute,no? I put in the blue ribbon before I was reminded that they are having a girl so it has a cute pink one now.

Okay, under another severe thunderstorm warning so I'm getting off of here. See you soon!